Yucca Valley Town Council: Flock camera system, Measure Y funding, Yucca Valley Animal Shelter update

Following a presentation on the upcoming Grubstake Days, the Yucca Valley Town Council meeting began with a Public Hearing concerning the collection of solid waste handling charges on the tax roll for the upcoming fiscal year. The Town’s agreement with Burrtec has expanded due to the implementation of organics recycling under SB1383. Despite the 33% increase in collection services, the new year would see an approximate 4.9% increase in rates. The Council voted to approve the resolution and applauded the program, as expressed by Mayor Pro Tem Merl Abel. "I was a little reluctant when they came out with the green waste, living up here with not a lot of lawns and trimmings, but I found that I use it all the time. I’m very happy to help alleviate the things that goes to the landfill.” Lieutenant Al Huff gave a presentation on the Flock Camera System, which uses License Plate Recognition to gather information about vehicles suspected of criminal involvement. The system collects objective details that law enforcement can specifically search for in an investigation; it does not have facial recognition or speed-tracking mechanisms. A sample pull of information from the Flock System Flock is utilized by over 400 law enforcement agencies, including Twentynine Palms and most other jurisdictions in San Bernardino County. Lieutenant Huff highlighted how the system has helped solve crimes in the region, and in Yucca Valley itself. "As we all recall, in January 2024, we had a fatal hit-and-run on Avalon and Highway 62 involving Mr. Barreras. The reason we were able to locate that suspect and where he took his vehicle down in Riverside County was merely because of the Flock System. That is how we were able to track this car, locate the owner, identify that he was a local business owner, take him into custody, and obviously he is still facing charges on that.” The Council directed Town Staff to prepare a proposal for the Flock System implementation. Town Staff then presented the proposed designations for Measure Y Partnership Funding for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. The Revenue Measure Oversight Commission reviewed 34 applications for funding, of which they selected eight to be awarded various amounts totaling $100,000. Recipients receiving the most funds include the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Desert, the High Desert Pregnancy Clinic, and the Morongo Basin Tennis Association. All eight recipients attended and thanked the Council for the funding awards. Recommended Awards for Measure Y Partnership Funding The latter half of the four-hour meeting was dedicated to the second update on the 90-Day Operational Review of the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter, as well as associated public comment. Town Staff announced the review at the March 4 meeting following public concern about shelter practices. Deputy Town Manager Shane Stueckle presented the report, which listed actions the Town has taken since March to improve operations, including weekly updates of adoptable animals online, scheduling special adoptions and a low-cost spay/neuter event, and outreach to rescue groups. Stueckle said that the Town is hiring additional staff, and Human Resources is looking into policy to create volunteer and foster programs. There were over 20 public comments concerning the matter. Several attendees spoke favorably about the new initiatives while raising continued concerns about the shelter management and delays in the volunteer program. This is the first of two stories concerning the Yucca Valley Town Council meeting. Tune in tomorrow for a deeper dive into the update on the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter Operational Review and the public and Council reactions. Attendees hold up signs of support for comments on the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter.