On Tuesday, August 10, 2021, Nevada County’s Building Director, Craig Griesbach, will be seeking approval from the Board of Supervisors for the implementation of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilot program for unpermitted commercial cannabis enforcement.
If this is approved by the Board of Supervisors, Nevada “County staff” will be allowed to use small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) – also known as DRONES – to inspect private property to investigate violations of the Nevada County Code specific to and/or caused by unpermitted cannabis cultivation.
If history tells us anything, this will only be the first step towards greater enforcement. When or if this is enacted, the County can and will likely expand the scope of use to include other types of code enforcement issues. This is the beginning of the end for our privacy and property rights in Nevada County.
This will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, August 10 @ 1:30 pm.
In addition to emailing a letter to your Supervisor requesting they vote “NO” on SR 21-0635 using the template copied in below, please plan to show your support this Tuesday by either:
- Attending the Board of Supervisors meeting live, in-person, from inside the Board Chambers located on the First Floor of the Eric Rood Administrative Center at 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City, CA 95959. NOTE: To remain in compliance with the state’s public health guidance, face coverings are required to be worn by individuals who are not fully vaccinated while inside County facilities.
- Or watching the meeting live on Nevada County Media Channel 17 in western County and on Suddenlink Channel 78 in eastern County through the web at https://www.mynevadacounty.com/boardmeetings, or listen by calling 1 (415) 655-0001 (you will be prompted to provide Meeting ID# 182 746 3119 & Password# 757 64 446). Closed Captioning is available for hearing impaired viewers.
Here is a template you can use to request that the Board of Supervisors vote “NO” on SR 21-0635:
August 2021
Nevada County Board of Supervisors
950 Maidu Ave
Nevada City, CA 95959
Dear Board of Supervisors,
I’m writing to you today to ask that you please vote “NO” on SR 21-0635.
This recommendation by the Nevada County CDA has the ability to be far-reaching and is being proposed under the pretense that it will only be used specifically for unpermitted commercial cannabis enforcement. It also allows for county personnel to determine – without oversight – when to use this system on a case-by-case basis. Even in best-case scenarios, county personnel are prone to having – and to acting upon – biases. With these types of enforcement systems in place, our personal and property rights are at risk of being violated.
As members of the Board, you are perfectly aware that there are currently several issues in the County that are dividing us as a community. Now more than ever, we need outstanding leadership, not another far-reaching enforcement tool in the hands of CDA.
Again, I strongly suggest that you vote “NO” on SR 21-0635.
Thank you,
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Not sure who your county Supervisor is? View the Nevada County map here to find out what district you live in: https://bit.ly/NC-District-Maps
Not sure how to contact your local Supervisor? Use the email addresses below:
District 1: heidi.hall@co.nevada.ca.us
District 2: ed.scofield@co.nevada.ca.us
District 3: dan.miller@co.nevada.ca.us
District 4: sue.hoek@co.nevada.ca.us
District 5: hardy.bullock@co.nevada.ca.us
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Want to learn more about what is being proposed? You can view information the Community Development Agency (CDA) will present at next week’s Board of Supervisors meeting here: https://bit.ly/SR21-0635. Click on the “BOS Staff Memo” or “UAS Presentation” links to download these specific resources up for review.