The Mitzelfelt Memo is a periodic electronic newsletter from the office of Brad Mitzelfelt, First District Supervisor for the
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| In This Issue... | July 2, 2009 | ||||
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New Fire Station Dedicated in Phelan Mitzelfelt Presents $50,000 to Victorville Anti-Gang Program Mitzelfelt Secures Funding for Rural Fire Stations County Employees Serving in Military Receive Extended Benefits Senior Meal Programs Receive Funding Mitzelfelt Supports Proposed Creation of Solar Energy Zones in Desert
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New Fire Station Dedicated in Phelan
San Bernardino County firefighters serving the communities of Phelan, Pinon Hills, Wrightwood and El Mirage on June 30 celebrated the grand opening of Fire Station 10 at a ceremony where First District County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt praised them for their service and resourcefulness, and welcomed them to their new facility. “This modern, state-of-the-art fire station replaces the previous facilities, which consisted of two aging mobile homes and a metal shed,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “Even though those facilities were not ideal, firefighters still accomplished their mission. I want to thank the firefighters who have served here for their resourcefulness and patience, and congratulate them on getting the type of facility they deserve.” Supervisor Mitzelfelt was joined by San Bernardino County Fire Chief Pat Dennen, who praised the Supervisor for his commitment to the fire department and public safety in general. More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including a number of officials from state and federal fire agencies, along with Hesperia Mayor Thurston Smith, Hesperia Councilman Mike Leonard, Phelan-Pinon Hills CSD members Al Morrissette, Charlie Johnson and Joe Fahrlender, Pinon Hills Honorary Mayor Nancy Cosgrove and Phelan Honorary Mayor JoAnn Tidwell, as well as other dignitaries. The previous facilities were inadequate, crowded and were meant to be temporary, but remained in place for 20 years. The $2.8 million station is located on the same site as the previous Station 10 at 9625 Beekley Road. The 6,997-square-foot station will be able to house the fire engine, ambulance and up to seven personnel. New driveways and parking areas were also constructed along with a separate 1,800-square-foot storage building. Supervisor Mitzelfelt also commented on the positive economic impact of the construction project. “I’m glad to know that we had the opportunity to help create several construction jobs for local workers. This and other County construction projects have continued to move forward despite the economic downturn,” he said. The project was constructed by RIC Construction Company of Hesperia and took nine months to complete. Mitzelfelt Presents $50,000 to Victorville Anti-Gang Program Victorville’s innovative Uturn anti-gang program received a major boost on June 11 from Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who presented a $50,000 check to city leaders during a press conference at City Hall. “I’ve supported several youth and gang intervention programs but Uturn is unique because it involves the entire family,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “I’m proud to assist this component of our on-going effort to expand youth programs throughout the High Desert because Uturn helps address the gang problem at its source. Young people who are involved in healthy, enriching activities are far less likely to get involved in gangs and drugs.” The Uturn program began two years ago and is a partnership among the County, the City of Victorville, and the state and federal governments. Mitzelfelt has also made contributions to Boys and Girls Clubs, Police Activities Leagues, the YMCA and other programs designed to keep youth on a productive path. He has directed more than $5 million to such programs as part of his commitment to a two-pronged strategy in the war on gangs – vigorous enforcement combined with innovative prevention and intervention programs. “In these tough economic times it becomes increasingly difficult to continue community programs for our youth,” said Victorville Mayor Rudy Cabriales. “It speaks volumes of the partnership between the County and City government and our shared commitment to provide our hometown youth with the tools they’ll need to be productive and ultimately stay away from gangs.” Unlike other prevention based programs, Uturn focuses on the entire family. The program aims to strengthen the family structure and create a greater sense of belonging to the community, thus making gang life less attractive. The program will accept selected families that commit to a minimum of three years to participate in the program. They will participate in individual and family counseling, classes, workshops, family trips, career field trips for youth, job training and education for adult family members, and structured community service for all members of the family. Mitzelfelt Secures Funding for Rural Fire Stations On June 23, Supervisor Mitzelfelt secured approval to create a budget reserve that will reach approximately $5 million to build fire stations in the remote areas of the County. The Board of Supervisors agreed during a final budget hearing to set aside additional federal funds for construction of fire stations over the next several years. “I would like to thank my fellow Board members for agreeing that this extra funding should be targeted to provide fire coverage in underserved and underfunded areas of the remote desert,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “It has been a public safety priority of mine to build fire stations along the Interstate 40 corridor.” Response times on Interstate 40 can be up to an hour or longer because fire crews have to come from Needles, the Barstow area or even Baker. The distance between Barstow and Needles on I-40 is 150 miles. Supervisor Mitzelfelt is committed to building a new fire station in Amboy, about halfway between Barstow and Needles, and another one near Goffs, about 40 miles west of Needles. The additional funding is from the federal government’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which allocates money to states and local jurisdictions that have areas of federal land, which do not generate property taxes. PILT payments are