Minutes of the Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Meeting
March 22, 2008
Thomas Burton, Robert Carlyle, Donna Dose, Elizabeth Getzoff (alternate), Bruce Graves, Jim Hamerly, Rob Hawk, Susan Humason, Bonnie Phelps, Michael Pique, Alan Serry, John Tainer.
Jerry Johnson, Scott Kardel, Bob O'Neill, Earl Walls.
The PMPO Board Meeting was convened 10:07 AM March 22, 2008, at the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department. The minutes of the August 18 and November 3, 2007, and January 19, 2008, Board meetings were distributed with corrections and approval deferred to the May meeting. Treasurer Alan Serry said that at the last board meeting, January 10, 2008, the balance carried forward was $41,931.19, income was $104.88 (interest). Expenses were $127.41 for Post Office box fee ($50) and new coffee maker for breakfast. The balance as of March 22, 2008, is $41,908.67. The treasurer's report was approved.
Alan Serry said we must generalize beyond ``unsafe motorcyclists'', including consideration that much of Palomar Mountain is open range for livestock. He said Dutch Bergman is fencing along the Bergmans' East Grade property to separate cattle from cars there. Alan noted that water truck configurations are restricted on the South Grade and he will write a reminder letter for the Board to forward to the highway patrol and appropriate water haulers. Finally, he urged drivers to stay well over on the correct side of the road since motorcyclists leaning into curves will encroach dangerously beyond the center line.
Rob Hawk has talked to Mr. Gant, manager of the Yale/LJIR well-pumping project, who assured him that the project will instrument wells and make the data available to the PMPO. Rob suggested they instrument the nearby `T3' well and selected others such as on Birch Hill. Rob will get from Bruce Graves the well map that the PMPO prepared a few years ago. The Board approved hiring a well-monitoring helper, not to exceed $100 per month, at Rob's discretion.
Bonnie Phelps said Cecelia Borland is helping coordinate the effort between Bonnie and the title companies, and that the parcels on the east side of Birch Hill are surveyed and ready to be recorded. They will next start working east from the Lodge, which is already burdened with easements benefiting several parcels. Deeds from 1896 and 1926 show various ``public roads'' but to whose benefit is not explicit. Tom Burton says that what ``public'' means here is disputed, and these are therefore not truly ``easements''. The committee is working from Assessors Map 19, which Michael Pique cautioned has some small discrepancies from its original source document, the Palomar Camp Site map.
Costs are adding up, and Bruce Graves will ask benefited property owners to help pay - an escrow account has been opened. Per parcel, the title company charges $250, the escrow company $250, and $70-$100 recording fee per page.
Rob Hawk says we should set aside some funds to scan the records we've found and post them on a web server.
Tom Burton says lots going on, but little concrete progress. The $50,000 block grant is still unspent because of its prohibition against hiring labor or contractors. The grant administrator is being asked to waive that restriction for us.
However, renovation on the PMVFD house is underway, including demolition of the existing kitchen, so water will not be available in the kitchen for the pancake breakfast. Brian Covington offered use of the Lodge.
Leanne Carmichael from the San Diego County Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) summarized the progress so far and asked for the community to write a letter of local recommendations about the general plan revision. Our contact person will be Devon Muto, the new interim chief of the 2020 work.
Fall 2010 will see the end (``sunsetting'') of the Forest Conservation Initiative (FCI), at the same time as the general plan update is expected to be going into public review. The county is unaware of any effort to re-introduce the FCI but could always happen. Tom Burton reminded us of Palomar Mountain's natural constraints to growth: road size, septic issues, setbacks, and that our goal continues to be restoration of general plan designations to pre-FCI status. Leann said that would be implemented by an act by the board of supervisors after FCI ends.
Leanne would like the PMPO to lead submission of a revised land use map proposal within two months, and she is willing to come up for a special community meeting to help explain the issues and possibilities. Tom Burton asked if the `Country Town' designation will be available; Leann said `Rural Village Boundary' replaces it.
Tom Burton explained that he has pled guilty to a money-laundering felony charge. Tom submitted his resignation letter to the Chair in early January 2008. The Board, after discussion, tabled acceptance of it.
The annual meeting will be on May 24, probably at the Lodge. Bonnie Phelps said several people and groups have asked to have booths at the breakfast, and the board approved allowing such at the discretion of the Chair, Jim Hamerly.
Susan Humason will again edit and produce the newsletter; articles are due April 18, proofing April 26-28, assembly party May 3. She has decided that the advertising insert tried last year is too much work.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:32 PM.
Michael Pique