After a surprise 2-2 tie vote last week that forced the Twentynine Palms Water District board of directors to table an agreement between the water district and the City of Twentynine Palms, in which the city would take over the water district’s unfunded pension liabilities, the water district held a special meeting Saturday with the entire board present. Managing Editor Tami Roleff said the water district finally gave the go-ahead to complete the annexation of the fire department by the county….
About a dozen people attended Saturday’s special Twentynine Palms Water District board meeting to plead with board members to delay the county’s annexation of the fire department, or to let the residents vote on the proposal. Director Chancey Chambers, who was absent Wednesday, explained why he’s going ahead with the annexation. “We’ve been through this over and over again…. I think the perfect is the enemy of the good. We keep trying to get a perfect plan, but I don’t think we’ll ever get it. We have a good plan here, it isn’t great, but it’s sustainable, in 10, 20 years, there’ll still be a fire department here that has adequate personnel.”
Board president Sam Moore explained why he initially voted against the agreement Wednesday.
“The other night was a night that I mixed my politics with citizens of Twentynine Palms…. And as a citizen of Twentynine Palms, do I think it’s a great thing to go to county? No, I like to keep the government local. But as a board member, it’s a sustainable budget…. Does the public care? No. [A resident told me], ‘All I care is when I dial 911 that someone is there saving my life or putting out a fire.’”
And with that, the board voted 4-1, with director Carol Giannini dissenting, to approve the agreement in which the city takes over the fire department’s unfunded pension liabilities, one of the final measures needed to complete the annexation of the fire department by the county. The board then voted 5-0 to approve a benefits trust to prefund the pension obligations.
IN A RE-DO, TWENTYNINE PALMS WATER DISTRICT APPROVES CITY ASSISTANCE IN FIRE TRANSFER
