The San Bernardino County News of Note from Around the Largest County in the Lower 48 States Friday, AugustSentinel 2, 2019 A Fortunado Publication in conjunction with Countywide News Service 10808 Foothill Blvd. Suite 160-446 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (951) 567-1936 Valdivia Hires Biane Aide-Turned-Informant Brown As His Chief Of Staff Defying Judge’s By Mark Gutglueck chief of staff for less than ognition that the city’s terest in politics or per- Ruling And After only a brief va- seven months, taken to- re-immersion into bank- haps make a career out cancy, the San Bernardi- gether with other recent ruptcy within the next it. Taking stock of San Upland Council no mayor’s chief-of-staff developments, presages three years is virtually Bernardino County as Sentiment, City position has been filled Valdivia’s intention to inevitable. one of the last bastions by an experienced politi- leap to another political Valdivia’s decision to of Republicanism in the Attorney Pushes cal operative whose long position next year, most associate himself with Golden State, the Grand Forth With and storied track record likely either California Brown is a revealing one. Terrace resident made offers a strong indication state senator in the 23rd By the last few years himself into a self-styled Parkland Sale of the direction the city’s District or Fifth District of the last century and Republican Party activ- In apparent defiance leadership will take over San Bernardino County in the first years of the ist. In Horatio Alger-like of the prevailing atti- the next two years. Matt Brown supervisor. Moreover, Third Millennium, fashion he lifted himself tude on the Upland City Mayor John Valdivia’s to succeed Bill Essayli, Brown’s hiring is an in- Brown was looking for a by his bootstraps into a Council and a ruling by choice of Matt Brown who remained in place as dicator of Valdivia’s rec- way to monetize his in- position where- See P 2 Superior Court Judge David Cohn, Upland Redlands Council Unreceptive To Resident Requests For Strict Cellular Regulations City Attorney Jim Mark- Over the contrary sen- rights-of-way through- with regard to the safety to deviate from those rules or make decisions man is pushing ahead timent of a majority of out the city. provisions relating to standards or impose that would effectively with the final processing the city’s residents pres- According to Gail communication devices more exacting safety or prohibit the provision of of Upland’s sale of a por- ent at its July 16 meet- Karish, an attorney with relying upon radio fre- distance standards have personal wireless ser- tion of Memorial Park to ing, the Redlands City the law firm of Best Best quency or electronic generally failed, she said. vices,” she told the city San Antonio Regional Council gave tentative & Krieger specializing emissions. Standards Federal law prohibits lo- council. Hospital. passage, on a 3-to-1 vote, in aspects of the law relating to what consti- cal governmental au- In general, munici- On March 26, 2018, of an ordinance that will relating to communica- tutes a safe level of ex- thority from having say palities’ reach in regu- with 72 hours notice, the accommodate the cel- tions technology who posure specific to each over “any effects of radio lating cellular commu- Upland City Council as lular communication in- was retained by the city, frequency have been set frequency emissions if nications facilities is it was then composed dustry in its intention to federal law adopted in by and are controlled by the applicant can demon- limited to aesthetics and voted 3-to-1 to reduce erect what are projected 1996 preempts local ju- the Federal Communica- strate that they meet the appearance, Karish said. the grounds of historic to be ubiquitous mini- risdictions from impos- tions Commission. Ef- FCC standards,” Karish “Local authority has Upland Memorial Park cellular towers on public ing their own standards forts by municipalities said. “You can’t create been chipped by more than four-and- See P 5 one-half acres, handing Animal Shelter Committee At A Simmons Sworn In As Chino Police Chief the difference off to San Antonio Regional Hospi- Wes Simmons this Simmons began with management and cri- Standstill After Mulvihill’s Exit tal to be used to accom- week was sworn in as the department in 1995, sis response. He was Dismayed that the welfare since changes modate a multi-story Chino’s 18th chief of shortly after he gradu- a founding member of county is not interested were made in the way in parking structure. police, replacing for- ated from Cal State Uni- the Chino Police SWAT in partnering with the which the city’s animal That came after