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Board weighs keeping employee background checks and how to define 'permanent' workers
Summary
Supervisors and public commenters debated whether to retain background checks for cannabis employees and whether to define "full-time" by hours or adopt a 'permanent employee' definition tied to ongoing employment; staff favored a 'permanent employee' definition to reduce enforceability gaming.
Several supervisors and members of the public voiced concern about removing background checks for most employees when cannabis remains federally prohibited. Margo Kambara said law enforcement urged retaining background checks for all employees, including seasonal workers: "The recommendation from law enforcement was to retain background checks for all employees... And that was emphatic."
County staff and the HR director proposed an alternative: define a "permanent employee" as an employee in an ongoing employment relationship with no predetermined end date rather than drawing a strict hourly threshold that could be manipulated. Pam, the Human Resources Director, explained common thresholds (40 hours/week for full time; 30 hours often triggers insurance eligibility) and cautioned that hours-based definitions may be hard to verify operationally. The board asked staff to draft language reflecting the permanent-employee approach and to present options at the next discussion.
