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ASSISTANT WARDEN WELCOMED— Teresa Butt, at right, recently-appointed
assistant warden at the California City Correctional Center, was welcomed
to the city at last week’s California City Economic Development Corporation
breakfast by Police Chief Steve Colerick. Butt is a 26-year veteran of
the Federal Bureau of Prisons and before that was a Santa Barbara County
sheriff’s deputy. She told Colerick she is available to work with youth
groups and schools and help the department in any way. BILL DEAVER/Desert
News
CalCity OHV fee raises $45,000 since April
Trails to town being developed
QUOTE: “99 percent of the people paying it support the fee.”— Police
Chief Steve Colerick
BY BILL DEAVER
CALIFORNIA CITY — A new fee charged out-of-town off-highway vehicle
(OHV) enthusiasts has generated a whopping $45,000 since it was imposed
in April.
California City Police Chief Steve Colerick announced the figure at
last week’s California City Economic Development Corporation breakfast,
adding that “99 percent of the people paying it support the fee.”
Colerick also noted that fee collections began right before the OHV
season ended as summer began.
“It should begin picking-up again about Labor Day,” Colerick told his
audience. OHV riders don’t usually brave high summer temperatures.
The city charges out-of-town OHV users a $40 fee for a “rig” with up
to four vehicles, or $8 for individual riders. Fees allow riders to use
the city’s sewage dump site and water and Borax Bill Park, and ride in
the huge city, for one year.
City residents are required to obtain the permits, which are available
at the police department for free, Colerick said.
Trails to town
Work is underway to develop trails that will allow OHV enthusiasts
to ride their off-highway vehicles to city businesses legally, Colerick
said.
“We’re working to allow them access to three areas,” he explained.
First-up is the city airport and Foxy’s Restaurant. That will be followed
by access to businesses at the IMC mini-mall, and then businesses on the
east end of town.
Other communities, including Randsburg and Ridgecrest, have made it
possible for vehicles licenced solely for off-highway use to use trails
to visit in-town businesses.
Colerick said the arrangement will increase even more the money the
OHV community spends in the city. California City has thousands of acres
of open land popular with OHV enthusiasts. He said all infrastructure costs
for the routes will be paid for by the OHV fees and the $300,000 state
OHV grant the city receives.
Making park safe
Colerick was commended by city officials and residents, including Parks
and Recreation Director Michelle Hornback, for the police department’s
tough stand during the recent Independence Day celebration at Central Park.
Colerick said a fence was erected around the park and “unruly” people
were not admitted or told to leave.
“It had gotten to the point that law-abiding residents were not being
allowed to use the park” at events like the July 4th observance, Colerick
said. “That’s changed!”
The approach, which will be in place during Desert Tortoise Days and
other park events, is part of the police department’s “aggressive approach”
to gangs and drugs, Colerick said.
Hornback said the department’s actions on July 4th resulted in no incidents.
Colerick also said the department’s new police dog proved his mettle
recently when he “knocked our 6-2, 240-lb. sergeant on his butt!” The dog
was purchased through donations from the community and from businesses
including Corrections Corporations of America and Honda.
National Night Out
The department and its Broken Arrow youth group will again sponsor
the annual “National Night Out” in the park on Tuesday, August 5th. The
event will include the department’s Child Identification program, free
food, and other activities.
Asked why graffiti seems to have disappeared from the city, Colerick
commended city public works employees, whom he said remove it as soon as
it appears.
“We also ‘work with’ the people we catch doing this,” Colerick said.
“The biggest deterrent to graffiti is to clean it up as soon as it appears.”
Finally, Colerick thanked city residents and the city council for their
support of the police department.
“Even when times are tough they could not be more supportive,” he said.