10.15.19 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes October 15, 2019 services and assistance at locations scattered throughout the city and county. Transportation to numerous locations is difficult for victims with limited means. Most important, the primary location to receive help is at law enforcement facilities with referrals to other agencies and social service organizations located around town. We currently serve thousands of victims in the same facilities where offenders are taken when arrested or questioned. This is not a welcoming environment and victims are discouraged by the prospect of possibly encountering the person who victimized them in the same building they are going for assistance. The purpose for the Family Justice Center (FJC) at the Village of San Marcos is to provide multiple community and government services at one location. Public and private partner agencies assign staff to provide services from one location. Partner coordination reduce the number of times victims tell their story, the numerous locations victims must go for help, and FJC increases access and expedites services and support for victims and their children. The current On- Site Partners include the San Marcos Police Department, Hays County District Attorney's Office, Hays Caldwell Women's Center, Kyle Police Department, Buda Police Department, Hays County Sheriffs Office, Texas State University Police, and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. She thanked Council for their time and support of the Family Justice Center. Melissa Millicam, expressed her strong support for the funding of the Family Justice Center. As a founding member of the Hays Caldwell Women's Center back in 1988 they did many great things. She knows that this will do a lot of good for our community. She was privileged to work for the City and she has a lot of passion for working with this program. Samantha Benavides, spoke on behalf of MOVE Texas and expressed her support of Cite and Release as well as LEAD. She stated this will work to put an end to the discrimination of persons of color, young people, poor people and those people whose identities intersect with all these labels. She read a statement about a well -loved Superintendent in Waco, Dr. Nelson. She stated that over the summer he was pulled over on his way out of Harris County for a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested and ultimately forced to resign. Dr. Nelson asked about cite and release in Harris County and the arresting officer said we aren't in Harris County are we? She stated this officer had the power to cite and release, but he chose not to. She does not want to see this happen, a person should not have their careers ruined for non-violent offenses. Emma Mayers, spoke on behalf of MOVE Texas, she provided an explanation of what MOVE Texas is and stands for. She spoke on the issue of Cite and City of San Marcos Page 3