Speaker 5: I am 18. Clara, could you please regain item 18?
Speaker 0: Communication from Councilman Austin. Vice Mayor Andrew's recommendation to request the city attorney to draft an ordinance to authorize the city manager to issue local temporary cannabis. Special Event Permits.
Speaker 5: Good. We will do another report on that. Or you want. You take it.
Speaker 3: I need to speak. Need to speak first. Yes.
Speaker 5: Oh. Oh. Okay. Okay. Councilman Pierce, please.
Speaker 3: I plan on recusing myself from participating in this item due to the possibility of a conflict of interest. I have a financial interest in two business entities in the cannabis industry through prior consulting work with DHS, Verde LLC and Global Growth Investments and their principal partner, Danza Ronnie. While there has been no formal determination regarding the financial effects of this decision on these particular entities, I am recusing myself out of abundance of caution and would appreciate when staff notifies me that this item has been concluded.
Speaker 6: Thank you.
Speaker 5: Thank you very much, Councilman Orson.
Speaker 7: Thank you very much. So the Long Beach voters have repeatedly voted to approve the sale and use of cannabis in our city. Long Beach's ordinance allows for the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and the sale of cannabis products. However, Long Beach Ordinance, Long Beach's ordinance does not address temporary cannabis events, and so they are not currently permitted. As of January 1st, 2018. The State of California began issuing state temporary cannabis event licenses, which authorize events with onsite adult use, cannabis sales and consumption pursuant to the state's medical and Adult Use, Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. Some other cities in California have begun permitting cannabis related special events. For example, in Santa Rosa, the Emerald Cup has been successful, a been successful special event that features entertainment, education, competitions, sales and consumption. Last year, the Emerald Cup generated over $200,000 in tax revenue and about $17.3 million in total economic output for the community. The Convention Center has also received inquiries about holding trade shows for their cannabis or CBD products. Given Long Beach's success in hosting many notable special events. This seems to be an opportunity to include a local temporary cannabis special event at specific locations with controls in place for other special events. This could also be an opportunity for Long Beach businesses to benefit from these events, and the city can foster that local economic benefit. I understand that there are many factors that the city staff in the city attorney's office will have to look at and discuss to make this work as an ordinance. And I also understand the state law requires the city to identify specific locations in the ordinance where a temporary special event would be allowed. With that said, therefore, I would like to make a motion that is slightly revised from the agendas motion to request the city attorney to work with the city manager and appropriate departments, and in return to the City Council within 60 days with a draft ordinance that would allow the city manager to issue local temporary cannabis special event permits, provided that all appropriate criteria for special events are met. And at least 75% of the retailers at the event are Long Beach, based at the Queen Mary Events Park and allow the Convention Center to host cannabis CBD related trade shows business to business that involve the sale of such products without consumption. Ask my colleagues for their support. Thank you.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Councilman Orson. I do also you will second this motion because in fact, I think we need to have some form, you know, like I say, where we can go and see what are we going to work this? Because it can be. But in process, I think we still need to go to our city council. I see the attorney to find out what we have to do and can do. So thank you again for my colleague for bringing this forward to anyone and anyone. And honestly, I can speak on this item. Please, come on. State. Your name, please. Very good, Hugh.
Speaker 1: Not only repeating the objections I had last time this came forward. I would just say it's really a strong indictment. Of this council. You say that you cannot. Meet the needs of this city. Without the revenue from this. And I remind you, I'm reminded of the. The reprimand delivered by Haile Selassie. Decades ago. Relative to inappropriate behavior. The dollar cost of this. We'll be more than this city will be able to measure. I urge you to reject this. And find another way. You get center city revenues. Other than this. Absurd. Rely on relying on drugs. Thank you.
Speaker 5: Thank you. Mr. Goodman. The next speaker.
Speaker 1: Good evening.
Speaker 10: Mayor, vice mayor and city council members, and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening.
Speaker 4: My name is.
