All right, good afternoon.

I'd like to call this meeting in order at good afternoon.

I'd like to call this meeting order at 207 p.m.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

Council Member Dickinson.

Councilmember Plucky Baum will join us momentarily.

Council Member Maple.

Your Pro Tem Gera.

Council Member Jennings.

Councilmember Vang.

Vice Mayor Talamantes.

And Mayor McCarty.

You have a quorum.

Wonderful.

Councilmember Maple, will you please lead us in the land acknowledgement and pledge of allegiance?

Please rise if you are able.

Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Mayo, Valley and Plains, Miwok, Put 112 peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples' history, contributions, and lives.

Remain standing, salute and pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you so much, Councilmember.

So I see we have a packed audience.

I'm assuming it will clear out after two special presentations that we have today.

And then we will continue to conduct business for the rest of the afternoon.

So we are taking uh, well, a special presentation honoring Miss Lachelle Dozier from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency today, who is retiring, and I'm gonna pass the baton to our senior member and somebody that has known uh Lachelle for quite some time, Councilmember Jennings and my Vang, to read the resolution.

That sounds great.

Thank you so much, Vice Mayor.

Um, today we get the honor of um honoring an extraordinary leader uh whose tireless work has really transformed housing and strengthened families and communities uh in our community.

Um I've known you since I was a staffer for the former council member, council member Larry Carr.

Um, and you have always center racial equity and everything that you do.

Um, thank you.

Just thank you for your vision and your unshakable leadership.

Um, I know that there are so many families that are resting that has a home now because of you, um, and so your leadership will be missed.

Um I have the opportunity of um uh the request from uh Vice Mayor Talamantes to read the first few whereas, and then I'm gonna hand it over to Coach to say a few words.

Whereas Lachelle Dozer uh has dedicated more than two decades to the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, joining in 2002 and becoming executive director in 2009.

And whereas Executive Director Ms.

Dozier managed over 300 million budget and oversaw the joint powers authority structure that brought together housing functions for both the city and the county of Sacramento, whereas Ms.

Dozier expanded affordable housing opportunities, preserve the housing stock, revitalized neighborhoods, and create a program that improved the lives of thousands of residents.

Whereas, one of the key components of her accomplishments is the 330 million dollar Mirasol Village Development, which replaced the Twin Rivers public housing community with 427 new homes, an early childhood education center, a city park, future light rail station, strengthening the River City District, one of your greatest accomplishments.

Give her a round of applause, please.

Whereas during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms.

Dozier helped SHRA quickly adapt operations, implement safety measures, and launch rental assistance programs, which brought more than 200 million in federal funds to keep over 16,000 families in their homes.

Yeah, you can.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, yeah.

Those are some powerful numbers, so you should applaud for that.

Ms.

Dozier also guided SHRA through the end of the redevelopment in 2012, maintaining services despite major funding and staff reductions.

Whereas Ms.

Dozier has credited her staff of more than 230 employees for their dedication while she remained committed to the belief that safe, stable, affordable housing is a basic right for all residents to have.

Whereas Ms.

Dozier will retire after 23 years of service at Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, leaving behind a record of leadership, and we all know community impact.

Therefore, let it be resolved by the mayor and the city council of the city of Sacramento.

We honor and commend Lachelle Dozier for her years of service and contributions to housing and community development, and extends its gratitude on behalf of all the residents of Sacramento, those that she helped and those that she will help in the future.

Congratulations, LaCelle, we're gonna have you hold for a second because we have a few members, including a Mayor SHRA, former commissioner that are punched up to speak.

But I'm gonna hand it off to Councilmember Maple, then Councilmember Dickinson, and then the mayor.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

Um while I have not known you as long as Councilmember Jennings or um Councilmember Vang, I've had the opportunity to work with you now over the last few years, and it's been an absolute joy.

Um I think one of the things that struck me the most is that you're a true problem solver.

Um your first answer is yes and not no.

Um it's how do we figure out how to fix something?

Um, and as Council Mervang mentioned, you're always centering those um who need it the most, and those who don't always have a voice in the process and making sure that they are heard, and that's um that's been very apparent to me.

I don't think this was mentioned in the resolution, but I think it's something important to point out.

Um, one of your other great accomplishments as I've seen it is the former G Parkway that uh is now in my district, formerly in district eight, um, and uh that was a community that needed a lot of help, and it was through your vision uh of trying something new, trying something that hadn't been done before, and really pushing it through and making it happen that it's completely changed that community.

I think it's important to point this out because it's not just numbers, it's not just hey, look at this project that got done.

This is real people's lives.

You go there and you talk to people and their lives have improved greatly, and they and we can we can say that's because of you.

And so I just want to thank you for your decades of service to Sacramento.

I know you're not going away, you're still gonna be here, um, hopefully to be called upon um by all of us when I've got a thousand questions because nobody knows it other than you.

Um, so thank you.

Welcome to Councilmember Dickinson.

Well, Michelle, we've been through a few of the battles together, haven't we?

Uh and um one of uh my fond memories, many fond memories is uh actually serving on the redevelopment commission housing and redevelopment commission for about a year, and well, I won't say the year, um but a little while, a little while ago.

But you know what really sticks with me over those years, uh, has been the the joint redevelopment area.

We there were a lot of a lot of affordable housing projects in in North Sacramento and elsewhere that were challenging uh to in many respects.

Uh, but you you stuck with them and got them done.

Um but the the joint redevelopment areas we had called for a level of uh diplomacy uh between the council and the board of supervisors uh at the time to keep them on track to keep them working, uh to keep the redevelopment area advisory committees, if not satisfied, at least engaged, uh and the and the amount of good work that came out because of that combination, that rare alliance of uh for uh uh this uh this county, which is not duplicated as as you well know in a lot of other counties around the around the state uh over the over the years, and whether whether it was Oak Oak Park or Stockton Boulevard or Auburn Boulevard, uh any of those, any of those were where you had to navigate keeping uh what the county's interests were uh aligned with what the city's interests were I think showed the the real level of of uh expertise and uh and accomplishment that that you can uh always be very proud of.

And of course, for me personally, uh, in addition to that was the the transition uh and reuse of McClellan and the time and the time we spent uh with that.

My uh uh chief of staff at the time said when asked what our office did, was we were all McClellan all the time.

And for a lot of us, it was all McClellan all the time for for uh uh a number of years.

I I think again you can take great pride uh in the fact that McClellan is now held up as a national uh example of a successful base reuse and and and transition.

That's due in no small part to uh what you contributed to that and and the SHRA staff, along with lots of others who made great contributions, but it couldn't have been done without you and and the agency.

So I I know for me, uh I when I think of you, I will always think of all that great work that we were able to uh accomplish.

Uh I'd like to say together, but mostly by you.

And that and that's uh and that is something I hope you will always take great pride in.

Thank you for everything you've done for our community.

And uh next up, we have our very own mayor.

Oh, okay.

Uh Councilmember.

Okay, great.

Um I want to uh just stop for a second and speak to what I spoke to in introducing the resolution, but also I want to speak to what comes from my heart.

Um I got it, I got it at least.

I just want to say thank you for your bravery and your courage to a lot of tough times through putting everybody else first and making sure that their needs were met, even when your needs may not have been met.

I want to thank you for your excellent service over the last 23 years and for persevering over so many tough times, for sacrificing your family and yourself just to serve your city, and for not giving up, even when you could have, and because you were always gonna be committed to doing the right thing for the city of Sacramento and for the people of Sacramento.

So we want to give you your flowers today and salute you for all that you've done and thank you for 23 years of service before a lifetime of friendship.

Thank you.

And I'll I'll go first and then I'll let the mayor finish it off.

Um, uh, Lachelle, I like Councilmember Vang, met you when I was a chief of staff to our now Senator Angelique Ashby.

And at that time we we formed Vista Nueva and we looked for sites and looked for places and we worked together a lot.

And you were always her first phone call away.

And I was Christine was mine.

Christine's sitting behind you.

But then I got a promotion to being council member and vice mayor.

Then my chief of staff took my role, and I got to call you directly, and I was like, ooh, I could have called the shell.

And still call Christine.

Both of you guys.

Um but you're always my first call on everything housing.

When I feel like my community is not getting its uh end of the bargain on a housing development project or something's going on, anything housing related that's above my pay grade and above my knowledge.

I call you because you are just so well respected and loved across the country.

I remember Angelique telling me about going to conferences with you in Washington, DC, and how everyone was coming up to you saying, Miss Dozier, what do you think about X, Y, and Z?

And I still remember that, just very just fondly like just like, okay, that's the person.

LaCelle Dozier is the housing person.

And uh when I started my job, I I had a briefing with you and your entire team at SHRA, and I hung out there for like four hours and said, help me understand the difference between vouchers, between this, between this, and you guys were all so patient with me, so patient with me, and so just happy to share your own knowledge and expertise and wisdom.

The wisdom that comes with years of being in the service of government.

And for that, I'm just so grateful and so honored to you know call you a friend, to call your resource, to call you a mentor, to call you someone that I can just pick up the phone and call.

Um, and just thank you for everything that you've done for the city, for the people, and looking forward to your retirement and hearing what you do.

Um, if you have a yard sale for your jewelry, please let me know.

She always has the nicest.

But I always joke with you, and and that's what makes this job fun is to be able to serve with people alongside you that have a heart for public service.

So thank you so much.

I don't know if you want to recognize your family maybe after during your council or during your comments.

I'm gonna pass the baton to uh SHRA commissioner and mayor Kevin McCarty.

Uh thank you, uh Vice Mayor, and as council member Dickinson noted uh uh both of us are here today uh serving on the city council, but started as SHR commissioners, and I think you started that same uh year when I was there in 2000 and 2004.

And just reflecting on all the people that are served.

I know most people who have benefited from SHRA, they they probably don't know the names of the individuals, they probably don't know the executive director's name.

But those programs and the 200 plus people that you currently um how many staff do you have right now?

More than it's over 200 and over 200, so 200, but probably hundreds over the years who have worked under you have changed lives, and that's that's why you're in this job.

I know you appreciate the recognition today.

We're all here, your family's here, we're recognizing you.

But SHRA, as Roger and I note, have changed hundreds of lives and have helped people uh get up into uh other places in their life.

Um, unfortunately, some families are stuck in intergenerational poverty today, and we see them, and it breaks our heart.

But there are countless success stories, and you know, SHRA has changed over the years.

We've had different presidents, different government governors, um, of course, different mayors, supervisors, and the policies have changed.

We've had recessions, lost money, got money, had opportunities, uh redevelopment, as you noted, council member used to be a big piece of the effort that you work on, but at the end of the day, it's about you know helping people who are in need who need housing, but also you know, tools you're not just giving.

I always appreciated um SHRA and the programs that we offer, especially at our public housing, like the biblical saying not just giving somebody a fish to eat for the day, but giving somebody a fishing pole so they can eat for life.

And so uh the people that are still there, those 200 people uh worked under your leadership, and that that legacy continues no matter what.

And governors, presidents, mayors, supervisors come and go.

Uh, but the work will continue in some uh capacity.

So you certainly are a part of that, and um two decades of public service.

I'm I'm glad you left being an analyst with I think the California Teacher Credentialing Commission, is that what it was?

No, I'm sorry.

It wasn't me.

It wasn't you.

Where did you come from?

You come from a state agency.

I came from Sacramento Air Quality Manager.

Or quality management district.

Okay, yes.

Um, very different um uh policy area, but um, thank you for uh for choosing this this passionate different career for two decades serving the people of the city of Sacramento, and just a heartfelt thank you for your service for Sacramento.

Thank you.

So it's my turn.

Okay, so many times I've seen people who were at this podium and you were recognizing them for their retirement.

I was like, oh, thank God, I hope it'll be me one day.

And now it's that day, and I don't feel that same way because I realize how many people that I've worked with and had such a joy to do all of those wonderful things that you talked about.

So good afternoon, mayor, council members, my family and friends.

I'm deeply deeply touched by this resolution.

It's such a meaningful way for me to close out this chapter of my career.

I'm both honored and humbled to be with you today.

Serving the city of Sacramento through SHRA over the past 23 years has truly been the privilege of my career and my life.

I have always believed that housing is the foundation for everything.

It is where stability begins, it is where families can grow, it is where opportunities take root.

Over the years, I've had the chance to work with an extraordinary team who share this very same belief.

Together, we not only built and preserved housing, but we've created dignity, stability, and opportunity for thousands of residents across Sacramento.

This work is never about one person, it's always about collaboration with city leaders, community partners, private developers, and most importantly, the residents themselves.

Through these partnerships, we created not only affordable housing, but stronger neighborhoods, communities that are high quality, sustainable, and welcoming places for families to thrive.

I'm so proud of what we've accomplished together, and I know the impact will last for years to come.

I want to thank the city council for your vision and your commitment, not just to affordable housing, but to bold action that has empowered SHRA to transform neighborhoods into safe places to live, places with the supports that seniors, families, and people with disabilities need to truly thrive.

And to my staff, to my staff, thank you so much.

I could not stand here and do the things that I do without these dedicated people who show up every day.

But you chase you face that challenge every day, and no matter how difficult it gets, you keep showing up, and you always deliver, you always deliver for our residents.

Your passion, creativity, and tireless dedication inspire me every single day.

I also want to thank my friends who are always there because you know you there's somebody you call when you've had a bad council day, and you vent to the sister circle about what happened to you at the podium, and they support me, and I love you guys, and you guys have just held me down.

But I want to thank my family because none of this journey would have been possible without their love and support, and especially my mother.

Yes, you can go back and sit down.

She said, These shoes look comfortable when I put them on.

But my mother, she taught me the value of hard work.

Showed me through her own life what it means to serve others.

Her commitment to helping those in need has been the guide throughout my career.

I love you, Mom.

As I prepare to retire, I leave with pride in what we have built, and I hope for what is yet to come.

Sacramento is strong.

Our housing community is strong.

And I know the work will continue with passion and purpose.

And I thank you.

I thank you for this incredible honor.

And allowing me to serve the city that I love.

Thank you.

One, two, three.

So we have one.

I can take photos and I want to come up with some purple.

Are we going to talk about the two?

I think they're doing this.

Okay.

Don't be shy, don't be shy.

Oh my god, the picture of my company.

Oh, I didn't know that.

I didn't know.

Well, I mean, depends.

I didn't like this, but we can just come over here.

We've got a standard school for the little stuff.

Oh my gosh.

This is gonna be the eternal time.

Literally.

I know there's a lot of people.

That's why the room is so hot.

We need to come in a little bit.

Close up.

Um let me talk to the vice mayor.

We three businesses.

One, two, thirty, three.

Thank you.

Of course.

That's all you're doing.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Sorry.

Oh, maybe.

All right.

So next up, we have Miss Susanna Alcalawood.

Please make your way to the podium.

I've made them all to be here.

So today we honor Susanna Alcala Wood, a trailblazing leader and dedicated public servant, for her outstanding service as Sacramento City's attorney since 2018.

The daughter of Mexican immigrants and the first in her family to graduate from college and law school.

Susanna brought with her not just decades of legal expertise, but also a deep personal commitment to fairness, equity, and justice.

Values that have defined her work here in Sacramento.

For over nearly eight years, Susanna has provided us with sound legal advice to this council, to the city manager, and to all city departments, navigating complex legal landscapes with integrity, clarity, and compassion and fierceness.

She led us through some of the most challenging times from the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic to periods of social unrest, ensuring that the city stated grounded in law while responding with heart and wisdom to the needs of our community.

Susanna has been a mentor, a role model, and a fierce advocate for equity in the legal profession.

She leaves behind a legacy defined by professionalism, leadership, and unwavering public service.

On behalf of the Sacramento City Council and the people of Sacramento, we thank you, Susanna Alcala Wood, for your dedication to our community.

And congratulations because you're moving on to San Jose to continue, not retiring like Ms.

Sher, but continuing your service.

And uh Susanna, I just I'm so thankful for you and all that you've done.

And honestly, just being a trailblazer for all Latinas, especially in the profession of law, where there's not a lot of representation.

And for me, seeing you here on this dais for the years that I've served here at the City of Sacramento has been mesmerizing, and you truly are a role model for many of us.

Thank you.

Next up, we have Councilmember Vang, then Councilmember Maple, then Mayor Potem Gera.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Talamantes.

Thank you for your beautiful words, and thank you for bringing this resolution to the full council to consider.

You know, it um in the spirit of Latino Heritage Month, I think this uh resolution is so timing.

Um I want to join the echo of Vice Mayor to really say, to honor you and to say thank you for being an extraordinary uh extraordinary trailblazer.

Um being an extraordinary trailblazer, a Latina woman who has dedicated her entire life uh to community with over 27 years in the legal field.

I know that you've paved the way for so many young folks, folks who are interested in the field of law, and so I really just want to take this moment to say thank you for your fight, your dedication to this community.

