The Yucca Valley Town Council decided on art for this year’s Summer Music Festival. Here is reporter Adeline J. Wells with that and more from last night’s meeting.
The Yucca Valley Town Council kicked off its meeting with a public hearing regarding placing solid waste handling fees on the property tax roll. The Town has been working with Burrtec to gradually phase in cost increases associated with organics recycling, per California State Senate Bill 1383. As the charges for the first year of services were less than anticipated, the Council voted without issue to place the fees on the tax roll for the upcoming fiscal year.
The Town Council also voted on artwork to advertise Yucca Valley’s Summer Music Festival. As part of its Public Art Program, the Town put out a Call for Artists to create a logo for this year’s festival in March. Clayton Rardon represented the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Commission by presenting their selection, a submission by local artist Sherri Scott, which the Council approved with a vote. Scott’s artwork will be featured on two banners on either side of the stage, t-shirts, social media posts, and other promotional and marketing materials for the music festival.
Lastly, the Town Council reviewed a presentation by Town Staff on commercial special events, swap meets, and parking lot sales. The Town has regulations in place that provide the scope for such permitted events; examples include that farmers’ markets need to maintain a business ratio of 80% produce and 20% other goods, or that any sales adjacent to Highway 62 need to be set back at least 400 feet from the highway. The Council agreed with the need to preserve the appearance of Highway 62 and provided feedback as to potential revisions.
As Council Member Merl Abel noted, certain events along Highway 62 seem to be more appealing to residents than others.
“The feedback I receive from residents is that they don’t want swap meets, rummage sales, or thrift stores displaying goods outside on the main highway. They want galleries and things like holiday craft fairs or festivals and farmers’ markets; they want more places to gather and have events. So I’m very much open to hearing ideas as to whatever the Planning Commission can do to help us move in those directions.”
The presentation was one of several related to regulating pop-ups on Highway 62; sidewalk sales, street vendors, and food trucks have been on the agendas at both recent and upcoming Yucca Valley Planning Commission meetings.
