By Mark Gutglueck
The lackluster response of the multiple state and governmental agencies to the challenges of the February and March blizzard conditions in San Bernardino County’s mountain communities was in large measure a reflection of the lack of timely reaction and dearth of emergency management training, experience, and education by the county deputy executive officer overseeing the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services and his failure to coordinate with the county’s chief executive officer in getting equipment, supplies and manpower in place, sources familiar with the county’s managerial echelon and its emergency protocol have told the Sentinel.
What came about over the last week-and-a-half of February and into the second week of March had its roots in County Executive Officer Leonard Hernandez’s penchant for promoting into the county’s top managerial posts individuals loyal to him rather than those whose demonstrated competence would otherwise have qualified them for department leadership positions, according to several middle- and high-ranking county employees.
In the instant case of what is now referred to as the Blizzard of ’23, Assistant County Executive Officer Daniel Muñoz’s understanding and functional familiarity with the county’s so-called FAST Plan, meant to provide a blueprint of the emergency response to a whole host of anticipated weather disasters that could beset the county, was at best sketchy, according to those who have worked with him in the county’s two primary emergency response divisions. As a consequence of that, it appears, Muñoz for ten days failed to trigger a set of prearranged procedures in response to what were deteriorating weather conditions and then a fully manifested weather system. Continue reading →

What appeared to be clear sailing toward the routine approval of a proposal to establish a resort hotel in the desert community of Wonder Valley ran into a ruinous typhoon when public input revealed the extent to which the project proponents had attempted to conceal from county land use officials conditions relating to the property on which the development was to take place.
After a four-hour 37-minute and 45-second public hearing, the San Bernardino County Planning Commission March 23 rejected the San Bernardino County Land Use Services staff’s recommendation and denied a proposal by Jason Landver and Alan Greenburg to construct the Wonder Inn on what would roughly total 12 acres within a 21.22-acre parcel and an adjoining 3.18 parcel located at 78201 Amboy Road, not too distant from the southwest corner of Amboy Road and Gammel Road.
Going into the meeting, Landver and Greenberg had the momentum of a county land use services department staff recommendation that the planning commission endorse the project to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, which as the county’s ultimate elected decision-making body, alone has the authority to adopt the mitigated negative declaration and mitigation monitoring and reporting program for the project, adopt the findings for the approval of the project and approve changing the RL-5 zoning, allowing for rural residential living consisting of a single residential home on five acres, which applied to 21.22 acres of the property to CS, zoning, that is commercial service use, and approve the conditional use permit for the project to proceed. Continue reading →

Several score parents in the southernmost area of Ontario were given an object lesson in how unfairly they and their children can be treated by the combination of local government, the development community and the school district they have entrusted to educate their children using a state law that allows the financial burden for building schools to fall on them without any assurance their children will be allowed to attend them.
Historically in California, developers were required to defray the cost of the infrastructure built to accompany their projects, such as streets, curbs, sidewalks, water lines, sewers, sewer lines, schools and parks. Oftentimes those builders were required to construct the improvements outright; in others, they would contribute money to a municipal fund that paid for the needed accessory equipment and foundations to service the homes being built and the people living in them.
In 1945, the California Legislature enacted the Community Redevelopment Act with the stated intent of assisting local governments eliminate blight through development, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of residential, commercial, industrial, and retail properties. This allowed cities to form redevelopment districts in which the property tax collected therein – referred to as tax increment – would come under the exclusive control of the redevelopment agency. The redevelopment agency would borrow against that future tax increment revenue, generally in the form of issuing municipal bonds which would be sold to investors. The proceeds from those bond sales would then be used by the redevelopment agency, which was a subentity of the city, to rid the redevelopment district of its blight, thereby encouraging the development of the property. The development of the property, in turn, would increase the property’s value, increasing the property tax/tax increment it yielded, allowing the bond holders to be debt serviced.
Continue reading →

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors this week committed the county to a concerted effort to reduce homelessness throughout the 20,105-square mile jurisdiction they oversee, saying they will utilize $72.7 million in federal, state and county resources to support what has been dubbed the 2022 Homeless Strategic Action Plan.
Referencing that plan, which was approved by the slightly differently constituted board last June, Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman said, “As a board, we are leveraging all of the resources at our disposal and thinking outside the box by linking housing and other services to give people who are struggling a foundation of stability.”
Hagman said it was hoped the approach would enable “people to break through the challenges they are facing and get back on their feet and off the streets. Addressing the root causes of homelessness is the most effective means of reducing the numbers of people experiencing homelessness and providing a path forward for the individuals and the community at large.” Continue reading →

Chino Police Chief Wes Simmons, who recently eclipsed his 50th birthday, will retire after a 28-year career in law enforcement on August 10, slightly more than four years after he was sworn in to head the department.
Simmons’ departure comes nearly a decade before many had hoped he would leave as chief and roughly 12 years before he could be forced to retire on account of age. He has not publicly disclosed the reason he is leaving now, though those close to him have suggested that the increasingly violent nature of police work and the aggressive foreclosure of the rights of the common citizens he is sworn to protect have taken a toll on his frame of mind and psychological wellbeing.
At the same time, the generosity of California’s taxpayers in funding the lucrative pensions of public employees is serving as an incentive for Simmons to get out of what is for him a stressful assignment.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Cal State Fullerton in 1995, Simmons at the age of 22 was hired right off by the Chino Police Department as an officer in 1995. He promoted to the rank of corporal in 1998, became a sergeant in 2006, became a lieutenant in 2009, and captain in 2014. Continue reading →

