March 21, 2007 - Top Stories
VC Fire District board will take an official position on the proposed countywide consolidation of fire districts at a special meeting March 29, 6:30 p.m. at the water district board room.
Directors ask VC residents to attend that meeting and share their opinions about the proposed consolidation.
LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) is currently conducting a study on the idea, which is the brain child of Second District Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
The proposal resulted after county voters passed a non-binding proposition that called for the creation of a county fire agency .
The proposal did not say how to fund the district. Senator Dennis Hollingsworth has introduced a bill that would raise the money by shifting some property taxes earmarked for education and use them to fund the new fire district.
In order to make local education “whole” Hollingsworth’s bill also would require that the state restore, or “backfill” the funding from other sources.
At Thursday night’s fire board meeting director Weaver Simonsen updated other directors about a series of meetings that LAFCO and County staff have conducted around the county to gauge public sentiment for the consolidation.
He noted that these discussions tended to gravitate towards discussions of local fire issues.
For example, he said, representatives of Deer Springs Fire Protection District “took the opportunity to discuss the Stonegate development issue at length.”
The Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Volunteer Fire Dept. asked to be allowed to opt out of the consolidated district.
The Ramona Municipal Water District, which operates its town’s fire district, said it would lose revenues if its fire department was taken away from it.
Concerns were also raised about retaining volunteer programs.
“Nothing in the LAFCO or County reports on this proposal discusses the use of a joint powers authority, which is interesting because Orange County uses a JPA,” he said.
Simonsen said that the Phase I consolidation would incorporate primarily North County districts within Supervisor Bill Horn’s Fifth District.
At the LAFCO meeting Simonsen said that he commented that “I believe the Paradise fire demonstrated that we in North County already have a unified command and control, since CDF already runs these areas.”
He added, “I told them that any consolidation be governed by maintaining services at same or higher level. Funding must be sustainable and accommodate growth. Assets acquired by the community should stay in the community. I said that those were the principles that need to be in place if we move forward.”
Board Pres. Mel Schuler said he wanted to have a special meeting before LAFCO’s April 6 deadline for accepting written comments on the proposal.
“We also encourage people to submit written comments to us,” he said.
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Freshman Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries of the 66th District has been conducting his own survey among regional firefighters.
This week he told The Roadrunner that he has, so far, met with three area fire chiefs, and has four to go.
He has also met with Supervisor Jacob and with the San Diego legislative delegation, where the issue of “backfilling” the property taxes shifted from education is the sticking point.
“We’re still looking at all the facts and hearing from everybody and their concerns,” said the assemblyman.
“The backfill concept from the state side looks like a real tough climb because of the precedent it sets for the other fifty-eight counties that don’t get backfill, and the opposition from education,” said Jeffries.
“It’s going to be a tough, tough road to maneuver for the supervisor [Jacob],” he said.
“But she is fully engaged and fully working to find a solution to find a solution for the fire issues that really do need to be addressed.”
Jeffries is concerned about protecting the small town fire agencies while integrating them within an overall command structure and improving training.
One interesting issue, according to Jeffires, is affordability.
“This is one of the few times where a consolidation doesn’t have a cost savings. This is going to be a tough road,” he said.
VC Opitimists will sell smoked Easter hams Friday, March 30–Saturday, April 7 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. in front of Fat Ivor's on VC Road. Sales and pickups end at noon April 7. Half hams cost $30 and whole hams cost $55. Contact Steve Blaze (751-8726) and Ross Zimmerman (749-5919). Shown are Walt McDaniel, John McGlynn, Ron Johnson and Roger Ramey wrapping hams.
When the County gave access to Aerie Park equestrian park to the VC Vaqueros last week, they immediately set Saturday and Sunday, March 17 & 18 as workdays.
From the flat, re-sealed surface of the land which was a landfill decades ago, Vaquero members and friends transformed it into three arenas this weekend.
