Coleman to serve as mayor pro tem
December 13, 2011 10:02 PM
BY Gretchen Losi

SPECIAL TO THE DAILY PRESS

APPLE VALLEY • Barb Stanton is the new mayor in town, with Ginger Coleman tapped to serve as mayor pro tem.

The two were voted and sworn in at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

Stanton said she looks forward to fulfilling many of the campaign promises she made when she was elected in 2010, such as bolstering transparency. But she’s also excited about tackling several new endeavors in 2012 as she takes over the mayorship from Scott Nassif.

Her first priority is getting a grasp on the water issues in the town.

“Our Blue Ribbon Water Committee will present their findings in the next couple of weeks,” she said in an emailed response, “and we then will make decisions on whether to purchase Apple Valley Ranchos Water Company.”

Stanton said the town is moving forward as quickly as possible with a water reclamation plant, hoping to use the water on parks and the golf course.

There are also discussions that Apple Valley may be able to utilize catch basins for water run-off and receive credit for recharging the basin, she said. If that happens, Stanton said it will pave the way for growth in the industrial section of north Apple Valley.

Stanton has always been an advocate for “open, clear and transparent town business,” and said she is proud the town now provides monthly financial reports on all expenditures including the golf course — but she plans to take things a step further.

To better serve the folks of Apple Valley, Stanton said she will be asking for a community meeting with council and department heads.

“Thus there will be ready answers to citizen’s questions rather than, ‘I will check and get back with you,’ ” she said.
She also hopes to start a quarterly “Coffee with the Mayor.”

“This is already in the planning stages to assist citizens with questions, problems and solutions, and to continue to open the door to transparency,” she said.

During her tenure as mayor, Stanton also hopes to find a way to keep Animal Control open on Saturdays.

It was a year filled with new beginnings and tragic ends for Stanton, who, while serving her first year as a council member, lost her sister to cancer in August. She also stepped out of the radio spotlight to focus all her energy on serving the town.

When asked what her first 12 months with the Town Council has taught her, Stanton replied: “Government moves very slowly. Apple Valley wasn’t built in a day.”

Council weighs cuts to employee compensation to avoid dipping further into reserves
June 25, 2011 1:00 PM
Brooke Edwards
Staff Writer

APPLE VALLEY • The town will likely be the only local municipality to start the coming fiscal year without an approved budget, as Apple Valley’s Council asks for more time to weigh controversial issues such as funding the golf course and potential cuts to employee compensation.

Though Apple Valley still has a healthy $8 million in its reserves to cover any shortfalls in operations, that safety net is nearly half what it was three years ago due to revenue declines during the recession, ongoing subsidies to Parks and Recreation and the Town Council’s vote to purchase Apple Valley Golf Course.

Staff put together a proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 that called for another $1 million draw on reserves to support those services. But, hesitant to continue draining that fund — and with too many questions unanswered about what other options are available — the Council is expected Tuesday night to extend the current budget for another 60 days until Sept. 1.

The Town Council will also discuss offering an early retirement incentive through the California Public Employee Retirement System as a way to trim expenses.

From more about the budget, read the full story in Sunday’s Press Dispatch. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

APPLE VALLEY • The Mojave Water Agency has moved into its new headquarters, consolidating from three buildings to one $6 million site a short distance away.

MWA’s facility on Conference Center Drive is powered largely by solar panels, features a larger board room, will allow for live-streamed meetings and should accommodate the agency for the next 50 years.

“We’ve known for quite a while that we’ve needed for a number of reasons to relocate,” said Art Bishop, who saw plans for the building when he joined MWA’s Board of Directors six years ago.

The agency had been based at 22450 Headquarters Drive since 1988. It’s since added a temporary portable and tilt-up concrete structure nearly a mile away to house its staff of 34, which oversees the High Desert’s water supply.

MWA has been setting aside money out of its operations fund to relocate for years, spokesman Mike Stevens said, able to pay cash without affecting water rates, stalling other capital projects or incurring debt.

To read more about the new MWA headquarters, see the full story in Sunday’s Press Dispatch. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

June 14, 2011 3:03 PM
Tomoya Shimura
Staff Writer

The High Desert housing market in May mirrored that of Southern California overall, where median home prices saw the largest year-over-year drop in 20 months.

Local home prices last month decreased by 9.4 percent compared to May 2010 and 3.1 percent from April, according to a data compiled by Larry Trombley of Century 21 Rose Realty in Hesperia. The average price in May for the High Desert was $59.66 per square foot, down from $65.88 at the same time last year.

The median home price in Southern California dropped 8.2 percent during the same period, according to San Diego-based DataQuick.

But Trombley attributed the decline to last year’s tax break, which prompted home buyers to rush to the market.

“I think that helped raised the price and sales (last year),” he said. “I honestly don’t see anything to be concerned about. We have a leveled market.”

For more about High Desert home sales, read the full story in Wednesday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Tomoya Shimura may be reached at (760) 955-5368 or tshimura@VVDailyPress.com.

The economic woes that have plagued the state, county and Victor Valley cities could lead to reductions in specialized law enforcement teams.

Due to budgetary cuts, some members of local gang teams may be reassigned, according to those close to the program.

“As far as the (San Bernardino County) Sheriff’s Department is concerned, there are no plans to cut any of the positions from the gang team although many of the teams are not just made up of sheriff’s department employees,” Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department said and confirmed that at least one officer from an outside agency had been taken off of one of the desert gang teams. But some believe more can be at risk.

Sgt. Stan Wijnhamer recently had to go to bat for an integral member of his gang team whose position was in danger of being eliminated.

According to Wijnhamer, there has been a rise in the number of gang members and gangs within the last five years and a reduction of gang team members would not be wise.

