City Council on 2024-12-17 6:00 PM - CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER Meeting Time: 12-17-24 18:00
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City Council on 2024-12-17 6:00 PM -
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER
12-17-24
18:00
81 5 1 4 0
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City Council on 2024-12-17 6:00 PM - CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 12-17-24 18:00
Agenda Name Comments Support Oppose Neutral
N.1. 24-1919 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CITY'S
DRAFT CANNABIS REGULATORY ORDINANCES
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Agenda Item: eComments for N.1. 24-1919 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CITY'S DRAFT CANNABIS
REGULATORY ORDINANCES
Overall Sentiment
Pastora Cayuri
Location:
Submitted At: 7:41pm 12-17-24
I am opposed to the plan to add two retail stores selling cannabis in Redondo Beach. My 2 grandchildren attend Redondo Beach schools and I do not want them passing pot stores on the way to school, the mall, or Starbucks.
They already have to walk past smoke shops when they walk their dog on 190th, or bike ride through the park to Artesia. Once these stores open, they will be here forever. The great city of Redondo Beach can do better! Jimena Cabrera
Location:
Submitted At: 7:34pm 12-17-24
I strongly oppose retail cannabis stores in Redondo Beach. I believe that it helps create a normalization of cannabis use for our children. I believe a delivery only option would be a reasonable alternative for responsible adults. I also do not buy the argument that only by having legal cannabis retail stores can we stem the illegal sales of cannabis by regulating the 2 stores. Of course illegal sales will continue, especially since the retail stores have to account for the tax they pay, and the illegal dealers can sell discounted cannabis- they will love having more cannabis customers coming in from the from surrounding areas, what a boon for business! Paul Furie
Location:
Submitted At: 6:53pm 12-17-24
I oppose retail cannabis storefronts and would prefer delivery only.
Maricela Guillermo
Location:
Submitted At: 5:55pm 12-17-24
The timing of this discussion—during the busy holiday season—raises some concerns. I'd appreciate it if the Council could vote tonight to establish a delivery-only model and set a tax rate for delivery services. A physical retail storefront is NOT required for delivery-only businesses, but the owner or entity must have a warehouse for cannabis storage. Had we implemented this model earlier, the city could have begun collecting taxes in 2024.
I encourage you to read the SFGate.com article titled ‘Teetering on the edge’: Calif. Pot shops owe $1.3 billion in back taxes. After reading it, I strongly believe that NO city should consider opening any new retail cannabis stores until existing stores have paid all taxes owed to the state.
Furthermore, I have the following comments:
**Could not find a section addressing termination for non-compliance. Could this be included? **There was no mention of a buffer zone between cannabis retail stores and smoke shops, massage businesses, or bars. What is the required buffer zone? Could it be set at 1,000 feet, measured from the nearest property lines of the affected parcels?
**I did not see a buffer zone requirement between cannabis retail stores and residences. Can City Staff determine an appropriate buffer distance?
**Consider single-entity ownership for cannabis businesses. This simplifies operations, reduces challenges in decision-making, and minimizes management complexity. Partnerships or aggregate ownership structures could lead to complications.
**The fiscal impact of retail cannabis operations ranges from $150K to $500K annually, based on a tax rate of 3%-5%. However, this estimate is relatively modest, as it’s unclear how much revenue the city could collect from a delivery-only model. Could City Staff calculate potential revenues for a delivery-only model to allow for comparison?
Voters have elected you to represent our interests, particularly when it comes to protecting our youth and quality of life. In that spirit, I respectfully request that the Council consider adopting a delivery-only model and making the necessary updates to the relevant ordinances.
Josh Melendez
Location:
Submitted At: 12:01pm 12-17-24
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I’m reaching out to applaud the City Council’s thoughtful and methodical approach to creating a cannabis retail ordinance and to urge you to see it through to adoption.
Across California, we’ve seen cannabis businesses successfully integrate into neighborhoods while upholding public safety and contributing to local communities. Operators are held to high compliance standards and have shown that they can meet these obligations. Cities across California have not only benefited from responsible operators, but have also seen reduced youth access to cannabis as legal businesses displace unregulated markets. In fact, research shows that legal cannabis markets are associated with declines in youth consumption rates.
The framework this Council has developed will give Redondo Beach the opportunity to select only experienced, community-focused operators. These businesses will be required to contribute to the City’s social fabric through community investments, youth programs, and public health initiatives.
Redondo Beach has already done the hard work of crafting a strong, responsible policy. Now is the time to finish it. Other cities that have embraced retail cannabis have seen their communities flourish, and there’s no reason Redondo Beach can’t do the same.
I encourage you to stay on course and finalize the ordinance. Your thoughtful and transparent process has set the City up for long-term success, and I’m excited to see this community benefit from the work you’ve done.