Your work has not only broke barriers, but it's also created opportunities for the next generation of women, especially young Latinas who see themselves in position of power, influence, and justice.

So thank you so much, uh, just for leading with courage, compassion, and integrity in the city.

Um, your service reminds us that representation does matter and that when women rise, we all rise.

Um, so thank you so much for your service, and we'll miss you.

We'll miss you, but San Jose is not too far from here.

Um, and just thank you so much for your service.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

And I just want to say, um, again, you know, we've had uh the last few years to get to know one another, and I can't say it better than it's already been said about your work, uh, the legacy that you're leaving behind.

But there's a couple things I also wanted to note.

You're not just leaving behind a legacy and all of the work that you've done, but you're leaving behind an incredible team that you've built up.

And I think that's something really important to note here because there's not many departments, not just in the city of Sacramento, but I don't know, look around at any other jurisdiction where someone can say that they've had that many people that stay for that long, and that many of these people are here supporting you today.

Um, you have people who have been in the department for for decades.

That's a that's a testament to you and your leadership that you are bringing up people behind you that you're making sure that they're supported and that hopefully they want to stay and not go to San Jose.

Um but I I think that that speaks to your leadership.

It's it's a hard thing to do.

Um leadership is hard, and and you've you've shown that time and time again.

The other thing I wanted to say is uh there's tropes about attorneys, about being, you know, boring or about uh, you know, that there's all you you've made some of these jokes yourself, but I would say what I appreciate the most is that when you are providing advice or hearing even just us come to you with an issue, that your perspective is always one from the heart, right?

I feel like I'm talking to a real human being, and you're in you're providing your your advice from a place of your of your inner core, and that's felt, and that makes your advice all that much better because you're not only weighing all the the legal options and everything that's on the table, but you're also weighing what's the right thing to do.

Um, and that's always struck me in all of the conversations that we've had is you have an amazing moral compass.

And I think that that has um done amazing for the city of Sacramento.

I know you'll do amazing work moving on in San Jose.

I'm gonna miss you dearly.

But know that I will be uh riding the train day on track to see you.

Thank you for your years of service.

Thank you for sure.

Exactly.

Mayor Coatanguera.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Yes, and how fitting again on uh the uh the eve of uh the start of National Latino Heritage Month that we recognize you.

And I um, you know, I think Councilmember Jennings and I were just uh reminding ourselves we were we were we're the only ones left on the council when we first uh when you first came on the job, and boy, your first week was like on fire, you know, and it was uh a full day, and it was it it never has stopped since.

And I I wanna one first uh start by saying that um uh when uh during that process I got a call from former uh city attorney uh Sam Jackson and uh and told me without a doubt, there's a person who cares about not the city government, but the city and its people, it is Suzanne Alcalawood, and that is what we needed in um uh in our city.

It's yes, we have a responsibility for the bureaucracy and stewards of the taxpayers, but our job is for the people of our city.

And so that has been in your record here from basic issues of code uh enforcement and addressing the quality of life issues and giving peace of mind in communities that probably have never had to confront the legal system, uh, to addressing some of the challenges that we've seen at the federal administration and taking away people's rights.

You've been at the forefront of that in leading with other cities and other city attorneys across the nation.

And to that point, no wonder that cities across the nation have elected you and appointed you as their national leader, and that deserves a big round of applause for all our city attorney.

I mean, the bottom line is uh if there if uh when we've done here the uh law day and you've brought up the issues of law, and what's the purpose of law?

What good is it?

What good is it if any of us here vote on uh piece of law if it cannot be enforced, and it can and justice can't be provided to those folks.

You've dedicated your life to that, and I'm envious of the city of San Jose for them uh being able to, you know, look at uh uh take advantage of that.

But I want to just congratulate you on your years of service, starting off as a staff attorney here in the city of Sacramento, and as a career as city attorney.

So Felicidades, Cisa Puede, and uh appreciate your uh uh your time of service to the city.

And we have two more speakers.

We have Councilmember Jennings and then Mayor McCarty will finish it off.

Don't make me cry, Councilman.

So what I said to you in private, I can't say in public.

No.

I just wanted to make sure I got the right legal advice before.

Um so let me give you uh phase two of what I said.

What I wanted to say.

Um I saw a thing early this morning as I woke up and thought about what I should say.

And it's a saying that says people will forget what you said.

People will forget what you did.

But people will never forget how you made them feel.

I'm one of those people who you may feel special.

I could be a better council member and a better man because of how you made me feel.

Your advice working with you, listening to you, learning more about you and what you stand for.

All those things help me to be a better man and a better council member.

And I can't thank you enough because when I feel like that, it's like I can whoop Muhammad Ali if I need to.

So I wish you the very best as you go forward.

I too am envious of San Jose because they stole my number one draft pick.

But you know, as you've looked at your career and all that you've done, everywhere that you've gone, you've made it better.

And so I'm glad that your path took you this way, because you definitely made the city of Sacramento better.

I wish you the very best of luck, and I will always be a phone call away or 90-minute ride away.

Okay, go.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I I wanted to close it out by uh by reading um just the title.

Honoring Susanna Alcala Wood for her exemplary service as city attorney for the city of Sacramento.

Thank you for serving not just the city council.

So certainly you're up here to advise us during uh council meetings.

You're there to make sure all our legal documents are in order.

Uh you're there with your team to represent us in the court of law.

If if we're being sued or if we're suing somebody else, uh but you're also, as council member uh Garrett stated, uh you're the city you're the people's lawyer.

Uh people don't always remember that.

The city attorney, as you take your oath to this job and to the until your oath into your profession, you represent the people of Sacramento, the people's attorney.

So that's public policy sometimes.

So the Justice for Neighbors program as council members stated, make sure as we go after nuisance property owners because we all want to make sure we have good quality of life on our streets in our neighborhood.

So that's something that people don't always see.

And so I I want to uh express my admiration for your focus on that and making sure that you have this job well rounded and represent uh the entire city of Sacramento.

And I know it was always your dream to be a city attorney for the city attorney.

I know you have a team of dozens of lawyers under you, but you wanted to be the lead attorney.

And I I served with you uh 20 years ago when you were a line attorney and you got up to be um you know one of the senior uh attorneys in the city and and didn't have an opportunity and went on to another city and then came back to our capital city, uh the great city of Sacramento and served um with distinction for eight years as our vice mayor noted, and now you're you're moving on to another opportunity.

So I just want to wish you well and thank you for your service to the people of the city of Sacramento.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So thank you, Vice Mayor.

I don't usually get to speak up, but I had to take the opportunity to say thank you to my partner at the city, my favorite attorney.

Sorry.

Um my founding IDT member and my friend.

So Susanna, your influence on the city of Sacramento and me will be long lasting.

Thank you.

Yes, it's on a your turn.

All right.

Kind of like LaCelle, like, you know, I'm so fine up there.

I don't have to speak, I can just sit there.

The whole night goes by, and I don't have to say I think that's a good night for me.

That's a good council meeting for me.

So it's a little weird being on this side, but um, thank you.

Thank you for this.

Um, I do want to point out um I do have my family.

I have uh Maddie, my youngest, who uh proud Sacramentan resident tries to get everybody they know to move to Sacramento, live in Oak Park.

And they're back there.

Maddie, at least wave your hand.

Uh and uh my uh my best friend for more than 32 years, my partner in crime and life, my biggest cheerleader, Joseph Wood, my husband.

Back there.

Um on any given council night or any other day, depending on the kind of day that I've had, he meets me at the door with either a hug or a beer, or sometimes both, sometimes three beers.

Sometimes she'll say two, three beer nights.

Yeah.

Uh Vice Mayor, thank you for insisting to do this because I did not want it.

LaShaw and I were like, no, we're good.

This is right off into the sunset.

Thank you.

Because we forget that it's not just about us, it's about inspiring others for these careers.

And certainly for me, I've been very passionate about not just getting um getting people into the practice of municipal law, which which we all love.

We've all made our career of it, but also to encourage Latinos and other um young people of color to come into this field and to learn about cities and to work with them.

So thank you for reminding me that yes, take the bow, it's okay.

So I really appreciate your, you know, we worked together a long time versus a staffer, and now it's been my honor to um to work with you as a council member, and um you, you know, uh Councilmember Maple for those wonderful words.

Thank you so much.

That that means everything.

And and as you and Councilmember Captain and Councilmember, you all deserve another term for heaven's sakes.

You're outstanding council members.

I'm so happy you're representing.

Yeah, I can say that because I'm you know, I'm gonna be in a different city, so it's okay.

Now I can actually speak my mind about it.

So good for good for you, and uh thank you, Councilmember Vang.

And uh I'm so proud and happy that you're throwing your hat in the ring for Congress because your heart and hustle belongs in Congress representing all of us.

So thank you for doing that.

Uh somebody.

Um, yes, Councilmember Getting, Councilmember Jennings.

I think back about uh, yeah, it was uh coming in to interview my third time coming in to interview for the city attorney position.

I'm like, they don't want me.

It's not gonna work this time, you know.

So I was kind of like, I'm just gonna give you everything I got, and if it's not good enough, you're not gonna hire me, and then you did.

And you're the last two that were on the council um uh group that hired me.

And I think it's a testament that eight almost eight years later, which is essentially two council terms, you're still supportive, and you made me cry, and I didn't want you to make me cry, but um I thank you so much.

I mean, it's content.

When I first got here, Councilmember Ghetto, you threw a reception for me.

I've been here three months, and nobody even paid attention that they had a new city attorney, but you made sure the community knew, and I thank you for that.

I've never forgotten it.

Um, because I thought that was really special and really welcoming.

And Councilmember Jennings, you always give me permission to make good trouble.

So thank you for that.

Um, you know, I have my fellow council appointees.

Um, I I don't know if they're behind me someplace.

I mean, obviously, Lachelle's one of them, and uh they we've been through a lot of stuff together, and I'm so proud to work alongside them.

No one gets us but us, but that's okay.

Um, thanks to the council for having us go through that inclusion training because that brought us together so well.

And um, and I mean, even even we did so much to that.

I mean, even Colville liked me at the end of it.

And Colville doesn't like everybody, so I said that's pretty good.

That's pretty good to say that.

I'm gonna give a special shout out to Mindy.

Uh, she and her team are the lubricant that keeps this machine called City Hall running.

Um Pine sized powerhouse of a clerk, uh, a designated warrior for all of us that looks out for every detail from going to the store herself to make sure there's food for you all to eat on a long day with a lot of meetings, to making sure that she gets out the agendas every week for all the multiple council meetings and and uh um if she's bugging you about something, which she does, or triple-checking with you about something, it's her job.

It's her doing her job so that you're free to come here and do the very, very, very hard work of governing, which you all um have so much in front of you to do.

And I'm, you know, this council has so much work ahead of it.

Uh I will be I'll be watching.

Obviously, I got, you know, investing family member here in Sacramento.

There's so much work to be done, and I'm I know you guys are in a real good spot to do it.

Um, the new additions to the council.

I haven't had a chance to work with you as much, but I I I like what I hear so far, so uh I think that's gonna be uh a really interesting next year as you go uh through about your um all the things you're going to do um I don't think Mr Lambert Davis is here but I do want to add my voice to his plea give me the array so some other agency doesn't steal her um finally I'm gonna get the microphone view on touchman for a minute.

Because I want to address my staff who if you're with the city attorney's office can you raise your hand I mean a simply outstanding group of professionals and it's been an honor of a lifetime to lead you all and work with you and I did come back as a mayor said I came back because I just wanted to work with this um city and city attorney's office just one more time in my career and I got so lucky to have you um I inherited a lot of you and I hired a lot of you so it's a wonderful mix and I um I've told all of you in separate conversations you can't leave you can't leave Sacramento unless I hire you in San Jose.

You can't leave though otherwise sorry about that.

I told the council when I gave my notice that I was confident the city was in good hands with the legal team because it is it's an amazing tremendous legal team.

You are the glue you are the glue you are the ones that hold it all together you're the first ones everybody goes to when there's a problem and the last ones to get accolades but you do it anyways because you have such pride in the work and you're such pros and you're so good at it you are um we've been through some stuff together we have taken people to school um and uh everything thrown at you you've handled um every time I raise the bar you exceed it and uh continue this high level work this council and this city deserve never and nothing less than your everyday excellence which you do it because there's a lot of work to be done and and uh everything that comes in front of them you touch and so keep that up I'm you know you're so collaborative you work together so well you make me so proud all the time you're wicked smart and I think that um you know I'm in denial I keep telling you this that I'm actually not taking you with me I'm acting like oh I'm going but you're all coming with me but I'll carry you here right here right here and right here and may the force be with you always don't forget the rest of the week I think it's a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a question I can know if you're not going to hear it.

You want to go stand here on the right here.

I'm here tonight, thank you.

I think so much I appreciate having that first one I don've got a move.

Can I talk to you about this?

Oh, yeah, not too many.

If you're in the corner, you guys like just a little bit of a little bit close together.

I'm sorry.

I think we can't really well.

Thank you.

I think we are just a hearing.

We're going to think about it.

Okay.

All right, next item, please.

Next item, please.

Mayor, we now move to the consent calendar and interim city manager had to read to the record on item six.

Um, speakers on the consent calendar.

Item number six, page eight.

There's a map at the bottom.

Um uh for the queue, item sixteen.

Should say open space, natural area, and parentheses 156 acres.

That's the only change.

Okay, thank you.

Noted.

Uh do we have council comments on the consent calendar?

I'm assuming there's a mayor Pro Tem Gata?

Yes.

Uh, thank you.

Uh item uh thirteen and uh uh item number uh six.

Uh council member Kaplan.

Item one, please.

And Councilmember Dickinson.

Uh item thirteen.

So let's start with Council Member Kaplan on item one.

I just want to say if anybody from North Natomas is watching, we're getting lights for our softball fields.

These are the uh contracts moving forward.

So I want to thank Jason and Jackie and our parks team.

Uh it has taken way too many years, but very excited that uh we are now installing lights at the softball field so that kids can play uh into the night instead of going to a different area of the city or another city to be able to play.

So thank you and congratulations.

Uh thank you very much.

Uh briefly in item six, I want to thank uh our my district six commissioner Victoria Vasquez for reaching out and support on this, and also uh uh encouraging that uh we look at uh further definitions on uh overall city on uh what uh natural lands or what is working lands or native lands so that we can get into the same coordination on vocabulary with that very supportive.

Um then on item number thirteen, um uh Madam City Clerk, members of the council.

Uh this is an item that's uh dear to my heart.

I want to we're uh we're recognizing a little bit of a lot of work from a person who uh uh was very instrumental in ensuring that the state and locally we considered active transportation as a true alternative form of transportation.

Uh Maggie O'Hara uh uh was a very active community member of Tahoe Park, very active in the neighborhood association.

Uh and one of the uh early persons who was uh pushing for bike lanes so that we can um create some safety uh for folks and uh was able to actually push the city, one of the biggest obstacles in getting more bike lanes early on.

Um I also want to thank uh her and and Tom early on because uh it was the first time I I got interested in in policy and looking at details and and thinking through about what is good long-term planning and good housing and and land use planning when I first got my appointment on the county planning commission.

And so I just wanted to uh uh thank the uh the the uh city staff here and all the Sacramento Area Bike Advocates for uh submitting this application to recognize Maggie O'Hara um in this item.

So thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Councilmember Dickinson on 13.

Uh thank thanks.

Um I just wanted to add uh how how uh pleased it makes me to see Maggie recognized.

Maggie was one of the uh people I worked with very, very closely as a as a supervisor on on the kinds of issues that uh Mayor Pro Tam Getta has uh referred to.

But uh Maggie Maggie left an indelible impression.

Um Maggie uh is uh someone who um in a in a uh a very compelling way, uh, just was persistent uh about what she cared about and what she believed in, and she was an absolutely um terrific contributor to the to the benefit of the of the neighborhood as uh as a whole.

So uh I was I was delighted to see to see this, and if was Saba who suggested uh uh hats on off to them, but uh congratulations also to Councilmember Garra for making this happen too.

Thank you very much, and Mr.

Mayor.

With that, I'll like to move the consent calendar and on behalf of Maggie O'Hara.

Second, second.

Okay, we have a motion and second.

Before that, I just want to note that Maggie was uh my neighbor in Tower Park when I became a neighborhood activist and a tower park neighborhood association board member.

Uh she was um a past president of the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association.

I think probably the most outstanding president, uh outranking uh you and the former mayor Steinberg who are also presidents of the neighborhood association.

But um, you know, she she will be missed and always remember her riding her bike down tea like you do today.

Um, council member.

I know that she'd appreciate that you're pushing forward the same policies that she you know worked for for her entire life.

So uh thank you.

And uh with that, we have a motion and a second on the consent calendar.

All those in favor please say aye.

Aye.

Lee knows or abstentions.

Uh hearing none.

The consent calendar passes.

Next item.