“I have 10, 5-inch binders with documented gang members just in Hesperia from all different gangs,” he said. “It’s dangerous for us to do any kind of elimination of any member of any gang team in the desert.”

He acknowledged with cities and counties looking to trim their budgets, teams like SMASH could be reduced or eliminated.

“We were told that we would not be cut but, really, it all depends on the budget,” he said. “We’re the specialized team and we’re the extra.”

To read more about possible cuts, see the full story in Tuesday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Beatriz E. Valenzuela may be reached at (760) 951-6276 or at BValenzuela@VVDailyPress.com.

Town budgeting for Yucca Loma Bridge this year
June 11, 2011 3:00 PM
Brooke Edwards
Staff Writer

APPLE VALLEY • The town will have to dip a bit further into its reserves to continue subsidizing its park system and golf course in the coming year. However, no layoffs are projected and few cuts to services, even as Apple Valley prepares to launch construction of the Yucca Loma Bridge, according to a draft budget up for discussion during Tuesday’s workshop.

Staff is proposing a total budget of $127 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year. That’s just 0.6 percent below the current year’s $127.8 million budget.

Most revenue sources are expected to remain relatively flat, Town Manager Frank Robinson wrote in his opening budget letter, even as fuel, utility, insurance and other operational costs increase. And so Robinson cautioned that the town can’t expand programs or services, hire more workers or take on other capital improvements projects in the future without getting new revenue sources.

The budget calls for $38.6 million in road projects, with $30 million for beginning Yucca Loma Bridge to connect Apple Valley Road with Green Tree Boulevard. The town expects to spend another $18.3 million on the project next year and $6 million in 2013-14.

To read more about the draft budget, see the full story in Sunday’s Press Dispatch. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

June 06, 2011 4:39 PM
Brooke Edwards

APPLE VALLEY • Computer problems, a staffing change and tight finances have stalled budget talks for Apple Valley, with the Town Council expected to get its first look at the plan just three weeks before it should take effect.

Mayor Pro Tem Barb Stanton said she was “flabbergasted” that Apple Valley hadn’t held a budget workshop yet, saying it “borders on outrageousness” and that she was “very, very disappointed.”

Town Manager Frank Robinson apologized for the delay during Thursday’s special meeting, saying they’d experienced a major computer system failure that forced them to push back last week’s anticipated release of the draft 2011-12 budget.

“It is our intent to send out a draft copy as soon as it is available later this week,” Marc Puckett, the town’s new finance director, said via email Monday.

To read more about Apple Valley’s budget, see the full story in Tuesday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

June 02, 2011 11:33 AM
Brooke Edwards
Staff Writer

APPLE VALLEY • Councilwoman Ginger Coleman is asking her colleagues to take another vote on which developer will partner with Apple Valley in building a low-income apartment complex for seniors near Town Hall.

Mayor Scott Nassif called a special meeting for Thursday evening to reconsider awarding the project to AMCAL Multi-Housing, a private development firm out of Agoura Hills.

The Council voted unanimously May 24 to help AMCAL finance construction of affordable apartments for seniors on town-owned property at the northwest corner of Dale Evans Parkway and Thunderbird Road. The vote appeared to be largely based on AMCAL’s plan to build a low-density project at the site, with the company calling for just 50 units over the 73 and 76 units pitched by their competitors.

However, that decision contradicted a recommendation from a five-member panel of evaluators, who’d interviewed bidders, rated them on 35 factors and unanimously suggested awarding the bid to Related California out of Irvine.

“For Apple Valley, this is kind of a monumental thing. This is our first affordable housing project,” Coleman said by phone Thursday. “I went home after our vote and spent a lot of time thinking about what we did and how little discussion we had.”

Coleman said she also received additional information after that meeting, which raised more questions about what rent for the apartments would be and how that might impact the viability of the project.

“It is public money,” Coleman said. “We have to make sure we’re choosing the best project to put that into that has the best chance of success.”

Under a tight timeline to negotiate a contract for the project and award funding, the Council called a special meeting for 4 p.m. Thursday in Town Hall, at 14955 Dale Evans Parkway.

Residents can also watch the meeting live at www.AppleValley.org.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Sunday, May 29, 2011 – 10:50 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, June 2, 2011 – 08:09 a.m.

A review of public records from 2007-2009 show alleged bribes, made in the form of political action contributions by Colonies Partners, inexplicably went far and wide.

Not politicians pockets as has been portrayed in the media.

Not to any certain official as alleged in court filings.

A thorough review of campaign disclosure documents filed with the California Secretary of State and San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters reveals some very interesting information.

In this article we take a look at the Inland Empire PAC. The committee operated by High Desert Developer John Defazio, but alleged to be “secretly” controlled by former Assessor and County Supervisor Bill Postmus.

Monies received by the PAC was disbursed to various state and local candidates and service vendors.

Yes, service vendors!

The filings reflect the following information.

COLONIES CONTRIB                                $ 50,000.00 ON 7/05/07
COLONIES CONTRIB TRANS FROM REP MAJ PAC         $ 43,455.41 ON 8/17/07
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED PRIOR TO COLONIES        $ 93,000.00 EXCLUDES COLONIES
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AFTER COLONIES		$176,549.00 EXCLUDES COLONIES
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING SUPERVISOR OVITT	**NONE**
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING SUPERVISOR BIANE	$ 12,000.00
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING ASSESSOR POSTMUS	$ 50,000.00
LOANS FROM POSTMUS ASSESSOR COMMITTEE		$ 16,500.00 $4,500.00 OUTSTANDING
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING SUPERVISOR GONZALES	$  1,000.00
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING SUPERVISOR HANSBERGER	$  3,500.00
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING SUPERVISOR DERRY	$ 13,000.00
PAYMENTS TO SBCO TAXPAYERS ASSN.(OPPOSE DERRY) 	$  5,000.00
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING SUPERVISOR MITZELFELT	$107,500.00
LOAN TO SUPERVISOR MITZELFELT COMMITTEE		$ 30,000.00 REPAID PER. 1/1-3/17/08
PAYMENTS MADE BENEFITING MARK KIRK		$  2,000.00 CITY COUNCIL CAMPAIGN
FEE PAYMENT TO JOHN DEFAZIO			**NONE**
FEE PAYMENT TO MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)	$ 12,600.00
PAYMENTS TO COMMITTEE TREASURER BETTY PRESLEY	$ 12,200.00
***Disbursements***

