High Desert Insiders
This podcast dives deep into the specific laws, rules, and regulations that shape daily life in California's high desert communities. From zoning changes and water rights debates to city council motions, "The Local Ordinance" translates complex local governance into accessible, engaging conversations.
High Desert Insiders
Inside The Bridge Fix, Brown Act, And Budget Watch In Apple Valley | Agenda for Dec 9
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Video Podcast Link of Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HighDesertInsiderPodcast
Tired of hearing about decisions only after they’re made? We open the doors on Apple Valley’s most pressing debates, from a long-overdue bridge rebuild to the quiet spending choices shaping daily life. The Bear Valley Bridge project finally has funding and a start date, promising a wider span and bike lanes—along with three years of construction and a pledge to keep two lanes open each way. We explain the money mix behind the $43M plan, what commuters should expect, and how to track progress without getting lost in bureaucratic fog.
Money tells the story elsewhere, too. We take a hard look at the warrant lists and the continued investment in the Singh Center, a donated building that keeps drawing public dollars despite thin utilization. Are we chasing break-even, or paying for a civic amenity with no clear benchmarks? We map out the questions residents can ask and how to get them onto the record. Alongside that scrutiny, we highlight rollover funds directed to senior programs and why co-designing activities with actual participants can turn good intentions into measurable community benefit.
Process matters as much as policy. We demystify public comment rules, the Brown Act, and the difference between general remarks and item-specific testimony. If you’ve ever been told “we can’t discuss that,” we show the path to move issues onto future agendas so staff can present facts and the council can debate in public. We also preview the selection of the next mayor pro tem, share what it signals in an election year, and walk through upcoming votes on updated building codes and revised speed limits. It’s a practical guide to getting informed, being heard, and keeping local government honest—one agenda at a time.
If this helped you follow the moving parts at Town Hall, tap follow, share the show with a neighbor, and leave a quick review so more Apple Valley residents can find it. Your voice changes what gets decided next.
Apple Valley Agenda’s: https://applevalley.org/government/meetings-and-agendas/
Apple Valley TV: https://applevalley.tv/internetchannel/
Welcome To High Desert Insiders
SPEAKER_01Hey there, Apple Valley. And are you tired of feeling like decisions are being made for you instead of with you? And do you ever wonder what the town council is actually voting on or why that new development is suddenly popping up next to your favorite spot? Well, welcome to the High Desert Insiders, a podcast dedicated to pulling back the curtain on our local government and the issues that truly matter right here in the High Desert. So uh we are your host for today. I am Scott, and with me I have Ted. Ted, Ted, Ted. I am here. I am here. And uh and every week, um me and uh someone else, maybe Ted, at points, will be diving deep into the heart of Apple Valley politics. Uh we're not here for drama or anything. We are here for the discussion. So today we're starting our monthly series on uh the town council meetings, and we'll cover topics from the last council meeting and topics on the agenda for the future one. What's gonna be the big issue topics and what we need to be aware of, and so things you can research more into if you need to. The next one is gonna be December 9th, and uh we are hoping that uh you are better aware of what's going on here in your own town and prepared uh if you wish to attend the town council meeting, which is at 6:30, I believe, if that if I'm not mistaken. Is that correct? Yeah, 630. 6:30 in the town council chambers. So uh this is where your voice gets heard, your questions get answered, and we all become a little bit more informed and engaged residents of Apple Valley. So, with that being said, let me Scott.
SPEAKER_00I'm like super jealous. I mean, you got the you got the phone, you got the lighting. It's like I only got my back windows here. I got some plants back here. I'm if I'm gonna be doing this, I need to get some professional equipment here. I've got my phone here. I gotta I gotta step up my game here.
Why Council Meetings Matter
SPEAKER_01I can tell it. It's uh I I do this because I this is my studio for for uh different stuff on YouTube that I do as well. So I that's I'm that's my secret, at least. All right. Um uh where'd my notes go now? Because it all disappeared. So uh we have the agenda up here. Um sorry, and I just dropped my notes here, so I'm bringing them back up uh because I can't survive without the notes I've written. Nope. Well, I'll figure it out as we go. So uh, all right, Ted. So we had our last town council meeting on November 18th. Uh you were there for a a for it, at least a good portion of it, if I'm not mistaken, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I had uh my officiating going, but as I I busted my butt to get there as fast as I could.