Uh we move to the discussion calendar item 14 is agreements, residential organic material diversion services.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Mayor, members of the council, happy 916 day.

Uh happy to be here today to uh bring forward a project.

The recommendation today is to approve three agreements for the processing of the city's residential organic waste collected by city forces.

This includes leaf green and yard waste and food waste in our weekly collection program, also includes material from loose in the street collection uh November through February, also known as leaf season.

These are 10-year agreements uh before you this afternoon with options for renewal.

A little background.

Um the goal here is to continue our compliance with Senate Bill 1383, the short-lived climate pollution's reduction strategy from 2016.

SB 1383 requires cities and counties to divert 75% of organics from landfill by 2025.

That is a statewide goal with programmatic requirements on the city, which we meet through this program and other uh efforts that we do to comply with the law in response to Senate Bill 1383.

The city participated in a regional request for a proposal with the county of Sacramento and City of Folsom back in 2018 and 2019.

A little word about that alliance, it was formed because Sacramento County, the City of Fulsom, and the City of Sacramento are the municipal collectors in the region.

So we decided to work together because together we gain economies of scale with e with combined tonnage and to not work against each other, competing for limited markets for organics in the region.

From that RFP back in 2018 and 19, the city and county awarded short-term agreements in 2020 and 2021.

Happy to report the program is very successful.

We've achieved regulatory compliance with Senate Bill 1383.

We are in very good standing with the state on Cal Recycle on SB 1383.

We are collecting and recycling residential food waste together with our leaf green and yard waste.

We average 75,000 tons of organics per year, all recycled.

This also implements a very vital part of the city's climate action plan.

And those agreements that were implemented back in 2020 and 2021 are expiring within the next year to two years.

So with that, the city uh entered into a longer-term request for a proposal process with the county of Sacramento and City of Fulsom, same partners as before.

Six proposals were received.

We had an evaluation committee consisting of two staff from each jurisdiction, along with a consultant, HDR, that performed a technical and cost analysis.

The goal being to fit the regional tonnage into current and future capacity.

Also, the goal being to minimize vehicle miles traveled or VMTs for each jurisdiction's collection operations.

Out of that technical analysis and scoring, the evaluation committee recommended awarding contracts to three proposers: YOLO County, Agrimen, and Recology.

The city contracts before you today for approval are with YOLO, Agrimen, and with Sacramento County.

They are a partner that allows us to utilize their North Area Recovery Station, and from there, organics will be sent to either YOLO or Recology.

This next graphic gives you an idea of where material moves throughout the region.

As you can see, most of the material from District 1 and all of District 3 goes directly off-route to YOLO, along with part of District 4.

All of District 2, parts of District 1 and 4 go to the Sacramento County NARS facility for transfer.

And parts of District 4 and the entirety of districts 5, 6, and 7 and 8 go to the Elder Creek transfer station where Agrimen has an operation and transfers and processes the material for composting there.

Why approve these agreements today?

This was a very large RFP effort to solicit, evaluate, and determine the best solution for the city and the region.

A huge body of work went into the agreements that are before you for approval today.

It leverages the regional tonnage for better pricing rather than the city going with tonnage alone.

If we were to go back out, for example, we would likely get the same results, only with not as good pricing because we don't have the economies of scale for leveraging tonnage, including our partners in Sack County and Fulsom.

There is limited organics capacity in Northern California.

The idea today to secure a long-term home for the city's organics before other jurisdictions come online or possibly take that capacity.

Also again, it minimizes vehicle miles traveled to our processors.

That previous graphic shows you how we efficiently come off route and get to facilities as fast as we can without putting a lot of miles on our trucks or clogging up city streets, and that supports the city's climate action goals.

Also ensures long-term regulatory compliance because this is similar to what we're doing right now.

So we're in good standing now.

We'll continue to be.

And that helps fulfill our Senate Bill 1383 procurement requirements.

We're actually uh required to buy a certain amount of compost under the law, and those uh that program fulfills that.

The recycling and diversion methods are state approved, and they do have significant environmental benefit.

Representatives from each of the contracts are here in the audience today.

Should you have specific questions about any of the agreements?

As the last slide, um, another benefit of these agreements.

There are low tonnage minimums for each of the contracts.

Uh, we have to meet a certain amount of tonnage to uh comply with the agreement.

We'll never be paying for air, in other words, we'll always be bringing material because the tonnage minimums that we need to meet are low and easily met.

And that allows us potential to divert tonnage to new emerging technologies.

Uh we have a possible nexus for things like a commercial RFP for wood waste we're considering.

And as well, we also process our neighborhood cleanup material.

I'm pretty proud of that.

We're one of the jurisdictions in the regions that actually diverts and recycles material from our junk pickup.

So when somebody calls for an appointment, puts material out, we separate the metals and the wood and the material that's recyclable out of the junk pickup.

Also, these agreements have high maximum capacities for increase in material.

Should one facility go down or one of the one uh one facility have a problem.

We could divert material to other the other two contracts, so we always have a home for the city's green waste.

Uh another uh important note rate stability.

I'll be happy to report that no residential rate increases forecasted in the next couple years from our division.

I will not be back asking for more for a rate adjustment in the next two to three years.

Uh beyond that, it uh it it we don't have the forecast yet to see very clearly in the in the out years three, four, and five, but for the next two to three years, no residential rate adjustment.

And finally, a very important um part of this program is the city's garbage and recycling agreements expire in February 2032.

So we have six years to go, a little bit more than that on the garbage and recycling agreements.

A very encompassing and comprehensive RFP process is in the very near future for our division to find a long-term home for recycling and organics.

So it's important we feel to uh first at least get the organic set up for the long term, and that's what these 10 years agreements do.

So with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

And as I mentioned, members of the uh contract teams are all here if we have any questions about the specific contract.

Thank you.

We have public comments.

I have one speaker, Evan Edgar.

Good afternoon, mayors, council members.

My name is Evan Edgar.

I'm the engineer from the California Compost Coalition.

And I gotta admit that I'm pretty proud of these three contracts as all three members of where this compost is going, are members of the California Compost Coalition.

We're a lobbying firm that represents organic compost statewide.

The compost that will be produced at all three facilities, YOLO and um up in Recology and over at Elder Creek and the ranch is um all certified organic compost.

It's clean, meets all the all the specifications, and it's um it's a feature, so it's clean and source separated.

Best part about these contracts is that they're local.

You reduce the VMTs and you're implementing your climate action plan.

I've been before this council many times supporting the climate action plan to divert organics from the landfill and to create carbon farming where you take this organic material, you take it to the ranches, you take it to the farms because for a long time, City Sacramento was a city of trees, producing a lot of green waste for compost, and now you're farm to fork, or you need compost for healthy soils.

So you guys had the crux of doing doing the right thing.

I definitely have to commend Councilmember Guerrera.

I work at the carb a lot, and at the carb level, we've produced a scoping plan back in 2022 that really endorses natural working lands, you know, throughout California and ranches.

And what we're doing on this contract is um is replicatable statewide oil ranches.

And what um this program does is allow us to get carbon credits in the future and will help to fund these programs to bring back biodiversity and pollinators.

Plus, Eric Carrera has an eye on a future working with hydrogen.

You know, down the road, the city fleet, and hydrogen will be key for the city fleet, and in the future wood waste to RFP will enable the city to look at hydrogen in the future.

But the best value today and in the future will be green waste of compost for healthy soils in the state of California.

Thank you for your comments.

May I have no more speakers?

Thank you.

Councilman Guerra.

Thank you very much, Mayor.

Um gosh, the the checks in the mail, Evan.

You know, I didn't I bet those compliments.

No uh you caught me by surprise there.

Uh first uh I I do want to thank our city team, uh John Febbo and and all the folks at uh Solid Waste and Public Works for taking the time to really dive into this in these contracts.

And you know, for uh those on the council, we used to have a uh solid waste authority, and I think council member uh back then Mayor McCarty was council member for the district that represents most of the landfills that that bring in the the uh the waste, which I hate to call waste from the entire county into our council district.

And with it uh uh you know reminded me about the you know the communities that live by the the landfills and what we how we manage our waste and what we do to manage our waste.

Uh and the effort that's taken in in this and in this con these contracts, even though the county uh wanted to get out of the say the quote unquote marriage of of a joint authority, the our solid waste departments remember found that it was beneficial to stay together, to find economies of scale for um our residents, but also to better manage our environment, to better manage the amount of VMT that was occurring.

Uh for a while we were trucking all of our waste way up north, and so we'd have to have a diesel truck trucking our waste, you know, miles away and then come right back down just to put them in a landfill if it wasn't uh uh here in in uh in district six as well.

Uh and uh um and a couple things that I think should uh high we want to highlight.

Number one, yes, for our ratepayers our our constituents.

Um this does uh this the this joint effort stabilizes rates.

Uh and we know already way too much between water, sewer or electrical rates.

So we talked about in the morning.

Uh the issues of of rate increases are putting pressures on uh folks who are on a fixed income.

So I think this is helpful, but more importantly as well is uh is being good stewards of our environment and the fact that um at many of these locations we're not treating our uh our green waste as waste.

Uh and that I think has been the failure of past generations of how we've dealt with um whatever, whether it's been recyclables or garbage or green waste, that we're actually looking at maximizing the energy, our bioenergy that's there, and whether it's going through now a digester in uh in the yellow area, uh, whether it's agrimen working with our our natural working lands, um, you know, at Van Villec Ranch and making sure that we're you know, bringing back soil that frankly was destroyed because of the gold rush.

And I'd appreciate the opportunity to go out there and learn of the land and see how during the gold rush era we destroyed the environment out there and dug it all out and we left clay on top and and lost all our topsoil, and we're returning that back through this process, and also um the to the point of of uh, you know, of what is it what does it mean to use future fuels that address our air impacts, the VMT.

So, and uh, you know, I was pushing hard on this to try to even go even further, you know, trying to figure out can we do in this contract a a biomass utilization project that looks at hydrogen or as uh net zero energy, and uh what I'm pleased that uh to see about this is that it has moved the needle, uh, but not recklessly either for our ratepayers, but prudently for the public health of our area.

So uh I'm uh, you know, a lot of a lot of folks sometimes think of this as just a uh a normal contract, but sadly, most folks, once they're done with the product, you know, the this is the biggest mistake.

We are consumers on a daily basis, whether it's food or byproducts, and as soon as it goes to the garbage, people forget about where uh where it goes, like if it just disappears somewhere, it goes somewhere.

Uh and if we don't figure out how to manage our waste in the future, there will be nothing for our our future generations to manage other than uh leftover landfills, landfills that have uh not been cared in another way.

Do you want to thank our all of those that are in the solid waste industry?

Many of them live in district six as well and work on in this area.

Uh there are our neighbors.

Uh, and so with that uh mayor, I do want to make a uh motion here uh to move the staff report, but also provide direction here uh uh to staff that uh um that staff begin to work at uh future RFP process to look at biomass utilization.

I don't want to be specific to hydrogen, but there may be other other uh tools where we can look at replacing the cost of our fuel um by the own by the the fuel we produce from our area.

So uh I'll make that staff direction with uh that motion with the staff direction that we look at biomass utilization as part of our uh future solid waste contracts.

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

Thank you, Mayor.

John, just a quick question.

Um, because if somebody pulls up this report starts reading it, they might get a little sticker shock.

So uh it's approximately for all three of these 323 million dollars, just for the public.

Like, can you help them understand?

Because I heard you say we're not going to be increasing rates.

Sure, but it almost seems like really because this is this is a lot of money.

So the not to exceed amounts in the agreement are for 15 years, because we do a 10-year agreement with options for renewal.

So the way city contracts work is you approve the entirety for the options for renewal.

So it's actually, and and then those the 300 million dollars includes all three agreements.

That would be 15 years, it also includes includes procurement and some money in there for contamination.

Should we have contamination issues?

There's a there's a process by which the contractor can claim gross contamination or certain loads, and we would work with them to separate that and pay penalties on that.

So there's an allotment in there for that, but the not to exceeds uh include a lot of extra money in one of the slides I had the the lower numbers, and those lower numbers are what you're basically committing to today, which is 10 years and the processing agreement and the other stuff, we have yet to have any contamination issues with any of our contractors yet, but they're in there as safety mechanisms for the contractors because sometimes we have a cave very, very, very rarely do we have uh you know contaminated loads that need addressing.

So, when you and I uh when you were briefing me on this, can you also explain to the public how this is actually, while it seems like a lot, sure, um how you package it and how you did this is in reality a true savings to the city.

Sure.

So uh I think the way to look at it, you know, and I had the same sticker shock when you look at a hundred dollars a ton or whatever for a processing fee, and it's a similar to what we pay for garbage.

I think the thing about garbage is when you dispose of it, it's a really simple thing to unload eight tons of garbage and it just gets covered.

I think um one of our consultants in this process said, uh, just don't focus on the hundred dollars, focus on the ton, because every ton, a ton of green waste needs to completely separate it.

They're extracting garbage out of it first, they're screening the overs so that material can go to certain different uh uses if necessary.

The food waste comes out to go digestion.

So depending on the contractors, they all do it a little differently.

The process of getting that material to market is what we're paying for.

And it's and it's a good method because the same with recycling and garbage, they they all they all cost that much money.

It doesn't make money, but it costs money to get rid of the material.

But to do it right, it costs money as well.

So, well, and and I appreciate that.

One of the other questions um my staff asked, because you know, SB uh 1383, while it's required, still kind of new in educating everybody, and we have given out green waste buckets.

Have you seen a difference or an increase uh in organic waste and a decrease in solid waste?

And what numbers do you have?

We have and and I replied today to that.

Thank you for asking that question because it we we were able to scrub the numbers and have them for you today.

So in the we look at a period from June to September because it doesn't include uh leaf season.

Leaf season can fluctuate with weather and skew the numbers.

We're trying to get an idea of how much food waste.

And in from comparing 2021 to 2024, when we were in full implementation, we've seen a 19% increase in organics recycling and a 14% decrease in garbage.

So the programs working.

It focuses a lot on organics because that's the new program.

We've given out pails, uh, tens of thousands of pails, the countertop pails for food waste.

Uh we do websites.

I probably read the city express and uh I feel like I'm reading a blog every week and editing a blog to make sure it reads well every week.

So we we really promote that in the blogs and in the city minute and all those things.

So I just want to say thank you for your leadership, and I really appreciate you getting that number and that statistics because I think it's important for our community to hear.

Like, yes, this costs a lot, everything costs a lot, but we're actually we're changing the environment and we're doing good in like farm to fork and fork to farm, we're making it happen by reducing the level of our landfill and increasing the matter of organics.

So I appreciate what you do.

Thank you.

Great, thank you.

Any other questions?

Councilmember Dickinson.

Thanks, Mayor.

I uh as as one who voted uh in support of the original legislation to move the recycling and reuse and diversion requirement from 50% to 75%.

I'm very happy to see this on that level.

But I I I really just wanted to take this moment to underscore the cooperation with the county and the county of Sacramento and the County of YOLILO, uh, ultimately on the on this, but I think it's uh, and you've walked that other side of this the street too.

Um I think it's uh it's a great example of what we can what we can do together when we look functionally at what we need to accomplish in in uh the county as a whole and how we can do that to better how we can do that more effectively and better to the benefit of uh the residents and citizens of the uh of the county, uh both in terms of the the accomplishment as well as the cost.

So, hopefully, this is something that we keep in mind as we look across the spectrum of other things that we're trying to do in the city and in the county and look for those opportunities where where we can continue to to work together.

So I'm very appreciative of that, John.

Thanks.

Thanks, Mayor.

Thank you.

We have a motion.

Thank you.

We have a motion and second.

I I just want to note John, thank you for the briefing and yeah, this is if you look at it as council member Kaplan noted, just the dollar amount.

It it does have a sticker shock, but thank you for the explanation.

But the big picture is that as is noted, you know, this is where we're at now as far as you know not putting all of our our waste in landfills, and so much opportunity to sort out organics for purposes, not just for soil, but for energy sources and um I too, like uh the council member uh worked on and authored several organics um measures over the past decade.

So I'm glad to see Sacramento uh leading in this and uh more importantly, you know, this is uh leaf season.

Everybody now has their ready for their green dens, but let's continue to educate people on um organics recycling on and making sure that we continue to lead the way.

So thank you.

Mayor, if I can also uh in interject that the first uh organic waste test pilot was in district six.

Yes, in Elmhurst.

Right.

And I think I still have that bucket in my office.

Yeah, we started that.

Now we're doing it citywide, statewide.

Thank you.

Thanks.

With that, we have a motion a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any nose or abstentions, hearing none?

Measure passes.

Thank you.

Next item.

We move to item number 15, which is urban level of flood protection workshop overview and status update.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council members.

I'm Remy Mendoza with the community development department.

In today's presentation, I'll provide an overview of recent progress, key milestones, and the overall timeline for Sacramento to achieve an urban level of flood protection.

