Board actions: Oct. 24 – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Board of Supervisors Chair and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe made the following statement at the start of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting:

“We have seen something recently in the City of San Bernardino as well as across the state and elsewhere where our residents have been subjected to racial comments and hateful speech. I just want to let everybody know here that we have always had a lot of respect and decorum in this chamber and that we as a board would not tolerate any type of racial hate or speech from our public comment opportunities.”

“So, to the City of San Bernardino, we feel you and what you’re going through. But I thank all of you who are here and have been so respectful during our public comments.”

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The Board of Supervisors is bringing the universe to Lucerne Valley and two other county locations with the help of a renowned astronaut.

The board on Tuesday approved an agreement with Tierra Luna Engineering to design, replicate and install a customized observatory space at the Lucerne Valley Janice Horst Branch Library and two soon-to-be-named remote-access locations.

Tierra Luna was founded by Dr. Jose Hernandez, a NASA astronaut, former migrant farmworker, and the subject of the 2023 feature film “A Million Miles Away.” Hernandez specializes in aerospace engineering and the manufacturing of world-class science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) educational products.

The board also authorized the purchase and installation of a 3-meter motorized ScopeDome at the library.

“This project will allow the county to engage students in real-world, career-focused, hands-on STEAM educational programs with a focus on space science,” said Rowe, whose Third District includes Lucerne Valley. “In partnership with Tierra Luna, the library will increase accessibility to STEAM educational resources through community engagement to keep pace with our nation’s need to inspire youth to pursue occupations in the math and science fields.”

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At the urging of Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez, Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., and Board Chair and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe, two parks in Fontana, one in Bloomington, and a senior center in Yucca Valley received some much-needed help from the board on Tuesday.

Through its Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Plan, the board allocated funds from the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the City of Fontana for the Jack Bulik Park and Veteran’s Park improvement plans and to the Town of Yucca Valley for the Town of Yucca Valley Senior Center Rehabilitation Project.

The board also directed funding from the Fifth District Board of Supervisors Discretionary Fund to the Bloomington Recreation and Park District for the Kessler Park Basketball Lighting Project.

At Jack Bulik Park, Armendarez proposed security cameras be installed to safeguard recent improvements to the park that include replacement of the existing playground footprint as well as a shade covering for the new playground features, and replacement of the seven existing electronic scoreboards for each respective baseball/softball field. The playground improvements consist of new slides, climbing features, and educational components.

Also at Armendarez’s urging, Veteran’s Park will also see the installation of security cameras to protect a new playground installation including rubber safety surfacing and shade features, as well as new baseball field scoreboards.

The Town of Yucca Valley’s Senior Center is the primary location for the Town’s senior activities, including community meals, enrichment classes, fitness classes, and other various recreational and community activities. Funding proposed by Rowe and approved by the board on Tuesday will be used for restroom improvements, office space modifications, lobby improvements and automatic entry door improvements as a way of promoting healthier living environments and socialization.

At Kessler Park in Bloomington, Baca, Jr., proposed that light poles and conduit be added to the existing basketball court located near the southeast corner of the park. Currently, there is no existing lighting in this area. The addition of lights at the basketball court will increase safety, reduce vandalism and provide opportunities for the public to continue to enjoy amenities after dusk.

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Taxpayers will save more than $18.6 million in utility costs over the next 30 years and the environment will be cleaner under an expansive energy-efficiency project approved by the board on Tuesday.

“This is long overdue,” said Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman. “This brings us into the modern age of energy efficiency.”

The county will partner with Alliance Building Solutions (ABS) to install energy-efficient lighting; heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system controls; and solar photovoltaic panels at the County Government Center and another county-owned office building at 268 W. Hospitality Lane, both in San Bernardino.

The county is committed to reducing its environmental footprint through sustainable county government operations and practices as part of its goals and objectives. Amidst the volatility in the utility market, the County Project and Facilities Management Department (PFMD) is seeking opportunities to incorporate environmentally preferable products, energy-efficient county building design, and construction, and substantially reduce the costs and environmental impacts associated with operating county-owned and leased facilities.

