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| In This Issue... | January 23, 2009 |
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Mitzelfelt Takes Oath of Office Mitzelfelt Awards Youth Intervention Funds to Hesperia Police Renovation of Barstow Sheriff’s Station to Begin Supervisors Approve Expansion of Lucerne Valley Fire Station Popular Educational Program at Mojave Narrows Regional Park to Continue Supervisors Improve Emergency Medical Care in High Desert
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Mitzelfelt Takes Oath of Office Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt began his first full term serving the First District following an Oath of Office ceremony at the County Government Center on December 1. Supervisor Mitzelfelt will now continue his service as a duly-elected official after winning election to the post in a primary election in June. The Board of Supervisors initially appointed him to the Board in 2007 to fill a vacancy. As a County Supervisor, Mitzelfelt leads a dynamic public service organization of more than 18,000 employees working in 40 departments that provide a diverse array of vital public services. Those services include law enforcement, prosecution and defense, fire protection, economic development, aid to the needy, road and flood control construction and maintenance, elections, parks, museums, libraries, and a variety of healthcare services. The board also faces the difficult task of leading the county through a fiscal crisis brought on by a sharp downturn in local property values, stagnant sales tax revenues, a seriously unstable state budget, and other factors traceable to the national and world economic emergency. Thanks to conservative fiscal practices championed by the Board of Supervisors during good economic times – building healthy reserves and contingency funds, cautious use of vacant positions, not relying on overly-optimistic projections, promoting economic development – the County of San Bernardino is better positioned than most of the state’s counties and cities to weather the storm. Still, the county’s fiscal team foresees challenges in maintaining the levels of service county residents have come to expect. “I want to thank the voters of the First District for their faith and trust in me,” Supervisor Mitzelfelt said after taking the oath of office, promising to continue to work to promote efforts to fight crime, improve transportation, and provide quality emergency health care to everyone in the county. His First District includes the vast majority of the High Desert, including the communities of Hesperia, Apple Valley, Victorville, Adelanto, Barstow, Needles, and Twentynine Palms. “We have to continue to work on solutions to our problems,” said Mitzelfelt, citing as an example the county’s efforts to address the foreclosure crisis. Click here to read a transcript of Mitzelfelt's Oath of Office Speech Click here to view a video of Mitzelfelt’s Oath of Office Speech Mitzelfelt Awards Youth Intervention Funds to Hesperia Police Supervisor Mitzelfelt on January 6 presented two checks totaling $20,000 to the Hesperia Police Department in support of its youth programs. Two $10,000 checks were awarded in support of the department’s Police Activities League and Cops ‘n’ Jocks program. The Police Activities League is an athletic program for youth at risk of becoming involved in gangs or drugs. The league includes a boxing program and off-road activities and offers an opportunity for youth to have positive interactions with members of law enforcement. The Cops ‘n’ Jocks program creates another opportunity for members of law enforcement to mentor local youth by involving members of the police department in local school sporting events. The program also provides scholarships and other financial support for school sports programs. The donation is the most recent element of a multi-million-dollar effort to develop and support programs that are designed to give young people productive and healthful alternatives. Supervisor Mitzelfelt has made such programs an integral component of his two-pronged strategy in the War on Gangs, which includes both tough and vigorous enforcement, and prevention and intervention to keep youth from joining gangs in the first place. Renovation of Barstow Sheriff’s Station to Begin Renovation of the Barstow Sheriff’s Station will soon be under way after the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on January 6 awarded two contracts to begin the work. “Sheriff’s deputies and staff provide critical protection for the public and these dedicated professionals deserve adequate facilities so they can better serve the public,” Supervisor Mitzelfelt said. “This renovation will relieve overcrowding in the station and provide staff and the public with a station they can be proud of.” The Board awarded a $635,000 contract to Cooley Construction, Inc. of Hesperia to remodel and expand the station’s parking lot, and the adjacent park. The expansion will add 40 parking spaces and new security gates. In addition, Stiern Park will be renovated with plants and ground cover that require less water. The station is located at 225 E. Mountain View Avenue. A separate $113,350 contract was awarded to AVACO Construction of Moreno Valley to renovate the lobby and restrooms, which will bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Construction of both projects will begin this month with lobby renovations scheduled to be complete in March, and the parking lot expansion due to be finished in April. Renovation and expansion of the main building is expected to begin in the fall and be complete in 2010. The total planned renovation and expansion of the station will add about 4,000 square feet to the outdated facility. The Barstow station is responsible for covering 10,000 square miles of the County, encompassing a region that stretches from Trona through Baker and all the way to the