Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Annexation


To the residents of Barstow Heights who are concerned about being annexed by the City of Barstow, we invite you to join us at our next Board Meeting on Monday, January 23rd at 6:00 pm!! The Board of Directors will be discussing this topic further and would like to hear your questions, suggestions, and requests regarding this situation. Our building is located on the corner of H street and Rimrock road (just behind the water tower and next to the park). You can also e-mail us before the meeting (barstowheightscsd@hotmail.com) with your list of any concerns or questions you'd like the Board to address that evening.

Here are links to the 12/16 and 12/21 newspaper articles
that announced some details about the possible annexation:

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Minutes from 10/24/16 Meeting (approved 12/12/16)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, October 24th, 2016

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:02 PM and Director Schendel led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, Wilkey, and Hayhurst were all present. There were no guests in attendance and thus, no public comments/questions.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Schendel motioned to accept the Minutes of the September 26th, 2016 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for September of 2016 as presented. Director Wilkey seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. Director Hayhurst reported that she would be attending the November 14th Special District’s Meeting hosted by the Mojave Water Agency, as a guest of Beverly Lowery (referencing the flyer in the correspondence file advertising it).

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no new safety or maintenance issues listed in the past month. The report did confirm that all of the fence safety hazards had been repaired, and that two new trash can lids (with cable kits) had been ordered to replace the old rusted ones. President Jacobs reported his belief that all of the ground squirrels had learned to stay away from the grass, that currently most of them can only be seen inside the locked up water tank area, and that he has continued set off just a few gas extermination cartridges in recent weeks.

There was nothing new to report regarding the remedying of the privacy concerns of the neighbors next to the new shade canopy. The secretary had been directed to give Unique Landscaping some time to fix the unresolved issues from the last tree-planting job they had done, before requesting another estimate for the purchase and planting of a creosote bush and a pepper tree in the right-of-way between the fences. The secretary will send a friendly email reminder to John (including a copy of the portion of the minutes that record precisely the decision that the Board had made at the 9/26/16 meeting). If a response is not received before the next meeting, the secretary will invite John to attend the meeting to discuss it further with the Board.

The new sidewalk and curb addition on the South side was addressed next. The General Manager updated the Board about her conversation with John Siembab regarding prevailing wages and how he would be requiring a project number from us (assigned by the labor department to the specific job) before he would even consider bidding on such a large concrete job. He also informed her that engineering plans would definitely be necessary before he could submit a bid, because he would have no other way of knowing exactly where all the county “right-of-ways” are in order to know his boundaries for the project to determine his estimate/bid. The secretary will call Merrill Johnson Engineering to make an appointment for them to come out to survey the job and get an estimate on what it might cost for them to do the engineering.

Venner Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no new safety or maintenance issues reported in the past month. The report did confirm that some minor fence repairs were completed (including the replacement of missing post caps and fence ties). Director Wilkey added that he had inspected the cement slab of the basketball court and could confirm that it was still slick in one area (and hadn’t been roughed up as had previously been thought). The Secretary will ask John Rowe if there’s anything he can do (perhaps a glaze) that would roughen up the surface to make it less slick. The Long Range Plans list was skipped over.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed next. Proposals for the kitchen renovations had not yet been received, but at least one bid (from John Rowe) was expected to arrive soon. The Secretary reported that technicians had been at the office working another long day (8 hours) to complete the install of the new Security Camera System. All six cameras were adjusted and were now fully operational. Director Jacobs will go around and check all of the entrances to make sure there are adequate signs posted to alert the public that they are being recorded. As soon as the anticipated  internet upgrade to cable happens, then Hi Desert Alarm will be able to return to make the surveillance system accessible via the internet and cell phones. President Jacobs related to the board his satisfying experience contacting Frontier and Time Warner Cable (soon-to-be Spectrum), to get information about switching over for a stronger cable internet connection.

