The April 17 meeting of the directors of Idyllwild Water District (IWD)
included a detailed update on progress on the lower administrative
office project, a number of legacy issues uncovered by Interim General
Manager (GM) Curt Sauer and staff, and a review of board procedure and
decorum, including stipends for directors.

In public comments David Hunt wished to “commend the field workers and
Bill Rojas” for their work fixing a leak, the Friday before the meeting,
on Highway 243. Rojas is the consultant Sauer hired one day avweek to
assist in training, and Hunt also noted, with approval, Sauer’s presence
on the scene.

Hunt went on to repeat his comment from last month: He believes the
board should begin posting for a permanent GM now. He believes it is
“not a good idea to have an interim doing major changes that a permanent
GM might not agree with.” He expressed a desire for a GM with field
experience and certification for both Distribution and Treatment “higher
than our field workers.” Certifications are not required for GMs.

He also argued for a GM who wants to live in the community. Sauer
commutes from Cherry Valley, and the last GM lived in Temecula. Hunt
reminded the board that his grandfather was an IWD GM, working 33 years
for the district.

President Charles Schelly said the board would comment when it had made
a decision about the GM search process. We learned later, in response to
questions from rate-payer Steve Moulton, that Sauer had signed on for a
period of three months to one year, that he had no interest in taking
the position for the long term, and that his wife had not changed her
mind about this.

Later on, Schelly pointed out that directors cannot comment or answer
questions during public comment, but that answers often emerge during
the course of the meeting, and that members of the public with questions
may wish to remain after making their comments, to hear from the
directors.

Idyllwild Fire (IFPD) Chief Mark LaMont spoke to thank Sauer and the IWD
crew for their work, and Sauer’s “really good interface with the other
districts and the fire department.” He noted progress in hydrant repair,
in particular. Sauer later reported that of the 14 inoperable hydrants
he discovered upon taking the job, four were now working, and three more
were awaiting parts that had been ordered. LaMont said last month that
he will be working over the next 18 months to get the highest possible
Insurance Services Office rating for IFPD, and expressed his hope that
IWD’s cooperation may earn the last fraction of a point needed.

The board approved minutes from meetings for the last four months. This
is usually a routine item, but with the change in management and several
special meetings, earlier versions of the minutes were missing actions
and contained many typos and were deemed unacceptable. Taking minutes
has been the duty of the GM or chief financial officer (CFO), but at
this meeting, Office Administrator Tyla Wheeler took minutes. The Crier
notes that the minutes for Jan. 27 did not include the hiring of the
interim GM, though we have reported that the hiring was announced that
day. Schelly has said he will look into this.

On the financial report, Schelly noted he was concerned with nonpayroll
expenses at over $348,000. The largest item was repaving the district’s
Foster Lake facility, two checks totaling $112,000. Without this, the
month would be unexceptional.

The operations report contained errors that were corrected by press time
to show water loss at 14%. The losses include more water than usual for
flushing, and reflect that lost water is no longer being attributed to
IFPD use.

Sauer reported on the search for water operators. IWD advertised for
water operators and operators in training, both in the local paper,
online and in trade publications. It received 24 applicants, interviewed
12, and made job offers to two operators. Both declined because of the
distance and salary. An operator in training was hired and started work
Monday, and by Tuesday was fixing leaks. The hunt for operators will
continue, and Sauer expects another round of interviews before the end
of the month.

In response to a later public question, Sauer added that there were two
local applicants, but one had no experience or certificates, and the
other was hired by Pine Cove Water first. Sauer also said he did not
know what salary the candidates were making now. IWD does not offer the
attractive but expensive CalPERS pension plan, unlike the other local
districts.

A surveyor has created paperwork for the county to record an easement
for the well on Larry Donahoo’s property. This will be submitted at the
next supervisor’s meeting. The district also will assist Donahoo in
locating the sewer line in his yard before he undertakes a construction
project. Lack of response to Donahoo’s request was among the issues
aired in January as the board announced its decision to relieve the
previous GM of his duties.

Sauer also brought up a request for service at a 5-acre parcel across
the highway from the Blue Bird Inn. The owner wishes to divide it into
five parcels, and to have water and sewer service extended to the
parcels. Schelly said that until the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
has been rehabilitated, no new sewer additions will be allowed. Last
year, the date of August 2024 was floated as a likely time for
groundbreaking at the plant, and the board and public will get a fuller
update from the GM on WWTP project progress at a May 1 special meeting.

