Doyle named Encinitas planning chairman

By Stephen Wyer

ENCINITAS — The city's Planning Commission has named Commissioner Kevin Doyle its new chairman after the Encinitas City Council unanimously voted to remove the former chair, Bruce Ehlers, in the face of public opposition last month.

The Planning Commission selected Doyle by a unanimous vote at its meeting on May 4, also naming Commissioner Steve Dalton as the body's new vice-chair.

Ehlers wholeheartedly endorsed his replacement, describing Doyle as a strong leader with a deep knowledge of the planning commission code.

“Kevin will do great, he came up to speed on the concept of findings and sticking to the facts and sticking to the law," Ehlers said. "His deep involvement with the community, especially in Leucadia 101 makes him a very good candidate. He comes up to speed very well with the necessary legal findings, and coming to a conclusion as well that’s a requirement for a planning commissioner and that’s what he does so well.

Commissioner Steve Dalton, the body's representative from Cardiff-by-theSea, expressed that Doyle has the commission's complete confidence and spoke highly of Doyle both personally and professionally.

“I think that he’s really experienced on the planning commission when it comes to knowing our procedures and processes, reviewing the codes and documents we have to review, and I think he’s more than capable of handling the projects coming up in front of us,” Dalton said.

“I really do appreciate his community service and his commitment to improving this community, he’s been a really level-headed person to work with on the commission and I think that he has real strength and openness to hear both sides and to not be entrenched in one position or another. I like that he’s open in that way and willing to discuss the issues and then make decisions accordingly."

Ehlers was suddenly terminated from the role in April after refusing Mayor Catherine Blakespear's request to voluntarily resign. Blakespear and the rest of the council cited Ehlers' alleged conflicts of interest as preventing him from being impartial while performing his duties.

However, Ehlers and many others decried the move, calling it a “political hatchet job” meant to hurt his campaign for the City Council.

“This is purely political. They’re taking me off of the commission, claiming that I’m violating policy, but they haven’t shown how I’ve violated city or state law,” Ehlers said. “What they’re doing is they’re trying to tarnish my reputation, and they’re completely wrong in doing so.”

Blakespear denied the council’s decision was political and instead maintained that by making public statements about certain housing developments and his involvement in litigation against the city, Ehlers’ presence on the Planning

KEVIN DOYLE is the new chairman of the Encinitas Planning Commission after the City Council voted to remove his predecessor, Bruce Ehlers, last month. Photo by James Wang

TURN TO DOYLE ON 17

PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT LEADER * VETERAN * ADVOCATE

reneetaylor.house

CONTINUED FROM 10 lated and less safe for use than their counterparts in the regulated market; black market profits from cannabis also tend to benefit criminal enterprises that are connected to other illicit activities as well, Berkowitz said.

“Pushing people into the black market is bad,” Berkowitz said. “Beyond dispute, the products in the regulated market are tested and dosage controlled so they tend to be safer than what you get on the black market. And then driving people to the black market also props up a cartel, so this [tax] ultimately drives all of the same activity that these regulations are intended to mitigate.”

David Newman, who ran operated a cannabis business in Oceanside for more than 10 years, agreed the proposed tax would invariably benefit black market sellers. He also argued that dispensaries are already overtaxed and overregulated in the status quo.

“The industry is in shambles right now, taxes are killing the industry," Newman said. “Ultimately, it’s all passed down to the consumer and they’ll get upset so they’ll end up back at the black market where it’s less expensive ... and less hassle for sellers. They’ve put in so much red tape already into the application process and the metric system involved that it’s a nightmare.”

“Why does this tax have to be so high? I mean a $2-10 canopy tax per square foot is ridiculous, no one is doing that, it’s just a flawed process,” Newman said. “What if I have a crop failure if there’s disease or aphids or something else? I’m not getting a refund for that product, it’s just too high of a cost. $10 per square foot basically means you’re not going to make any money, and it makes no sense, I mean if you’re going to bleed us dry why are we even bothering with this business?”

Kranz said that he was unsurprised by this kind of opposition to the ballot measure but maintained that it was “unrealistic” for sellers to expect that there would be no additional city-imposed tax measures given the passage of Measure H.

However, he acknowledged there was a point at which additional taxation measures could push buyers towards the black market.

Councilmember Joy Lyndes supported the 4% to 7% tax, which she said was in line with the recommendations of the experts hired by the city.

“One important element of evaluating this is how other jurisdictions are treating this and responding to this issue, and that was one of the elements considered when these tax ranges were put forward for consideration and approval,” Lyndes said.

PRIORITIES

• Military & Veterans • Military & Veterans • Aging & the Elderly • Aging & the Elderly • Healthcare & Insurance • Healthcare & Insurance • Housing • Housing

Insecurities/Homelessness Insecurity & Homelessness • Secure Borders • Secure Borders • National Security • National Security • Limited budgets drained by • Limited budgets drained by soaring costs & unfettered soaring costs & unfettered government spending government spending • Cybersecurity / Privacy • Cybersecurity / Privacy • “Big Pharma” and “Big Tech” • "Big Pharma" and "Big Tech"