Ridgecrest council reports closed‑session actions: Frontier claim rejected; amicus brief approved in Wicknidge v. Blades

The Ridgecrest City Council reported two formal actions taken in closed session on Feb. 5, 2025: it rejected a claim by Frontier Communications and authorized the city to file an amicus letter in the case Wicknidge v. Blades.

City staff told the council the Frontier claim was rejected on the basis that the incident area cited in the claim lies outside city limits and that the city’s contractor was not responsible for the work cited; the council voted to deny the claim. City staff also reported that the council authorized filing an amicus letter in Wicknidge v. Blades. The report noted the latter action was approved on a four‑to‑zero vote with Councilmember Kyle Blades excused from the discussion and vote because of a conflict of interest.

The council’s closed‑session report was delivered at the start of the public meeting. No additional details about the substance of the planned amicus letter or the Frontier claim were provided during the public session.

The council’s disclosure at the meeting is the formal public record of those closed‑session outcomes. The mayor and council did not provide further explanation during the regular session; staff indicated the standard practice of providing only those reportable actions when a closed session produces an official decision.

The actions will be reflected in the official minutes and any subsequent filings or memos should the city take further steps that require public notice.