Council briefs
New Planning Commissioner
On Wednesday afternoon, Mammoth Town Councilmembers interviewed five candidates for the vacancy on the Planning Commission. Six people had applied for the position, but Chris Thomason did not appear for the interview portion. Out of Anita Hatter, Mickey Brown, John Vereuck, Tom Moody, and Robert Calvert, Council selected Brown. Her term will expire July 31, 2014.
No exceptions for Searles
Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Dan Watson reported on Wednesday evening that he had received word that the U.S. Forest Service would not be granting an exception to its rule that only sworn officers can use firearms on Forest Service land. Watson had requested the exception months ago in order to allow Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles to do his work in the Lakes Basin and at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.
“I’m frustrated because we are running out of options,” Watson explained. The next avenues he will explore will be reactivating the police reserve program, which means if there are any retired police officers living in the area, the police department could have these officers work with Searles on Forest Service lands.
Watson will also be seeking support from Congressman Buck McKeon on the issue of allowing Searles to do his work on Forest Service lands. He did not believe, however, that there would be anything specific in place this season.
Something that is in place, however, is a working relationship between Mammoth Disposal and Searles.
“Steve checks the dumpsters in town every morning,” Watson explained. “If he finds one that has been broken into he calls Mammoth Disposal. They come out and clean up the mess and can then charge the property owner for the extra pickup.”
Lastly, Searles noted that cars have killed four of the seven large bucks that live on the Bell Shaped Parcel recently. He reminded the community to watch its speed around Meridian and Minaret.
HSEF needs projects
High Sierra Energy Foundation Exec. Director Rick Phelps presented an update to Council on recent happenings at the Foundation, including the resignation of his old board and the challenge of forming a new one.
In response to Councilman John Eastman’s recent request for an audit of HSEF, Phelps presented the follow figures: once at a budget of $300,000, HSEF has cut back since early 2009 and is currently operating on a budget of $116,000, which includes $14,500 from the Town. The remaining 88 percent is fee-for-service revenue from the partnership with Southern California Edison. Fee-for-service revenue, however, is very dependent on the energy efficiency activities of the jurisdictions in the partnership (Inyo and Mono counties, Bishop, and Mammoth).
“If government efficiency retrofits aren’t completed due to budgetary concerns that directly impacts our fee for service revenue,” Phelps explained. “The Edison funding is stable, but we have to have work to do.”