The General Manager reported all of the details about her first meeting with Nick Benson (computer install consultant) regarding the new computer system for the office. He spent approximately an hour looking over the current computer, testing internet speed, and discussing with her his list of suggested specifications for a new computer that will best fit the needs of the District. She had already picked out the exact computer and accessories according to his recommendations and was ready to get it ordered from Amazon.com, as soon as the Board approved of it. The Board agreed that since the cost would be exactly $829.98 (and the Board had already approved a motion allowing her to spend up to $1,500.00 on the system last November), that she should go ahead and just get it ordered with no further action required by the Board.

The General Manager reported that the Audit work required of her was nearing completion, and that she had just received a “rough draft” of the Audit Report for the board to review, and to please notify her about any errors they might find. She also reported that she had begun shredding some paperwork (so far, only some very old utility bills) to try out the new paper shredder and to make more room in the filing cabinet. She was looking forward to using the records retention policy to help her determine what more she could begin shredding next.

President Jacobs asked for the Directors’ reports. Director Wilkey mentioned that there had been a lot of discussion in the Next Door online chat room about coyotes coming in late at night and a suspected dog thief that might be responsible for a lot of missing small dogs.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there were none. Director Wilkey motioned to pay all of the bills as presented. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0, with President Jacobs abstaining from the vote since his name was on one of the bills (reimbursement for paper shredder purchase) listed on the Agenda.

There was no New Business to address and no Executive Session requested. The next Regular Meeting was tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 28th at 6:00 PM, depending upon the availability of the Auditor. If he can’t attend that evening, it will be scheduled for an evening when he can attend in early-mid December. The Secretary will provide a pizza party for the Director’s at the next meeting. The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM.

Submitted by:  Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Agenda for 12/12 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, December 12, 2016 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   The Audit Report

5.   Consent Items:        Minutes – October 24, 2016
                                   Financial Reports – October of 2016

6.   Correspondence

7.   Parks:             Barstow Heights:             Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                                          Privacy concerns of neighbors next to shade canopy      
                                                                          Planting of four new trees
                                                                                           Long Range Plans List

                                Venner Park:                  Safety Check List
                                                                Long Range Plans List

8.   Office Building & Compound:               Kitchen renovations (3 bids requested)
                                                                          Security camera system (nearly completed)
                                                                                            Long Range Plans List

9.   Safety Review Report

10.  Director Vacancy

11.  General Manager’s Report

12.  Directors’ Reports

13.  Bills:           Edison - $141.97                                        Terminix - $42.00
                           Frontier Communications - $83.59        The Pun Group, LLP - $3,150.00 (auditing)
                           C.S.D.A. - $240.00 (annual dues)            Jennifer Rubio - $829.98 (computer purchase)

14.  New Business

15.  Executive Session - Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

16.  Adjournment

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Minutes from 9/26/16 Meeting (approved 10/24/16)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, September 26th, 2016

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM and Director Hayhurst led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, Wilkey, and Hayhurst were all present. There was one guest, a resident, Terri Walters, in attendance.

