The agenda/packet for the Tuesday, May 17, 2016, Regular Richmond City Council Meeting is on the web.  Follow the link below to view:

http://sireweb.ci.richmond.ca.us/sirepub/meet.aspx

There are several important items on this agenda:

·        There are two versions of an amended marijuana ordinance. Item M-1 was drafted by staff while Item M-2 was drafted by Councilmember McLaughlin and me. Both items have many similarities, but the main difference is that Item M-2 allows for commercial cultivation of Marijuana in accordance with the California Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act passed by the legislature in 2015. Also, Item M-1 limits the number the number of manufacturing permits but Item M-2 does not. The fact is that cultivation and manufacturing is already occurring in Richmond on a large scale. Regulating it and taxing it at 5% can bring millions of desperately needed dollars into the general fund. Both cultivation and manufacturing operations are all indoors, are not open to the public and are generally below the radar. The City Council is going to adopt one or the other, and I hope it is the one drafted by Councilmember McLaughlin and me.

·         Under Item K-1. The following departmental budget presentations will be made:

Ø  Planning & Building
Ø  Employment and Training
Ø  Library and Cultural Services
Ø  Community Services
Ø  Infrastructure & Maintenance Operations
Ø  Water Resource Recovery
Ø  Richmond Housing Authority
Ø  Capital Improvement