Sauer notified the board that IWD is required to file a new type of lead
and copper report by October of this year. IWD was notified of this last
June. It already tests 10 houses monthly for these metals, but all
California water districts must now provide an inventory of their
distribution pipes, specifying their materials. This will either require
physical examination or a review of records. “That’s going to be quite
the undertaking,” he said. IWD will have to provide documentation that
the system is lead free, or if there are lead pipes, when they will be
replaced.

Sauer is implementing a plan to maintain the approximately 260 hydrants.
This will include a protocol for flushing them, like the one Fern Valley
Water has in place, with IFPD being notified so that it may capture that
water and reuse it. There also will be a plan to flush supply lines that
“meets industry standards.” He noted that last year IWD received 11
complaints about taste, odor or appearance from rate payers, and he
would like to reduce that number.

The GM’s report also noted two discoveries that reflect on the diligence
of former management: reapplication fees for IWD’s license from the
State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) and the FCC radio license.
SWRCB was revamping its system and requested new information last
summer, but the district didn’t respond, and the license expired in
December, leading to a $3,700 fee. Radio frequency licenses also expired
five years ago, leading to a $2,000 reapplication fee. Asked about these
kind of housekeeping issues by phone, Sauer gave credit to the staff,
saying these were among many things they knew about and only needed open
channels of communication to share.

IWD has just spent $14,500 on new radios and a base station that will
allow staff to communicate amongst themselves, with IFPD and the other
water districts during leaks and larger emergencies. Sauer will be
instructing staff and crew on radio etiquette.

The rehabilitation of the lower office building is well underway, with
the work about a third finished and completion three months away,
according to the contractor, GNW. Sauer showed photos of the extensive
foundation and structural work, as well as the updated electrical,
plumbing and exterior water protection. He also went through a list of
additions to the contract, including new gutters to reduce the flow of
water into the parking lot and against the foundation, discarding the
remaining parts of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as the
contractor could not guarantee that it is mold-free; and adding windows
to the bathrooms and break room. The project is now projected to be
about $6,000 over the original $225,000 ceiling.

The board also reviewed its own meeting decorum policy, and briefly
touched on directors’ stipends for meetings. IWD pays its directors $50
for each meeting. Pine Cove Water pays $75. IWD reduced this stipend in
the not-so-distant past from $100. Legal Counsel Ryan Guiboa pointed out
that it is district policy to compensate directors for a number of types
of meeting for which they are not currently being paid. This includes
the pre-agenda meeting where the president and GM create the agenda, ad
hoc committees meetings that the board has formally requested and
training meetings. CFO Hosny Shouman noted that there are limits on any
increase in the stipend, and that any discussion of changing policies
requires an agendized discussion item before an agendized action.

The next scheduled meeting is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 as a special
session to discuss the WWTP project.

Following the end of California’s Covered Cal Open enrollment, which
began Nov. 1, 2023, and ended Jan. 31, 2024, nearly 1.8 million state
residents have chosen a plan through Covered Cal. This surpasses the
record set in 2022. More than 300,000 are new policy holders.

“The high demand for Covered California shows that the increased
financial help for 2024 is making health care coverage more attainable
and affordable for more Californians,” said Executive Director Jessica
Altman.

Despite the success of Covered Cal, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) has issued several warnings this year about unauthorized
plan switches.

In February, CMS warned that it has identified instances of consumers
being enrolled into an unwanted plan. This action, referred to as an
“Unauthorized Plan Switch,” results in the consumer’s chosen policy
being cancelled or terminated.

This could create problems getting appointments with their doctors, with
prescriptions and even unexpected tax bills.

Many consumers are unaware of the switch until they attempt to use the
desired policy to see a doctor or fill a prescription and are denied,
according to CMS.

States that run their own marketplaces — there are 18 including,
California —have been more successful in thwarting such efforts because
they require more information before a policy can be accessed.

If you feel you are a victim of an unauthorized enrollment, contact the
Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.

Some individuals discover the problem during tax season when they
receive a 1095-A tax form. The Internal Revenue Service also directs
individuals with potential Affordable Care Act policy problems to the
Call Center.

CMS has already reached out to health care agents to explain the process
for correcting the problem for unfortunate victims of switched policies.

