All nine candidates for the Yucca Valley Town Council took part in a forum Tuesday night, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Candidates answered a variety of questions, ranging from their views on medical marijuana dispensaries in the town, and on development impact fees; the wastewater treatment project; and a half-percent sales tax for infrastructure. Managing editor Tami Roleff was at the forum, and in this second of a three -part report, touches on some of the answers of three more candidates. For more in-depth answers, see this story at Z1077fm.com…
Ron Cohen said tourism is the town’s number one industry, and the highway’s new medians are hurting the town’s small businesses because customers can’t get to the stores. He stressed he would hold town hall meetings so that residents could talk for more than three minutes to get their point across. He was “absolutely” in favor of the petition to revise the town’s ordinance to permit medical marijuana dispensaries. He said the town’s real issue isn’t the sewer project, but nitrates entering the town’s water supply, and asked what should be done about the nitrates. He wondered if the town should inspect residents’ septic tanks to make sure they are in good working order and are being emptied periodically. Regarding the half-percent sales tax, Cohen said there were better things the town could do with residents’ money, and suggested raising the transient occupancy tax. He supported development impact fees for new businesses, and suggested incentives to encourage businesses to open in vacant buildings. Cohen stressed the need to get youth involved in the community.
Lori Herbel stressed the importance of the sewer project for the development of new businesses in the town, and that once the town has sewer, more businesses will come. She added that the town needs to focus on the 1.4 million visitors who come to Joshua Tree National Park each year. Herbel thinks the town should do what it can to make sure no one loses their home or business because of the sewer’s cost, and so she supports a half-percent sales tax for the sewer, which, she says, would bring in $80 million over 30 years. She supports the initiative for medical marijuana dispensaries. Herbel believes development impact fees should be phased in slowly so they don’t harm businesses. And she believes the town council should restore full operation of the Hi-Desert Nature Museum, which she says would only cost another $70,000, on top of the museum’s current budget of $193,000.
Bob Leone asserted the new highway medians hurt small businesses, and are a hazard to emergency vehicles. He does not believe that districts should be established for council members because council members should listen to all constituents, no matter where they live. Leone was supportive of medical marijuana. Because of the severe drought, Leone said it was necessary to make use of reclaimed water from the wastewater treatment plant. He was not in favor of a half-percent sales tax for infrastructure unless the economy improves and the tax went toward the sewer project. He believes the current development impact fees are reasonable. Leone added that speed limits should be lowered on dirt roads, and that the town needs more police officers.
