Cudahy council receives presentation from Off the Charts for retail cannabis permit

The Cudahy City Council on Oct. 21 received and filed an informational presentation from Off the Charts (OTC) and staff about a retail cannabis business permit issued administratively to OTC Cudahy LLC.

Cecilia Madrigal Gonzales, senior planner, summarized the issuance process under the city's 2022 ordinance (Ordinance No. 7-30), which limits retail cannabis licenses to two and requires locations to be at least 600 feet from schools, daycares, youth centers, or places of religious assembly. She said OTC’s application passed the completeness review and scored 1,098 out of 1,100 points in the scoring review, and that the City Manager issued permit number 202501.

Kurt Gibbs, representing OTC, described the company as a large, family-owned operator with experience in multiple California markets. He told the council OTC would provide security, lighting, and a community-relations contact, and pledged to contribute 1% of gross receipts to local organizations and to participate in compassionate-donation programs under California’s SB 34. OTC’s presentation mentioned site features including 39 parking spaces, perimeter lighting, on-site security guards, and 24/7 video surveillance with 90-day retention; the presentation also referenced license-plate-capable cameras and facial-recognition-capable systems as possible technical capabilities OTC has deployed in some locations.

Residents and council members raised concerns about proximity to Elizabeth Learning Center and other sensitive uses, the potential use of license-plate readers and facial recognition, loitering and youth exposure, and whether local hiring commitments and the 1% gross receipts pledge would produce tangible community benefits. Susie and Amar Carrera noted Elizabeth Learning Center is “around the corner,” and voiced concern about license-plate readers and facial-recognition features. OTC representatives said license-plate-reader capability exists in some locations but is optional and not planned for Cudahy; they described on-site ID scanning and other age-verification measures.

Council member Fuentes moved to receive and file the presentation and staff report; the motion passed by unanimous roll call (Fuentes: Yes; Gomez: Yes; Lomeli: Yes; Vice Mayor Doctor Gonzales: Yes; Mayor Alcantar Loza: Yes).

The council described this item as a required informational presentation under the ballot initiative and municipal code and did not take further permitting action at the meeting. Council members asked staff to monitor neighborhood impacts and to ensure enforcement mechanisms are available if loitering or other problems arise.