MISSION VIEJO : City Dubious About Apple Valley Risks

The City Council may go against Southern California Joint Powers Insurance Authority directors on Monday over the proposed membership of the newly incorporated city of Apple Valley.

Although the insurance group’s executive board of directors voted Dec. 20 to admit Apple Valley to the pool of self-insured municipalities, Mission Viejo city staff has recommended against letting the San Bernardino County city join.

At least three-quarters of the 60-member organization must agree to allow a municipality to join the Joint Powers Authority, a group of cities that pool resources to provide low-cost insurance.

In a report to the City Council, Councilwoman Victoria C. Jaffe, the council’s representative to the insurance consortium, said large numbers of traffic accidents and poor street conditions make Apple Valley a bad insurance risk.

“It is our opinion that the approval of the town of Apple Valley’s application for (authority) membership would put the city of Mission Viejo’s own resources at risk,” the report said. However, officials say Apple Valley is working hard to improve an extensive infrastructure of roads inherited from San Bernardino County.

“We’ve talked to (Apple Valley city officials) and they’ve already done a lot of work on their streets,” said Frank Palacio, the insurance group’s executive board president. “They’re putting their money where their mouth is.”

Ken Gillanders, executive board vice president, predicted that Apple Valley would win approval from the 60 city authority members.

Palacio said the group should have the results of the vote by the end of January.