“We understand the importance of protecting Medicare beneficiaries from
unscrupulous actors that use deceptive tactics and offer inaccurate
information about Medicare products and coverage. Licensed and certified
independent agents work directly with Medicare beneficiaries to combat
these misinformation campaigns,” Jessica Brooks-Woods, CEO of the
National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, said at a
U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing on Medicare Advantage Annual
Enrollment: Cracking Down on Deceptive Practices and Improving Senior
Experiences.

The April 18 meeting of the Fern Valley Water District (FVWD) Board of
Directors focused mostly on financial issues and preparation for the
next fiscal year (FY) budget.

The third quarter report for the current budget (FY 2023-24) was on the
agenda. For the year, expenses exceed revenue by about $835,000, which
is about what the board expected when it approved the budget in June
2023.

The approved budget projected a deficit of $870,000, the result of a
large capital improvement (CIP) budget. This year, the capital budget
was planned to be $1.3 million of which $1.27 million, or 96%, was for
the pipeline project on Howland, Cougar and Silver Tip. This is
completed and was slightly under budget.

In contrast, the capital budget for FY 2022-23 was $145,000, of which
75% was for hydrant and water monitoring equipment upgrades.

The capital expenses have taken a toll on FVWD’s assets. Net assets have
declined about $800,000 since July, due to the pipeline project expense.
But with water sales, although down slightly, and property tax revenue,
April’s total assets were about $1.1 million, up $200,000 since the end
of 2023.

At the last several meetings, General Manager Vic Jimenez has told the
board he would like them to consider larger (CIP) budgets for the next
several years. Even if borrowing funds is necessary, he believes there
will be long-term savings if the work is completed sooner.

“It’s just something to consider being that costs have increased as much
as they have over the last five years. It’s worth exploring,” Jimenez
told the board in March. “I’ll update the CIP for the next 10 years as
we begin the budget process.”

But he added, “It will depend on the kind of interest that we will pay
on the loan.”

The board expects to have its Planning Committee meet this week and the
Budget Committee will schedule a meeting later this month to submit a
proposed FY 2024-25 budget for review at the May meeting.

President Jon Brown also indicated that the Rate and Revenue Committee
may schedule a meeting in the next few months.

Jimenez did note that the March expenditures for water quality
monitoring were about twice the planned amount. With higher-than-normal
flow in the district’s creeks — Strawberry and Tahquitz — more
monitoring of turbidity and stream flow content has had to be increased
and become more vigilant.

The amount of turbidity has limited FVWD’s ability to use stream water.
In his General Manager’s Report, Jimenez reported that ground water has
supplied about 98% of March’s water supply.

Also, FVWD has had to begin monitoring both well and stream water for
synthetic organic compounds. “These are another class of human-made
contaminants that may be present in ground water. Collectively, this
group includes herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals that come from
agriculture, urban storm water runoff, or industrial activities,” Jimenz
said in an email to the Town Crier.

Overall, the district is in good shape, according to Jimenez. March
water production was down about a million gallons compared to last year.
Stored treated water is at about 90% of available storage. Due to the
rapid creek flows, raw water storage currently is at 0%.

“Things are going very smoothly,” Jimenez told the board. “We’ve been
pumping more from the wells the last couple of months and the mountain
is definitely replenishing well water.”

Idyllwild Fire Chief Mark LaMont visited the FVWD meeting and thanked
the board for the great relationship between the two organizations.
Noting the frequent cooperation, he said, “Thanks for ensuring
thoughtful personnel willing to get out and help.”

Besides consideration of the FY 1024-25 budget at the next meeting,
Brown noted that the 12-month certificate of deposit will be expiring in
May and a decision on whether to renew it or transfer some cash to the
Local Area Investment Fund (essentially a savings account held by the
state) will need to be made.

A representative from FVWD’s legal counsel, Best, Best and Krieger, is
expected to attend the May 16 meeting.

At its April 3 meeting, the Riverside County Planning Commission
unanimously (4-0) recommended a policy authorizing digital on-site
signs. Before it is effective, the board of supervisors will have to
approve it.

The change would amend Ordinance 348, “Land Use Planning and Zoning
Regulations,” to allow digital signage only on a business’s site. In
Idyllwild, the sign’s height would be limited to 20 feet and its size
limited to 50 square feet.

While Ordinance 348 does permit outdoor displays and electronic
advertising, commonly known as billboards, it does not specify that
these signs may be digital. Currently, this type of signage is only
permitted adjacent to freeways.

