A note from Supervisor Lovingood: Sheltering the homeless

This week I had the chance to meet with County CEO Gary McBride and review the emergency COVID-19 shelters that we will be using to temporarily house homeless people at Glen Helen Regional Park. With a goal of having at least 300 units secured around the County for homeless individuals identified as extremely high risk by medical doctors due to their age and serious health conditions, these 20 state-funded trailers will help in addressing an immediate temporary housing need. The Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement team and Behavioral Health officials have been offering shelter to homeless individuals on a voluntary, but conditional basis. In addition to shelter, food, physical and behavioral health care, laundry facilities, and other resources are provided.

While COVID-19 cases in the County have not yet peaked, the County understands the vital need to begin simultaneous work on recovery efforts. A COVID-19 Recovery Coalition is being established which will include government, private-sector and community partner representation from throughout San Bernardino County. Stay tuned for additional details and continued updates on the County’s work in fighting the virus at http://sbcovid19.com/

A big “Thank You” again this week to all of our San Bernardino County first responders, health care personnel, and front line mission critical workers who continue to provide essential services. Your commitment and strength during this time of crisis is deeply appreciated!

How can my First District staff serve you? Just let us know.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Wrightwood road work to begin by summer

County Public Works is preparing an ambitious road work project in Wrightwood. Prep work is expected to start in May, with construction starting in June, if bidding goes as planned. A second phase is planned in 2021. The map above indicates the streets to be repaved. Public Works is also working on a culvert in the area of Lone Pine Canyon and Sheep Creek. That project is expected to start in July. 

CNBC focuses on MP Materials mine in San Bernardino County

CNBC recently interviewed Jim Litinsky, co-chairman of MP Materials, which operates the strategically important rare earths mine in Mountain Pass. Litinsky said that just as communist China is a choke point in the supply of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment to America, China has control over the supply of imported rare earth minerals to the United States.

“When the acute stage of this (COVID-19) crisis ends … it ultimately is going to become a permanent situation if we don’t recognize that slowly and methodically over time, China is extracting our manufacturing and our advanced industries,” Litinsky told CNBC. “And so our GDP, longer term, is at risk, and that’s tens of millions of jobs.”

Located about 15 miles from the California-Nevada stateline, MP Materials produces 15 percent of the rare earths concentrate globally. While the minerals are mined locally, they are shipped to China for processing. And China imposes tariffs on the material when it enters China and when it leaves China. MP Materials is working on a plan to process the material in the United States.  Litinsky questioned the wisdom of federal financial support for high tech companies that buy rare earth products from China rather than America. To view the interview, click on

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/04/09/how-bad-is-the-rare-earths-supply-chain-right-now.html

Virgin Trains project on track to break ground

The California Debt Limit Allocation Committee this week unanimously approved the second half of $600 million in private equity bond allocation for the Virgin Train XpressWest rail project connecting Southern California to Las Vegas.

“West Coast, we’re coming for you,” Brightline tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. “Today, we were officially approved for tax-exempt bonds for our privately funded rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California. This means on track to break ground by end of this year.”

These bonds will be funded through a sale of private bonds later this year, not using public funds, with construction scheduled to start immediately following the sale of the bonds. On track to break ground in 2020, the project will lay 170 miles of new rail track between Apple Valley and Las Vegas and create more than 30,000 new construction jobs,1,000 permanent jobs, and nearly $3 billion in economic activity for the state of California. The train is expected to run at 200 miles an hour along Interstate 15. The trip between Apple Valley and Las Vegas is expected to take about 90 minutes. 

Thank you, Public Safety Dispatchers

As National Public Safety Telecommunications Week concludes, we want to again thank our call-takers and dispatchers of San Bernardino County who serve as first points of contact when our county residents dial 911. Your dedication and hard work helps to keep our communities safe. We appreciate you! 

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve live stream

The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve has launched a livestream of their spring bloom. To view live streaming video of the reserve, click on https://www.parks.ca.gov/live/poppyreserve.