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Hoover council adopts local rules for consumable hemp sales, raises local license fees to $2,000
Summary
The council adopted an ordinance to regulate consumable hemp products and create local license categories for specialty shops, pharmacies and retail food stores; the council raised the city's local licensing fee for each category from $500 to $2,000 and approved the ordinance 6-0 after brief public comment.
Hoover City Council voted unanimously May 26 to adopt an ordinance regulating consumable hemp products and to establish three local license categories with a $2,000 annual local fee for specialty retailers, pharmacies and retail food stores.
The ordinance, read into the record by the city attorney, adopts applicable state regulations, sets local enforcement and administrative procedures, and requires council approval and public notice for license applications. Councilor Driver said the city will incur additional monitoring and enforcement responsibilities under the new licensing regime and that was his justification for raising the local fee from $500 to $2,000.
"There are additional responsibilities that go along with monitoring and enforcing this type of use," Councilor Driver said during debate.
A public commenter, BJ Autry, owner of SunMed (a CBD store), opposed the increase as punitive. "That's $3,000 a year before you even get started," Autry said, referencing the state's existing $1,000 licensing fee and the city proposal.
City staff and the city attorney said the legislature left fee-setting to local discretion and that the local fee is intended to cover city costs associated with licensure and enforcement. The council discussed the role of state oversight, the Hoover Police Department's enforcement authority, and that some state packaging and product rules have already changed.
The clerk called the roll for the measure; Council Pro Tem Traver, Council member Schultz, Council member Smith, Council member Lovell, Council member Murphy and Council President Middlebrooks voted aye. With six ayes, the ordinance was adopted.
The council also noted related items scheduled for a June 8 hearing, including zoning and conditional-use matters for other properties.
The ordinance number adopted was 262700; the ordinance includes provisions adopting state rules, limiting sales and consumption in certain public places and requiring council-level review of license applications.
