A cannabis business wanting to open in Ventura will have to pay up to nearly $11,000 to have its application for a permit reviewed and processed.
The Ventura City Council Monday night unanimously approved a schedule of applicant fees aimed at enabling the city to recover the costs of the review process.
It will cost a business $8,844 for the first three phases of evaluating its application.
Background checks, meanwhile, will cost applicants $377.
The first three phases include determination of eligibility, application review and ranking, and review and interviews by a selection committee.
The city’s consultant, HdL, anticipates most applicants will make it through the first three phases, according to a city staff report.
If an applicant does not make it to Phase 3, it will receive a proportionate refund, the report says.
Applicants who are selected to continue to Phase 4 will need to pay an additional $1,482.
The final selection will be made by City Manager Alex McIntyre, the report says.
It will cost an applicant $3,178 to appeal during any phase of the permitting process.
Yesania Anderson, a city management analyst, told the council the fees will fully cover the costs incurred by the city in evaluating the applications.
“This is aimed at full, 100% cost recovery,” she said.
She said Tuesday that according to HdL, such permit application fees aimed at full cost recovery are fairly standard among other cities.