“On-site advertising signs are not Outdoor Advertising Displays or
‘Billboards,’ the standards for which are left unchanged,” according to
the Planning Staff Report to the commission.

Digital signage is different and not permitted within the unincorporated
areas of the county, according to Richard Marshalian, the principal
planner presenting the proposal to the commission.

“Only signage providing information about the on-site business and only
in commercial and industrial zones,” he stated to the commission.
Commercial zones are in Idyllwild, along Highway 243 and a portion of
North Circle and Village Center drives.

The change will provide a definition for digital displays, “an
electronic message display that advertises the business name, business
conducted, services rendered, or goods produced or sold upon the
property on which the display placed and exhibits static images through
the use of grid lights, cathode ray projections, light emitting diode
displays, plasma screens, liquid crystal displays, fiber optics, or
other electronic media or technology that may be changed remotely
through electronic means.”

In order to use digital signs, the property owner must still apply for a
plot plan change. The major benefit of this requirement, Marshalian
stressed, is that the proposal would not exempt digital signage from
other county codes.

During the hearing on the plot plan change request, neighboring property
owners could comment on how the new advertising would affect them.
Marshalian gave an example of the possibility of buffers protecting
residential areas from sensitive signs. Digital signs would have a
maximum luminance depending on the time of day, would be capable of
being dimmed and be controlled remotely, and this would be part of the
plot plan discussions.

The Planning Department solicited public comment during June and July

2023. The submitted comments addressed issues such as the rural
      community environment, does not fit the Wine Country aesthetics, ability
      to observe stars and the sky at night, and a potential distraction to
      drivers, according to Marshalian.

As a consequence, the proposed amendment would prohibit digital signage
in the Wine Country Policy area and the Palomar Observatory Zone A.

Both the draft ordinance and the environmental document were revised and
available for public comment from March 13 until April 3, the day of the
commission hearing.

Planning Director John Hildebrand told the commission that many other
jurisdictions permit this signage and his staff reviewed their
ordinances. The planning staff also relied on CalTrans’ policies applied
to digital signage along state highways.

Three people spoke in opposition or requesting changes. They were Wine
Country and Desert Center residents.

After the discussion, Guillermo “Bill” Sanchez, commission chair from
the 4^(th) Supervisory District, said, “I think we should allow more
communities to utilize visual signs.”

He also stressed that their use would require a public hearing to
identify potential conflicts or problems. He also noted that Idyllwild
was an area that would have comments.

The newest commission member, Olivia Balderrama, from the 3^(rd)
Supervisory District, expressed mixed feelings about the proposal. “I’ve
read it and am concerned. I’m not sure the benefits will outweigh
impacts.”

However, she did vote in favor of sending the amendment to the board of
supervisors.

Thursday, April 4, Art Tinoco, Riverside County registrar of voters,
certified the vote totals from the March 5 Presidential Primary Election
and the board of supervisors accepted the results at its April 9
meeting.

Turnout

In Riverside County, about 30.8% of the 1.3 million registered voters
cast a ballot in this election. The statewide turnout for the March
Primary Election was 35%, compared to the 50% turnout in the 2022
Gubernatorial Election.

Locally, turnout in Pine Cove and Idyllwild was almost 53% while
Mountain Center and Garner Valley saw about 47% of registered voters
cast ballots. The lowest local turnout was 36% in Anza. Two years ago,
the local turnout was between 58% and 72%.

Riverside County turnout was in the middle of its neighboring counties.
Both Orange and San Diego counties had turnouts of about 36%. San
Bernardino County’s turnout was 26%, but Imperial County only had a 22%
turnout, lowest in the state.

Presidential races

In the Democratic Presidential contest, President Joe Biden easily won
the state’s delegates with 89% of the counted ballots. His Riverside
County result of 89.5% is similar. Overall, the local votes for Biden
were similar to the county and the state.

In the Republican primary, Donald Trump was the victor with 79.2% of the
Republican votes, but he was stronger in Riverside County with 83.2% of
the vote. Nikki Haley was second statewide and in the county.

Nearly 93% of Garner Valley voters in the Republican primary chose
Trump. About 80% of Idyllwild and Pine Cove Republicans voted for the
former president and his lowest percentage was 66.7% in Mountain Center.

U.S. Senate

In the contest to replace former Sen. Diane Feinstein, the state’s
voters decided a nominee from each party was their preference to two
Democratic nominees.

