It was billed as a Yucca Valley Town Council workshop on the budget, but for all intents and purposes, it was just another special meeting. Town Manager Mark Nuaimi gave a 45-minute presentation on the budget, discussing the trends in revenue and expenditures, the aquatics program, developing partnerships with other organizations to help pay for programs, and a look back at why the Town felt Measure U—which failed in the November election—was necessary. Managing editor Tami Roleff was at the workshop, and reports that the swimming pool, the concerts in the park, and Hi-Desert Nature Museum were the main topics discussed…
While the Town Council’s meeting last Tuesday night focused on the swimming pool; Saturday’s workshop ranged from the pool to the concerts in the park, but most of the two dozen speakers urged the Town to keep the Hi-Desert Nature Museum open. Town Manager Mark Nuaimi reassured those in attendance. “The Museum is not being closed, I’m going to tell you right now, we don’t know what the scope of the museum is going to be. As for the aquatics program, we believe we have a fair middle ground for this community.” Town Staff put forward a proposal in which the Morongo Unified School District would contribute 50 percent toward the pool’s maintenance cost, or about $26,000 per year. “We would be maintaining the facility with our staff, they would be buying all the chemicals and they’d be paying the utilities.” In addition, Nuaimi said the Town is committed to the concerts in the park. “We have six concerts secured.” Nuaimi also suggested that since Town activities and programs benefit more than just Town residents, other government agencies, such as the fire department, the County, and Hi-Desert Water Agency, partner with the Town and contribute toward the programs’ costs.
YUCCA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL IN BUDGET WORKSHOP SATURDAY
