Forde Shorts

Looking good – The Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District finances are looking better. The district has $5 million in cash, $3.1 million in reserves and $1 million in Medicare reserves. A year ago, Chief Financial Officer Chet Beedle reported to the board on June 16, the district had $500,000 in investments and $500,000 in the bank. District counsel Scott Nave said that healthy cash reserves must be kept for expenses related to lawsuits. Bond money cannot be used to settle lawsuits, he said.

Saving water – Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District General Manager John Martin reported at the June 17 board meeting that because of cool weather and storms, the district's retail sales of agriculture water during May dropped from $240,000 in 2014 to $139,000 this year. As a result of cool weather and conservation, retail deliveries during May to the city of Tehachapi were down 37 percent from 2013 (two years ago), Golden Hills down 41 percent, Stallion Springs down 18 percent and Bear Valley down 45 percent. Martin said there were no problems at the May 29-30 music fest at Brite Lake. He said the Tehachapi Valley Rec and Park District, which switched the venue to Brite Lake just a few days before the event, did an excellent job of planning and security.