The Yucca Valley Town Council met last night. After being introduced to the Morongo Basin station’s new Sheriff’s lieutenant, Mike Walker, the Yucca Valley Town Council heard a presentation from the town’s Youth Commission, which had a shortened schedule of events due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The council also heard a report about how the town’s animal shelter has adapted during the shut-down. Shelter staff made 692 calls for service in 2019; 521 during business hours and 171 after hours. The shelter has suspended its most popular animal adoption events, although residents may still make appointments for a “touchless” adoption of animals. The shelter appreciates donations of gently used towels and blankets that it uses for its animals. When the shelter was shut down in March, staff reached out to nearby rescue organizations to place its animals to leave space for residents who couldn’t care for their pets due to economic hardships.
The Town Council awarded Measure Y partnership funding to four more organizations who had a representative available to answer questions from the council members; the last remaining organization, Morongo Basin Competitive Dance team, still has not sent a representative and so therefore the council has not yet awarded its funding.
The council also heard an update about the sidewalk improvements around Yucca Valley Elementary School. The five-year project added curbs, gutters, and sidewalks on Pueblo Trail, Onaga Trail, Elk Trail, and Hopi Trail. It also replaced and moved fences on private property. The project came in at 91 percent of the allowed budget. The town budgeted about $200,000 for the project; the rest of the nearly $1.2 million budget was from grants and other sources.
Managing editor Tami Roleff says the rest of the meeting was spent discussing the budget for fiscal year 2020-21…
The economic downturn due to COVID-19 shutdown has had a significant impact on Yucca Valley’s budget for fiscal year 2020-21, which begins July 1. Sales tax and transient occupancy tax revenues—which make up a majority of the town’s revenues—are expected to decrease by 25 and 50 percent, respectively.
Town staff was still able to balance the town’s $10.8 million budget—including a full allocation of $5.6 million for public safety—by cutting the budgets for operations and supplies, and eliminating the cost of living adjustments. And while one full-time and one part-time position at the animal shelter are being eliminated, there will be no net loss of employees. The part-time kennel tech position was recently vacated and will not be filled; and the full-time animal control field officer is being moved to a different, unfilled (but budgeted) position. So while the town has reduced its employees, there are no full-time employee lay-offs.
