REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
July 16, 2020
FROM: WILMA QUAN, City Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
THROUGH: JANE SUMPTER, Assistant City Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
BY: JENNIFER RUIZ, Project Manager
Office of the Mayor & City Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to Commercial Cannabis Activity:
1. ***RESOLUTION - Approving an Application for Authorization to Access State and Federal Level Summary Criminal History Information for Cannabis Employment, Contractors, Licensing or Certification Purposes (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the Resolution, which will authorize the City of Fresno to access state and federal level summary criminal history information for cannabis employment for the purposes of licensing and certification of commercial cannabis operations including retail, cultivation, distribution, testing, and manufacturing purposes.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed Resolution is a requirement to be submitted to the Department of Justice in order for the City to conduct livescan background checks as part of the cannabis business license application process and receive summary criminal history information from state and federal databases specifically for the purposes of licensing commercial cannabis operations.
BACKGROUND
Section 9-3318 of the FMC states that, “At the time of submission of an application for a commercial cannabis business permit, all operators, owners, investors, and managers of a commercial cannabis business or cannabis retail business shall submit information for a background check.” Although the language in this Resolution also includes other type of employees, the DOJ recommends this specific language and any alteration to it would cause delays in the approval process. Limiting the background checks to the business operators, owners, investors, and managers can still be achieved through the cannabis application process procedures.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This item is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
Commercial Cannabis Business application fees will cover the cost of the background check.
Attachment: Resolution