April 21, 2023 County Update

Acting on a County emergency declaration made under Rowe’s leadership and then a request by the Governor, FEMA added San Bernardino County to the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration approved by the President covering several California counties affected by winter storms. FEMA’s action makes the county eligible for Individual Assistance support, providing San Bernardino County residents, property owners, and businesses with access to additional state and federal aid and recovery resources.

“I am pleased that the state and federal governments have acknowledged the magnitude of this disaster,” said Chair Rowe, whose Third District includes the areas that were hit the hardest by the winter storms. “I will continue to do everything I can to advocate for our mountain residents and businesses as they try to recover.”

FEMA’s Individual Assistance program makes affected residents eligible to apply for grants to help pay for temporary housing and essential home repairs as well as other serious disaster-related needs, such as replacement of damaged personal property and expenses for transportation, childcare, moving and storage.

Homeowners and renters seeking assistance are encouraged to begin the process by registering with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, through the FEMA mobile app, or by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

Applicants receiving an initial rejection are encouraged to visit the soon-to-be-established Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). The DRC will open at a location in the mountain communities and host representatives from a full slate of state and federal agencies who will help residents and property owners, including those who are initially rejected, with any and all forms of assistance available to them. The location and operating hours of the DRC will be announced when a site is secured.

Businesses and nonprofit agencies, including churches, are encouraged to register with the U.S. Small Business Administration at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.

Residents and businesses are advised that state and federal resources will likely not provide 100 coverage for damage and other losses. It is important for property owners to work with their insurance companies.

On March 14 the County submitted an Initial Damage Estimate to the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) reporting $143,185,056 in losses to private property. At the time, the County knew of 302 damaged homes, 42 of which had been destroyed and 38 others having sustained major damage. Out of 46 nonresidential/commercial properties listed, 10 were marked destroyed and seven were listed with major damage.

An additional $16,633,550 in costs and losses were reported for public agencies. This included debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, public buildings and equipment, and personnel overtime costs.

By March 16, ongoing assessments had pushed that $159,818,606 total to $247,667,278.

“We are delighted to have so many projects selected by our Congressional representatives,” said Supervisor Dawn Rowe, Third District Supervisor and Chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. “These important projects are excellent investments in the region and will help the County deliver law enforcement, parks, preschool, fire, and behavioral health services.”

Senator Diane Feinstein submitted a $2 million request to purchase new snow removal heavy equipment to be stationed in mountain communities such as Wrightwood, Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, and Big Bear. This project was a top priority for the County, which wants to invest in new equipment to better respond to future blizzards and natural disasters.

A major project request was also submitted by Senator Alex Padilla, who backed a $5 million project to improve the water supply for the mountain community of Cedar Glen.

Congressman Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) submitted two requests for the County. The first is for $1 million to support a septic-to-sewer conversion project in the unincorporated community of Bohnert. The second is for $3 million to extensively refurbish the playground at Glen Helen Regional Park.

Three major infrastructure projects were submitted by Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear) to receive federal funding. A $4 million request would help complete Phase III of the Desert Knolls Wash Flood Control Channel near Apple Valley while a $3 million request will finish a flood control culvert replacement in Oak Glen. Finally, Congressman Obernolte submitted a $2 million request to help build a new replacement fire station in the mountain community of Fawnskin.

Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-Pomona) submitted a $3 million septic-to-sewer conversion project in unincorporated Fontana and a $2.9 million request to build new restrooms and showers for the Prado Regional Park campground.

Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-Indio) submitted a $3 million request to renovate the County’s behavioral health outpatient clinic in Needles and build a new recovery clubhouse facility, also in Needles. This is a significant investment to ensure residents of this isolated city have access to critical behavioral health care and assistance.

Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) submitted a $3 million request to relocate the County’s Head Start preschool in the City of Upland. The current facility is aging and inadequate to meet the needs of the children at the preschool. The County will use this funding to renovate a newly acquired preschool and ensure that it meets the highest standards for childcare facilities.

Congresswoman Young Kim (R-Fullerton) submitted a $3 million request on behalf of the County Sheriff’s Department to help purchase body cameras and tasers. This will help Sheriff’s deputies to be more accountable and transparent in their enforcement of the law while avoiding the lethal use of force.

Federal earmarks are discretionary projects selected by local members of Congress to fund key projects in their state or districts. Projects are selected by individual lawmakers and then submitted to appropriations committees in the House of Representatives or Senate. Projects are funded once the full appropriations bills are passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.

Westbound SR 210 to be closed Friday night to Monday morning

The second of six 55-hour directional freeway closures of SR 210 is scheduled from 10 p.m. on Friday, April 21 through 5 a.m. on Monday, April 24.

Crews will be performing paving operations on the westbound on-and off-ramps of the San Bernardino Avenue interchange as part of the SR 210 Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange Project.

During this weekend’s closure, motorists transitioning to westbound SR 210 from I-10 will exit at Alabama Street and travel north to access the westbound SR 210 on-ramp at 5^th Street/Greenspot Road.