All three (main, warm-up and exercise) arenas had their 12 and 24 foot pipe panels attached and stabilized.
President Tom Kemp said he was pleased with all the volunteers showing up at the park. Everybody pitched in, including the little kids who picked up rocks.
Still to be done is reconnecting the water pipes surrounding the main and warm-up arena. Also, the two story entry/announcers booth and three covered bleachers will need to be moved to their final place alongside the arena. AND, 600 cubic yards of sand will have to be located and delivered.
There will be a workday on Saturday March 24 during which much of this will get done.
Vaqueros are working towards having everything possible done before their first show of the year. This will be the “Reopening of Aerie Park Fun Show”, to be held on Sunday, April 1 (no fooling!)
Classes will begin at 9 a.m. with Sit-A-Buck, then Keyhole, Poles 1 and Hat Race. After the lunch & raffle drawing, there will be Speed Barrels, Texas Barrels and Fox & Hounds.
All classes are open and there will be Walk, Jog, Lead classes in Keyhole, Poles 1, Speed Barrels and Texas Barrels. Questions? Call Fran, 749-1339, or Del, 746-5809.
President Tom Kemp said he hopes March 24 workday will have as many volunteers as there were this weekend.
The Vaqueros are also looking for sponsors for the 2007 shows—there will be four Silver Buckle Shows, the Old Timers Show (scheduled for May 6), a Halloween Fun Show, and clinics still to be designated.
George Lucia has been hired to be Valley Center’s fire marshal when Joy Justis retires next month.
Lucia is currently fire chief of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Dept. and will continue to retain that position.
His hiring was announced Monday by VC Fire board Pres. Mel Schuler and Fire Chief Kevin O’Leary. His appointment is effective April 2.
Lucia will serve as co-fire marshal with the retiring Justis until her retirement at the end of April.
This arrangement will provide for a smooth transition of the duties and responsibilities of that office.
Schuler said that the board is very pleased to have Lucia onboard since he brings to the district 35 years of experience from a distinguished career in public safety.
Lucia has been fire marshal and senior fire investigator/ inspector for the City of Vista Fire Dept. from Oct. 1, 2000 until now.
He will be sworn in as fire marshal on March 29, 7 p.m. after a special meeting of the fire board, which will be held at the VCMWD board room.
Lucia told The Roadrunner: “Valley Center very much reminds me of where I started back in New Jersey. I think I will have some experience that will benefit the district and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
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Firefighting has been Lucia’s career “for as long as I can remember. This is what I have always wanted to do,” he told The Roadrunner during an interview last year.
During his 35 years in the business he has been a zoning inspector, fire chief, office of emergency coordinator, even a police officer—Hillsdale, New Jersey, where he worked for many of those years, combined the functions of policing and firefighting.
He is retired from being a fire chief in New Jersey’s Bergen County.
Lucia recently was awarded the Burn Institute’s Exceptional Service Award at the 33rd annual Spirit of Courage Banquet.
The county Dept. of Public Works has released a blasting schedule for the Valley Center Road widening project for the next three weeks.
This schedule is subject to alteration, based on field conditions, but if motorists at least know when the contractor is planning to do blasting, they can adjust their schedules accordingly.
The contractor plans to do blasting on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the weeks of March 19, 26 and April 2.
Those dates are March 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 and April 3, 4 and 5. The scheduled time of 2 p.m. may change due to weather conditions.
Blasting is a difficult, involved process that includes coordination of drilling, explosives, other materials and safety measures.
The blasting and inspection process is anticipated to take about 15 minutes. The closure time may be extended if additional cleanup work is necessary. Allow extra time while driving through the area or use an alternate route.
For questions or concerns, call the Project Hotline at (619) 232-2640.
This is the last weekend for the Middle School production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Tickets are available at both The Roadrunner and the Country Junction Deli for $6. Shows are Thursday, March 22, Friday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. and the final matinee performance is Sunday, March 25 at 1 p.m.
The Valley Roadrunner
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Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
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