AV FIRE CHIEF Andres Avila told the Community Services District Board on Wednesday that three suspicious wildland fires were started along the roadside of Mountain House Road between Yorkville and Hopland on the mornings of June 11, 12 and 17, each at around 6am. Fortunately, conditions at the time were not conducive to fast spread and the fires were contained to relatively small areas. Chief Avila declined to provide additional details as the fires are under active investigation by local law enforcement and CalFire authorities. Some locals recall a series of (at least) six fires in the same general vicinity set by convicted arsonist David Valley back in 2005.
The popular Patty Liddy, popular local entertainer and Secretary to the Community Services District was honored Wednesday night with a formal resolution and recognition of outstanding service to the District for more than five years.
High Fire Danger: Chief Avila also noted that current wildland conditions are very hazardous and the Valley could see fires with “rapid growth” due to the high level of low-lying dry fuels, brisk winds and low humidity. Please be careful.
The Anderson Valley Ambulance has been advised of more delays in the delivery of their expensive new ambulance. The Ambulance service no longer has a backup unit because the older ambulance that the new one was to replaced was surplused last month due to a significant mechanical failure that was not economically repairable. The delays have been attributed to a combination of lingering covid impacts, continuing supply chain problems and the absorption of the US-based assembly company by an even bigger European outfit.
Local Water Sewer Project managers have finally succeeded in having the State Water Board senior staffers talk to senior staffers at Caltrans District 1 to coordinate plans and timing for pending roadwork along Highway 128 associated with the possible dovetailing of trench work for the water sewer system and Caltrans’ Highway 128 improvement plans. Whether these unwieldy state agencies can somehow manage to accommodate each other, or at least get things in the proper sequence, is a matter of speculation. Nevertheless, locals are pleased that they are at least talking to each other.
The County’s Fire Safe Council and the Mendocino Fire Chiefs Association (which is slated to get upwards of 25% of Measure P funds to distribute to local fire services and projects) have accepted Emily Tecchio’s expanded role as the Fire Chiefs Association county-wide rep. Ms. Tecchio was already the coordinator for the Mendocino Fire Safe Council; she will now also represent the Chiefs Association on County matters. Previously, Ms. Tecchio was a field rep for Assemblyman Jim Wood.
The Community Services District is in discussion with the County’s tax sharing ad hoc committee (Supervisors Mulheren and Gjerde) about annexing a number of parcels bordering the current District boundaries which, if implemented, would effectively double the size of the Community Services District. Talks are still preliminary. If approved by the Supervisors and the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO), the District might see more than $150k in new property tax revenues. (There are no sales or bed taxes involved in this annexation, unlike the recently approved city tax sharing/annexation agreement.) Chief Andres Avila noted that the parcels in question were already in the response area of the AV Fire Department and therefore would not necessitate any significant upgrades in fire department capabilities. At present responses to those parcels are subject to bills for service. If these parcels are annexed into the District, as property tax payers they would no longer be subject to out-of-district response bills.
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