An era in San Bernardino County governance will close out next month with the departure of Lonnie Granlund as a board member with the Yucaipa Valley Water District.
Granlund has been a director with the district since December 2008.
Granlund’s presence on the board extended for more than a decade the political reach of the Granlund family in the Redlands-Mentone-Yucaipa neck of the San Bernardino County woods.
Lonnie Granlund is the ex-wife of Brett Granlund, who served as a Yucaipa councilman before being elected to the California Assembly in 1994. Brett Granlund remained as an assemblyman until 2000.
Thereafter, he was a principle in Platinum Advisors, a government relations and lobbying firm in Sacramento that had as its clients many movers and shakers in San Bernardino County. In addition, Platinum Advisors represented San Bernardino County’s governmental structure in Sacramento.
The late Bruce Granlund, Brett Granlund’s brother, was also a member of the board of directors of the Yucaipa Valley Water District. Bruce Granlund and Lonnie Granlund served on the board simultaneously. In fact, From December 2012 until December 2014 and from December 2014 until December 2016, first Bruce Granlund and then Lonnie Granlund were consecutive presidents of the Yucaipa Valley Water District Board of Directors.
The Community of Yucaipa, as much or more than virtually every other city or political sub-entity in San Bernardino County, is prone to familial political dynasties.
After Chris Mann resigned his position as a member of the Yucaipa Valley Water District Board of Directors, the board chose to replace him with Greg Bogh, who in December left the Yucaipa City Council after serving on that body for three terms. Welcoming him onto the board was his brother, Board Member Jay Bogh. In addition, Greg Bogh’s wife, Rosilicie, served on the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School Board and is now a California assemblywoman. Greg Bogh’s cousin, Russ, was formerly in the California Assembly. Another cousin, Michael Bogh, has been bitten by the political bug, having vied unsuccessfully for the Highland City Council.
Lonnie Granlund submitted a letter of resignation to her colleagues on the board of directors earlier this month, advising them that they should move ahead with finding a replacement for her at the end of April, when her resignation becomes effective.
“After much thought and much consideration, I have decided to step down from my position on the board after over 14 years of service to the community,” she wrote.
Granlund’s departure does potentially create the possibility of some expense for the district down the road, although not necessarily.
Governing boards of public entities must be composed of a majority of elected office holders. As the Yucaipa Valley Water District Board of Directors intends and most likely will appoint someone to replace Lonnie Granlund, at that point two of the board’s three members will have been appointed, in that Greg Bogh was appointed to replace Chris Mann.
If there were to be a departure of any of the three remaining elected members of the board – Nyles O’Harra, Jay Bogh or Joyce McIntire – that board member could not be replaced by appointment, and a special election, costing the district well in excess of $100,000, would have to be held.
Granlund lives in the district Division 4. The district is now soliciting applicants who live within Division 4 for consideration as her replacement. Those wishing to apply need to do so by April 26. Once those applicants are determined to be qualified by the demonstration that they are registered to vote and live within the boundaries of Division 4, interviews of all candidates will be conducted on May 1 at which time the board is expected to make a selection.