While illegal marijuana grow operations continue to proliferate in Morongo Basin’s unincorporated communities there remains a modicum of hope that a legislative solution is at least possible. Here’s reporter Mike Lipsitz with more on the news expected to come out of tomorrow’s 10 a.m. meeting of county supervisors in San Bernardino…
Our own third district county supervisor Dawn Rowe is behind a consent agenda resolution that strongly encourages the state legislature to reclassify the criminal penalty for illegal cannabis cultivation from a misdemeanor to a felony. Since passage of “The Adult Use of Marijuana Act” in 2016, illegal cannabis cultivation has increased exponentially in the county with one estimate putting the number of illegal commercial pot farms between 400 and 500. Neighbors complain of the pot farm’s indiscriminate use of poisons, loud generators that run night and day, overconsumption of water, proliferation of litter, and threats to public safety as well as the protected Western Joshua tree and desert tortoise. Present penalties are so weak that busted growers can pay their fines and be back in business in a matter of weeks or even days.
The following applies to meetings:
(1) The public may view the Board Meeting live stream at
http://www.sbcounty.gov/Main/Pages/ViewMeetings.aspx;
(2) If you wish to make a comment on a specific agenda item or a general public comment prior to the Board meeting, submit comments via U.S. Mail*, email at [email protected] or online at
http://www.sbcounty.gov/cob/publiccomments/default.aspx.
Comments received prior to the start of the meeting will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for review;
(3) If you wish to make a comment on a specific item or a general public comment while watching the live stream, submit comments, limited to 250 words or less, to the Clerk of the Board at
http://www.sbcounty.gov/cob/publiccomments/default.aspx.
Comments received prior to the end of the meeting will be provided to the Board of Supervisors after the meeting;
(4) If attending the meeting in person, facial coverings and a temperature reading are required. Seating in the board chambers is limited to maintain appropriate social distancing. Additional seating with video and audio of the meeting is available in the Joshua Room and the Rotunda, located on the first floor of the Government Center, adjacent to the chambers.
Any person interested in viewing or addressing the Board during a meeting by interactive video may do so at the Bob Burke Joshua Tree Government Center, 63665 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Joshua Tree.