ABS conducted a Payback Overview that included a Cost and Savings Analysis and Cumulative Savings report, which found that the anticipated cost to the county for the services provided by ABS ($7,880,230) are less than the anticipated costs to the county for energy that would have been used by the county, which is projected to cost $18,670,797 over 30 years. After completion of the work by ABS, PFMD will verify the new equipment is installed, tested, and operating as designed to optimize energy efficiency.

The project will consist of Light Emitting Diode conversion of lighting, replacement of existing electrical transformers, and replacement of existing HVAC systems and various equipment. 268 West Hospitality Lane’s scope will also include a high efficiency heating hot water boiler and a solar carport system with a battery energy storage system.

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Many San Bernardino County residents face multiple barriers to accessing health care services, including homelessness, lack of insurance, poverty, lack of transportation and unemployment. To assist these residents, the board on Tuesday accepted the donation of a mobile medical clinic by the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Foundation to be operated throughout the county.

The donation consists of a truck and trailer equipped to support a medical clinic with an estimated value of $626,040.

The County’s Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) provides medical care to multiple communities at different locations throughout the county. The mobile medical clinic will be used to reach out to remote communities needing access to medical care.

“Equipped with modern medical technology and staffed with trained health care professionals, the clinic aims to improve access to quality medical care, especially for underserved populations,” said Rowe. “The ARMC Foundation’s generous donation of the mobile medical clinic helps ensure that everyone has access to essential medical services.”

This collaboration with the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Foundation is an example of the benefit of partnerships in addressing health care disparities. The mobile medical clinic will soon be operational and serve as a lifeline for many San Bernardino County residents in need.

The foundation was established in 1977 with the sole purpose of supporting the mission of ARMC. The foundation is a non-profit, public-benefit corporation formed pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. A volunteer board of directors, comprised of physicians and citizens, oversees the foundation. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital operated by San Bernardino County and governed by the Board of Supervisors.

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The board on Tuesday decided to take a fresh look at Glen Helen Regional Park and its potential by authorizing a master plan to look at improved and new recreation and entertainment amenities.

“We are looking at potentially making it a revenue generator and improving the amenities for our residents,” Baca said. “This is a great opportunity to look at our vision for San Bernardino County and really improving our regional parks.”

The Glen Helen Regional Park Master Plan will provide a vision that outlines an accessible, environmentally compliant approach with a full analysis for future growth through modernized grounds, facilities and concession opportunities.

The plan will include a market study to identify revenue-generating opportunities such as new amusement park-level amenities, sports venues, concert venue, equestrian and rodeo facilities, and similar entertainment amenities.

The plan will include economic impacts to the surrounding communities, plans for a multi-use trail system, recommendations for park site public access, parking, and circulation based on proposed concept, and will include probable development costs and revenue generation for all proposed features.

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A fully equipped mobile veterinary clinic will soon provide veterinary support to county-operated animal shelters and services such as low-cost pet vaccinations and sterilizations to neighborhoods throughout the county thanks to action taken by the board on Tuesday.

The mobile veterinary clinic will also be deployed to assist pets in areas impacted by disasters and provide veterinary medical support to abused and neglected animals.

The mobile clinic will be equipped with surgical stations, enclosures, medical and non-medical lighting, electricity and plumbing.

Recruitment for a state-licensed veterinarian to provide mobile veterinary clinic services is currently being conducted by County Public Health in collaboration with County Human Resources.

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The board on Tuesday entered into an agreement with the California Wildlife Conservation Board that will bring up to $2 million in conservation board-funded improvements to the Desert View Conservation Area Recreational Trails project Joshua Tree.

The Desert View Conservation Area (DVCA) is comprised of approximately 605 acres of largely undisturbed habitat located south of State Highway 62 in Joshua Tree. Mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding are all popular activities within the DVCA.

In 2019, the Board of Supervisors began the now-completed first phase of improvements to the conservation area, including the development of a designated parking area, restroom, main informational kiosk, and two complimenting trail routes in the natural open space area with signage.

On Tuesday, the board gave the green light to Phase II, which will make additional improvements as requested by the local community. The improvements will include trail directional signage, informational kiosks with covered seating areas, habitat shelters, viewing platforms, discovery interpretive panels, picnic tables and mileage posts.

Additional County Update News – October 27, 2023