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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Atty Stephana Femino RE Code Enforcement Case No. CE17-0410 APR-09-2018(MON) 12: 24 Jonn Johncan (FRX)5308930135 P 001/506 �f 3 1 Fl rx�c °Street 'Chico,CA.95928 (530)-89;3 0676 Fax,(530) 893.0235 i3.CJTTE CQUNTY' �. ADMINISTRATION' APR 09;2018 O�VILLEc CALIFORNIA April.8, 2018 Butto County Poard Of:SUlparvisors Adminikrsabon Center 25 CdUnty Center Drive,'5uite-200 t rovi#le-CaI)farrilal;9fig$15 (430)-. 2.3300 EsWemed.Supervisors: ,*cisli of the County of Butte s"k td,piece a Igen 'f'$6 3,495:.91 on property 9whed.iby Wreen �A, Colwell,43 x.•31$5 Jordan Hill`Road.in-Concow, ,APN-.055A60-'07.0 : I`'h 'aim. unt ls..sa4#a cans€ifuto..the Department,Of Development S.ervi ' abaternent'. _ and:.adrnlnlstt~a e.costs for abat 00,a public nui; ai 6i-oriAhe pro riY- ' 7he'propert�consals of 15:acres, and a hpuse::Thebousd:is more,ttiasz 60 y.Oars old.:It lacks aloundation. Ms. Colwell 0-s imastes if ehe.wIe" to sell-thie property; it'gAr�3uld.l ring neo-:mo + than $80,000.,'' W:Colwell.lives.alone:ln the house..Sfie.owns.it, fr".of the,bank.°.; he ttas.lived.there r 32:year . rhe as a rruidaw..the>Is. 2 yeats.cf.age l"vrm$rly.'she wcrked"'afthe Concuwass'�Ill art teacher.. Nis.. Colwell,has no criminal record, She has'never been arrested or convicted of any. crime. Ms. GOWN is.today d isabled, getting by on SS l payments:.She,has suffered severalstrokes, and-Js currantly,being•treated fifer Iiukemia.As'a.roeIfof the strokes,-*14� -right side:.sof.her,body-.1s',partlally'parelyzed; She has to walkvirith a:bram, Hq*r:tSpee' Chis 2160 .impaired. . Colwell'use.Man Hjgana rrlediolnally,mixing itrid' hating.it.itt4 a satfvd, together with rosemary and pregar�Q arid.t bs:soil-,then applying lt.ta liar:strsake_al`fected leo andarra. She. believes it provides rBliefi..Sl7e daes.no# consume m; riju; na In my:other way, RPR-OS-20:803N) 12, 24 Jong Johnson (FRX)53OB930135 P 002/00d Aue tC� her.dIs b1lity;.Ms. Cotw l! is riat ats€�to herse!>F grow mariJuana,' .In the'spring 6f.20.17,,:sho,perrnitted.herson, Mro' Co€wet€, torp€ant rnarljl3ana.pr�Tier: .-praperty, She wes;hat invoi4d.,Ih the,graw;rn any way, pther:i i ri:that she was aware of Fier soin; Aarort Cglwe!!, is 3 yea r o age,:aril is employed withClark 3est.COntrol, H .has never oeet� �vcctsd cif'any crime Mr C alwelt haft'previously.ri.iitivatod.:ratenlu ne he,faun a�..Batte �n.ar�rd�n�e tY g . vmth applmc:ai�e statetzd'local"Caws.a>7d:regulations:His. rows:had,been visited"and al�iQved by.caunty affciais:. ; For the 20'#7.grow,,on his:mati i4ei propertjl; Mr. Col3rvell;t`prmed a srhall pollective, vn hioh Fie cailed"Wlldcoat cansistrng-of himself., his mother, and si t other persons :None:: Of tl7ipeople hic crirrilnX repords.' !