Laserfiche WebLink
City of San Leandro <br />Meeting Date: June 6, 2016 <br />Staff Report <br />Agenda Section:File Number:16-254 ACTION ITEMS <br />Agenda Number:10.B. <br />TO:City Council <br />FROM:Chris Zapata <br />City Manager <br />BY:City Council <br />FINANCE REVIEW:Not Applicable <br />TITLE:Staff Report for Amendments to the Medical Cannabis Dispensary Ordinance <br />SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br />Staff recommends that the City Council review and adopt the proposed amendments to the <br />City’s Medical Cannabis Dispensary Ordinance. The proposed changes are designed to <br />achieve the following goals: 1) to allow a second dispensary permit to be awarded by the City <br />Council; 2) to align the City’s local ordinance with the Medical Marijuana Regulation and <br />Safety Act; and 3) to incorporate minor amendments to facilitate industry best practices as <br />well as requests from the first dispensary permit awardee to ensure the smooth operation and <br />effective local regulation of dispensary facilities. <br />BACKGROUND & ANALYSIS <br />Following extensive dialogue with the community and numerous City Council discussions, on <br />December 16, 2013, the City Council approved a medical cannabis dispensary ordinance to <br />facilitate the approval, regulation and operation of medical cannabis dispensaries in San <br />Leandro. Contained within that ordinance was Section 4-33-200(c), which states: “The City <br />shall issue no more than one (1) valid permit for the operation of dispensaries in the City.” On <br />September 8, 2015, the City Council subsequently awarded the City’s first dispensary permit <br />to Harborside San Leandro (HSL). <br />Based upon subsequent City Council direction provided at its December 21, 2015 meeting, on <br />February 16, 2016, staff brought forward for the Council’s consideration proposed <br />amendments to the ordinance that would be necessary to facilitate the award of a second <br />dispensary permit. Staff also recommended various other technical changes to the ordinance <br />that were identified by the City Manager’s stakeholder team in order to ensure best practices. <br />At that meeting, the City Council voted to continue the item to a future meeting, and directed <br />staff to work with HSL and incorporate their feedback into the proposed amendments. Since <br />that time, City staff has worked collaboratively with HSL and identified a number of additional <br />ordinance amendments. The proposed amendments are designed not only to align the local <br />Page 1 City of San Leandro Printed on 6/1/2016