Q. I have a shirt with a missing button. The only button I have to replace it has two holes, whereas the rest of the buttons on the shirt have four holes. Is it OK to replace a four-hole button with a two-hole button?
- Dale, Valle Vista
A. It depends upon the position of the button and your body type. Remember that a two-holer weighs more than a four-holer because plastic is heavier than air, so if you’ve lost the top button on your four-hole-button shirt, and you’re already a top-heavy person, you’ll want to snip off the bottom button and sew it where the top button was, then sew your heavier two-holer on at the bottom where the extra weight won’t bother you so much.
Q. Is it OK to walk around Idyllwild in platform wedge shoes?
Idyllwild Conversations is presenting “Rekindling the Trailfinders” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the Idyllwild Library.
Hosts for this special evening are Dr. Jennifer Gee, (director, James Reserve), Julie Steiger, (counselor, Idyllwild Arts), Sarah Fogelsong, (assistant director, Pathfinders) and Rick Barker, (author, moral psychology).
Everyone is invited to this free discussion on how to create the most beneficial and impactful nature program for our kids.
The Art Alliance of Idyllwild sponsored a potluck for the community Sunday at Buckhorn Camp. AAI members and others from the community brought a dish and enjoyed spending time together while indulging in great food. “Over 60 people attended the Art Alliance of Idyllwild’s community potluck on Sunday night,” Shanna Robb, event organizer, said. “It overflowed with good food and good conversation.”
I understand that a committee has been formed to create a more stringent fire code abatement program on the Hill. I found Riverside County’s current fire abatement plan online and it seems well thought out, and has fines and an ability for the county to remove and bill homeowners for fire hazards.
Looking at other surrounding areas’ fire abatement programs, I see that Julian has a much more lenient program than we have now and the majority of counties have either the same or less stringent program.
San Bernardino County is the most severe I could find and it seems we are copying that program. I guess I don’t understand why the current abatement plan enforced is not good enough. I can imagine the new fire code will be a fee-based inspection program where we will each be billed every year to have an inspector evaluate our property and this new fee or tax will go to the county.
I hope we all get involved and look at the cost of this new program.
Financial matters dominated the latest meeting of the Pine Cove Water District’s directors. The board heard from its auditor and accepted the 2013-14 audit, reviewed its first quarter 2014-15 financial report, and approved a new proposal for the renewal of two cell tower site leases.
Past: 2013-14 audit
“The district is in good financial shape. There are no significant audit findings,” reported Terry Shea, partner at Rogers, Anderson, Malody & Scott, LLP, the district’s auditor. PCWD’s ratio of current assets to liabilities is 4:1, which is very good since most districts are about 2:1, according to Shea.
However, he did advise the board to look at ways, including rate changes, to raise more cash over the next three to five years.
“Consider cutting costs or loans or raising revenue to get cash [balance] up,” he recommended. His warning was because PCWD had a cash balance of about $200,000 at the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2014). Annual expenditures are about $600,000 or $50,000 monthly, and he recommends that his clients maintain a cash availability of about four to six months of expenses.
“If a fire or earthquake occurred, you need to build cash,” Shea said. Emphasizing his admonition, Shea noted that PCWD’s cash balance declined about $45,000 this past year, which was largely attributable to greater investments in infrastructure and a land purchase.
The last rate increase was approved in January 2011 and implemented a $3 increase in the bi-monthly minimum level on Feb. 1, 2011 and again each of the next two years to the current level of $53 bi-monthly. PCWD General Manager Jerry Holldber indicated that he will evaluate PCWD’s financial condition over the next few months and may recommend a rate increase to the board then.
Present: 2014-15 budget
At the end of the first quarter of the current fiscal year (Sept. 30), PCWD had received about 18 percent of expected revenues. There are normal collections since property tax revenue is not received until mid-December.
“Everything is on target for this time of year,” reported Holldber.
Expenses for the first three months were about 29 percent of projected costs. Salaries and benefits were about 27 percent, while other categories were slightly higher because full annual costs of some items, such as insurance, were paid in the first quarter.
PCWD has already expended about 60 percent of its projected overtime costs. Holldber explained that was caused by one employee on extended sick leave and another, Jerry Johnson, resigning last month.
“More overtime, but less salary,” noted President Michael Esnard.
Director Lou Padula noted that PCWD had awarded several customers $25 each for identifying and reporting water leaks.
“It’s the best program,” responded Office Manager Becky Smith. “We have spent about $400 in the three years since it began and it’s saved a lot of water.”
Future
The board also reviewed and approved a proposed extension of the current tower contracts with AT&T and T-Mobile.
The new terms include a 15-percent rental increase for AT&T. Both companies will reimburse PCWD for maintenance of the sites, extend the leases to October 2049, guarantee the rental payments for 10 years and provide potentially $7,500 in bonus payments if the amended leases are signed within 60 days.
Also, Holldber said he has approached a firm to research the status of the district’s property tax revenue from the county. For several years, there have been questions about its accuracy.
“For some time, how little property tax [revenue PCWD receives] bugs us,” Holldber said. After discussing the subject with legal counsel, he is investigating the possibility of using a firm to research the collection and allocation of these tax payments.
After Shea advised the board to look at alternatives to increase its cash, Holldber agreed and said he plans to review the options of possible future rate increases. Revenue changes may occur once the district has revised Ordinance 4, which addresses its rules and procedures. PCWD’s legal counsel is currently reviewing this ordinance from the 1950s and subsequent amendments.
Maybe the Town Crier readers are able to come up with ideas to help Jeff Stone, state senator-elect, and CalTrans with solutions to motorcycle fatalities in our mountains.
May we hear from readers in The Crier’s letters to the editor.
The litigation filed against California’s State Regulated Area Fire Fee has been dormant for many months. Lawyers for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, who filed the suit, have reported that the case is still active and work is continuing.
“Our legal department is currently working on a phase of the case known as ‘discovery,’ where both sides are given the opportunity to ask each other for relevant information,” HJTA reported last week. “After our attorneys sent the state’s lawyers formal questions and requests for important documents, the state sent back 13,000 pages of material.”
The Fire Prevention Fee was enacted in July 2011. After the State Board of Forestry adopted regulations for assessing and collecting the $150 fee, HJTA filed its lawsuit alleging the fee was actually a tax in October 2012. If the court agrees it is a tax, then its enactment was flawed because taxes require the approval of two-thirds of the legislature.
A Hemet man, arrested June 20, 2014, in Idyllwild on felony charges that were dropped to one misdemeanor, has had his case dismissed in Riverside County Superior Court.
As reported in the Town Crier Aug. 14, Jason Michael Roney, 24, was arrested June 20, 2014, on several felony charges in Idyllwild. Roney’s court charge was dropped to one misdemeanor for suspicion of possession of cannabis.
The case was dismissed Nov. 12 in the interests of justice.