(March 30) County officials will not institute any further regulations or limits on short-term rentals at least until November.
Short term rental units have been proliferating in the county’s unincorporated mountain and desert communities over the last five to ten years, prompting efforts to impose and enforce regulations on the owners of and the guests at those concerns. The transformation of what were formerly standard residences into temporary bed and breakfast inns, sometimes called “Air BNBs” [for air mattress bed and breakfasts] along with people living in typical homes located in traditional vacations spots in the mountains or near the Colorado River or at the periphery of Joshua Tree National Park have become a magnet, for a short time, for temporary neighbors they did not know and who in some cases had no regard for others they would not be likely to ever see again.
On occasion, those guests would prove to be poor neighbors, creating disturbances, inviting dozens, scores or even hundreds of others to parties on the leased or rented premises, creating parking and traffic problems. On occasions, such parties proved out to be raves, with highly intoxicated participants. Excessive noise was an issue in some cases. Bonfires were a staple of such gatherings. In some isolated cases, those lodging at rental properties or their guests grew aggressive or confrontational with nearby residents. Continue reading →

FBN 20230001310
The following entity is doing business primarily in San Bernardino County as KOTR REALTY 9483 HAVEN AVENUE, STE 100 RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91730: STEVEN T THACKER 3736 OAK CREEK DRIVE UNIT E ONTARIO, CA 91761
Mailing Address: 3736 OAK CREEK DRIVE UNIT E ONTARIO, CA 91761
The business is conducted by: AN INDIVIDUAL.
The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: February 6, 2023.
By signing, I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime (B&P Code 179130. I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing.
s/ STEVEN T THACKER, Realtor/Owner
Statement filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on: 2/08/2023
I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office San Bernardino County Clerk By:/Deputy J3108
Notice-This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14400 et seq., Business and Professions Code).
Published in the San Bernardino County Sentinel on March 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME NOTICE
FBN 20220011076
The following person(s) is(are) doing business in SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY as:
DAMION’S CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LLC 1649 MAGNOLIA AVE SAN BERNARDINO, CA 9241: DAMION’S CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LLC 6709 LA TIERRA BOULEVARD #551 LOS ANGELES, CA 90045
Mailing Address: 6709 LA TIERRA BOULEVARD #551 LOS ANGELES, CA 90045
Business is Conducted By: A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY registered with the State of California under the number 202252019387
Signed: BY SIGNING BELOW, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime. (B&P Code 17913) I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing.
S/ DAMION WILLIAMS, CEO
This statement was filed with the County Clerk of SAN BERNARDINO on: 12/05/2022
I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
Began Transacting Business: September 28, 2022.
County Clerk, G8420
NOTICE- This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14400 et. Seq. Business & Professions Code).
Published in the San Bernardino County Sentinel on 12/31, 2022 and 01/06, 01/13, 01/20, 2023. Corrected on February 17, 24 and March 3 & 10, 2023.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME
STATEMENT FILE NO-FBN20220011588
The following person(s) is(are) doing business as: PET EMPIRE AND SUPPLIES
[and]
PET EMPIRE SUPPLIES
[and]
PET EMPIRE
[and]
PET EMPIRE & SUPPLIES
7223 CHURCH ST, SUITE A3, HIGHLAND, CA 92346,
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Mailing Address: F & OC PET EMPIRE AND SUPPLIES INC., 7223 CHURCH ST, SUITE A3, HIGHLAND, CA 92346,
State of Inc./Org./Reg. CA,
Inc./Org./Reg. No.
Business is Conducted By: ORALIA LIZBETH CORTES
Signed: BY SIGNING BELOW, I DECLARE THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime. (B&P Code 17913) I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing.
s/ORALIA LIZBETH CORTES, SECRETARY This statement was filed with the County Clerk of SAN BERNARDINO on: 12/21/2022
I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
Began Transacting Business: 12/15/2022
County Clerk,
NOTICE- This fictitious business name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14400 et. Seq. Business & Professions Code).
Published in the San Bernardino County Sentinel on 1/20/2023, 1/27/2023, 2/3/2023, 2/10/2023. Corrected on 3/10, 3/17, 3/24 & 3/31, 2023. Continue reading →

By Mark Gutglueck
After a four-hour 37-minute and 45-second public hearing, the San Bernardino County Planning Commission yesterday declined to endorse a proposal by Alan Greenberg and Jason Landver to develop a 106-room resort hotel to be located on 24.4 acres off Amboy Road not too distant from Gammell Road in Wonder Valley.
Landver and Greenberg had sought a conditional use permit, policy land use amendment and zone change to construct a 106-room hotel, to include an all-night restaurant, spa/wellness center, conference hall and event center, a 6,000-square foot swimming pool, hot tubs, outdoor showers, a 180,000-gallon water tank and a 205-space parking lot on what would roughly total 12 acres within a 21.22-acre parcel and an adjoining 3.18 parcel located at 78201 Amboy Road, not too distant from the southwest corner of Amboy Road and Gammel Road. Those 24.4 acres lie within 223 acres Landver and Greenberg have acquired entailing the site and the land surrounding it.
Representing Landver and Greenberg was a team of consultants, led by the politically well-connected David Mlynarski, a former planning issue staff member with the cities of Fontana and Palmdale and a member of the American Planning Association, the Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association, of which he is currently an executive committee member, the Inland Empire Economic Recovery Corporation, of which he is also the chief financial officer, and the National Association of Home Builders. Landver and Greenberg had turned to Mlynarski, who has a track record of positively influencing city councils, planning commissions and all order of governmental land use and planning officials in favor of the developer clients he represents, because they believed he would be able to work his magic on County Planning Commission Chairman Jonathan Weldy, who is himself a licensed contractor and developer as the president of the Meridian Land Development Company. Continue reading →