Apple Valley’s Town Government is considering contracting water operations out to an outside contractor, or even to the City of Victorville.
That fact was revealed at the Town of Apple Valley’s first Environmental Impact Report (scoping meeting), included in the original EIR Initial Study‘s telling words:
There are several options for management of the system, including, but not limited to, management by the Town itself, management by a private contractor hired by the Town, or management by a qualified public agency.
At the July 7th scoping meeting, the qualified public agency
was determined to be none other than the City of Victorville.
Apple Valley’s Town Government Made a Slip in Transparency … It Won’t Happen Again!
So much for local control.
Apple Valley Ranchos has always, and will continue, to operate with LOCAL management and LOCAL employees.
Next Tuesday night, the Town of Apple Valley will be doing a do-over
on their Environmental Impact Report (EIR) public scoping meeting. When the meeting was held on July 7th, the Town realized they had stepped in it based on the following:
- Poor public notification, including not being listed on the Town’s website, and an agenda only being posted a day before the hearing.
- Poor management of the meeting, given the fact nearly 25 people attended the meeting, but very little information was actually given out.
- The revelation that the Town was considering farming out operation of Apple Valley Ranchos Water to the City of Victorville.
The Town has now released a new Initial Study on the scope of the EIR, and removed the above wording related to AV Ranchos management.
When it slipped that the City of Victorville may operate the system … the Town quickly moved to cover things up.
That’s the end of the issue, right? No more shipping jobs to Victorville?
Wrong.
They have taken out the direct wording about private contractors or public agencies, but the initial study now says this:
In addition to the Town’s acquisition of the AVR System, the proposed Project includes the Town’s subsequent operation of the AVR System, although alternatives to the Town’s direct operation of the system would be evaluated in the EIR.