SPEAKER_01Yep, yep, you're a busy man. You're a busy man for sure. Um, and so basically the the the big things that I wanted to touch on um is things, a couple things I learned um about how the agenda works and what they talk about, and uh and a couple of projects. And one of them I had nothing idea, no idea about, and that is the uh bridge uh or the the highway bridge program. Um are you are you familiar with that at all, sir?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, with the uh expansion of the uh bridge project. Yeah, they've been talking about that for years and been waiting to get the grants and funding together to get it done.
November Meeting Recap
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it uh I can't find the documents here, but I I did some research onto it. And for everybody who isn't aware, basically they it's connected with Measure I. Um, I was not here in this state when Measure I was passed, but uh it's basically a come in combination with the federal government, as long as the city or town municipality provides 20% of funding through a stable funding source, uh, the federal government will provide about 80% of necessary funds to rehabilitate bridges that are in complete disrepair, is the short version. And uh so the Bear Valley Bridge in Apple Valley here was actually built in the 60s with wood pilings and then improved in 1998 with concrete pilings, but it is on a scale of 100, is that a three? So it is condemned by the state of California as of 2014. So we desperately need help.
SPEAKER_00Um, and yeah, it's been way overdue to get this done.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So basically, we have the forty the project will start in January now, finally, but they got a total of 43 million dollars together for it. Uh 5 million from uh county measure I, which is similar but different, and then six million from measure I here in the town. Um, we got some miscellaneous money from other funds that they talked about as well. But the big thing is, right, something to keep in mind. It's uh they are gonna be widening the bridge about 45 feet, put in bicycle lanes, all that stuff. Um, it's gonna take three years, though. Three years. Uh, and they promised, keep in mind they promised in the town council they'd keep two lanes open each way at all times. So we'll see how that goes. No guarantees.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's gonna definitely do that, but it's kind of like the traffic going in and out of that area is gonna be a nightmare for for that period of time for the foreseeable future, 100%. Oh, yeah. You're gonna get a lot of people sitting there moaning and groaning about it.
Bear Valley Bridge Funding And Timeline
SPEAKER_01Yep, yep. Uh, so you should just be aware of that uh and avoid Bear Valley if you can. I know I I do in general, but um the other thing they talked about um that I thought was interesting, they if they have any unspent funds from the year, they uh put into programs like they have a few like senior activity programs, residential rehab programs, loan programs, and commercial ones. Um, I thought it was kind of cool. I I don't know, jury's out on spending money on this kind of stuff, but it is what it is. Um, I think it's a cool idea. They help seniors with programs like Aqua Zumba and pickleball and all that kind of stuff, which so a lot of times they can't afford because they're on fixed incomes. So I don't know your your thoughts on that stuff in general there, Ted.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, it's kind of like I want to make sure that it's being used for that type of stuff. I mean, it's the seniors that definitely only so many times you can go play bingo, I guess, for a few seniors, but but it's definitely something that they need to. I would say that they design just pick a ball that goes to the seniors saying, like, what do you want to do? Not just have it similar for Aqua Zuma. Not everybody's want to do Aqua Zuma and things like that, but I mean I do so when I go to the gym, I see a lot of people in Aqua Zuma. But it's like, let me figure out this is the things we want to do, and put that money put it into what seniors want to do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, 100%. And I think they it was something a large amount. It's like$120,000 this year that rolled over from last year, uh last fiscal year into this program. So I don't know. I would assume seniors like Aqua Zumba and pickleball, but maybe we should ask them what they actually like.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, because I'm never I don't know, I've I've never played pickleball in my life, and it's kind of like I don't know what they do. I don't like they should they should have like should maybe like have like seniors and groups and clubs, something like that, and invest in the MPM and because I know they got the uh seniors um over there on Central. Go over there, maybe invest that money into them just to say like what you want, what you need, things like that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, 100%, 100%. I um I mean I'm glad they're doing something productive with it, but I think we could invest it and talk to people for sure. Um, so that's that. Uh the other thing that they talked about, which I I come I'll be honest there, Ted. I I don't understand it completely, and maybe and it's not a huge deal for us. Maybe you might have some more insight into this. The they uh voted to amend title code nine of the lot, it has to do with lot splits or something, or if that's even a a big, a big deal. I I'll be honest, uh so if you they approved it unanimously, surprise, but uh I don't know if you had any further insight onto that, any quick statements because it confused me.
