This week’s meeting of the Board of Directors of the Big Bear City Community Services District wrapped in a record 15 minutes, as the open session portion of the November 2 meeting included just a couple items on the Consent Calendar. Among those, the Board was unanimous in their support of a Big Bear City Fire Department request to spend $13,500 from the agency’s reserves to upgrade computer software and hardware, in order to streamline compatibility with new-as-of-July dispatch company ConFire. The CSD Board had hoped to welcome new BVUSD Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright at Monday’s meeting but, given a budget meeting for the school district, she was unable to attend.

There was a full house, however, for the CSD meeting, as a number of community members, namely parents, spoke in support of the district’s earlier decision to terminate the employment of Sewer Department employee Andrew Coelho. In February of 2007, he had been arrested in Colorado on charges that included Solicitation for Child Prostitution and, in April 2008, was convicted of a Class 4 Felony. Tammie Hayes was the first to address the CSD Board, saying, “Thank you for protecting the children in our community. You have made a fantastic choice.” Hayes noted that children look up to adults in uniform and was pleased that Coelho was no longer working for the CSD, which shares a driveway with a preschool at Grenfall Drive, where the district’s maintenance yard is located. Parent Christy Stapleton was among those to second the sentiments of Hayes, noting, “I moved here thinking this is a homey, safe community.” After deliberation in a closed session meeting, billed as “existing litigation,” during which Coelho and CSD legal representation were present, CSD General Manager Mike Mayer noted that there was “no reportable action.” Coelho, now age 25 and profiled on the State of California’s Megan’s Law page, is not employed by CSD at this time though, as for specifics, Mayer tells KBHR, “I can’t discuss it, because it’s a confidential personnel matter.”