Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Home     Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Minutes Page


Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Minutes, 12/03/2016 Board Meeting minutes

Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Board Meeting

December 3, 2016

Board Members Present:

Terri Bailey, Glenn Borland, Robert Carlyle, George Evangelou, James Ewen, Brenda Fromlath, Elizabeth Getzoff, Sue Hanson, Rosemary Johnston, Michael Pique, Alan Serry.

Board Members Absent:

Heather Beer, Donna Dose, Yvonne Vaucher, Michael Walsh.

The PMPO Board Meeting was called to order at about 11:05 AM at the Palomar Mountain Fire Department, by Glenn Borland, chair. A quorum of Board members was present.

Treasurer George Evangelou reported our current combined checking and savings account balance is $45,187.77. Recent expenses have been $611.28 for the refrigerator magnets and recent donations totaled $640. Secretary Michael Pique presented the minutes of the September 3 board meeting, which were approved with corrections.

Old Business

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT):

James Ewen, CERT program manager, says CERT is offering a free fire extinguisher training session, 11 AM on Saturday, December 10.

Traffic Safety:

Alan Serry said that the planning for snow days has improved since New Year's Day 2015 when only one CHP car responded. A recent meeting had the CHP, the sheriff's office, county road department, US Forest Service, CERT, and the Palomar Mountain Fire Department represented. We are hoping to get a mobile electric sign to put at the bottom of the South Grade. We are also working to ask media outlets to encourage visitors to Mount Laguna not Palomar. CHP says (at last) that they will be willing to close the South and East Grade roads for safety. Residents should carry chains and a copy of their property tax or utility bill to pass through closure roadblocks.

When the snow melts, the motorcycles come back, with three fatal accidents in the past three months, one of them on an “extra enforcement” day. Can radar be used for enforcement? Not without a formal traffic survey ahead of time. Could we put barriers in between the lanes on some curves? Would need a lot of paperwork. Alan will prepare a list of all the ideas that have been suggested, and tried, over the years.

Palomar Mountain Fire Safe Council (PMFSC):

PMFSC Board member Cecelia Borland reported that the Council has mailed residents information on signing up for the FSC programs for free chipping and for 50% cost-sharing brush and dead-tree removal. The USFS fuel reduction program (clearing and mastication) at High Point is underway. The Gold-Spotted Oak Borer (GSOB) infestation is wide-spread from the East Grade to the boundary of the State Park, per recent inspection by Tom Scott. The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County (FSCSDC) is applying for GSOB workshop funding.

See www.mypalomarmountain.com/firesafecouncil Notices and information are also regularly placed on the community bulletin board outside the Palomar Post Office.

Telephone Number Fridge Magnets:

Alan Serry has received both the magnet-backed and cardboard editions; we can include the cardboard ones in the next newsletter.

Community Center of Palomar Mountain (CCPM):

Terri Sproul says the Palomar Community Church has moved their weekly service over to the Christian Conference Center grounds; the room they formerly used in the Walls Fire Department Administration Building is being cleaned and made into a banquet room. Later today, December 3, will be the Christmas potluck at Mother's Kitchen. In April the CCPM will do another star-party.

Neighborhood Watch:

Terri Bailey is managing the west side (State Park Road and Bailey Meadows) while Alan Serry is managing Crestline, Birch Hill, and the East Grade. Terri says the Neighborhood Watch had someone arrested and taken off the mountain a few months ago for suspicious behavior. Alan has copies of the “Form 602 Trespassing arrest authorization” form you should file with the sheriff's office. You should post your property every 1/3 mile (1700 feet) and at each entrance.

Palomar Mountain Mutual Water Company (PMMWC):

Sue Hanson says the Mutual Water wells, in Pedley Valley, are holding up although the pond in Pedley dried up six months ago.

Palomar Mountain State Park:

Rosemary Johnston worked with an Eagle Scout candidate who fixed the ramada. They are looking for other suitable projects. The “Friends of the Palomar Mountain State Park” funded a second bridge and the Apple Festival, which attracted more than 1000 visitors this year. Next, they hope to restore the amphitheater, and possibly could put the Walls Administration building to good use once the Fire Department is through with it. Sue Hanson suggested better parking at next year's Apple Festival.

Palomar Mountain Fire Department (PMFD):

Michael Pique summarized Captain Good's monthly report: 11 calls in November; 89 calls so far in 2016 (average annual calls 2008-2015 is 118). The station has been staffed around the clock every day.

LJIR/Yale Property Well Project:

La Vonne Peck of the La Jolla Indian Reservation and Richard Gant, long-time business partner of William Yale, met on November 7 with Glenn Borland, Michael Walsh, and Michael Pique to discuss the Gant/LJIR proposed project to pump well water from Palomar Mountain down to the Reservation. This plan is a continuation of the one begun by Mr. Yale in 1992 and resumed in 2008 by the LJIR: a well on a 7-acre parcel near milepost 9 on the East Grade road would connect through a pipeline down to the reservation where the water would be packaged and sold as drinking water. Michael Pique summarized the meeting and suggested that concerned residents be aware of the possible re-activation of the project but that, in his opinion, immediate construction was not likely. He mentioned the PMPO's long-term well monitoring program and asks residents who have wells, especially east of Crestline Road, to allow their water depths to be measured one or two times per year.

New Business:

2020 General Plan implementation

Glenn Borland will attend the December 14 meeting, with special emphasis on what ends up happening to our requests for commercial land-use designation of certain parcels along Canfield and State Park roads.

2017 Annual Meeting, newsletter, and Pancake Breakfast:

May 27 will be the next annual general PMPO meeting, we hope the Fire Department will again be able to host the event. Brenda Fromlath is moving out of California so we will need a replacement newsletter production manager.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:38 PM.

Next board meeting is on February 25, 10:30 AM to allow for Fire Safe Council meeting before.

Michael Pique, Secretary (email: secretary@pmpoinfo.com)

Minutes approved by PMPO board NOT YET




Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Home     Palomar Mountain Planning Organization Minutes Page