Representative Adam Schiff was the top Democrat and Steve Garvey, a
former Los Angeles Dodger, was the top Republican. They will be battling
through the November election.

Statewide, Schiff and Garvey were almost equal. Only 3,500 votes
separated them out of nearly 7.7 million votes cast. Schiff garnered
31.6% and Garvey had 31.5% with Schiff having the higher vote total. The
two other major Democratic candidates were far behind. Katie Porter of
Orange County had 15.3% and Barbara Lee of Oakland could only capture
9.8%.

In Riverside County, Garvey was the favorite with 42.1% of votes counted
and Schiff was second with 27.7%.

The Hill was split. Idyllwild and Pine Cove favored Schiff, giving him
34% and 37%, respectively. Garvey was the second choice in both
precincts, but much closer with 32% in Idyllwild.

Anza, Garner Valley and Mountain Center all favored Garvey. He received
two-thirds of the Senate vote in Garner Valley and 55% in Anza. Schiff
was a distant second in all three areas.

U.S Congress

In the race for Congressional District 41, the two November 2024
candidates will again be Republican incumbent Ken Calvert and Democrat
Will Rollins. This was the choice in the 2022 election, which Calvert
won.

Last month, Calvert again garnered the majority of votes cast with 53%
and Rollins collected 38.4%. A distant third was Anna Nevenic with 8.6%
of the votes.

In total, the Hill voting results were similar. However, locally, both
Pine Cove and Idyllwild gave more votes to Rollins. Combined, Rollins
and Nevenic grabbed 60% of the votes in those two precincts.

However, in the lower elevation precincts, Calvert was the clear victor,
receiving nearly 70% of the votes in Garner Valley and Anza.

The November results will be close and may affect which party has
control of the House of Representatives. Many political pundits and
websites have called it very close. The Cook Political Report ranked the
district as a “toss-up.” The National Journal included it as one of the
15 House seats most likely to flip this election cycle. Both The
Washington Post and The New York Times have already published articles
about the district’s role in deciding the next House majority.

Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz, who represents the 25^(th) Congressional
District, which used to encompass the Hill communities, won his primary
with 47.4% of the vote. Ian Weeks, a Republican, was second with 20.8%
of the vote. They will face off in November.

Assembly District 36

Assembly District (AD) 36 encompasses parts of three counties —
Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino. Overall, Republican Jeff
Gonzalez leads the seven candidates to replace incumbent Eduardo Garcia,
who retired.

Gonzalez has captured 35.1% of the total district vote. His challenger
in November will be Democrat Joey Acuña, who had 19.9%. Edgard Garcia,
another Democratic candidate, earned 12.8% of the vote and Kalin Morse,
Republican, collected 11.3% of the total district vote.

In Imperial County, the vote was closer. Gonzalez led the seven
candidates with 27.7% of the votes, but Acuña was second with 22.5%.
However, fellow Republican Morse ran second to Gonzalez in San
Bernardino County, where only 911 ballots were counted.

Gonzalez and Morse collected 46.4% of the total district votes cast.

In Riverside County, Gonzalez had 38.4% of the votes and Acuña was
second with 18.7% of nearly 45,000 ballots cast.

On the Hill, Garner Valley and Anza, which are part of AD 36, have
stronger support to Gonzalez. He captured 50.7% of the Anza vote and
49.5% of Garner Valley’s.

In both precincts, with nearly 18% of the vote, Morse was second.

Assembly District 47

In another repeat from 2022, incumbent Republican Gregg Wallis will face
Democratic challenger Christy Holstege in November for the state’s
Assembly District 47 seat.

However, in this primary, Wallis had 48.6% and Holstege, after leading
during the first week of vote counting, got 46.4%. The difference is
about 2,600 votes. The third candidate, Democrat Jamie Swain, received
the balance with 5.1%, representing 6,115 votes.

In 2022, it took weeks to determine that Wallis defeated Holstege by 85
votes out of nearly 170,000 ballots cast. For this primary, only 16
months later, about 120,100 ballots were counted.

Holstege gained the majority of Riverside County votes with 50.2%
compared to Wallis’s total of 44.3%. However, in San Bernardino County,
which has about 25% of the district’s total voters, Wallis had 63.1% of
the vote.

His vote lead in San Bernardino County was 8,100 votes. In Riverside
County, Holstege had about 5,500 more votes in the primary.

