Looking back at 2022, part 2
The year closed with fires, flooding and local elections
(Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part series looking back at the year of 2022 in Inyo County and the region. This part looks at the last six months of the year while the first part, published in the Dec. 29 edition, reviewed the first half of the year.)
July
July 5 - “Chamber reports hotel occupancy holding steady” – Tawni Thomson, executive director of the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce, reported that hotel occupancy rates continue to track upwards toward pre-pandemic levels.
Thomson said that the May 2022 average occupancy was 68.5%, which was higher than 2020. She said while the rate was lower than 2021, it was exactly the same as May 2019.
The average daily hotel rate for May 2022 in Bishop was $133, she reported.
Thomson said the first half of June is tracking in line with 2019 occupancy.
July 7 - “Court rules in favor of DWP” – The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has prevailed in the legal dispute over providing irrigation water to ranch leases in Long Valley and Little Round Valley, in Mono County.
An appeals court ruled LADWP is not mandated to provide irrigation water to several ranch leases covering 6,100 acres of LADWP land. Mono County and the Sierra Club sued LADWP in 2018 over planned elimination of irrigation water on the agricultural lands. That change in historic practices would take place without completing an environmental analysis of the impacts of such a move.
The appeals court ruling reversed an Alameda Superior Court decision that found in favor of Mono County and the Sierra Club in 2021. The superior court ruled that changing lease terms in 2018 to eliminate any irrigation on the LADWP land triggered the California Environmental Quality Act, thus LADWP was required to complete an environmental report on potential impacts of the reduction in irrigation water.
July 12 - “Fairview Fire destroys nine homes in West Bishop” – The Fairview Fire that broke out in West Bishop July 8 was declared 100% contained as of noon July 10 after destroying nine homes and damaging four others.
High winds, along with narrow access areas, propane tank involvement, and a lack of nearby fire hydrants severely hampered fire-fighting efforts. Firefighters were forced to withdraw from Fairview Circle and had to fight the fire from Watterson Road. Seventeen water tenders made multiple trips to draft sites and fire hydrants to provide enough water to suppress the blaze.
July 14 - “Inyo County hits ‘High’ level of COVID transmission” – Inyo County is currently in the High transmission level of the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Index after seeing a 104% increase in total cases in the first two weeks of July compared to the first two weeks of
June, according to the county’s epidemiology report dated July 10.
The Inyo County Public Health and Prevention report states that while there are currently no county COVID-19-related mandates in place, to protect the community from COVID-19, Public Health and Prevention make several prevention measures and recommendations for all individuals.
July 14 - “City council approves plans for two commercial cannabis retailers” – The Bishop City Council selected two applicants to move forward in the process in obtaining cannabis storefront permits, both of which would be located on Main Street.
The applicants, both of which received high marks during an evaluation process, and their associated locations are listed as Alluvial Management, LLC, doing business as Ascent, LLC, located at 174 N. Main St., which is the Schat Communications building, and NUG Holdings One, LLC, located at 175 S. Main St., which is the building that used to house La Casita.
The city’s ordinance regarding commercial cannabis, which the council passed in 2021, allows for only two storefront cannabis retailers and two non-storefront cannabis retailers, which would be delivery services. The city hasn’t received any applications for cannabis delivery services.
July 23 - “Jail staff points out ‘concerns’ to grand jury” – A lack of mental health services, job training and educational opportunities for inmates in the Inyo County Jail has created a situation where the jail is “a revolving door” for numerous inmates, according to what senior jail administrative staff told the 202122 Inyo County Grand Jury.
The jail staff said that lack of rehabilitation services is a major concern, but Sheriff’s Department and correctional staff “feel they are largely powerless to address the situation,” according the recently released Inyo County Grand Jury Report.
The Inyo County Grand Jury, like its counterparts across the state, has only a “watchdog” function.
The full grand jury report is available at the Inyo County Superior Court website at wwww. inyocounty.us.
July 26 - “Fire strikes in Darwin” – A fire broke out Sunday morning near Darwin that reportedly destroyed two homes. A call for mutual aid went out which brought agencies from throughout the region to assist.