SPEAKER_00Well, basically it's just kind of like the existing lots and they're trying like as a building in the future to try to keep the because I know the state of California is hidding on cities and towns to kind of like to have affordable housing and controlling the lot sizes, but it's kind of like one to walk that line line to kind of like to do affordable housing, investment into there, and also trying to keep the people who are wanting to have that split ahead like people have like two acres, people like one acre and half acres, things like that.
What Construction Means For Traffic
SPEAKER_01That's kind of what I got the feeling of, but um it is I did find it interesting that by the way, everything that we talked about from the or that I looked at the meeting and every time they voted, you would appreciate this, Ted. It was all unanimous, every single one.
SPEAKER_00So oh yeah, no one not a single one of them. If you go throughout the whole, they they never there was no setting code.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um there's lots of things I could sit there and discuss about, but I mean I don't want to sit there and get away from what we're doing here, but I mean the waste of money that I I keep finding out would just blow your mind.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And speaking of wasting money, that's a good transition there, Ted. Uh, the wants and warrants or warrants schedule. I I want to say wants and warrants. We talked about this. I was a cop, so I think of arresting people, but um so they approved on here they basically say they're approving all the commercial warrants and uh other types of warrants, and basically what that is is just um payments that they have to make to people. And so I I just touch on this briefly because I think this is an important aspect of being a good resident, uh um and looking at this kind of stuff, right? Is like just read through this stuff once or twice every so often, at a minimum, because you'll find some interesting things that they pay a ton, ton of money on, and it's uh it kind of just surprises me a little bit to be honest, but it doesn't at the same time. So um, like the one on here that I found, I just thought, where was it? They spent on uh Sing Center stuff uh for the and then reverse the there we go. Sing Center LED lights, thousand bucks, which I don't know, that might be a good deal, but they they spend a ton, there's a month number of things on here that's for the Sing Center, even though it was donated to us.
SPEAKER_00So well, yeah, they've they've spent close to three million dollars on a place that was donated to them. And it goes back to putting money after money into this building that they sit there and say they don't know if it's gonna break even. It sits there pretty much empty most of the time. And if you look on their budget, they sit there and say they put seven I'm gonna know the exact dollar amount, but I'm gonna say seven hundred thousand dollars into the center, and they got exactly the same amount back in revenue. How do you do that? Be the exact down to the penny.
SPEAKER_01Because I don't understand that exactly because a lot of the events that have happened there have been like volunteer stuff, like the car show. Like the Rotary Club isn't paying to use the Sing Center, as far as I know, at least.
SPEAKER_00No, it's all volunteers, and it's a it's it comes down to it's attacked right off the tank.
SPEAKER_01Yep. And and for people who are watching and or listening, and I and I should mention, I I put up my notes to say it earlier and I forgot. Uh, if you are listening to this on your podcast platform, there is a version on YouTube under the same name, and you can see a lot of the stuff that we're talking about. Should have mentioned that. But um, I do find it for people who don't know what the Sing Center is, um it is and Ted, Ted, why don't you enlighten us more so you could explain it better than I can? If you don't, if they don't know what the Sing Center is, never heard of it.
Lot Splits And Affordable Housing Tension
SPEAKER_00Basically, what it is, it's the building over on Central and Bear Valley Road that was built for a long time, and Ace AMC um rented the building there that used to be the only movie theater, and AMC left the building because no, there was no one going to the movies. I would I used to go to I used to live right there, and it's a perfect place because I'd be the only one my family be the only one watching the movie. And basically they donated the building to the town, but they still but they still own those two buildings on the right, and they only have a little bit of parking in front and on the side that belongs to the town. Everything else still belongs to the Singh Corporation.
SPEAKER_01Oh, so Singh still owns the the big facility, or no, or is that backwards?
SPEAKER_00The the one you have your arrow at, that's the AMC Theater.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00That was given to the town.
