Redondo Beach council OKs 500-person opinion survey on retail cannabis licensing

The Redondo Beach City Council voted 4-1 to direct staff to contract with FM3 to conduct a public opinion survey of 500 residents to measure community sentiment on whether the city should proceed with soliciting commercial retail cannabis permit applications.

Council members debated whether the survey should poll registered voters or all adult residents and how much council involvement there should be in drafting questions. Jane Chung, who presented the item for the city manager's office, said staff recommended surveying 500 residents ages 18 and above and noted FM3 previously worked for the city on a public safety bond measure. Dr. Richard Bernard of FM3 told the council the firm can run a baseline yes/no question up front and then test how respondents react after hearing balanced pro and con statements: “I could envision…asking a clean question about yay or nay and then providing education from a variety of sides and seeing if that's helpful,” he said.

Supporters of the motion said an immediate survey would provide a data point to guide whether to release a request for applications (RFA) for up to two retail stores under the city’s existing ordinance. Council member Kalejadovic urged a 500-sample survey of registered voters; Council member Waller said she preferred limited council involvement to avoid bias. Council member Barron said he preferred to delay, arguing enforcement and industry conditions should be addressed first.

Under the approved direction, FM3 will be asked to survey 500 respondents (registered voters under the adopted compromise), use split-sample education sequencing (support-first vs. oppose-first), and return a draft questionnaire for limited council input before fieldwork. Staff will return next week with a proposed contract and a budget resolution to appropriate funds; the budget action will require a four-fifths vote when it is brought back.

The motion passed 4-1. Council did not record individual roll-call votes in the transcript; the tally was announced as 4 to 1.

Next steps: staff will prepare a contract with FM3 reflecting the council's direction, return a proposed budget resolution for council appropriation at the next meeting, and present the draft questionnaire in a form that allows limited council review before fieldwork begins.