Acton Town Council Meeting Minutes, October 21, 2019 Approved

1. Call to Order, Flag Salute & Roll Call – The meeting was called to order by President Jeremiah Owen at 7:04 pm.  Present at the meeting – Jeremiah Owen, Tom Costan, Pam Wolter, Jacki Ayer, Troy Pieper, and Kelly Teno.  Absent – Dylan Lunde.
2. Community Comments – A resident spoke about the hum that comes from the transformers at the Vincent Hill SCE Station.  During the day it is not so bad because of other noise going on but at night it is bad and keeping people awake.  Jacki will check the mitigation measures from their EIR from about 10 years ago.  She will do some research and get back.
3. Minutes from the last meeting – Tabled
4. Announcements and Correspondence – An email was received by a resident who has a neighbor with an offensive sign with foul language on it facing at her house.  She has asked if we might be able to modify the Acton CSD to ban this type of signage.  She has contacted Regional Planning and made this request.  Richard Marshalien responded and said they would look into it.  We can agendize this for a future meeting.  Community Coffee with Assemblyman Lackey and Senator  Wilk at the Acton Community Center on October 26, 2019.  Public Works has agreed to attend the November 4, 2019 meeting to discuss the new County water fees on our property taxes and what the program is, how it will affect us, and whether it will benefit us.  ZOE International responded to our outreach and has offered to attend the November 18, 2019 meeting to present their project in Agua Dulce just on the other side of the Acton CSD boundary.  A resident sent a video of an uncontrolled filming shoot on Soledad Canyon Road.  The film shoot received last minute approval on the day of the shoot. Jacki has not written the film letter the ATC agreed to so she will add this to the letter.  We received an email from a resident about the trash at McDonalds because of not enough trash cans.  The resident has complained to management and at corporate customer service complaints but nothing has happened.  Jacki requested that this be put on the next agenda.  DPW was contacted about some serious leaks on Sierra Highway and Escondido Canyon Road.  We were told they will be fixed soon.  Jacki announced that she attended the CPA workshop on how programs and ideas to improve health outcomes.  The presentation made by Public Health and others completely ignored the Antelope Valley and the fact that health statistics including cancer, childhood asthma, COPD, low birthweight babies, etc. is worse in the AV than anywhere in the County.  Their interest is in making LA County carbon free because that will solve all health problems in the City.  There is no interest in considering the health impacts on the AV residents that will be created by construction and operation of the thousands of acres of utility scale solar in the AV and the fire hazards by fully subscribed high voltage power lines.  When Jacki mentioned all this the room was silent and there was no response.  The Governor signed AB68 making all SFR’s into triplexes and relaxes ADU requirements and establishes Junior ADU opportunities as well.  It does not waive any septic or well compliance obligations. The County will get back to us about trail opportunities in the Ravenna area.  The letters sent regarding the water hauler CUP’s and the Interim Housing Ordinance were received by the County. We received an email asking whether Acton is a good place for planting fruit trees.  Jacki has not answered him but will do it soon.  Jacki will also reach out to the AG Commissioner soon.
5. Councilmembers Comments – Pam has received phone calls about RV’s parked around town and an anonymous person has paid our PO Box at the Print Shop.
6. SCE Power Outages – SCE will be attending the November 4, 2019 meeting to answer all of our questions.  After discussion between the ATC and residents it was decided to have residents send in questions they have and we will send them to SCE prior to the meeting so that maybe we can get some answers.  There was concern brought up about shutting down the schools that are built on concrete with brush clearance all around.  We have seniors that are trying to get into college and need to get their hours in class to graduate.  Tom Costan made a motion to go to the School Board and ask that they put together a plan to ask Edison to plan for the schools.  Pam Wolter 2nd the motion.  The motion passed.
7. No Parking Zones – We need to ask for the No Parking Zones on Sierra Highway near Crown Valley to be clearly marked and repainted.  The trucks that park in the No Parking Zone impair line of sight.
8. Thousand Trails (Jeff Kimes) –  Jeff Kimes  Regional Vice President from Equity Lifetsyle Properties came to present Thousand Trails CUP process.  He went through a list of complaints that residents have had which included a complaint about lighting and a loud PA system when there are large events.  He then stated that they don’t have a PA system and lighting . When a large event has occurred the event has provided it.  They will not have those events any longer.  Another complaint was about people living in the park and in the storage area.  He stated that they are a member only park and then went on to describe the various ways that people can stay in the park.  One of those included being a retail guest or non member.  They can stay up to 30 days in a cabin.   The ATC’s concerns included possible contamination to the Santa Clara River since the conditions imposed on their last CUP are not consistent with what is going on now and this is a new CUP not a renewal.  Thousand Trails operates very differently from what was considered in the 1981 EIR, therefore a new EIR should be required.  Our concerns also include that since most of Thousand Trails lies within a mapped flood zone and there are multiple septic leach fields and more than one hundred at grade septic portals that provide RV hook ups are subject to potential inundation and because they are not gas tight, such an occurrence will contaminate the Santa Clara River.  We have asked the County to work with ROWQCB to assess whether the existing septic systems have contaminated the Santa Clara River.  Another concern that the WQCB requires  a Waste Discharge Report for the 12 or more septic systems which has not been submitted.  In 2014, the WQCB requested in writing that Thousand Trails submit WDR applications for these septic systems.  As of now they have not been submitted.  Thousand Trails was asked what they are spending their money on.  They are pulling a plan together now to refresh buildings and bringing the camp back to its original.  The at grade crossing had been washed out and is being rebuilt so RV’s won’t exit on Arrastre.  They were asked about Trail connectivity and they are up for that.  They were asked that since this is a new CUP could they put something in about day use and they are open to this.
9. Election Update – Pam announced that we received 3 applications for 4 open seats so there will be no need for an election.  Jacki Ayer made a motion to waive the election due to not enough applications.  Tom Costan 2nd the motion.  The motion carried.
10.  Unfinished/New Business – Ali from Waste Management will be coming to meetings and will be there to help residents with there issues and questions.
11. Items for Next Agenda – SCE, DPW – Clean Safe Water Program, Trash at McDonalds, Equestrian use restrictions on Juniper Ridge.
12.  Adjournment – 9:00pm