Temecula city councilman calls for grand jury investigation
ByPE News on July 14, 2010 10:00 AM
Temecula City Councilman Ron Roberts on Tuesday night called for a grand jury investigation into the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission, an independent body tasked with approving annexations in Riverside County.
Speaking during a council meeting, Roberts said he's seen enough questionable behavior from the commission to warrant a grand jury probe. Each California county has a grand jury to serve as a watchdog over local government operations.
Roberts' request followed a series of scathing rebukes by members of the public and council members of LAFCO, which last month approved the city's latest request to annex 4,500 acres of mostly undeveloped land to Temecula's southwest.
The approval came with the condition that the city remove part of the proposed Liberty Quarry site from its sphere of influence. The sphere denotes areas of land outside a city that a city may one day annex.
Last summer, city officials tried to annex the quarry site, along with the other land. City Council members are among the quarry critics who fear the mining operation will lead to air pollution and environmental degradation.
The quarry's developer, Granite Construction, and quarry supporters say the project will have little impact on the environment while providing high-paying jobs and millions in tax revenue.
LAFCO last summer ruled the quarry's fate was best decided at the county level. The commission on technical grounds rejected an appeal by the city last year that would have let Temecula annex everything but the quarry site.
Speaking during a council meeting, Roberts said he's seen enough questionable behavior from the commission to warrant a grand jury probe. Each California county has a grand jury to serve as a watchdog over local government operations.
Roberts' request followed a series of scathing rebukes by members of the public and council members of LAFCO, which last month approved the city's latest request to annex 4,500 acres of mostly undeveloped land to Temecula's southwest.
The approval came with the condition that the city remove part of the proposed Liberty Quarry site from its sphere of influence. The sphere denotes areas of land outside a city that a city may one day annex.
Last summer, city officials tried to annex the quarry site, along with the other land. City Council members are among the quarry critics who fear the mining operation will lead to air pollution and environmental degradation.
The quarry's developer, Granite Construction, and quarry supporters say the project will have little impact on the environment while providing high-paying jobs and millions in tax revenue.
LAFCO last summer ruled the quarry's fate was best decided at the county level. The commission on technical grounds rejected an appeal by the city last year that would have let Temecula annex everything but the quarry site.
- Jeff Horseman
No comments:
Post a Comment