NEWS BRIEFS: June 13, 2024
NEWS BRIEFS: June 13, 2024
Bilderain seeks a 3rd term, Chuckwalla National Monument meeting, Bingham hearing delayed, County releases revised STR report
BILDERAIN ANNOUNCES COUNCIL RUN
Current Mayor and District 1 representative Steven Bilderain capped an appearance on the z107.7 Up Close show on Friday, June 7, by announcing that he is running for a third term on City Council. When asked directly by host Gary Daigneault, Bilderain replied, “I will be running for re-election, yes….I talked to my children to see if we wanted to do this again and they’re, like, ‘do it, Dad’.”
There are multiple rumored candidates for the District 1 seat but Bilderain is the first to formally announce. Candidates will begin pulling nomination papers on July 15. Interested candidates can refer to our overview on how to run and make an appointment with the City Clerk for filing papers. Bilderain offered campaign advice on our site in 2022, and we recently interviewed Council member Octavious Scott on his successful 2024 run.
PUBLIC MEETING ON CHUCKWALLA NATIONAL MONUMENT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 14
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is taking public comment on Friday June 14, at 10 am on the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument. Per the Morongo Basin Conservation Association (MBCA), tribal members, environmental organizations, and desert supporters are all expected to attend.
The 627,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument consists of land located south of Interstate 10, reaching west from the Coachella Valley region to the east near the Colorado River. The proposal also includes a 17,000-acre expansion at the eastern end of Joshua Tree National Park.
The meeting is located at the Riverside County Fairgrounds, Taj Mahal building, 82-503 CA-111, Indio, CA 92201. The MBCA suggests arriving by 9am and is taking reservations and offering transportation assistance if needed.
CHRISTOPHER BINGHAM HEARING DELAYED TO JULY 19
There’s been little Morongo Basin coverage since Sheriff’s Deputy and Twentynine Palms resident Christopher Bingham was arrested on April 4. The owner of the closed O'Three Tactical Gun store is charged with 13 felony counts including Street Gang Terrorism and Possession of Destructive Device in a Private Habitation — 160 firearms were taken from his home including an automatic assault rifle with attached grenade launcher. Bingham has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies being affiliated with the Mongols Motorcycle Club.
Bingham’s arrest received national coverage with reporting from Los Angeles to New York. However, the most comprehensive coverage is being written by investigative reporter Joe Nelson at the San Bernardino Sun, whose last story was filed on April 25.
Per Nelson’s reporting, Bingham’s attorney is claiming that “the arrest was unlawful due to lack of probable cause and because the arresting San Bernardino County deputy, Robert Stucki, lacked jurisdiction since the arrest was in Riverside County.”
A pretrial hearing, originally scheduled for May 10, has been delayed to July 19.
SB COUNTY REPORT REASSESSES STR IMPACT IN JOSHUA TREE
San Bernardino County has released a Technical Memorandum dated May 2024 addressing the impact of Short Term Rentals (STRs) on housing in unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. While the report concludes that STRs do not have a substantial impact on housing in “most unincorporated Mountain and East Desert communities,” it indicates that, “however, an accumulation of data and analysis of key factors indicates that STR activity is negatively affecting the long-term ownership and rental housing market in Joshua Tree.”
The Morongo Basin Conservation Association (MBCA) circulated a response to the original report in December 2023. These reports, referred to as “Program 4 Studies,” are being prepared for the San Bernardino County Housing Element, for which the State requires an assessment of STR impacts. The MBCA maintains that the current report still falls short:
MBCA believes the requirements of the Program 4 Study, upon which the acceptance of the current Housing Element by the State is conditioned, have not been addressed in the Technical Memorandum to be considered.The memorandum does not: Address if a limit on STRs is needed. (Land Use Services is not recommending any limits on STRs)
•Evaluate incentives to encourage long-term rentals.
•Accurately study transition from long-term to short-term rentals.
•Study the displacement caused by STRs.
•Evaluate STR impacts on motels/hotels.
The MBCA asserts that the County should see the Program 4 Study as “an opportunity, which has yet to be realized, to support the health of our local economy and communities.”
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