Idyllwild and Pine Cove clearly favored Holstege. She gathered about 55%
of the vote in both areas while Wallis received only 40%.

Riverside Board of Education

In the Trustee Area 4 race (which includes the Hill), Bruce Dennis
easily won reelection with 91% of the vote compared to this challenger
Sergei Vinkov.

With a certain victory, Dennis wrote in an email to the Town Crier,
“Honestly, I'm thrilled to serve another four years and continue to be
part of the great work RCOE is doing. It also allows me to remain on the
Board of Directors of the California School Boards Association, and
continue my advocacy through them.”

Dennis captured at least 85% of the vote in every Hill community.

Proposition 1

Proposition 1 combines a $6.4 billion bond with changes to the Mental
Health Services Act, initially approved in 2004. These proposals are
intended to provide mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment to
people, including the homeless.

Statewide, Prop 1 eked out a victory with a slim majority: 50.2% of
ballots voted “Yes.” Its lead is only 26,200 out of more than 7.2
million votes.

The Opposition to Prop 1 has conceded, but for several weeks, its
opinion of the results vacillated.

In Riverside County, the opposition reaped 53.6% of the counted ballots,
34,300 more votes than its supporters.

Similarly to the races for political office, Idyllwild and Pine Cove
favored Prop 1, with 56% and 53%, respectively. And Garner Valley, Anza
and Mountain Center opposed it. Nearly two-thirds of Garner Valley’s
votes were cast “No.”

County supervisors

Two county supervisorial districts, 1 and 3, were on the ballot.

In District 3, incumbent Supervisor Chuck Washington won reelection. By
earning a majority of the votes, 53.3%, he will not have to face a
November race for reelection.

“I’m happy for the win in the primary because of what I perceive it
means: even with two challengers, voters recognize my effort, my
character and my competence,” Washington told the Town Crier. “Secondly,
I am freed up to devout 100% of my time and energy to serving my
district as their supervisor … I’m ready to get back to work!”

In District 1, incumbent Kevin Jeffries is retiring at the end of his
term. The two candidates on the November ballot will be Richard Roth, a
former state senator, and Jose Medina, a former Assembly member.
However, Medina edged the third-place candidate, Debbie Walsh, by only
1,200 votes out of a total of 56,600 cast.

Editor’s note: On Sept. 27, 2023, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and
Management Commission released its 340-page report that included 148
recommendations to the administration as well Congress and the state,
local and tribal governments.

On March 12, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
held a hearing with members of the administration and of the commission.
(See the April 4, 2024 edition of the Idyllwild Town Crier).

On March 14, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs held its own hearing on the report as well as the
growing threat of wildfires and how the committee can help with
preparation, response, recovery and mitigation of wildfires.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), committee chair, opened the hearing with the
following warning, “Wildfires are an increasing threat to our country.
They have gotten bigger, burned more land, and put more communities in
danger … This year, they will likely get even worse.”

“This is a national priority,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) in his
opening statement. “It is a tragedy that we continue to have wildfires
of the nature we have … Across the country, more and more states are
affected by wildfire. It’s not just a few states in the American West.
It’s a national concern.”

Peters, Romney and the other senators who attended the hearing were all
agreed that the Homeland Security Committee must play a central role in
the federal government’s response to this threat and growing problem.

Among the topics and areas about which the members asked questions of
the witnesses, were collaboration among federal, state, local and tribal
firefighting agencies, adequate funding, especially for firefighter pay,
but also for recovery efforts, and regulatory conflicts.

One of the major themes, which several witnesses emphasized, was the
federal government’s reaction to hurricanes compared to wildfires.

David Fogerson, Nevada’s emergency manager and Homeland Security chief,
specifically addressed this difference in his testimony and recommended,
“We must collectively plan for wildfire response and recovery as we do
hurricanes … Our nation’s response to wildfire is quite different.”

The National Hurricane Center has a role in forecasting and then
describing the strength and direction of a hurricane. Once identified,
federal agencies begin to deploy resources to the areas that are likely
targets of the hurricane. Funds also are distributed to state and local
agencies to pre-position equipment and staff to respond.

But a “red flag warning,” Fogerson noted, does not initiate a similar
response among federal, state, local and tribal agencies. Principal
responsibility for combating wildfire remains with the land management
agency, even after the fire crosses boundaries.

He was not the sole witness to despair this difference. Christopher
Currie, director for Homeland Security and Justice at the U.S.
Government Accountability Office, also mentioned it.