Key takeaways from today's presentation include that Sacramento faces a December 31st deadline to achieve 200 year level flood protection.

Flood protection projects are nearly complete but may extend beyond this deadline.

Legislative relief will allow for development growth to continue, and so in today's workshop, we'll provide an overview of the context of Sacramento's flood risks, regulations, and key next steps.

Our city was built at the confluence of the Sacramento American Rivers, which drain a watershed the size of West Virginia.

More than a century ago, it used to become an inland sea during wet years.

Now, over 106 miles of levees protect more than 100,000 structures that otherwise could see flood depths of more than 10 feet and up to 20 feet in some areas.

In the 175-year interval since permanent settlements of Sacramento began, we have experienced quite a few major floods as listed on the screen here.

Efforts have been made to reduce flood threat by building up the level of land near rivers, building bypasses and diverting flood water away from the area, building levees along the river channels, and building dams to control the flood waters as well.

In spite of the flood protection work that was accomplished early on, our community was threatened with catastrophic flooding in recent decades, such as in 1986, 97, and 2006.

In 2017, Sacramento County was impacted by a series of atmospheric rivers and storm systems during the month of January, but most of the impacts were largely felt in Rio Linda, Point Pleasant, and Wilton.

However, just 75 miles north due to concrete breaks and the spillway at Oroville Dam, an evacuation order was issued for downstream residents displacing nearly 200,000 residents.

For Sacramento, it was 1980, the 1986 flood about 40 years ago that exposed Sacramento's vulnerability to catastrophic flooding.

That year, Folsom Dam exceeded its normal flood control storage capacity, and set several area levees nearly collapsed under the strain of the storm.

We had 10 inches of rain in 11 days.

In response, the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, SAFCA, was formed in 1999 through a joint exercise of powers agreement to provide the Sacramento region with increased flood protection along the American and the Sacramento Rivers.

Safca then commenced work with the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers and the California State Reclamation Board to address the weaknesses in Sacramento's flood control system that were exposed during that record 1986 flood.

This graphic visually shows each of the authorized projects and how they fit together in rebuilding the system in order to be able to handle larger flood events through a combination of increased storage and increased conveyance capacity.

These projects have involved repairing and securing levees along the American and Sacramento rivers, as well as raising and increasing the fulsom depth.

All of the Sacramento area flood control improvement projects and the billions of dollars that have been invested in improving our levees are really critical.

As shown on this blue map on the left, the vast majority of the city is dependent on levees.

The light blue areas represent areas where flood insurance is encouraged, and the dark blue areas represent areas where flood insurance is mandatory.

The map on the right shows the areas of the city that will benefit from the various levy system flood improvement projects once the flood improvement projects are complete.

The flood protection regulatory framework for Sacramento consists of a multi-layer system.

At the federal level, you have significant federal funding, the National Flood Insurance Program, which serves as a primary source of flood insurance in the United States, 100-year flood protection standard for flood insurance.

At the state level, we have the state plan of flood control system, state funding, and California, 200 year development standard for development.

At the city, some of the key regulatory documents that we maintain include our general plan and our zoning code to ensure that our blueprint for growth is resilient to natural disasters such as flooding.

We also have a local hazard mitigation plan and comprehensive floodplain management plan.

Since 1996, the city has prepared and regularly updated a comprehensive floodplain management plan or CFMP, which identifies seven flood risk reduction tools, each supported by implementation strategies and action items.

It's the intent of the CMFMP to communicate these tools to city staff, the community, and other key partners, to better facilitate an integrated unified approach for this by the city to uh flood risk reduction.

With respect to land use, for example, we regulate new development to ensure that we are providing adequate setbacks from levees with respect to emergency management.

We assist the community in preparing for responding to and recovering from serious flood recovery from a serious flood event.

With respect to risk communication, city staff works hard to communicate flood risk to Sacramentans so that they are motivated to take all the necessary steps and use all the available tools they need to reduce their flood risk.

With respect to the National Flood Insurance Program, city staff work hard to ensure that many residents can take advantage of flood insurance, including customizable coverage amount and reduction options.

20 years ago, although it was in in 2005, Hurricane Katrina occurred more than 2,000 miles away.

The lives that were lost and the 125 billion in estimated damages were a wake-up call for flood-prone communities across the country.

Across the country, levy standards were now going to be updated.

In 2007 and 2008, California legislature passed a package of bills that mandated comprehensive planning for flood protection at the state and local level.

These new laws strengthened the link between local land use decision and regional floodplain management.

Cities and counties in California's Central Valley watershed within the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley that are protected by the state plan of flood control were subject to SB5 urban level flood protection requirements.

Under SB5, the Urban Level of Flood Protection, or ULAP, this is the level of protection necessary to withstand a flood event that has a one in 200 chance of occurring in any given year.

This standard is twice the 100-year federal flood standard.

It requires cities and counties to amend the general plans and their zoning ordinances to reflect the new 200 year requirement, which the City of Sacramento did in 2015 and 2016.

The Central Valley Flood Protection Act specified that beginning in July 1, 2016, about nine years ago, cities and counties must make SB5 findings before approving development agreements, approving tentative maps, parcel or subdivision maps, approving discretionary permits for new development, or approving ministerial permits for new residents.

The required findings applicable to the city of Sacramento included three types of findings that were these were available to us.

That we currently have a 200 level of flood protection, that we imposed conditions on projects to achieve that 200 level of flood protection, or that we're making adequate progress towards a 200 level of flood protection by December 31st of this year.

Up until now, we have been relying on making the adequate progress finding based on an annual report that has been prepared by SAFCA and accepted by City Council.

As the December 31st deadline was getting closer, we learned that a few flood protection projects in Atomas and the Beach Lake sub-area were experiencing some unforeseen delays.

There was a possibility that beginning on January 1 of next year would not be able to make a type 1 or type 3 finding, and imposing conditions on projects would require them to be elevated, making development projects infeasible.

So earlier this year, the city co-sponsored Senate Bill 639, which extend the ULAP compliance deadline by five years for the Natomas Basin and the Beach Lake sub-area, which are the blue areas shown on this map.

The green area shown on this map will comply with the ULAP requirements by the end of this year.

SB 639 is a targeted approach only for areas that need additional time.

Sacramento County, Yuba County, and the City of Marysville are also co-sponsors and are also receiving an extension for their respective jurisdiction.

SB 639 has been passed by both the assembly and the Senate, and it is anticipated to be signed by the governor before the October 12th deadline.

SB 639 includes flood liability language that includes that until 200 year improvements are complete, the city may be required to contribute its fair share of flood-related property damage if it unreasonably approves development that increases tax exposure.

The state has included similar language for other jurisdictions that have received an extension in the past, such as the city of West Sacramento that received an extension through 2040, and for the Mossdale track located in San Joaquin County.

The area of the city that will meet the state's urban level flood protection this year are listed as levy systems one through four on this table here.

As part of this workshop today, staff are also bringing forward to city council the urban level flood protection, Dry Creek North Levy Engineers Report, requesting the council adopt the resolution, accepting evidence in support of a type one finding of 200 year level of flood protection for the dry for the dry creek north levy system.

Staff anticipates on October 21st bringing to City Council SafeGus ULAP Engineers Reports for items two to four listed on the table here.

Additionally, when SB 639 is signed by the governor, staff will be bringing forward adequate progress reports for the Beach Lake and the North Natomas basin sub areas before the end of the year as well.

I'd like to take a minute to also talk about the new urban levy design criteria.

SafeGas Engineers Reports provide substantial evidence documenting compliance with the state's urban levy design criteria, ULDC.

A summary table is shown here on the screen.

The ULDC provide engineering criteria and guidance for the design, evaluation, operation, and maintenance of levees and flood walls that provide an urban level of flood protection.

Per the ULDC requirements, the city plans to prepare an implementation plan one year from adoption of these engineers reports that are coming forward this year.

The purpose of the implementation plans will be to show that progress is being made at each incremental five-year review for a duration of 20 years.

Looking ahead, these implementation plans will require significant and ongoing investments of staff time and financial resources.

The ultimate approach to funding and staffing responsibilities has not yet been determined and will depend on continued coordination among the city, SAFCA, and other partners.

Key exceptions to be addressed in these implementation plans include right-of-way encroachments and penetrations.

Per the new ULDC requirements, there needs to be sufficient room for levy inspections, patrolling, and flood fighting.

Per the ULDC criteria from the toe of the levee landward, there is a requirement for a minimum of 20 feet in fee title or easement, or for the rights for a 10-foot clear zone or a 20-foot visibility zone, as shown on this graphic here.

We anticipate that this will impact many properties, and particularly those with backyards, abutting against our levy systems.

There are also encroachments that must be addressed, such as the stairways shown in this picture here, in order to ensure proper operation and maintenance, flood fighting inspection, and we'll have to ensure that the appropriate Central Valley Flood Protection Board permits are acquired.

In addition, there's also penetrations for various pipes that may be from utility companies, for example, that go through the levees, which will need to be inspected and permitted.

And this will also be addressed as part of the implementation plan.

In summary, this flow chart shows the overall process to support the urban level flood protection finding.

Once the levy construction improvement projects are complete, an engineers evaluation report is prepared, which is reviewed by independent panel of experts.

SAFCA issues an ULAP engineers report, which is provided to the city or county for us to make a finding that is good for 20 years, and that finding is reviewed periodically every five years, and then the process is repeated for another 10 years.

ULDC implementation plans for right-of-way encroachment and penetrations require a 20-year unfunded commitment.

But we will continue to partner with local maintaining agencies to ensure that flood control systems remain properly operated and maintained.

And with respect to the implementation plans, we'll also continue to collaborate with the local agencies, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to make sure that we're addressing unpermitted and noncompliant encroachments, improvements to aging drainage infrastructure, enforcement of routine inspection of privately owned penetrations for utilities, right of way, and then five-year ULAP progress reporting as permitted.

In terms of the next steps, today staff is asking the council adopt a resolution accepting the ULAP Engineers Report for the Dry Creek North Levy System on October 21st.

We'll return with three additional reports for the American River North, American River South, and Rollboard Create Cape Creek Levy Systems in order to make the appropriate findings for those areas.

And then before the end of the year, we'll also plan to return with adequate progress reports for the Beach Lake North Levy and the Thomas Basins, pending the passage of SB 639.

And then within a year after that, staff plans to return to City Council with the development of implementation plans in order to address exceptions with respect to right-of-way encroachments and penetrations.

This concludes my presentation.

We have additional staff, floodplain management staff available here as well, SAFE and our consulted team.

If you have any questions, thank you.

And Mayor, I have no public comment on this agenda item.

Okay, Councilmember Kaplan.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Remy.

Um, water is the end all uh and being of Sacramento.

We are a floodplain.

Um, good news.

Uh SB 639 was signed uh by the governor, so uh that is a positive thing that we can be moving forward with, and uh thank you for all your work because I know today just in front of us is the acceptance of Dry Creek, but I do want to call out and pause as I had talked to you before the unfunded mandate that SAFCA is requesting comes on to the city is unacceptable.

Uh Safca's, you know, job uh is to work with the Army Corps of Engineers and make sure that all the toes of the levy have appropriate clearance.

And I sit on the SAFCA board and we give out settlements uh for encroachments or buying land uh from people all the time.

So for me, it is a it's confusing and a little disturbing that now SafeGo wants to transfer that responsibility to the city, where this is truly hundreds of millions of dollars to put on the city, which I think is wholly inappropriate and not what SAFGA and the Army Corps of Engineers uh, you know, it makes us do their work where they were created for flood protection.

So I'd like to, however, we figure out an agreement with them, but uh I am not in favor nor will I say that we as a city should accept the unfunded mandate and liability that SAFGA is trying to put uh on us as a city when it is truly uh their responsibility to do this.

So I'm happy to move the 200-year certification for for Dry Creek.

Okay.

Motion is second.

Uh no further comments it appears.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

No zero abstentions.

Hearing none.

Measure passes eight zero with councilmember absent.

Next item.

We now move to item 16, which is review and ordinance amending various provisions of Title 17, which is planning and development code relating to cannabis land uses.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Kevin Collin.

I'm the zoning administrator for the city of Sacramento.

I'm joined today with Kurt Skears, he's senior planner and supported by Greg Salon.

Our planning director and our department director, Tom Pace.

I'm pleased to present this request for review, comment, and direction concerning Title 17 planning and development code amendments for all cannabis businesses.

I'm gonna get straight into this because we're running a little bit over.

And first, why are we here today?

We are here because this city commissioned the study to comprehensively address not only the business aspects but the land use aspects of cannabis industry in this town after five years, five years of operating businesses.

What we found uh through that study was that cannabis businesses have not increased crime.

They have not negatively impacted businesses.

They have not negatively impacted home values.

Additionally, that study documents that cannabis businesses are a significant economic driver of our city, tens of thousands of jobs.

They also are a significant contributor to our city's general fund and fund important measures such as measure U.

We are here after an extensive community engagement process, starting with that study and concluding all the way through the law and legislation committee, council, and various engagement opportunities for this project and public hearing items on the ordinance in particular.

We have completed research and analysis, prepared recommendations.

We have vetted those publicly.

We have tweaked them, and we are here in the public hearing process after presenting our recommendation to the Planning and Design Commission, receiving theirs, and additionally stopping at the Law and Legislation Committee to get their direction to come here for yours today.

Now I'd like to help frame for our audience what is zoning when it comes to cannabis.

It's where.

However, our current ordinance imposes sensitive use buffers on 92% of property zone for cannabis.

Except for K-12 schools, those buffers are entirely conditional under our regulations today.

That means that we can and have authorized cannabis dispensaries next to residential zones, next to parks, next to daycares.

And that number looking at of our 38 operating dispensaries today, 82% of those businesses operate within a buffer.

The staff conducted a rigorous analysis and came up with a list that's on the slide before you in list and in words, the map on the right shows the location of those sensitive uses to understand where they are.

Our list is placing an emphasis on areas of public investment, areas where the youth congregate as well as other community members, as well as sensitive use populations, rehabilitation centers being the example.

Firm buffers, that there is a 600-foot distance that you are, if you are located outside of, you may locate a cannabis business, and that is what the map on the right shows.

These are properties that are located outside of the sensitive use buffers.

In contrast, after the commission conducted a public hearing with some very vigorous input from community members, they concurred with our list, however, added three additional uses consisting of faith-based institutions, child care centers, and other dispensaries.

As you can tell on the map on the right, there's more color, there are more buffers, there is more land area encumbered with a sensitive use buffer.

It's just over three and a half thousand additional acres that are encumbered.

To give you a sense about what this would mean under the commission's recommendation, this map shows purple properties that are within a buffer that would require a commission level conditional use permit, which I'll speak to in a moment, versus salmon which are located outside of a buffer.

In case it's helpful, here's a side-by-side comparison.

Essentially more land area encumbered with sensitive use buffers under the commission versus staff less.

And again, those side by side comparison.

Our second request point of direction we're requesting is with regard to the permit type.

As I mentioned at the onset, the cannabis study documents that cannabis businesses have not resulted in increases in crime, that they have been good neighbors, and that our permit conditions that we have applied on conditional use permit applications are not yielding special or unique requirements that pertain to business practices.

In our observation, the central question is where should these businesses locate?

And if we agree on a common standard and make that standard firm, an administrative permit is the appropriate vehicle compared to a conditional use permit, which is our request, which is the right permit or a combination thereof.

The conditional use permit is by declared legislative purpose for properties or businesses that have unique or special problems that they're causing, and that is the purpose of applying discretion through a conditional use permit versus an administrative permit, which is the right location, verified, approve, or deny.

What does this look like for business types?

We are under staff's recommendation recommending an administrative permit, a ministerial review for all cannabis businesses with the exception of consumption lounges.

This council has passed Title V business regulations for lounges.

The remaining piece for that is where through zoning should they be located.

Our cannabis study did not analyze lounges, and therefore we feel because of its novel, unique nature, it's new, it's few across the state and not in the city.

We think a conditional use permit is the appropriate vehicle to regulate that business activity until we have some on the ground info about how it's going.

In contrast, the commission recommends that a conditional use permit be required for additionally lounges, dispensaries, and cultivation businesses.

What are some comparative comparative aspects of these two permit types?

In staff's view, the administrative permit provides a consistent predictable standard versus our current conditional use permit process, which results in a very inconsistent, unpredictable standard.

In my observation of the community discourse on this project, there are many, many comments that assume that our sensitive use buffers are firm and real today.

That is not the case in reality.

When we look at what is the purpose of a permit, the administrative permit aligns with the cannabis study findings versus the conditional use permit today maintained status quo.

There are real cost implications and risk implications for applicants in these two processes.

Administrative permits are essentially no risk.

If you do due diligence, which we have defined sensitive uses that can be verified, you may with assurance acquire or put an option on a property for a business and know you can get a permit versus a conditional use permit, there is increased risk and a higher cost.

