INYOKERN, Calif. — The Indian Wells Valley Airport District
provided much-needed assistance and resources during the recent earthquakes and
is essential to Kern County, a newly released grand jury report found.
The report, released Wednesday, found that during the 7.1
magnitude earthquake that hit the Searles Valley and Ridgecrest areas in July
2019, the District was able to keep the Inyokern Airport open and operational,
"providing aircraft landing and fuel for emergency services, the news
media, as well as State and Federal officials."
"The Indian Wells Valley Water District also remained
functional, suffering minimal damage while supplying needed water to the
Airport for emergency services," the report said.
The jury also found that the district is essential due to the
revenue it brings in from the filming industry.
"The Airport is an ideal location for film productions that
require an open-air environment with an unobstructed natural background. Paved
runways and taxiways can be used for ground vehicle and aircraft scenes,
including high-speed operations. Outdoor sets of virtually any size can be
constructed to meet filming needs. Some of the filming features include,"
the report said.
According to the report, in 2018-2019, the District had its
largest film year in history at $464,000 in revenue. The report stated that
normally, a good year would generate from $80,000 to $85,000.
"The benefits from the film industry are far more reaching,"
the report said.
The jury looked into the District’s Board of Directors, which
currently consists of five members, with three seats up for re-election in
November 2020. The jury found that in 2019, 12 monthly board meetings were
scheduled, however, eight were canceled.
The jury recommended that the District hold regular monthly
meetings, "as stated on their website", or change the by-laws to set
meeting dates and times when all board members and the public can attend.
The District has 90 days to respond to the report.
January 29, 2020
23ABC News
By 23ABC Digital Staff
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