Nevada state line. Sheriff’s department staff have been in the same facility for 40 years. As deputies, commanders and support staff have been added to fill growing needs, the station has become overcrowded. The total project is expected to cost about $3.5 million. Supervisors Approve Expansion of Lucerne Valley Fire Station The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on January 13 approved plans to expand Fire Station 111 in Lucerne Valley by adding nearly 1,500 square feet of space to store a new brush patrol truck and two other emergency vehicles. “Ensuring that we have adequate infrastructure to support our County Fire Department is critical to the safety of our public,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt, who represents the area. “This expansion to the fire station will ensure that we’re able to take good care of our equipment so that the equipment is in good condition when we need it.” The County recently acquired a new brush patrol fire truck for the Lucerne Valley area, however there is insufficient space for the vehicle to fit into the existing apparatus bays at the station. The fire station currently stores a type 1 medic engine and an ambulance in the two existing apparatus bays, but the bays are not large enough to properly store these two vehicles as well as the new brush patrol engine. On June 30, 2008, the County procured the services of STK Architecture to design and engineer the apparatus bay. STK completed the plans and specifications and the project is now ready for construction. In addition to the expanded space to be added, the existing bays will also receive larger roll-up doors to allow for easier access in and out of the station. A formal bid solicitation process for construction of the project will now begin. Bids are anticipated to be received on February 19, 2009. The County Fire Protection District will return to the Board with a recommendation to award a construction contract following the bid process. The engineer’s estimate for the cost of the project is $223,834. Popular Educational Program at Mojave Narrows Regional Park to Continue Students in the High Desert will continue to have the opportunity to learn about science and nature after the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on January 13 accepted a $60,000 grant to fund an Environmental Science Day Camp at Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville. The grant was contributed by the Wildlands Conservancy Endowment Fund and will be combined with a $40,000 grant received last year from the Inland Empire United Way “Providing fun and educational programs for our youth is not only important to their scholastic success but to their success in life as well,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt, who represents the area. “This is the kind of innovative program that gets kids excited about science and the natural world around them.” The Environmental Science Day Camp was designed by the County Regional Parks Department to give students practical experience in nature and science and an appreciation for conserving natural resources. “Students get good, hand-on learning experiences and required instruction in biology, botany, geology and the study of Native Americans,” said Mitzelfelt, who recently observed several of the classes. County Regional Parks officials have invited local schools to participate in the program and 39 local schools have already registered to bring students. Additional space is available for day camps scheduled to be held in February, March, May and June. Interested schools may contact Kristie Stevens at (909) 387-2461 or KStevens@parks.sbcounty.gov to register. Supervisors Improve Emergency Medical Care in High Desert Emergency medical care in the High Desert took two major steps on December 9 when the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved the addition of a Trauma Systems Specialist to oversee the region’s trauma system, and also approved an agreement with St. Mary Medical Center to treat certain critical cardiac patients. The Trauma Systems Specialist will work for the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA) and will assist a consultant selected by the County to prepare a study of the region’s trauma system. “Bringing a trauma center to the High Desert is something I believe is critical to the health and safety in our region,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “With today’s hiring of a trauma specialist, we’re taking one more step toward that goal.” Supervisors earlier in the year approved a plan to perform a countywide assessment of the County’s existing trauma system. Supervisors are expected to enter into a formal agreement with the Abaris Group on January 6 to conduct the study, which is expected to be completed by April 1. The Board of Supervisors Board also approved an agreement between ICEMA and St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, designating it as the first hospital in the High Desert to become an ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Receiving Center. A STEMI is a common type of heart attack that afflicts approximately a half-million Americans per year. Heart attacks are the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. “Ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care is critical to their survival,” Supervisor Mitzelfelt said. “I commend St. Mary Medical Center for taking the necessary steps to be able to provide a higher level of care in the High Desert.” The goal for a STEMI Receiving Center is to have blood flow restored to the heart within 90 minutes. Prior to the designation, the next closest STEMI Receiving Center for High Desert residents was located in Loma Linda. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors serves as the governing board for ICEMA. The agency oversees emergency medical services in San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono counties. |