The Caliente Planning Commission meets the first and third Wednesday of every month at 5 p.m. in the Depot.
The board agreed to send a letter to the city council to approve a conditional use permit for Life Cafe and Roasting Company.
The public hearing on billboards within the city limits of Caliente drew a small crowd. Lynn Jackson, a business owner, spoke against billboards, as did others. Richard Phillips said that the townspeople he spoke to were against it. Anna Perkins said the same thing, and on a post on Facebook she made about the meeting, all of the responses were “No billboards.” The board decided to put together a group to draw up an ordinance concerning billboards.
The review and revise of Chapter 11 was tabled at the request of a board member who thought that the agenda did not give enough information to the public to know what was going on. It will be on the next agenda. The public needs to be informed and encouraged to attend these meetings to know and understand what is happening in their city, the board member said. The Planning Commission members are Chairman Bobbi Jo Hart, Anna Perkins, Charles Warfield, Alice Rodowick, Richard Phillips, Sheryl Johnson and Jamin Hunter. The next planning meeting will be Wednesday at 5 p.m.
The Caliente City Council held its meeting last Friday at 6 p.m. The council approved a conditional use permit for the property of Life Cafe and Roasting Company. It also approved the application for a business license for dual medical/recreational marijuana cultivation facilities for MJ Distributing C201, LLC and a business license for dual medical/recreational marijuana production facilities for MJ Distributing P132, LLC. City attorney Franklin Katschke told the council that everything was in order except for two things, including the fingerprints. In the last meeting, the council denied the waiver for fingerprints.
“I am working with Sheriff Lee to get the city for us to get digital fingerprints. The fingerprints can be taken elsewhere and the City will get a copy,” Katschke said.
The second issue was the bond. MJ Distributing has added the city to an insurance policy for up to $2 million.
“In my mind and thoughts, this is as good, if not better — gives the City eight times as much protection,” Katschke said. “I have a copy of the insurance policy and have gone through it.”
Mark Zobrist of MJ Distributing turned over a check for $60,000 to Katschke.
There was a public meeting with Dan McArthur last Friday for a discussion of the fiscal report, but there was no public attendance. There will be another budget meeting Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. with McArthur. The public is welcome. The next council meeting will be Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.
