It’s the return of the MAC. The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council reconvened over Zoom after an eight-month hiatus due to COVID-19. Reporter Heather Clisby was virtually there…
Since March, the Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) has not met, but finally reconnected via Zoom last night.
Captain Luke Niles of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department spoke at some length about the ongoing problem of illegal marijuana growing operations and their drain on the community. Local law enforcement has met with Supervisor Dawn Rowe regarding the massive proliferation of these operations in and around the Morongo Basin.
Capt. Niles described the creation of a task force assigned to the narcotics division focused entirely on tackling the problem. There are 200+ illegal growing operations within the Morongo Basin and the task force has shut down over 55 operations at this time. These illegal growing operations have become a scourge on society as many steal electricity and water while running generators throughout the night. Sheriffs are working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Bureau of Land Management to address the issues.
Meanwhile, in Pioneertown, demand for development grows. Currently, there is a proposal for a major addition to the Pioneertown Motel as they are looking to add 47 new units to the current 20 units, and to add a restaurant, spa, and an event space nearby.
There was much discussion around short-term rentals, the potential hazards of unwanted noise, fire and lighting issues and the drain on the housing resources.