mer Police Chief Karen versity at Fullerton with (special weapons and city to operate a large control division is run. A months of quiet, indeed Comstock, who retired a bachelor of arts degree tactics) team. scale animal shelter, San crisis at the city’s aging private and secret, dis- July 25. in criminal justice. Dur- Through the Universi- Bernardino City Coun- animal shelter, located cussions between the The ceremony for ing his 24 years with the ty of Phoenix’s extension cilman Jim Mulvihill at E Street and Chandler city’s senior staff and Simmons’ elevation to department he promoted program, which he par- has resigned from the ad Place, has been brew- the management of the the department’s top job up through the ranks to ticipated in from 1999 to hoc animal shelter com- ing for years. San Ber- San Antonio Regional was held on August 1 at that of captain. 2001, he obtained a mas- mittee that Mayor John nardino, which declared Hospital. At the March the police department His department as- ter of arts degree in orga- Valdivia created in May bankruptcy in 2012, 26, 2018 meeting, af- headquarters, with some signments involved him nizational management. and appointed Mulvihill has reduced services in ter the city council ad- 300 people, including in the areas of crimi- He is a Class 60 grad- to head. keeping with its dimin- journed into a closed the department’s person- nal investigations, risk uate of the California Po- There has been height- ishing revenues, even as door session with then nel, the city’s dignitaries management, budgeting, lice Officers Standards ened discontent among the need for animal con- city manager Bill Ma- and local residents in at- public safety agency co- and Training Command those in San Bernardino trol had intensified in the nis, then-community de- tendance. ordination, emergency College. concerned with animal 62-square mile, See P 7 See P 19 velopment director Jeff Zwack and city attorney District Employee Seeks Restraining Order Against West Valley Water Board Member James Markman, the fi- A hearing on a peti- made a threat to kill him. when in fact he had ab- Kyle Crowther and Don filed a lawsuit against nal terms of the sale of tion by a West Valley The Sentinel is in- stained from voting. Olinger on one side the district’s general the park property were Water District employee formed that the contre- Young’s alleged threat against directors Dr. counsel, Robert Tafoya, explicated to the coun- to obtain a restraining temps evolved out of a came when he was up- Clifford Young, Sr. and and two of the district’s cil. At the council’s open order against West Val- press release that Fa- braiding Farooqi about Gregory Young on the other law firms and a public session for its reg- ley Water District Board rooqi authored and put the inaccuracy. other. There is no blood district consultant, Rob- ularly scheduled meet- Member Gregory Young out. The press release The atmosphere in relation ship between ert Katherman. In that ing that took place later this week was continued in question apparently the West Valley Wa- Clifford Young and suit, Young, Davis and that night, the council until later this month. referenced a vote by the ter District has grown Gregory Young. Romero allege the dis- approved selling 4.631 Naseem Farooqi, water board, and Young increasing tense over Earlier this year, Clif- trict has engaged in im- acres of park property to who is the public affairs objected to what he says the last year. There is a ford Young and the dis- proper hiring practices. the hospital, the primary manager with the water was a factual error in sharp 3-to-2 divide on trict’s chief financial of- It has been suggested campus of which adjoins district, maintains that the release, which stated the district’s govern- ficer, Naisha Davis, and that some district per- the 38.5 acre park. Young grew so angry that he had voted against ing board, pitting direc- the district’s board sec- sonnel have been caught In approving the pur- with him that Young the item being voted on tors Dr. Michael Taylor, retary, Patricia Romero, in the crossfire See P 19 chase and sale See P 3 Friday, August 2, 2019 San Bernardino County Sentinel Page 2 circumstances leading to Matt Brown Assisted several years, the rela- or Biane as members of The San Bernardino County tionship between Brown their supervisorial staffs. a $102 million payout of Paul Biane In Becom- and Biane would prove a The four – Postmus, taxpayer money in 2006 ing County’s Most to settle a lawsuit brought synergistic one. In 2003, Biane, Mitzelfelt and against San Bernardino Sentinel Powerful Official Be- Brown, newly enabled Brown – had become Published in San Bernardino County.