[Added 8-19-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-AA (s), 08-19-2021]
Any person wishing to obtain any classification of cannabis license shall file a license application with the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes, on a standardized form established by the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes and the Business Administrator. The City will establish a reasonable application period and deadline for all applications. An application shall be deemed incomplete and shall not be processed by the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes and the Business Administrator, if all required documents and application fees are not submitted.
[Added 8-19-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-AA (s), 08-19-2021; amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-a(s), 11-23-2021]
a. 
Timing of submission. Beginning December 1, 2021, a person may apply for authorization to operate a Cannabis Establishment within the City by complying with the requirements of this section.
b. 
Required application materials. An application is not considered complete until all of the following are received by the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes:
1. 
A nonrefundable application fee shall be submitted with the application in accordance with the following fee schedule:
(a) 
Class I: $2,500 Cannabis Cultivation License.
(b) 
Class II: $2,500 Cannabis Manufacturer License.
(c) 
Class III: $2,500 Cannabis Wholesaler License.
(d) 
Class IV: $2,500 Cannabis Distributor License.
(e) 
Class V: $2,500 Cannabis Retailer License.
(f) 
Class VI: $1,500 Cannabis Delivery License.
(g) 
Microbusiness: $750.
(h) 
Safety Compliance Establishment: $500.
2. 
A photocopy of a valid, unexpired Driver's License or State issued identification card for all owners, directors, and officers of the proposed establishment.
3. 
A signed application, which must include all of the following information and documents:
(a) 
If the applicant is an individual, the applicant's name; date of birth; Social Security number; physical address, including residential and any business address; copy of government-issued photo identification; email address; one or more phone numbers, including emergency contact information;
(b) 
If the applicant is not an individual, the names; dates of birth; physical addresses, including residential and any business address; copy of government-issued photo identifications; email address; and one or more phone numbers for each stakeholder of the applicant, including designation of the highest ranking representative as an emergency contact person; contact information for the emergency contact person; articles of incorporation or organization; assumed name registration; Internal Revenue Service EIN confirmation letter; copy of the operating agreement of the applicant, if a limited liability company; copy of the partnership agreement, if a partnership; names and addresses of the beneficiaries, if a trust, or a copy of the bylaws or shareholder agreement, if a corporation;
(c) 
The name, address, tax identification number, and current zoning designations of the proposed cannabis establishment;
(d) 
The name and address of the current property owner of record;
(1) 
The applicant shall submit proof that the applicant has or will have lawful possession of the premises proposed for the cannabis establishment, which proof may consist of: a deed, a lease, a real estate contract contingent upon successful licensing, or a binding letter of intent by the owner of the premises indicating an intent to lease the premises to the entrant contingent upon successful licensing.
(2) 
An applicant may submit applications for multiple properties.
(3) 
However, only one application shall be submitted per property, unless the applications are for proposed co-located establishments.
(e) 
If the current property owner is different than the applicant (e.g. where the applicant has a lease, option, land contract, or other future interest in the property), the property owner's signature is required in addition to the applicant's or provide a signed notarized letter from the property owner acknowledging the type of business; terms of contract between the owner and applicant; the revocation of any Federal, State, and/or local incentive; etc.;
(f) 
The proposed establishment type;
(g) 
If the proposed establishment type involves stacked growing licenses, the number of licenses sought;
(h) 
A complete list of all cannabis permits and licenses held by the applicant;
(i) 
Written consent for the City to inspect the establishment at any time during normal business hours to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
(j) 
A location area map of the Cannabis Establishment and surrounding area that identifies the relative locations and the distances (closest property line to the subject cannabis establishment's building) to the closest real property comprising a public or private elementary, vocational or secondary school;
(k) 
A copy of financial documents and a financial institution letter certifying funds shall be submitted as proof of financial capability to open and operate the cannabis establishment for which the applicant is seeking a license;
(l) 
A resolution from the City of Newark's Planning Board or a Permitted Use Letter from the Department of Economic and Housing Development, Division of Planning and Zoning:
(m) 
A copy of all documents submitted by the applicant to the State in connection with the application for a State Operating License under the NJCREAMMA;
(n) 
A copy of all documents issued by State indicating that the applicant has been prequalified for a state operating license;
(o) 
An affidavit and documentary proof of compliance with all state and local laws regarding affirmative action, anti-discrimination and fair employment practices. The applicant shall also certify under oath that they will not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations;
(p) 
Any other information reasonably requested by the City relevant to the processing or consideration of the application.
c. 