Terri Walters introduced herself as the neighborhood representative of NextDoor.com and reported that the online group she leads has grown to include 130 members (from H Street through P Street). She had a few concerns to make the Board aware of and request their input on, including:  1). The increase of signs that advertise businesses attached to the back sides of stop signs (in the right-of-way at intersections); some advertising repairs for hail-storm damage when the hail-storm was months ago, and 2). Complaints made about vehicles speeding too fast on P Street (a 45 mph zone). The Board discussed with her further some ideas to remedy these issues and suggested she contact the County Roads department about the signs also. The Board thanked Ms. Walters for all of the time she volunteers online to help the community, and she left the meeting at 6:14 PM.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Wilkey motioned to accept the Minutes of the August 22nd, 2016 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for August of 2016 as presented. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. President Jacobs shared a flyer advertising the Pistachio Festival in Newberry Springs coming up on November 5th (the flyer was given to him when he attended a recent High Desert CSD Luncheon). He also highlighted an email and notes taken during a phone conversation between the Secretary and Mark Gerardi, confirming the removal of the rusted/unsafe trash-can lids and notifying her that new replacement lids are being ordered.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no new safety or maintenance issues listed in the past month. The report did confirm that the grass had been fertilized recently and that fence repairs (due to safety concerns) were in the process of being done. President Jacobs reported that he had talked with John Heald about the possibility of getting/planting a creosote bush and a pepper tree in the right-of-way between the fences, to remedy the privacy concerns of the neighbors next to the new shade canopy (as had been discussed at the previous meeting). An estimate for the job had not yet been received, so the Secretary will follow up on that. The Board opted to move the agenda item discussing the recent planting of four new trees to be addressed during closed executive session (due to its potential for becoming pending litigation). The sidewalk proposal from JDR Construction was discussed next. The Secretary explained that John Rowe didn’t recommend adding a gutter and curb next to the sidewalk as-is, because it would likely cause a water-flow problem that didn’t exist before. The dirt between the paved road and chain link fence is so hilly and uneven that it would require significant engineering and leveling in order to allow for a gutter with adequate slope and drainage. The current proposal received from JDR Construction was for the addition of a sidewalk for cosmetic purposes only (as one option to consider), alongside, up next to, and just South of a portion of the chain-link fence. The Board did not like the idea of the South edge of the concrete meeting flush/level with the dirt. They determined that more research (knowing exactly where the property lines and right-of-ways are) is necessary before any further discussion or decisions can be made pertaining to that project.

Venner Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no new safety or maintenance issues reported in the past month. The report did confirm that the grass had been fertilized recently and that most of the trees around the park (that staff could reach) were trimmed with a pole saw. The Long Range Plans list was skipped over due to the larger-than-usual list of agenda items left to cover.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed next. The Secretary updated the Board that so far, she has had two contractors come by to look at and take measurements of the kitchen that is in need of renovations. Proposals have not been received yet, but she expects some soon. She also updated the Board on the status of the new Security Camera System installation that had begun. Mel Wolf, owner of Hi Desert Alarm, had just visited that morning to check in, inspect what had been done, and see if we were ready for them finish the project. The proposal from JDR Construction to dig and put in an underground conduit (1” plastic PVC) for the electrical wiring that will connect the office building to the restroom building, so the other three cameras can be installed there, was addressed next. Director Hayhurst motioned to approve the bid for the conduit work to be done for $920. Director Wilkey seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

At 6:51pm, an updated copy of last month’s Safety Review Report was read aloud by the Safety Coordinator, Director Paul Wilkey. Director Hayhurst motioned to approve the report as revised. President Jacobs seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. The Board then addressed the safety issue that persuaded them to direct the Secretary to re-write the report in the first place; that being the chain-link fence repairs found necessary at Barstow Heights Park. The Board reviewed the quote from Ellis Fence Company to repair and replace top railing that poses a safety hazard (approximately 130 feet), as well as, to do miscellaneous repairs on barbed wire, chain link, bent posts, and any other safety issues found, around the park perimeter fence and parking lot fencing. President Jacobs motioned to approve the bid and hire Ellis Fence Company to do all of the work for a total of $2,060. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Records Retention Policy was addressed. Director Hayhurst motioned that the Board adopt the standard Records Retention Policy, written and adopted by the State of California (and accessible online at: http://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/local-gov-program/pdf/records-management-8.pdf). Director Wilkey seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The General Manager reported that it had been a very busy and productive month. The auditor came to the office to complete the “field work” portion of the audit on Thursday 9/22. In preparation for the audit, the accountant had come to the office three separate times prior, to complete all of the accounting work on QuickBooks that she was required to do. The Secretary had also been in touch with Zapp Electric, and had received a proposal for a 500 watt outdoor LED light fixture to light up the basketball court at Barstow Heights Park. The price quoted was $1450 to install the lamp to the existing pole next to the office building. Unfortunately, the Secretary didn’t realize until later that mounting it to that pole won’t be an option because the pole is owned by Southern California Edison. She will contact them again to request a new proposal that includes the installation of a pole near the Southeast side of the Basketball Court, as well as, another quote for a “solar-powered” street lamp.

