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Pasco council leans to add one social‑equity cannabis retail slot; staff to draft ordinance and revenue audit requested
Summary
After a presentation on state licensing and city density limits, council members directed staff to draft ordinance language to add one additional retail slot limited to a Washington social‑equity licensee and asked finance staff to complete a Department of Revenue audit of cannabis receipts.
The City of Pasco council indicated support for adding one additional cannabis retail license reserved for a social‑equity applicant and asked staff to return with ordinance language and implementation details.
Council members said they prefer a narrowly framed change that protects long‑term local control. Council member Figueroa urged a measured approach, asking the council to "allow to increase the retail cap to 1 more, but then putting a density cap from here on out." City staff said they will prepare an ordinance consistent with that direction and coordinate with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
City attorney Mr. Palm told the council that under current state policy general license allotments are unlikely to reopen for several years: "the general allotments will not be reopened until 2032," he said, noting that social‑equity licensing is the route currently available for new local stores. Deputy City Manager Risha Sigdell added that the city has asked the Department of Revenue for detailed receipts and expects audit information by the end of August to confirm whether Pasco is receiving the correct allocation.
The council discussed tying future expansions to population triggers (several members suggested amounts such as 30,000 new residents) to prevent incremental, unplanned growth. Staff and the city attorney reminded the council that any future council could amend caps; members said a population trigger is intended to make expansion less frequent and more predictable.
Next steps: staff will draft ordinance language reflecting the council's direction, include potential population‑based triggers for future increases, and return with revenue audit results and implementation details at a future meeting.
