##VIDEO ID:sEmjnBOpSO0## City held Tuesday April 23rd uh 2024 at approximately 5:00 p.m. in accordance with the open public meetings act as the sunshine bail adequate notice of this meeting was provided by mail or fax uh call to order a roll call actually chairperson bunny here Vice chair canero here commissioner Marte Dublin here and Commissioners cap klewitz and Sloan are absent I I think I have yeah uh we don't have to do that and then also Ron can you just from now on start taking attendance so that we know who's here so that we can reference it so Jeff is not here because of Passover and Courtney said she is not making it this evening because she has to work got it and then I don't know if you can just look back through maybe based on voting uh yeah I'd have to go back through the resolutions and uh see who because I do Mark someone if they're absent you keep okay yeah thank you we're just we don't normally keep track but we started thank you awesome we're just concerned because there's excessive absences and one of us couldn't have been here this evening we would have had to cancel the meeting so um let's I is Blossom here okay all right so then let's just call up CCB 22-03 Bay Street Greenery LLC um formally known as W Wellness LLC hello good evening would you please raise your right hand theore affirm the testimony about to give you the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth shall help you God yes okay you can put your hand down uh please state your name spell your last name and give us your address Wendy topus t o p k i s I live at 43 West 64th Street New York New York 100023 all right what would you like to tell the board about your Readiness to open doors etc etc we are ready um nothing has changed uh significantly since we were last year in terms of what we submitted to you other than we changed our name which you're aware of and we replaced one partner um we had one partner who was conflicted out she took a job in it State position that conflicted her and we very easily had a great replacement waiting in the wings and other than that we're we're ready to be uh fully approved by you um so I I actually don't think that either Sonia or Jose were on the board when um WR Wellness or Bas Street Greenery came before us um but I was so I'm comfortable making an Mo motion to approve um I think they're a good operator I think they'll do the right thing by the neighborhood I think we should just give them the opportunity to open and so therefore I make a motion to approve and I um watched the YouTube video so was that a second second yep call chairperson bunny Hi Vice chair cancel rero hi commissioner mte Dublin hi motion carried congratulations have a good night you guys thank Youk you all right how much time okay they're not coming who's not coming um one applicant that was T from 121 oh okay Mar okay um blossom still no I got nothing from Marist he they just said they're not coming they thought the meeting was the 29th I spoke to the attorney he said I'll see it okay can we just also clarify when the May meeting is because I have it as the 27th which 2 okay I just it's me in my calendar I'll fix it thank you pushing it are you you're not an applicant for blossom though yes we are9 49% oh I don't think we've ever seen you here before so can we just pull that up or you have it those are the minutes this is the old resolu solution we only had two applicants it was sapna and Bina uh we uh uh let me let me see if I can swear you folks in okay please both of you raise your right hand do you swear firm the testimony about to give will be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth to help you God yes put your hand down starting with you please state your name spell your last name and give us your address my name is my name is harender sing and I live in that's s i n g h okay yes I live in the Newberg 414 River Road Newberg New York in New York and U we are me and my wife we are the 49th per owners of the so hold on can they even do that can they change the ownership by that percentage and not notify the board until they come in front of us again we don't have anything in the ordinance that says that that's a requirement they're allowed to do it with the excuse me with the CRC can you let the attorney finish talking please thank you they're allowed to change the 49% with the CRC and if the CRC approves it it's a done deal do we have records of that may yeah how would we know has commer been notified of a change okay we're the lawyer and the city are going to answer not the two of you so there's nothing in our ordinance that requires an updated notice with respect to a change in in own ship like 49% um right but to me that's kind of like a bait and switch like the people who came in front of us where are they now where they stand in this like I don't get it it's predominant in the state um that some folks originally start out as either 51 49 and then right parties be present then yeah because the people who committed to the things that they committed to are not sitting here I've never seen this person before it's a fair position this was never a person in front of the board so I'm not comfortable unless Bina and uh sapna bot who were the owners when this application was presented to us one was 49% and the other was 51 I think but neither of those people are here so where are they yeah where can I say something please yeah uh I think the Bina called to the Comm DeMar department and I think she let them know that they not going to be available today for some okay so I'm not voting on this today I don't feel comfortable so then she should have rescheduled she should have just removed let you guys know but I I we've never seen you this is not who made all of these promises to us I mean none of this was I you were you're saying you weren't notified