DATE	 PAYEE					        AMOUNT      PURPOSE

02/27/07 ADAM ALEMAN					$  1,012.19 FUNDRAISING
03/01/07 ANTHONY ADAMS FOR ASSEMBLY			$  3,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
03/01/07 PAUL BIANE FOR SUPERVISOR			$ 12,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
04/23/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT		$ 20,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
05/22/07 BOB SMITH FOR ASSEMBLY				$  2,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/07/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT		$  5,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/29/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT		$ 30,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/29/07 FRIENDS OF CURT HAGMAN				$  1,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/29/07 NEIL DERRY FOR SUPERVISOR			$ 10,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/29/07 RUSS BOGH LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE			$  1,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/29/07 STRICKLAND FOR SENATE 2008                     $  3,600.00 CONTRIBUTION
07/11/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT JIM NEHMENS			$ 10,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
08/15/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT JIM NEHMENS			$  2,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
08/17/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS                $ 15,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
08/17/07 FRIENDS OF RUSS BLEWETT                        $    500.00 CONTRIBUTION
08/24/07 RUSS BOGH LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE			$  3,200.00 CONTRIBUTION
08/27/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS                $ 10,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
09/04/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS                $ 10,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
09/04/07 FIONA MA FOR ASSEMBLY				$  3,200.00 CONTRIBUTION
09/12/07 COMMITTEE TO REELECT JIM NEHMENS               $  1,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
09/18/07 BOB SMITH FOR ASSEMBLY				$    600.00 CONTRIBUTION
09/18/07 FRIENDS OF CURT HAGMAN                         $  2,600.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/10/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT		$ 12,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/10/07 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
10/23/07 FRIENDS OF JOSEPH TURNER			$    950.00 CONTRIBUTION
11/02/07 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
11/30/07 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT		$  2,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
11/30/07 HANSBERGER FOR SUPERVISOR			$  1,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
11/30/07 JOSIE GONZALES FOR SUPERVISOR			$  1,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
12/03/07 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
01/03/08 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
02/01/08 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
02/27/08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS                $ 10,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
03/03/08 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
03/12/08 HANSBERGER FOR SUPERVISOR			$  2,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
03/17/08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BRAD MITZELFELT		$  7,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
03/28/08 FRIENDS OF KEN MADDOX				$    150.00 CONTRIBUTION
04/01/08 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
05/20/08 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONSULTING FEE
05/22/08 SBCO TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION PAC (MATT BROWN)	$  3,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
05/30/08 SBCO TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION PAC (MATT BROWN)	$  2,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
06/01/08 MPR STRATEGIES (MIKE RICHMAN)			$  1,400.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/16/08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT BILL POSTMUS                $  5,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/16/08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT RICK ROELLE			$  5,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/16/08 FRIENDS OF RUSS BLEWETT                        $  7,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/16/08 NEIL DERRY FOR SUPERVISOR                      $  3,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/16/08 PROBOLSKY RESEARCH, LLC                        $  7,500.00 POLLING
10/29/08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT CHARLIE GLASPER             $    250.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/29/08 COMMITTEE TO ELECT STEVE BAISDEN               $    250.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/29/08 FRIENDS OF GINGER COLEMAN                      $  2,500.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/29/08 FRIENDS OF RUSS BLEWETT                        $  4,100.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/29/08 STRICKLAND FOR SENATE 2008                     $  3,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/30/08 CHRIS LINDSAY FOR SCHOOL BOARD                 $  5,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/30/08 FRIENDS OF GINGER COLEMAN                      $  2,000.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/30/08 FRIENDS OF RUSS BLEWETT                        $  1,400.00 CONTRIBUTION
10/30/08 MARK KIRK FOR CITY COUNCIL			$  2,000.00 CONTRIBUTION

April 28, 2011 8:49 AM
Brooke Edwards
Staff Writer

APPLE VALLEY • The Victor Valley’s first Walmart Supercenter could break ground in Apple Valley by fall, after a split Town Council approved the project without sending it to the ballot at taxpayers’ expense.

The project, slated for the corner of Dale Evans Parkway and Thunderbird Road, has been in the works for seven years and was progressing through the usual development process, with plans approved by Apple Valley’s Planning Commission in January. But a few weeks after getting the green light — in the wake of threatened litigation from an out-of-town attorney who’s successfully stalled other local Walmart stores — the discount chain abruptly pulled its permit application and announced plans to instead take the project to the ballot for voter approval.

Once Walmart gathered the 5,015 signatures needed to qualify the petition for the ballot, state Election Code dictated the Town Council had three options: Refer the project for further review, submit the petition to voters or approve the project as it stood.

The project was approved on a 3-1 vote Tuesday night, with Councilman Curt Emick recusing himself due to a potential conflict over his position as a Target pharmacist and Councilman Rick Roelle opposing the decision.

With construction expected to take one year, shoppers could be buying their groceries, toys and tires at the new store in fall 2012.

As the project progresses, job notices will be posted online at WalmartStores.com/Careers.