-#owraver, Mr:ColweEl did'no regi$ter.thrs Collective wtth:any..flffioia! state ar iacai;. .agency: .W;.CONV61i planted ah,his moth er's:property.,§Orne 50 marijuana pl;§ht6 mn.d donf€r*d,. fenced=in'area He believed th1�t tido rte niy'igdfriotsons:then governing marijuana cultmv�ition priMari lY:Me�rended-square,footage Ht.believed,he plaNed,with�ri�th 'a gtamdelines, As far ire nurriber:of plants, sine:e the.grow was tp serite:the eight p, ople tr'` tl'i llectave,`he:believed the ni,mbef to belp corrmplmance wiith counity re tC cticans a5 wellM . nsatmty of ic�als have stat�d`thet on May L1 :20t7;;they received'-,an-anonyrnbUS cnrrmp€acptbge.rk the:marijiana;grvw.on_tlte prvpertY 7"h—biwells, moYl7er.ind:.pan believe:thms=compiafnt.rtfay Finave targeted themr:rmeighbor; . who`waa pursuing a Wry arge.grciw;and*was:also inval�real:lrt:re ,art ► t rirnirial misareai�cy-{domestic vlolermce,`etc)That neighbor has no street address,but nStead. use tle stree#adirei of Ms.;CoEwel[ camrrenly,mailfore-s�eigor is:del�vered.to Ms Calwsl#: IIAs.,Gvlwell Js notpteased with this circurnstanc+ ;.arld. experioncsd various problems '1#tm this:.n,plghtiar, Ih,any,eveint,.county,Ojciais.rep'ort.that a-July25,.2p17 uerf€ightcef.the property confitrn°med a marijua ina grow on Ms..., Qlwei!'s property ror;,:the air, iais aeter.,mined-the grow.exceeded:coiihty`' alines: : !n;AUgust of 201.7;:.6cc;6rding'to county ofilricials;.a.72-ttvur abatement notice was preprer!'and srve ora the g�te.to the property, 'int was slap inalietl to Ms..Colwel1 at. har home.. APR-09-2018(11011) 12: 25 Jonn Johnson (FAX)5308930135 P. 031004 :Mr. Colwell roughly pUlled:'hatf:oftpe plants; re-duoing the grew tv approximately 20 plants?Hq�believed the grs�w,'ta'.#hen be:ire comp iianr,�e,:. County oflioials have stated taxaepterrrbsr overflrght;of tlo property resulted.#n an' estlmat+� ofcrr� I .,RlarZts on':the proper: ANuisari �Aks temer�# Hearing.was pec ufed #vr D Caber.3..20,1,; a gontlnuance was requested '& rt ► ntad;:until- vr0. .: Priorto theyhesnny, Mr Colwell,�rernov. d,all"of the,plants A person from,be office of the Colwells: attarr�iay{tllet attcarhey isrmyseif,:Stepi�ana L M..Femirtaater;trauetee to. the proper#y vtir##f� an afficial frarri' odd En r.cement#a sari r►i -all the planfi.s had�6een ; ramiaV id. Ms.,Co well and Mr: C61we11 armred atthe:County Center at the date and time of.tfie hearing , on cft6e-1:0, prgpared #o affertestimony. Ho'vMver, while still JhAh a perking tot Ihey,spafce.via:phrine.with myself, l: oid theht the herirrg:wvultl berrtltiud, i,hret� rfferd a.rrieclical.emergency;:and'uvduid`not.be . :�l�le to s> rtd;.a:�e�cr� •Fram m�►,af�� had�;riotlfed the�ppr�ipr�a��ffciafs tc,requ�st.; : the cont;nualice The otwe!!e u3`Clic! rroat.a;Wh'0`i e lWan n .; Unbeltnownst to them, acid :" seif, until stee, Cha fii§' lhng o cer denied tnc request.for. rgt�trr�uarrc;e �trid.so the hearingr'ooeeried,witligut either:th®;Colwells.or rriyseif "County'record s indicate tkiat ori the+date of'tt7e hearing thtie,666nty emari systerri v >3 .expei°tencmg: rrablerns, and;sa the reciupst fnr a,canpnuanpes s®rrt;at 9: 4 a rn;,:was riot ' .receiwac uritis.l: 'p;m-or anly,�4"minutes-prrcr�to the:2..6p,p.:rri ',hearing; Co> ri y `. 'paunsel=opposed,#he con main p, aid at was ftQt:gran#ed I"oilawing fir,I7earir was detemilned thiat Ms Colwell owed the Coursty, Only a small:amount rat'this sum:.:nvolves drreoC ct�s� Svirte 59, 01 of rt.co S. administrative.Penal#� County, eegulatron�_goveming ;abatement of-mariju ha,as a nuisance provide the following oiii�rNrng e r uance;gf,a'H wring Ofcer'�decrs10i nVthte. rectt�r.of..beveiopmertt . Services; yr hls.or Iter.