This information was provided by the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.
On Feb. 2, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with San Benito County Counsel, drafted an application for an Inspection and Abatement Warrant to abate the unlawful cannabis cultivation from a property in the 300 block of Ladd Ln.
“On Monday Feb. 5 at approximately 0815 hours, members of the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office (SBSO), the Unified Narcotic Enforcement Team (UNET) and the Hollister Police Department (HPD) arrived at the property to execute the Inspection and Abatement Warrant. No one was available to be contacted at the location and entry was made through a closed, unsecured gate,” a press release from SBSO said.
The release went on to say that approximately 200 pounds of growing cannabis plants were removed from the property and destroyed at a local landfill. Six growing mature marijuana plants were left at the property, in accordance with the abatement requirements for the property.
No one was arrested, according to San Benito County Sheriff’s Department.
“The operators face abatement costs and administrative penalties in excess of $54,000. The foregoing civil/administrative action was taken in accordance with San Benito County Code,specifically Chapter 11.15.,” the release said.
The Sheriff Office information provided to media stated that an inspection of the property had previously been conducted in November but it was later learned that cannabis was still being cultivated on the property.
“As part of the adopted personal cannabis cultivation ordinance in San Benito County, San Benito County enforcing officers inspected an unlawful cannabis cultivation operation in the 300 block
of Ladd Ln,” the report said. “This inspection was done on November 13, 2017, after the operators were denied an extended amortization by a hearing officer on October 13, 2017 and ordered to abate all unlawful cannabis on the property. During the inspection, it was learned cannabis was still being cultivated on the property in violation of San Benito County Code.”
A “Notice of Violation and Proposed Administrative Penalty, Notice to Abate and Administrative Order to Show Cause” was issued to the property owners and operators on November 13, 2017. Enforcing officers from the County conducted a re-inspection on November 28, 2017. Although, the enforcing officers were prevented from entering the property, they were able to observe the cannabis cultivation continued to exist, the news release said.
The SB Sheriff’s Office release stated that an administrative hearing was conducted on November 29, 2017 and it was concluded that the unlawful cannabis cultivation violated San Benito County Code and constituted a public nuisance. An abatement of the unlawful cannabis cultivation was ordered and imposed an administrative penalty of $1,000 per day for each day the violation continued to exist on the property. A copy of the hearing officer’s decision was mailed to the property owners on December 12, 2017.
Over the next several weeks, the report stated, enforcing officers observed that the cultivation operation had not been abated as ordered by the enforcing officer and hearing officer; the unlawful cannabis cultivation continued to exist on the property, in violation of San Benito County Code. This activity led to the actions taken on February 5th, according to SBSO.