To read more about the meeting and the planned Walmart Supercenter, see the full story in Thursday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Staff asks Town Council to approve project rather than send it to voters
April 23, 2011 2:03 PM
Brooke Edwards

APPLE VALLEY • Residents may not have a chance to determine the fate of a planned Walmart Supercenter after all, with staff recommending that the Town Council approve the project rather than send it to the ballot.

The town’s first Supercenter, slated for the southeast corner of Dale Evans Parkway and Thunderbird Road, has been in the works for several years. It would replace the existing Walmart a mile away along Highway 18.

Plans for the Supercenter came before the Planning Commission without protest, and the 30-acre project was unanimously approved Jan. 5. But a few weeks later, in the wake of threatened litigation from an out-of-town attorney, the discount chain abruptly pulled its permit application and announced plans to instead take the project to the ballot for voter approval.

For more about the planned Walmart Supercenter, read the full story in Sunday’s Press Dispatch. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Victorville is calling for the regional wastewater authority to hire a new attorney, citing conflict of interest concerns.

Mayor Pro Tem Rudy Cabriales presented the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority board with a letter during Thursday’s meeting from Mayor Ryan McEachron, asking the agency to advertise for legal services.

Best, Best & Krieger attorney Piero Dallarda currently represents VVWRA, which is a joint agency between every local city. Dallarda’s firm has also represented the city of Victorville on some occasions and represents the town of Apple Valley, with Dallarda personally involved in helping Apple Valley settle a water rights suit.

The request to oust Dallarda came in reaction to a vote Wednesday night by the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority to consider dumping agency attorney Andre de Bortnowsky, with Hesperia, Apple Valley and San Bernardino County representatives citing conflict concerns since he serves as Victorville’s city attorney. That move passed on a split vote, over opposition from McEachron and Adelanto’s representative.

The VVWRA board refused Cabriales’ request to add the issue as an urgency item Thursday morning. However, Cabriales said he intends to agendize a future vote asking the agency to advertise for a new attorney.

Victorville Councilman Mike Rothschild raised conflict of interest concerns regarding Best, Best & Krieger during Tuesday’s Council meeting, accusing the firm of having helped Councilwoman Angela Valles draft letters that cite case law and ask questions about a number of serious city issues.

Valles, who is VVWRA’s director of finance, denied she had help from BB&K in drafting her letters, stating that, as a certified paralegal with a Master’s degree, she’s capable of looking up case law herself.

Dallarda told the Daily Press that neither he nor anyone else from his firm to his knowledge played any role in assisting Valles with the letters in question, or with anything else related to her role on the Victorville Council.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Andre de Bortnowsky

Split commission may oust Victorville’s de Bortnowsky over conflict of interest concerns
April 21, 2011 3:49 PM

He’s been their attorney for 20 years, since representatives from each local city formed the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority to help redevelop the area surrounding shuttered George Air Force Base.

But three out of five VVEDA commissioners voted this week to consider replacing Andre de Bortnowsky, concerned over a potential conflict of interest since he also serves as attorney for the city of Victorville.

“They are your major client and I would expect you to take care of your major client,” Hesperia Mayor Pro Tem Russ Blewett said to de Bortnowsky during VVEDA’s Wednesday night special meeting.

Blewett first requested that VVEDA put out a request for qualifications on a new attorney during the agency’s March 16 meeting, saying he considered it an “incredible conflict” for Victorville’s attorney to represent the best interests of the city and the regional group at the same time.

While Brad Mitzelfelt, 1st District Supervisor for San Bernardino County and VVEDA’s chair, said he isn’t certain whether there’s a legal conflict of interest, he said there’s certainly a perception of one — a problem Apple Valley Councilman Curt Emick echoed.

“I think it’s going to be a tremendous task to find any law firm that doesn’t have any sort of conflict with a member jurisdiction sitting around this table,” Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron objected. McEachron also cited concern over how much it will cost to hire a new attorney and pay them to get up to speed on all of the complicated issues facing the agency.

For more about VVEDA’s legal services, read the full story in Friday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Thursday, April 21, 2011 – 07:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 21, 2011 – 09:05 a.m.

On a 3-2 vote the governing board of the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority (VVEDA) fired its general counsel Wednesday night.

San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, Hesperia City Councilman Russ Blewett and Apple Valley Town Councilman Curt Emick voted to oust attorney Andre de Bortnowsky.

Allegations that de Bortnowsky has an inherent conflict of interest due to his role as city attorney for Victorville, was the primary factor driving his dismissal.

Newly-elected Victorville city council member Angela Valles is another.

Valles has been ripping the curtain off of every dirty little secret her colleagues have been hiding from taxpayers.

Much of what Valles has caused to be disclosed has surrounded her city’s impending financial collapse.

Observer’s say that by her actions, Valles has rightfully brought embarrassment to her colleagues, in addition to costing long-time political player Buck Johns, CEO of Inland Energy millions of dollars.

VVEDA board member and Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron voted against de Bortnowsky’s removal and expressed his anger over the decision.

In recent months McEachron has converted from a platform of change to being nothing more than a bag man for High Desert old guard political interests.

A move that appears to possibly be due to fear of others.

Sources say lately McEachron has been trying to do everything in his power to silence Valles by limiting her access to city officials and information.

But Valles doesn’t seem deterred. She was at Wednesday night’s meeting making her opinion known from the public audience.

Another surprise was that while Mitzelfelt’s comments were described as neutral, his vote came down on the side of dismissing de Bortnowsky.

VVEDA will initiate a request for proposal process to select a new legal counsel.

de Bortnowsky is a partner in the Calabasas-based law firm of Green de Bortnowsky et al.

Marks at least fourth position Frank Robinson has tried for in less than three years
March 28, 2011 2:53 PM
Brooke Edwards

APPLE VALLEY • Town Manager Frank Robinson is a finalist for a city manager position in Iowa, marking at least his fourth attempt to take another job since coming to Apple Valley less than three years ago.

