Fallbrook groups given Community Projects funding

A San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote June 17 allocated $129,000 of District Five Community Projects funding to Fallbrook groups.

The Fallbrook Area Visitors Bureau will receive $50,000 for costs associated with its Insider’s Studio Tour event, the Fallbrook Village Association was allocated $35,000 to construct a restroom meeting Americans with Disabilities Act standards, a grant of $30,000 will help the Fallbrook Historical Society repay a loan for its new barn, and $14,000 will cover Fallbrook Land Conservancy costs for its Stage Coach Sunday event and its land maintenance.

The Community Projects awards also included $3,500 to the Santa Margarita Gun Club at Camp Pendleton, and an amendment to a previous award to the Fallbrook Community Emergency Response Team gives the award to the organization’s legal name while amending the purpose of the grant to allow for the purchase of equipment not specified in the original agreement.

Each supervisor has a discretionary Community Projects budget which may be used for schools and non-profit organizations which provide services to county citizens and can also be used to supplement other county funding for specific county projects, although allocation of the funds requires approval of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Bill Horn’s recommendations were supported by the other three supervisors present at the June 17 meeting.

The Fallbrook Area Visitors Bureau provides information about local dining, night life, festivals, lodging, and other attractions and accommodations. The Community Projects money will cover the bureau’s costs to create and distribute promotional materials, will fund marketing and advertising expenses for the Insider’s Studio Tour event, and will pay for food, professional services, and supplies involved with the Insider’s Studio Tour.

The Fallbrook Village Association seeks to attract artists to Fallbrook and works on developing local resources for the artists. The Community Projects grant will allow the association to design the handicapped-accessible restroom, purchase the needed materials, and build the restroom at the Fallbrook Art Center.

The Fallbrook Historical Society researches the history of the Fallbrook area and educates residents and visitors. The society is building a new barn at its museum which will include displays and exhibits. The Community Projects award will help the society pay the outstanding construction costs of the barn.

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy was formed in 1988 and is dedicated to preserving and enhancing Fallbrook’s natural beauty and rural lifestyle. The conservancy has more than 1,000 members and has acquired more than 1,850 acres of protected open space which includes five nature preserves and Margarita Peak. The grant will fund some of the food, professional services, supplies, and marketing costs for the Stage Coach Sunday event, will provide trees and plants to enhance the preserves, will allow the conservancy to purchase security lighting and cameras for Palomares Park, and will enable the purchase of a motorized wheelbarrow to alleviate trail construction work.

The Santa Margarita Gun Club sponsors programs to promote gun education and training, primarily for youths, and the gun club hosts events throughout the year and attends competitions elsewhere. The Community Projects grant will subsidize ammunition, food, and travel costs for the gun club’s trip to a national tournament in Camp Perry, Ohio, on July 5.

On May 6 the supervisors approved a $95,000 Community Projects allocation to the Fallbrook Community Emergency Response Team to purchase an emergency trailer and emergency supplies. The organization’s legal name is North County CERT, so the grant agreement was amended to reflect that formality. Community Projects grants include grant agreements which establish terms for receipt of the funds, so subsequent Board of Supervisors action is required if the money is to be used for items not designated during the initial allocation approval. The amendment to the CERT grant agreement will allow the organization to purchase a command and communications trailer, quick-response trailers, and a truck.

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