Last night, the Morongo Valley Community Services District Board of Directors held a special meeting in Covington Park’s Mesquite Room.
The meeting began with the Board approving former Board member Matthew Campos to take over as the CSD’s General Manager at $400 a week while current GM Brittany Chavez goes on temporary leave.
Next, the Board had a lengthy discussion on the 2025-26 budget with lots to consider, primarily with the Fire Department in need of new “turnout” protective uniforms and various apparatus repairs. The Board crunched numbers with Chavez for the next hour to see what could be sacrificed to accommodate the unexpected costs. Board Director Steve Hayden volunteered to take the fire inspection class to save the district the $900 they’d spend on hiring an outside inspector, and Chavez suggested the costs of recent upgrades to the CSD’s website weren’t justifying the sparse signups for the Voluntary Revenue Program. With some adjustments and future goals discussed, the Board approved the budget.
Discussions continued regarding the CSD’s mural project, where they will seek local Morongo Valley artist submissions to eventually paint an 8×8 foot mural on the northside entrance of Covington Park’s main building. The Board hopes to have more information for artist submissions on the CSD website in May.
Research and ideas continued for community member Foster Tucker’s proposal for a dog park in Morongo Valley. Director Hayden voiced concerns about liability and maintenance, while other board members suggested looking into code enforcement as well as reaching out to other dog parks in Yucca Valley and Palm Springs to gather notes on development. With further research needed, the item was tabled and put on next meeting’s agenda for continued business.
Finally, the Board approved the $4000 purchase of a new “park gator” maintenance vehicle for Covington Park.