President Jacobs asked for the Directors’ Reports at 7:05 PM. Director Wilkey reported that Mark Gerardi had apologized to him and asked him to share with the Board his regrets for not always having the safety review checklists ready in prior months. Director Stapp expressed his concerns
about the condition of the roads during and after the water main upgrades that are being worked on. Director Hayhurst will ask her friend at the water company for a summary of the work that is planned (and on which streets) in future weeks, to get a better idea of what to expect. Lastly, President Jacobs voiced his concerns about a flyer he saw advertising a “Fun Day” event at Venner Park a few weeks prior, at which the public was charged a small fee for participation. He wondered if any of the public may have felt inconvenienced by it or if any were unhappy that the park was likely full to capacity that day.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there were none. Director Stapp motioned to pay all of the bills as presented. Director Hayhurst seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

There was no New Business to address. A closed Executive Session was requested at 7:15 PM. One item to be addressed would be possible litigation and the other item regarding personnel.

The meeting re-adjourned at 7:28 PM. Director Hayhurst motioned that inasmuch as the Board had requested just four trees be planted, that the Board pay for just four trees, and because 36” trees were planted (instead of the 48” trees that were agreed to), that the Board pay only the price quoted for the 36” trees ($1,100 per tree, including the deep root irrigation system), for a total of $4,400 payable to Unique Landscaping. Furthermore, since a deposit of $4,750 had already been paid, the District will respectfully request that the $350 over-payment be returned and that the two additional 24” trees (that were not agreed upon), be removed. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried with four votes in favor, and one Director (Wilkey) abstaining from the vote.

The Board returned to closed Executive Session to address personnel (and the Secretary left the meeting) at 7:31 PM.

The Secretary returned at 8:15 PM to discuss her annual employee evaluation with the Board and the meeting then reconvened at 8:32 PM. President Jacobs motioned to increase the General Manager/ Secretary’s pay by fifty cents an hour, bringing her salary up to $18.50 per hour (retro-active to July 1st, 2016). Director Hayhurst seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Monday, October 24th at 6:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 8:34 PM.

Submitted by:  Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Agenda for 10/24 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, October 24, 2016 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   Consent Items:          Minutes – September 26, 2016
                                     Financial Reports – September of 2016

5.   Correspondence

6.   Parks:             Barstow Heights:        Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                                           Long Range Plans List
                                                                                Privacy concerns of neighbors next to shade canopy      
                                                                                Planting of four new trees
                                                                                                Sidewalk and Curbs (South side)

                                 Venner Park:             Safety Check List
                                           Long Range Plans List

7.   Office Building & Compound:           Long Range Plans List
                                                                                                Kitchen renovations (3 bids requested)
                                                                                                Security camera system (near completion)

8.   General Manager’s Report

9.  Directors’ Reports

10.  Bills:               Edison - $93.57                                            Terminix - $42.00
                               Frontier Communications - $84.73          Stewart’s Business & Tax Service - $100.00
                               Hi Desert Alarm - $336.00                         JDR Construction - $920.00 (conduit install)
                               Dick Jacobs - $154.00 (paper shredder)

11.  New Business

12.  Executive Session - Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

13.  Adjournment

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Minutes from 8/22/16 Meeting (approved 9/26/16)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, August 22nd, 2016

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and a guest, Gene Low, led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, and Wilkey, were all present. Director Hayhurst was unable to attend due to a prior family obligation. There was one guest in attendance, resident, Gene Low.