Robinson is one of two candidates in the running to take the helm of West Des Moines, according to a release posted Monday on the city’s website. He’s up against a city manager from Mountain Village, Colo., with both men sharing their vision for the growing Iowa city during a public reception there Monday morning.

In the fall, Robinson was one of five finalists to become city manager of Round Rock, Texas. He’d previously been a candidate for a city manager position in Harlingen, Texas, and to become president of the Center City Commission in Memphis, Tenn.

For more about Robinson, read the full story in Tuesday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

The Victor Valley has grown much more rapidly over the past decade than San Bernardino County or California overall, according to 2010 U.S. Census data released this week.

The local population has also gotten much more diverse, the census reports show, with the percentage of residents identifying themselves as white declining in every local city other than Wrightwood.

Victorville saw the most dramatic local growth, nearly doubling its population since 2000 to 115,903 residents.

Adelanto saw a 75 percent increase, followed by Hesperia at 44 percent and Apple Valley — which has exhibited the most marked attempt to hang onto its rural township quality — at 27 percent.

Meanwhile, the county grew by 19 percent over the same time period and the state grew by just 10 percent.

“I think probably the biggest driving factor would be affordable housing,” Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron said, when asked about his city’s remarkable growth.

The larger population has certainly added to the sales and property tax Victorville takes in, McEachron said, helping to offset some of the loss local cities have seen in these revenue streams due to the economic collapse.

“That growth has also caused a lot of commercial development to occur,” McEachron said, drawing many of the shopping, dining and other entertainment opportunities that all Victor Valley residents now enjoy.

It’s also forced a delicate balancing act, he added, as local cities try to keep up with the increasing demand for public safety, road improvements and other service needs that larger population requires, all amid decreasing revenue and support from strapped state and federal government sources.

The Victor Valley’s ever-increasing diversity could trigger a political shift, with populations who traditionally vote Democrat now outnumbering their counterparts in an area that’s been a lock in the past for Republican candidates.

Hesperia saw a 19.5 percent rise in its Hispanic population during the past 10 years. That’s nearly double the countywide increase but significantly below the statewide figure of 28 percent.

There were 7.4 percent more Adelanto residents who identified themselves as black in 2010 than in 2000, while the county’s black population declined slightly by 0.2 percent and the statewide figure dropped by 1 percent.

Adelanto is the only local city where Hispanics were the majority last year, with more than 58 percent of residents claiming Hispanic or Latino heritage.

Hesperia and Victorville are approaching the 50 percent mark. If the Hispanic population continues to grow at the same rate, it will be the majority race in Hesperia within a year and in Victorville within two years.

California saw a huge surge in its Asian population — up 38 percent over the last decade. While every Victor Valley city registered growth in its Asian population, the rise was much more measured, ranging from a 0.3 percent increase in Adelanto and Wrightwood to 1.2 percent in Hesperia.

The census data is being released in waves, with later reports to include statistics on income levels, marital status and other socioeconomic figures.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Former town leaders oppose specific plan for project
March 07, 2011 5:16 PM
Brooke Edwards

APPLE VALLEY • It looks as though Walmart will have the signatures it needs to put its planned Supercenter on an upcoming ballot, letting voters decide whether the project should move forward.

“To date 8,279 unverified signatures have been turned in,” Town Clerk LaVonda Pearson said via e-mail Monday, with only 5,015 signatures needed and another five months left to collect them.

However, several town leaders have launched a campaign to oppose that ballot measure, concerned that it calls for granting Walmart a specific plan — or potential unique set of development standards — for the 30-acre site at Dale Evans Parkway and Thunderbird Road.

For more about the campaign to oppose the ballot measure, read the full story in Tuesday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

February 07, 2011 4:14 PM
Brooke Edwards

APPLE VALLEY • The town will need to dip a bit further into its reserves to rebalance its budget mid-year, according to a staff report for Tuesday’s special meeting.

The updated budget calls for pulling an extra 30 percent or $89,220 from reserves, for a total draw of $382,381 to balance a general fund budget of roughly $17.5 million.

Apple Valley saw a few revenue sources rise, with code enforcement fees up $250,000 related to foreclosed properties, for example. Sales tax revenues were also up 1.9 percent, though that gain has lagged behind state and county averages.

But the additional general fund draw is needed to cover a $175,000 dip in investment earnings due to low interest rates and charges to replace a failed server to backup data at Town Hall. Another increased cost reflects good news: The town needs to increase contracts for Building and Safety and Engineering to keep up with higher-than-expected activity in those departments, according to the staff report.

To read about items of interest on the agenda, see the full story in Tuesday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Walmart turns to ballot measure to get residents’ approval on Supercenter
February 02, 2011 8:13 PM
Tomoya Shimura

APPLE VALLEY • Walmart has withdrawn its town permit application and is instead turning to residents to help decide the fate of the proposed 24-hour Supercenter in Apple Valley, company officials announced Wednesday.

The national retailer on Jan. 25 withdrew its application for the entitlement permits necessary to build the new store, according to Lori Lamson, Apple Valley’s assistant director of community development.

The same day, Walmart submitted a ballot initiative that could leave it up to voters to voice their support for the project.

Walmart withdrew its application two weeks after a group called Creed-21, represented by Upland and San Diego-based attorney Cory J. Briggs, appealed the town’s approval of the permits Jan. 11. The Apple Valley Planning Commission had approved development, conditional-use and special-use permits for the project Jan. 5.

But Walmart officials said their decision to file a ballot initiative had nothing to do with the appeal. The company had notified the town they planned on pursuing the ballot initiative before the appeal, said Aaron Rios, Walmart’s senior manager of public affairs.

“We are doing this to show that we have the overwhelming support from the community,” Rios said Wednesday. “I believe this is the most efficient way to get this store open as soon as possible.”

