To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma (PRMD), Department of Health Services (DHS)
Staff Name and Phone Number: Permit Sonoma- Tyra Harrington - (707) 565-1280; Health Services- Melissa Sturzzo- (707) 565-4975
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Acceptance of Proposition 64 Public Health & Safety Grant Award
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution authorizing acceptance of a Proposition 64 Public Health & Safety Grant administered through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC).
end
Executive Summary:
On June 2, 2020, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors directed Permit Sonoma (PRMD) and the Department of Health Services (DHS) to submit a joint grant proposal to BSCC for funding to assist with law enforcement, fire protection, youth substance use prevention and intervention, or other local programs addressing public health and safety associated with the implementation of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64). On August 6, 2020, the BSCC notified Permit Sonoma of a conditional award and recommendation for funding by BSCC to occur on September 10, 2010, in the amount of $1,000,000. This three year grant program has a start date of October 1, 2020.
Discussion:
Background / Source of Funding. On November 8, 2016, the majority of California voters passed Proposition 64 - The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. The proposition immediately became law. California joined several states including Washington, Oregon, and Colorado where the personal possession and use of cannabis is decriminalized. Prop 64 permits adults 21 years of age and over to possess and grow specified amounts of cannabis for recreational use. Prop 64 does not alter the Compassionate Use Act (Prop 215) or the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA).
Effective January 1, 2018, a cannabis excise tax was imposed upon purchasers of cannabis or cannabis products sold in this state at the rate of 15 percent of the gross receipts of any retail sale by a dispensary or other person required to be licensed pursuant to the Business and Professions Code or a retailer, microbusiness, nonprofit, or other person required to be licensed pursuant to the Business and Professions Code to sell cannabis and cannabis products directly to a purchaser.
This excise tax has resulted in the Board of State and Community Corrections making available total grant funding to local governments of $24,700,000 with a maximum individual award of $1,000,000. Sonoma County has applied for and has been conditionally approved to receive the maximum grant award.
The primary expenditure of approximately two-thirds of these grant funds by Permit Sonoma Code Enforcement will be a contract with a non-governmental aerial image provider for three annual fly-overs of the unincorporated county. Sonoma County has large areas of very rugged and remote terrain that is otherwise inaccessible for inspection. In the past, aerial images were routinely made of these remote areas by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office using resources unavailable to Permit Sonoma Code Enforcement. Programming of grant funding will be purchase of one (1) rugged, four-wheel drive vehicle capable of visiting these remote locations as needed, small tools and equipment, and monies for on-going grant tracking, accounting, and auditing at the conclusion of the three year grant program.
Given Youth Development/Youth Prevention and Intervention is a mandatory component, which requires at least 10% of requested funds be programmed for this area, in addition to enforcement of cannabis regulations, the remaining one-third of the grant funding will be used to augment and expand existing youth substance use prevention and intervention programs managed through the Sonoma County Department of Health Services. Currently, Sonoma County is participating in two statewide initiatives, Cannabis Decoded and Friday Night Live (FNL). Cannabis Decoded is a youth cannabis education campaign that educates youth and young adults about the facts on cannabis. FNL is an established evidence-based youth development program that broadens school and community engagement and strengthens protective factors. Sonoma County Department of Health Services also offers a court-mandated Driving Under the Influence (DUI) prevention and education program that works with 4000+ criminal justice-involved youth and adult participants annually to reduce the rate of DUI recidivism and increase the knowledge of the impact of impaired driving on the individual, families and the community.
With this grant, Sonoma County will localize and expand existing educational materials on cannabis through the Cannabis Decoded campaign for youth and their families, broadening current outreach and educational efforts countywide. In addition, Sonoma County will incorporate Cannabis Decoded educational materials and curriculum into the existing DUI education and prevention program for juvenile offenders and into existing FNL programming with an emphasis on middle school students. As well, youth from FNL chapters will plan and host Cannabis Decoded pro-social youth-focused alcohol and other drug prevention activities.
Staffing Needed. The Department of Health Services will expand existing programs by utilizing existing budgeted staff.
Permit Sonoma Code Enforcement anticipates re-assigning existing Code Enforcement Inspection staff to work exclusively with the aerial images obtained via grant funding for the duration of the program. Existing code enforcement staff team member will implement and maintain a new aerial imagery program of using cannabis cultivation site identification and enforcement. Such a program exclusively using current and up-to-date information to verify illegal cannabis cultivation in very rural and remote areas does not exist. Additional clerical duties required to support this new inspection program and grant condition compliance will be distributed to existing clerical staff.
Prior Board Actions:
Resolution #20-0195 - Authorizing the Permit and Resource Management Department and the Department of Health Services to Submit a Joint Grant Application for the Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant Program offered through the Board of State and Community Corrections.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 20-21 Adopted |
FY21-22 Projected |
FY 22-23 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested: |
380,000 |
310,000 |
310,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
380,000 |
310,000 |
310,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
380,000 |
310,000 |
310,000 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
380,000 |
310,000 |
310,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
All funding listed above is received through the grant and does not reflect any County contributions.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Att 1: Proposed Resolution
Att 2: Award letter
Att 3: Resolution 20-0195 Authorizing the Permit and Resource Management Department and the Department of Health Services to Submit a Joint Grant Application for the Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety Grant Program offered through the Board of State and Community Corrections
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None