LAFCO grants approval

On Jan. 25, Riverside County’s Local Agency Formation Committee unanimously agreed with the Board of Supervisors’ recommendation to dissolve County Service Area 60 (Pinyon).

This is the first step in the dissolution process, according to George Spiliotis, LAFCO executive director. A public hearing for objections will be held, probably next month. However, Spiliotis said, no one attended the LAFCO meeting to speak out in opposition to the committee’s action, so he expects little to no objections going forward.

If agreed to, the final step in dissolving CSA 60 will occur this spring.

The current cash balance, about $340,000, will revert to the county, pursuant to state law.

But Michael Franklin, principal development specialist for Riverside County Economic Development Agency’s Community and Cultural Services Division, has said the remaining funds will be used for the benefit of the community, working with the Pinyon Community Council.

“Supervisor [Chuck] Washington’s office has tasked the Pinyon Community Council with working with the multiple sub-communities within Pinyon (generally delineated by the multiple water districts within the area) to provide feedback to his office about how that money can best be spent to benefit CSA 60 as a whole,” said Franklin.

Although no decisions have been made, Franklin believes, “… the funding will be spent on projects that would increase protection and preparedness for fires and other disasters that the community is vulnerable to. The goal is to get started on those things as soon as the dissolution is complete.”