There are additional processes for the outcome, should the decision on that permit not be satisfactory to any party, we have reconsideration or appeal for each of those.

Finally, a third point of direction we're looking for, Council is we have some existing dispensaries in the city that are located within sensitive use buffers.

Some of those include school buffers.

They would like to open consumption lounges, some of them.

Should they be allowed to locate within a sensitive use buffer?

Is the first question, and a conditional use permit would be the vehicle for a legal nonconforming status to consider that is the proposal that came for consideration through the law and legislation committee that you give direction on.

With that, I'll thank you for your attention.

Staff's here for questions.

I'm sure we have some comments too.

Okay, public comment.

Thank you, Mayor.

I have 16 speakers.

I'm gonna call off quite a few names so you can line up in the aisle.

Deanna Garcia, Kimberly Cargyle, Mayisha Bahati, Jen Pratt.

How are we doing?

Thank you for your time today.

Mayor, city council, city staff, appreciate being up here and um talking about this today.

So I'm requesting and asking that the city please follow the state sensitive uses.

It does not include libraries, museums, um, museums.

It's just they're just throwing throwing things in there now.

I think that uh we need to realize that this is this is an overbearing um ask.

And then um would the new with the new map, as you can see, our areas of being able to do business get smaller and smaller, and then uh last but not least, the CUP is a right not only of the business owner but of the community, and I feel it's very important to keep it in place.

Have a great day.

Thank you.

And Mayor, before we go to the next speaker, if I may, on item 15, Councilmember Vang was in the back room listening to the staff report and would like to be reflected as an I vote on that item.

Any concerns?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, you can hear in the back room.

So Kimberly Cargill is our next speaker.

Back room, yes, Councilmember Vang within the back room, not the restroom.

So, Miss Cargow.

You can hear there too.

Please proceed.

Good afternoon.

My name is Kimberly Cargyle.

I'm the owner of a therapeutic alternative, a medically focused dispensary in East Sacramento founded in 2009.

For over 15 years now, we have operated without complaint near a long list of sensitive uses.

For many years now, I have planned a beautiful healing garden hidden away from those passing by, totally private, a place full of flowers and water features, a place where seniors can come and have tea, a place where we can provide education on cannabis, the endocannabinoid system, terpenes, administrative techniques, dosage, and contraindications.

It will be a place where service providers can provide yoga, reiki, massage therapy, sound therapy, support groups, etc.

This will be a type one on-site use, meaning that there will be no smoking.

For over 15 years, a therapeutic alternative has been a pillar of our community, fostering safety, support, and engagement.

We have helped maintain security in our neighborhood, particularly during challenged challenging times such as the pandemic, civil unrest, and the rise in homelessness.

As active members of McKinley East Neighborhood Association's Yellow Brick Road Project, our security team ensures the safety of children walking to and from Miwok Middle School every morning and afternoon.

The children are safer because we are there.

We have also established a direct line of communication with McKinley Montessori School, providing our security teams' contact information, an invaluable research uh resource that has been used numerous times over the years.

The city recently commissioned a study that shows that cannabis businesses have not resulted in unique impacts or problems, increased crime, or negatively affected property values.

So why are we reducing the area in which cannabis businesses cannot locate?

Why are we over concentrating them in certain areas in certain districts?

I ask you for a compromise.

Allow the staff's recommendation to change the requirement to administrative permission.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is Maisha Bahati.

Your time is complete.

Then Jen Pratt, then Jen Copenhagen.

Good afternoon, Council.

Good afternoon, Mayor.

My name is Maesha Bahati.

I am the CEO of Crystal Nuggs, first black women owned dispensary here in Sacramento.

I am one of two equity owned dispensaries interested in this pilot program.

I'm also one of two dispensaries located here in District 4 that resides within a sensitive use.

In my case, it is a faith-based institution.

I support staff's recommendation because you do not include churches.

I also ask that you create a pathway for dispensaries within a sensitive uses for CUP, so they have a chance.

I went through the entire process, including a planning and commission hearing in 2022.

Because when we got our building, there was a small congregation that was within 600 feet.

We were approved.

Within a year later, that congregation moved out.

So technically, we didn't have a sensitive use.

Last year, another small congregation moved in.

Now this congregation is only open Sunday mornings and they're closed for the rest of the week.

So they're closed 97% of the week.

However, their presence alone is now putting us back on the sensitive use list.

And I feel like that poses a problem because the question becomes if we got our CUP first and a sensitive use moves in after us.

Why are we then penalized for being potentially ineligible to participate?

Andor having to go a harder route, just because the sensitive use moved in beyond our control.

And we've seen that happen before in the South of Sacramento with a drug rehabilitation center.

So this is something that has happened before and it's going to happen again.

So I think that there needs to be a clear policy that protects dispensaries from that.

This is bigger than me.

This is about equity.

This is about giving people a fair chance.

So again, I support staff recommendation, and I also ask that you create a pathway for those of us who are within a sensitive use.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments.

Jen Pratt, Jen Copenhagen, Aaron Cardoza, and feel free to line up in the middle aisle.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Jennifer Pratt, and I'm in the management team at a therapeutic alternative here in Sacramento.

I've worked there for over 10 years now before entering the cannabis space.

I was a licensed life enrichment director for assisted living and memory care communities, specializing in seniors with dementia with dementia.

What I've learned in both fields is that people heal and thrive in safe, supportive environments where they can learn, ask questions, and build meaningful connections.

That's exactly what our healing tea garden aims to offer.

A welcoming space that reduces isolation and fosters community, especially for vulnerable populations.

A therapeutic alternative has operated as a legal, non-conforming dispensary for many years now, located near multiple sensitive uses.

And in that time, we've only helped improve the safety and vitality of our neighborhood.

That's why I'm asking you to reconsider the proposed zoning changes.

These changes risk uh punishing responsible operators who've been part of the community long before these new rules were proposed.

If a sensitive use moves in today near our location, we'd lose the opportunity to apply for additional permits, like this on-site consumption, and our community is asking for that from us.

Instead of encouraging growth and innovation, this policy would box cannabis businesses into small, over concentrated areas, disappro um disproportionately affecting certain council districts.

I support a compromise.

Adopt the staff recommendation to change the required permit from a conditional use permit to an administrative permit for all cannabis uses except consumption lounges for those located within a buffer of a sensitive use, require a planning commission CUP with public input and tailored conditions.

Let's move forward, not backwards, with policies that reflect the real positive impact that we've had on the potential we still have to serve our city.

Thank you.

Give your comments.

Jen Copenhagen, then Aaron Cardozo.

Good afternoon.

My name is Jennifer Copenhaver, and I'm a manager at a therapeutic alternative.

We serve our aging and elderly community, many of whom have a very limited social circle, and we are a part of that circle.

Our members and patients want a safe space where they may socialize and participate in activities that incorporate cannabis.

We are in a sensitive use area and are at risk of losing the opportunity to provide this for our members and patients since K-212 schools would be excluded from the CUP process.

We would like to offer a healing tea garden that would not include smoking or vaping.

It would be in a private outdoor space, not visible from the street, and would not pose exposure to students.

Imagine a setting with beautiful plants, water features, and small garden tables, picture mom and grandma sipping cannabis tea, engaged in conversation with friends.

Picture CBD reflexology services and guest speakers providing information about holistic uses of cannabis.

This is far from what the picture of corrupting children looks like.

We have been a model dispensary and partner with the Midtown ESAC advocates by providing a security presence before and after school through their yellow brick road project.

We have never been approached by students inquiring about cannabis in the years we've been doing this.

Instead, when they see our guard on the corner, they know their path home has been made safe.

Our dispensary would be excluded from the consumption pilot program simply because of our location.

Instead, there should be consideration for our neighborhood's wants and needs, our long-standing positive track record, and what we intend to offer to our patients.

This should not be a one-size-fits-all determination.

Without consideration for neighborhood specific variables, we are holding on to a fear that simply our very presence corrupts children.

Time has proven this way of thinking to be flawed.

We take very seriously our place in our neighborhood and the safety of the children within it.

Please remove language that would shut us out of the CUP process.

Proximity is not the whole story.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Aaron Cardoza, then Angelica Sanchez.

Hello, guys.

Mayor, City Councilman, Sacramento, City of Sacramento.

My name's Aaron Cardoza.

I have a youth program.

Some of the some of our youth is here today in the Del Paso Heights area district two.

Thank you to Roger Dickerson for coming through and seeing some of the programs that we do have in our neighborhood.

And we're trying to get more programs in the neighborhood, not cannabis clubs.

I'm sorry to say this, but it is a it will be affecting our youth, especially if you put in a residential area by a park or school.

Even nowadays, medical, I mean, excuse me, marijuana is not just medical anymore.

You don't all you need is an ID to go into a cannabis club and get some weed and then come out and you can smoke it.

So it doesn't matter about the zones of where you can smoke it.

Anybody can come and smoke right in front of their kids, especially if it's in front of a park or in front of a school, which we really don't need that, especially in uh district two neighborhood.

We're trying to keep these kids safe and keep our kids from doing drugs, because what that leads to from marijuana could fit in all, could be another drug.

So I'm just here on the safeness of my youth of trying not to put it, especially around schools or parks or anything like that because it's not safe for our community, and that's why I'm here today.

So if you follow the CUP rules and regulations and stick to that, then we'll make sure that you know our kids are safe and they just don't have cannabis because what's the difference between a um cannabis club going next to a school?

There's no difference from a strip club next to a school.

Think about it like that.

So thank you.

Then James Allison.

Yes.

Massive confusion.

Good afternoon, uh, Mayor and members of the city council.

My name is Anhelica Sanchez, and I'm here on the behalf of Perfect Union, a cannabis retailer that has operated in the city for the last 15 years.

Uh, first, I'd like to thank you and the city staff for all the work that they put into these changes.

Um, Kevin and Kirk, special thank you, as they're confusing even for us on this side on the cannabis end.

Uh, we uh that said, um, we strongly support the addition of new zones for retail.

Finding compliant locations was one of the hardest things to do when you're a cannabis retailer.

So adding in the new zones, RMX, C1 and C3 will give us more options and help protect our businesses from predatory landlords.

Then no, we don't have any other alternatives.

We also agree with Planning and Designs Commission's recommendation to keep the conditional use permit process for retailers and cultivation.

If there's a sensitive use nearby, operators should still have the chance to make their case while still giving the city the full authority to review that permit.

Lastly, we asked you that you create a carve out for legacy operators like a therapeutic alternative, so they can open on-site consumption lounges under the pilot program.

These businesses have operated in the city for years with no issues, and they shouldn't uh this opportunity shouldn't be taken away from them just because the site that they originally opened in is near a sensitive use.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

The next speaker, I will uh read the name.

Don't be confused.

It's Kevin McCarty.

Yes, so two things are not the same, it appears.

Yes.

This has created great confusion over the years.

Uh lots of what are you doing, Mr.

McCarty?

Mayor and operating a cannabis industry uh business, and so this helps clarify the situation.

Mr.

McCarty, please proceed.

Uh thank you, Mayor McCarty.

I'm sure we share many things in common, but we are different people.

But yeah, uh Mayor and Council members, my name is Kevin McCarty, as noted here on behalf of Capital Compliance Management.

Uh on sensitive uses, so staff recommends expanding the list of sensitive uses and prohibiting any cannabis business from locating within those buffers.

But let's remember that 92% of the land is within a sensitive use buffer, as noted by staff, and 82% of existing dispensaries are already located within one.

If you prohibit outright, you're essentially shutting the door to future business opportunities across most of the city.

By contrast, the planning and design commission's uh recommendation adds uh additional sensitive uses but preserves a CUP pathway for projects in those areas.

We believe this strikes the right balance.

The community still gets a chance to weigh in, but viable projects are not blocked by a blanket prohibition.

Uh on permit type, here we urge you to side with staff.

The EPS study made it clear cannabis businesses have not increased crime, reduced property values, or caused unique land use impacts.

CUPs are supposed to address uses with distinct impacts, but nearly every CUP for cannabis is approved, rarely with any condition specific to location or operation.

The result, unnecessary and often prohibitive CUP costs and delays.

By contrast, an administrative permit is far more accessible, especially for newer operators who are looking to get opportunity in this business.

Public notice remains.

Conditions can still be imposed for unique sites, and enforcement is clearer and more consistent.

The balance path forward is this on sensitive uses, adopt the planning and design commission's recommendation.

Allow a discretionary path forward rather than an outright ban.

On permit types, adopt staff's recommendation, make all cannabis uses except for consumption lounges ministerial where they are outside sensitive buffers.

That hybrid approach ensures Sacramento maintains fairness and flexibility while reducing unnecessary regulatory burden.

It prevents the overconcentration of businesses in just two districts, preserves equity for core participants, and acknowledges that cannabis businesses are now one of the city's top 10 employers and revenue contributors.

Mayor and council, today you have a chance to make Sacramento's land.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is James Allison.

Then Jeremy Stiggy, then Carla Black.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Council members and staff.

My name is James Allison, executive director of the Power and Alliance.

We're a property business improvement district in District 6, representing over 6.2 square miles of our city's manufacturing and industrial core, as well as the 30,000 jobs within it.

Ultimately, putting this into a sort of two-issue sort of area.

The first is that as you could see uh within the uh documents for the staff report, uh, when you look at the map and you see the highest propensity of uh cannabis businesses, uh, you will definitely notice Councilmember Gera's uh district as being a uh uh a nice open spot where cannabis businesses can come in without worry of sensitive use.

Uh what that has created is a high density of cannabis businesses within our area.

Uh we're not opposed to them by any means.

Uh we openly welcome new businesses to come into the Power and Alliance district.

Uh, but ultimately what we do seek is a continuation of the CUP process.

Uh, number one, we do think that the city should look for new opportunities to be able to expand the zones in which cannabis businesses uh can exist here in the city, but ultimately the challenge that we face right now is that it is a different sort of business.

It has its own unique challenges that come along with it.

And the industry itself is fledgling and new uh by comparison to a lot of our legacy businesses that we have in the city.

There's an irony that comes from being a pro-business organization saying let's keep a requirement that that uh provides a greater level of scrutiny on businesses.

Uh, but ultimately the CUP process provides a very valuable tool for the surrounding community and the surrounding businesses to place in some common sense uh and in case some cases, uh very tailor-made conditions uh upon those businesses.

Uh, if anything, this conversation today really highlights and opens up a great opportunity to start looking at our CUP process as a whole.

Uh, if CUPs are entirely too difficult for cannabis businesses to obtain, uh, why don't we take a look at where we can improve the CUP processes uh for all businesses of any type?

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Stiggy, then Carla Black, then Mindy Calloway.

How are you all doing today?

My name is Jeremy Stiggy.

Uh, unfortunately, I'm part of the Hamas community, and it is what that is.

All I'm here to say is we have enough problems in our community where like we don't have access to the right things.

And with the the marijuana thing, we could really use that access for the mental health of our people.

Um much beyond that.

I mean, we we're just we're just trying to survive out here, you know, and we don't got the access, and like everybody's got this fentanyl addiction problems and everything.

So I think it'd be an awesome thing if we were to able to have more recreational around our parks.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Carla Black and Mindy Galloway.

I'm gonna talk really fast.

The comprehensive study that staff keeps referring to has 2019 and 2020 data 2020 data, which at this point is outdated and obsolete because we're heading into 2026.

Also, the authors of the study are cannabis industry advocates.

That's like having a tobacco company creating its own study to promote its safe use.

This is not a grassroots community quest.

It feels like a top-down effort that promotes drugs rather than protecting the public.

Staff has also failed, has also failed to not notify the public properly while ensuring industry was informed for today's hearing.

Mayor McCarty, Katie Maples, Lisa Kaplan, and Roger Dickinson of district two have all received cannabis industry contributions that can be verified on their donor contribution page, Schedule A Form 406 available on the website.

This raises serious concerns about industry influence on these votes.

Eliminating the public for administerial, which staff is recommending, eliminating the public is undemocratic.

It eliminates our vote or voice and doesn't allow for participation in our own democracy.

Staff is recommending this by recommending the cannabis permitting process from conditional to administrative.

Why does this industry get an exception and others don't?

Staff has redefined sensitive uses in a way that benefits the industry's agenda, expanding dispensary locations and square footage while weakening protections for children.

Why is staff narrowing the definition to exclude private youth facilities, putting children at risk simply for wanting to go skating or attend youth groups?

This change exposes the kids to unnecessary danger and falls under the health and safety code 113531.

This whole conversation revolves putting drugs around youth.

I'm completely flabbergasted as to how this discussion has even gotten this far in the count for a council vote.

We must protect our future, which is our youth.

Thank you.

Your comments, I have five more speakers.

Mindy Galloway, then Zion Taddis.

Hi, good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

My name is Mindy Galloway.

I'm the owner of the pocket dispensary.

And the um finding a building and going through the CAP process was the most expensive and time consuming part of getting a dispensary.

