The Morongo Valley Community Services District board of directors tackled numerous topics at last night’s nearly four-hour board meeting, including electing a new board president and vice president. The board unanimously re-elected current President Gayl Swarat and Vice President Christina Brook back to their respective positions. Reporter Andrew Dieleman has more from the meeting…
At last night’s marathon meeting, the board also created an ad hoc committee including President Gayl Swarat and Vice President Christina Gorke to determine how to spend a recent $180,000 grant for updates to Covington Park. The committee will collect recommendations on how to best use the funds with the hopes of completing the park updates in time for summer 2021. The board tabled discussions on possibly holding a 2021 softball season until its March meeting. The board is expected to allow planning for the season to begin with the understanding that the season may not take place depending on COVID-19 precautions from the CDC.
The board also held an extensive discussion on the district’s mid-year budget review. While the district budget is slightly over the mid-year projection, additional fire department strike-team funds are expected to supplement the budget for the year. The board then discussed ways to prevent large gatherings that continue to be held in Covington Park. The board will continue the discussion during the March meeting with additional information on restrictions on gathering requirements from the CDC.
The board also discussed board members violating district policies on relations among directors and with staff. After a lengthy discussion, the board tabled the item until the March meeting to allow time to review the district policies for ways to adjust wording of the document to both reinforce the policy and introduce consequences to board members who violate it.
Lastly, the board adjourned to closed session, a small portion of which was inadvertently broadcast to the public, to conference without legal counsel and to perform a public employee performance evaluation with the district’s director of operations. After the meeting, President Swarat reported that the board will continue discussions on both topics during the district’s March meeting.
