7.5.18-Council General Comment Form ASM 2. Energy Offsets- A. MaloneCity of Boulder Marijuana Business Licensing and Enforcement Comment Form
What is your suggested change in the way that Marijuana Businesses are licensed or how Marijuana
Regulations are enforced in the City of Boulder that you would like the Marijuana Advisory Panel to
review?
Which person, group or constituency on the Marijuana Advisory Panel should make your suggested
change?
What staff, resources, or tools would they need to fully implement it?
If your suggested change was enacted, what benefit would there be to undertaking the change and
what person, group, or constituency would benefit?
I suggest a few steps in regard to the unfair and discriminatory energy offset fees currently imposed exclusively on
marijuana businesses in the city. As a reminder city marijuana businesses pay more city taxes (not limited to double use tax rate,
5% excise tax rate, sales tax, cap tax), more state taxes, and more federal taxes than any other city business. To be forced to
exclusively shoulder the burden of the city's energy offset fund is a burden we were not prepared for and many of us cannot afford.
1) Immediately de-couple the requirement to pay the offset fees from our ability to renew our licenses.
2) allow marijuana businesses a credit towards their fees for the cap tax we pay
3) lower the rate. it was described as "on par" with rates we were used to paying. it is 10x the rates we were paying.
4) exclude retail marijuana and MIPs which are normal businesses that don't use any more power than other businesses in the city
5) create more/expand the options we have for offsets
Suggestion 1 would require staff and rulemaking to protect compliant license holders from losing their licenses due to inability to
pay the fees.
Suggestion 2,3,4 and 5 would be done by the energy staff
Direction, rule making, not entirely sure.
These are interim steps that are needed immediately while we work towards a much better, and more equitable plan for how
the city can fund their energy plans, without relying exclusively on one (heavily tax, fined and regulated) nascient industry that
already more than pays its way.