Speaker 5: may be incurred, unpaid, unpaid fees, etc., where we are going to be removing that bond requirement. And I just wanted to ask the department if they could step forward and explain that just so that all of the public is very aware of this policy change. Thank you much for that. Thank you very much, Councilwoman, for the question. My name is Stacy Loucks. I'm the director of the Department of Excise and Licenses. And also with us today is our treasurer, Steve Arlington. And we're here to help address any concerns or questions you have about.
Speaker 6: This particular issue.
Speaker 5: This change that we're bringing forward to you tonight is a change in how we do licensing and not requiring surety bonds.
Speaker 6: This change is requested as surety.
Speaker 5: Bonds have become increasingly difficult, if not impossible to obtain, because surety bond companies are no longer serving their marijuana industry.
Speaker 6: Because of risk of exposure to federal lawsuits.
Speaker 5: This recent change in the bond industry is an obstacle for existing marijuana businesses to be able to renew their licenses, much less for new businesses to even be able to obtain the licenses. So in working with the Treasurer, we came up and have discussed our options and came up with the idea of just striking the requirement in the since 2009 and the six.
Speaker 6: Years of.
Speaker 5: Working with marijuana and requiring surety bonds, we've never drawn across the bond and Treasury feels the existing tools they have in place would be adequate to cover any sort of concerns in case people weren't paying their taxes. Thank you, Mr. President. So can I clarify, in the time we've been doing medical and retail marijuana has, have we ever had a situation where someone was, you know, owing the city money and we used a bond? My understanding is no, but if you wouldn't mind a call up, Steve Arlington.
Speaker 6: Just to provide that technical explanation.
Speaker 12: Good evening. I'm Steve. Only time the city treasurer. And to answer your question, no. In the six years of medical marijuana and almost two years of retail marijuana, we've never drawn upon a bond to collect any taxes owed by anybody in the industry.
Speaker 5: Great. Thank you very much. So just allowed to comment really briefly before we vote, which is to say that this to me is a very common sense adaptation to the limits that are at levels of government that go beyond Denver. I really am proud of our high standards that we have for the industry, whether it's, you know, age restrictions, our restrictions, the ways that we approach trying to make this a responsible business in our city are really important. But there are absolutely places where the federal government has authority and we are unable to maybe have the same high standard we might want because of the way that they have limited us. And I think that, you know, you could throw up your arms and, you know, be blind to those things or you could take a very practical approach and say, you know, do we have the protections in place? So I'm appreciative of us taking a very common sense approach to this and, you know, really acknowledging where we have some limits we continue to push. I know our federal lobbyists that Denver, you know, contributes to the to the to the national conversation, continue to try to encourage our national representatives to do banking reform so that we can have all kinds of protections for the industry and not having to operate in cash, etc.. I hope we'll continue those efforts. But in the meantime, I'm appreciative that we're taking a common sense approach. So thank you to the department. Thank you, Mr. President.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Ortega.
Speaker 7: First, I want to thank Councilwoman for calling this out. I do have a couple of questions. So, Steve, can you come forward and explain what those tools are that we do have in place that would ensure that if you know that we've got the right protections in the event that I think these are just for nonpayment. But I know that we recently had some news media coverage about some of the facilities where Denver Police Department caught some of them selling to underage youth. And, you know, that's a different area. But I think the overall protections for the citizens and the city is important. And so I'd like you to address what those tools are in place that provide those protections.
Speaker 12: Yes. Yes, I can. For the nonpayment of taxes. Currently, the Denver Revised Municipal Code provides that the city can seize and restrain any of the assets utilized by that business so that any of the equipment that they use we can seize it, destroying it, and auction it off for the collection of the back taxes. We can also take a court action against the business to obtain a judgment against them.
Speaker 7: Okay. I appreciate that. I think that helps clarify for anybody that's listening that although we may not be able to collect on a surety bond because as you indicated, it's very difficult for folks to obtain that we do have those tools in place to be able to ensure that the city is being made whole, if you will , for any of these payments. That might not be me. So thank you.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Councilman Ortega. And the questions and comments on 68. All right. Since that was not called out, we are moving on and I believe we are ready for the block votes. All other bills for introduction are ordered published. Councilman Espinosa, will you please put the resolutions on the floor for adoption and a block?
Speaker 8: Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the following resolutions be adopted in a block. 609663670658665666667664662. And that's it.
Speaker 1: Got them all. It has been moved and seconded, seeing no comments. Madam Secretary, roll call.
Speaker 4: Lopez. I knew. Ortega. Sussman. Black. Brooks Clark. Espinosa. Gilmore. I Cashman. I can eat, Mr. President.
Speaker 1: All right. Councilwoman can each. Thank you, Madam Secretary, please, for the very nice results. 1212 hours resolutions have been adopted in the Bloc. Councilman Espinosa, will you please put the bills on final consideration on the floor for final passage and block?
Speaker 8: Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the following bills be placed upon final consideration and do pass in the bloc.
Speaker 1: 636 651 got on both. It has been moved and seconded, seeing no comments. Madam Secretary, Roll Call.
Speaker 4: Sussman. Black. Brooks. Clark. Espinosa. Gilmore. Cashman, I. Lopez. All right, new Ortega. Hi, Mr. President.
Speaker 1: I ask, please, because of anything else. The results. 12 eyes. 12 eyes. The two bills placed on final consideration do pass and block one pre announcement council will not sit as the Board of Equalization this evening as no timely written protest were received by the Manager of Public Works by September 17, 2015, from property owners within any of the following local maintenance districts. 15th Street. 20th Street. Consolidated Larimer Street. Santa Fe Drive, C St Luke's Del Gainey Street East 13th Avenue South Downing Street Tennyson Street Number 2/44 Avenue and Elliott Street Golden Triangle West 32nd Avenue Broadway a South Broadway Streetscape, Arizona.
Amends Denver Revised Municipal Code Sections 6-21 and 24-508 to remove the requirement for surety bonds for Medical Marijuana Centers and Retail Marijuana Stores.