NEWS

From the County of San Bernardino

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 21, 2000

For more information, contact

County Public Information Officer David Wert

(909) 387-4082

dwert@cao.co.san-bernardino.ca.us

Board actions benefit Fontana, Yucaipa and Barstow

The following are highlights from the Tuesday, March 21, 2000 meeting of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors:

Board takes action to create steel jobs in west Fontana

A west Fontana steel manufacturer could soon nearly double its work force thanks to action taken Tuesday by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

The board approved plans by the state to provide Staub Metals Corp. $2.5 million in tax-exempt industrial bonds so the company can purchase steel fabricating equipment for its facility at 14000 San Bernardino Ave.

The plant, which manufactures stilt steel coil products, currently employs 60 people but plans to add 45 workers within two years.

The bond deal was granted preliminary approval in September by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, which will act as issuer of the bond under its Equipment Only Purchase Program. The process required approval by the local governing body - in this case the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

It must now be considered by the California Industrial Development Financing Advisory Commission and the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee before coming back to the California Statewide Communities Development Authority for final approval.

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Grants aid projects in Yucaipa, Barstow and at the Mojave River

A soccer complex in Yucaipa, a community swimming pool in Barstow and a hiking and bike trail along the Mojave River will benefit from $855,625 in federal grants accepted Tuesday by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

The grants, secured by Congressman Jerry Lewis of Redlands through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will provide $393,125 to the Yucaipa Valley Regional Soccer Complex, $231,250 to rehabilitate the Fogelsong Pool in Barstow, and $231,250 to fund the River Walk and Bike Trail along the Mojave River.

The county's Department of Economic and Community Development will administer the funds, part of HUD's Economic and Development Initiative.

"Robot Zoo" coming to San Bernardino County Museum

The Robot Zoo is coming to the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands in 2001.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to bring the Robot Zoo exhibit, based on a popular children's book, to the museum from June 9 to Sept. 9, 2001.

The exhibit, so far successful in bolstering attendance at the Calgary Science Center in Canada and the Virginia Museum of Natural History, uses mechanical devices to illustrate the anatomical structure of various animals.

Bringing the exhibit to the county Museum requires an immediate deposit of $15,000 and an additional $25,000 once the exhibit opens. The county expects to also pay about $10,000 to transport, unpack, assemble, take down and pack up the exhibit. But museum staff expects costs to be offset by increased museum attendance.

Board reaffirms authority over siting of group homes

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday reaffirmed and refined its authority over the creation of group homes to house troubled young people.

The board established a process in which the county's Children's Policy Council would review applications for new group homes to house such children and make

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recommendations to the board. The board in turn will decide whether to approve a letter of support or denial to the state for the proposed home.

Group homes can become controversial issues for neighborhoods, and the board wanted to make sure it maintained a voice in the process.

However, state law allows county boards of supervisors to write letters of support for group homes in other counties. That means that other counties that need a place to house their youths could by law provide the necessary support for group homes planned in San Bernardino County.

Board covers costs of sending youthful offenders to state prison

A growing number of youths sentenced by San Bernardino County courts to the California Youth Authority -- combined with an increase in how much the state charges counties to house youths -- forced the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to release an additional $600,000 to cover the cost of those commitments.

The board last year budgeted $2.7 million for the current fiscal year for CYA commitments. But it also set aside $600,000 in contingency funds to cover additional costs.

Costs for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, are expected to reach $4.8 million. But the county Probation Department is expected to save $1.5 million this year in salaries and benefits because of difficulty in the recruitment and hiring of probation officers.

CYA commitments from the county have grown from 246 in January 1997 to 482 in January 2000. Meanwhile, annual costs have grown from less than $1.2 million in fiscal 1997-1998 to the $4.8 million projected for the current 1999-2000 fiscal year.

This is because prior to 1997, the county was charged $150 per month for each youth, while today monthly costs range from $150 to $2,600.

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