SPEAKER_01Okay, that's one given to the town.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they have the first two parking spots in front of it, and to the side we have the first two parking spots there that was given to them. Everything to the right of that still belongs to the corporation.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. Do you know anything about the corporation? Because I I don't, to be honest.
SPEAKER_00Um not too much about it, but I know that they have a lot of connections with the town, and it's been it's been sitting empty for over a decade.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I remember when me and my wife are dating here and we came up here from college. We went down the hill to college and we'd come up and she lived up here. And I think we've been to movies, but this was 2002, 2003, something like that. So um, and I should note I saw and I actually got texted from a council member who shall remain anonymous, anonymous, uh, about this uh event coming up here. Um, I want to say the 13th. Have you heard of this? The tinsel tunes, tinsel time tunes.
SPEAKER_00I don't I don't know.
SPEAKER_01They're charging 30 bucks to listen to someone sing and stuff, and I don't, you know, and and then a an a bar or something. I don't know. It was just a weird I don't know if they're trying to break even or if that I don't I don't know. It was odd, odd to say the least.
SPEAKER_00They're never gonna break even. Yeah, it's kind of like when you when you put that much money into something and they're they're barely doing anything.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, no one's they're sitting there walking up, they're gonna have all these shows from BBC to come up there. They're going to um have all these business conferences there. And who in the world is gonna go all the way out there when you've got everything closer into town? No one's gonna drive that far to have a business conference.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
Unanimous Votes And Spending Scrutiny
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh it's in the middle of nowhere, so I don't know why anyone would. But anywho, uh that was that was the gent gist of the meeting. There wasn't a whole lot, not a whole lot of big stuff in last November's town council. There was public comments, which I think were awesome as usual. And we'll touch on what those are if you don't if you're not even familiar with that here in just a second as we move on to the to the December 9th agenda. So they published this, and I talked to the uh town one of the town clerks' uh office uh members, Kyle, this last week about when do they actually publish these agendas? Because it felt like they should be published and they're just not, and it showed up on Thursday. It's 72 hours, like basically 72 business hours, right? So three days, which like okay. I I get that. I wish it would come out a little bit earlier, but I get they're still putting stuff on the agenda. So um, and you can get to these on the if you just type in Apple Valley California Town Council agenda, it'll be the first one. So um, so there's a few things on here. Um the big thing, the big thing, and I know you wanted to touch on this, Ted, is uh after like all the opening ceremonies and everything, is uh the selection of the mayor pro temp. Um, because we did have one, but I guess it changes. Honestly, I'm not too familiar with what that title is and what that position is and how often it changes.
SPEAKER_00What mayor pro tem is, is that uh he replaces the mayor if the mayor is not there to officiate the meeting. If he's gone, if he asked if he's out of town or he's sick or something like that, it's like the vice mayor steps in and runs the meeting.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Interesting. All right, well, that's it, that's a pretty simple thing. But uh, is it is it done like every honestly, I don't know, every year or every like two years, or how's that does it change?
SPEAKER_00I'm guessing, or I think I I think it goes every two years.
SPEAKER_01Two years, okay. And so the reason we're bringing this up, right? They're gonna select it. I I want to say it was was it Kurt Emmick, who's the current one?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Kurt Emmick was the current mayor pro tem.
SPEAKER_01So they're they're going to the council members will be selecting their mayor pro tem, not the people, the council will be selecting it on this next meeting. That's the first agenda item. And then after they do that, they will um recess, they'll reorganize their nameplates and shift places, and then they'll come back together to a meeting. So I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so you're gonna have either Larry Tootsat, Archbishop, or Kiry Leon. It's going to be the next mayor pro tem.
The Singh Center Costs And Use
SPEAKER_01So it can't be Kurt Emick again.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think we all kind of uh can I mean it makes logical sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It makes I mean it makes logical defense because Kurt Emmerich's going it is going into an election period. And you have Kerry Leone that's going to into election year. You've got to you've got to produce Kerry Leone as oh she's some that she's oh she's this oh she's a vice mayor, she's the mayor pro temp. If I I I'd almost bet my I'd bet my pay I bet my paycheck on that one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I would too. I would too. Um I don't I guess we'll see. I so you know. Ted, I unfortunately will not be able to be there this Tuesday. Um, I'll be watching it either live or afterwards because we have a a funeral we got to go to in Phoenix that day. So um, but I will be looking forward to to hearing it and then doing this again and talking about it. So I unfortunately can't make any public comments this time, but um I know that the public comments, which will come here in a minute, will be will be huge. Uh they always are very interesting and entertaining, um, and a really important part of our community.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's that's a fun. I mean, you gotta listen to Carrie Bennard, at least kind of like have his three minutes spiel. That's that's he's he's fun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. So I I love I love Carrie, he's awesome.
