To the Editor:
Marijuana Alert Fact: Fillmore is the only city in the county that voted AGAINST legalizing marijuana in November. We may be the only city in the state to have a proclamation delivered by our school board and read aloud at a council meeting by our Superintendent of Schools that enumerated the ways legalization can harm schoolchildren. Keep in mind that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.
We’ve also had the Ventura County D.A., County Sheriff and Fillmore Police Chief warn our City Council of the dangerous consequences that go along with the legalization of marijuana. Specifically, DA. Greg Totten wrote a letter encouraging our City Council to enact regulations prohibiting both medical and commercial marijuana industries in our city.
In spite of these dire warnings, our City Council and City Manager are considering going forward with some sort of marijuana industry in the Business Park. Really?! Hasn’t it been made abundantly clear that WE DO NOT WANT THIS?
When hundreds of citizens showed up at a council meeting in the Fall to say, “Not in our town!” city officials were notified. How about when over 1,000 people signed a petition saying the same thing? A clear message is being sent that we, the people, want our city to enact strong ordinances banning every aspect of the marijuana industry in our town. Numerous cities in California have already enacted bans, moratoriums and ordinances as Prop. 64 gives each city the right to refuse involvement in the marijuana industry. We will be supplying of some of these bans to our City Council with a recommendation to model Fillmore’s ban after the city of Upland’s.
In an editorial she wrote on December 8th in the Fillmore Gazette, Regina Stehly Nunez states, “It sure looks like City Hall is diving into another sewer of filth just to pay for a boondoggle sewer plant that they (a previous council ) voted for.” We who love Fillmore cannot accept another horrific decision that would so negatively impact us.
People of Fillmore, we need to redouble our efforts with renewed vigor to ensure that our precious community is protected from the gross damages that accompany the marijuana industry. All are invited to the next Safeguard Fillmore meeting Thursday, Jan. 19th, from 6 7 p.m. at St. Francis Church. Even more importantly, please join us with your support as we again share our community’s stance and determination at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 24th at 6:30 at City Hall. Thank you!
Annette Sula
Lynne Brooks
Representing Safeguard Fillmore
Jan. 16, 2017