In a surprise last-minute vote change last night, the Twentynine Palms Water District board put the skids on the process for the annexation of the Twentynine Palms Fire Department to County Fire. In a move which one shocked resident called “Unbelievable,” Board president Sam Moore suddenly changed his vote on what is called the “two-party agreement,” making the vote to approve 2-2 and effectively killing a motion to approve the agreement. The two-party agreement is considered essential to the process; it is assigning responsibility of the Water District’s pension bail-out to the City of Twentynine Palms. Just this week, the LAFCO plan was moved forward after only 3 percent of affected property owners and voters protested the county takeover.