Once the town approves the ballot measure proposal — which Rios said should happen within a week — Walmart has 180 days to collect the required signatures. Rios could not immediately provide the number of signatures necessary.

Walmart is asking residents in support of the new facility to sign a petition at its store on Highway 18, Rios said.

“The town of Apple Valley has been tremendous to work with, from the staff to the Planning Commission to the Town Council. All have been communicative about the needs of the town and its residents,” Rios said in a company news release. “They have not been a barrier, but rather active partners who understand our goals and support our desire to demonstrate the overwhelming public support for this proposal through the petition process.

“Unfortunately, in many areas around the state, we often obtain new store approvals but are met with outside special interests that use political challenges to delay our projects, negatively impacting our customers and the cities,” Rios added.

Briggs has represented anonymous citizen groups that have opposed several planned High Desert Walmart and Target stores. The groups have cited concerns over environmental issues.

Briggs declined to comment on the most recent Apple Valley appeal — including who comprised Creed-21— saying the matter concluded once Walmart withdrew the application.

The new store would be built at the southeast corner of Dale Evans Parkway and Thunderbird Road. It would replace the existing Walmart about a mile away off Highway 18.

Town officials had previously said the project could begin construction as early as September.

To read entire story, click here.

Decision would mean spending $100 million-plus to take over private water companies
January 26, 2011 6:51 PM
Brooke Edwards

APPLE VALLEY • The town is once again looking at buying Apple Valley’s two private water companies to form a municipal water district, with mounting concern from residents over rates that have risen an average of 12 percent per year for the past two decades.

The Town Council on Tuesday night authorized staff to update a study launched in 2006 to examine the feasibility of taking over Apple Valley Ranchos and Golden State water companies.

The study predicted it would cost Apple Valley $102.1 million to buy out the companies five years ago. Apple Valley entered into negotiations with Ranchos and Golden State then, town staff reported, but the companies denied early offers and the idea died in 2007 for lack of public support.

However, a number of residents attended Tuesday’s meeting and asked the town to do something about their skyrocketing bills, with senior citizens saying they can’t afford payments and real estate agents speaking about the effect rates will have on development.

One resident, who’s a founding member of the group High Desert Concerned Citizens — created to protest Ranchos’ rates, quoted numbers from a California Public Utilities Commission report on the high salaries of the company’s staff. He said he’s concerned the private companies are worried about profits in a way a publicly owned district wouldn’t be, with the CPUC guaranteeing state-regulated utilities certain profit margins no matter what’s happening with the economy.

See the full story in Thursday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

APPLE VALLEY • As redevelopment agencies across California fall under intense scrutiny, the town is eyeing new affordable housing projects to quickly spend millions in earmarked funds and ensure Apple Valley’s program is in compliance with state and federal laws.

Building affordable units half a mile from Town Hall and reviving a controversial plan to construct an 80-unit complex on Sequoia Road were among proposals from staff during a special meeting Tuesday afternoon.

“We have funds to expend and we need to expend those funds in a timely matter,” Economic Development Director Ken Henderson told the Town Council, with a polite frustration evident from staff over projects that have been shot down in the past.

The town has $19.5 million set aside for affordable housing, with state law dictating that cities accepting RDA tax increment use 20 percent to create homeownership opportunities.

That requires addressing needs for all populations. A staff report states 12.2 percent of Apple Valley’s residents fall into the extremely low-income category, 11.9 percent are in the low-income bracket and 17.6 percent are in the moderate income category — including an average teacher’s salary supporting a four-person household.

In 2009, a split council voted to contribute $2.25 million toward the Sequoia Road complex, which was to built by Housing Partners Inc. for seniors 62 and over with income 60 percent or below median levels — $31,200 for a two-person household. But when Housing Partners Inc. didn’t get approved for certain state funding, Council voted to terminate its involvement in the project.

Apple Valley made a recent Los Angeles Times list for having spent $700,000 in RDA money without creating a single unit of affordable housing. Now the State Controller’s office has started auditing how RDAs are spending incremental property tax revenues, as Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget threatens to do away with the agencies in order to close the state’s budget deficit.

The town’s first affordable project is moving forward, with the 34-unit Happy Trails Villas project slated to start construction in March. The condos on Kiowa Road along Highway 18 went into foreclosure before they were complete, and the town contributed $2.1 million in federal funds last year to help finish them as affordable, for-sale units.

For more about affordable housing, read the full story in Thursday’s Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

APPLE VALLEY • The town will say goodbye to two council members, welcome two new ones and select its next mayor at the start of Tuesday’s meeting.

With the town’s top position typically going to the highest vote-getter in the recent election, the mayoral seat is expected to go to returning Councilman Scott Nassif.

Tuesday night will mark the end of Mayor Peter Allan’s first term on the council and the end of Bob Sagona’s third term.

Pharmacist Curt Emick and talkshow host Barbara “Barb” Stanton will take their seats, having received more votes in the Nov. 2 election than the departing incumbents.

More than 62 percent of the town’s 20,782 registered voters weighed in for the mid-term election, according to certified results included in the council agenda. That’s above the countywide turnout of 55 percent and statewide turnout of 59 percent.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

Get complete stories every day with the “exactly as printed” Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Adelapple Victeria? Hespelanto Appleville? Or perhaps just Victor Valley?

“If there ever was a time to have serious discussions about consolidating, with all the municipalities struggling as they are — and despite how monumental a task it would be — the time is now,” argued Mike Stevens, a 35-year Victor Valley resident and community activist.

Stevens said he’s been advocating for Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley and Adelanto and their chambers of commerce to merge for many years, looking at how forming one large city could streamline operations, save on administrative costs and give local cities more clout with state and county agencies.

It’s an idea that’s gaining steam across the state, as cities look for ways to cut costs.

