Board says application timeline not set; staff will invite state OSE for update

A member of the public asked whether a date had been set for the Cannabis Reinvestment and Restoration Board's application process; staff told the meeting the board is still in the listening-and-design phase and has not established a firm application deadline.

"At this time, no. We have not established the firm deadline for when the applications will go live," staff said in response to a question from Mandrell Burks of Eloquent Expressions LLC. Staff and board members said the listening sessions are a necessary step before any recommendations or application process can be finalized.

Staff proposed inviting the state Office of Social Equity (OSE) to an upcoming meeting to give the board a fuller picture of surrounding jurisdictions and how funds are being administered elsewhere. Board members agreed that a state briefing would help the board confirm whether any other counties have started distributing funds and would provide authoritative data the board can cite when speaking with residents.

Staff also said the council's webpages will host application details and deadlines once set, and they offered to post survey and town-hall links there so residents can check for updates.