July 28 - “County cuts red tape for fire victims, restaurants” – Inyo County has reduced some regulatory red tape for fire victims and restaurant owners. Inyo County will waive building and planning fees for residents seeking to rebuild their homes that were destroyed in the recent Fairview Fire and the two homes lost in the fire in Darwin.
The county also adjusted its zoning codes to allow restaurant owners to continue providing outdoor dining spaces with a minimum of paperwork.
County staff estimated that construction and building permit and plan check fees for the nine residences lost in the Fairview Fire would total about $20,000 if normal fees were charged.
July 30 - “Sterling Studios get Planning Commision OK” – The need for more housing overruled concerns about traffic and parking when the Bishop Planning Commission voted to clear the way for the former Sterling Heights assisted living building to be converted into rental apartments.
Aaron Schat has purchased the building and the home on the lot next door. He proposed creating a total of 69 “workforce housing” rental units, consisting of 58 studio apartments and 11 two-room suites. The application states the studios would rent for $1,000 a month with the suites going for $1,500 a month.
The complex located at 369 East Pine Street will be renamed Sterling Studios.
Schat’s application states the goal of the project is to “sub-lease directly to local business to guarantee workforce housing.” For example, a business would secure a set number of units, then the business would make “its” units available to its employees or contractors.
August
Aug. 4 - “County continues road work after Sunday’s flash flooding” – Inyo County Public Works crews continue to clear roadways and make repairs after July 31’s flash flooding rushed through the southern part of the county, Inyo County Public Works Director Mike Errante said.
“Our crews are working on clearing out culverts that were buried, some of them as much as 12 to 15 feet with mud and debris,” Errante said.
Aug. 9 - “Death Valley experiences 1,000-year rain event with weekend storms” – Rain this weekend was a historic event, with nearly a year’s worth of rain falling in three hours. The 1.46 inches of rain recorded at Furnace Creek is still preliminary data, and mere drops away from the all-time record of 1.47 inches. The rain caused widespread damage and closure of all park roads.
“The heavy rain that caused the devastating flooding at Death Valley was an extremely rare, 1,000-year event,” said Daniel Berc, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Las Vegas. “A 1,000-year event doesn’t mean it happens once per 1,000 years, rather that there is a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.”
Major impacts include the loss of a critical portion of the Cow Creek water system that serves some park residences as well as park facilities including the Emergency Operations Building and maintenance yard. More than 600 feet of the water main was blown out by flash floods, causing catastrophic damage to this system.
Aug. 11 - “City staff to start sign ordinance enforcement” – City Associate Planner and Economic Development Coordinator Elaine Kabala said city staff will begin more actively enforcing the city’s recently passed sign ordinance this week starting with letters that will go out to property owners with signs that violate the city code.
Kabala said staff will be looking at some of the more problematic signs.
The sign ordinance that the city adopted this year limits the number of signs permitted for each storefront and sets maximum size limits for each type of sign. The sign ordinance also prohibits temporary banners over 30 days, abandoned signage, billboards and attention-getting devices, such as feather flags.
Aug. 13 - “Bishop Paiute Tribe swears-in new council members” – Two new community members were sworn onto the Bishop Tribal Council during the regular Bishop Paiute Tribal Council meeting on Aug. 11.
Meryl Picard and Mitchell David took their oaths of office after being elected at the tribe’s general election on July 12. Both Picard and David were elected to four-year terms.
Current council members Jeff Romero, Steven Orihuela and Joyce White all have two years remaining on their terms.
Picard was elected as the new tribal chairwoman, Romero was re-elected as vice chair and Orihuela was re-elected as secretary/treasurer.
Aug. 18 - “County appoints new chief administrative officer” – The
Inyo County Board of Supervisors appointed Nathan “Nate” Greenberg to become the new Inyo County chief administrative officer.
Greenberg has been a resident of the Eastern Sierra for decades. He has extensive local government experience with Mono County, where he has held a variety of positions since the year 2000 and is currently serving as the information technology director.
Greenberg has served as chairman of the California Broadband Cooperative Board of Directors, president and founding member of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, and has served as faculty for the California State Association of Counties Institute, among other accolades.
