Pubdate: Mon, 08 Dec 2014
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Roger Aylworth

BUTTE SUPES TO REVIEW COST OF MARIJUANA CULTIVATION ENFORCEMENT

OROVILLE - Butte's supervisors will be considering the costs 
associated with enforcing the voter-approved tighter medical 
marijuana cultivation regulations.

Measure A, which was passed in the election Nov. 4, sharply limits 
the physical size of medical marijuana gardens.

Also, under the old regulations a person had to live within a 
specified distance from a particular marijuana garden to file a 
complain about it.

Measure A erases the proximity requirement from the code and now any 
one can file a complaint about a garden.

The agenda accompanying the item that will go before the board 
Tuesday says, "With the changes approved by Measure A, including 
reduction on grow area and removing the limitations on who qualifies 
to report a violation, the (Butte County) Development Services 
Department expects a significant increase in reported violations and 
related code enforcement activity."

The development services department proposes to launch an aggressive 
public outreach and education program before Measure A goes into 
effect Jan. 8, 2015.

The effort would include information on the county's website 
www.buttecounty.net, brochures, outreach to businesses, public 
services announcements and "possibly billboard advertising."

The proposal includes the creation of an app to allow people to 
submit complaint forms using iPhones and Android phones.

Another goal, according to the agenda document, is to arrange for a 
quick response to reports of violations to the cultivation code and 
"efficient enforcement action," including citations and the launching 
of a nuisance abatement effort.

The development services staff says that department will need an 
additional $446,500 for the program, but the report offers a caveat 
that reads, "...the cost might be higher if code enforcement 
activities are higher."

Since the action requested is a "budget adjustment," it will require 
a 4 to 1 majority vote of the panel to pass the request.

The Measure A funding item is part of the board's regular agenda.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Supervisors Chambers in the 
County Administration Building, 25 County Center Drive, Oroville.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom