Two words have been on the minds of Twentynine Palms planning staff the last few weeks — Land Use. The merry-go-round continues Tuesday at 5 pm as the Planning Commission reviews another set of land use and zoning maps, now totaling four of an anticipated 22 maps as the City dips its toes into its General Plan revamp.

The general plan has the following components—

• Land Use

• Circulation

• Housing (due to be updated in 2029)

• Conservation / Open Space

• Noise

• Safety

• Recreation

• Equity / Environmental Justice (adopted in 2023)

Because the 2026 City budget has not included money for an outside planning consultant, Community Development Director Keith Gardner has opted to take on the General Plan process in-house for now. So far, Gardner has presented two land use maps in the last two study sessions, as we covered here and here.

At the current rate of discussion, the Planning Commission is expected to continue Land Use discussions for at least another 10 meetings, or five to six months contingent on the schedule.

Aside from approval of last meeting’s minutes, the only item on Tuesday’s agenda is a study session with the following topic: Public / Open Space / Utility / Flood Control on Maps 1-4:

As of now, the procedure is to review each of the area of the City per the existing Land Use Element, then review the goals and policies of the Land Use Element that may need to be updated. The first part of this review will be to determine those areas that may be redesignated as "P", "OS", "U", "F" or "TL"; then identify those areas where real-world situations do not match the current land use designations. When complete, the other elements of the General Plan will then be reviewed.

A copy of the 27-page agenda packet is here. Coverage of the previous Planning Commission study session is available here.

Because the City has not yet begun recording or live streaming its study sessions, those interested in this topic are encouraged to attend in person.1

Study Session #3 - Land Use & the General Plan Update

Opting for a simpler process than the previous meeting, where Commissioners tackled a series of questions for each map, the Community Development Director is focusing on just four potential land use categories for this meeting– P for public, OS-C for Open Space-Conservation, U for Utility owned parcels, and F for properties owned by San Bernardino County Flood Control. Per the staff report:

Instead of suggesting a multitude of changes, only those areas that would be removed from development potential are the subject of this workshop.

In other words, only those parcels that are currently zoned with development potential, such as County Flood Control properties that have residential zoning, will be discussed. One of the city’s goals in this process, per the staff report, is to adjust “land use designations to reflect real-world situations.”

Included in the staff report are calculations for potential changes in residential housing capacity, which the City will need to offset elsewhere to maintain compliance with its Regional Housing Needs Allocation under state no-net-loss law.

Tallying residential zoning losses proposed so far in Maps 1 through 4, if all proposed staff changes go through, the subtotal would be 339.2 potential housing units lost.

One example of this would be a section of San Bernardino County Flood Control property between Highway 62, Lupine, and Mariposa Avenue, shown above in blue. Currently zoned as residential, the City is suggesting that the land use here be changed to F for Flood Control. If the change takes place, overall residential housing capacity decreases.

What has been mapped so far?

Areas circled in yellow in the image above have been mapped by City staff with proposed zoning changes. Maps 1 and 2 include a federally owned parcel in the far southwestern section of town, the Indian Cove neighborhood, and a county-owned section of flood control property adjacent to John’s Place. Maps 3 and 4, which cover Smoke Tree and Theatre 29, are the eastern continuation of maps 1 and 2.

All four maps have proposed zoning changes. After this meeting, there is an expected 18 maps left for Commissioners to sift through.

At the June 9 City Council meeting, public commenter Paul Nugent called upon Council to allow the Planning Commission to establish a citizens advisory committee for its General Plan:

Our community includes individuals with valuable expertise and experience who can provide insight on land use, zoning development and other planning issues.

And for that reason, I would like to suggest that the city council authorize the planning commission to establish a citizens advisory committee to assist with the general plan update. When the general plan was last amended, the city created a 12 member general plan advisory committee to help gather community input and provide recommendations. A similar approach would ensure that the current update benefits from broad public participation and the diverse perspectives of our residents.

Map 3 - Hatch Road & Knotts Sky Park

Map 3 focuses on the Smoke Tree neighborhood, which includes Knotts Sky Park, headquarters for the Twentynine Palms Water District (in light blue), Monument High School, and single-family residential neighborhoods zoned RS-4, which allows a maximum of four units per acre.2

North and West of Monument High School is a private parcel zoned as (P) for public with a gray color coding labeled “Study Area.” Because it is a privately owned parcel, its current Public zoning is not appropriate as it is not owned by the city or a government entity. Staff is suggesting this parcel be changed to a different designation. Further details on the parcel, such as ownership information, are not included in the agenda packet.