The Consent Items were reviewed. President Jacobs noted one error in the Minutes that required revision (on page 1, five lines from the bottom, North was changed to West). Director Stapp motioned to accept the corrected Minutes of the July 25th, 2016 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for July of 2016 as presented. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. President Jacobs mentioned one note in the folder stating that Paul S. Messner, CPA, had stopped by the office on 7/28 to leave his business card and let the Board know that he is interested in being considered as an Auditor the next time the Board is hiring for that job. The Secretary will file and save his contact information for future reference.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. There was no Safety Check List from the City to review. President Jacobs reported that there are more Ground Squirrel holes popping up again (most of them inside the water tower compound). He continues to use gas cartridges as needed, only where he has access, to keep them controlled.

Resident and guest, Gene Low, was back again to help the Board come up with a solution to the privacy concerns that the newly installed covered picnic area has created, due to his back yard being adjacent to and so close to the new shaded picnic area. Director Wilkey reported that he had taken some wooden lattice over to the Low’s home, so they could determine together how it might look if it were placed atop the brick wall. They agreed that they didn’t love that idea enough, as it seemed to block their view of the park too much. They did realize then that the location of the barbecue is what was most invasive, since anyone using it would be looking directly down into the yard and level with their elevated back porch. Director Wilkey added that a bushy shrub or tree in the alleyway between the Low’s brick wall and the chain link fence enclosing the park was the idea he was most in favor of. A hedge (that can be left bushy or trimmed as much a needed) or a pepper tree (that keeps its leaves in winter and requires very little water) were also discussed as possible solutions. The Secretary was directed to request a bid from Unique Landscaping for the purchase and planting of three pepper trees, as well as, a second bid for another kind of tree or shrub that stands 8-10 feet tall (bushy to create privacy, but easy to maintain, with minimal shedding of foliage to clean up). She will also contact Ellis Fence Company to learn if they have any ideas or recommendations they can offer as a solution.

The planting of more trees (Estimate #142 from Unique Landscaping) was reviewed and discussed. Director Schendel motioned that the Board approve of Estimate #142 to install four 48” box fruitless mulberry trees with deep root irrigation included for the price of $9,500. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried with 3 votes all in favor of it, while Director Wilkey abstained from the vote. The Board took a recess at 6:37 PM to go outside to the park to review and clarify, one more time, the exact desired locations of each of the four new trees. As soon as the four tree locations were marked in the grass with orange spray paint, the Board re-adjourned at 6:54 PM. The Secretary had no new information to report yet regarding the mysterious disappearance of the large trash dumpster that used to be located in the South West corner outside the park.

Venner Park was addressed. There was no Safety Check List from the City to review. Director Stapp had a question for the Board regarding the slick cement surface of the Basketball court at Venner Park. He noticed about a week prior that it was no longer slick, and that it appeared to have been coated or resurfaced with a coarse substance. No one else present had yet noticed or been made aware the situation. The Secretary will inquire of the City and get more information about when and how they remedied that concern.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed next. The Secretary was asked how plans for the kitchen renovations were coming along. She reported that John Rowe of JDR Construction would be stopping by during the coming week, so she could show him in person all that the job might entail. She will be requesting at least one or two more estimates for that job. She then reported to the Board that the installation of the new Security Camera System had begun. Two male employees of Hi Desert Alarm had been at the office two weeks prior. They spent approximately five hours drilling holes for wiring and installing half of the camera system. Three of the cameras attached to the roof of the Office Building were now in place and working, but the other three cameras that will be attached to the roof of the adjacent Restroom Building couldn’t be set up until a conduit (1” PVC underground) for the electrical wiring connecting the two buildings is in place.
 
The internet system was also requiring a small upgrade, as the outdated modem only included one output, and multiple outputs are necessary to finish the set up and allow the video feeds to be viewed online (and accessed via cell phone). The Secretary will get those two issues dealt with as soon as possible so the alarm company can come back to finish the install. The Board was not satisfied with the positioning of one of the cameras overlooking the Park because too much of the view is obscured by the chain-link fence. The Secretary will request that it be adjusted and elevated a little more to get a better view over the fence.