Future directional closures are scheduled for the following dates*:

Westbound Closures:

• Friday, April 14 through Monday, April 17  COMPLETE
• Friday, April 21 through Monday, April 24
• Friday, April 28 through Monday, May 1

Eastbound Closures:

• Friday, May 5 through Monday, May 8
• Friday, May 12 through Monday, May 15
• Friday, May 19 through Monday, May 22

*Schedule is subject to change

About the Project:

The SR 210 Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange Project is designed to provide increased traffic flow through this corridor. To eliminate the existing bottleneck and provide lane continuity, the SR 210 will be widened from Sterling Avenue to San Bernardino Avenue in the cities of San Bernardino, Highland, and Redlands, as well as the unincorporated portion of San Bernardino County. Base Line Interchange will also be widened from Buckeye Street to Seine Avenue in the city of Highland, which will include widening three of the four interchange ramps. As the SR 210 Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange projects aligned geographically and shared similar delivery schedules, they were combined for the design, right-of-way, and construction phases to save cost and expedite the schedule. In addition, pavement rehabilitation work was added through a cooperative agreement with Caltrans that includes new concrete pavement between 5th Street and Lugonia Avenue. Adding the pavement rehabilitation work during the Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange projects means one less project that the community will have to navigate around in the future.

For additional information about the project, please visit goSBCTA.com/SR210BaseLine and be sure to follow @goSBCTA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for additional closure updates.

Westbound I-10 to be closed at Cedar Ave for partial bridge demolition

Crews are also expected to close all westbound lanes of I-10 in Bloomington at Cedar Avenue starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 21 through Saturday, April 22 to 4 a.m. Crews will then re-close lanes later on Saturday night on April 22 at 10 p.m., through Sunday, April 23 to 6 a.m. while demolition of the Cedar Avenue bridge continues.

Additionally, Cedar Avenue will be closed between Slover Avenue and Valley Boulevard from 8 p.m. on Friday, April 21 to 4 a.m., Saturday, April 22 and from 10 p.m., Saturday, April 22 to 6 a.m., Sunday, April 23. Drivers will be detoured along Valley Boulevard,  Slover Avenue, Riverside Avenue, and Sierra Avenue.

I-10 Cedar Avenue Project construction alerts, project updates and an interactive map detailing lane closures and detours are available on the SBCTA website.

Drivers are encouraged to sign up for weekly text message construction alerts by texting i10Cedar to (888) 525-1021.

Residents are encouraged to use the SeeClickFix app to report road damage. For more information visit https://dpw.sbcounty.gov/operations/see-click-fix/ . With free SeeClickFix mobile app and web tools, citizens are able be able to provide County Public Works and Special Districts officials with pictures, videos, specific descriptions, and more. Public Works would like to highly encourage citizens to submit a photo/video when using SeeClickFix to help crews prioritize critical potholes and other concerns.

Some mosquitoes need as little as a bottle cap’s worth of standing water to lay their eggs and reproduce. Depending on the mosquito species, they can lay anywhere from 50 to 300 eggs.

With the extremely wet winter that we experienced, there is likely to be a lot of standing water in every neighborhood of the county, creating a prime environment for mosquitos to breed.

To reduce the chance that mosquitoes will ruin your spring, MVCP has the following tips:

• Drain or dump all standing water in and around your home where mosquitoes can lay eggs such as birdbaths, old tires, buckets, flowerpot saucers, clogged gutters, or even puddles from leaky sprinklers.
• Repair or drain any pools, ponds, and spas in poor working order. For ponds, MVCP offers free mosquito fish to residents in the service area.
• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
• Wear shoes, socks, pants, and long-sleeved shirts that are loose-fitting and light-colored when going outdoors.
• Apply insect repellent. Check that your insect repellent contains DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus and apply it according to the manufacturer’s directions.
• Report green pools to MVCP.
• Report any dead birds to the California Department of Public Health’s West Nile Virus Call Center at 1-877-WNV-BIRD. As birds are susceptible to West Nile virus, any dead birds (e.g., crows, jays, magpies, ravens, sparrows, finches, or raptors) found in local areas should be reported to assist in monitoring for the virus. To learn more about West Nile virus or where to report a dead bird, please visit westnile.ca.gov.

“With a wetter mosquito season compared to previous years, we are anticipating a significant increase in the overall mosquito population. It could be much worse if residents don’t dump standing water or report other potential mosquito breeding sources,” states Dr. Sequeira.

For more information or to report a green pool or other mosquito breeding source, contact MVCP at (800) 442-2283 or visit our website, ehs.sbcounty.gov.

Additional hands-on activities have been scheduled at the Redlands Museum for Saturday, April 22. In partnership with the San Bernardino Valley Water and Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, a “Water you Waiting For? Landscaping with Water-Wise Native Plants” hands-on workshop is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Help us break ground on the revitalization of our native plant and ethnobotany gardens by planting  seedlings, removing turf and learning about pollinators and indigenous foodways. Wear comfortable clothes, bring gloves, and your favorite gardening tool!

Art enthusiasts ages 15+ are welcome to join Handle with Care exhibit by artist, Fred Brashear, Jr. Learn how  to transform plant materials, such as  palm fronds into one-of-a-kind pieces of paper.

Two 2-hour scheduled workshops are being offered:

• 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Space is limited, and early reservations are recommended.

All materials are included in the cost of the workshop. Register for a workshop at https://bit.ly/3nJyA61.

San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Victor Valley Museum is located at 11873 Apple Valley Road, Apple Valley. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. The museums are accessible to persons with disabilities.