And so uh I appreciate the effort and the work that it's taken to streamline the process and move to administrative.

Um I do urge you to consider being able to go through the CUP process when it comes to anything within a sensitive use.

A map you see it's very limited, it's very difficult to be able to find a building.

And when there is a building within a sensitive use, it is great to be able to have that input from the community to be able to voice their concerns and be able to work with community members in order to find a um pathway forward for cannabis businesses and to work within the community, which is what we really really like to do.

And in this process, I would also urge you to include the consumption lounges in the CUP process so that the neighborhood can have input on that and let dispensaries like a therapeutic alternative and crystal nugs be able to open their lounges with their community's input.

I used to work at a therapeutic alternative for many years.

Kimberly Cargyle is a model dispensary owner, and I have learned so much from her, and I know that she would have a great type one tea garden in her space.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your comments.

Zion and then Jacob Schmidt.

Following Jason, Jacob is Ariola.

All right, hi everyone.

Thank you for having me.

I'm uh the founder and the owner of Shashemane Institute.

And the space on Flooring Road, I have three acres of land to be able to uh build my Shashamani institute.

But um, I have CUP, which took uh nearly over two years, three years just to get my CUP for cultivation manufacturing distribution, uh, school and um uh wellness center as well.

So it's just an amazing uh project uh to get that done, but there is a lot of hard to there is a lot of uh um, you know, for us just to even get the smud, it is taking me a year and a half.

So altogether, just my land is just sitting there to be used because of a lot of uh bureaucracy and hard uh going on when it comes to carnival.

So all I wanted to do is uh build my Shasha Money Institute, and I don't believe carnivus is a drug, it's a healing plant.

Everybody sees this different way.

Uh, but what I'm at is I'm actually in the zone, but I'm not able to build what I need to do because of the heart, is uh not just the CUP, the fund, the resources and everything.

We and instead of focusing on that, we're still trying to add more, but we still five, six years later, all of us are uh having a hard time being successful.

So I'd rather you guys uh focus on your policy also that helps us build our our uh uh businesses because the whole point was for underserved, underrepresented community.

We fought for cannabis equity.

You promised us to get us fund, uh, resources, spaces.

I have space, I have resource.

I just need the fund, but you guys are just wasting the money into resources, and just 80% of it is going to just paying stuff, which is like needs to be changed instead of investing in us.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Jacob, then Ariola, then Charles Ramirez will be our final speaker.

Good afternoon, mayor and council.

My name is Jacob.

I'm the owner of a dispensary in the city of Sacramento.

I wanted to address the issue of buffer between dispensaries.

I strongly urge the council to consider increasing that buffer to 2,000 feet, allowing dispensaries to cluster together creates oversaturation and would harm existing cannabis businesses, including original license holders and core equity license, creating unhealthy competition in an already struggling market.

This would take jobs from existing businesses and give them to businesses directly next door, not creating extra revenue or creating jobs.

We've invested millions in our operation.

The new rigid buffer zones are implemented.

The new rigid buffer zones are implemented, especially around sensitive uses.

If the new industry the new um rigid buffer zones are implemented, our industry will become far more limited.

I've been through two conditional use permits.

If I want to move my store again, um what if I want to move my store again?

Dispensaries can operate near various sensitive uses and locations with planning commission approval, which allows for community input through public hearings.

If we have hard set sensitive uses buffers with administrative process, we risk severely restricting these dispensaries, despite having a system that already works.

I appreciate everyone's time here.

Um just one more thing.

If the city's intent is to create more tax revenue, possibly increase the 4% to 6%, we can absorb that.

I know no one wants to hear this.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our next speaker is Adiola and Charles.

Good afternoon, um, council member, and thank you for the opportunity to share my story once again.

My name is Adiola Adiepe.

I'm a mother, I'm a cannabis counselor, and I'm also a business owner in the cannabis industry.

I'm in support of um reconsidering the um proposal.

Um these type of things are dramatically hurting the industry.

Um it's providing less space for patients.

I always advocate for the patients.

For you guys who don't know my story, my son Aidan, when he was two years old, he was diagnosed with two T cell leukemia and given three days to live.

And I did come from a very conservative background, and cannabis literally saved his life.

Um, I end up going to a therapeutic alternative, which I do work there now because I love being patient for and driven.

This is also becoming a public safety issue.

We have so many stories of patients coming in talking about buying cannabis on the street that's unregulated, that is laced with fentanyl and other things.

And so when you continue to make these type of restrictions against these type of businesses, it makes it hard for us to serve our community.

I'm also here because I keep hearing this thing about a drug.

I wish I bought my son Aiden, he's now 11.

He is a cancer survivor.

I still give him cannabis on a medical level.

I keep hearing this thing about drugs.

Caffeine is a drug, food can be a drug, working out can be a drug.

But we have to change our perspective on this plant.

We've been fighting for it, still fighting for it.

I just hope that none of you guys have to have the op be faced with the opportunity of somebody in your family who is um diagnosed with cancer who is trying to find safe access, or I own four different businesses.

This is the only business that I'm failing, and that says a lot for somebody like me.

So I always say this we are the cockroaches of the industry, and I say that because the the restraints and everything that we have to go through is this unethical.

I would like to see equality in our industry.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Charles Ramirez will be our final speaker.

Is Charles here?

I don't see any movement.

Mayor, I have no more speakers on this agenda item.

Okay, thank you.

City manager.

Um, what I'd like to do, Kevin, if you could come up.

Um, I I think it, you know, we we started with a great PowerPoint.

Um, Kevin outline the questions.

I want to circle back to the questions and kind of see if I can say them in English.

And Kevin, you tell me if I'm translating correctly.

Our first question is around sensitive uses.

Uh, can we get the PowerPoint back up if that's possible?

And um the difference is that staff has a list of sensitive use buffers, and the Planning and design commission has three additional uh uh types of buffers.

Staff is recommending um not to include those three because we feel that the buffers themselves that are there will sufficiently capture um uh the concerns expressed by the Planning commission.

So the question is, which list, and um then within that notion, staff is recommending a hard buffer.

600 feet, and that is that.

I think you have heard from community, we'd like to maintain a conditional use uh opportunity in order to provide flexibility within the buffers.

So that is decision, that is like question number one.

Which list, and is the buffer hard, or is will we continue to have a conditional use process there?

So that's question number one.

Translated correctly.

Question number two is around permit review.

Once you get to permit review on certain types of uh permits, so dispensary consumption, cultivation, testing, staff is proposing, let's take away the conditional use process where we can to make it easier to eliminate barriers for participation in this industry.

Now, if council on question number one decides there should still be a conditional use process for those who want it who fail that administrative burden, that's an option.

But we would love to be able to take this to an administrative process with the exception of staff recommendation is that for a consumption lounge, we continue to always have a conditional use process because it is still so new.

That's that distinction from an established type of business to something that is still new and unique to this industry.

So, question number two.

Question number three is if you have an existing dispensary within a sensitive use buffer, and you would like to add a consumption lounge to it, can we allow a conditional use permit for that existing business?

And I would posit that we should, and I'm just gonna say that.

Um, these businesses have invested a lot, they have endured a lot, and um as as um Kevin has repeatedly told us, we studied this in order to understand what are the effects of these types of businesses in our communities, and they have by and large 99% been very positive in our communities.

So, what I'd like to do, Kevin, if we could, is address question by question so that we don't get lost in the comments and we can have feedback.

So if you can go back to question number one so that it's on the screen, and if you have questions about exactly what we're asking, please let us know so we we know that you know you're giving the feedback um appropriately.

So this question is, which list can you show us our two lists, Kevin?

Absolutely.

Thank you.

So this is the go back one.

All right, this is the staff list, and you can see that when we add on the other three, so skip two.

There are a whole lot more places where things can't go.

So the question is feedback on staff list or planning and design commission list.

That's question number one.

Okay, do we have the assignment council?

Yes, Maple, please begin.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, so do you I know you want me to go one by one, but I I have you have them all, go for it because yes.

Okay, um, so I will I think I have them all, um, but you can tell me if I don't.

Um, okay.

So I want to start by recognizing uh first the important role that Sacramento's legal cannabis industry plays in our economy and in our community.

These are businesses that choose to operate above board within the law and with strong regulatory oversight, both locally and at the state level.

They provide thousands of jobs, contribute more than two billion dollars with a B in economic output annually, and generate tens of millions of dollars in local tax revenue.

Critically, 40% of that tax revenue goes directly into the Sacramento Children's Fund, which supports youth programs, violence prevention, and services that we all agree are essential.

If we want to expand those opportunities for our young people, it requires a thriving legal cannabis industry.

That is for me the foundation of where I start.

That's why I believe our policy direction today should focus on reducing barriers and aligning with state law as much as possible in order for these businesses to be successful.

First, I don't support adding any additional sensitive uses to the buffer zones.

We already have extensive protections in place, and when you layer those on, in addition, it makes it even more difficult for these businesses to open up to find places to go.

And as you've seen today, it makes it very confusing for those who are already existing.

And you saw the map.

The map is colored up.

When you add more things on there, it's really hard to imagine where you can even go.

And so to me, that's not supporting an industry that's already contributed so much to our city.

And as you've heard, it's not just money.

You have businesses that are contributing to their communities, they're helping walk kids to school, they're providing security, all kinds of things.

And so for me, that's I actually think that we should go further, and we should align with state law.

State law says schools and uh youth centers, and but we go above and beyond in the city of Sacramento.

I don't know if my colleagues would agree with me on that, but I that's my personal belief.

Second, I believe that we should streamline our permitting process.

We know that conditional use permits have created a lot of bureaucracy, high cost, and long delays.

Um you've heard stories of that today.

I saw it firsthand when I worked in the industry.

Uh, it can take sometimes months, if not years, for to actually get a conditional use permit.

Um, and it's really unclear always what you're getting out of it, right?

Especially as we've seen, um, we've done our own nexus studies and seen that that we're not seeing a negative impact as it relates to these businesses.

We're not seeing increased crime, not seeing lower property values.

And so I support an administrative permit system with clear standards and strong public notice that will give us predictability and fairness and efficiency, while also ensuring accountability, because we know that's important to the public.

Um, but also, you know, we I I heard this from some of the businesses today.

We know that we have some legacy or existing operators that are already within some of these zones.

And when I think about the cons I know this is the next item, but when I think about the the cannabis consumption lounge pilot, um I think we have to be intentional about that.

And so I do support the conditional use permit process for that specifically, because as you've heard, that there are um businesses that might already be within a buffer zone, but they still want the opportunity to make their case to say, hey, we think we should be here.

So I think we should allow long-standing trusted businesses like a therapeutic alternative and others that have been here today to participate in that pilot program.

And just one step further, I know that she's passed out some information on this about allowing um uh like a tea garden uh in the back area that's only for um the consumption of edibles, so you wouldn't be smelling smoke or anything like that.

I am actually very interested in in exploring what that could look like at the city level, what rules we would need to change in order to make that happen, or if we can do that through a conditional use permit process.

Um I think that that's consistent with our goals and as shown, you know, these businesses have been here for many, many, many years.

Uh, I think they've already shown what they can do.

Um, and so I think we have an opportunity to show that we not only welcome but value the cannabis industry, uh, there are partner in economic development and community investment, and so I want to give them the tools to succeed in turn, hopefully strengthen the programs and services that we're providing here at the city.

So thank you and any questions that I missed.

I have a no, I have a question.

Did we cover the hard on the did I miss that?

No.

Okay, so the question is um your staff recommendation on the um uh the list, although you'd go farther and diminish the list of schools and youth.

And is it a hard buffer, or would you like to continue to allow a CUP for those where the admin permit is a no?

I would like to continue a C UP, okay.

Yes, so allowing flexibility wherever possible, that is my stance.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Councilman.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, this probably just pleases the interim city manager and the staff, but but let me just first start off by saying that approaching this on like hey, do you like one, two, or three, one A, one B or one C, I think flies in the face of what this policy has and always has affected people.

I want you to go to this the uh the staff recommendation, Matt.

Okay, so the herein lies the constant problem that we've seen since the inception of this, that this, while it's a citywide policy, it really is a district two and a district six policy, because it has impacted those two primarily, okay.

Let me just point it that way.

And so I I actually take a little um a notion from um from uh members of the council that while you may have one or two uh opportunities in your district, in general, the impacts have been in those two areas, and uh so here's the dilemma, and I will lay out the dilemma, okay, here in this in this scenario, because I I want the council to make a decision or that, you know, I've been in the minority a lot many times on this, but I want the council to make a decision with respect to what you heard today from some of the youth folks over here by Miss Black who mentioned her concerns about this and what what the dilemma of the council is.

It would be easy to say, you know, okay, yes, let's uh let's put in what staff recommends the the the staff sensitive uses and uh and that's easy to say.

And in fact, a lot of my constituents would probably say, oh, yeah, of course we want to do that.

Well, in a myopic point of view, then what that does is it forces everything into district uh two and six, okay.

The other challenge is also that without uh without looking at flexibility, then we don't create other opportunities.

Okay, now you couple that with the uh the issue of going down, stepping down the process to an administrative level where the public doesn't have an opportunity to engage, then you put district two and district six at that disadvantage, okay.

So it's difficult for district two and district six, in my opinion.

I don't want to speak for uh council member uh Dickinson, but I would say it puts District 2 and District District 6 in an unfair situation where they have to decide do they want to have restrictions around youth or do they want a public process?

And so uh here is the dilemma.

So if you go back to the other one, so if you go back to the PDC recommendation, um, you know, the uh these are the sensitive uses that would otherwise uh be um eligible.

We could you could assume that those would be spots where you could have space um to allocate new locations.

So my um my concern here uh is is really about how we balance this because uh yes, we we would uh one I think lumping everything together, whether it's um consumption lounges that are uh type two or type one, and then also cultivation, manufacturing uh and dispensaries.

I think having this conversation so general is is a problem in itself.

And the fact that we're rushing in at this point is a problem in itself.

And I will start with on the cultivation side.

I think that uh if any, and because uh bit I think we have about 2.5 million square feet of cultivation that happens in district six.

Any one of us that have worked around this know that that even as you get close to the locations, there's still a notor impact.

There is, and so those uh those impacts would would affect the where and as and that's even with good technology, and I've seen some of the best technology, we still have those impacts.

Um by the way, I I would urge the city staff to uh to to think about how it describes the study that we did because it wasn't no impact, it wasn't that there were no impacts.

I think Ms.

Cargyle uh described it that there were no unique impacts.

Because I will say in district six, we've had unfortunately a facility where we've had armed people with the with with high intense rifles, hogtie folks, and uh rob the place.

We've had uh robbery on fruit ridge at another uh facility uh as well.

So I think it's uh disingenuous for staff to come here and say specifically those terms.

Now the study did say, did we see any impacts post-post uh changing the market?

The market issues were were the point.

When we created this inflated market, we saw that you had these fake fake property values.

So that start off the bet, I think that we should change.

I think staff needs to change its conversation.

Okay, so we're where are we now?

And what what do we think we need to go to?

Uh, number one on the zoning.

I do think, and this is where I've had to think through and reevaluate, you know, what's best for the city, what's based for our constituents.

Yes, we should expand the zoning to C1 and C3 so that you don't get over concentration on District 2 and District 6.

Uh, and two, um, should we consider, and I'm willing to consider, you know, looking at a reduction of sensitive uses, but it must be, it must be with the CUP process where the public has an opportunity.

I think Ms.

Cargyle and her uh, she's been involved with this for a long time, and if she's and an operator that has a lot of reputation, not only from this body, but community members and others, and I don't think, and in fact, I've seen letters from the local uh child care center that supports her facility, and so in that context, then yes, okay, that the CU process should allow for a facility to move forward in that.

And I think it's specific to that facility.

Uh, would I allow that for a cultivation facility?

I don't I don't think I would feel that comfortable because I've seen the uh the attempts at uh at the to steal the product itself.

So first of all, yeah, first of all, I guess I want to get to that point.

Uh so those second um the uh so there should be a pathway for adopting, I think for um for folks if they're in a non-conforming use, if we're going to try to expand so that you don't have two communities that are that are over concentrated there, then um, then let's make sure that we have uh a CUP process that allows it.

Can I ask for clarification?

So it sounds like as council member maple said, she's in supportive of reducing the list even further to the state requirements, which would be um schools, youth centers and daycare.

So you would be expanding the amount of places, and said, not a hard buffer, but allowing an administrative uh permit, and if that is denied, then there's a CUP process.

Uh within okay.

I think starting at the administrative process is is a non-starter.

I think.

Okay, so you have no administrative process at all.

Everything is a CUP.

It has to go through CUP.

And I I agree with Mr.

Allison.

If the C UP process is expensive for any business, whether you you're a cannabis, we need to be reevaluating much more how our CUP process works.

But this is so, you know, the the point comes down to is that we have to create a pathway for the, I do think we have to create a pathway for legacy operators.

