Roeser, Jones address Fourth District and Inyo County issues
Candidates field questions during forum
Incumbent Fourth District Inyo County supervisor Jennifer Roeser and challenger Ginevieve “Ginny” Jones addressed issues facing the county in general and the Fourth District specifically during a candidate forum in Big Pine on Feb. 2.
Organized by the Big Pine Community Association, the event filled the Big Pine town hall.
Roeser led off with a quick introduction. She and husband, Lee, operated the McGee Creek Pack Station for decades until selling recently and also run the 8 Mile Ranch north of Independence. She is running for her second term on the board. The supervisor job is a “full-time position,” and she stressed her primary approach to the job is “building relationships.”
Jones is a member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe and has served as tribal chairperson. She earned a teaching degree and was the first Native American teacher in the Big Pine Schools, and then worked for the Owens Valley Career Development
“you may delay, but time will not.”
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INDEX QUOTE OF THE DAY
Benjamin Franklin
Center for 21 years. She said her main issues would be conservation, sustainable development, protecting the county’s sacred places, such as Conglomerate Mesa (which is being eyed as a potential site for a gold mine), and creating “housing opportunities for all.” She added she would be proud to be the first Native American woman to serve as a county supervisor.
ladWP issues
The first prepared question revolved around the relationship between the county and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the ongoing issues between the two.
Jones said, “the valley has suffered” under the Long-Term Water Agreement because a number of the agreement’s protocols are “flawed,” the most significant being using vegetation monitoring instead of “depth-to-water” to measure impacts of groundwater pumping on local aquifers. She said the mandated 75-acre “land releases” from LADWP to the public have not occurred and should, and the Lower Owens River Project should also be completed.
Roeser said the LTWA “has flaws,” but that the “landmark document” has accomplished some good regarding pumping and vegetation cover. She added the county Water Department staff is very capable and has done well monitoring LADWP. Besides the land releases, another key issue is “land tenure,” she said.
Citizens and local governments have short-term land leases from LADWP which prevent them from obtaining grants and other outside funding. The key to dealing with those leases and other issues is developing a good “relationship” with LADWP.
County and tribes Next came a question about county supervisors representing tribal mem
bers, but also recognizing tribal sovereignty, carrying out mandated tribal consultation before county actions, and issues facing local tribes.
Roeser said the required government-to-government consultation has been “effective,” but in some cases it feels more like a “check the box and move on” process. Her approach representing tribal members and all others is to work “one-to-one” with people and truly listen to them. She is working with Frontier Communications to bring fiber optic cable to the Big Pine tribe, and Big Pine as the first locations in the county to have the expanded digital access. A number of agricultural projects and housing opportunities on the reservation are also in the works, she said.
Jones said the county and its leaders or representatives have “not been proactive” in consulting with the tribes or even taking the time to attend tribal meetings or other tribal events. Specifically, the county could be more “collaborative” on zoning and water issues, including working to improve Main Street in Big Pine. On water, she said the Big Pine tribe has presented numerous ideas to reduce pumping in the Big Pine wellfield, but those have not been considered. County services ranging from education, health and human services, the sheriff’s department and the courts are all “important to all.”
Economic development The topics of economic development and tourism was addressed by the candidates.
Jones said “protecting the land and water, wildlife and scenery” is critical to attracting tourists. The pronew posed Town to Trails
Project is an example of a regional approach, as is the Small Business Resource Center. She said bringing broadband internet to the entire county would help with economic development, as would a good, strategic plan.
Roeser said for the most part, economic development and tourism promotion depends on “the private sector,” and in general the role of government is
“to get out of the way.” She has worked on national rural outdoor recreation initiatives. She said the Adventure Trails program will end at the end of 2024, and she is working with OHV groups and others to shape a new program. The improvements it the Buttermilks climbing area completed with the Forest Service, input from Starlite residents and other groups were an example of cooperative problem solving.
Housing, EMS, air service
The housing shortage and potential solutions were also addressed.
Roeser said the county should “quit fighting” with LADWP and work to get the promised 75 acres of land released under the LTWA, and another 240 acres of LADWP land that was promised to be released as part of the Manzanar National Historic Site agreement. She noted the county sued
LADWP to acquire the county landfills and lost, and that was the wrong approach.
Jones said besides the LADWP land releases, the county and tribes could work to develop existing vacant parcels for housing. Rezoning in towns to allow mixed-use commercial and residential uses and being more flexible with
Accessory Dwelling Units would also help. She said the county could work to find grants to help fund housing rehabilitating older homes, and also explore public-private partnerships to build housing.
Both agreed the county had to find some way to support volunteer fire departments and ambulance services throughout the county and that senior housing and long-term care facilities should also be addressed.
Both also agree the Bishop Airport and commercial air service benefited citizens, tourism and economic development efforts and the county should continue to invest in the airport. Roeser said the county should not contribute to the airline subsidies that make commercial flights possible, since about 80% of those travelers go to Mammoth and Mammoth Mountain. “Mammoth Lakes Tourism has plenty of money” to fund the subsidies, she said.