By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
Representatives of the California-based cannabis company, Ikänik Farms, faced a broad spectrum of community input at a set of community meetings held on Monday night, Sept. 9 in the Moapa Rec Center.
The stated purpose of the meetings was to introduce the Ikänik Farms company and its philosophy to the community, and to present a proposal for a marijuana cultivation factility to be built in the Moapa community.
“We are here to present who we are as a company, what we want to do here in Moapa, and to get input from the community,” said Ikänik Farms senior vice president of marketing development Joe Devlin.
The first hour of the meeting was billed as an employment fair to discuss what job openings might be available if the project were allowed to be built.
About 80 people showed up beginning at 6:00 pm sharp, to explore the possible new job opportunities. The majority of these were firmly supportive of the project and the economic opportunities it would offer. Many were eager to ask questions about details of the proposed facilities workforce.
Devlin explained that the company estimated the facility would need 40 full time positions. Starting wages would start at $18 per hour and would include health benefits.
This would add up to a projected $2 million per year in wages, Devlin said.
A wide variety of jobs would be needed at the facility. Entry level positions would entail caring for and trimming the plants in the greenhouse. A number of security positions would be needed to provide the 24/7 protection for the site required by state law. Skilled labor positions would include plumbing, electrical, HVAC repair, maintenance and other positions. In addition, scientific specialist positions would be needed such as master growers and personnel from the research scientific community.
Devlin said that the company had a strong preference for hiring within the surrounding community. “We are not wanting to inport our workforce from somewhere else,” he said. “So we try to hire from the communities where we are located.”
Devlin touted a number of other economic benefits that the community would derive from the Ikänik Farms operation. The company estimates that $1000 per day would be pumped into the community due to ancillary spending at local businesses. In addition, the company was prepared to commit $100,000 per year in donations to the town of Moapa to be used in whatever way would be most valuable to its residents.
During the first hour, the representatives received mainly positive feedback about the project. Devlin reported that about 75 forms indicating interest in future employment opportunities were completed by attendees who provided their contact information should positions become available.
At 7:00 pm, the format changed to a Town Hall meeting-style presentation. Many of the employment fair attendees filtered out of the room at that time and were replaced by a different group of people with about the same number in attendance.
Devlin gave a brief slide presentation introducing the company. Ikänik Farms is a start-up company funded through the Canadian capital markets. The company will be bringing a number of California facilities online within the next few weeks including production greenhouses, processing facilities and retail shops.
“We are looking to establish a brand for a wide range of high-end, boutique cannabis products aimed at a young, active, health-lifestyle customer base,” Devlin explained.
To ensure the highest quality product, the company plans to control all points of its supply chain, from cultivation through processing to boutique retail shops, Devlin said.
Devlin emphasized that Ikänik is proposing a fully enclosed greenhouse cultivation facility for Moapa. No retail sales or processing would be done on the site, only growing the plants. This would be the companies first cultivation facility outside of California.
Most of the community feedback during this portion of the meeting was in opposition to the project. Most of the concerns revolved around the suitability of the location for the facility being proposed by the company.
The company has identified a 14 acre site, on a hilltop overlooking the Warm Springs area, adjacent to the Moapa cemetery property. The site is currently being used as a nursery for cultivating palm trees.
Neighbors residing in that area expressed fear that a large cannabis greenhouse would not fit in with the rural residential neighborhood that exists there. Members of the public ran through a long list of possible impacts including increased traffic to the site, noise levels, odors, light pollution, potential increase in crime rates and several concerns about employee health and safety.
Devlin and his team responded to each of these concerns in turn, giving answers on how each problem would be addressed or mitigated.
“Believe us when we say we want to be a good neighbor,” Devlin said. “We don’t want to change this community and we certainly don’t want our facility to stick out like a sore thumb. We want to blend in and become a vital part of the community. We want to add value to the local economy.”
But many in the audience were unconvinced by this. “Why does it have to be that spot?” one resident of the area asked. “Why not somewhere in the established industrial corridor over by the railroad tracks.”
Devlin responded that the Warm Springs hilltop had perfectly met all of the requirements for the facility. It provided flat ground with no need for earthwork or grading. The elevated site provided a security benefit, being was tucked away from immediate accessibility and relatively hidden in its line of sight. Furthermore, the site has water and power services already available. The site sports two wells that provide about 35 acre feet of water. In addition there is already a 4-inch municipal water connection on site.
“We have looked at every other site around the community and we keep coming back here because it is the only one that is economically feasible,” Devlin said. “It really comes down to capital. In order to do grading, site work and utilities that are required everywhere else, it just wouldn’t work for us financially.”
Devlin emphasized that the project was still a long way from receiving approval. “We are not here tonight to tell you what we are going to build,” he said. “We are here to tell you what we would like to present to your town board for approval. Believe me when I say we are not trying to muscle our way in.”
He summarized the approval process having to start with a ‘yes’ vote from the Moapa Town Advisory Board. Then the process would wind its way through the County Planning Commission, and eventually to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval.
Should the community maintain a unified front in opposing the project, Ikänik would withdraw it’s proposal, Devlin said.
“We don’t want to go into a community where we don’t have support,” Devlin said. “So if you tell us no, we will respect that.”
One attendee asked if Devlin and his team would be willing to work with community members to find a more suitable location for the facility.
“Look, if that is not the spot, then we would love to have another conversation about other locations,” Devlin said. “We have looked at everything that we could find on the market. But if I was approached with a suitable property that is not currently on the market, we would be very interested in having that conversation.”
