Newberry CSD director Margie Roberts didn't say much
during the Newberry CSD's appeal presentation of the BMT Minneola Solar
project before the County's Board of Supervisors. The presentation
went off without the problematic complications of the Clearway appeal.
Again, Jack Unger didn't make a fool of only himself...
he included the CSD, and he managed to damage the community of Newberry
Springs irreparably. These CSD professed Christians don't take care
of their neighbors.
Originally voting on July 23, 2024, with the CSD Board
to appeal and fight the county's Planning Commission's approval of the
BMT Minneola Solar project, Jack Unger single-handedly got the CSD Board to
reverse themselves.
Quite literally, there has been no single man ever in Newberry
Springs that has done more damage to the community than Jack Unger.
Unger's presentation was very well done... for the BMT solar project.
Jack Unger turned the appeal into a stupid, wasteful expenditure of Newberry CSD
public funds. First, he accepted the additional solar project which played
directly to the pleasure of the developer.
Then Unger requested and acquired agreements for construction
modifications that are worthless as the CSD has no enforcement powers and the
County has already demonstrated with the Soitec and the Clearway projects that
the County will not enforce anything.
Delusional Jack Unger probably left the hearing feeling
victorious but the damages will be long-lasting for Newberry. Had the
CSD fought the BMT Solar project, it would have had the option to advance
the matter to court where it would likely win because of the many legal
violations of the project.
Due to the stupidity of Jack Unger's actions, a CSD court
appeal is now impossible. The CSD got what it agreed to...
another solar project and unenforceable mitigation measures.
A court ruling is the only way that continued solar
developments in Newberry Springs can be stopped.
There were only three public speakers, each given
three minutes to speak. First was Paul Deel who I felt gave a very good
presentation highlighting the dust problem. The second was CSD director
and vice-president Mike Matson, who spoke as a private citizen.
Mike Matson's play on the BMT matter is screwy. While he
voted with the other CSD Board members (minus absent Robert Springer) to flip
on the CSD's public promise to fight the BMT project, he nonetheless, is
strongly opposed to it.
Matson has a career background of over 40 years of being in
the business of desert critters. He is an expert in his field. And, he has
been appalled by what solar development has done in the Mojave Valley.
During the hearing, Matson tried to lay out the federal
and state wildlife violations that have been committed by Clearway Energy
and those now being committed by the BMT project. These issues
can stop the BMT project if taken to court. Unfortunately, due to the arbitrary
three-minute rule enforced by the Board's Chair, Dawn Rowe, Mike Matson
wasn't allowed to educate the Board.
The third speaker was myself. Again, three minutes isn't
sufficient time to say much of anything. My topic centered on
a three-page letter I had sent each of the Supervisors the
previous week that covered, in part, the legal fiduciary duty of elected
officials to represent the highest and best interests of the local people
who elected them.
State law places a fiduciary obligation on elected
officials to represent those who elected them. Not developers or the
state's Governor. The duty includes public safety.
The Board of Supervisors, and our CSD elect, have violated this
legal responsibility.
They can and should be sued for their breach of duty.
