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B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association November 10, 2010, Meeting Highlights

 

 

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the B-BAR-H Community Association (Neighborhood Watch) Meeting was held and neighbors discussed the following topics:

•Welcome New Neighbors & Residents. 
We welcomed one new neighbor who lives on Paintbrush Trail. 

•Neighborhood updates.
There are 17 homes available within the B-BAR-H Ranch -- either vacant, for sale, for rent or in foreclosure. 

B-BAR-H Ranch Address change.  We are unincorporated.  We are not a part of Desert Hot Springs.  We are a part of the B-BAR-H Ranch.  This has been a meeting topic since the beginning of our meetings.  The residents at the meeting agreed to use the address for our unicorporated area as follows:

Your Name
House Number/Street Name
B-BAR-H Ranch, CA 92241

Example:
Joe Smith
67580 Paintbrush Trail
B-BAR-H Ranch, CA 92241

This address will be recognized by the USPS and USPS mail will be delivered.  A conversation with the Postmaster confirmed our intention.  Fedex and UPS will not be able to recognize the B-BAR-H Ranch name because there systems use post office zip codes only.  Our mail goes through the Desert Hot Springs post office using 92241 just like Sky Valley, Desert Edge and other unicorporated areas.  Please note, Sky Valley residents and Desert Edge residents made their name changes just like we  are doing.  They are both unincorporated areas using the 92241 zip code.

The B-BAR-H Ranch is unicorporated and does not belong to the city of Desert Hot Springs.  Residents want to remain a part of the B-BAR-H Ranch.  Our Arch names our area, and we are proud to be a part of the B-BAR-H Ranch history.

•Barricades to obstruct traffic update. 
We are in the process of notifying empty lot owners.  Some of the empty lot owners have been notified and agreed to our safety improvement efforts.  Residents want to prevent make-shift roads through empty lots.  Illegal roads through empty lots is very dangerous.  People are using the empty lots for dumping.  We need to prevent this behavior within the B-BAR-H Ranch.  Residents will meet after the holidays to proceed with creating barricades to prevent through traffic in empty lots. 

•Neighborhood incidents update. 
There were two car break-ins at the B-BAR-H Ranch within the past month or two.  Residents believe the barricades on the empty lots will help prevent vandalism.  Some residents heard gun fire.  Sheriff's Dept was notified immediately.  Whenever there's suspicious activity call anonymously  -- Sheriff's Dept 760.836.321. 

 

Sagebrush Trail resident took one Neighborhood Watch sign and will have it installed at the south end of the ranch.   

•Road maintenance.
Special thanks to B-BAR-H Ranch residents Francis, Renee, Walter and Fred who took it upon themselves to clear two intersections of heavy debris/sand/rocks/ etc. to make driving safe at these intersections.  Now, we will rely upon support from the County to help us install permanent road improvements in a proactive approach to preserve the intgrity of the roads in the B-BAR-H Ranch.

Residents were encouraged to attend the January 13, 2011, DHS MAC meeting to discuss further details pertaining to proper permanent road improvements within the B-BAR-H Ranch.  Items on the January DHS MAC Meeting Agenda are:

• We are seeking Riverside County assistance and cooperation. CSA115 residents want to see a copy of the original law and any/all amendments pertaining to CSA115 public records.

• The discussion of road maintenance within CSA 115 for "drainage improvements." We need to get the roads within CSA115 properly set up so all the debris, etc. does not accumulate and cause further damage to the roads' surfaces.  Drainage improvements are cost-effective, permanent improvements which will keep the roads' surfaces cleared and proactively maintain the integrity of the surface to minimize deterioration.  Some of the roads' surfaces are already beginning to show deterioration due to the lack of these permanent improvements when the roads were installed.

• The discussion of "right-of-way perfection" for the turn off at Mountain View Road and 20th Avenue.  This item has been on the table for discussion for a very long time and closure needs to be made to get this task completed.

•CERT (Community Emergency Response Training).
The B-BAR-H Ranch has two residents Certified by Riverside County as CERT members.  CERT = Community Emergency Response Team.  This is a free course offered by Riverside County. It is an excellent course.  Please call 951.955.4700 to register for an upcoming class.  Classes are held at the Roy Wilson Training Center in Thousand Palms.  There's still room in the December 2010 class.

•Elec Co DHS Tax on statements. 
It was brought to our attention some residents are being taxed by the city of Desert Hot Springs for electricity.  Residents were asked to check their electric bill.  This should not be happening. 

•Future plans & ideas. 
The B-BAR-H Ranch Arch topic was discussed.  Residents were informed there's non-profit status being formed by one resident.  If application has been made the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association has not been notified of any formal actions.  We have discussed this topic in meetings about 3 years ago, but we do not have any current information action has been taken.  Residents have had discussions with the Historical Society to help maintain the Arch.  If there's any work being done regarding the Arch, please contact Webmaster@PaintbrushTrail.com with information to prevent any duplication of efforts.  Our goal is to preserve the Arch.  This is a team/neighborhood effort and something we have been discussing for a very long time.  Your ideas/suggestions/help is appreciated.