SPEAKER_00Um yeah, you just kind of like gotta listen to him popping up onto the thing, but Scott Nass has been saying and everything else. You gotta have to smile a little bit.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and the mustache. Carrie's mustache is amazing. So, not Leon Carrie, another Carrie, male Carrie. So um, but public comments, if you're if no, if I'm trying, I want to like set this to the room. Like, if if no one has seen this before, no one's been to a council meeting, tell them count. Public comments is a chance where you get three minutes. Every resident can have three minutes of public comment time to comment on anything they want to. It is they have some limitations in the agenda item, but let me be clear that it is a protected First Amendment right. So you can say anything you want in those three minutes. And I mean, they may try and arrest you if you say something bad, but you'll be protected. Um, that's been proved time and a time again. But um it's so it's super important to get in there. And if you have feelings on any of these topics, not necessarily on the agenda, we'll get to those comments in a minute, but information, you know, if you're concerned about the truck and trailer facility on Walu and Navajo, come speak about that for three minutes. Heck, I I'm not a great public speaker, but I use a lot of AI tools to help me make a good speech. So uh anyone can do that.
SPEAKER_00Uh, you gotta remember blunting that people who do go through public comments and they're asking them questions don't expect answers.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_00They're not going to because they'll say it's not on the agenda, and we gotta be protected by the prown app, but we can't see nothing that's not on the agenda. So, I mean, if you go, I mean you're just basically there to listen, they'll say thank you and move on. That's that's it.
SPEAKER_01Yep, and then so yeah, the real quick, they you have the three minutes to speak, they won't speak or say anything or give you any reaction back, unfortunately. They because the Brown Act, they're not supposed to, well, I'll mention that in a second, but they say they're not allowed to comment on your thing because the Brown Act, because of various reasons, which I'll I'll answer, but they they can make minor comments and you know touch on minor things on your public comments, but they won't a lot of times. No, they use this Brown Act, which was meant, right? And you might have some more insight on this, Ted, but it was meant to protect the city and the the actual residents by preventing the town council from having secret meetings, which not Apple Valley necessarily, but in California, they were doing that. And then things would happen and decisions were made without the residents knowing. And so that was the impetus to this. But it really, I can understand where it protects, like in this truck and trailer prop facility where the owner hasn't come forward, they haven't given their side of the story yet. So I get that. But if you ask a question about a budget, you should be, you know, you should answer that, you know. I don't know. My Ted, what are your what are your thoughts on that?
Upcoming Event And Break-Even Doubts
SPEAKER_00Well, honestly, it is true. It's kind of like why can't you answer a basic question like why did you do you vote this way? Or say like, why when are you planning on doing something with the Sink Center? Or what are you gonna do about the well at the park? And say, like, are you just saying, well, we're not gonna right now we're not gonna do anything with the park? We might bring it up because you know it's you're not taking any action, but you're just saying, like, we're not right now, we're not doing anything, or just be honest.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_00I mean, what is what is the problem with just sitting there saying, like being honest with and and just really be like this is what's and once I think once a topic's been discussed, you should be able to not say, well, I'm gonna run out here, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. No, you shouldn't say I'm gonna do this or that, but it's kind of like we're not gonna do anything right now, we might bring it up in the future. We're not 100% sure, but with like we're see, let me let me look into something. Yeah, and that's I mean, what's what major corruption thing are you trying to do by looking at the card? Yeah, it's like it's like oh I'm not gonna I would I can sit there and say, well, I'm gonna spend I'm gonna go out and spend a hundred thousand dollars on this card without no one's vote or whatever. I get that, yeah. But it's like okay, like it's just try to or why don't you just put something on the agenda? You have this thing when you're like um recommendations for future items on the agenda.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_00Okay, you're talking about the horseman well. Let's put it on the next agenda when so we can openly talk about it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, do they do that? No.
