TOAV has lost its focus (October 14, 2015)
There have been a lot of radio and newspaper advertisements by the Town of Apple Valley regarding its plan to acquire Apple Valley Ranchos Water Company and in response by Ranchos stating the town is ill advised to pursue eminent domain.
Truthfully, much of the information is contradicting and it’s been a challenge to sort through it and get to the bottom of the issue. So I set aside their advertisements and decided to rely on what I’ve seen. I’ve seen Ranchos constantly doing work on their pipeline (repairs or improvements) all around town and that they’re now drilling a new well. I received information from them in the mail regarding the drought and the drought restrictions. In short, I’ve seen them focus on water issues.
During the same time, I’ve received campaign type information from the town. I’ve seen the town build an oversized animal shelter, when those services already existed and were provided by a nonprofit organization. I’ve seen the town purchase a money-losing golf course and pay a premium for it. So we now have town employees that we pay to run an animal shelter that competes with an existing nonprofit one. And we have a golf course that continues to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses each year.
I think the Town Council has seriously lost track of its purpose. We want to have a Better Way of Life
by having a community with low crime, good schools and good roads. We don’t want a town that picks a fight with a well-run water utility just for the sake of government control and bigger government. Based on what I’ve seen, I say leave Ranchos to the water business and do a better job with the golf course, roads, storm drains, and crime.
— Joseph Danes, Apple Valley
Source: Daily Press