From: Jon-Paul Harries <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 7, 2023 1:53 PM
To: Laurie alderman <[email protected]>
Cc: David Rabbitt <[email protected]>; Kevin Patterson <[email protected]>; Susan Harvey <[email protected]>; Damien O'Bid <[email protected]>; Kay Rivers <[email protected]>; Laura Sparks <[email protected]>; Sylvia Lemus <[email protected]>; Noah Housh <[email protected]>; John Bakker <[email protected]>; Craig Scott <[email protected]>; Michael Parish <[email protected]>; Angela Courter <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Eliminating public input purposefully is why there is empty council chambers for City meetings.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for the comments. I’d like to clarify what the City has done and is proposing with respect to Mercy Wellness of Cotati.
For years Mercy has hosted occasional events within their permitted retail facility to promote sales (ex. 4/20 sales events; the appearance of Cheech Marin from Cheech and Chong; etc.). However, cannabis consumption and the use of the former Grav South Brewery site are not presently a part of their commercial cannabis permit, and therefore requires approval of a Limited Term Permit.
Mercy has now requested approval of a cannabis consumption lounge (a new cannabis activity that can be added to permitted cannabis retailers). Like all other “lounge” businesses in Cotati (Redwood Café, Spanky’s, Flagship, Tradewinds, the former Grav South Brewery, etc.), once the City has approved the “lounge” use at a public meeting, they are no longer required to obtain a limited term permit for each event unless the activity/event would go beyond the scope of their approval.
I hope that helps to clarify what Mercy is now requesting. As always, I am available if you have any further questions or comments.
Thank you,
JP Harries
Senior Planner, City of Cotati
Phone 707-665-3634
Web www.cota�city.org
201 W. Sierra Ave, Cotati, CA 94931
From: Laurie alderman <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 6, 2023 6:33 PM
To: Susan Harvey <[email protected]>; Damien O'Bid <[email protected]>; Kay Rivers <[email protected]>; Laura Sparks <[email protected]>; Sylvia Lemus <[email protected]>; Noah Housh <[email protected]>; John Bakker <[email protected]>; Craig Scott <[email protected]>; Michael Parish <[email protected]>; Angela Courter <[email protected]>; Jon-Paul Harries <[email protected]> Public Comment Item 11A
Cc: David Rabbitt <[email protected]>; Kevin Patterson <[email protected]> Subject: Eliminating public input purposefully is why there is empty council chambers for City meetings.
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I'm going to make this simple for you all to understand.
When an objection (by me) to the consumption events for Mercy Wellness events, signals the need for a public hearing:
and ends up as this: an added part of their permit , which makes it a staff level decision later on into agenda packets as:
This kind of behavior will lead to more of empty chambers.
Dozens of decisions like this one, that have cut out the need for public input, making them staff decisions over the years, make our voices as citizens not matter in the process. Add to this, that there has only been an handful of agenda items that have not passed since 2009, makes it known to the citizens that they don't matter. Our input does not matter. Our voices don't matter. There is no indication that this is ever going to change either.
If you like this result of empty of citizens council meetings, keep up the same behavior eliminating the need for public input.
Kevin, this is my comment on the Mercy Wellness agenda item.
Sincerely,
Laurie Alderman
Cotati, CA 94931