December Agenda Release And Access
SPEAKER_01And I I'll add something to this, an interesting development this week that I'm sure you would uh you would appreciate because I I talked to some other people uh about this and they thought it was interesting. But my background, right? Um, I I can we've touched talked about it briefly. Is I was a military officer, and they're in in the military, right, publications policy matters, right? Words, choices matter, right? When it says in a policy, you shall do this versus you should, or there's no policy at all, that matters, right? It makes a difference in how you do things. Well, fast forward to this week. I called up, same thing I talked to Kyle at the town clerk's office, and I said, um, you know, asked him about a number of things. Then I asked him, so hey, Kyle, um, how like what is the policy, the town council or town policy law, you know, or is it just something that you guys do about adding items to the agenda? He said, Well, we just, you know, it's a town council member thing. It has to be them. Um, or, you know, they have to suggest it, or it has to be from a previous meeting. So, okay, is that a is that a policy, a law, or is that just something you guys do? You know? And he said, Well, that's just what every other council does in the city, up every other champ, you know, council, you know, up here. And so that's what we do. So it's so why can't I, as a as a resident or another resident, you know, add an agenda item to talk about, for example, like budget shortfalls and using the reserve funds to balance the budget. They said, Well, that's just we just don't do that. Said, well, it matters, you know. So here's the deal. I'm gonna send a letter or drop it off, probably, and add an item to the agenda, see what you guys say about why you don't want to put it on there, because then we'll talk some more. Um, because there's some things that do need to be addressed that they're not talking about and hiding behind the Brown Act, like the budget that Carrie Leon has admitted has some issues.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, that's gonna be hit so hard in public comments on the on the night. It's it's it's basically she opened up her mouth and stuck her foot in it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and we need to be able to talk about it, and we and they can't hide behind the Brown Act anymore.
Choosing The Next Mayor Pro Tem
SPEAKER_00We need to end the that's the one thing they do they do with the Brown Act, but the whole thing is maybe something that you don't know because they're not telling you. Yeah, and I know this is that the mayor can't put anything he wants on the agenda because being the title of mayor, he can put it on. Anything of the council members have to make a suggestion and it has to be seconded by another member of the council to be able to put on the agenda. So it's kind of like in when it comes to the anything, it has to be consent of the council. If the council does not want to push it forward, it'll never be there.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. Yeah, and I find that like I'm curious because that's why I asked Kyle, who was a member of the town's clerk office, so he would know, like, hey, what what is the law? Is there law? Do you have a council policy? And he said no. So I have a feeling that that's just status quo, and uh and that's gonna get challenged this next month for the January meeting. So we'll see.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's why I say they're not gonna like me because honestly, I'll film everything out. Let's say let's pull Kerry Henard, because we'd all love Carrie Henry.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00He sits down and saying, Why don't you do what's well I want this answer? I'll sit down and say, like, okay, let's get this on the agenda for next time so we can give this boy for a boy who wants all these answers. I mean, how hard is it to get the town answers? The people of this town want answers.
SPEAKER_01Obviously, it's hard. Yeah, I don't know. So we'll see. I'll let you know. We'll keep everyone updated, but we'll uh we'll keep going here for now just so we I could talk about that for a long time.
SPEAKER_00But uh we probably have a whole day talking about that.
SPEAKER_01Um after so after the recess, they're gonna have um touch on a couple of these briefly just so we um people are aware of them. They're the mayor's youth leadership summit started by Art Bishop, who was the mayor now, just a town council member, and uh they're gonna do homeless packages, um, and they need that approved by the town council um for people in the community. So they have a bunch of sponsors, which is pretty cool. Just something to touch on briefly. Um public comments we have um again. So please, if any of these topics are something uh out of the blue you want to talk about, please come. You come at 6 30 or preferably beforehand a few minutes, you sign a little piece of paper. You don't even have to put your I think you have to put your name, but that's it. You don't have to put your your phone number.
SPEAKER_00There's one thing I do want to tell you that I that just popped in my brain.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, go ahead, Ted.