Map 4 - Sullivan Road, Palms N Paws, Public Works, Theatre 29, Reset Hotel

In continuity with Map 3, Map 4 encompasses the eastern developed portion of Sullivan Road up to Adobe Road. Map 4 introduces the first appearance of Tribal Lands (TL) in the series, reflecting an area across the Casino that is now under jurisdiction of the Twenty-nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.

This map includes the City’s Public Works building, Palms-N-Paws Animal Shelter, and Theater 29, all of which are City owned properties. In pink is a large private property tied to Reset Hotel, which is labeled as not intended to be developed as residential.

According to the housing chart calculations, proposed changes to Map 4 would entail a reduction of 176 in potential housing units.

The meeting takes place at 5 pm, 6136 Adobe Road. See you there!

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The June 9 Twentynine Palms City Council meeting wrapped in just over an hour with a full agenda and no pulled consent items.

Beneath the brisk pace was real substance. Right out of the gate, Mayor Daniel Mintz announced that in closed session the Council had voted to forgive a debt the public had not previously known existed. The agenda moved efficiently from there. Discussion items included a resolution backing a state public records bill, direction on a 1% sales tax measure headed for the November ballot, and a solid waste rate adjustment, all passing 5-0.

Relevant links:

• Meeting agenda

• Our agenda preview

• Video of the meeting

A debt forgiven in closed session raises more questions than it answers

Reported out of the closed session by Mayor Mintz was a decision that the City

…not take formal action to pursue collection of the amount of $31,982.08 due to the City by Morongo Basin ARCH related to the former agreement related to the City’s Elm Avenue property.

The vote was unanimous, with Councilmember McArthur Wright abstaining, citing a conflict of interest; the basis for the conflict was not stated. The nature of the debt was likewise not disclosed.

The reference is to a project with a long history at City Hall, involving Morongo Basin ARCH, a local nonprofit that has operated in the basin since 2008, providing emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, outreach, and eviction prevention services. In December 2021, the Council accepted a Community Development Block Grant–Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) Homekey award of more than $713,000 from the California Department of Housing and Community Development to purchase and rehabilitate four units at 6937–6943 Elm Avenue as permanent housing for very low-income residents. As then-City Manager Frank Luckino described it, the City would facilitate the grant while Morongo Basin ARCH would operate and maintain the units, leaving the City with “no long-term annual costs.” ARCH president Astrid Johnson appeared before the Council that night to outline the nonprofit’s approach.

The staff report, however, identified the risks of that arrangement in writing. The grant carried a 55-year affordability commitment; ARCH would need to remain a functioning operator for that period, or the City would have to “find another organization or run it ourselves”; and the General Fund would “backfill any shortfalls” if the nonprofit could not meet its obligations. Councilmember Joel Klink questioned whether the planned $5,000 annual replacement reserve was adequate and asked about a memorandum of understanding allowing the City to inspect the units.

By the time the Council formally closed out the project on March 23, 2026 — the same evening it rejected the E-Group solar proposal — the operating structure had changed. The completed units are now covered by a Housing Assistance Payments contract between the City and the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino and reserved for HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing referrals, with case management provided by the VA. Morongo Basin ARCH did not appear in the close-out record. The project’s final accounting showed roughly $713,000 in grant funds and about $108,000 in City General Fund money, the latter driven in part by the federally required relocation of an income-ineligible tenant and a subsequent major rehabilitation of one house.

What remains unexplained in the public record is what the $31,982.08 represents, and when and why the City’s “former agreement” with ARCH ended. Neither the figure nor the nonprofit appears in the project’s close-out documents, leaving the June 9 decision as the first public indication that the arrangement concluded with a balance the City has now chosen not to recover.

