What Are We Doing?

Another false narrative (November 16, 2016)

According to the Daily Press, Apple Valley Town Manager Frank Robinson responded to the tentative ruling against Claremont’s eminent domain litigation against Golden State Water by saying in part, From the beginning, we have maintained that the Town will operate the system. Claremont intended to turn that over to a neighboring city […] (Liberty sees Claremont’s eminent-domain loss as sign of things to come in Apple Valley, November 16, 2016).

Oh, really?

Perhaps Mr. Robinson was home in Texas on November 17, 2015, so I direct his attention to the Town’s Resolution No. 2015-42, concerning the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the hostile takeover of our water provider. He should be aware that it offered the following alternatives:

1. Alternative 1: No Project
2. Alternative 2: Alternative Operator – City of Victorville
3. Alternative 3: Alternative Operator – City of Hesperia
4. Alternative 4: Operated by Apple Valley, Alternative O&M Facility

Similar language was in the Draft EIR dated September 17, 2015. I and others objected to these alternatives (and other provisions, of course) in both the Draft and Final EIRs, and I believe the Town is currently being sued over this and other defects in the Final EIR it adopted with Robinson’s recommendation.

This is yet more evidence, as if any were needed, that regarding the proposed hostile takeover of our water utility, the Town knows neither who is going to run the system nor anything else of importance, aside from its desire to get its hands on hundreds of millions of dollars without oversight.

Considering Mr. Robinson costs Apple Valley taxpayers more than $340,000 annually , we clearly are not getting our money’s worth. Unfortunately, our prospects of getting honest and competent staff are nil given the current Town Council.

— Greg Raven is Co-Chair of Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability, and is concerned about quality of life issues.