Recently in Government Category

The California Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the California Desert Protection Bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The bill would establish two national monuments in the Mojave Desert, to be called the Sand to Snow National Monument and the Mojave Trails National Monument.

The Sad to Snow National Monument would include lands east of Mount San Gorgonia and west of Joshua Tree National Park. The Movaje Trails National Monument would encompass an area of the desert north of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and south of Mojave National Preserve. The historic Route 66 would pass through the latter proposed national monument.

The bill would also give federal recognition to five existing off-highway vehicle areas.
Feinstein's bill is numbered S. 138. The bill has no co-sponsors in the Senate and was referred to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in January 2011.

Californians continued to consume less fuel in October, as gasoline consumption dropped 1.8 percent when compared to the same month in October 2010.

The California Board of Equalization reported that drivers consumed 1.23 billion gallons of gasoline in October.

Consumption fell as pump prices increased. One gallon of regular gasoline cost an average of $3.89 in October. That price signifies a 74 cent year-over-year increase.

Diesel consumption, however, rose in October. Diesel users purchased 226 million gallons of fuel in October. The amount signifies a year-over-year consumption increase of 4.8 percent.
A gallon of diesel fuel cost an average of $4.06 per gallon in October. That amount is 85 cents higher than the average price one year prior.

The Board of Equalization tracks consumption by analyzing gasoline tax receipts.

San Bernardino County officials announced the development of the ePlan application for people seeking building permits or other government approvals.

The application is being designed to allow customers to submit documents online.

The ePlan application is still under testing within the county's Land Use Services Department. The county plans to release the application later this month.

State Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, is scheduled to speak at the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce's legislative breakfast.

Dutton is scheduled to address political issues affecting business and his views on how redistricting may affect the Legislature. Dutton, facing term limits in the State Senate, is running for an Assembly seat against Mike Morrell, a Republican who represents the Rancho Cucamonga area in the state's lower house.

The San Bernardino chamber's breakfast is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 13 at Shandin Hills Golf Club, 3380 Little Mountain Drive, San Bernardino. Admission will cost $25.
Information: 909-885-7515

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority and Omnitrans will receive a combined $2.2 million to improve communications services.

The Los Angeles County agency is set to receive $2 million to improve its 511 line, which travelers use to obtain traffic and travel conditions information.

Omnitrans, which operates bus lines in the San Bernardino and inland valleys, received about $227,000 to improve its 211 line, which callers use for social service referrals and to obtain other information.

The district office of state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Montclair, plans to host a workshop on how to reclaim unclaimed property.

Lost or forgotten property that may be recoverable through the state's unclaimed property program include bank accounts, stocks and other securities, cashier's checks and money orders.

The workshop is scheduled to from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the senator's offices at 4959 Palo Verde St., Suite 110B, Montclair.

Information: 909-621-2783

The Economic Development Agency of San Bernardino accepted an award from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for its neighborhood stabilization project at Eastpoint Village in San Bernardino.

The project, which began in 2009, took a federal grant to stabilize communities after foreclosures to redevelop Eastpointe Village, a formerly blighted neighborhood of multi-family units at 19th Avenue and Sunrise Lane.

HUD's Spirit Awards are given to projects that capture the spirit of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The city agency used $2.7 million in NSP funds and $3 million in local housing funds to complete the project.

"In a relatively short period of time, tremendous progress has been made to reshape this community," said Emil Marzullo, Economic Development Agency interim executive director.  "It is an honor to be recognized for the exemplary labor and accomplishments shown by our team. Reducing blight and stabilizing our neighborhoods is important to providing residents quality of life."