I also want to put out another condition here.

You know, in some of the scenarios, and I had you know very long conversations with community members about dispensaries, and they said, you know, Eric, I'm not a big fan of it.

It's not my cup of tea, you know, per se, um, you know, no pun intended.

But um uh, but if someone wants to uh you know purchase something and take it with them, fine by me.

I could I could get to go to the liquor store and do that.

I think you know, uh, and I'm glad that there's a recognition that for consumption lounges that we would do a CUP process uh with that with that uh step forward, because that's not what they were sold when the dispensary was put in.

The issue that I think we take hold that's also wasn't discussed in here is a call-up provision.

So we cannot, I think, eliminate the call-up provision uh in any part of Title 17.

And uh of all the permits, I've never actually had to forcibly use that.

Okay, but it has been a very good tool to encourage applicants to be uh deliberatives, to be providers.

So I think a couple of the that's another piece that I think that uh if there's direction, not eliminating the CUP process.

And then the I think that's those are the three big points there.

I think so.

But so let me just let me just say to to my colleagues.

Okay, I've I've been very strict about and and specific about you know how we make these buffer zones.

But to make this work, uh I I think we have to be take into consideration what the impacts are for district two and district six.

So let me stop there.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Blucky Bob.

I'm gonna agree with everything Councilmember Maple and Gera just said, which maybe confuse you.

I'll uh summarize.

What I think I heard them say, and then I'm gonna go somewhere completely different just for fun.

Uh so what I heard was um let's uh let's this the list we're gonna use the state list, the the least restrictive list.

Um let's provide ultimate flexibility uh to the CUP process if at all possible um allowing staff approval uh for um folks that are compliant with uh land use and code if I heard that correctly.

I'm looking for a nod or something.

That's what you're talking about.

Yeah, exactly.

On the second question, uh staff staff approval to waive through the C UP C UP process.

It's admin unless it's a no and then there's a COP.

Right.

Okay, and lounges are C.

Yep, okay.

So we're uh I'm on the same page with all that.

Uh in my time on the cannabis commission, excuse me, the planning and design commission, uh we heard uh loud and clear about over concentration in uh the power in and uh district two.

Uh and in fact uh I tried to make up findings one day for over concentration in district two because we were getting so many applications on Pell and other other spots up there, and we still haven't um created uh a standardized way for us to say when when too much is uh when enough is too much.

Um so my recommendation my ask is that we uh treat cannabis the same as we do alcohol and tobacco that we start looking at this by um census tract and establish some sort of a criteria for uh you know what the um the allowable uh density of uses in each of those census tracts uh the same way that we do for alcohol and tobacco and normalize this as much as possible.

Uh all of this, the I mean, the this just looks like the city has the measles.

Um the rest of it is um I don't know if you know redlining is the right comparison, but it's definitely some kind of um you know dumping in certain districts.

And I think uh districts two and six have had you know plenty of impacts uh and and enough uh concentration and if and if it's the desire of those communities to see less impacts in in your neighborhoods, I think you should have that discretion.

The the rest of um you know the city if they want to have um you know uh cannabis consumption, cannabis dispensaries, cannabis production, and and it's and we're not uh over uh monopolizing available industrial area, and we're not creating any other uh you know incompatible um you know normal uh land use issues.

Um that that would be my preference.

I know I've gotten on the soapbox before and I'll get off it now.

Um just quick story because he's not here to tell it.

Uh Doug Cobel's a realtor, I served with on the planning commission, um, has an office there at uh Elhamber and H.

Uh when therapeutic alternatives first came into that location, and he's told the story lots of times.

I'm not talking out of turn here.

Um when they came in, he, like every business owner, was very concerned about the new neighbors moving in next door, and they uh won him over, and he will tell you how uh big uh an improvement for that community has been, so much so that every single sensitive use in that area will will write letters of support for that business and talk about how it is a great partner to have uh in that location.

Um so while I share the concerns that some folks have, uh a lot of that I think is uh old prejudice that we need to move past and uh and the rest of it.

Um and then Eric, I share your concerns about um smoking and and what what those kinds of uses can be, which is why I'm so glad to see uh therapeutic coming forward with the um the edible only consumption.

I think we're going to need to provide a place somewhere in the city for actual smoking lounges, but it doesn't have to be all of them.

Anyhow, uh those are my comments and I'll stop talking.

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um, so on the buffer, quick question because I had asked this, because there was confusion amongst my staff of a 600 foot buffer versus a thousand-foot buffer.

Can you explain?

Because it was our understanding, there was a thousand foot buffer.

That was um that was years ago.

The code changed.

Our current code has uh been for many years six hundred feet.

That is that is current law today.

Okay, but it but it was at some point a thousand feet.

Yeah, I think very early right regulation days.

Okay.

Um on uh the sensitive uses.

I am good with staff's uh recommendation, um, but I know my community and my community would ask this that um schools should retain a thousand foot buffer.

Truly honestly, not a six hundred foot buffer.

Notomas is full of parks and schools, and um that is something very much of there are not opposed to dispensaries, it is just the near the schools that is that is something that is is a little bit uh hard for them to to swallow.

So um, you know, because if you really understand what 600 feet is, that's not even two football fields, and that's really easy to uh to get across.

So I don't know if that's something anybody would consider of just for uh new for new moving forward.

So I am of mind grandfathering in everybody that has a COP, um, you know, they've gone through the hard work, and especially those that have got the support of schools and other areas, I don't believe it should be a um hard no, um, but it should always go through the CUP.

If you were anywhere near a school, especially, you know, a thousand feet within within a school, um, I am supportive of um existing dispensaries.

I I would almost like to see like a modified or streamline C UP uh that are looking for cannabis lounges, because they've existed and if they meet the building guidelines and the filtration guidelines for a lounge, why should they have to double and go through um a C UP again, um, which is where I'm at and whatever we need to do to change to allow the tea garden into a type one, whatever that language needs to be, um if you're drinking tea that meets type one in my mind as a as a consumption, it is very different than vaping and if uh people truly knew um why a therapeutic alternative is so successful, they would be replicating it all around um the city.

Um did I miss I wanna say it back?

We're good with the staff recommendation, except schools a thousand feet, not hard, so that there can be a C U P if there is an an admin, a C U P for dispensaries.

I mean consumption lounges, sorry.

I think we got it.

Did I miss anything?

Nope.

Okay, okay.

Then Talamantes, then Garrett Kaplan again, apparently.

Oh no, I don't know what I'm doing.

I see what I'm doing.

Okay, you just finished.

I could take it off.

Well, I uh I must admit I find this challenging because um seems to me there's a a needle we're trying to to thread in many respects, and it's hard to figure out exactly how best to thread the that needle.

Obvious obviously um the the sale of cannabis is is legal and um uh it's in our interest uh to uh ensure that as much of the sale of cannabis is legal uh as cas as possible, so you don't want to make it o too onerous for people to operate uh a legal business, especially when um there is a significant ongoing and serious threat from the illegal sale of the of the product.

That is that is certainly an interest that that I think we all I think share.

Um with respect to to location, uh and the associated issues I share um much of the sentiment of of count of Councilman Mayor Pro Tem Geta.

Um and I have I have no doubt based on the conversations I've had with uh those in the district I represent that um if there were a way to completely prohibit any further aspect of cannabis in that part of the city, that is what they would want.

And it doesn't matter, I don't care whether you're talking about dispensaries or cultivation or any other aspect of of the industry.

They feel and I think this is this is not a narrowly held view, but it but a broadly held view that that part of the city uh has taken more than its its fair share of this uh of this use.

And uh notwithstanding what uh the staff report concluded or the third party report concluded, um it's still a very sensitive issue.

It is uh uh extraordinarily uh sensitive to uh a host of a host of people.

So with that with that context, I I am a little uh intrigued by the idea of trying to align it with the way we approach uh alcohol sales.

I'm not sure if that works, but it might it might be uh a way to uh to have a gradient, so to speak, that would be more refined than simply the sensitive uses approach.

I would be interested in in an exploration of that analytically to see how it how it would compare to to the uh uh the methodology that has been applied by the city to this point, and now you're trying to adjust in a in a in a sensible way.

So uh I would be interested in in exploring that uh as an approach.

Um I certainly agree with the idea of making uh more places uh uh opportunity opportune for the businesses rather than fewer on the one hand, but that still works to the disadvantage of the areas that of the parts of the city that are most heavily impacted.

I mean you can't you can't say, well, we'll open up lots of other areas without opening up parts further parts of uh of whether it's district six or district two.

So uh that's that's a hard one to come to terms with.

Um with that with that caveat on your first item, uh I think I would uh to the extent we go in that direction, I I would uh support an absolute prohibition within the sensitive uh areas, and uh probably side with the with the staff's list and not expanded, but uh I want to stress that that uh that's very conditional, very conditional, as conditional as conditional can get.

Um I also think uh as does uh council member Getta, that that uh uh wherever we're talking about an establishment or expansion of a business, it needs a conditional use permit.

This is just too sensitive an issue, as I mentioned earlier, to take away the opportunity for um for public input.

So uh that's that is something uh that that um I uh I would apply under under any circumstances.

Um then as to your as to your third item um uh I will say I I do not support I uh uh lounges where there's where there's smoking or vaping.

Just as a matter of principle, uh uh just as I I and the council had this this debate before I was here, it was uh decided on a 5-4 vote.

I I understand that.

Um, but my my own view is just as I don't support smoking in bars or restaurants or or other businesses, uh I don't I don't support smoking in lounges.

So uh uh type one um uh with a conditional use permit within the sensitive areas for established for established uh dispensaries, that's again I'm a little conditional on that one, but but that's probably the way I would I would lean on that uh item thank you vice mayor tolamantes just direction we're looking for yeah uh staff can you go back to the option three the third question I just gotta read it again okay um so with so for number one um I'll go with staff recommendation for area uses into a line with state law I agree with councilmember Kaplan on a thousand feet for schools and parks for the brand new um operators that we approved a few months ago I think it was an additional ten um so for the new ones um agree with that and then two I would really like a CUP process I don't want it to start administratively I want it to start with the C UP with the public hearing with people to be able to chime in say yes or no I recently had an incident where somebody wanted to sell alcohol and my entire neighborhood was against it it went through administrative review it got approved it became a really big issue in my community so um because of that experience I just would really like a C UP so that neighbors can have an opportunity chime in and give their two cents whether they support it or don't support it and it gives the operators and neighborhood associations an opportunity to connect and have conversations and just start their relationship off well.

And then number three the consumption lounges I think I'm um along the lines of what councilmember Dickinson said.

And then question for legal um probably legal unless you can answer it.

There's different neighborhoods in Sacramento like downtown is where people come over the weekends to have fun you go out to the bars you go out to the nighttime you stay out you go to Willie's burgers you like it's a place where people come for the concerts and it's like an entertainment area compared to North Atomas and South Atomas where you have more residential so as we're crafting this policy on consumption lounges and stores can you create an ordinance where certain areas have less restrictions or more opportunities versus other neighborhoods where you know people would say no way no thank you.

Correct me if I'm wrong OCM I think that your next agenda item is the number is there a number of lounges per yeah so your next agenda item concerns title five of city code and includes a recommendation about the number of lounges that should be permitted per council district so if is that'll give us a the flexibility to have a conversation about that but like do geographic not based on council district so there is a little bit as of a uh a Venn diagram going on here with the zoning map.

Okay, in that case I will wait I'm done.

Thank you but again we're just trying to finalize um direction on this item the next item we're voting on uh back to you Councilman Guerra yeah thank you sorry I forgot one item and I I appreciate Miss uh My Shabante's uh uh comments from Crystal Nuggs and I and in all fairness I I recognize that many operators have gone through a significant amount of investment to go through the process they get approved they actually go through the process get approved and then um and I if the council moves into the direction where there is a hard line um and creates a non-conforming use because somebody moves in after the fact I think we do have to be respectful to the first person and the first operator there.

And uh and while that may be happening right now in um you know in the location in downtown it actually we see that happening in the industrial area because um you know you see uh some warehouses and and industrial commercial buildings being converted into churches and so much more often because they're cheaper and so that that's makes it unfair for those operators that actually already got created their facility and so what but I want to make sure is we as we move forward, we respect that if you did become um approved through your conditional use permit and someone then moves in who doesn't require that that they not be considered a non-conforming use.

I don't know the way the legal way to do that, but you know, it's uh the the it's buyer beware on the other per on the on the the second operator side so okay thank you in the interest of time I'll uh attribute my comments to council member maple so with that this is just direction we'll come back at a later date.

Let's move on to item number 17.

We'll try to wrap things up because I know we have a closed session and a five o'clock council meeting, supposed to start five minutes ago.

So thank you.

Item 17, please.

Item 17 is ordinance and resolution related to cannabis consumption lounges.

Apron, is there a new presentation?

It does not appear we have a presentation.

Did you submit one?

Yeah, it's in the staff report.

But you didn't put it in teams.

Go ahead and get started.

We'll try to find it for you.

Okay.

Um good afternoon, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Fiona Madsen, and I am the program manager for the Office of Cannabis Management.

I have a brief staff presentation as count as the council considers adopting an ordinance and resolution relating to the cannabis consumption lounges.

Um the first slide would be a direction and recommendation.

On November 19, 2024, council adopted an ordinance for a five-year cannabis social consumption pilot program.

This pilot program creates two permit add-on types to allow storefront dispensaries to operate consumption lounges.

Type one non-smoking consumption and type two all consumption smoking and adjustables.

When the council adopted the ordinance for the pilot program, staff were direct were directed to return with an ordinance addressing equitable geographic distribution of consumption lounges across council districts, as well as the ability for call-up review for business operating permits in relation to lounges.

Staff conducted a survey of the 36 storefront dispensaries to gauge the interest and feasibility of opening and operating consumption lounge across districts.

Eight responses were received, and all were interested in the type two permit.

With the current level of interest in the consumption lounge pilot program, staff is recommending no more than five storefront dispensary consumption lounges per district to fulfill the equitable geographic distribution direction provided by council.

In light of the proposed limit of lounges for council districts and current level of interest, staff also recommends adopting a first inline process, also known as the first come first serve, to authorize permitted storefront cannabis dispensaries to operate a lounge.

Complete applications will be reviewed for approval in chronological order based on the application's timestamp.

Economic and Planning Systems Inc.

is currently conducting a fee study to determine the appropriate lounge permit application fee.

A fee resolution will be brought to council for consideration of adoption consistent with the council approved benefits for the cannabis opportunity re and investment and equity, the core program.

The fee will be weighed for all core participants.

Additionally, all cannabis consumption lounges will require a conditional use permit under the proposed Title 17 amendments.

Under these proposed amendments, if passed by council to operate a consumption lounge, a storefront dispensary will need to obtain a conditional use permit, and then later a business operating permit when the business has made investments, including HVAC updates, needed to comply with the additional consumption lounge health and safety requirements.

Due to the significant investment needed to meet the requirements to apply for a business operating permit, staff proposes that the council call up review process occur during the conditional use permit process.

Um the last slide is questions and discussion.

Um that concludes my presentation, and I am available for any questions.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Clerk, do we have a public comment on this item?

Yes, Vice Mayor, I have eight speakers.

First is Maisha Bahati, Jen Pratt, Deanna Garcia, Kimberly Garchile, Kevin McCarty, and please do line up in the middle aisle.

Hi again.

I will keep this short.

Um I am interested in a type two, which is a smoke lounge.

I am located in District 4, 2300 J Street.

I feel like I'm in an amazing location for that type of lounge.

I'm surrounded by bars, restaurants.

I have already invested a significant amount of money into building out a lounge, close to $100,000.

When we built out our dispensary, we decided to build out a lounge room because it made more sense.

So this is an opportunity that I am pretty locked into.

Going through the CEP process for the dispensary, I can assure you that this is going to be an extremely challenging process.

There are going to be a lot of oversight, whether it's the fire department, whether it's SAC PD, whether it's health.

There are gonna be a lot of people who are going to be involved in making sure that these smoke lounge in particular run correctly.

So I just want to put that out there that this is not something that is just going to be a business.

I mean, this is going to be something that is going to require a lot of people involved.

And I support it.

Personally, took the risk to build out a lounge.

I didn't have to do that, but I did, so I appreciate everyone bringing it to its attention now.

Um, thank you for everything.

Thank you for talking to me over the past several months.

Um, I appreciate all the insight.

Thank you.

Hi again, everybody.

Uh, in the interest of saving everyone's time.

I'm uh you know how I feel for a therapeutic alternative.

Uh, just a few points.

Um, I heard concerns for the youth, and that's a big concern for us as well.

Um, having consumption uh lounges gives a safe place uh for cannabis to be consumed off of the street.

Um, and so I just want to reiterate that.

And uh tourism is an integral part of the liveliness that is coming forward with our city.