that the ownership was changed you were notified and I assume that Maria sent those to you as well I do have an email here from a change of ownership email from Maria that came in September 20 2023 at 3:33 p.m. okay um and it was letting us know that um the approved applicant known as Blossom dispensary LC has changed the ownership please see the attach amended documents that was provided to the division of Commerce okay so this has never h i mean I'm not saying people haven't changed their ownership yeah but if if a majority like what is do you have the full ownership structure in front of you um I only have a copy of her email okay so I don't have anything else besides that because I when the original when the original um when you guys first came up to the board I wasn't a member at the time nor was Sonia so I don't have the original so what percentage is sna now and what percentage is Bina all right so if you're going to speak please state your name spell your last name give us your address I uh my name is Raman sank I'm from 414 River Road Newberg New York um and what's your relationship son that's your okay it's your father you're an owner uh my father is the owner I'm just the head manager that's also okay and so then what's the ownership structure who who owns what so uh Bina owns 51% and then the new owners uh 49% will be par vender core and our vender syn okay so now sapna's out of it completely uh yes sapna's out we're just working directly with Bina okay so I feel like that is pretty that's a substantial change uh yeah that's a pretty significant change [Music] um because the whole application was based on if I remember correctly mayard and you're the and Ron you are the only two who are with me because this was the first application that we heard but the whole premise of this cannabis business was based on the fact that it was the two sisters with all of their extensive experience and actually this is also the dispensary that we had a problem with where theou was rescinded and and they didn't follow through with what they had promised to one of the nonprofits correct this is also one that kind of no it is it is you can shake your head no but I don't agree with you so yeah I I think this is a sign ific change because I remember [Music] um are are are you open for business correct we are but why are you open if you haven't come to the board cuz we didn't vote on it we are okay no no no we would have had to vote so you should not have been open so then that's not the conversation we had remember but we voted on the other ones we voted on uh the leaf joint and we voted on WR Wellness we voted you vote you didn't vote I abstained from that I Jeff voted and you voted and I voted yes okay so that they could be be open on April 20th right correct and then that they aim wasn't it a preliminary opening for that day and then they would have to come back and get final understanding from the email threat that was my understanding I didn't comfortable so I abstained but I want to have a conversation about that not today when the rest of the board members are here okay but my my concern is that this is a 100 like this is this is from the the application okay so let's just um oh 100% women-owned business no longer true no longer true correct it's true no it's not not 100% there's but you own you're saying you own 41% of it so it's me and my wife together she's the main head though I think we should um table hold on let's just hold on I want to go through here it's a good thing back then I really put reports together we shot away from that because it took so much time I don't have a copy of that either this is Ron I I did send it I sent it with the proposed resolutions we don't create reports like that anymore yeah it was um it was 100 kids who contacted us letting us know that they just stopped responding um is it this one y it's the last one that came up yeah I just let me move it had saved it into a different folder the resolutions folder well it it sounds like the board may be going down a path where they want to hear from at a minimum the 51% owner and I don't know what the board's pleasure is with respect to you being open before having the 51% majority uh shareholder explain what's going going on what's the status etc etc I'm not speaking for the board I'm just thinking that that's what they may be thinking but we'll know in a minute so sapna was the chief executive officer [Music] um and she was going to focus on social Equity job plans and job Workforce creation let me to send it to you I can oh I have it I downlo oh okay and excuse me we are taking over all the commitments that they have the sapna had so we are well what happened to 100 kids in why why does is that one not taken over oh we just got full taken over with that too I spoke with Hudson Pride too today we're sponsored the gala and ABC I spoke with as well so we but what about 100 kids in there were there were commitments to York Street project Hudson Pride Center New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars Jersey City employment and training program which no longer exists by uh I don't want to fully quote Jay but based off what we discussed with him um they uh only did the ones at the the city that worked with the city and the Charities that allow were allowed with the CRC and regarding with the board when did the change when did the change of ownership change when did September Jose said we got the email in September it began in September and the full appr approval by CRC was last week or a few weeks ago but like again so sapna is not involved right no so this part of this application is is um a board member asked Blossom to speak to the fact that no one on the leadership team has any experience in the Cannabis industry she is concerned that the lack of experience may lead to JC