A proposition that will be on the June ballot is a $4 billion bond measure that has a provision that will directly benefit the residents of Yucca Valley and the Morongo Basin. Managing editor Tami Roleff says Assemblyman Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley was instrumental in designating some of that money for Yucca Valley…
In exchange for his support of cap and trade, Assemblyman Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley got a provision added to SB5, also known as Prop 68, that will provide $22 million in grant money to Yucca Valley. Mayes wrote a provision in Prop 68 specifically for Yucca Valley; it says $22 million will be available for grants to San Bernardino County desert communities that were incorporated after 1990, have a population of less than 22,000, and have adopted a master plan that includes the development of public facilities such as aquatic and fitness centers. Councilmember Merl Abel and the other councilmembers voiced their support for the proposition.
“I’d like to thank Assemblyman Chad Mayes for including us in this package. We have a huge need for this type of facility. We’re not wealthy, a lot of people are on fixed incomes. Having a recreational facility that would help us with better quality of life is amazing.” The council voted unanimously to approve a resolution supporting Prop 68. The funds would only be available to Yucca Valley if Prop 68 is passed by California voters in June 2018.
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In other business, the town council also agreed to lower the amount of money it keeps in its reserve funds. Last year, its reserve funds equaled 61 percent of its budget, or about $8 million. For the 2017-18 fiscal year, it was reduced to 51 percent, or $7.5 million. The council voted to reduce the reserve funds to 40 to 45 percent, with a minimum of 50 percent of the excess funds to be transferred into a pension stabilization reserve fund, to pay for its unfunded pension liabilities.
The council also agreed to hire a part-time employee for the senior center. The position will be dedicated toward senior services, including expanded programming hours and activities at the senior center. And in a related item, the council heard from Tom Donahue of the Family Services Association, which provides the meals at the town’s Senior Center. The council had asked Donahue to provide an overview of the meals program, since many residents had complained about the menu, food quality and customer service. Donahue explained that he was aware of the residents’ complaints, and took them seriously, and the staff were attempting to improve customer service and the program’s quality.
And finally, the council agreed to allocate $113,591 to complete the renovation of Paradise Park, including the installation of turf or turf substitute, and $5,000 for code enforcement.
And following a closed session meeting, the Yucca Valley Town Council voted unanimously to immediately take all steps necessary to start the process to establish five, single-member districts that will be in effect for Town Council elections beginning in November 2018.
The Town—along with several other Morongo Basin government agencies—received a letter in September from attorney Kevin Shenkman, which alleges that the Town’s current at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act. During the closed session, the Council directed staff to immediately take all steps necessary to commence the process for establishing five, single-member districts to be effective for town council elections beginning in November 2018.
The Town said the councilmembers issued this direction in order to avoid spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars in defense of a potential lawsuit.
California law permits councils of small cities to change to district elections by ordinance.
The Town Council also directed the town manager and the town attorney to retain a demographer, develop a schedule for hearings and council action, and otherwise take all steps necessary to establish a five, single member by-district election system.