Um, I know that we've been named uh like the NBA team of the year for our light the beam and things like that, and it'd be great to see this city put forward in a positive light.

And I think making sure that we make smart decisions tonight uh will help continue us uh in the right direction.

Um it was also noted in the beginning report from staff it uh how much cannabis businesses contribute to the general fund and are in part responsible for um allowing these different um things that we're talking about tonight that have been voted on to help keep the city going forward in the right direction.

Um, our tax measures and things that could come from this consumption lounge could help further children's programs, clean water, housing, all those things that are important to keep us going.

Um so I just hope that you consider that before we go forward tonight, and I appreciate all your time.

Have a good night.

Deanna Garcia, then Kimberly Cargill.

Hi, my name is Deanna Garcia.

My mother's 82 years old, Kathleen Badaway, and she's not able to make it here tonight, so I have this to read on her behalf.

I am a patient at therapeutic alternative.

This is the dispensary where I go and take my friends and uh people of my age.

She is 82 years old.

We support the addition of the Healing Garden and look forward to getting CBD massages and having some CBGT.

This dispensary is a pillar of the community, providing education and the best of a variety of medical products in town.

I appreciate how the staff at a therapeutic alternative is educated on a various symptoms and can help find what is really needed to help treat her symptoms.

The pain from the arthritis, the pain from just growing old and not being able to sleep well, with their soap being so many alcoholic shops, smoke shops, and liquor stores on every corner.

I'm surprised that we are here giving this so much attention, but this is a different case.

A therapeutic alternative and the other dispensaries that are licensed in the city of Sacramento follow rules, regulations, and support the city with multiple billions of dollars in taxes.

My mother is asking if we can please allow the garden to go forward because she'd like to have her 83rd birthday there.

And the 15 years of good neighbors that the therapeutic alternative has had really shows when you're visiting the McKinley Park playground, swimming pool, library, and coffee shops around town.

They're always out picking up garbage and helping elderly people to cross the street, not only children.

She wanted to mention that they help the elderly and not only the children cross the street.

And she really enjoys uh therapeutic alternative and all the education they have to support there.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Kimberly Cargyle, then Kevin McCarty, then Mindy Galloway, Zion Taddis.

And feel free to line up in the aisle.

Hello again.

My name is Kimberly Cargyle.

I'm the owner of a therapeutic alternative.

Moreover, I'm a medical patient's rights advocate and an educator.

I'm currently attending the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy for my master's degree in medical science and therapeutics.

I tell you this so that you know that when I provide information to you, it is current and it is accurate.

Some interesting facts about cannabis since I've already, you know, had talked about a therapeutic alternative enough.

I hope to educate you in a few minutes.

Just so you know, we all have an endocannabinoid system.

We all have receptors within our body, and we all create cannabinoids.

There are over 150 cannabinoids, plant cannabinoids that have been discovered as of today, each providing different pharmacological effects.

And there are eight currently available on the market that we do carry at a therapeutic alternative, including THC, CBD, THCA, CBDA, CBGA, CBN, CBC, THCB.

Only THC, CBN, and THCV, THCV are intoxicating.

The other cannabinoids are not intoxicating.

They do provide relief of pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression.

So it's important to know that there are many, you know, our patients are not just coming to us to get high.

Actually, the number one question they have for us when they come to our store is how do I use cannabis and not get high?

That's what we're here for.

So there are thousands of studies on the safety and efficacy of cannabis.

Um the National Institute of Health provides over two million dollars every year to study cannabinoids and cannabinoid medicines all around the world.

So my ask is that you provide safe access to consumers by allowing all dispensaries in town to apply for on-site consumption and not limited to it to five per district.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

I have four more speakers.

Kevin McCarty from Mindy Galloway.

First, we unequivocally and strongly support today's ordinance to establish a permitting system for on-site cannabis consumption.

It's been a long time coming, I think about three years now, and it represents an important step in treating cannabis as a normal regulated part of Sacramento's cultural and economic landscape.

At the same time, this conversation should not stop at dispensary attached lounges.

I'm sure everyone in this room knows that people have been smoking cannabis at concerts and festivals for decades, but always in unsanctioned ways.

That creates problems for both sides.

People who want to enjoy cannabis do so without oversight, and people who don't like second-hand smoke are forced to put up with it.

It would be far preferable to have a system of permitting and regulation for cannabis events and consumption venues, eventually, hopefully, indoor and outdoor, where adults can legally and safely partake in designated areas, while other events remain family-friendly with clean air.

Right now, the only venue available for cannabis events is CalExpo, which is a giant facility, as you all know, unsuitable for 99% of the cultural events and gatherings that producers and promoters might want to organize.

Other jurisdictions have already led the way with legal consumption venues and events.

Sacramento need not reinvent the wheel but embrace the cultural integration of cannabis alongside music, art, food, and festivals.

So today we urge council not only to move forward with this program, but also to direct staff to begin drafting a framework for permitted cannabis consumption events, both in private indoor facilities and in appropriate outdoor venues.

That is where the true potential of this policy lies.

Creating safe controlled spaces that enhance our cultural life, support local business, and respect community preferences.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Mindy Galloway, then Zion Taddis, and then Shannon Pandarvis will be our final speaker.

Hello again.

I'm Mindy Galloway, owner of the Pocket dispensary, and I am very excited to see the ordinance on the council's agenda.

Thank you for all the hard work that has gone into this.

It's been a very long time, and I am planning to open a lounge attached to the pocket dispensary and bring some community and some events and some education to the neighborhood.

Reading the ordinance, I did see one thing that was concerning for me operationally.

It did say that a manager had to be on site whenever there is a customer, anybody present in the lounge.

And operationally, this does not allow for the manager to be able to take breaks or lunches if they have to sit there, or I would have to hire two managers to be on site at the same time.

So I would consider maybe changing the language to that to include a verified trained member.

I do understand the responsibility that is needed when it comes to consumption lounge and that that staff or employee member is thoroughly trained in order to handle any situation that comes.

But that was my only concern when reading the ordinance.

Other than that, I'm really excited to see this move forward and be able to plan to do something great in the South End Park Pocket Green Haven area.

Thank you.

Zion, then Sharon.

Hi, my name is Zion Tadissa again, the owner of Shosh and Manetland, and I really support the carnival consumption, but it shouldn't be just for uh uh carnival dispensary.

I have a like I said, three acres of land, I have an event license on it.

I have um CUP on it, not licensed yet.

Um, and I also have um a health and wellness center, uh, so people can actually come in and and um medica themselves.

And also I believe by allowing that, parents don't have to smoke around the kids in their house.

So we will be able to have a place where we can go and and smoke whatever enjoy our uh smoke.

But right now, most parents are well, we have no choice but to smoke around the house.

Even when we're outside, they see as smoking.

And the school thing, that's where they learn.

The kids, in fact, what they learn about cannabis is at school.

So from there are uh from elementary all the way high school, that's where they get their, so you need to focus on that, how to really prevent uh them uh at school.

So for me, uh, like I said, I support it, but I still, it should not be just for people who just have uh cannabis dispensary, should be for everybody who can qualify because the qualification is is the hardest thing.

Going through the CUP, the planning department, and going through all of you, going through all this is is just cannabis is the most hardest difficult business uh to get through because it's so hard to get through the bureaucracy again.

So I really want you guys to uh make uh uh a decision to have whoever qualifies should be able to get that uh consumption lounge.

And I would like to have that on my land as well, which is secured.

It will have a gate, it will be.

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Our final speaker is Sharon Pandarvis.

Hello, committee.

I would like to say I'm a member of a therapeutic alternative, a member of the compassion program.

I'm an advocate for American safe access to people of low income that are on the compassionate program.

I started smoking weed when I was 13 years old.

We're gonna get to this real quick since y'all talking about kids.

Kids will do whatever they want to do when you're not around.

And it's better to educate them on this subject than to deny them to know about it because I get on the bus and I'm watching kids smoke illegal e-cigarettes in my face and telling me, shut up, bitch.

Mind your business, but you're smoking in a handicap area, and somebody might have a lung problem.

Okay, that's not even marijuana.

Marijuana leaves asthma, whether you know it or not.

Heart attacks, a lot of things.

It helps me see every day.

Now, my brother died at 13 when I was 13 years old.

I started smoking weed and I started selling weed.

Well, to avoid another kid from doing that, what's wrong with open consumption?

We had it in 2000 with Prop 215.

And it was no problems.

Every industry in the world is getting robbed today, including basketball players at their own home.

So you can't blame it on the product.

It's the people and community working together will solve the whole problem.

It's not about where we have it, it's not about where we're doing it.

People, every block I go to, it's a bar.

I catch the bus everywhere, every bus stop I go to, somebody sitting out there smoking crystal meth or fentanyl.

So what's the big issue about something that's legal when you can't even clean up what's illegal?

Thank you for your comments.

Your time is complete.

Mayor, have no more speakers on this agenda item.

Thank you, Councilmary Maple.

Okay, I'll be fast because I know we are way over time.

Um so obviously we are we're not here debating whether or not to move forward with the cannabis consumption lounge um pilot program.

We already did that.

So what we're talking about today is whether or not what is geographic equity look like.

Um so I'll t I'll say my stance, which is that I don't think that there should be caps.

Uh the reason why I believe that is because this is already limited by nature.

You have it only um restricted to the existing dispensaries um in the city, and then on top of that, if you look at the survey, you'll find that that um a certain number of them are not able to do it because they don't have the space or the certain requirements, or they're not wanting to do it.

And so this will be self-limiting on its own.

And so for that, I don't feel like we need to add additional barriers, but I don't know if I'm in the majority or not.

So I'm not gonna make a motion, but I will be um anxious to hear from my colleagues.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Plecky Baum.

I agree, and uh I'd like to second the um note about uh manager on site again.

Uh, insofar as we can treat this the same as alcohol and tobacco, I think it'll be a um same and similar type process.

Um and uh if we are going to uh limit uh dispensary use consumption lounges uh by any geographic area council districts is probably the wrong one.

They change sometimes more than once a decade.

Uh so uh zip codes or maybe even better uh census tracks, something um less mutable.

Thank you, Councilmore Guerra.

Great, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh I won't make a motion here.

All to say is that I know where I am in the uh and uh in the last vote was uh I was in the minority.

Um but uh I would be willing to support a motion that only focused on Title One on type one, um, and I do appreciate um you know therapeutical alternatives, Corgal's efforts to to provide something.

Um I think fundamentally, as I mentioned before, um I can't ignore the messages from saving our our legacy, uh African Americans for smoking free safe places, um, the lung association, the cancer society, and also uh the uh the of the 40 years of effort we've done to encourage people not to smoke anything, period.

You know, we the dangers of smoking.

So I'm not gonna continue on that.

Uh, re what do you got?

Relitigate that debate.

All to say is that uh if if the motion includes type two, I can't support it.

But I do want to thank um you know um Miss uh Ms.

Monty uh you know for taking the the time to think through and and actually ask, you know, what can we do uh to make a facility you know as clean as possible and what technologies out there and uh you know we have appreciate uh working uh or at least trying to provide direction to other technologies that we currently use uh in other uh parts of our um of our industries for air quality standards.

Uh and I um uh I I hope that that those um new technologies are taken into consideration as well uh with that, but I'll just say that uh uh from the comment from made by the speaker before, you know, kids are basically following you know uh examples by adults and also predatory marketing.

So I mean we've reduced our our smoking numbers significantly, and that's partly because of uh a lot of community uh work.

So with that, um depending on the motion, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh I'd support only a type one.

Um I think it's probably easier to walk slowly before you run.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Kaplan do you thank you, Mayor.

Um, I am with the the no cap for any type of uh dispensary or cannabis uh lounge either type one or type two um I do support uh amending the language so that it should be verified train staff manager not specifically calling out um just a manager um but I'd also like to start the process that um we've seen the success of the state fair what does it look like in the city of Sacramento to have uh a cannabis event process and I know that is coming um with with the members I'm I'm open because we know that we're split on this if we want to do like a type one vote and a type two vote if that's easier but I'm um cool with the the full no limit uh any type but thank you council council member maple was make a motion can I just make well really quick point of clarification just for the city manager so the what we're voting on today is we already voted on November 19th of 2024 to create the pilot program which includes the types so we're not voting on type one or type two that's already something we voted on what we're voting on today is around the caps and the call up provision um so just is that correct?

Okay great I just make sure I clarify that and then with that I'm happy to make a motion that we move this forward today um and including no caps um so that's my motion on the table that we move forward um our pilot program and then we do not have a cap per per district second thank you think we have a motion a second councilmember Dickinson uh well let me start with a question then yeah you're also including that motion removing the call up provision it's added no the the language puts the call up provision at the beginning of the process and takes it away from Pete you want uh or if you want to talk to the call up provision uh yeah so my understanding is uh it would just we were trying to add a couple of things to uh two council's action from last November one is adding those geographic caps uh per council's direction back then and the other is um the call-up provision those were the two items council uh asked us to bring back uh so council member maple's motion would not add the language around the geographic caps but it would add the language around the call up provision yeah and I think that that's fair because it I think that we should still have that process okay thank you.

Oh adding it well that's okay that then the staff the the staff report is confusing then to me because what it says is adopt an an ordinance.

Well uh clarify so so I I want to be clear here thank you so it'll remove the call-up language from title five which is a business operating permit because um by the time you get to our business operating permit you've dumped significant finances into establishing your business so to remove it from title five it would be in title 17 so it can be done at uh a conditional use permit you relocated it correctly okay I did not I didn't actually I didn't pick that up when I was reading the thank you city manager clarifying for the records um the uh the slide presented that the call it provision is now added to the conditional use process in title 17 instead of after the fact in title five I got it okay I did not track that in what I saw in the staff report so thank you for clarifying that um and uh I will say uh under the circumstances I I do support the caps um uh although I'm uh I would happily revisit what the council did on type two and uh November last.

Thank you Councilmember Guerra uh thank you appreciate the clarification on the call up provision and I I think we need to maintain a council call up provision at uh at the CUP conditional point um my to to clarify to Councilmember Mipper's point if someone made a motion to only move forward with type one um the process then I would be supportive but that that's uh I understand that's why I said mention early on that I was in the minority on that.

Thank you, Council member plucky Bomb.

Thank you, Mayor um uh happy to support the motion and hoping the maker and the seconder would be willing to give direction to um look at the manager language and see if we can expand that to include non-managers or the correct city manager.

We can it's in existing code, so we would have to bring something back to amend existing code.

And then the second was the zip code um or the council district provision if there was a better way to organize that.

Don't want to solve it tonight.

Just direction.

Thank you.

Uh the the current language says five uh lounges per council district.

Yeah, there's another better way to achieve the same goal.

So, this is the relevant.

Yes, no cap.

Make it a six seven.

I had to say it.

Okay, now I'm gonna have to google that.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um with that, we have uh a motion a second to uh adopt the staff recommendation outlined with the exception of no cap per council district.

Okay, no cap no cap.

So, yeah, call the role on this.

Do we have questions though?

No, I think you need to call the role.

I do that, but is there was there any questions on that motion?

No.

Okay, please call the roll.

Thank you, Councilmember Kaplan.

Aye.

Councilmember Dickinson.

No.

Vice Mayor Talamantes?

No.

Councilmember Pluckybaum?

Aye.

Councilmember Maple.

Aye.

Mayor Pro Temgata?

No.

Councilmember Jennings.

All right.

Councilmember Vang.

No.

And Mayor McCarty.

That motion passes.

Pardon me.

Um, six eyes, four noes.

Five eyes.

Math is bad.

Um, nose being council member Dickinson, Talamantes, Geta, and Vang.

Thank you.

Okay.

So in the interest of time, I believe we can skip council comments ideas and questions.

I have no public comment for matters not on the agenda.

We are going to take um uh adjourn this meeting and then uh convene a brief special meeting for the purpose of a closed session.

Um, we have a quorum of council members and chambers.

There are five items on the closed session agenda.

I have no speakers on any of the items on the closed session agenda.

The items are as follows public employment government code section five four nine five seven B1, title city manager.

Item two is conference with labor negotiators, government codes five four and nine five seven point six, agency designated representatives, mayor McCarty, PMP, each other, Councilmember Jennings, Pam Derby, unrepresented employees, city manager.

Item three is conference with legal counsel, existing litigation, government code section.

Item four is conference with labor negotiators, government code section five four nine five seven point six, designated representative Shelley Banks Robinson, Aaron Donato and Tim Davis, employee organizations or Sacramento City exempt employees association, Sacramento Police Officers Association, International Union of Operating Engineers, Stationary Engineers, Local 39, Sacramento Area Firefighters, Local 522, Sacramento Sierra Building and Construction Trades Council, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters, Local 447, Automarine and Specialty Painters, Local 1176, Western Council of Engineers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, all unrepresentative groups.

Item five is public employment employment public employee appointment government code section 54957B1.

Title is director of SHRA, Vice Mayor, you manager into closed session.

During 533.