The Safety Review Report was read aloud by the Safety Coordinator, Director Paul Wilkey. Because of two new safety issues (a rusted/sharp fence railing and a trash can lid) not discovered until after the report was already written, the Board agreed to not approve the report for SDRMA until those issues are fixed. The Secretary will get them remedied as soon as possible, so she can revise the report to reflect that those items are no longer safety issues. She will have an updated and more accurate report ready for the Board again next month.

The Records Retention Policy was addressed briefly.  Director Hayhurst had previously recommended that the Board adopt the 72-page policy that has already been written and adopted by the State of California (and is easy to access and read online). The Board agreed to wait one more month to discuss it again and finalize it when Director Hayhurst can be present to offer any further input she might have. The Secretary will begin studying the document for further implementation and add it to next month’s Agenda for final review and approval.

The General Manager reported that she had an unexpected water line break at the office to deal with a few weeks prior. Thursday morning 8/4, a City of Barstow employee noticed and dug up the dirt area where the leak occurred (inside the locked water tower compound). He discovered it wasn’t a water line going into the park (and thus not part of the water system the City maintains), but rather it was a very old water line going to the office building. The Secretary called Ziemer Plumbing and they repaired the pipe that day, but when they were finally able to get the water turned back on again a week later, the pipe burst in another spot, so the plumber had to come back and fix it a second time. She had received only one bill from Ziemer Plumbing so far, but anticipated that there might be another. She also reported that the Accountant from Stewart’s Business and Tax Service had been there to help reconcile all of the bank statements in QuickBooks and finalize some other accounting work (depreciation schedule) that needed to be done prior to the Audit. The Auditor had been in contact with both of them and she expected the Audit (and the work she needed to do for the Auditor; finding and scanning a number of files and uploading them to a shared online portal) would require a lot of her time in the office over the next couple of weeks. Since the Electric Company has continued to not respond to her numerous attempts to reach them, the Secretary was directed to contact Curran Electric for an estimate from them to install a solar light and pole at the South East side of the Basketball Courts at Barstow Heights Park.

President Jacobs asked for the Directors’ Reports. Director Stapp inquired if there had been any progress on the curbs and sidewalks project (on the South side, Beryl Street only). He asked that the item be added back on to the Agenda next month and for the Secretary to begin requesting Bids from any and all contractors that may be interested in that job.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there were none. President Jacobs motioned to pay all of the bills as presented. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

There was one item of New Business to address. While the Directors were taking a quick recess out to Barstow Heights Park, they discovered that the metal pole/railing atop chain-link fencing all along the South West side of the park was cracked, rusting, and sharp. The Secretary was directed to contact Ellis Fence Co. and request two bids from them; one to repair/weld and fix only the dangerous spots as necessary and another estimate to just replace the entire length of metal pole. She will also ask them to inspect the chain link fencing throughout the entire park for any other potential safety issues.

No Executive Session was requested. The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Monday, September 26th at 6:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.

Submitted by:  Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager
 

Friday, September 23, 2016

Agenda for 9/26 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, September 26, 2016 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   Consent Items:          Minutes – August 22, 2016
                                     Financial Reports – August of 2016

5.   Correspondence

6.   Parks:        Barstow Heights:  Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                          Long Range Plans List
                                                                 Privacy concerns of neighbors next to new shade canopy            
                                                                 Planting of four trees Job (Estimate #142)
                                                                 Sidewalk proposal from JDR Construction

                                 Venner Park:                 Safety Check List
                                               Long Range Plans List

7.   Office Building & Compound:               Long Range Plans List
                                                                                      Kitchen renovations (2 bids requested)
                                                                                      Security camera bid (update on work in progress)
                                                                                      Conduit proposal from JDR Construction

8.   Safety Review Report (revised)

9.  Policies and Procedures Manual - Records Retention Policy

10.  General Manager’s Report

11.  Directors’ Reports

12.  Bills:         Edison - $92.70                                              Terminix - $42.00
                         Frontier Communications - $80.16            Stewart’s Business & Tax Service - $100.00

13.  New Business

14.  Executive Session - Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

15.  Adjournment
 

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Minutes from 7/25/16 Meeting (approved 8/22/16)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, July 25th, 2016

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:04 PM and Director Schendel led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, Wilkey, and Hayhurst were all present. There were two guests in attendance, residents, Gene and Rose Low.

