As cold winds blew outside the chambers Wednesday night, the Twentynine Palms City Council agreed to temporarily fund a food distribution program in the city that feeds 500-800 people per month. Every Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m., Feed the Need volunteers give food to anyone in need, a service that has been provided to the community for over 14 years at The Sanctuary Church, 4751 Adobe Road.
City Manager Stone James noted that $47,000 had been tagged for a general resource center and portable showers – neither of which has yet come to pass – that could be tapped in this case. Council approved a monthly funding of $2,000 until June; the program costs $3,000 to run monthly. Come June, council will revisit funding for The Hope Center.
Representing the San Bernardino County DAs office, Deputy District Attorney Douglas Poston gave a presentation on Proposition 36, one of the only propositions on the ballot to have passed in all 58 counties. The new law addresses what many saw as lax theft laws, and weak penalties on the damaging effects of fentanyl. Poston explained how prior theft convictions can now be combined into one felony, and new specific charges for team thefts – the so-called smash-and-grabs that have been plaguing society in recent years. Poston also highlighted the option of drug offenders to plead guilty, complete a treatment program, and have the charge expunged from their record. Poston wants to encourage both store owners and residents to report any theft – including porch pirates – to help keep serial thieves behind bars.
Following a recommendation from the City Council subcommittee –consisting of Councilmembers Octavious Scott and April Ramirez – council officially reappointed Leslie Paahana and Jim Krushat to the Planning Commission. There was a total of seven applicants (six interviewed) but none were deemed as qualified as those reappointed. One of the applicants, Carlos Blandon, protested the appointments at the podium, suggesting favoritism, deadline confusion, and suggested the implementation of term limits. Scott then noted that the commission has welcomed two new members in the last two years and that a certain preservation of consistency had to be maintained. “It’s important to keep continuity for institutional knowledge,” Scott said, before noting that city code does not include term limits for the commission, the council, or any other appointed body.
Ramirez – herself new to the council after defeating Jim Krushat – assured Blandon that the appointments were not personal and entirely merit-based. “While Commissioner Krushat did apply for it, I still stand by my decision to reappoint him as he was the most qualified. We just came out of a pretty tough election season, and we were running against each other and I can assure you that we are not friends but he was picked and chosen because he is the most qualified.”