How Public Comment Really Works
SPEAKER_00Public comments is something that you can speak on anything you want, and you get that three minutes. These individual agenda items, yes, they have another part where you can talk specifically about the agenda items, but you have to stay on topic. You sit there and say, like you can talk about um the thing that you can have another three minutes and you have to fill out another part, and you have to stay on topic of the agenda item, but you can speak another time. You can um so you don't have to waste your public comments on an agenda item, they give you another time to where you can speak about the agenda item on the record.
SPEAKER_01Yes, that is a good point, and I forgot to mention that. Public comments and comments on agenda items are separate. Public comments, anything you want, three minutes, agenda item comments. I believe are still three minutes, but you have to stay on topic, and then the council can answer you in that point because it's on that item. So very important. And public comments are first, and then you make comments on agenda items as the items come up. So, yeah, that's a good point. Good point. Um, so the other things on here they approve the minutes, so they basically type up brief things that happened in the last council. Uh, and you can see that from like the previous um agenda items, the agenda they do the what uh commercial warrants and wire transfers, the normal payments. So take a look at those. Um, and then payroll schedule they do, which um, as far as I understand, has nothing crazy in it. I took a look at it, there's nothing really ridiculous with it. Um, but the two other items I'll just touch on briefly, just something to know about, and we mentioned these not to go into too depth, too much depth of them, but just that way if if it does matter to you, you can do some research on them and then you can make comments about these things. That's that's I mean the whole impetus of why I wanted to do this and talk to people in the community about this. So uh, first one briefly is they're voting on adopting an ordinance of 572 that talks about code uh California building and standards. So it's they do these things routinely and they update a lot of the codes that you need in the city and in the town, rather, and they set different like enforcement standards, that kind of stuff. So nothing too crazy, Ted. Anything to say on that one? Uh it's nothing.
SPEAKER_00No, that's all basic, it's basic joke.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, so that's 572, and then the other one is 574, where they're uh amending uh special speed limits, basically, um, where they're going to revise the list of street uh streets and speed limits on those streets. And they have a list in the agenda if you look at the full agenda about what all of the speed limits should be on each of the different streets, and that's pretty much it. So I mean, I guess if you want a different speed limit on a street, then you can talk about it. But that's Ted, anything on that one?
SPEAKER_00No, it's all it's all basic.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, and then the other thing that was on here, uh the next agenda in January will be January 13th at 6 30 p.m. So um that's I mean, that's the big stuff on it. The I mean there's business the council, they talk about that kind of stuff. Uh, if they're gonna have a closed session, they're going to the town manager has comments and updates if he wants to give. And uh that's something else we should mention. Town council, town manager is switching out, and I don't know when exactly he's starting. I think he's starting, he's already started. I'm not, I can't remember. Ted, are you are you aware?
SPEAKER_00I'm not for sure, but probably I mean, I would definitely probably get in his beat just a little bit wet, but it's kind of like he's like he does, I don't think he really knows he's walking into because he's kind of like he's he's coming from a small town of 9,000 people, and he's and he's walking into this, and it's kind of like you know, I'll be using uretium. It's gonna be fun. It's it's gonna be a fun year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's gonna be a you know, and I and um we'll kind of wrap everything up with this, right? Is that I think all too often people forget about small town politics, right? They they're too focused on you know the big stuff, right? On national politics, left versus right, you know, all of that stuff. And they forget about, well, hey, the local park that's down here that's being built, and I mean that has issues, right? That's that well, we won't talk about McConnell Park here today, but uh you know, but people forget about that, and it's super important to take uh an active role in your local government. I mean, I know you know, I started talking to you, Ted, uh, in the last few months, and that came about through the truck and trailer project, but we really need to be aware of what's going on. We need to at least at a minimum, you know, read through the agenda and see if there's something important. Um, we need to play a part in it, otherwise, people are going to run the city out from under us. And we've seen that for too many years.
The Brown Act Limits And Misuse
SPEAKER_00It's kind of like they see these things like with with the with the truck and trailer park as they and the and the roundabout. It's like, oh, they're doing this. Oh, let me go do that. It's already done and over with.
SPEAKER_03And we got lucky.
