Jim Light, Mayor Tel: 310.697.3653
REDONDO 415 Diamond Street
BEACH Redondo Beach CA 90277 Redondo.org
To: 4 Mar 2026
Eleanor Manzano
City Clerk
City of Redondo Beach
MAR 5 2026 PM 1:44
From: RECO CITY CLERKS OFF.
Jim Light
Mayor
City of Redondo Beach
Veto of Resolution CC-2603-012
Approved 3 Mar 2026
3 Yes - 2 No
On March 4th, I was presented for signature Resolution CC-2603-012, which was approved by a 3-2 vote of the City Council at the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on 3 March, 2026. This resolution granted an appeal by the owner of Manhattan Beach Smoke Shop of the Hearing Officer's decision to revoke the business license for this business. By submitting this letter within the 5 days allotted to the Mayor to consider vetoing any action of the City Council as prescribed in Section 8.4 of the Redondo Beach City Charter (Attachment 1), I hearby veto the Council's approval for the following reasons:
1) The evidence on the record for the City Council appeal hearing clearly demonstrated that tobacco products prohibited by state law and city ordinance were stored on the premises, were visible to customers on the sales area of the business during open business hours, and were readily accessible to customers of the business. Furthermore, products containing cannabis were also readily accessible on the sales floor to customers of the business. At least one product line containing cannabis was and is prohibited by state law and by Redondo Beach municipal code except in properly licensed cannabis dispensaries. Currently, Redondo has not approved any cannabis dispensaries. Therefore, the product containing cannabis should not have been available to customers at this smoke shop. The smoke shop was in violation of Health and Safety Code section 104599.5(b), as well as Redondo Beach Municipal Code sections 5-9.205 (c) and 10-1626(c)(1).
2) The testimony and evidence on the facts of the matter provided by the business owner and his legal counsel changed from the administrative hearing, based on the record of that hearing and during the City Council appeal hearing. During the administrative hearing, the business owner stated the prohibited products were all purchased before the change in state law that rendered the products prohibited. Yet, during the appeal hearing, the business owner stated some of the product in a sales display case was put on the sales floor by a vendor without his knowledge or permission. The two statements are in conflict with one another and do not seem credible. The statement by the business owner that he did not understand that making the product Jim Light, Mayor Tel: 310.697.3653
REDONDO
415 Diamond Street
BEACH
Redondo Beach CA 90277 Redondo.org
containing cannabis available on his sales floor was prohibited was not compelling to me. In the end, either the business owner was ignorant of multiple laws pertaining to his business or he disregarded those laws. Neither case absolves the business owner of the responsibility to comply with the laws. And certainly, I would expect someone in this business should be very cognizant of the laws pertaining to the business. Either case brings into question why the city would want to continue to allow such a business owner to operate in our city. Regardless, none of the evidence or testimony provided by the business owner or his legal counsel convincingly refuted the evidence presented by City staff at the hearing. 3) The City's ordinance allows the City to revoke a business license pursuant to section 6-1.26. The City Council found that:
a. The preservation of the public health, safety, and peace demand action with regards to the business license;
b. The licensee of business license #330177 violated the Redondo Beach Municipal Code and state law as stated in paragraph 1; and
c. The licensee has conducted the business in an immoral or disorderly manner.
I agree with those findings as the basis for a revocation of the business license. The council member who made the motion stated in his opinion that a suspension is warranted in light of this first offense, but no conclusive objective evidence was provided by any party that the business license ordinance could not be used as the basis for revoking the business owner's business license.
4) I was not persuaded by arguments that the investment in the property or that the storefront would be vacant should justify a lighter penalty. The question at hand is whether to revoke the license, to temporarily suspend the business license, or subject the business license to new conditions. The amount of money spent on the building or the vacancy of a storefront are not cited in any municipal ordinance as factors to consider in the decision. 5) The volume of prohibited products and the availability and accessibility of these items on the sales floor are justification to me that a stiffer penalty is appropriate. The fact that the business owner at various points stated he did not know the law and that a vendor placed a sales display with prohibited products on his sales floor without his knowledge or consent further justifies a stiffer penalty. I would expect someone in his business to have a thorough understanding of the law and would better control product availability on their sales floor.
Jim Light, Mayor Tel: 310.697.3653
REDONDO 415 Diamond Street
BLACI
Redondo Beach CA 90277 Redondo.org
ATTACHMENT 1
City Charter, Section 8.4, Mayor, veto power
The Mayor shall have the right to veto any action of the City Council, provided, however, that in the case of a resolution or ordinance the Mayor shall exercise the veto power in writing, expressing the Mayor's reasons therefor, and the Mayor shall have five (5) days, after the delivery to the office of the Mayor of such resolution or ordinance, in which to exercise the veto. The City Council may override the action of the Mayor by four (4) affirmative votes.