By TR Robertson
In what he hopes will become a re-occurring event, District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond hosted an online update and question and answer session for Vista residents on Thursday. The event began with Communications Director Miles Himmel introducing the session and introducing Supervisor Desmond. The Supervisor introduced his staff and gave those watching a brief description of his background.
Supervisor Desmond is a U.S. Navy Veteran, served as an airline captain for Delta for 33 years as well as Mayor of San Marcos for 12 years. He has a degree in Engineering and is now the County Supervisor for District 5. The Supervisors budget for all 5 Supervisors is $6.4 billion as they deal with a variety of issues that include Health and Human Services and Environmental Health as well as a multitude of other issues. Over 18,000 County employees work with them.
The Supervisor next gave a COVID-19 Vaccine Update. Those 16 & over are now eligible. Over 2 million vaccines have been administered. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently on pause as some medical issues are being studied. There are over 200 places to get the vaccine and a county website lists many of the locations. One issue is the amount of vaccines currently available. Currently many outdoor and indoor facilities are open with regulations in place. These include facilities like movie theaters, gyms, restaurants, breweries, and wineries. The percentage of occupants admitted range from 25% to 50%. By June 15th California will no longer follow colored tier restrictions, as long as vaccines are still available, and hospitalization remains down. Schools are also starting to open with students on campus.
Recovery Grants have been awarded to Vista businesses in the amount of $1.8 million. $176,000 in Neighborhood Reinvestment Program money has been awarded as well as $45,000 allocated through Community Enhancement Program funds.
Information about Behavioral Health in North County was next on the agenda. Tri-City Psychiatric Health Facility is moving forward. There are 2 new Crisis Stabilization Units coming to North County. The Vista CSU will open by summer of 2021. The Oceanside CSU is under construction. These facilities will assist the police department with patients picked-up in the North County area.
The North County Family Justice Center – One Safe Place – in San Marcos, will be a safe place for families dealing with traumatic family issues.
A San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station update dealt with the issues surrounding the spent nuclear fuel at the former nuclear station. There is currently a bipartisan effort to remove and store this nuclear waste and the creation of a strategic plan for relocation of the fuel.
The San Luis Rey River Park will be a multi-use park with a bike trail that will stretch from I-15 to Oceanside, called Waves to Wineries. There is $26 million allocated for the park. The park will include ball fields, walking trails, green areas and much more.
A short report was also provided on the I-15 and Highway 78 HOV connector. This busy interchange is in the environmental analysis stage and is considered a top priority. Another major concern is the connecting ramps from Highway 78 to Interstate 5.
$900,000 has been allocated for the Buena Creek Road Intersection Improvement Project. The Environmental study must be completed, and hope is the construction for improvement will begin in 2023.
The results of a Survey, those on the Zoom call took, showed Homelessness, Development and Traffic were the major issues for Vista. Traffic was also a major concern in another question. When asked about Vaccine passports, the overwhelming response was to strongly disagree with this proposal.
In the Question-and-Answer session, there were several questions about how to deal with the homeless issues in the city. Many felt more social workers were needed to assist the police in dealing with the homeless and that there was a need for a variety of regional resources.
The phone number for reporting illegal dumping on public roads is 858-694-3850. There is also a Tell Us Now! App where this can be reported or contact Benjamin.Mills@sdcounty.ca.gov.
A question about an unincorporated area of Vista and development issues concerning annexing land to use for a proposed housing development was responded to by Vista City Councilman Franklin and Supervisor Desmond. The concerned centered around the lack of input from citizens in the unincorporated area.
There was a question about additional traffic issues on other streets in Vista.
Supervisor Desmond reminded everyone they are welcome to e mail him at Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov with any issues or questions and he will find the appropriate person to field the questions. You can also call the office at 619-531-5555.
