The Yucca Valley Town Council meeting began last night with a presentation on the Marine base’s economic effects on the Morongo Basin and recognition of Diane Olsen and Al Arrowood as the full- and part-time employees of the year. Also recognized were Sheriff’s Captain Dale Mondary—who will be leaving next week to lead the Desert Hot Springs Police Department—and the Yucca Valley Youth Commissioners. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the council also discussed the budget; named members to an ad hoc committee; and discussed whether the town should take over the management of the public access channel 10, which may go dark in 2016 if and when Time Warner Cable merges with Charter Communications…
While Mayor George Huntington and Council Member Merl Abel weren’t sure that taking over Channel 10 was something the town should do, the council did give staff the go-ahead to explore the requirements for doing so and to come back in about six months with an implementation plan. Estimated costs are $10,000 in start-up costs, and about $7,000 annually in program management costs.
An increase in the town’s legal fees for litigation and unanticipated elections, as well as an increase in costs for public safety, increased the budget by nearly $100,000, but savings in other areas and increased tax revenues means the town will actually have a surplus of nearly $3,200.
And finally, the council named George Huntington and Bob Leone to an ad hoc committee that will work with the Citizens for Lower Sewer Costs on a sales tax initiative.
