Last night, the Yucca Valley Town Council received updates regarding the Aquatics Program, Animal Care, and the Youth Commission.
The Yucca Valley Town Council meeting kicked off with the Youth Commission’s term report. Formed in 1995, the Commission involves students in grades 7 through 12 who work with the Town of Yucca Valley to volunteer for town programs and coordinate youth activities. Chair and Vice Chair Sophia Abbott and Acacia Smith presented the report, which reviewed recent events such as the Teen and Family Park Party, a Spring Dance for the Senior Center, seminars to educate seniors on technology, a canned food drive, movie nights, and more. Mayor Robert Lombardo presented the Youth Commission with certificates thanking them for their year of service.
“Thank you for the opportunity. This is really a great experience; there have been a lot of great memories made, lessons learned, and things that we can gain from being on the Youth Commission,” Smith said.
Doug Smith, Yucca Valley’s Animal Care and Control manager, presented the annual report for his department, which serves Yucca Valley and neighboring unincorporated communities. Following a significant drop during COVID, Smith noted that between 2022 and 2023, intakes at the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter have risen to above pre-pandemic levels. This increase can likely be attributed to a rise in surrenders of pandemic-era adoptions after the stay-at-home orders were lifted, as well as increased inflation and pet-owning costs. The department has held several events with reduced fees to encourage adoption in town.
Clayton Rardon from the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Commission provided the Town Council with the updates from the Aquatics Program. In addition to the regular offerings, this year’s program includes an evening lap swim session, Saturday swim lessons, two swim movie nights, and a floating obstacle course. Visitors will also be able to purchase a season pass to the swimming pool for individuals and families of four. The Community Pool is located at Yucca Valley High School and will be open for eight weeks from June 17 through August 10.
The Town Council also considered the Land Use Compliance Review requirements; the tool used to add a minor expansion to an existing commercial building. The Council approved the addition by the Planning Commission to add landscaping regulations to the list of current requirements. Councilman Merl Abel made impassioned remarks about the need for the town to hold businesses accountable for their landscaping and weeding practices and their effect on Yucca Valley’s appearance.
“It is inexcusable what our town looks like when these developers or corporate franchises don’t take care of their product in Yucca Valley. It’s not like it is hidden; millions of people travel on Highway 62. Their impression of Yucca Valley is tarnished because of that. We’ve got to figure out something to put some teeth on our policies and really crack down on these people.”
The Town Council meeting concluded with a presentation of the Capital Improvement Report, which includes updates on various projects. Notably, the Measure Y-funded Old Town Beautification and Sustainability Project will break ground on June 17 to be concluded in November. The Aquatics and Recreation Center will also begin construction this August.