Anna Stump named 2025 Arts Advocate of the Year

On a warmer note, Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) Vice Chair Sarah Lyons presented a slightly belated 2025 Arts Advocate of the Year award to Anna Stump, a former PAAC chair who played a key role in landing a Levitt grant funding free concerts for the city. Lyons called Stump “an outstanding representative for the arts in 29 Palms, as well as the greater Morongo Basin” and “a pillar of our creative community.” Stump expressed her appreciation for the Council’s recognition of how important the arts are to the community’s overall health, happiness, and economic prosperity.

Council Comments: Graduations, a food bank, and the mysterious Pelican Club

Councilmember Wright gave the dais a run for longest council comment, clocking just over four minutes on topics ranging from food banks to happy birthdays. Councilmember April Ramirez still holds the 2026 record at nearly seven minutes.

Graduations were a universal theme: every member of the dais mentioned attending at least one end-of-year school celebration.

Both Councilmember Steven Bilderain and Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott reported attending the Pelican Club dinner, with Scott adding that the dinner was well attended. The Pelican Club was established in 1950 by a local businessman to bridge the considerable distance between the Morongo Basin and the seat of San Bernardino County government by providing an informal forum for local business owners and other interested parties to meet with County officials. Why Pelican? The businessman had brought the idea with him from an Orange County beach city organization, hence the club’s name.

City Manager Kevin Cole keeps it moving

In his City Manager report, Kevin Cole highlighted summer programming (swim, day camp, and a free pet adoption program), reported that Public Works had striped Utah Trail that evening, and noted that a grant-funded sidewalk project is two-thirds complete.

Cole asked Council for support in opposing AB 1383, a state bill that would lower the retirement age for public safety employees under CalPERS. The change would increase retirement liabilities for fire and police, and for cities like Twentynine Palms that contract with the County Sheriff, those costs get passed through in higher contract rates. Cole raised this item in response to a question Councilmember April Ramirez asked at the May 26 meeting.

Consent Calendar passes without comment or objection

The consent calendar passed 5-0 with no discussion, no public comment, and no items pulled. That included the raising of Council monthly pay to $700, a $2,424,428.26 warrant register, an emergency well repair at Luckie Park, the FY 2026-27 SB1 road project list, and a three-year Granicus subscription for the Visit 29 Palms Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). For more detail on the full calendar, see our agenda preview.

The evening's only public hearing, a resolution placing Burrtec's solid waste service charges on the County property tax roll with a rate increase of $3.18 per month, followed the same pattern: 5-0, no questions, despite Burrtec representatives standing by to answer them.

The City backs a CPRA reform bill while its own compliance is challenged

The Council voted 5-0 to support AB 1821, a state bill that would extend the time agencies have to respond to public records requests. City Manager Cole introduced the item by noting the burden the California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests place on City resources, and cited Prop 42's elimination of state reimbursement and a 2020 California Supreme Court ruling restricting agencies from recovering staff time for producing records.

The vote still carried some tension. Desert Trumpet Editor-in-Chief Cindy Bernard spoke during public comment about the City's handling of an active CPRA request filed March 16 seeking documents related to the E-Group solar project. Bernard told the Council that ten weeks into the request, after the City had confirmed responsive records existed and set a June 10 production date, staff emailed asking her to provide specific keywords to "refine the search" or the request would be closed within five days. The language, she said, echoed direction she had previously described as coming from a councilmember: exact-keyword-match searches rather than the reasonable-search standard required under Government Code section 7922.530.

"I don't believe the staff handling our requests are the problem," Bernard said. "They are trying to do their jobs. The problem is the direction they are being given." She asked the Council to direct staff to apply the reasonable-search standard and to honor the June 10 production date.

A 1% sales tax measure takes shape, and the clock is ticking

Twentynine Palms isn’t the first city to consider a sales tax to bolster revenues. Neighboring cities including Yucca Valley, Palm Desert, Indio, and Cathedral City have already passed similar measures. City Manager Cole was direct: the city faces a “severe and increasing structural deficit.” Without new revenue, Cole warned, “cities may be forced to reduce or eliminate key quality of life services.”

Clifford Moss representatives Joshua Emeneger and Amanda Clifford joined the meeting by video, the second time that outside consultants arrived prepared to answer public questions and received none.

Mayor Pro Tem Scott framed the Council’s role simply: “City council is not the one that’s going to put a tax on our residents. Only the voters can do that.” Clifford Moss rep Amanda Clifford reinforced that framing: “You don’t impose taxes on your voters, they have the opportunity to make that choice for themselves.”

