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Board shifts licensing duties to CEO office and trims cannabis license fees after CCA dissolution
Summary
Supervisors approved changes to county cannabis licensing that remove some licensing-review duties from the Sheriff’s Office and transfer them to CEO cannabis-licensing staff; the board also approved a fee update removing a California Cannabis Authority membership cost and lowering license fees roughly 20% across activities.
On June 9 the board adopted ordinance updates to Chapter 50 of the county code to move certain licensing responsibilities (site-security plan review and live-scan checks) from the Sheriff’s Office to County Executive Office cannabis-licensing staff, while preserving the sheriff’s compliance and enforcement role. A companion fee ordinance removal removes the defunct California Cannabis Authority membership recovery and generally lowers fee ranges by roughly 20%.
Staff said sheriff review of licensing had become duplicative because site-security plans are already reviewed in the land‑use entitlement process and live-scan checks have declined in volume since background requirements changed. The amendments remove the sheriff from those licensing steps, but they preserve sheriff compliance visits and field verification funded through Proposition 64 grant money.
Supervisor Caps asked staff to confirm the sheriff would continue enforcement against illegal operations; staff and the sheriff clarified the enforcement function remains intact and that the amendments address licensing review duties rather than compliance enforcement.
Public comment (late) urged tighter controls on odor abatement and greater transparency for monitoring results; one commenter requested the board reconsider acreage caps and require odor-abatement plans be approved prior to license issuance.
Fees: County staff presented a revised fee study that removes the sheriff-cost recovery and the CCA annual membership element; staff said the new fee ranges reflect current staffing costs and will be reviewed on a three‑year cycle. Auditors concurred that the fee methodology and resulting rates are reasonable.
Why it matters: The move aims to streamline licensing and lower applicant fees while keeping enforcement authority with the Sheriff’s Office. Supervisors signaled that additional governance or enforcement changes could be considered as needed, and staff will return with the second-reading ordinance for final adoption on June 23.
Votes: Board approved first-reading actions and set the second reading for June 23; fee ordinance first reading approved with unanimous support.