Gus Morrison, five-term former mayor of Fremont, is proposing merging that city with two of its neighbors, according to a report in the San Francisco Gate. The city of Vernon might be forced to merge because of its financial difficulties. And Fred Smoller, director of Brandman University’s public administration graduate program, told the Orange County Register he’s questioning why they have seven cities serving half the county’s population and 27 cities to serve the other half.

“Jurisdictions are getting so fiscally pinched that they’re looking for anything that might help just a little, and I applaud them for doing that. But I don’t think they’re looking in the right place,” said Douglas Johnson, fellow with Claremont McKenna College’s Rose Institute of State and Local Government. “It’s very hard to merge two or more cities together, with the massive financial details to work out. And I don’t know that you gain all that much.”

Most cities would be reluctant to take on the bond debt, pension obligations and other hurdles their neighbors might bring to the table, Johnson said, with too little money coming out of Sacremento now to make the additional lobbying power worthwhile.

And just because you merge two cities doesn’t mean you would necessarily be able to let half of the workers go, he argued, with the same number of building permits to be processed, water meters to be read and so on.

“You might be able to consolidate some of the high-profile, high-salary positions,” he said, for just one department head rather than four. “But you’re not going to be able to make large staff cuts, and you’re talking about millions in transaction costs to merge.”

There’s also the issue of city character.

“I don’t think it is a practical idea for lots of reasons — not the least of which is local community identity,” said Victorville Councilman Terry Caldwell, who’s the longest-standing local elected official. “…That’s why cities incorporate in the first place.”

Johnson echoed that sentiment, pointing out that the town of Apple Valley doesn’t even want to be called a city and so it would be hard to imagine they’d want to become part of a very large one.

Local cities do already have much in common.

With the exception of Apple Valley’s Fire Protection District, every local city now contracts with San Bernardino County for fire and police services.

The four cities all share a regional redevelopment agency, with the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority including portions of each municipality. And all of the cities are controlling members of Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority, handling sewage service for the entire area.

For the full story, read Sunday’s Press Dispatch. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

AV, VV government compensation details now posted on state website
November 22, 2010 3:38 PM
Natasha Lindstrom

Nearly 60 city and town employees in the Victor Valley made more than $100,000 in 2009, according to the state Controller’s new database on local government compensation.

State Controller John Chiang recently announced new salary and benefits reporting requirements for all California cities and counties on the heels of public outrage over salary scandals among city of Bell employees.

The new online database launched last month, but Apple Valley and Victorville were among 74 cities that failed to file their information on time.

Apple Valley and Victorville officials have since filed the requested data, which includes not only salary information but also hard-to-calculate data on pension contributions, retirement formulas, actual wages paid and health and welfare benefits.

The newly added data shows that 28 employees of Victorville, 15 employees of Hesperia, 12 employees of Apple Valley and four employees of Adelanto made more than $100,000 in 2009.

To read the full story, see Tuesday’s Daily Press. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at (760) 951-6232 or at nlindstrom@VVDailyPress.com.

APPLE VALLEY • Town Manager Frank Robinson is one of five finalists to become city manager of Round Rock, Texas, according to a statement released by that city.

It’s at least the third job Robinson has tried for in the 28 months he’s been with Apple Valley. In January he applied for a city manager position in Harlingen, Texas, according to www.MyHarlingenNews.com. And this April he was one of eight finalists for president of the Center City Commission in Memphis, Tenn.

Robinson couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the news Monday.

Before coming to Apple Valley in July 2008, Robinson was president of The Woodlands Township in Texas. Woodlands is roughly a three-hour drive from Round Rock, which has a population of 104,000 and is 15 miles north of Austin.

Robinson beat out 80 other candidates to become a finalist for this latest position, the city’s release states, up now against another Round Rock’s current assistant city manager and city managers from three other cities across the country.

The Round Rock City Council will interview the final five candidates for city manager during executive sessions today and Wednesday, a statement from the city says, with a public reception tonight. The Council is scheduled to vote on a finalist at its Nov. 23 meeting, with the city’s current manager retiring effective Nov. 26.

To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

By Melissa Pinion-Whitt
Posted: 11/08/2010 10:02:09 AM PST

Two Lowe’s stores in the Inland Empire closed their doors permanently last night, leaving 181 people jobless.

The two locations were at 4060 N. Hallmark Parkway in San Bernardino and 15000 Dale Evans Parkway in north Apple Valley, said company spokeswoman Maureen Wallace.

“Initial sales were well below projections and they haven’t improved over time,” Wallace said. “Lowe’s just couldn’t see a scenario that led to a profitability.”

Ninety-one employees at the San Bernardino store and 90 in Apple Valley received notice Sunday night of the closure. Company officials said they were given 60 days pay and benefits.

To read entire story, click here.

October 25, 2010 1:32 PM
Natasha Lindstrom
Government salaries:

SACRAMENTO • As probes continue into the exorbitant salaries of city officials in Bell and Vernon, State Controller John Chiang unveiled a new website Monday that details the compensation of local government officials statewide.

Two Victor Valley municipalities — Apple Valley and Victorville — are listed on the state website as “failing to file salary and compensation reports” and could face $5,000 penalties, according to the Controller’s office.

The website, http://lgcr.sco.ca.gov,, includes databases on job classifications of more than 594,000 city and county employees as reported to the state by local governments.

“The absence of transparency and accountability invites corruption, self-dealing and the abuse of public funds,” Chiang said in a statement. “This website will help taxpayers scrutinize local government compensation and force public officials to account for how they spend public resources.”

Apple Valley and Victorville spokespersons were not immediately available for comment as to why their agencies’ failed to report the information on time. Both local governments list salary schedules on their own websites, www.applevalley.org and http://ci.victorville.ca.us.