He stressed the need for more effective federal coordination regarding
responses to wildfire and post-fire recovery. Currently, this is
difficult, he noted, because nearly 30 federal agencies have some
responsibility in disaster recovery. Besides the variety of land
management agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a
primary actor in these activities. The Corps of Engineers and the
Environmental Protection Agency also have prominent roles.

“The consequences of poor collaboration can be significant,” Fogerson
emphasized.

One recommendation in “ON FIRE: The Report of the Wildland Fire
Mitigation and Management Commission,” is the creation of a Fire
Environment Center, similar in function to the National Hurricane
Center. Its purpose would be to reverse the widely recognized lack of
timely, manager-focused models, technologies and forecasts to support
operational decision-making, and short- and long-term planning,
according to the report.

Experts in land management, fire management, community risk reduction
and mitigation would join forces to build better models to forecast and
to respond to wildfires.

“We need to treat and to respond to wildfires the same as we do for
hurricanes,” Currie said in response to a question from Sen. Thomas
Carper (D-DE).

Lucinda Andreani, deputy county manager and flood control district
administrator for Arizona’s Coconino County, told the committee, “The
scale of these crises is rapidly overwhelming the capacity of local
governments.”

Health risks, particularly air quality, were discussed, too. Many
commented on the long-term deleterious effects from lingering smoke
caused by wildfires.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) pointed out that the hazardous air quality from
smoke is not eligible for major disaster declarations under FEMA’s
Stafford Act and recommended amendments to address this dilemma.

Preparing and fighting fires was a significant portion of the hearing.
But Currie noted frequent post-fire problems. For example, housing for
those whose homes burned is not readily and easily available.

Six months after the devastating fire in Maui, Hawaii, many people are
still seeking adequate housing. Structural damage to homes from
hurricanes can often be repaired in months, but replacing a burned and
razed house can take years.

While FEMA has funds and authority to provide short-term housing and the
Housing and Urban Development Department can help with long-term
housing, there are limited and poor authorities for provision of
intermediate term housing.

One significant difference is the presence of debris, often toxic. It
takes time to find a safe location where the debris may be moved. This
delays the ability to construct a new house on the owner’s former site.

Other issues exacerbating the availability of housing include where the
fire occurred. Wildland fires are typically in remote and nonurban
areas. Also, they can occur, such as the Maui Fire, in high-cost areas.

“In a wildfire, it’s 10 times harder than a traditional disaster to
provide housing,” Currie said. "There is not a lot of affordable housing
that can be used temporarily or even hotels.”

Prescribed burns were another area that committee members probed the
witnesses about. Jamie Barnes, director and state forester for the Utah
Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, was adamant that prescribed
burns were a good and valuable tool for preventing fires from getting
out of control, which would also lower smoke pollution.

“We are seeing fires burn hotter and more severely, due to the excess
fuels and lack of active management on the landscape,” she said and
emphasized that regulations for multiple concerns create delays and
problems for those trying to reduce fire chances.

She used the Environmental Protection Agency regulations for air quality
as an example that often conflicted with the need to use a prescribe
burn. While the procedures used to implement the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) aid in identifying special problems or threatened
areas, the act enables frequent litigation that slows and delays needed
fire mitigation, she told the committee.

“Permitting reform needs to align with NEPA,” Barnes advised and stated
that she favored greater use of categorical exclusions.

“Both FEMA and the Forest Service are typically limited in their
willingness to allow third parties to potentially fund activities of the
NEPA process on their behalf,” she said. “We’re using our good neighbor
authority in Utah to help the Forest Service. We’re not taking over the
regulatory process but providing help to them.”

Fogerson added that state and local agencies cannot use FEMA funds for
conducting controlled burns, “We have to use Agriculture [Forest
Service] or DOI [Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service or
the National Park Service] funding.”

And each witness and several senators noted the need to reform
firefighter pay. In his opening remarks, Peters stressed this point.
“This committee has also passed the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck
Protection Act — led by Sen. [Kyrsten] Sinema [(I-AZ)] — to establish a
permanent, updated pay scale for federal firefighters. We will continue
working to advance this bipartisan legislation through Congress to
prevent a pay cliff for wildland firefighters at the end of the fiscal
year.”

Barnes, Currie and U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Merril-Moore all
spoke in favor of improving firefighter compensation and benefits. In
his recommendations, Fogerson said, “Increase the pay, respect and
standing of our federal wildfire workforce. We need a year-round force
to support local and state government response efforts. Compensate them
fairly.”