The county chief administrative officer reviews, monitors, and recommends county structure, programs, services, and budgets while supervising the administration of all department heads
and units of government over which the county board of supervisors has responsibility.
- “IMACA board appoints new director” – The board of directors for Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action Agency has appointed Kelly Barceloux to be the new executive director for the social services organization starting in September.
Barceloux has many years of experience working at IMACA as the Community Connection for Children and Facilities director, she served as vice chair of the local Child Abuse Prevention Council, and is a trauma informed care trainer.
Due to staffing issues and cash-flow challenges, IMACA downsized significantly earlier this year.
Aug. 27 September Sept. 3
- “NIHD CEO to step down in December” – After more than a year at the helm of the region’s largest health care facility, Chief Executive Officer
Kelli Davis will be stepping down in December.
During her tenure, Davis implemented timely internal budgeting procedures, created a Return on Investment Committee, and led the district through a worldwide pandemic that saw unprecedented health care challenges for patients and staff.
She also played a critical role in guiding the district’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment. Also, she was able to spotlight the quality care and consistent longevity of both the district with its 75th Anniversary and the Rural Health Clinic with its 20th Anniversary.
- “Main roads, popular attractions open in Death Valley” – The main roads into Death Valley National Park that were damaged by massive debris flows in August during the most widespread natural disaster in the park’s history have been reopened after weeks of hard work. In addition, many of the park’s most
Sept. 6
popular visitor destinations are also open for visitors, as are hotels, motels, restaurants and other amenities.
However, the road providing access to the park through Beatty, Nev., remains closed and a number of other roads in the park are also still closed, and it will likely take months to fully reopen, officials said.
- “ESTA introduces first all-electric vehicle to fleet” – Eastern Sierra Transit Authority marked a major milestone in its history by announcing the addition of its first all-electric transit vehicle to its fleet.
This Ford transit passenger van is fully accessible with a wheelchair ramp and can accommodate nine passengers.
The van will be used primarily for Dial-A-Ride service in Bishop and has a range of up to 120 miles on a single charge.
- “Northern Inyo Hospital hires new CFO” – Northern Inyo Healthcare District recently appointed 20-year health care veteran Stephen DelRossi its new chief financial officer. Del Rossi comes to Bishop with extensive experience from across the country in large health systems and in critical access hospitals similar to NIHD.
DelRossi will oversee the district’s financial planning and analysis, financial accounting, hospital and professional billing, patient accessibility, medical records, materials management, and purchasing.
The new CFO’s arrival at NIHD parallels a critical juncture in the healthcare industry’s future. Across the nation, rural health facilities are reducing patient services, facing staff shortages, struggling to meet economic demands, and in more and more cases, closing their doors.
Sept. 15 Sept. 24 October Oct. 15
- “Land questions top topic between Inyo and LA” – Land, not water, was the top topic at the Inyo-Los Angeles Standing Committee meeting in Independence.
Inyo County residents and officials urged the leaders of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to move more aggressively to prioritize crafting and approving long-term leases or outright land sales from the department’s massive land holdings in Inyo County. Freeing up LADWP land for housing and other uses, from campgrounds to landfills, has become a critical issue in Inyo County, and needs to be addressed with a collaborative process between the county and LADWP.
- “City reviews state housing allotment options” – The Bishop City Council discussed state funding the city will be applying for in order to increase housing within the city limits, also known as Permanent Local Housing Allocation funding.
State funding for the city could total about $362,000 with the city’s application due at the end of the month.
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors had a similar discussion as the county decides what to do with its allotment of more than $600,000.
City and county staff currently are looking at programs for loan-interest loans and grants for housing unit rehabilitation and auxiliary dwelling unit construction. Staff has had discussions exploring a potential joint venture for program implementation, including working with third-party administrators to manage the program.
- “County hires wildfire preparation coordinator” – Inyo County has hired Kristen Pfeiler as a full-time, temporary wildfire prevention county coordinator through a state grant to assist in county-wide education and coordination efforts regarding prevention and protection from wildfire. The position is funded through the California Fire Safe Council 2022 County Coordinator grant allocation for $175,000.