cannabis dispens dispensary industry in that's the owners have completed a general course of curriculum with us um the University of Sciences in Philadelphia and cannabis and sap nabot is a doctor of Pharmacy with 20 years of experience reporting to a state board controlling dangerous substances while sap nabat does not have direct cannabis experience running a pharmacy is very close to running a cannabis dispensary so my point is that the whole application was predicated on these two women and now it's completely like to other applications have changed the 5% owner the 5% owner is not making major decisions and how a business is run but to me and I understand the flaws within the ordinance but to me this is basically a completely different application than what we heard these I've never seen any of these people before which is why I asked if Blossom was here I remember seeing Wendy when she appeared in front of us um so like this feels completely different it feels like it's a complete application it's a new application I agree as well and I I just given what we're supposed to evaluate the application on which is basically at the end of the day Community impact and Outreach I don't understand how this is even and I get what you're saying that the CRC allows you to change but how do municipalities deal with this because this is a completely different application as far as I'm concerned I I mhm I have to agre I have to agree this this person is not involved anymore but it is the 51% owner the same yes um so the work that SAA was doing um we kind of Diversified that between beina and us and the reason why is because we also have cannabis experience we have a dispensory in Massachusetts that's why we but now this is an MSO this isn't even what it was cuz now you have multip like no no we're partnered with it it's not like a full MSO like the way it is the way it is we kept 49% because okay we didn't ask a question about it I made a comment we're not debating but Ron is that not an MSO I mean that's a a multi-state organization well they're not using the same name they're different entities right you know Nova Farms has a a big cultivation in Massachusetts and they're using the same name here so I I don't know if you would call call them an MSO they're separate entities it's not the same name it's a family business what's the name of your Massachusetts hybrid hybrid with the I correct and who's the majority owner there you uh yeah okay well it's sort of the same entity if you're the majority owner and the minority owner here I would like to I would like to hear from the 51% person all right yeah I would like everybody present as well well um and I would like a copy of the the application I don't I don't have the original it was before you guys were here this was the very first application that we heard no was an attorney that it was Jay bot who did most of the talking's husband correct whose husband is Jay B they they both are still working with us right now they just were traveled because the dates changed for the meeting the meeting didn't change from April 23rd from April 29th I believe or one of those I don't know you know it's funny the the attorney for Maris just said what are you talking about the meeting is April 29th yeah I thought it was too and then it wasn't so it is what it is it doesn't really matter but I Ron I think we need you to advise us because they are open I mean yeah so you've opened without the board's final approval there's no final resolution saying now we have made exceptions we did it twice right to allow those two other one because we didn't have Quorum yes and the other one only solemnly for the purpose of 420 but I have a question about this because and I had a conversation with Maynard about this we don't know if they've done everything they're supposed to do have they paid the fees that they have to pay the city did we get the CRC only Maynard's going to know that information so I don't want to stop anybody from opening if there's no change major changes in their application and they have everything from the CRC and they've done everything they need to do on a city level in that case I'm I don't want to hold somebody back because I know this has been the most bureaucratic process probably of all bureaucratic processes which the three of us are very familiar mayard you as well so I don't want to hold people up because I know they've spent a lot of time and money getting to this place so if there's no real material changes let them stay open let them open and they still have to come in front of us so we can ask any questions reasonable but in this situation where there's a significant change where there's a com like they didn't change the five% owner they change basically somebody's completely the the co- applicant is completely out of the the application we don't know these people at all we don't know who they are we don't know what they stand for in my eyes they're a multi-state operator so that's a completely different situation than a woman minority owned business of two people who I believe said they lived in one lived in Jersey City for sure the other I don't think did question she now it's it's a completely different application they're open which I guess there could have been confusion on that but I don't think you should be open because I don't even know so it would be the board's prerogative to say you do not have the board's final approval yet you should not be open you can only open after this board gives you final approval that's what our ordinance says but I guess how how did you how did you get authority to to open do do you have may I can't remember did anybody tell these folks that they could open or we did yeah okay okay but but hold on I still have a problem with it because before they even spoke to Maynard our ribbon