Lake County supervisors dissolve cannabis ordinance task force; staff to draft Article 73

The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted to dissolve the county's cannabis ordinance task force and move the group's recommendations to staff for drafting of a new ordinance establishing Article 73 to update local cannabis regulations, Community Development Director Muraya Turner said.

Turner told the board the task force was originally intended to be a six-month effort when it began on June 7, 2022, but has continued for nearly three years. "At the risk of dating myself, it was originally intended to be a 6 month process. However, like Gilligan's Island, it turned into a little bit of like a 3 hour tour," Turner said. She said staff believes it has received sufficient direction to begin drafting the ordinance and that "no action is required from the board at this time" before the board chose to formally dissolve the task force.

The draft ordinance will be routed through the Agriculture Advisory Committee for a hearing and then to the Planning Commission as a noticed public hearing for recommendations before returning to the board, Turner said. She offered to bring a summary of proposed changes to the board before sending the draft to the Planning Commission; Supervisor Sabatier asked specifically for a summary that highlights what would be streamlined, what updates reflect state changes, and which items will remain policy decisions for the board.

Public commenters and task force members who spoke praised the task force process but urged continued public opportunity to weigh in. Margo Kambara, a resident who addressed the board, cautioned that existing public-comment formats may be too constrained to cover technical concerns such as odor control at outdoor grows and environmental protections: "The constraints will make it difficult to cover the topics that really need some in-depth, discussion," she said.

Representatives of farmer and industry groups thanked staff and task force members for their work. Rebecca Harper of the Lake County Farm Bureau said the process "has been a really good example of representatives from multiple industries coming together." Nora Dalbaca, soon-to-be outgoing president of the Lake County Cannabis Alliance (LCCA), called the process "informative" and said the industry is "incredibly vital for the county." Jennifer Smith, an LCCA member, task force member and local cultivator, said the task force worked to update zoning and align local policy with evolving state rules. Erin McCarrick of Clear Lake, who runs a distribution company, asked that non-cultivation arms of the industry also have opportunities to comment on retail and distribution items the task force did not fully address.

Board action came after a short procedural exchange about whether the board could vote under Brown Act constraints. A board member moved to dissolve the cannabis task force; the motion was seconded by an unnamed board member, and the chair called the question. The board voted in favor and the motion passed. The record does not include a roll-call tally.

Turner said staff will prepare the draft ordinance (proposed Article 73), will provide public-notice hearings through the Agriculture Advisory Committee and Planning Commission, and will include additional opportunities for public comment during that process. She also offered to provide the board a summary comparing current Article 7 provisions with proposed changes before the draft begins formal review.

The board's vote formally ends the ad hoc task force but does not finalize any ordinance language. Next steps are a staff-drafted ordinance, advisory hearings and Planning Commission review before the board considers any ordinance adoption.