The purpose of the grant is to develop local
Oct. 18 Oct. 20
and regional capacity and coordination to encourage collaboration between all fire mitigation and emergency preparedness groups. The majority of the $175,000 will go toward funding the new wildfire preparedness county coordinator position. Funds also will cover supplies, travel and training.
- “County plans upgrades to senior centers” – Inyo County will soon be embarking on a multi-year effort to complete more than $400,000 worth of infrastructure improvements and equipment upgrades at its Bishop, Lone Pine, and Tecopa senior centers.
Funding for the projects is provided by the Home and Community Based Services Nutrition Infrastructure Grant Program and is intended to prioritize purchasing, upgrading, or refurbishing infrastructure to produce and distribute congregate or home-delivered meals. The grants come at a critical time when counties across the nation are working to ensure service delivery can keep up with the growing aging population.
The Eastern Sierra Area Agency on Aging, a program of HHS, has been allocated $526,136 for projects at senior center facilities in both Inyo and Mono counties; $420,136 will be spent in Inyo County and $106,000 in Mono.
Oct. 29
- “Hospital workers file bad faith bargaining charges against NIHD” – Registered nurses and patient care and technical workers, who have been in bargaining with the Northern Inyo Healthcare District administration since July, held an informational picket on Line Street in front of hospital Oct. 28 after they filed unfair practice charges against the district the week prior because of “the district’s refusal to bargain in good faith.”
Both contracts expire on Oct. 31. The charges describe the district’s behavior as “surface bargaining,” essentially pretending
Oct. 29
to go through the motions without fulfilling its good faith obligations under California law.
November Nov. 17
- “LADWP to reduce water exports” – The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will reduce water exports from the Owens Valley but will slightly increase the amount of groundwater it expects to pump from the valley’s aquifers.
The Inyo County Water Department once again urged LADWP to cut back on its pumping totals for the current water year to only the amount needed for “in-valley uses.” In its comment letter, the Water Department said the initial and revised pumping totals in wellfields where vegetation is “chronically below baseline is environmentally harmful.”
Representatives from the Big Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe and the local chapter of the Sierra Club also criticized the pumping plan and suggested the time might have arrived to dramatically lower groundwater pumping while making a greater effort to fully and successfully complete numerous enhancement and mitigation projects.
- “New team finds red ink at Northern Inyo Hospital” – The recently installed financial team at the Northern Inyo Hospital District has spent the last two months reviewing the books and recently delivered a somber message: A number of “egregious” errors and omissions by the former Chief Financial Officer Vinay Behl understated the district’s previous and ongoing budget deficits by millions of dollars.
New Chief Financial Officer Stephen DelRossi told the NIHD Board of Directors that the district actually ended last fiscal year more than $3 million in the red, and has been running monthly budget deficits over the last three months that have put the district about $9 million in the red during this current
Nov. 19
fiscal year. That has made the district cover about
$12 million in deficit spending since the start of the fiscal year on July 1.
DelRossi told the board that the district’s overall balance sheet and reserves are still healthy and have been able to absorb the deficit spending.
A number of steps were laid out by DelRossi and approved by the hospital CEO to help manage the new budget reality. Those include adding staff and oversight in two departments, strictly conforming to “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” and healthcare industry accounting standards, and providing more financial information to the board and the public.
- “County clerk certifies election results” – Inyo County Clerk/ Registrar of Voters Danielle Sexton certified results of the Nov. 8 election last week, which shows that the county officially will have a new sheriff and two new members to the board of county supervisors. Results included
Inyo County sheriff Stephanie Rennie, 3,630 (51.87%)
Eric Pritchard, 3,368 votes (48.13%)
District 1 supervisor Trina M. Orrill, 880 votes (55.70%)
Jeff Gabriel, 700 votes (44.30%)
District 3 supervisor Scott E. Marcellin, 763 votes (52.80%)
Kody Jaeger, 682 votes (47.20%)
Nov. 29 December Dec. 10
- “County to create work group to evaluate business license proposal” – The Inyo County Board of Supervisors instructed county staff to form a workgroup that would evaluate requiring business licenses in the unincorporated parts of the county.
Currently the only businesses required to have licenses are cannabis-related businesses. Supervisors have expressed a desire to see business licenses required for short-term rental operators as well.