Ridgecrest Daily Independent
Full-time city employees will receive a one-time $1,000 COVID-19 hazard bonus and part-timers $500 if the Ridgecrest City Council approves an agenda item at its April 7 meeting.
If approved the bonus would appear in the employees’ final payroll check in April.
The total cost to the city would be $111,418 and would come from the following funds: general fund ($79,822); gas tax fund ($9,476); gas tax/RMA fund ($1,809); TDA transit fund ($8,271); wastewater fund ($10,963) and the fleet maintenance/ISF fund ($1,077).
The funds may be reimbursable under American Rescue Plan funding, according to the staff report with the agenda.
The rationale for the one-time bonus, according to the report, is that city employees have not received a cost of living raise since 2008 and “have shown resiliency and perseverance during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Ridgecrest shows signs of growth despite pandemic
The city of Ridgecrest showed signs of growth during 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city approved 1,117 new housing units from a total of 11 applications in 2020, according to a housing element update by Administrative Analyst Heather Spurlock.
Spurlock updated the Planning Commission at its Feb. 23 meeting on the city’s General Plan, Housing Element and Regional Housing Needs Allocation.
No housing unit applications were disapproved during 2020 according to the report.
Certificates of occupancy were issued for 84 units and building permits were issued for 41 single-family residential units, according to the planning commission staff report.
The planning commission approved the popular new community garden in 2020. The commission also took steps toward approving Ridgecrest Restoration Ministries, a faith-based recovery location.
Ridgecrest City Council to talk state vs. local zoning on March 17
When the Ridgecrest City Council meets March 17, the agenda will be dominated by planning-related issues.
Mayor Eric Bruen will ask the council to weigh in on the balance of power between the state and local governments when it comes to zoning.
The issue appears to be both simple and complex.
Specifically, council will be asked to support the idea of retaining local control over zoning. By extension, they will also be asked to support the organization California Cities for Local Control, which is mentioned in the staff report. This group describes itself as a grassroots group advocating for local control over zoning and land use decisions, according to its website at https://localcontrolca.com/.
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Ridgecrest Daily Independent
The public will have a chance to meet the six candidates for a vacant seat on the Ridgecrest City Council at 5:30 p.m. tonight at an open, socially distanced meeting at City Hall. Public comment by phone is also encouraged, according to city staff.
Vying to replace former Council Member Mike Mower are former Mayor Peggy Breeden, former DI columnist and local artist John P. “Skip” Gorman, Former Council Member Marshall “Chip” Holloway, William Jinkins, Former Council Member Steve Morgan and former mayoral candidate Christian West.
Alice Jordan has withdrawn her application from the pool, according to an email she sent to the Daily Independent.