The people of the Frazier Mountain Park communities are not happy with the support the Frazier Park Estates project got Thursday from Kern County Planning Commission Chairman Ron Sprague (and to a lesser extent Commissioner Jeff Flores).

They've called for his replacement in a letter sent to Supervisor Ray Watson, who appointed Sprague.

Among their complaints -

• Sprague fawned over developers.

• Sprague allowed the developers unlimited time and restricted opponents to two minutes each.

• Sprague and Flores ignored the fact that the developers want to ignore the community's specific plan and hillside ordinance.

• Sprague argued "residents of the mountain communities needed to be pulled out of their 'hole '" and into the modern world.

see attachment for the full letter.

Kern County Planning Commissioners serve two year terms. From what I can tell right now, Sprague's current term started with Watson's current term at the end of 2008. So he won't be up for removal until the end of 2010.

I'll be verifying that and seeing if there is a procedure for removing commissioners early.

Not that I think Watson will remove Sprague.....Watson has told me he supports the commercial parts of the Frazier Park Estates (he was more vague on the residential parts) and said area residents will benefit from more economic development that will come from the stores and shops.

We're on here at the Kern County Planning Commission.

While it can't compete with last night's town hall meeting on health care out at CSUB, tonight's meeting is a hot topic.

We've got the proposed concrete crushing plant in Rosedale. Neighbors in nearby home tracts don't like the idea at all.

From up in Frazier Park, we've got the proposed Frazier Park Estates project south of Lebec at the mouth of the Frazier Park - Mt. Pinos valley. Big fight over that between developer Frank Arciero, Jr. and area residents.

Then there's the Bakersfield Jam - here to appeal for a conditional use permit that will allow them to play league games out at their former practice facility on Norris Road.

Looks like a fun - though long -  evening.

SB250, state Senator Dean Florez's responsible pet act — which would require owners to get a license to keep their dog intact when they get an animal liscense for it - and to spay or neuter cats that are allowed to roam  — advanced Thursday out of the Assembly Appropriations committee to the full Assembly according to a press-release from bill supporter Judie Mancuso.

The bill goes next to a vote of the full Assembly. The bill has previously passed the Senate.

Supervisors continued a discussion of a conditional use permit for the Calash, Inc. fly ash business on county-owned property on Famoso Road.

A last moment communication Tuesday morning from the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment will require a push-back to October 6.

This appears to be the "docu-dump" a classic tactic for delaying project review and it seems to have worked again.

Jon McQuiston wasn't rebelling when he walked into the board of supersvisors' chambers today wearing a patterned buttondown and khakis.

True, he'd perfer to be wearing casuals.

True, he and Supervisor Michael Rubio have dueled over how formal supervisors meeting day dress should be in the summer.

True, today is McQuiston's birthday.

But he wore the casual attire for because it was all he had after driving in from Ridgecrest for today's meeting.

"As it turns out, getting old also means your memory isn't what it used to be," McQuiston said. "I made it here fine but my garment bag didn't."

His peers offered him some good-natured ribbing.

"That means you have to buy lunch today," Rubio said.

"It's a good thing you didn't wear a tank top," Supervisor Mike Maggard added.

Supervisors are taking a look at how they can reorganize county government. They want streamlining, elimination of duplicated services and cost savings?

Can it be done?

Would combining some departments or putting them under one umbrella help save money?

Are the redundant systems out there (IT functions have been mentioned) that are duplicative and need to be consolidated?

Is this just talk and busy work, kinda like what Dave Price III warned supervisors to stop doing in his farewell speech?

I'm curious as to people's thoughts.

The decision is in.

If there was flinching to do in the City v. Homebuilders staredown it was the city that flinched.

Development projects will be allowed to move forward in the city of Bakersfield.

The three projects pushed back to Sept. 9 will move forward to a hearing then.

But, in a statement made Friday afternoon, city officials made it clear that they expect all development projects to be sued for violation of state environmental laws and that they will demand devleopers pay the legal bills.

"The applicant is proceeding at its own risk."

When I walked into the supervisor's chambers this afternoon for the 2 p.m. board session chairman Jon McQuiston was the only supervisor on the dias.

He was flanked by Planning Director Ted James and planning department special projects guru Lorelei Oviatt. The three had their heads together talking.

Pretty much that's how you can expect this afternoon's big issue to go down.

McQuiston is the only supervisor who hasn't taken a stand on the Neighborhood Development plan on Driver Road.

Last week two supervisors voted for the project. Two voted against.

So...unless another supervisor flips his vote....McQuiston's vote will control the outcome.

People living in the 1/2 acre and one acre ranchettes in the area don't want the project's proposed apartments, commercial and small lot loans near their homes.

Supervisors Ray Watson and Michael Rubio would rather have the project's dense development even though the project is on the edge of the northwest Bakersfield urban area.

Supervisors Don Maben and Mike Maggard said the project is premature development.

We'll have to nickname McQuiston "Solomon" after this one.

The morning started with a presentation to local graduates of the Marine Corp's Devil Pups program at Camp Pendelton.

Now were talking about francise fees paid by Brighthouse Networks. Supervisor Watson is curious about how annexations reduce fees the paid to the county - and how that might impact KGOV's funding which is supported by the fees.

There is already opposition from some in the room to the big item on the agenda — the new physician pay plan at Kern Medical Center.

Ok folks, here's a juicy one for anit-tax Kern County.

Sales tax is charged on the sale of cats and dogs after the third transaction.

Do folks think that's fair for someone who just sells a litter of animalst to have to pay taxes on it?

Is the fact a single puppy can go for $250 to $2,000 make sales tax valid?

Should the tax only be charged if people make a living on the sales?

Should the sellers pay the bill, and fight the tax in public as Janice Anderson suggests?

Or should they stay "off the grid" and refuse to pay an unfair tax as "Vicki" does?

Supes take up a development on Driver Road in Rosedale this afternoon. Controversial due to the location of apartments and commercial near large lot ranch homes.

But first Supes made two interim appointments to cover for empty department head positions.

Elissa Ladd, fresh off her interim gig as CAO, will take over as interim director of the Resource Management Agency to replace retiring David Price III.

And Environmental Health Director Matt Constantine will take up an interim gig at the helm of the Public Health Services Department.

I'm wondering what supes will say about retiring RMA director David Price III when they honor him in a few minutes.

Will they tease him? Or will they be all respectful n stuff?

Dave's a pretty good-natured guy....