Windsor
Town Council seeks community input on two policy issues: Medical Marijuana
Cultivation and Vacation Rentals by Owner
Windsor, California (February 4, 2016) –
At the regular Town Council meeting
of Wednesday, February 17, 2016, beginning at 6pm, the Windsor Town Council
will take up two issues of significance.
The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act
(MMRSA) is a package of three pieces of State legislation which addresses
the regulation and licensing of dispensaries, delivery of medical marijuana,
and cultivation of medical marijuana.
The Town already
expressly prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries and the MMRSA does not
require further action by the Town to continue its current prohibition.
Further, the Town does not prohibit deliveries of medical marijuana to patients
living in Town limits. The MMRSA provides that unless the Town adopts an
ordinance expressly prohibiting deliveries of medical marijuana within Town
limits, deliveries from dispensaries outside of Town limits may continue to be
made, if they are licensed by the State. At its meeting of January 20, 2016,
the Town Council decided not to take action to prohibit deliveries. In terms of
cultivation, medical marijuana cultivation is currently banned in the Town of
Windsor.
The MMRSA also provides
a comprehensive State licensing scheme for cultivation of medical marijuana. At
the Town Council meeting of January 20, 2016, the Town Council provided
direction to staff to return to Council with a proposed resolution expressly
reaffirming and confirming that marijuana cultivation is currently banned in
Windsor pursuant to its zoning ordinance.
Also on January 20,
Councilmembers expressed a desire to continue to ban or limit marijuana
cultivation in residential zoning districts. Some interest was expressed in
researching permitting commercial cultivation of marijuana in industrial zoning
districts. At the February 17 Council meeting, Town staff will be seeking
further direction as to Council’s desired scope of study and possible action on
a commercial cultivation ordinance.
Vacation Rentals by Owner is a preliminary policy discussion to be held at
the meeting of February 17. The Town has traditionally taken a limited role
with respect to vacation rentals operating within the boundaries of the Town of
Windsor. The Town Council has requested
a review of the current Town processes and policies for managing vacation
rentals as well as options including prohibiting or expressly permitting
vacation rentals. The scope of this
overview to be presented by staff also includes a study of the current vacation
rental landscape, hosted vacation rentals where a portion of the home is rented while the
owner remains onsite, steps required
to implement each scenario and the pros and cons of each option. For purposes of this policy overview,
vacation rentals are defined as vacation rentals by owners, or VRBOs, and include the
renting out of a portion or the entirety of a furnished apartment, house, or
professionally managed resort-condominium complex on a temporary basis to
tourists as an alternative to a hotel.
Councilmembers have
expressed an interest in determining the amount of revenue which may be
available to the Town if the Town’s transient occupancy tax (TOT) ordinance
were extended to encompass vacation rentals.
The Town Council is
interested in community input regarding these issues and welcomes resident
participation at the Council meeting. Written feedback may also be provided to
the Council via email to TownCouncil@Townofwindsor.com.
