Kern supervisors grant CHP authority to counter influx of snow bunnies

[Elk]

[lynnc]

Wow, the Mac board needs to take this to our supervisor's office for all the San Bernardino mountain communities.

[Nolena]

Yes. We need a meeting of representatives of the mountain communities. And our county supervisors need to see what Kern County has done and get the message.

[tcaarabians]

And, yes.. there were news reports that Yosemite limited traffic as well. And, the CHP does close the Grapevine when it gets unsafe as well as other highways around the state.  I think it isn't so much that residents in these areas just want to keep the 'players' away.. as it is that too many of them create truly unsafe conditions .. not just for themselves but for everyone.  The trash they leave is the least of it.  cheryl o7o

[Bob C]

Unsafe to them does not mean "Too many cars". It means unsafe road surface conditions (unplowed snow, ice, etc)

[Cheapskate]

The way I read this, the spokesman for the CHP said it will take the sheriff's dept. and public works to come together to solve the issue.  I read his comments as a diplomatic way of saying "not our problem". 

Which it probably isn't...on the map, it doesn't look like Frazier Park Rd has a state hwy designation, so it is probably the sole jurisdiction of the sheriff's dept.

Cynical me, this looks like Kern County Supervisors being typical politicians, taking an easy vote that's ultimately meaningless but looks like they're doing something.  Seriously, when does a county agency "give authority" to a state agency?   

[Wrightwood]

Proposed resolution

Jan 10, 2017 Resolution authorizing restriction of use of or closure of county highways in the Frazier Park and Pine Mountain Club areas for protection of the public due to snow

2. The Board of Supervisors hereby authorizes the California Highway
Patrol to restrict the use of or close Hudson Ranch Road, Cerro Noroeste Road,
Mil Portrero Highway, Mt. Pinos Road, Cuddy Valley Road, Frazier Mountain
Park Road, Lebec Road, Frontier Road and Lockwood Valley Road due to snow
for the protection of the public;

3. Pursuant to Streets and Highways Code 942.6, the Board of
Supervisors hereby delegates to the Road Commissioner the Board's authority
under Streets and Highways Code 942.5 and authorizes it to render assistance
to and otherwise provide direction to the California Highway Patrol in its efforts to
restrict the use of or close the aforementioned roads due to snow for the
protection of the public.

[Bob C]

Which it probably isn't...on the map, it doesn't look like Frazier Park Rd has a state hwy designation...

...Seriously, when does a county agency "give authority" to a state agency?

True.. Counties can't pass these kinds of resolutions for state or federal highways. They can only do it for county roads. Does it have any weight? Who knows. We'll know the next snow Armageddon.

I spoke to that supervisor from Bakersfield about this. He said it was the CHP that told the board they needed to pass a resolution, to get more support. This wasn't an unsolicited thing.

Again, it will be interesting to see if it has any affect. CHP can truly be short staffed, especially during a "snow event". They spend all their time responding to accidents, closing roads that they need to close, doing chain control, etc. It will be interesting to see if they can draw on manpower to get more support.

Not sure what they can do up here, except maybe manage Lone Pine Canyon road? Maybe some of the streets around town?