CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO — Cal City had allowed temporary greenhouses but the grace period is over and some businesses are in danger of being shut down.
- California City will discuss amending the code to regulate cannabis at Tuesday's council meeting.
- The city collected nearly $750,000 in taxes in the past year, according to a city financial report.
- There are six Cal City cannabis businesses in danger of being shut down due to being out of compliance, says Cal City interim fire chief Justin Vincent.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Cal City is cracking down on cannabis business owners out of compliance.
I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
It began with numerous greenhouses... and was up to Code temporarily...
Now, time's up... and Cal City officials say they'll shut down those out of compliance.
"I would say this council has been extremely generous and city staff has been extremely generous. They've generated multiple letters. We've had our legal team involved every step of the way."
Cal City interim fire chief Justin Vincent tells me cannabis business owners had plenty of time to get into compliance … an extra 15 months to be exact, following two extensions from the city council.
Now, the grace period has burned out.
Cal City shut down Green Canna Cultivation, which is trying to get back to grow again.
The business owner lives out of town and could not be reached for comment.
Vincent says there are six businesses out of code and there could be more.
"The positive is the compassionate extensions given by this council have resulted in some businesses becoming compliant," Vincent says.
Vincent tells me Cal City doesn't want to drive away businesses, but they need revenue with its fiscal challenges.
And, there's some help.
The city collected nearly $750,000 in taxes in the past year, according to a city financial report.
A discussion to amend the code to regulate cannabis will take place at Tuesday's council meeting.
"We're cleaning up the process but it takes a lot of policy improvements in those process decisions because if the council doesn't create the right policy then we're stuck in the 1990s policy and it's just a big mess," says Kelly Kulikoff, Cal City's mayor.
The most recent financial report for cannabis will be released at the city council meeting on Tuesday.
I'm Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
