CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — California City continues to deal with issues regarding cannabis, now with trash left behind abandoned cannabis cultivation properties.
- Mayor pro tem Ron Smith is upset with the trash surrounding three vacant properties that had grown cannabis.
- Smith angrily throws an empty barrel of isopropyl alcohol into a dumpster.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Lately, cannabis has been a downer for California City. I'm Steve Virgen your neighborhood reporter.
In November, I told you that tax enforcement was a problem with approximately half a million dollars in outstanding revenue for the city. Code compliance has led to more issues, including trash in Cal City’s desert.
“This is what volatile cannabis does in our community. … (cut to Smith pointing at barrel)
“This stuff is out there? How much of that has been dumped in here? This is absolutely pathetic. Pathetic!” Ron Smith said.
Cal City Mayor Pro Tem Ron Smith is referring to a barrel of isopropyl alcohol. he’s upset about what he says is the long list of issues cannabis has caused in Cal City.
He said the desert town has not come close to the “maximum enforcement,” it set out for a year ago regarding cannabis.
He also says no one has cleaned up the mess at three vacant properties where marijuana was grown.
“If they won’t put it in the trash I guess we’ll have to do it for them," Smith said.
A month later and that barrel is on the ground and the dumpster has been knocked over by the wind.
Last month, Smith showed me this property where Bluegill had operated and grew weed.
They reportedly left in December. since then, people have looted the facility and left trash behind.
When I returned on Friday, two more people came by wanting to see what they could find, but they did not want to be filmed.
“Property owners are responsible for cleaning and maintaining properties,” Cal City Fire Chief Jeremy Kosick said in an email. He supervises code enforcement.
He added that "due to budget constraints, the city has no funding budgeted for abatements to clean properties."
Aman Chowdhry, the COO of Bluegill, declined to comment, only acknowledging that his place has been burglarized more than once when it was growing weed.
According to court records, he owns the property.
One of the other vacant properties had weed grown by Brad Smith, a former NBA player.
“Any citizen in our town, that loves our town, that loves our desert, should be thankful that we’re saying: no more," Smith said.
The recent grand jury report of Cal City featured 20 recommendations, including the need to establish a consistent approach to cannabis code compliance and enforcement before July 1st. In cal city, I’m Steve Virgen your neighborhood reporter.
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