Speaker 10: Jim Louis and I'm the head of special projects for Red Light Management, as well as the festival director for the Emerald Crop, the largest and most respected outdoor cannabis competition and consumer event in the world. I bring over three decades of experience to the Emerald Cup and I've been producing thousands of events, concerts, festivals around the world . Our company, Red Light Management, besides managing over 250 musical artists and more important to this conversation, has ownership in most of the major music festivals in North America, including Outside Lands with San Francisco, Lollapalooza in Chicago, Austin City Limits and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee. The Emerald Cup takes place each December in Santa Rosa. The resulting in economic impact to the region is significant. Per the Beacon Economic Impact Report, the 2018 Cup generated 17 million to the county. The events is supported more than 200 jobs and 271 local vendors. And half of the nearly 30,000 attendees stayed in hotels and private homes in. In the area. The Emerald Cup is grateful to the City Council for the opportunity to develop an events ordinance and is enthused by the prospect of building it on the legacy we've created by launching an annual event in Long Beach beginning next year.
Speaker 1: I can tell you.
Speaker 10: That producing these events and implementing and planning perspective takes a minimum of six months to develop the compliance and infrastructure for an event of this nature. Thus, we urge you to continue expeditious policy development to allow us to announce a 2020 event by the end of the year. The Cup is the ideal partner for the city. We have a stellar record of compliance, secure operations and positive impacts to the community. Finally, we understand that while the burgeoning legal cannabis industry represents significant economic opportunity, many local jurisdictions are grappling with low or excuse me, with how to implement public policy that balances economic opportunity with the public health and safety. The economic excuse me, the Emerald Cup has achieved this balance and would welcome the opportunity to show you this firsthand. I invite you to join us at the Emerald Cup this weekend in Santa Rosa. We would be happy to give you a tour of the event, its infrastructure, security and operations, and provide a real time case study on economic impact and how licensed cannabis events can function. Excuse me appropriately and beneficially within the community.
Speaker 5: Thank you very much. Next speaker.
Speaker 1: Good evening, vice mayor and council members. I want to follow up with what Jim said about the Emerald Cup and the professionalism in pulling off a successful event in Santa Rosa. They've had no incidents at all since they started the event at the County of Sonoma Fairgrounds. To confirm that, I reached out to Long Beach PD along Beach Fire over the past several days and gave them their respective counterparts and their phone numbers up in Santa Rosa so that they could do their due diligence and determine the success of the event. Lessons learned and all that. In addition to that, Emerald Cup has also reached out the Santa Rosa Chamber and Santa Rosa Events Bureau to have them contact their counterparts in Long Beach, the CVB, the Hospitality Alliance in the Long Beach Chamber. Finally, we also provide to city and elected staff contacts with the State of California Bureau of Cannabis Control, the chief Laurie Ajax, and Governor Newsom's point person on cannabis, Nicole Elliott. We want to be as transparent as possible. We want you to do your due diligence as you go through this. We invite staff to call their counterparts in the state of California. Also in Santa Rosa, we've got nothing to hide. We encourage you to move us forward quickly. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 5: Thank you. Next speaker, please.
Speaker 6: And hello. Good evening, counsel. My name is Pam Charter Society. I'm an 18 year Long Beach resident in District four. I'm also the community education director at Long Beach and Long Beach Collective Association LBC. Allowing temporary permits for cannabis events will offer safe, regulated spaces for social consumption, which will promote public safety. It will also add another type of special events bringing a new.
Speaker 3: Experience to group growing tourism that Long Beach offers. That's all I have to say.
Speaker 5: Thank you. Excuse me.
Speaker 4: Hello. Good evening, Vice Mayor and Council. My name is Steven Contreras. I'm the community outreach director for the Long Beach Collective Association. I would just like to support this recommendation to move forward with the temporary cannabis event permit. This allows potential, great potential for economic opportunity, opportunity, tourism tax revenue and will illuminate the city of Long Beach to be a premier destination.
Speaker 10: Thank you.
Speaker 5: Thank you very much. I see there's no more public comment and one the. Would you please cast your vote?
Speaker 3: Councilman Mongo.
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft an ordinance and return it to the City Council at its next meeting to authorize City Manager to issue local temporary cannabis special event permits, provided that all appropriate criteria for special events are met and that at least 75% of the retailers at the event are Long Beach-based.