The proposed measure is a general tax, requiring only a simple majority to pass rather than the two-thirds supermajority needed for a specific tax, a distinction Wright raised and which we flagged in our agenda preview. Ramirez noted that post-election state mandates would likely increase the City's costs regardless, and Cole added that a general tax would give the City discretion over how the revenue is spent.

The City is working against a firm timeline. June 23 is the next scheduled discussion, with a Council vote targeted for July 28. The state deadline to place a measure on the November ballot is August 7.

Future agenda items: three trimmed, one questioned

The 14-item future agenda list received a light pruning. Scott requested removal of Item 6 (guidelines for elected and appointed officials’ use of City Hall meeting rooms), saying he had discussed it with the City Manager. Cole resolved two more without further Council action, noting that existing policy already covers Item 4 (new federal holidays vs. the City holiday schedule) and that Item 13 (cooling center hours) would be handled administratively.

The remaining items, including the Flock camera study session, the $1.3 million housing reallocation question, and the Set Free Ranch annexation, remain in queue. See our agenda preview for the full list.

Flock cameras continue to dominate public comment: “Privacy issues are democracy issues”

General public comment brought six speakers, including some new faces, and two written submissions. The dominant theme was Flock surveillance cameras, many speakers beginning by thanking Mayor Pro Tem Scott for scheduling the upcoming July 9 community roundtable.

Chris Carraher of Wonder Valley said the cameras had generated genuine anger among neighbors and framed routine surveillance as incompatible with a free citizenry, calling for further transparency and for the city to take the cameras down altogether. “Just because we could use it doesn’t mean we should use it,” Carraher said.

Beth Sheffield noted that camera numbers had continued to increase despite persistent community opposition, and cited California surveillance rules including California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA 2020) and SB 34: “Privacy issues are democracy issues,” Sheffield told the Council:

Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say.

Stacey Solie, who has spoken on Flock at previous meetings, raised concerns about the data being privately owned, about access by ICE and federal authorities, and about potential violations of California state law. Solie asked when the contract expires and whether the City could end it or physically cover the cameras.

Mayor Mintz read into the record a written submission from Heather Huguenor, who opposed AI surveillance in all forms as well as tax increases from a government Huguenor described as lacking transparency and ignoring the will of its residents.

A General Plan proposal, a farewell, and a question about Set Free Ranch

Paul Nugent raised the overdue General Plan update, proposing that the Council authorize the Planning Commission to establish a citizens advisory committee to assist with the process:

The city’s general plan is overdue for an update, and I think it’s important that residents have meaningful opportunities to participate in that process. Our community includes individuals with valuable expertise and experience who can provide insight on land use, zoning development, and other planning issues, and for that reason I would like to suggest that the city council authorize the planning commission to establish a citizens advisory committee to assist with the general plan update. When the general plan was last amended, the city created a 12-member general plan advisory committee to help gather community input and provide recommendations. A similar approach would ensure that the current update benefits from broad public participation and the diverse perspectives of our residents.

It was the first time a member of the public brought the idea to City Council, though the same proposal was raised at the June 2 Planning Commission meeting.

Mayor Mintz read a letter from BreeAnna Sullivan of the MUSD Nutritional Services Department, thanking the City and community partners for their support of their successful third annual summer meal kickoff event. Pastor LeeAnn Clarke offered warm words for Anna Stump, and bade farewell to Community Events Coordinator Scott Clinkscales, whom Clarke described as someone who “always brought excellence to the table” and would be tremendously missed.

Desert Trumpet Editor-in-Chief Cindy Bernard also spoke during general public comment, raising concerns about Future Agenda Item 9, the proposed annexation of two parcels occupied by Set Free Ranch, a church running a Christian discipleship program. Bernard told the Council the county had confirmed that the parcels are non-contiguous and not on the city border, and the state confirmed that Set Free holds no license to operate a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, despite what is described as rehabilitative activity taking place there. Bernard questioned whether the annexation was worth staff time and raised separation of church and state concerns.

Bernard tied these concerns to the evening’s recurring theme:

We talk about the amount of money that’s being spent, and we’re talking about staff time, and I’m just asking that we really think thoroughly about what that staff time should be spent on.

The Brown Act prohibited Council from responding to any of the general public comments.