During public comments/questions, Gene Low asked about the large trash dumpster that used to be located behind the park. He noticed that it had recently been removed. The secretary will inquire about it with the City of Barstow, as to why it was removed and whether or not it will be replaced.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Hayhurst motioned to accept the Minutes of the April 18th, April 25th, and June 20th, 2016 Meetings, along with the Financial Reports for May and June of 2016 as presented. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously, with President Jacobs abstaining from the vote due to his absence at the previous meeting on June 20th.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. After some discussion, and due to a lack of information about the candidates, the Board opted not to submit a vote for the CSDA Board Election.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. There was no Safety Check List from the City to review. Director Wilkey reported that there was one safety issue to be noted. He noticed that the lid on one trash can near the new shade canopy is rusted and full of holes that are sharp around their edges. The Secretary will report the concern to the City of Barstow and request that the lid be removed and/or replaced as soon as possible. President Jacobs continues to keep an eye on the Ground Squirrels and very few had been sighted in recent weeks.

The Board again welcomed Gene and Rose Low and invited them to address the privacy concerns that the new covered picnic area has created for them. Mr. Gene Low reported that because the new picnic tables are located on a raised concrete slab adjacent to their back yard, the people who use it are often looking straight into their yard, windows, and porch, and it has become increasingly uncomfortable for them both. They had been aware that the new picnic area was going in, but unfortunately they (and the District) didn’t foresee that the picnic tables would be located and raised up in such a way that the public can see so directly over their brick wall and into their windows and level with their elevated back porch. Mr. Low proposed that perhaps a one-way shade of some kind could be added above the chain-link fence, but was open to additional ideas. Director Schendel suggested adding an extension of the chain-link fence upward and adding slats (privacy inserts), but then agreed that it might obstruct their view of the park too much. Director Hayhurst suggested planting a bushy tree/shrub of some kind that would lose its leaves in winter, providing a better view of the park for them during colder months when fewer people are using the park. President Jacobs requested that everyone do some brain-storming and begin making a list of ideas. Mr. Low will take some measurements to give the Board a better idea what size of an area needs covering. Director Wilkey suggested maybe adding some lattice paneling above the brick wall that could easily be taken down and put back up again if/when desired. Director Stapp clarified that the reason why the picnic area was located near the center of the park (rather than closer to the South end as it had originally been planned) was to allow for a more open area of grass where guests could put up bounce houses or use the open space for other activities. He also suggested that Ellis Fence Co. should be contacted and asked about what kinds of privacy fencing options they might have to offer. The Secretary suggested that everyone email their ideas to her so she can type up a list of all of the suggestions to review and discuss again at the next meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Low left the meeting at 6:27 PM.

The completion of Bid 01-15 (one shade canopy and tables) was addressed next. President Jacobs shared with the Board that there were three reasons why add-ons to the job were necessary. 1). The Board’s decision to move the location just a little West of where it had originally been planned caused an unanticipated drainage problem (water from sprinklers would have run off and down into the right-of-way which would have resulted in weeds and debris collecting there). To remedy this, fill-dirt was required to raise and level the area. 2). The raising of the slab left a large step down from the North side of the cement to the ground (tripping hazard), so more fill-dirt had to be added there to create a tapered slope. 3). President Jacobs discovered that a small part of cement curbing, South of the playground area and very close to the new picnic area was lifted and cracked by large tree roots that had undermined it (another tripping hazard), so he asked them to fix that also while they already had their cement truck and equipment out. The Board was satisfied with all of the extra information and agreed that the contractor be paid the final balance due for the additional work done. Director Wilkey motioned to pay the bill as presented. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

