EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS
March 7, 2013–(San Diego’s East County)–East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include: LOCAL/REGIONAL San Diego-based air traffic control errors soar (U-T San Diego) Rising permitting fees driving up housing prices in East County (EC Californian) Manzanita health study (The Alpine Sun) SD’s Share of Federal Homelessness Funding Doesn’t Add Up (Voice of San Diego) San Diego City Council To Consider $600K Settlement Over 2011 Blackout ( KPBS) Mayor recommends funding of homeless shelter, public restrooms (SD CityBeat) Lakeside residents use Facebook for neighborhood watch (Fox) Ramona utility demands big money from ratepayers (10 News) Blackbird foot malady poses mystery (U—T San Diego) Cassandra Steppat Crowned Miss La Mesa, City’s First Title-Holder of Color (La Mesa Patch) Call to action: Master plan threatens historic spring house at Collier Park: (La Mesa Today) STATE Former parks employee fined by ethics commission (Sacramento Bee) New bill would separate reform CPUC hierarchy (Sacramento Bee) Republican leaders emphasize Latino candidates (Sacramento Bee) Read more for excerpts and links to full stories. LOCAL/REGIONAL San Diego-based air traffic control errors soar (U-T San Diego) March 5, 2013–Air traffic control errors — such as allowing planes to fly too close together — rose sharply across the nation in recent years, with the highest increase coming from the San Diego-based hub that manages air traffic for much of Southern California, according to a federal audit released this week. The increases are “dramatic” and “continue to be a major air safety concern,” concluded the report by the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Rising permitting fees driving up housing prices in East County (EC Californian) February 27, 2013–According to local developers and permitting professionals, the costs associated with permitting have become so arduous that it is driving up the cost of living for consumers. Residential experts report that the cost of building a new home may be as high as $85,000 in East County communities such as Santee, representing 20 percent of the cost of an average middle-class home. Greg Brown, the owner of New West Investment Groups, says there are two phases of permitting that take place for his multi-lot projects. The first step is the entitlement process for commercial and residential projects. “The regulators get to decide what you do — or don’t do — on your own property,” explained Brown. “This sort of thing takes $50,000 (per house) and two years in San Diego. Manzanita health study (The Alpine Sun) February 15, 2013–A study currently under way to assess possible health impacts to residents due to wind turbines on the Campo reservation is expected to be finished in the fall — and researchers hope to find the money to expand it into a regional study. Lead researcher Arcela Nuñez-Alvarez, Ph.D., of the National Latino Research Center said the numbers, so far “…show some trends that I think deserve more attention.” Preliminary numbers in the small population being studied show that 68 percent of the households are suffering from chronic sleep disorders – an oft-mentioned complaint of people who live near turbines – and the same percentage reported emerging respiratory problems. SD’s Share of Federal Homelessness Funding Doesn’t Add Up (Voice of San Diego) March 6, 2013– San Diego has the third-highest homeless population among major American cities. But it ranks 18th when it comes to a key source of federal funding to combat homelessness. And thanks to an archaic rule that governs how the money is distributed, there’s very little San Diego can do to move itself up in the receiving line. San Diego City Council To Consider $600K Settlement Over 2011 Blackout ( KPBS) March 4, 2013– The San Diego City Council is scheduled to consider tomorrow paying more than $600,000 to settle civil allegations of violations related to the failure of two sewage pump stations during the widespread blackout in September 2011. After the electricity went out, about 2.6 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Sorrento Valley from one station and eventually flowed to Los Penasquitos Creek. Another 870,000 gallons spilled from the other station into the Sweetwater River. Mayor recommends funding of homeless shelter, public restrooms (SD CityBeat) February 27, 2013–For the first time in, well, ever, San Diego’s winter homeless shelter could be open through the spring. The city’s mid-year budget-monitoring report, presented at today’s meeting of the City Council’s Budget Committee, projects a $5.5-million surplus for the fiscal year ending in June. Of that money, $3.6 million’s available for spending and Mayor Bob Filner set out how he’d like to spend it: Lakeside residents use Facebook for neighborhood watch (Fox) March 4, 2013–A local neighborhood is using the power of social media to fight crime. Members of the Eucalyptus Hills Community are using Facebook as a new form of neighborhood watch and now the rural homeowners are closer than ever. “The neighbors definitely feel like they know what’s going on in the community,” Lakeside resident Dennis Richardson said. The Eucalyptus Hills Facebook page has become the new epicenter of a community that is spread out. Ramona utility demands big money from ratepayers (10 News) February 25, 2013–The Ramona Municipal Water District is demanding ratepayers pay up or face a shut off. Team 10 found the public utility asking for tens of thousands of dollars from private business owners. Business owners said they don’t know why they got one-time water bills for tens of thousands of dollars. Blackbird foot malady poses mystery (U—T San Diego) March 4, 2013–“When you look at the landscape of things going on in wildlife, you’re going to focus on things that cause mortality rather than nonfatal foot problems,” Rideout said. A chronic condition can become catastrophic, however, if other factors — such as changes in habitat, predation or other pathogens — set the stage for decline. Cassandra Steppat Crowned Miss La Mesa, City’s First Title-Holder of Color (La Mesa Patch) March 2, 2013–The final act of La Mesa’s historic centennial year was five years in the making. Cassandra Steppat—after finishing first runner-up in 2012 and out of the top spot in four other tries for Miss