Initial receipt period. For any establishment type subject to numerical limitations under Section 14:3-5, the initial receipt period shall be December 1, 2021, and shall end at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, December 31, 2021.
d. 
Municipal Action Upon Receipt. The Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will accept and receive any complete application that includes the information and documents required by Section 14:4-2b, unless the City has already received an application for the same property (other than an application for a proposed co-located establishment) from another applicant. Upon receiving a complete application, the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will time- and date-stamp the application and inform the applicant of the following:
1. 
The number of existing establishments of the proposed establishment type currently operating within the City;
2. 
The number of pending applications for the desired establishment type; and
3. 
The process by which an applicant will be selected pursuant to Subsection e of this Section.
e. 
Conditional authorization and competitive process. The Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will conditionally authorize establishments as follows:
1. 
If, after 12:00 p.m. on the end date of the initial receipt period, the City has received more applications for a given establishment type than would be permitted under Section 14:3-5, the City will decide among competing applications by a competitive process intended to select applicants who are best suited to operate in compliance with the all regulations in the City. The City will provide applicants with 21 calendar days' notice that the applicants must provide supplemental written information and documentation to the City indicating whether the applicant satisfies each of the following criteria:
Scoring category
Available points
Current medical marijuana facility license status in the City and history of compliance with City and state regulations associated with existing medical marijuana facility licenses held in the City.
10 points
Background of the applicant, including past ownership interest in a business or businesses operating in the State of New Jersey; past compliance with business licensing requirements, including marijuana business licenses issued by the state.
10 points
Human resources, including the number of full-time equivalent employees and how many employees reside in the City of Newark.
10 points
Physical investment, including the applicant's proposed tangible capital investment; the current and proposed condition of the proposed location; and the applicant's ownership stake in the physical location of the establishment along with whether the business is a MBE or WMBE business.
20 points
Area impact, including the proximity of the establishment to properties zoned or used residentially; and plans for litter control, loitering, neighborhood outreach, noise mitigation, odor mitigation, resident safety, and traffic mitigation.
10 points
Business operations, including a business plan; financing plan; marketing and promotion plan, with an emphasis on reducing exposure to minors; and strategic plan.
10 points
Establishment design, including the provision of glazing, landscaping, and screening above City minimum requirements; the use of durable building materials; compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;
10 points
Energy efficiency, including ENERGY STAR® certification; New Jersey Energy Code compliance; use of energy from carbon-free sources; and use of Water Sense fixtures.
10 points
Infrastructure impact, including the utilization of green infrastructure or low-impact development design principles to manage storm water; and the provision of non-motorized transportation infrastructure in excess of City requirements.
10 points
Bonus Points:
Majority owner of the cannabis establishment is Black and/or Brown.
30 points
Majority owner has resided within the City of Newark for at least five (5) years.
15 points
An owner who owns 25% or more of the cannabis establishment and is considered to be rehabilitated pursuant to N.J.A.C. 17:30-7.12(e).
15 points
It shall be noted that a Cannabis Establishment will be subject to forfeiture of license if it is discovered that it has exploited an individual for the sole purpose of receiving bonus points.
[Added 8-19-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-AA (s), 08-19-2021; amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-a(s), 11-23-2021]
a. 
The application and all supplemental information shall be delivered to the City's Adult-Use Cannabis Establishment Selection Committee ("Selection Committee"). The Selection Committee shall be comprised of:
Office of the Business Administrator and/or designee (Presiding Officer).
Finance Department, Division of Tax Abatements and Special Taxes.
Law Department.
1. 
Submission of supplementary information to the City. Applicants for City authorization and persons operating existing establishments in the City must provide the Division of Tax Abatement and Special. Taxes with copies of all documents submitted to the State in connection with the initial license application, subsequent renewal applications, or investigations conducted by the State. The documents must be provided to the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes within seven (7) days of submission to the State, and may be submitted by electronic media unless otherwise requested.
b. 
Upon timely receipt of the supplemental information described in Subsection 14:4-2e1, the Selection Committee shall hold a meeting and assign points for each criterion that is satisfied and shall, based on the resulting scores, select applicants who are best suited to operate in compliance with the regulations in the City. The Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes shall notify the selected applicants that they have been granted conditional authorization. In the event of a tied score, the Selection Committee shall conduct a random drawing from among the applicants with tied scores to determine which applicant shall receive conditional authorization. The City's decision to grant conditional authorization is final and is not appealable.
c. 
