County Supervisor summarizes district news

By Kevin Jeffries
Riverside County Supervisor, First District

The Judge Wants You!

Superior Court Presiding Judge John W. Vineyard has put out the call for citizens who are able and willing to serve on the 2020-2021 Grand Jury in Riverside. Are you a good listener? Perhaps some inquisitive investigator-like skills? Simply want good government? Go online to complete the Grand Jury application at: www.riverside.courts.ca.gov.

Pension Costs Hit Home!

As CalPERS once again missed its investment return target to fully fund its guaranteed pension checks to retired employees, local governments all across our state will feel the financial pain of having to fill the financial void. Riverside County will be one of those local governments feeling the pain as it writes an even bigger check (approximately $300 million more by 2023) to fill the CalPERS gap and broken promises.

While many, including some in the media, wag their fingers at the local city councils and county supervisors for not “fixing” the problem, the fact is they cannot fix it. It (investment policies and priorities and guaranteed retirement benefits) can only be fixed or adjusted by the CalPERS Governing Board, State Legislature and/or California Supreme Court. Even though I do not accept a pension for my service as a County Supervisor, this growing issue has everyone concerned – both those who write the checks, those who receive the checks and most certainly all of us taxpayers and residents who depend on affordable government services to keep our communities safe and prosperous.

Is the Cannabis Industry Taking a Nap?

In 2016, California voters (including a majority of voters in Riverside County) gave the green light for legalizing and regulating cannabis retail facilities and cultivation. That was immediately followed by hundreds of future cannabis entrepreneurs seeking approval from the state and county to open new retail facilities and cultivation sites. In October 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved a regulatory framework and ranking system for the first round of applicants.

Over a year later, a way forward in allowing the second round of applicants will likely be considered in March or April. At the same time, there are signs that the cannabis entrepreneurs are perhaps pulling back a bit.

A number of local cities have permitted retail facilities and, consequently, cannabis deliveries to your home now cross city and county boundaries. But quite a few of those applicants, which were chosen to move forward last year, haven’t aggressively pursued receiving their final permits, and surprisingly few have attempted to obtain cultivation and manufacturing permits.

Has the lure of instant riches given way to the realities of steep business regulations, high state taxes and permitting challenges? The majority of us on the Board of Supervisors have shown little interest in relaxing zoning regulations and allowing new cannabis cultivation or retail facilities in any residential areas, so the potential for new sites remain pretty limited in our rural communities. Stay tuned as we all work our way through this new business sector.