Pubdate: Wed, 10 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 BOARD APPROVED FUNDING FOR POT GARDEN RULES ENFORCEMENT

OROVILLE - Butte County's supervisors Tuesday gave their unanimous 
approval to a $446,500 experiment on controlling medical marijuana production.

During the regular board meeting, Director of Development Services 
Tim Snellings outlined for supervisors a program called "Stay in the 
Box, Learn the Facts."

The program relates to an ordinance passed by the board in February 
putting limits on medical marijuana gardens. Instead of limiting the 
number of plants that can be grown, the February rule put strict 
limits on the physical size of the grow. On a lot larger than a 
half-acre the grow can cover 50 square-feet. On a parcel larger than 
five acres the plot can cover no more 100 square-feet, and on a 
parcel larger than 10 acres the maximum garden is 150 square-feet.

But there's another size limitation: The plants can't extend beyond 
the edges of the garden. They must grow within an imaginary box, 
which is the significance of Snellings' "Stay in the Box" reference.

Besides the limited garden sizes, the ordinance allows anybody 
regardless of where they live to report a violation, and the 
reporters need not even identify themselves.

The ordinance was put to a referendum challenge. It went on the 
ballot as Measure A in November and it was approved by roughly 60 
percent of the voters.

The ordinance goes into effect Jan. 8, 2015, and that's why Snelling 
came to the board with a two-pronged proposal that involves an 
outreach, public education program, coupled with a strict enforcement 
effort. Along with those two elements, Snellings was asking for the 
$446,500 additional budget allocation to pay for the effort.

The education effort will include brochures, billboards, and 
community meetings.

Sneeling said people can also get details on the rules by calling his 
office at 538-6000 or by visiting the county website at 
www.buttecounty.net/stayinthebox.

When complaints come in the county intends to launch a quick-response effort.

Part of the additional funding will be spent on "extra help" county 
code enforcement officers, who, accompanied by a sheriff's deputy, 
will visit the site.

Snellings said if there is visible violation of the cultivation code, 
the grower will be issued a citation, which immediately comes with a $500 fine.

The code enforcement officer will give the grower 72 hours to comply. 
If things haven't been corrected, there's a $1,000-a-day fine, and 
nuisance abatement proceedings are initiated. The goal, according to 
the department head, is to get people to comply with the ordinance.

Money from the fines will go into the county's General Fund.

The cultivation ordinance is a land use regulation, and does not come 
with criminal penalties.

Nobody really knows how this will all shake out.

"This is just the beginning a great experiment," said Paul Hahn, 
Butte County's chief administrative officer.

The supervisors were told they would be receiving regular reports on 
how the ordinance is working.

They voted unanimously to approve the funding request and the 
information and enforcement plan.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom