City Council recap for March 15, 2010 meeting

BARSTOW • Mayor Pro Tem Julie Hackbarth McIntyre, Councilman Tim Saenz and City Manager Richard Rowe were absent due to the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C. Among the items discussed at Monday’s Barstow City Council meeting:

Council denies donation request for chili cook-off • The Barstow City Council voted 2-1 in favor of waiving fees for KDUC to use city facilities for its Barstow/Belen Chili Cook-off Fiesta and Carnival. However, the Council denied KDUC’s request for a $2,500 donation from the Community Promotional Fund for extra security at the event. Barstow Mayor Joe Gomez dissented on the waiver.

Even though the Council waived $4,458 in fees for KDUC to use the Cora Harper Fitness Center and the Henderson Pool building, Roland Ulloa, KDUC manager, said if the city decided not to donate $2,500 the station couldn’t hold the festival. He said the festival costs $20,000 to put on every year, and because it’s free the station doesn’t receive a profit from it. The additional security is needed because the Barstow Police Department isn’t able to provide security, he said.

Gomez asked Barstow Police Chief Dianne Burns if police officers would be able to walk-through the carnival and chili cook-off at Foglesong Park if the donation was reduced to $1,500. Burns said she wouldn’t be able to commit to that because it depends on the number of calls the officers get.

Overnight parking at city parks banned • The Barstow City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would ban overnight parking at parks within city limits. Because Panamint Park, the Barstow Heights park at Rimrock Road and H Street and Jasper Park aren’t within city limits, they aren’t included in the ordinance.

Even though the Council established rules for city parks in 2008, which banned camping and personal storage at parks, the ordinance language isn’t strong enough for the police department to cite cars parked at city parks longer overnight.

The proposed ordinance will come back to the Council for a second reading and a vote at its April 5 meeting.

High school wrestler gets $250 • The Barstow City Council donated $250 from the city’s Community Promotional Fund to Sean Silva, who will use it to help offset the cost of attending the 2010 Senior National High School Wrestling Championships in Virginia Beach, Va.