-.desigheq; may.carnprorriise.#lie amouht of;a,ny,'administra pie- perralty impose ;by tlia-HearirEg 0fficer,..VVl�endetermining Whether to comprortiise. any':p�enalty amount', the �irectar; eir his artier designee 'shall:take-into .: oansideraticin the,nature;-cirdumt5tances,'and gravitypf the :violatioh(s),ariy prior, history of`violatEg'ns;the, degree of cuipabil'rty,:tl a t�anci"Iburden#c the pe en s) upon.:v�rlio'm the-P iity haS.. eon unposed;,thyK-1t.degree.ta Vvhipp'roposed': orriprvmisa will.facllitate 000l t*n of t*penaltlao vlcithout the need fior further PPR-09-2018040N) 12, 27 John Johnson (FRX)5308930135 P 004/004 acti�ar ,.�n �ry o#h r mafters justice may.tagriir6: he compromise'ihal be subject to Ar�y:telrnS�nd;+�nditi�ns preearliasd k)y the.Director "hip or her.designee, which may.inci�rd$,,;wiEhout:iimitation, a i�" ndikion r4iquir€rrg.that:the sub"O.iegai property: $rtriill.r°espanaibfi ;"ifh.free:of anyadtilt�anal vi©latian5 fisra s �cifib . period m ;Argy:psrsarr cceptlht,a: ampromi e.:p r�eit�rhereunder,s iaii.be r t�ired't� axepc�te a Corrlprot ise Agr emerit Ih.; forma prayed by,C>�unty:. Counsel ; 1,'Tpecttijily.sgge , .oa`bhal of itEls Gotweii,that .6: 63i438 'f fi_asasment irs.this ossa �s..excessiue,.wlt�in.carisideringihe a oreri f rented "nature;,.ciro tris rices`, antl. : gravitjr�7F#$te`vica€atlon(t); �nyr p ior. istoi ;vf v�cilat€ori ;the.dagree agree-p ctipabllitjs �rnan6WI:burden'fia the persan(s) tipan-whom thy: enaity ilar;beepImpos�dF the:..d gir . ee' to:tirirhlpit #ire proposed corp a will facili ke:collec lori'ksf' a er�a�ties wi#hoUt tje. aid'fi r-f0her J6�6::ac on, arid:'any.,other rnatters}vstice may regi�Ire ":: 11Vhilo41iEe grew was def i art :tc�' c� 1r�e cat tlty sal a€rn>ms, rtviras nonetheless a. :iiradest:grova: ofic�ala test�tied°yat:the.l7earirig ifppear�ad.tcnistsct'ite 2Ci plaots. 1 All 7.of the pislrjts`weare pulled lay:tl, time:oftite Iearirrg Ms.' Celwe€I,'-arty her son;-intendpd tb oresent this�and ottter.it�farmatiorl et.th+a heer.3rtg,: but did.rtot appear fnrauii.rto.fsoit`of.therr.own;'.but rather iaeojse raf advice frbm,me; .: b SSG rf,ori`a request or a contrnuance..l behetred wouid,be:granted, buk vvas:l�o#,.at least partially because at`a fdui-up�n,t€te covnty's awn,`emjJI,system: Nkh6r:Ms:'COW011 -p sa�n, 1nt2r ded:to profit from'.ti a grow Nelther.:have «✓ minai onvlctipris,Invahring_riiarij6an ;;or anyti•i- vise .:NeiO r have pr�vii�usiy;b' found 4n :.civil"vioiatlori of unky:marijuana oirdirteinces The praposed lien amounts to-.rtiughiy:•the �mosarit.the property �s wc�rEit Ms 0niwell is;a �2yyearrpld�troltr::�clisabled;'womart hundergoing rancsr treatment. bier.. irlcomejis�cabhk.to s$l disability., l.as#winter sy was oar ly abie;to mord free of d.to It is rnY.hope fiilatsame compromise.may.be, reach in thio::molter, r�s.r�u#lined above" , perhaps-a.determiria#ron.that Ms. Colwell rrtay'be su�seci onty;t ,vireo~costs incurred.as a:rexult�i- is'ur fortur�ate;grart , with.the,$694.00:in:aclrrtiinib#rative,fa " altiestra`be waived. Rc§pectUly submitted, 1166CFe , Atfomey.for Ms.;Colwell