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Porterville outlines $141,356 community-benefit fund and draft grant rules for cannabis license revenue
Summary
City staff presented a draft Community Benefit Program at the Jan. 12 Porterville Cannabis Committee meeting describing how license-holder contributions would be allocated and administered.
City staff presented a draft Community Benefit Program at the Jan. 12 Porterville Cannabis Committee meeting describing how license-holder contributions would be allocated and administered.
Staff said the program is funded by an annual base contribution of $30,000 per license holder. With three active licenses the minimum annual revenue is $90,000; staff reported a current fund balance of about "$141,356." Draft program language proposes categories and suggested percentages, including a nonprofit grant stream, homelessness and rapid-rehousing vouchers, economic-development assistance and small-business grants targeted to downtown needs.
Under the draft, nonprofit grants would be available up to $5,000 per award. Committee members discussed whether recipients of larger awards should be excluded from subsequent cycles for a defined period; staff said proposals for 3- or 5-year ineligibility had been discussed but no fixed term was adopted. The committee recommended an annual review and an initial application window (suggested 60'90 days) to allow staff to gauge demand and adjust categories or percentages in future cycles.
For the small-business grant stream staff estimated roughly $28,000 available and recommended using a state definition of "small business" for eligibility rather than income limits, with staff review and a committee recommendation to council; council would approve awards by resolution. Staff proposed an annual timing tied to license renewals so the program budget and percentages could be set each January or February after final quarter revenues are received.
The committee asked staff to remove a draft sentence limiting applicant eligibility (the sentence will be struck) and to bring the final program and recommended percentages to council once the committee has had the annual-revenue totals. Staff said it will prepare a resolution and application materials and return to committee before sending the item to council.