But this new state database provides additional, often hard-to-calculate data on pension contributions, actual wages paid and health and welfare benefits.

The highest paid local officials on the state website include:

• Hesperia’s city manager — $213,000 annual salary maximum and $230,700 total 2009 wages subject to W-2, and $9,420 in health benefits. Council members collect maximum annual salaries of $9,000.

• Adelanto’s city manager — $195,000 maximum annual salary and $230,506 total 2009 wages subject to W-2. Mayor collects maximum annual salary of $7,920; council members collect $6,240.

For the full story, read Tuesday’s Daily Press. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, (800) 553-2006 or click here.

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at (760) 951-6232 or at nlindstrom@VVDailyPress.com.

October 16, 2010 6:06 PM
Brooke Edwards

For the next 40 years, property owners from across the Victor Valley are on the hook to help pay down tens of millions of dollars in debt for failed or stalled Victorville projects.

Last year alone, more than $2.3 million in property taxes from portions of Apple Valley, Hesperia and unincorporated San Bernardino County went toward a $21 million payment on bonds for Southern California Logistics Airport. And the Daily Press has learned that at least a quarter of the $300 million in outstanding bonds funded Victorville’s own projects off SCLA property, including land for a city-owned library and work on the Victorville 2 power plant.

“It’s clear to me that Victorville was scrounging around looking for money wherever they could get it,” Peter Allan, Apple Valley’s mayor and VVEDA’s vice chair, said of the expenses now coming to light. “…We can’t sit idly by and let it happen.”

When the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority was created to redevelop the area surrounding former George Air Force Base, the group gave Victorville control over SCLA. Each local city then agreed to hand 50 percent of the excess tax revenue generated by businesses that fall in both their boundaries and VVEDA’s 16-square-mile project area to Victorville for use on projects at SCLA.

According to the agency’s Joint Powers Agreement, that money must be “allocated solely for use on the GAFB parcels.” And Victorville pledged to the other VVEDA members that 100 percent of its own tax increment would be used to develop SCLA.

Instead, Victorville is using all of its own $4.9 million pledge plus the half it gets from the other cities to pay down bonds that funded these projects:

• $50 million to General Electric in 2007 for a down payment on equipment intended for the Victorville 2 power plant, located just off former Air Force base parcels. The city officially lost that deposit earlier this year, after missing a series of payments for the turbines.

• $25 million, conservatively estimated, over the past several years to buy land, process permits and pay Inland Energy for work on VV2, with the solar portion of that project now out for bid and the gas-fired power plant portion of VV2 on hold indefinitely.

• $4.3 million in 2005 for work on the La Mesa/Nisqualli interchange, with construction still delayed.

• $1.9 million in 2005 for land across from Victorville City Hall for a city-owned library. A staff report in Victorville’s Oct. 5 City Council agenda said that land now does “not meet the city’s needs with respect to construction of a library.”

“Victorville is pretty creative in saying all these outside issues are related to SCLA somehow,” said Paul Bosacki, Hesperia councilman and VVEDA commissioner. “It appears as though Victorville is using those funds as a piggy bank to do things outside that boundary.”

Read the full story in Sunday’s Press Dispatch. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

VICTORVILLE • With the November general election just seven weeks away, the Daily Press and Victor Valley College are partnering on a series of local candidate forums.

Daily Press news staff will moderate the forums designed to give candidates an equal opportunity to respond to questions and voice their positions. Public question-and-answer periods are also planned.

All five forums are free and open to the public.

• Apple Valley Town Council, 6 to 7:20 p.m. Sept. 29 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Victorville City Council, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 29 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Adelanto City Council, 6 to 7:20 p.m. Sept. 30 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Hesperia City Council, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 30 at VVC Performing Arts Center;

• Victor Valley College Board, 6 to 7:20 p.m. Oct. 13 at VVC Student Activities Center.

To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

As public outrage brews over the city of Bell carrying some of the nation’s most bloated municipal salaries, some Victor Valley elected officials are trying to spread a message: When it comes to compensation, we’re not Bell.

Members on the Apple Valley Town Council took a few minutes during Tuesday’s meeting to state the amount of money the city pays them annually out of taxpayer dollars.

And Victorville’s city staff put out a memo Tuesday listing its council member pay, explaining that while Bell may have become a charter city to give itself power to raise salaries, “Victorville became a charter city in July 2008 to have greater local control.”

Before they agreed Monday on a 90 percent salary decrease, all but one of Bell’s five City Council members were making $96,000 a year before benefits to serve a city of 40,000 people, some 17 percent of whom live in poverty.

Now, Bell officials will make some $673 a month — closer to the monthly stipends collected by council members in the Victor Valley. The monthly stipends are:

• Adelanto — $660 for the mayor, $520 for council members

• Apple Valley — $846

• Hesperia — $650

• Victorville — $942

There are a number of benefits available to local council members, with some opting to take advantage of those plans and others declining.

In Apple Valley, for example, the town pays out an average of roughly $21,000 per council member each year to cover everything from health insurance to cell phone plans to retirement, with other local cities offering similar benefits.

In Adelanto each council member can get up to $800 per month for health insurance or cash those benefits in to cover qualified medical expenses. Apple Valley leaders get up to $725 in medical expenses; in Hesperia it’s $785 and in Victorville it’s $626 per council member per month.

One council member from each city also receives a stipend for serving on boards for the various agencies, paid out of those agencies’ budgets. Some of those stipends include:

• San Bernardino County’s transportation authority, SANBAG — $200 per board of directors’ meeting, plus $100 per regional meetings and reimbursement for mileage.

• Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District — $100 per meeting, with 6 to 8 meetings per year, plus reimbursement for mileage.

And one council member each from Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley gets stipends of $100 per meeting, capped at $200 per month, to serve on the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority.

To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.