SPEAKER_00This doesn't affect me or anything else, okay. Good. Just but it's kind of like if you don't know them, they're gonna just do whatever they're gonna want to do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then and I and I think the city, the town council and mayor, all of them, I think they are surprised. And I think they were caught off guard by the level of involvement this the residents are starting to take in the city, and I think that's really scared them.
SPEAKER_00You know, not from coming from good sources that I have, they're uncomfortable right now.
SPEAKER_01Good. That's how they should be. They're public servants. So you know.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, you hear them sit there saying we love Apple Valley, we we we want the best for it. We're doing this out of the goodness of our heart. If it was a couple of um meetings ago, he's like you heard Scott Nassie saying like, oh, we we don't get paid as much. It was like we're doing this out of the goodness of our hearts. It's like, well, yeah, well, well, press your heart there, Scott Nassie. It's kind of like you're you're it's like you're such a you're just great one.
SPEAKER_01It's like yep. And then there's issues of well, you actually have to live in the district that you're like running for or being a district member of, and what is that what counts as living in the district? I won't touch go further than that on this one, but there's some questions, and I want council members to know.
SPEAKER_00So I'll give you one little tidbit about that. Before the four districts and mayor, the first district lines had five districts, and it's amazing that in it was supposed to be um, I think district five. There's no district five, that's what you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00It had Scott Nass and Larry Kusack, who live next door to each other on top of the hill, that nice little thing they look down on. And it realized it's kind of like they're one of them is gonna lose their seat. So why would so it's kind of like they quickly fix that to kind of like make it four, and like they do in Atlanto, they have a mayor, and they elect a mayor. Yep. So that was that was the easy little fix so they could keep their seats.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and real quick, I'll show people here. Um, so this is the town district map, right? Um, so you got the different districts, and I don't know if it'll actually tell you okay, which district they are per se. But um District 5, district three, district one, and so on.
SPEAKER_00If there's a district five on that, and that's an old map.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it is. Okay, well, this is what was on the official town website.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that yeah, that's right. They switched everything out, and it's like it's really confusing, but that's an old map.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. Well, I that is frustrating that it's still on their official portal and their website. So, huh?
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, I mean uh before they switched everything over, I could get everything on the agenda and and everything that was on it and and all the information. I can't get that anymore.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh here, I did find one here. Let me bring it up. Um the updated map here. Let's see if I can zoom in. There we go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's it.
SPEAKER_01So also it's a really hard map to read, I think, in general, but that's neither here nor there. Uh so interesting. But I mean, peop I think they're scared, and I think the town, if the town keeps talking about these things, keeps playing a role, keeps like being a force to be reckoned with, we can actually get things done in the town that's for the better of the city and not for the better of the council. And so that's that's why I wanted to bring you know bring bring all of this to you guys. Bring it, you know, have Ted on because he's super smart on the town politics and uh and hopefully a town council member here in about another 11 months. So hopefully God will give it every we're gonna put pelt to the middle January one. Yep. Yeah. So we we uh appreciate Ted you coming out to to talk about this stuff and to help inform the public. Our goal with with this is to do this basically the weekend before the town council meeting so people can listen and be informed.
SPEAKER_00But uh you know we'll have we're gonna have to sit down with Scott the Beard Lazy it's kind of like it's kind of like you see that it's come on my cycle it's besides got me and some beard it's the power of the beard. There you go.
Getting Topics Onto The Agenda
SPEAKER_01So um so we appreciate it. And like I said if you're listening to this make sure to check out the YouTube channel it'll be linked same name High Desert Insiders and so you could watch the uh the agenda watch Ted's beautiful face and uh and uh we'll be with you guys next week we will have an episode coming out next week of the normal show and that's uh talked to Marissa from Marissa's table the local food pantry which I'm sure you've seen Ted um on Facebook everywhere super interesting story she's opened up a food food pantry in her driveway I've seen that it's it's been that's a great wonderful thing that's kind of like and I see everybody getting in there putting their stuff in there yeah that's that that's what it that's what it's all about is telling people yeah taking care of people exactly so um so we appreciate everyone joining us today and coming on here listening and getting more informed and educated on the town so please make sure to get out there go to the town council meetings speak up and uh make sure to keep listening and uh keep staying informed. So thank you guys and uh we'll see you next week.