I keep waiting to hear what progress is being made
with discussions about the ramp modifications on Highland Springs Avenue.
Before we receive an “F” in gridlock, we should probably know when, where
and how these changes will take place.
I've been told the discussers are members of the Banning and Beaumont city
councils, city managers, support staff and members of the development
community.
Dangerous as it is, I'm just going to assume that the folks in Banning will
receive a “free ride” on this one, just as the City of Beaumont appears to
have paid not only not their fair share, but anything to pay for the
Highland Springs underpass.
It's been several months since I first wrote about the Highland Springs
underpass and who paid for it. I've received many communiqués - including
emails, phone calls, mail correspondence and visits.
I thank all of the people who participated but I still haven't heard from
any Banning or Beaumont officials, officially. The unofficial version has
gotten more interesting and more interesting.
I cannot imagine that new Banning city manager Brian Nakamura has had the
time to perform due diligence on what are the facts of the case. I am hoping
that, if enough people want to know, Mr. Nakamura will tell the people of
this city the truth, no matter how damning or embarrassing it might be.
In a letter dated
September 26, 2007, Banning Finance Director Bonnie J. Johnson reported the
following information:
€ “The principal amount of the bond was
$6,630,000.
€ The final cost of the project was $5,762,479.40.
€ Assessments collected from Sun Lakes residents
over the life of the debt was $9,072,594.76.
€ “Other entities paid into the bridge and
thoroughfare district during the time the debt was outstanding. These
payments were transferred to the Community Facilities District (CFD) and
used to pay down the debt. Those entities and amounts are as follows:
€ $19,756.80 R.E.Hazard
Jr, Inc.
€ $22,990.80 Cochran Construction (Albertson's)
€ $14,817.60 Payless
€ $51,685.20 Kmart
€ $2,822.40 Carl's Jr.
€ $7,761.Payor unknown
€ $11,050 California Highway Patrol (when located
on the site of the current Walgreen's)
€ $74,548.17 Banning Healthcare
$205,432.57 Total”
I thank a reader for making this information
available to me. For those who didn't read my previous column, I pointed out
that CFD-86-1 was a signed agreement between the cities of Banning, Beaumont
and the County of Riverside.
While this agreement was signed in 1986 when
little development was happening on the west side of Highland Springs Avenue
(Beaumont), development did occur in Beaumont before the sunset was reached
and the bond payments were concluded.
Did you read the above companies who paid in? Did
you happen to see any money at all coming in from Beaumont? Then I must also
ask where are the people from Sun Lakes when there may be monies that should
have gone into the CFD and didn't?
The results of the Sun Lakes master board election
were scheduled to be revealed on April 16. Maybe, just possibly three, new
members of the master board might want to know where the money went and how
much the residents of Sun Lakes should be reimbursed or somehow recompensed
for paying nearly all of the money for the grade separation!
It is my understanding that former Banning city
manager Randy Anstine had a letter sent to Wal
Mart asking when they would be making their payment to CFD-86-1. Guess what
Wal Mart replied? THEY HAD PAID Š THREE HUNDRED
SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS TO Š THE CITY OF BEAUMONT!
It is not unusual for cities to have many
CFD's when experiencing the explosive growth
Beaumont has been going through for the past couple of years. Multiple
CFD's doesn't give anyone a license to ignore an
existing contract; in this case CFD-86-1.
I'm not quite sure what Randy
Anstine's legacy will turn out to be other than a charter member of
the Colton Connection. When Anstine came to town, the city wasn't in the
greatest shape but it was solvent.
Upon his departure, every asset in the city is now
mortgaged with nothing to show for it yet. $35 million in bonds was secured
on the assets of the water/wastewater treatment department without so much
as leaving enough money to connect a “purple pipe” to at least the Sun Lakes
community.
This way, Sun Lakes
residents would not be spending $800,000 per year to water the golf courses
with drinking water. It isn't Sun Lakes' fault; the city has remained this
backward for years.
Former water director Paul Toor was loved or hated
by the people he allegedly served. When the s%?t
hit the fan back in 2002 when the water went off in Sun Lakes, Toor came out
to speak to the restless natives. In so many words, he said the city had
been putting money aside for years to bring in recycled water.
Nobody, including me, ever figured out how much
and where the money is located. Before we have to choose between watering
the roses or taking a shower could somebody
please let us know where we stand on making progress?
Hey, maybe if Banning got some money from the
folks from Beaumont for their fair share of CFD 86-1, it could be used to
bring recycled water to not only Sun Lakes but to the rest of Banning.
Not a chance, I suspect, if the attorneys get a
hold of it. I'm sure both sides will charge enough to make certain there is
little left for the victor. Once again, the public gets skewered.
I've only lived in Banning for six years ...
certainly not enough time to figure out where all of the skeletons are
buried and why. I have often heard that there is a great deal of contention
between the cities of B & B. Why? Are there old feuds that should have been
buried years ago? I just do not know.
I do think if we are going to have a maximum
amount of clout in the county, state and federal funding arenas, we could
probably do better by cooperating with each other rather than fighting.
A good start could be multiple “mea
culpas” where each city gets a free pass and
gets to straighten out any errors and move forward together. There are so
many things both cities could and should collaborate on - the least of which
would be animal control and bus transportation.
Meanwhile, the question that still needs answering
is; have all the people involved in CFD-86-1 discharged their contractual
financial responsibilities? Clearly, if they haven't they need to be made
right.
Gail and her husband Bill Paparian created a
service called Writing Solutions in 1996. Gail has also written for a number
of local and national magazines and newspapers over the years.
Currently, she provides public relations
consulting services for the Banning Unified School District. She can be
reached at
info@WritingSolutions.com.