As Romney concluded his remarks, he promised, “We’re working on
legislation to take the [commission’s] recommendations and turn them
into law. We have to have some changes. We can’t keep doing what we did
in the past.”

Reinforcing Romney, Peter’s committed, “This does not end today.
Congress and the entire federal government must do its part to improve
mitigation, response and recovery.”

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors received the statement of vote
from the March 5 Presidential Primary Election at its April 9 meeting.
Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco certified the results and described his
office’s procedures and actions to ensure both a fair and open election.

Before and since, his office has been open for the public to view and
follow the steps of conducting the election.

Public tours, a media tour, the public logic and accuracy test and
availability to answer a multitude of questions are offered.

His detailed discussion of the election process began with “uncounted
ballots.” Tinoco explained that state law prevents counting ballots
mailed after Election Day, which was March 5, or those postmarked
correctly but received too late.

In Riverside County, 31 ballots with postmarks of March 5 or earlier
could not be counted in the totals because they were received after
March 12. The law requires ballots to be received within seven days of
the election.

In response to a question from Supervisor Karen Spiegel (2^(nd)
District), Tinoco indicated that he is “currently working with the USPS
to discuss” why these ballots were received too late to count.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries (1^(st) District) pointed out that prior to
2020, the state only gave three days to receive mailed ballots. For the
2020 election, that was extended to 17 days. Then in 2021, the
Legislature changed the deadline to the current requirement of seven
days following the election.

About 5,000 ballots were received but postmarked after March 5. None of
these can be counted either, Tinoco lamented.

One of the critical steps in the ballot counting process is the
verification of the voter’s signature. If the mailed-in ballot has not
been signed or if the Registrar’s Office cannot verify the signature, it
sends the voter a “cure” letter requesting a signature and confirmation
of mailing a ballot.

Also, conditional voter registration takes time. This occurs when a
person registers on the same day as the election. Addresses and other
information need to be confirmed. These ballots are the last to be
counted so that the registrar can be sure that the voter had not
submitted another ballot that had already been counted.

Ballot adjudication is needed when the actual vote is ambiguous. It
requires time to count a ballot. A ballot needs review when the voter
did not cast a vote for all the offices on the ballot, which is called
undervoting. If the voter checks more candidates than the number to be
elected, this is called overvoting. And sometimes the voter uses a red
ink pen or check marks rather than filling in the oval.

Each of these requires review of the ballot to try to determine the
voter’s intentions.

Tinoco assured the board that the ballot equipment is not connected to
the internet. The laptops with voter information, not ballots, are
connected to the voter registration database through a secured county
network.

The election equipment is certified by both the Federal Election
Commission and the California Secretary of State’s office. Also, he had
the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency assess the county’s
equipment in November.

He reported that the first early voting site at the Registrar’s Office
opened Feb. 5, 29 dates before the election. Another 11 voter centers
opened Feb. 24 and 131 voter centers were opened on March 2. And, 107
locations were offered to drop off ballots.

After the election, his office also conducts the required 1% manual
tally of votes from random precincts. This is a hand-counted test to
confirm the results with the machine results.

“This is one of the best executed elections we’ve had in a very long
time,” Spiegel said, seeming to summarize the board’s view. “You know
I’ve been very critical, but you’ve done a tremendous job despite a lot
of naysayers.”

She also noted the timely results (29 total reports) and mentioned that
she has received compliments from officials in neighboring counties.

However, the 14 public speakers were less enthusiastic about the
election and resolution of their concerns. The first speaker, Shelby
Bunch, alleged that all the 16- and 17-year-old students at a local
school received mail-in-ballots.

Two speakers, one from Los Angeles County, urged the bboard to return to
same-day voting with proof of identification.

However, both Spiegel and Tinoco concurred that these changes require
legislative action. The county could not do this unilaterally.

In response to Spiegel’s question about the actual number of people who
voted at the polls on election day, Tinoco replied that was less than
1%, definitely low.

“So, the majority of voters chose to take advantage of the longevity of
the voting and mailing in the ballots,” she opined.

In concluding the March election discussion, Chair Chuck Washington
(3^(rd) District) said, “This is a very challenging process. You’ve done
your best to conduct an election in a fair and efficient way. “

And the board unanimously accepted the March 5 election resolutions.