Mendocino County’s Top Cannabis Position Resigns

Seal of Mendocino county CaThe Mendocino Voice has scooped everyone with a story today about the resignation of Kelley Overton from his position as Ag Commissioner for Mendocino County. The job put Overton in charge of the County’s cannabis licensing and has been troubled.

The Voice details the wild ride of three people in that position since the former one abruptly resigned in January of 2017.

Read their detailed story here.

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23 Comments
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Mendo Madness
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Mendo Madness
5 years ago

Mendocino County BOS and Carmel Angelo are gonna take us down. Email address for them bos@mendocino county.org

farce
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farce
5 years ago

Umm yeah…sounds like a real together fellow there, this Kelly Overton. Has an important job in an important position where major progress can be made for people. Stops going to meetings with no explanation. Then resigns- with no explanation- and takes off on a desert hike to protest ICE policies on the border. I would say…umm…weird-ass priorities! I can’t trust a guy like that…leaving everybody in Mendocino in the lurch.

Mendo Madness
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Mendo Madness
5 years ago
Reply to  farce

Its more about the BOS and Ceo Carmel Angelo. Fourth person to quit who is responsible for the cannabis ordinance in Mendo, in the the last few months. It’s a mess.

Boondoggle
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Boondoggle
5 years ago
Reply to  Mendo Madness

Carmel Angelo makes more money then Jerry Brown. She needs to get fired so Mendocino county can save money

Boondoggle
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Boondoggle
5 years ago
Reply to  Boondoggle
Anon Forrest
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Anon Forrest
5 years ago

Definitely not a job for a Stoner.

THC
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THC
5 years ago
Reply to  Anon Forrest

LOL! Anon, you darn near made me spit coffee all over my phone:<)

James Marmon MSW
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James Marmon MSW
5 years ago

Overton wasn’t the AG commissioner, After the first two AG commissioners resigned Angelo took the program out of the AG department and created a new program. She then hired Kelly Overton, and gave him the title of cannabis program manager to oversee the process. That is when the 3rd. AG commissioner, Joe Moreno, resigned only five days after he was hired. He refused to answer to Overton because the only reason Joe took the job was to run the marijuana program.

Rumor has it that two Mondays ago Angelo ordered Kelly to move his office to her department where she could micro manage him. That was his last day on the job.

James Marmon MSW
Former SEIU 1021 President
Mendocino Chapter

James Marmon MSW
Guest
James Marmon MSW
5 years ago

Cannabis program manager appointed for Mendocino County

“MENDOCINO Co., 2/28/18 — Mendocino County has a new cannabis program manager, Kelly Overton, who will be coordinating a variety of cannabis regulatory programs through the county. The position was first announced in July, 2017, and announcement of the new hire was made today by the Mendocino County Executive Office in a press release.

Overton said of his new position, “Mendocino County should and will become a blue print for how legal cannabis can be a positive force both economically and socially. My immediate goals are streamlining the permit application process and working to further establish cannabis as an economic driver in the county.””

https://www.mendovoice.com/2018/02/cannabis-program-manager/

farce
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farce
5 years ago

Thanks for filling in the real story here! Perhaps my comment above about Overton was off-base and unnecessarily snarky. I apologize.

Mendo barber
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Mendo barber
5 years ago

Why do men of this age think “ this look” is attractive on them? It’s……um….NOT.
The “wino” look is NEVER attractive. Shave and a haircut would do wonders.

fuzzy haired dude
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fuzzy haired dude
5 years ago
Reply to  Mendo barber

You have got to be kidding. That look screams one thing – “crazy chick magnet!”

commenter
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commenter
5 years ago

Like HumCo, Mendo has made their pot regs needlessly complicated and expensive.
The counties are getting their revenge on the growers.
Good luck anyone trying to navigate into legality, you’ll need it…

Taurus Ballzhoff
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Taurus Ballzhoff
5 years ago

An MPA and an MBA, and a BA… How long did he last in this low paid job, and what about the other 40 candidates? Mendocino County has some of the worst salaries of any poor county in CA, even Lake pays better…

Good luck basing your County Economy on Pot. Judging by Willits, it should have been Meth they based it upon…

Meth Commisioner. Yeah!

Captain Obvious
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Captain Obvious
5 years ago

Both Mendo and Humboldt are violating the Permit Streamlining Act daily. Overton was a good guy trying to streamline the process. In both Mendo and Humboldt, applicants cannot get Fish and Game to come out and make an inspection, unless it’s an illegal grow with an unpermitted water diversion. Many farmers (applicants) have seen 6-8 F&G trucks drive right on by.

Mendocino Mamma
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Mendocino Mamma
5 years ago

It’s all about micromanagement. You’re hired as the manager of the program but you can’t manage it because the CEO wants to control everything. It’s just really a mess I don’t know how the county is going to recover from the lack of success in this program. Mendocino County was always on the Forefront and has been reliant on a marijuana economy for more than 50 years. To have this blow out of the water and have no resolution is just hurting the local economy and the futures of anyone involved in the Cannabis industry. There isn’t going to be any industry and if you don’t have that influx coming anymore what is going to sustain Mendocino County? And you are correct Taurus, Mendocino County is the absolute lowest Paying County in the whole state of California, well except for the CEO and Board of Supervisors! I would imagine that the supervisors are paid so well so they just sit and are puppets. Anyone that tries to have a voice of reason or desires processes to be expedient is quickly shutdown shoved out and gotten rid of.

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
5 years ago

Not only all of that (very accurate, thanks MM!) but, when in any location North of, say, Greenbrae, persons with abilities and drive and a will to make progress are always shot down by folks who fear change, folks who occupy places of power, by whatever means (usually according to the Peter Principle), and by attendant micromanaging and lying bullies who love control above all. It’s always frustrating beyond the tolerances provided by a low salary, and everyone loses when competence cuts and runs.

Nice job Mendo County!

To everyone else: Cannabis is not something to build an economy on! Pot is over on the North Coast! Get used to it and move forward.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago

Mama, I’m afraid Mendo is very vulnerable to gentrification. It’s close enough to people with big money in the Bay to appeal to some, especially as more and more can work from home.

Mendocino Mamma
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Mendocino Mamma
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

Sure I like stars gentrification huh… There are a lot closer communities with a little more support and infastructure that fit the bill. When in Mendocino County the roads are crumbling, emergency services are cut to the bone. There are few REALLY good places to eat. Few physicians to provide healthcare, yes, lots of folks want to relocate to Mendocino County. Once they get here they rapidly retreat. Not everyone can be self sufficient, self sustainable, remotely located and happy with it. Mendocino requires a thick skin of tenacity, down to earth tastes and a strong back to boot! (Heck make that all north of say Cloverdale!) Hee Haw pull them bootstraps up if your coming to this neck of the woods!

I like stars
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I like stars
5 years ago

Hope you’re right Mama.

meamur
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meamur
5 years ago

f Mendocino

Taurus Ballzhoff
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Taurus Ballzhoff
5 years ago

And, the folks who can’t afford Ukiah, as it is now, come over to Clear Lake. Lake County makes believers out of them, and then they turn into real estate flippers, fast!

Millions of retiring Baby Boomers want to go rural. Make your economy about something other than drugs, build up services, and watch your county grow. You may not like them, but they come with money, income, and sense.

Druthers
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Druthers
5 years ago

Flipping real estate is burying everybody. Live on the land you own. Be part of your locality. Real estate sharks are pieces of shit, raising everybody’s cost of living at the most fundamental level.