The Yucca Valley Town Council meeting began with an interactive workshop concerning the Town’s new monument sign. Clayton Rardon of the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Commission introduced the project, which is part of Yucca Valley’s Public Art initiative. Designs could be a maximum of eight by twelve feet in dimension and were encouraged to reflect the unique characteristics, community values, and cultural heritage of Yucca Valley.
The artists of the five top-rated submissions presented their individual designs and conceptual approaches, which was followed by a Q&A period with the Town Council. The submissions varied in materials, including steel, concrete, and brass; several incorporated the Town of Yucca Valley seal and elements of the natural landscape, wildlife, and history.
While the PRCC had initially recommended that the Council select one design following the workshop, the extensive presentations made clear that further discussions on location, cost, and message were necessary before moving forward, as noted by Councilmember Jim Schooler.
Jim Schooler: “The important thing on this decision is that this is branding. This is us deciding as a community who we are, how we want to be remembered, how we want to be known, and how we want to impress or impact people that come into our community. All of these have a little bit of a different approach to that branding, but I think that’s so critically important for us to consider.”
Following a recap of the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, during which Town Staff and Council members championed a “common sense approach” to the issue of protecting trees and mitigating costs, at nearly three hours in the meeting entered into a Public Comment period largely dominated by concerns about the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter. Last night was the third Council meeting in which a significant portion of attendees raised the issue; the shelter is currently undergoing a 90-day review, results of which Town Staff expects to present to the Council around June.
However, resident concerns continue to be imminent, and several speakers raised a request to include shelter updates as a regular item on Town Council agendas, as expressed by James Porter.
James Porter: “I’m going to ask our Town Council and our Town management staff to put this on the agenda every meeting. Ask for an update every two weeks that tells us how many dogs came in, how many were euthanized, and how many found other resolutions. If we can hear about the Western Joshua Tree every two weeks, we can hear how many dogs are coming into the shelter.”
Speaker Merilee Kuchon drew on the Town’s own call for common sense when addressing the issue.
Merilee Kuchon: “Y’all talk about common sense a lot tonight, about efficiency, about the Joshua Tree. Common sense tells me that there are so many people interested in this issue, committed by this issue, devastated by this issue, that it should be on the agenda every week.
In his concluding remarks, Deputy Town Manager Shane Stueckle said that interim information on the shelter analysis and operational metrics will be presented to the Town Council at their meeting on April 1.
