As you may recall, I have been spearheading a campaign to curb the
excessive lighting in the City of Tehachapi. I made a presentation
to the City Council in May, at which point they directed "staff" to
study the issue and provide a recommendation.

Staff concluded that their California Environmental Quality
Assessment (CEQA) procedures addressed this issue adequately and that
a new ordinance was unnecessary. However, CEQA does not mitigate
existing lighting. I therefore pressed for the issue to be presented
to the Council, which was done last Monday. Despite testimony from
several citizens in support of the idea, there was resistance to the
idea of requiring the retrofitting of lighting. I also pressed for
an ordinance provision prohibiting the shining of light from one
property onto another. Councilman Phil Smith said that such an
ordinance was in place. However, the Compliance Enforcement Officer,
Mr. Hiner, said that he is unaware of any ordinance that he can
enforce regarding light trespass. The council accepted the
recommendation of the City Manager and took no further action.

We are not yet defeated. The County Board of Supervisors is expected
to pass strong light pollution regulations early next year for
unincorporated portions of the county. This will put pressure on
municipalities to do the same. Meanwhile, I will lead a small team
that will be developing new strategies to educate and persuade
council members and the City Manager about this problem, particularly
highlighting the availability of low-cost solutions to ensure that
the Tehachapi Valley remains dark enough for years to come.

Keeping the nose above the horizon,

/s/ Hawk
809-7207