If an applicant does not timely submit the supplemental information described in Subsection a of this Section, then the application shall be discarded and shall not be considered under Subsection a of this Section.
d. 
Once the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes has issued conditional authorizations for all of the establishments of a given establishment type that would be permitted under Section 14:3-5, subsequent applications will be placed at the end of the waiting list for that establishment type. Applications shall be included on the waiting list in the order designated by the Selection Committee.
[Added 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-a(s), 11-23-2021]
a. 
Committee Interview. The Selection Committee may require that an applicant be interviewed before approving the license to ensure that the applicant is:
1. 
Fit to have a cannabis establishment;
2. 
Fit to operate within the City of Newark; or
3. 
To help decide between applicants within the same class, who have received the exact number of points from the scoring process pursuant to Section 14:4-2e.
b. 
Licensing Lottery. Where after all applicants have been scored pursuant to Section 14:4-2e; and it has been determined that several applicants in the same class have received the same number of points, and the amount of applicants exceeds the allowable amount of Cannabis Establishments in a particular class pursuant to Section 14:3-5, the Committee may conduct a public lottery among such applicants.
[Added 8-19-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-AA (s), 08-19-2021; amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-a(s), 11-23-2021]
a. 
The Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will grant final authorization for the establishment if the applicant:
1. 
Submits the paperwork for the establishment-specific step of the application for a state operating license (and all related applications for stacked licenses) to the state within 30 days of receiving conditional authorization;
2. 
Submits an application for special use authorization pursuant to the zoning ordinance within 30 days of receiving conditional authorization;
3. 
Obtains special use authorization within six (6) months of receiving conditional authorization;
4. 
Receives all required operating licenses and approvals from the state within 18 months after conditional authorization is granted;
5. 
Enters into a written agreement with the City confirming that the Cannabis Establishment will operate in accordance with the business plans, building plans, design standards, and all other operational standards described by the applicant in the application and in any supplemental materials submitted under Subsection 14:4-2e. The agreement shall further provide that if the establishment breaches the agreement, then the City may revoke authorization of the establishment following notice and a public hearing, and that in such event, the City shall be entitled to injunctive relief barring further operation of the establishment in the City.
b. 
Expiration of conditional authorization. If the applicant for a conditionally authorized Cannabis Establishment fails to satisfy any of the deadlines established above, the conditional authorization will expire. The Business Administrator is hereby authorized to enter into a maximum of one (1) six (6) month extension of any time frame set forth in this section. All other extensions must be approved by the Municipal Council upon a showing of good cause.
c. 
Waiting list. The Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will keep and maintain the waiting lists established pursuant to this Chapter until the maximum number of Cannabis Establishments of the type to which the list pertains are operating in the City (at which time the waiting list will be discarded). If a conditional authorization for a proposed Cannabis Establishment of that establishment type expires, the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will conditionally authorize the next application on the waiting list. The waiting lists will be for Cannabis Establishments who have not received a disapproval from the City. The waiting list will expire within a one-year time frame.
d. 
Newly available authorizations.
1. 
For Cannabis Establishment types for which the maximum number of establishments specified in Section 14:3-5 are operating in the City, an authorization will become available when:
(a) 
The State operating license for an establishment with final authorization expires or is revoked;
(b) 
The City license expires or is revoked pursuant to Section 14:3-11; or
(c) 
This Chapter is amended to authorize additional establishments of that establishment type.
2. 
When a license becomes available as described in Paragraph d1(a) of this Section, the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will select a date within the next 60 days on which the City will begin accepting applications from interested persons, and will publish notice of the selected date in a newspaper of general circulation.
3. 
On the selected date, the Division of Tax Abatement and Special Taxes will begin accepting applications using the same process in accordance with Section 14:4-2 et seq. and Section 14:4-3 et seq.
[Added 8-19-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-AA (s), 08-19-2021; amended 11-23-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-a(s), 11-23-2021]
Renewal applications for another annual license shall be filed no later than 90 days prior to the expiration of the cannabis establishment's license. The renewal application shall follow the same rules and guidelines laid out in this chapter and provide all necessary proof showing that the cannabis establishment is operating in compliance with this Title.