Tempers flare between supervisors during ban talks

Civil dialogue devolved into personal shots Tuesday between supervisors shortly after it was made clear a vote on a cannabis ban would be pushed off one more day.

A remark by Supervisor Jack Garamendi, after Supervisors Dennis Mills and Clyde Clapp walked out of public comment during a cannabis friendly song by Holly Johnston, urged the two to respect the process. It was not fair to deprive her the constitutional right, he added. The statement drew an applause that silenced the gavel as it hammered.

In response, Mills defended their actions. His remark drew a round of support from a separate group in the crowd. In the middle of it all, Clapp sat up and passionately urged someone to “Sign the recall,” alluding to a recall campaign recently launched against Garamendi.

“Every time you come at me, that is what I will do,” Clapp said in a confrontation after the meeting when Garamendi confirmed what he heard.

All intentions are the issue will be addressed when the board reconvenes Wednesday at 9 a.m. Supervisors are scheduled to deliberate and vote on the ban that has been in the works since direction was given to staff in January.

But anticipations in advance of tomorrow’s deliberations were quickly shadowed by the confrontation at the tail end of the meeting.

Shortly after adjournment, Calaveras Cannabis Alliance Executive Director Trevor Wittke stood in the foyer and said during an interview Clapp broke the law. He used public resources for political campaign purposes, Wittke said.

Wittke said it was a violation that could warrant criminal charges filed by Calaveras County District Attorney Barbara Yook or any other Calaveras resident who files a civil lawsuit.

The entire sequence was the result of a period that lasted three minutes. Johnston, unconventionally, approached the podium with a guitar in hand and began to sing a song she wrote in support of marijuana regulations.

Promptly, Mills and Clapp walked out of the hearing room and into a private space where only officials and county staff have access.

When asked afterward why they left, Mills said Johnston was out of tune.

Clapp said they walked out to discuss attempts to nullify his vote on the cannabis ban recently filed recently in Calaveras County Court.

Their actions drew ire from some. One, Brett Gonsalves, co-owner of Rolling Hills Bookkeeping based out of San Andreas, could not keep his composure during public comment. Another, registered cultivator Prapanna Smith, also expressed his disappointment before public comment concluded.

Aside the confrontation, a meeting on a cannabis ban did take place.

A large portion of the morning hours were dedicated toward staff presentations regarding the issue. Sheriff Rick DiBasilio said during the meeting no matter the decision, it would take three or four years to gain a handle on the situation.

He urged for more staffing. He said if he lost his Marijuana Enforcement Team, a group made up of about nine that handle cannabis incidents, many ranked officers would have to insert back into other departments. Others would likely be laid off.

Decisions related to the MET were to occur later in the discussions. Supervisors did not return to the topic Tuesday.

DiBasilio said as of Monday, he had eight unfilled positions within the sheriff’s office. If the MET was dissolved, he said he would have to figure out what to do with the team’s lieutenant and sergeant. He said he had three cadets set to graduate from the police academy soon.

Without the MET, DiBasilio said they would not have anybody specifically dedicated to marijuana related incidents. He said his office would continue to handle calls, but access would be limited.

In terms of coverage, the county is divided into four corners. Manpower is then split up based on call volume, DiBasilio said. Since the sheriff’s office receives a higher volume of calls from Valley Springs, more resources are allocated to the area.

It would strip deputies away from District 2, where the county’s largest concentration of cannabis farmers are housed.

The budget was also a topic of discussion. Calaveras County Auditor-Controller Rebecca Callen said during the hearing the budget, using Measure C cannabis tax dollars as well as regulatory fee monies, has become cannabis dependent.

Without the financial assistance, the county would be looking at a $5.1 million structural deficit to the General Fund for the next fiscal year, said County Administrative Officer Tim Lutz.

In order to correct the deficit Lutz said the county would trim nonessential services first before reducing staffing. The sheriff’s office and the jail could both be at risk if cuts are needed, said Garamendi.

A large portion of those represented during public comment opposed the ban.

Bill Petrone, regional director of the Service Employees International Union 1021, said the workers union that represents more than 275 county employees would bear the consequences of a ban. He said employees have not seen any wage increases in two years.

“The ban kills off the revenue stream to allow the county to provide competitive wages and benefits,” Petrone said.

Rick Frimmer, an attorney and certified public accountant, feared the county could go bankrupt if they eliminated an industry that could bring in $340 million in economic benefits. He called Calaveras a “factory town” that could go bust if the “factory” closed.

Mark Moore, a retired fire captain from the Bay Area, worried the budget deficit could be insurmountable next year if a ban is imposed. It would eliminate the tax base, he said. He also speculated whether other areas around the county would apply for incorporated status with a decision to ban.

Ban proponents were also represented during public comment Tuesday. At one point, they were counting up their support with each speaker. The tally reached about 20 that opposed cannabis regulations.

Of them was one who said the marijuana industry was always illegal. Farmers needed to provide proof of cultivation that they were farming last year before the urgency ordinance was voted in 

Susan Morse condemned farmers for claiming there was not enough law enforcement to rid the area of the criminal element. She wanted there to be no criminal element.

A third slammed the desire for cannabis money. He said he would prefer an increase in sales tax over monies obtained via cannabis cultivators.