meant to partially offset the cost of providing public services on and around public lands, but the program was never fully funded until last year. The County had been receiving about $1.8 million in annual PILT payments for the past few years. Congress last year agreed to fully fund the program through 2012 and the County received $2,877,981 in 2008 and $2,958,395 in 2009. Supervisor Mitzelfelt convinced the Board of Supervisors to use the difference, about $1 million per year for five years, for the desert fire stations. The Board had previously agreed to spend $300,000 for design and engineering of the Amboy station, with another $2.6 million budgeted for construction in Fiscal Year 2010-2011. In a separate action, the Board agreed to seek $12.6 million from a federal stimulus grant program that is targeted for fire station construction and improvements. If the County receives the grant, it would pay for the new Amboy station, and for new facilities to replace aging fire stations in Wonder Valley and Angeles Oaks. County Employees Serving in Military Receive Extended Benefits County employees who are called to active military duty will continue to receive full benefits and the County will continue to make up the difference between their military pay and County salary, after the Board of Supervisors on June 23 approved an extension of the County’s policy to make up the discrepancy between their military compensation and what the employees normally earn through County employment. “When members of our County family willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom, the least we can do is ensure that they and their families are well cared for,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt, who served in the U.S. Marines during Operation Desert Storm. “With five military bases in San Bernardino County, we have chosen to be a leader in supporting the men and women who have volunteered to serve.” The program was initiated almost immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, about 130 County employees have used the program while on extended military leave. There are currently 16 County employees on active duty. State law requires reservists who are called up for active duty to receive their full salary for 30 days. The County policy requires that those on active duty continue to receive their full County benefits, and receive the difference between their military pay and County salary, which usually is considerably higher. The County was recently named the most supportive of the military among California’s 58 counties by the Yellow Ribbon America Campaign and the California State Legislature. In addition to providing full benefits, the County provides health and social services to members of the military and their families, and has shown support through food and supply drives. Senior Meal Programs Receive Funding The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on June 16 authorized $3.86 million to fund meal programs for seniors throughout the County. “These programs serve thousands of seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes and often struggle with monthly expenses,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “The meals themselves are important, but just as important is the opportunity to interact with others.” The County contracted with senior centers to operate two programs: one for home delivery of meals and the other to provide communal meals at the senior centers. Just in the High Desert, the programs have served 123,473 meals to 2,214 seniors during this fiscal year through May 30. Countywide in the past year, the programs provided 281,540 communal meals and 316,644 home-delivered meals. For information on senior nutrition programs in your area, call (909) 723-1500. Mitzelfelt Supports Proposed Creation of Solar Energy Zones in Desert On June 29, Supervisor Mitzelfelt announced his support for the study of solar energy zones in the West announced by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, and pledged to work with federal and state officials to ensure the voice of local government is heard and that critical desert resources are protected. “As soon as this modern gold rush toward renewable energy started, I began calling for a comprehensive, detailed analysis of which areas appear to be suitable for solar energy development, and which areas should be off-limits,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “There is a broad consensus that we need to protect current resources and activities in the desert, and the best way to do that is by looking at these projects in the context of all competing uses, including mining, off-highway vehicle use, military needs, habitat protection, and scenic values that support recreation, tourism and filming.” Secretary Salazar’s initiative will examine 24 areas covering 670,000 acres in six Western states where solar energy developers would receive expedited permitting for locations that have minimal conflicts with wildlife, other natural resources or land users. Projects outside those areas would continue to undergo rigorous environmental review. The Secretary’s goal is to have 13 solar plants under construction in the West by 2010. For more information, go to www.doi.gov. There are currently 66 applications for solar projects in California that would cover 574,915 acres or nearly 900 square miles. Of those, 33 proposals are in San Bernardino County and could cover up to 352,480 acres or 550 square miles. That is more than 61 percent of all the proposed acreage for solar development in the state. Most of the proposed projects are in Supervisor Mitzelfelt’s district. Supervisor Mitzelfelt also called for close coordination among ongoing federal and state renewable energy initiatives with a strong role for local government. Those include California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) and Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. Potential energy development on private and disturbed lands should also be examined, he said. San Bernardino County has a number of solar energy projects proposed for private land. "While we know the Secretary and Department of Interior agencies have no authority on intermingled private and state lands we hope that all actions are fully coordinated with county planning and zoning and the use of private lands is integrated in the planning," said Mitzelfelt. |
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