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City Council Meeting Minutes April 7, 2020 <br />Crystal Benavides: <br />"Dear council members, my name is Crystal Benavides, I'm a San Marcos <br />native, home owner, mother, community volunteer, tax payer, Notary Public, <br />HOA board member & self-employed REALTOR. I've grown to love this town <br />very much. I continue to stay here and encourage others to follow suit. I'm <br />writing this comment to express my viewpoints on why I'm strongly AGAINST <br />the Cite and Release Ordinance. I know many in favor of this ordinance solely <br />focus on the marijuana aspect of this and say it's a "Victimless Crime" But as <br />the Secretary of Park North HOA and condo owner I am speaking out to say <br />that we in fact have 62 -unit owners that were affected and still deal with the <br />stigma and fear it has caused our residential community. We were burdened <br />with two (2) murders here, in August 2018 and Feb. 2019, both were confirmed <br />to be Marijuana related. We have spent a large portion of money to add an <br />electric meter and cameras to help ease our members along with more fencing <br />and implementing other security measures. This still can't take away the fear <br />that we live with every night since we heard that gun shot and sirens so close to <br />home. Out of the last 17 murders in San Marcos 9 were marijuana related. <br />Majority of marijuana comes from Mexico and includes drug cartels, human <br />trafficking, and hostage situations. Victims are used to transport drugs as a <br />payment for their way into the US. As leaders of our city please do not <br />encourage this activity. We are going to drive that type of business to come <br />here. Marijuana possession between 2 - 4 ounces is in my opinion and the <br />opinion of many law enforcement officers and members of the public more <br />than personal consumption. Majority of this quantity of marijuana is for the <br />sale and distribution for a profit. If any type of marijuana absolutely must be <br />included in this cite and release program please limit it to under 2 ounces. The <br />officers currently reported approximately 300 cases of diversion already <br />implemented by destroying the marijuana on camera. This is a policy that they <br />have in place to handle these types of cases. Please open your hearts and hear <br />our concerns in regards to this issue. The identification portion of the <br />proposed ordinance is very troublesome. As a Notary Public, identification is a <br />big portion of holding my oath to office. I have to be sure, without a <br />reasonable doubt that the person signing before me is who they say they are. <br />This is done to protect the public and to ensure fraud is not occurring. When I <br />read the portion of allowing school IDs or other forms of picture IDs that are <br />not government or state issued and do not contain an issue date and expiration <br />date, and/or allowing utility bills, etc. as a means of identification, it makes me <br />feel that you are now taking law into your own hands and superseding State <br />Law which requires anyone over the age of 18 to have identification. This <br />could also leave room for fake identifications to be created. There is no reason <br />a person living, or going to school, in this city/county is not capable of <br />City of San Marcos Page 3 <br />