REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL April 22, 2021 FROM: THOMAS ESQUEDA, City Manager Office of the Mayor & City Manager BY: JENNIFER RUIZ, Project Manager Office of the Mayor & City Manager SUBJECT ..Title Actions pertaining to Commercial Cannabis Activity: 1. ***BILL No. B-14- (Intro 4/8/21) (For Adoption) Amending Sections 9-3316 and 9-3325 of the Fresno Municipal Code, relating to the regulation of cannabis. (Subject to Mayor's Veto) ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council take the following actions: 1. ADOPT BILL- Amending Sections 9-3316 and 9-3325 of the Fresno Municipal Code, relating to the regulation of cannabis. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Fresno opened the application process for Commercial Cannabis Business Permits beginning October 19, 2020. Applications were due December 4, 2020 for the standard application process. City staff are currently in the process of reviewing and ranking applications which will determine which applicants will proceed to the next phase of the application process: applicant interviews. This action adopts a bill that includes minor amendments of FMC Section 9-3316(f) and 9-3325(a)(2). BACKGROUND Amending Sections 9-3316 and 9-3325 of the Fresno Municipal Code This bill was introduced on April 8, 2021 and amends FMC Section 9-3316(f) to specify that full copies of cannabis applications will be on the City's website once the interview process is complete for that particular application process. The ordinance was previously silent on when cannabis applications would be posted on the City's website. The amendment protects the fairness of the evaluation process by ensuring that applicant proposals are made public after the interview process is complete, as has been the process in other jurisdictions. This bill also amends FMC Section 9-3325(a)(2) in order to remove language referring to the sale of a cannabis permit. Cannabis permits cannot be sold in the City of Fresno. Removing this language will avoid confusion on this issue. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this item is not a project for the purposes of CEQA. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference was not considered because these items are not a competitive bid. FISCAL IMPACT There is no anticipated fiscal impact. Attachments: 1. Ordinance