Local agencies work toward more communication, resource sharing

Intergovernmental organization revived

March 4, 2009 - 3:28 PM By ABBY SEWELL, staff writer BARSTOW • Barstow is reviving a group intended to provide communication between the city and other local government entities, from the school and fire districts to federal agencies. The Barstow Association of Governments was an informal association created in 1998 under former Mayor Katy Yslas Yent. The idea was to provide a venue for the various independent government agencies operating in the Barstow area to share ideas and concerns, said Barstow Community College board member Fred Baca, who was part of the initial formation of the group. After several years, however, it fizzled out, and the group’s last meeting was in October of 2007. Mayor Joe Gomez said that when he took office, reenvigorating the group was a priority, especially since the current economy creates an interest in sharing resources among agencies. The group convened again Wednesday, with representatives from the city, San Bernardino County, Barstow Community College, the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Bureau of Land Management, Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, Barstow Fire Protection District, Barstow Community Hospital and various business and nonprofit entities. The leaders gave updates on the status of their finances, projects in the works, concerns and hopes; from the MCLB’s plans to expand its workforce to other agencies’ worries about the economy. “I think especially at this particular point in time, it’s really important to share resources, share ideas, and that everybody knows what you are doing so you are not duplicating and you are not blind to what is happening,” Baca said. For instance, knowing that the city is planning to purchase graffiti removal equipment, the schools might work out a way to share the equipment rather than buying their own, he said. Gomez said previously that the city is also working with the county to develop an equipment-sharing agreement. Fire Chief Darrell Jauss said that when the association was active before, it helped in terms of communication but did not necessarily lead to resource sharing among the agencies, which he hoped would play a bigger role in the future. “It didn’t meet our big needs, but it was helpful in knowing what other agencies were doing and what was going on,” he said. Mike Bogdahn, deputy commander of the maintenance center at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, said he hopes the group will help the base communicate better with the Barstow community, aiding in areas like job recruitment, workforce development, and setting up internship programs. The group agreed to hold meetings at least once every two months in the future.