A heated 90-minute discussion took place between CalTrans and the residents of Morongo Valley during last night’s three-hour Morongo Valley Community Services District board meeting. Ongoing safety concerns regarding the design of the new Morongo Valley median prompted a large turnout. Residents were quick to contradict the statements of CalTrans representatives, but CalTrans contradicted the opposing claims just as quickly. Reporter Andrew Dieleman was there, and files this report…
Persisting concerns included the absence of road reflectors, improper drainage due to poor design, and the overall shape of the raised-curb design, which many continued to refer to as a “launch ramp.” Citizens also requested more communication between CalTrans and the public. CalTrans fired back, citing national safety studies on the median design to prove that it was safe. Despite the safety claim, citizens were not convinced. CalTrans ended the conversation by stating that there is always a possibility of collisions regardless of median design, the median is still under construction, and the design may be revisited based on statistical safety data once the project is complete.
Other topics discussed at the meeting included multiple reports from Fire Chief Gary Yearsley, who introduced six new reserve fire fighters to the department; the need for combination fire-extraction tools for the department (“Jaws of Life”); and a Homeland Security grant, which would give the fire department access to much-needed funds to help replace some of the department’s soon-to-be-expired equipment. There was also a brief presentation by Serenity Hospice to discuss the many services being offered. The board then unanimously elected Laurie Klimowicz as the new Park Commissioner of the board and briefly discussed four candidates for the Chuck Osborne Volunteer of the Year award.
