Seven different issues comprised a mid-year report before the Board of Supervisors, but it was cannabis that drew the most comment.
Supervisors have been fielding complaints about blatant violations, and those responsible illegal growers do not care because the county does not have the manpower to mitigate their activity, Chairman and Supervisor Dan Miller said. The county is overwhelmed by illegal growers coming into neighborhoods such as Sunshine Valley and 6B Ranch Estates, with total disregard for the peace and quiet that residents have enjoyed for over two decades.
“We need to get rid of the bad people,” Miller said. “We have to tweak our zoning if someone wants to put a grow in what’s not an established neighborhood, so let’s go after the growers doing it illegally.”
Nevada County cannabis grower Daniel Fink, owner/operator of Down Om Farms on the San Juan Ridge, operates one of the few legal farms in Nevada County. By being a small farm with no employees, Fink is able to keep costs down in an increasingly difficult industry to succeed in.
Photo: Elias Funez
Despite being legal in many states, marijuana presents a classic David-versus-Goliath case for many Nevada County growers who plowed into the industry after the county in May 2019 approved rules for the crop.
Daniel Fink, an organic farmer in North San Juan, was the 12th permitted cannabis business in the county. Under the county’s regulations for a micro-grower with a 5- to 10-acre farm, he is allowed a 2,500-square-foot canopy of cannabis. His grow consists of 1/16 of an acre equal to about one half of a basketball court.
Grass Valley has finalized its method for determining who will get a permit to operate a commercial cannabis enterprise within city limits.
The City Council on Tuesday approved the membership of the committee that will make those decisions. Council member Tom Ivy abstained.
The vote was the latest step on the road to commercial cannabis a path the city started in November. That’s when the council took action to amend the municipal and development codes to allow cannabis businesses to operate.
It also put City Manager Tim Kiser in charge of forming a committee to review and then choose among prospective applicants.