Council adopts timeline to implement Virginia Cannabis Control Act, plans consolidated public input

Town staff presented a proposed timeline for implementing the Virginia Cannabis Control Act and the council adopted it on Sept. 22, directing staff to begin work on amendments and public outreach.

Mister Spruill presented the timeline and asked the council to adopt it with any changes. Council members discussed scheduling public input: several asked whether zoning ordinance amendments and rules on prohibited conduct/hours of operation could be consolidated into a single public input session. The transcript records a staff recommendation to hold consolidated but separately noticed public hearings and a suggestion to target the planning commission review first. Town staff and council noted the statutory or programmatic deadline for categories such as prohibited conduct and hours of operation (speaker noted a July 1 deadline) and discussed using budget time and planning commission schedules to meet a suggested Feb. 1 milestone for zoning amendments.

"I would move that the town council adopt the timeline as contained in the staff report for implementing the legislation precipitated by the Virginia Cannabis Control Act and direct staff to take the actions necessary to implement said timeline," a council member said on the record. The motion was seconded and carried. Council directed staff to plan consolidated outreach where practical while keeping separate public hearing records for zoning amendments and operational ordinance changes.

Next steps: staff will prepare ordinance drafts and a public-input schedule, coordinate with the planning commission, and return to council with draft amendments.