The Newberry CSD monthly meetings have an agenda item where each attending board member is given one minute to discuss any subject.

    At the last board meeting on September 24, 2024, Chairwoman Paula Deel took her minute, rather several minutes, to make a fool of herself. She ranted and raved about how she felt the Newberry Springs Community Alliance's (NSCA) publications and editor had been so wrong and unfair to her and the board in the NSCA's reporting.

    Chairwoman Deel claimed that she had received multiple negative comments from the community about her Community Service District actions and that she was tired of them. She claimed the complaints stemmed from misinformation published on this website.

    Paula Deel further claimed she had not flipped and changed her position on the BMT Minneola Solar project. She also claimed that the CSD board was entitled to an increased stipend due to other CSD boards receiving such amounts.

    It can not be argued what other CSD boards do. Their actions regarding stipends, however, do not justify what Paula Deel and her comrades do. Public officials should be fully reimbursed for expenses but should voluntarily serve the public or not run for public office. Part-time public officials shouldn't have their hands in the public's monetary cookie jar.

    Another point expounded by Paula Deel was that the Community Alliance doesn't seem to want her in office. To that comment, the Community Alliance has repeatedly reported on her mismanagement and wasted funds. Wasted funds under her and her Chair predecessor, Robert Springer, who still sits on the board rather irregularly. His absence record should be actionable.

    Their mismanagement has earned them and the other directors (except for current director Mike Matson) the title of Bozos. Political clowns.

    Paula Deel, during the September 24, 2024, meeting, stated that she had not flipped her position on the Clearway and the BMT Minneola solar projects. That is not factual. She flipped on both, originally voting to pursue stop action on both projects, only to later violate her public promise to the community on each.

    Regarding the recent BMT Minneola Solar project, the board voted unanimously to oppose the project and appeal the Planning Commission's approval before the county's Board of Supervisors. As previously reported, all of the directors flipped and voted to accept the BMT Minneola Solar project with Director Jack Unger's hope of modifications.

    To support the board's irrational flip, at the last CSD meeting, Paula Deel waved in the air a December 18, 2023, e-mail (below) from Supervisor Dawn Rowe that states that due to Assembly Bill 205 (2022), "a law that," Rowe states, "takes the authority away from local jurisdictions, including the county, to determine appropriate siting for solar projects."

Click to enlarge.

    Based on this e-mail, Paula Deel concludes that the County has no power on the placement of solar projects and that the CSD can only seek modifications. Paula Deel is such a political Bimbo!

    This is an example of why Paula Deel and most of the other directors are such losers, and why Newberrians, in turn, are losers. Due to an inaccurate e-mail from another Bimbo, Supervisor Dawn Rowe, Newberry residents are now being targeted with higher cumulative levels of illegal carcinogenic fugitive dust.

    Can Paula Deel read?  Sure.  Can she comprehend?  Well, she certainly doesn't understand AB 205. If she had done her due diligence and been a responsible board member, she would understand the AB 205 basics.

    Instead of achieving greatness, she grabs at whatever excuse possible to do the least possible. A self-sabotaging achievement phobia where the community loses.

    AB 205, in part, streamlines the siting of large problematic solar projects to pass CEQA and local regulations by placing the California Energy Commission (CEC) as the lead CEQA agency and project approver. However, there are guidelines and restrictions in AB 205.

    While the CEC has the approval power, the law requires the CEC to confer with the County for input that must be considered.

    The Daggett Solar Power project was not subject to AB 205. The solar application was filed with the County and approved long before the existence of AB 205.

    Likewise, the BMT Minneola Solar project was processed by the County and not the CEC. In fact, the BMT project could never have been handled by the CEC. Something that Supervisor Dawn Rowe's misleading e-mail also ignored.

    AB 205 only applies to large solar and onshore wind energy projects with a capacity of 50 MW (megawatts) or more. The BMT Minneola Solar project is only a 3 MW project. The application of AB 205 to the BMT Minneola Solar project is moot.

    So, Paula Deel waving a copy of Dawn Rowe's e-mail in the air during the last general meeting had me chuckling at the woman flaunting her ignorance. She is amazing! She continues to give me so much to write about.

    But, it wasn't just Paula Deel. After she finished her rant, the egotistical director Jack Unger chimed in, stating his full agreement with her rant.  A mindless example of our CSD directors foolishly following one another.

    Director Unger was the kingpin who insanely persuaded the other directors to flip the CSD's strong opposition on the BMT Minneola Solar project and instead appeal for three meaningless modifications. The appeal was a total waste of CSD funds and time.  Jack Unger is a fine specimen that unwanted accidents do happen.

The ineffective fiddling Jack
while Newberry suffers with
carcinogenic dust.