Our next meeting is being scheduled for February 9, 2011 at a resident's home. An email with deatails will be sent in 2011.  Our meeting time changed from 6 p.m to 7 p.m. to make it more convenient for more people to attend.  The B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association (Neighborhood Watch) meeting will be held on the second Wednesday every other month.  Please join us to keep up with neighborhood activities.

Supervisor Marion Ashley Responds Quickly to CSA115 Residents Seeking Riverside County Support

In a sincere effort to create team work with Riverside County, the residents at the B-BAR-H Ranch (CSA115) requested support of the DHS MAC for permanent road improvements.

Supervisor Marion Ashley supports the ongoing efforts of the CSA115 (B-BAR-H Ranch) to properly maintain roads for safety and maintenance.

With the support of Brenda Salas, EDA Project Manager and County Staff, the following items will be addressed at the January 13, 2011 DHS MAC  meeting:

• We are seeking Riverside County assistance and cooperation. CSA115 residents want to see a copy of the original law and any/all amendments pertaining to CSA115 public records.

• The discussion of road maintenance within CSA 115 for "drainage improvements." We need to get the roads within CSA115 properly set up so all the debris, etc. does not accumulate and cause further damage to the roads' surfaces.  Drainage improvements are cost-effective, permanent improvements which will keep the roads' surfaces cleared and proactively maintain the integrity of the surface to minimize deterioration.  Some of the roads' surfaces are already beginning to show deterioration due to the lack of these permanent improvements when the roads were installed.

• The discussion of "right-of-way perfection" for the turn off at Mountain View Road and 20th Avenue.  This item has been on the table for discussion for a very long time and closure needs to be made to get this task completed.

Please mark your calendar to attend the DHS MAC Meeting on January 13, 2011 at Bubbling Wells Elementary School, 6 p.m. in the large Multi-Function Room.

The MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) was formed for unincorporated areas of Riverside County to report and send suggestions for community improvements directly to the Supervisor's Office.  Please join us!  For more information, please contact Webmaster@PaintbrushTrail.com or click Contact Us to add your email address to our Neighborhood Contact List.  We will notify you of upcoming meetings.

DHS MAC October 14, 2010 Meeting Highlights

The DHS MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) met on October 14, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Bubbling Wells Elementary School.  Here is a brief summary of the meeting's highlights:

Many people showed up (20+) and got involved. As always, it was only B-BAR-H residents in attendance with one couple who may not be part of District Five.  They weren't sure, and neither was anyone else.  We welcomed them to our meeting and invited them to stay/attend.  The Board thought they may be part of District Four.

B-BAR-H Residents were not happy about waiting 9 months to get a "no" on street maintenance for CSA 115. 

A B-Bar-H Paintbrush Trail Resident made a presentation about the vacant lot behind Paintbrush Trail.  He also stated there was a petition to prevent street lights.  No record of the petition was filed with the DHS MAC Board.

Here's a brief summary of the meeting:

1. Approval of last meeting minutes moved to next meeting.
2. Board voted Steve Grasha as Secretary.
3. Board voted and approved a sub committee formed to address issues denied by County.
4. Board voted and approved monthly meetings.
5. Board voted to keep the name DHS MAC.
6. Ltn. Sullivan did a nice introduction to the community.  

Next DHS MAC meeting was determined to be in November.  Since that time, the next DHS MAC Meeting was confirmed for January 13, 2011.  

CSA115 Request Riverside County Cooperation for Road Maintenance

Residents of the CSA115 (B-BAR-H Ranch) are asking Riverside County for support to maintain roads.  The roads in the B-BAR-H Ranch (north & south sides) are not being maintained properly to reduce safety hazards.  Although a few of the residents went out with brooms and shovels to remove the debris build up off two of the intersections on the north side, there's still an abundance of debris/overgrowth collected on many of the roads on both the north and south ends of the ranch.  Therefore, residents are asking once again to use CSA 115 funds or Riverside County resources to grate the road sides, creating a safer "curb-like" clearing and to remove any build up of debris & overgrowth on the intersections and along roadsides.

The residents of the B-BAR-H Ranch see the County maintaining all the adjacent roads like Bubbling Wells, and they want the same maintenance for their roads inside the ranch.  B-BAR-H Ranch annual tax paying funds are accumulated for road maintenance, and therefore, when roads need to be grated it's the County's responsibility to address the issues in a timely manner.

B-BAR-H Ranch residents were told by the County, the CSA 115 funds are being held by the County. B-BAR-H Ranch residents were also told by the County, if they forfeited their CSA 115 funds to the County completely relinquishing them, then and only then would the County maintain their roads.  This does not seem ethical and does not settle properly with the DHS MAC Board or the B-BAR-H Community Association and its residents.

Arguing back and forth with the County for over nine months to get a task accomplished is borderline harassing, and some of the residents want to contact an attorney to investigate the proper use of CSA115 funded taxpayer monies.  If the MAC and Riverside County is not working with the CSA 115 to address these issues, then it may circumvent the MAC and resume the CSA 115 meetings to get the things done for the CSA 115 territory as they were accomplished in the past.