The planting of new trees (on the South West side) was addressed. Director Wilkey reported that he had been in contact with John Heald of Unique Landscaping again since the last Board meeting, and was able to find out that the price of a single 48” box fruitless mulberry tree (planted with deep root watering system included) would be approximately $2,300 each. The Board further discussed the price comparisons of different sized trees ($500 for a 24” box tree and $800 for a 36” box tree). The Board agreed that the largest trees would be worth the investment, but wanted to determine the exact placement where they should be located before proceeding further. The board took a recess and field trip outside to determine the tree locations at 6:49 PM. The Board reconvened at 7:04 PM. Director Hayhurst motioned to approve the purchase and planting of the four new trees (3 large trees in 48” boxes, plus one in a 36” box), not to exceed the cost of $8,500. Further discussion continued. Director Hayhurst then amended her motion to include four new trees (all of them large in 48” boxes), not to exceed the cost of $9,500. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously, with Director Wilkey abstaining from the vote.

Venner Park was addressed. There was no Safety Check List from the City to review. Director Wilkey will ask around (including asking Terri Peralta) what is recommended to remedy the worn-slick cement surface of the Basketball court at Venner Park.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed next. The Secretary reported that she would be meeting with Mel of Hi Desert Alarm in the coming week to finalize details with him and schedule a date for the new security camera system to be installed during August.

The Conflict of Interest Code was addressed.  The Secretary will add it to the September meeting Agenda for review and approval before it is due to the County again (every two years) on October 1st, 2016.

The General Manager reported that she had been very busy at the office in recent weeks, had paid a lot of bills, and had been a little overwhelmed at times while getting caught up on work she was behind on due to taking four weeks off to recover from surgery. She felt like she was finally starting to get a handle on it all again.

President Jacobs asked for the Directors’ Reports. Director Stapp inquired about the street lamp project (near the Basketball courts) that the Board had been discussing earlier in the year. The Secretary had nothing new to report, but promised to follow-up again with Southern California Edison on that. It was suggested that perhaps bids from other contractors (like Wade Harris) could be sought. Director Schendel reported that the water company had been doing quite a bit of work and tearing up the roads near his house. Director Stapp expressed disappointment that so much rock and gravel debris was still covering so many of the roads near his home since the last rain and hail storm. The Secretary will request from the County an update on the roads situation. Director Hayhurst was happy to finally receive the information needed for the Records Retention Policy. The City and Helendale CSD both use the State of California’s approved Records Retention Policy that is 71 pages long and is considered the industry standard. She emailed the secretary the link to the document online and the Secretary will share it with the Directors soon for their review and approval.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there were none. Director Stapp motioned to pay all of the bills as presented. Director Wilkey seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. There was no New Business to address and no Executive Session was requested.

The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Monday, August 22 at 6:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 7:28 PM.

Submitted by:  Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager

Friday, August 19, 2016

Agenda for 8/22 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, August 22, 2016 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   Consent Items:         Minutes - July 25th, 2016
                                    Financial Reports - July of 2016

5.   Correspondence

6.   Parks:             Barstow Heights:            Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                                         Long Range Plans List
                                                                                      Privacy concerns of the neighbors next to the new 
                                                                                      shade canopy            
                                                                        Planting of more trees Bid (Estimate #142)

                                 Venner Park:                 Safety Check List
                                               Long Range Plans List

7.   Office Building & Compound:               Long Range Plans List
                                                                                  Kitchen renovations (bid requested)
                                                                                  Security camera bid (update on work in progress)

8.   Safety Review Report

9.  Policies and Procedures Manual - Records Retention Policy

10.  General Manager’s Report

11.  Directors’ Reports

12.  Bills:               Edison - $112.95
                                Terminix - $42
                                Frontier Communications - $88.88
                                Ziemer Plumbing - $130.51

13.  New Business

14.  Executive Session - Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

15.  Adjournment