Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Sections 21.15.441.1, 21.15.441.3, and Table 33-2 of Chapter 21.33; and by adding Section 21.15.441.5, all relating to cannabis businesses, read and adopted as read.  (Citywide)
And so we're going to start we have items 32, 33 and 34. And if we can, please have and start with item 32 that the first hearing will let the court begin and introduce the item. Thank you. Item number 33 is a report from Development Services recommendation to receive. 1630. I'm sorry, 3232 is a report from Development Services recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing and find the project exempt from secure. Declare ordinance approving zoning code amendment to reclassify adult use cannabis cultivation. An ordinance approving amendments relating to building design for adult use, cannabis businesses and to the personal cultivation of cannabis. Read the first time and lead over to the next regular meeting of City Council for Final Reading and adopt a resolution to submit the ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code to the California Coastal Commission Citywide. Okay. We're going to go ahead of the start now. Begin the. Presentation. Linda Tatum. We'll give thanks for the vision. Excuse me, staff and mayor, I'd like to say, instead of being overly cautious, I'd like to recuse myself. So I'll I'll find out when the hearings over and. Okay. Gift. Okay, go ahead. If we can, please have the staff to the report. Good afternoon. Good evening, Mayor and members of the city council. With us, Linda Tatum. Director of. Development services. I'll be writing a brief staff report on this item in July of 2019. The city manager's office provided a report to the council in response to our request for staff to review the cannabis industry in the city of Long Beach and explore means to expand the tax base, streamline the review of the approval process, and also to provide incentives for the industry to establish itself in Long Beach and to grow. This report specifically outlined factors that could be considered, including options for taxation approaches, as well as features of the current development review process. This item this evening specifically focuses on the zoning and regulatory processes that are essentially have been determined to be low hanging fruit that can be fairly easily addressed without impacts the ongoing city revenues or to the city's quality of life as directed by the City Council back in July. The Development Services staff assessed the current code regulations and took forward a package of modifications for planning, commissions, consideration and summary. These changes, including included refining cannabis definitions and the reason we needed to do that was to clarify terminology that does not currently exist in the zoning codes. And these included defining cannabis distribution, defining cannabis cultivation and cannabis distribution itself, which means an operation that not only manufactures and cultivates, but also distributes its own product. The second item that was involved was modifying the processes to essentially allow approval of cannabis related uses rather than at a PC level, at a planning commission level, to go from a conditional use permit process to an administrative process. This concept produces both the timing of the process as well as the cost of the review to the to the individual operators. The Code Amendment proposal also revised the building design process to allow greater flexibility and window placement and one two glazing. But at the same time it maintains the ability for good design while also adjusting security and visibility into the cannabis operations following. And finally, this code amendment actually also modifies Chapter eight to establish parameters that are consistent with state law for cannabis enforcement. It allows the city's code enforcement staff to issue violations of the provisions. It also adds definitions that don't currently exist in Chapter eight for a public place and for private residences. And lastly, it establishes a maximum of six cannabis plants for personal use. Okay. So in summary, this recommendation reflects input not only from the staff assessment of the industry, but it also reflects feedback from the industry itself. Staff conducted a a couple of outreach efforts with business cannabis business operators. And this feedback reflects or the proposal reflects feedback from the industry. So in summary, I'd like to recommend that that City Council uphold the recommendation for approval by Planning Commission and to adopt the categorical exemption for the proposed Zoning Code Amendment and the amendments proposed to Title eight. And that concludes the staff presentation. I'm available for questions if there are any. Okay. I have come from a district one mayors and they have. Thank you, man. Thank you for that. I just wanted to say thank you. I think that. Oh, just give me one sec. And I absolutely want to voice my support for this for this of counsel. And then I view I viewed as I'm doing and, you know, my pride in supporting businesses like this. It is important for us to continue making changes with changes and needed. Like in this instance, the cannabis industry is a vital part of my local economy landscape and taking these steps to support small businesses then gives them the flexibility they need to grow, grow and flourish. Only makes sense to me as far as supporting the state in. Can we make that a motion councilmember? Yes, I would like to make that a motion. But I need a second on that, please. Okay. Okay. Just queue up into the system please. Is possible that I have a second account number, Austin, and then I'll do a roll call vote. District one. I was. District to. Refused. It's a3i. District for. I district five. I disagree. Six five. Six, seven. Eight. Eight. Oh. And just a name. Hi. Okay. Item 33.