Message from the Manager
January 2023
With the new year already well underway, we’re seeing a lot going on in the City of Barstow! 2023 will showcase the results from numerous plans our team has spent months, sometimes years, in the making.
I know that every one of our hard-working staff will continue their efforts throughout the year.
Please take a moment to review the following achievements, projects, and plans your colleagues have been working on recently:
Building
The new Marriot Inn and Freddy’s Restaurant are under construction, and Panda Express on Montana Road is open for business! Two damaged structures on West Main Street are slated for demolition, pending inspections and remediation requirements. Eight other plans are currently under review, including damage repair from a car accident at 1500 State St.
Cannabis
Did you know that the Cannabis Licensing Program has brought nearly $723,000 in revenue to the City of Barstow? The City Council has approved 29 cannabis applications, two of which are currently operational two in Plan Review and 24 under construction.
City Clerk
Designated employees and elected officials who are required to file an annual Statement of Economic Interest Form will soon be able to file electronically using the City’s NetFile system.
Keep an eye out for more information on the new process later this month.
Code Compliance
There are 731 active cases in this department. Our Code Officers have been cracking down on illegal vendors and continuing their efforts on abatement enforcement. Our two officers in this department are working tirelessly to improve our community and educate our citizens.
Engineering
Construction work on the long-awaited First Street Bridge has begun with the contractor mobilizing building materials at the site. The new bridge is a joint project between the City, SBCTA, and the BNSF Railway. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 26th for the bridge which will meet the needs of our growing city as we plan for the BNSF Railway development over the next few years.
Barstow’s Pavement Management Program will resume this year. This program is ongoing and allows for responsible expenditures of the City’s capital improvement funds to provide safe transportation within the City.
Fire Protection District
Our firefighters spent their Christmas Eve delivering toys and smiles to the kids of Barstow and the surrounding community.
Looking back on 2022, the Barstow Fire Protection District ran 7,331 calls. Families displaced from home fires last month received food, cards, and additional assistance from Firefighter Association and American Red Cross donations.
Battalion Chief Ross retired earlier this month after 32 years of service. He was an exceptional employee and will be greatly missed.
On January12th, a Barstow man was rescued 12 hours after he became trapped 22 feet below ground in a hole. It took crews nearly six hours to remove a concrete lid from the hole, which then enabled the victim to climb a ladder over 22 feet to safety. Once extracted, the victim was placed under the care of Barstow Fire Paramedics and transported by Desert Ambulance to Barstow Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. The victim was released from the hospital and is home resting comfortably with family.
“This outcome came from the collaborative efforts of all agencies involved” said Fire Chief Nick DiNapoli. “It was a complicated extraction, and we are all very pleased it ended the way it did.” The incident happened after the victim went to check on a family home and fell in the hole at approximately 11 a.m. The family became concerned when he did not return home, which prompted the 911 call.
Information Technology
Staff in our IT Department have been diligently working to install and program the Fire Station Alerting Project, which will replace the outdated alerting system. The new Alerting project will be fully operational in Q3 of this year. IT staff are also in the process of Wi-Fi enhancements at the Wastewater Treatment Plant facility, which will allow staff to complete their computer work outside in all areas of the facility. Also in the works is a redesign of Channel 6, social media templates, and various programs to facilitate the new HUB of Barstow logo. Recently, our IT team has helped with multiple computer down issues, educating staff about how to use new programs, resetting locked accounts, and retrieving lost data.
Parks & Recreation
2023 is already a busy year for our Parks and Recreation Department! There will be basketball, arts & crafts, new classes, Youth Mock Council, and additional senior activities/events in the first quarter alone.
The Barstow Superstar cheerleaders are gearing up for their first competition in early February at Knotts Berry Farm. Good luck to them all!
Our City is working with the Barstow Senior Citizen Center to offer free senior gym memberships and the Barstow Senior Walkers Club at the Cora Harper Fitness Center.
Planning
The Planning Department has seven projects in the pipeline, with six conditional use permits approved since August of last year. These permits include a mix of commercial, industrial, and retail projects.
The City of Barstow recently approved a service agreement with PlaceWorks, a widely recognized consulting agency, to assist with the update for the General Plan. The City’s Planning Department looks forward to working with PlaceWorks to create a new, forward-thinking General Plan for the City of Barstow.
Public Works
The Sturnacle Park Shade Structure Enhancement Project is complete and open to the public! Our Publics Works team recently completed the finishing touches on this project with location surveying/grading, overseeing the contractor raising the shade structure, fabricating handrails in house, and pouring concrete with the assistance of skilled employees from Wastewater and Facility Maintenance.
Solid Waste
Notices regarding the SB 1383 Mandatory Organics Recycling Program will be circulated this month, starting with Multi-Family Dwellings property owners. The intent is to help ensure that organic material is being diverted from landfills and recycled into new products, rather than sent to the dump where it decomposes and releases methane gas into the environment. In December 2021, the City Council of the City of Barstow adopted an ordinance supporting these statewide recycling requirements. As a result, the City has been working towards full implementation of its SB 1383 programs throughout the community. Focused messaging about this program will be distributed internally for employee knowledge and announced to the public via our media channels.
Wastewater
Earlier this month on January 7th, The Wastewater Department responded to a sewer spill overflow on Montara Road, east of the Walmart parking lot. Every single person on the department’s amazing staff was willing to come in at moment’s notice, whether it was finding a babysitter, just getting home from a kid’s soccer game, or leaving a family BBQ. The staff that was on-site during this time showed resilience and overall determination to mitigate, the SSO. In addition, staff came in the following morning to do a thorough site cleanup. Congratulations to Noel Escoto for earning the Operator in Training Certification from the State Water Resources Control Board!
In other news…
As our city prepares for the BNSF Railway project ahead, we have hired an economic development consultant to work with our Community Development departments to focus on developing and creating an environment where new businesses and opportunities will thrive while also enhancing the quality of life for Barstow residents. Through the economic growth over the next several years, more jobs will be created in the city, new industries will be developed, housing development will take place, and infrastructure will be improved. We are excited for what is in store for Barstow! As we move forward, I know that each of you will continue working diligently to make Barstow a better community. Know that your efforts are seen and appreciated! Best wishes,
Willie A. Hopkins, Jr.
City Manager