If proper wording to get the road job accomplished is the issue, then please advise how B-BAR-H Ranch residents should state the request to get the task completed.  Some of the roads have large green plants growing onto the pavement making it difficult for driver safety.  Many of the intersections are filled with piles of sand and debris. To my understanding, there has been no road maintenance here for about 5 years or longer when the roads were built.

The Board of Directors voted 9 months ago to have road maintenance of north & south ends of the B-BAR-H Ranch accomplished and for some ungodly reason (possible wrong wording) B-BAR-H Ranch residents were denied the opportunity to use road maintenance funds for this purpose.  It's their understanding CSA 115 funds are tax monies collected by the homes to maintain the roads in a proactive approach to prevent damage and to enhance safety.

Plus, stop signs on the south end have not been addressed or installed.  If there are accidents on any of these roads after the County has been put on notice of these problems, B-BAR-H Ranch residents will turn over all liability to the County to resolve.

If B-BAR-H Ranch residents need to proceed to Supervisor Marion Ashley's office to get the road issues addressed, they will.  They are determined as a community to use taxpaying road maintenance monies or Riverside County support to maintain their roads.  B-BAR-H Ranch residents would also like to have a copy of the official documents used to determine use of CSA 115 funds for road & lighting maintenance as a working document, and they would also like documentation when requests are denied.

On October 14, 2010, the DHS MAC Board of Directors voted to meet monthly.  They intend to meet on a monthly basis to discuss Neighborhood Watch and MAC issues to improve the quality and safety of our community. According to a conversation with Brenda Salas, Project Manager, regarding the unanimous vote, the DHS MAC was denied monthly meetings based on County staffing not available to attend.  If County staff can't attend meetings, DHS MAC will report the meeting discussions to the County in an email following each meeting.

It's clearly understood there have been many useful DHS MAC accomplishments, and the unincorporated areas of DHS are grateful for the County's support to maintain the affected County roads.  Our disappointment lies within the specific areas of the CSA 115 where taxpayer funds are being held and not used when needed to maintain the roads.  If the County refuses to address these issues using CSA115 funds, then the County should take it upon themselves to come into the B-BAR-H Ranch area and maintain the B-BAR-H Ranch roads just like they maintain adjacent roads like Bubbling Wells, 20th Ave, Mountain View, and all other adjacent roads to the area.

B-BAR-H Ranch residents have requested a response from Riverside County about these concerns.  The information contained here is public information and will be shared with those concerned who have brought the information to Riverside County's attention.

B-BAR-H Ranch residents look forward to hearing from Riverside County with great anticipation. If Riverside County is holding the CSA 115 funds with a tight fist, then they should use their trucks and equipment in the B-BAR-H Ranch area to maintain the roads just like they maintain all adjacent roads.

B-BAR-H Ranch residents believe it makes sense for the DHS MAC to make this happen!

And, if it makes sense, then we need do it!

B-BAR-H Ranch Neighborhood Updates

 

B-BAR-H Ranch Neighborhood Watch Meeting

The November 11, 2010 MAC Meeting has been postponed until January 13, 2011.  Please mark your calendar now for 6 p.m. at Bubbling Wells Elementary School for the January 13, 2011 MAC Meeting.

On November 10, 2010, the B-BAR-H Neighborhood Watch Meeting will be held at 6 p.m.  Please see email for location.  Please bring a lawn chair as seating is limited.

Agenda:

• Welcome New Neighbors & Residents
  
• Neighborhood updates.
• Barricades to obstruct traffic update.
• Neighborhood incidents update.
• Street cleaning.
• CERT (Community Emergency Response Training).
• Future plans & ideas.

Please tell your neighbors about this meeting, and invite new residents so they can meet the neighborhood.  If you'd like to be notified of neighborhood meetings, please submit your email address here: Contact Us

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MAC Update:  DHS Municipal Advisory Council Achievement

MAC Board Member Gumer Arias suggested the County install stop signs near Bubbling Wells Elementary School.  Thanks to Gumer's efforts Riverside County is going forward with installing the all-way stop control at Avenida Manzana.   They are also conducting speed surveys on Campanero to establish a speed zone in addition to the existing school zone speed limit of 25 mph (applicable only when children are present).  

Other future MAC item updates include:

• Improved Turn Lane on Mountain View Road & 20th Avenue
• Stop signs South side B-BAR-H Ranch
• Alternating Monthly Meetings:  MAC/Neighborhood Watch

Desert Hot Springs Municipal Advisory Council Board of Directors are:
Anna Miller, Chair
Pat Carney, Vice Chair
Steve Grasha, Secretary
Gumer Arias, Board Member
Curtis Witt, Board Member

Dorlaine Stanley, Alternate Board Member

The November 11, 2010 MAC Meeting has been postponed until January 13, 2011.  Please mark your calendar now for 6 p.m. at Bubbling Wells Elementary School for the January 13, 2011 MAC Meeting.