Carson City Supervisors to vote on cannabis dispensary ordinances, discuss homelessness, art policies and more

The next Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 15 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Bob Crowell Board Room of the Community Center, located at 851 E. William Street.

Members of the public who wish only to view the meeting but do NOT plan to make public comment may watch the livestream of the Board of Supervisors meeting at https://www.carson.org/granicus and by clicking on “In progress” next to the meeting date, or by tuning in to cable channel 191.

The public may provide public comment in advance of a meeting by written submission to the following email address: publiccomment@carson.org. For inclusion or reference in the minutes of the meeting, your public comment must include your full name and be submitted via email by not later than 3:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. Public comment during a meeting is limited to three minutes per speaker.

The Board will be voting on allowing curbside pickup from cannabis locations in the capital city.

Curbside pickup was first established during COVID-19 for the safety of both patrons and employees. Now, supervisors will discuss whether they should create an ordinance officially allowing the practice.

Proponents for the ordinance argue that, especially for disabled medical marijuana customers, curbside pickup is a necessity for the wellbeing of many customers.

Those against are concerned it could increase safety issues, or encourage individuals to use while driving.

The ordinance also discussed potentially increasing the maximum number of cannabis locations from two to four — the number allowed by state law.

During the first reading of the ordinance, several hours were dedicated to hearing from the public, as well as from current and prospective cannabis dispensary operators, and discussions on what role the government should have in regulating the market.

Supervisor Stan Jones supported allowing up to four, as he “believes in free enterprise” and is “not concerned whether the two existing facilities make a profit or not.”

Supervisor Stacey Giomi stated that, while he was okay leaving the cap at two, if the ordinance were to change to four, he would like to see the city’s Liquor and Entertainment Board become the Liquor, Cannabis and Entertainment Board, which would have oversight over the local cannabis industry.

Supervisor Maurice White stated he was against recreational marijuana as a whole; however, he stated that the board should not be “manipulating the market” and businesses should be allowed to fail or thrive on their own.

Supervisor Lisa Schuette was against the ordinance change.

Supervisors will hear the second and final reading of the proposed ordinances and come to a final decision.

Housing-First Goal for Unsheltered Individuals

— The Board will discuss a proposed Notice to Submit a Letter of Intent for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for programs in relation to Carson City’s housing plan, geared toward helping individuals become sheltered.

The Board has designated ARPA funding for projects that support the housing plan, which will be awarded through a competitive grant process for a two-year program or project with a grant period from Feb. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2024.

The total available funding is just over $1.1 million.

During the Aug. 18 meeting, during which the Board viewed a presentation and held discussions on the “housing-first” model used to overcome homelessness on a community scale, the Board asked to see the Letter of Intent first before it was released to the public to “ensure it contains specific goals in support of the Housing Plan.”

In Aug. 2021, the Board designated $1.3 million in ARPA grant funding for non-profits, and $209,586 was awarded to five non-profit Carson City agencies in the first round of grant awards, leaving $1,090,414 available for subsequent rounds of applications.

From the original award of $209,586, $70,000 was reverted back to available ARPA funds because a project was later deemed ineligible for ARPA funding based on the "loss of revenue" criteria. The total ARPA funding now available is $1,160.414.

After the Notice to Submit a Letter of Intent is released, a Letter of Intent is a mandatory first step in the review process for potential applicants and must include a description of the proposed program or project.

Staff will review the Letters of Intent that are submitted to make sure that the program or project fits the criteria for Phase One — Survive and/or Phase Two — Stabilize as set forth in the Housing Plan and will also fit within the ARPA guidelines.

Phase Three — Thrive will be addressed using existing Health and Human Services grants and other funding currently available for indigent programs.

The Letter of Intent can be viewed here.

Art Policy

A new Public Art Policy has been proposed to align with the Carson City Arts and Culture Strategic Plan 2022-2026.

Public Art was noted as a goal under municipal planning, decision-making and placemaking.

The Goal is to “prepare a public art policy and oversee a public art program for the creation and inclusion of artwork in public spaces that reflect the City’s unique cultural heritage and identity, to enhance our cityscape and the artistic richness of the capital city.”

The City Manager’s Office, in conjunction with staff from the Carson City Public Works, Community Development and Parks, Recreation and Open Space Departments worked with Debra Soule, the CTA Arts and Culture Program Manager, to develop the draft policy.

“An effective public art program has many benefits,” the policy states. “It establishes a process that encourages expression of community identity and local cultural heritage. It brings art to the people, increases community pride, draws people to public spaces and attracts visitors, new businesses and residents. It invites inclusive community participation and encourages artist(s) to create artworks that are an expression of the historic and contemporary culture for all ages and abilities.”

The full policy is available here.

For these and other agenda items for the upcoming Thursday meeting, please see the full agenda here.