Minutes of the Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Meeting
March 7, 1998
Thomas Burton, Debbie Bauer, Halcie Clark, Donna Dose, Bruce Graves, Susan Humason, Jack Norvall, Michael Pique, Robert Thicksten, Joseph Weeks.
The PMPO Board meeting was convened 10:05 A.M. March 7, 1998. The minutes of the November 8, 1997, and January 10, 1998, meetings were approved.
The treasurer, Halcie Clark, reported our current assets as $7811.66 in bank account and $5,000 on retainer to Hatch & Parent attorneys. Expenses since July 1997 have been $4,357.92 and income $1,975. The Treasurer's report was approved.
Halcie is retiring from the Board for health reasons, with Debbie Bauer agreeing to become Treasurer. The Board approved the change, with thanks to Halcie and appreciation to Debbie. The Board authorized the chair, Bruce Graves, and the secretary, Michael Pique, to sign any documents required for change of bank account signature cards. The four authorized signatures are: Bruce Graves, Robert Thicksten, Joseph Weeks (replacing Katie Beishline), and Debbie Bauer. The Board then appointed George Ravenscroft to replace Halcie on the Board until elections are held at the Annual Meeting on May 23.
George Ravenscroft reported that he has seen Mr. Yale surveying the roadside where Mr. Yale has proposed building his water tanker truck loading station, and rumors were noted that as soon as the ground dries, Mr. Yale intends to bulldoze and chainsaw the area. The Board discussed possibilities of obtaining a restraining order. George will call Jerry McLees to ask County planner Maxx Stalheim to check on the rumors and to express the PMPO's concern that work within the scope of the Major Use Permit not proceed prior to an application being filed.
Discussion continued on the Forest Service's resurvey moving the southwest corner and southern limit of Section 14 approximately 150 feet north. In January, the PMPO sent a letter to about 1000 Palomar Mountain region owners advising them of the issue. Bruce Graves reported receiving (to date) 244 responses by property owners within the affected region, giving their current addresses. In February, David James and Greg Reeder of the Forest Preservation Society of Southern California and PMPO Board representatives Bruce Graves and Jack Norvall met with Forest Service representatives Norm Noyes and Ken Whittaker to see what resolution could be worked out. The Forest Service seems in no hurry to take any action. Another meeting is tentatively planned for mid-March and a special PMPO Board meeting may be necessary on March 21.
Jack Norvall is continuing both office and field research on the boundary issue, and has received field notes and offers of help on locating survey monuments from Robert Haas and David Mendenhall, Sr. Guest Jim Billips reported he bought Palomar property in September 1997 and did not like the initial title report, so he searched back to the 1800's and, working with U.S. Geological Survey and BLM cadastral survey records, is compiling a computer AutoCAD database on the surveys. He will meet with Jack Norvall on coordinating the research, with an eye to learning how Thorne's erroneous 1924 survey was performed. He urges involving the title insurance companies at once. Jack Norvall stated that the PMPO's objective ought to be restoration of official boundaries to the boundaries and markers long accepted by the community, based on the 1857 Washburn and 1885 Minto surveys, and disregarding recent ones at variance (1924 Thorne, 1974-5 Barrett, 1982 Whittaker).
The Annual Meeting will again be held at the Lodge accompanied by a pancake breakfast.
Susan Humason has offered to take charge of the newsletter, to be mailed May 1. Article assignments were agreed upon as follows: Dual Survey problem - Jack Norvall; Cedar Creek Judge Yale development - Tainer, Getzoff, Pique; 1997 Breakfast and meeting - Bruce Graves; Treasurer's report - Halcie and Debbie Bauer; State Park news - Russ Day to contact Paul; Lodge - Joe Weeks; Fire Dept - Karl Bauer and Jim Penrose; Gravity Actived Sports, Mother's Kitchen, the store, the Baking Company - Tom Burton; Forest Service and new visitor's tax - Susan Humason; Palomar Christian Conference Center - Joe Weeks and Steve Ewert; Girl Scout camp - Susan Humason; Observatory - Bob Thicksten
Michael Pique will look into costs of setting up and operating a World-Wide-Web site for the PMPO.
The annual meeting is May 23, 1998, with the next scheduled board meeting to follow immediately the Annual Meeting and election of officers.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:34 A.M.
Michael E. Pique, Secretary.
I checked today with the County and with Doug Roff, Yale's groundwater consultant. No one has heard anything from him in many months.
I also talked to the grading and improvement permit staff at the Department of Public Works. They have no applicatons on file for the property. Grading more than 200 cubic yards or 5 feet of cut or fill requires a grading permit. Any work within the right of way of East Grade Road or access to East Grade requires a Construction Permit and County approval of driveway approach improvements. Any disturbance within Cedar Creek requires a watercourse permit.
To report violations:
Grading: George McCandless at (619) 441-4267
Driveway construction permit: Sharon Roderick at (619) 694-3275
Watercourse permit: Larry Lyle at (619) 694-3276