cutting was scheduled that's how it even got put on my radar and these and I wasn't aware you were not aware of it and I was not aware of it I only got the invitation because I had happened to see it and I said oh why is this why is Blossom scheduling a ribbon cutting when nothing has been communicated to us but I don't again I I don't think that these businesses should have to come back to the board if there's no significant change but this is something we need to bring up to the council because if there's a major change in the application it's this is basically a different application in my opinion what's major a significant change in ownership 9% of the person is gone yeah I I think we also but we have to keep in mind when that was submitted it's not like it was a week before this meeting so we have to give them that courtesy September last year yeah right but I I you were notified in September you stated that it was just recently right that it was finalized um the CRC finalized it recently but Marquee and we've been notifying Jay has been working with everybody to make sure but I don't remember things that we were told in September me neither no what how exensive how extensive these applications are yeah we can't be notified via email but to keep track of everything you know so so no I want to be very clear this is not commerce's fault because we've never had this happen and we've never had this conversation but I do think this is a significant change and I I mean I agree my opinion is this this cannabis dispensary has kind of disrespected the entire process I think there were things when they were here that we weren't comfortable with if you remember wrong I think the whole 100 kids thing kind of threw us off and I remember saying to you that's something we would like addressed when they come in front of the board and so now bot's not here sapot is no longer an owner jbot who is the attorney is not here the dispensary is already open and we can't even ask them questions about why they didn't do what they said they were going to do because this gentleman and his son who is not an owner but keeps speaking for the the owners which I also don't understand why he's speaking if he's not an owner but that's fine but my whole point is this is a different application and the two people who were here who told us all of these things aren't even here to answer the questions because they're on vacation but also you're a 51% owner in a dispensary you allegedly just opened on Saturday but now you're on vacation like I don't I don't understand like clearly this isn't a priority and clearly they don't care about what the bo so ask why are they here in front of us for final approval yeah to to be open done well they always I I understand that I'm just I'm I'm just there's so many there's so so many discrepancies within what I'm looking at that I I I don't it just feels like a bait and switch it feels like we heard one thing and now there's people here who can't even answer the questions because they weren't here for the original testimony I think this is the resolution um I I don't think that the board could say cease and desist um they did rely to some extent and it's nobody's fault um they did get some type of permission or authority to open so there there's some detrimental Reliance on the applicant's part so I don't think you can say shut the doors right now I think you carry this to May and we expect you to have the 51% owners here and anyone else that is significantly involved that makes decisions and I think we expect updates on all of your so whatever you whatever you changed we need to see it any um any or anybody you plan on work to work with or give back to I think they should be present to um kind of just yeah like that should back you up that this is still in place and that you're still working with them so and and understand you really need to comply with that because certainly the board does have the authority to say we're not going to Grant you final approval and then you will have to close until the board is satisfied so request 100% own should be here yeah 100% yeah everybody who owns a piece of this business should be here and we want an explanation from 100 Kids Inc because they are the ones who told us they stopped communicating with them once they got the approval they just stopped responding to the nonprofit we'll reach out to all Theus to confirm they still exist we'll be here everybody all right when is the May meeting a motion May 28th because 27th is U Memorial Day weekend so a motion to carry um this application for a final approval by this board May 28th I motion to carry it I'll second all in favor I any opposed no motion to adjourn that's the second oh um wait hold on we have to vote sorry we have to vote I thought we did that when we said sorry so we're not doing this one we're not so I you know I've been kicking this around for a long time I don't know if you guys recall High Life sales they were denied they came back in a couple months with the same application this is an extensive resolution so motion to deny I need well it's it's a motion to memorialize you can go oh you guys can go I'm sorry you guys can have a nice night thank you and I think you maysent so Jose all right so it's in the matter of of high life um yeah I remember this one we need a motion to memorialize that resolution can't so it's got to be you too and motion second all in favor I okay and the one that we just approved is uh Bay Street Greenery it's I make a motion is there a second for Bay Street Greenery second all in favor any opposed that motion carries thank you okay now motion to adjourn okay we'll see you I mayard thank you aenda thank you thank you thank you all have a good night thank you oh yes you remember exactly it's funny I'm the one that aen for my other 20