The next meeting is on June 23, 2026, the 1% sales tax will again be discussed. Looking to the summer, City Council is cancelling July 14 and August 11 meetings.

Run for City Council! Districts 3 (Mintz), 4 (Scott), and 5 (Wright) are up for election. The nomination period for candidates begins July 13, 2026 and ends on August 6, 2026. Contact City Clerk Cindy Villescas for details and check out our article on How to Run for City and Town Council for general guidelines.

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The June 9 City Council meeting is mostly routine, but not entirely. The Council opens with yet another closed session, holds a public hearing that comes with a residential trash-rate increase, considers a resolution backing a state public-records bill, and gives direction on a 1% sales tax measure headed for the November ballot, with a formal vote set for June 23. The full agenda packet is available here. The closed session starts at 5:30 pm and the regular session begins at 6 pm.

1. Anticipated Litigation, Significant Exposure to Litigation, Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)(1 case)

The meeting opens, for the seventh time in 2026, with a closed session. The stated basis is significant exposure to litigation under Government Code § 54956.9(d)(2), with no further detail in the published agenda. Of the City’s six closed sessions earlier this year, three (April 9, 14, and 27) concerned the City Manager transition following Stone James’s April 9 resignation, and those ultimately surfaced in public: the Council accepted James’s resignation on a 5-0 vote and later appointed Kevin Cole.

The litigation sessions have been harder to follow. Consulting legal counsel in closed session is squarely permitted under the Brown Act; what is worth watching is how these items are described on the agenda and what, if anything, is reported afterward. The February 10 session cited a threat to public services and a consultation with the City Attorney. The January 27 session, like the one set for June 9, was listed only as anticipated litigation, “one case,” and afterward the Council reported nothing. The exception was January 13, when a last minute revised agenda named the matter directly: the Indian Cove Neighbors’ challenge to the City’s facility fee waiver policy.1

The Brown Act requires closed-session items to be described on the agenda with their statutory basis and certain actions to be reported out afterward, though how much detail those require depends on the circumstances. Across these sessions, the City has generally provided the minimum: a bare citation going in, and little or nothing coming out.

PUBLIC COMMENT

You can comment on agenda items and issues important to you at every City Council meeting. Comments on agenda items take place during discussion of that item, while comments on non-agenda items take place near the end of the meeting. The Brown Act prevents Council from commenting on non-agenda items. To comment, just pick up a form at the entry desk, fill it out, and hand it to the Clerk, who usually sits just in front of the Council dais toward the right.

Council email addresses and public comment information can be found on our resources page. Be sure to email prior to 2 pm on the day of the meeting so they have time to read your email prior to discussion. You can also copy the clerk at cvillescas@29palms.org and ask that your letter be made part of the public record.

AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Item 2 is a presentation by the Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC), the City Council-appointed body that supports public art programming and maintains the City's permanent art inventory. No staff report is included and no subject is described.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Consent Calendar consists of items usually approved with a single vote. The public is given a chance to make public comment on these items prior to the Council motion. Fill out a comment form specifying the item you wish to address and submit it in person, or send an email in advance regarding any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.

Items 3 and 4 are routine: a procedural step allowing Council to adopt Ordinance No. 328 (the salary increase, addressed under Item 6) by title only rather than reading it aloud, and approval of the minutes from May 26, City Manager Kevin Cole’s first regular meeting.

Item 5. Approval of Warrant Register Totaling $2,424,428.26

The warrant register covers all payments issued by the City during a given period; this meeting's register totals $2,424,428.26, covering payments issued between May 12 and June 3, 2026. A few line items stand out. Clifford Moss LLC, the sales tax campaign consultant, received $16,352.49, roughly double its reported monthly rate. This could reflect two billing periods or additional scope, but the agenda packet provides no explanation.

Also appearing is a $9,000 payment to Culper Consulting LLC, the firm of Yucaipa Deputy Mayor Justin Beaver. As reported in the May 12 recap, outgoing City Manager Stone James contracted the firm to produce a code enforcement manual days after announcing his resignation. The City Attorney issued a work stop order shortly after, and Stone James pulled the Council approval item from the agenda the same day the payment cleared, meaning the $9,000 was paid without formal Council authorization for the policy governing the production of the manual.

Item 6. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 328 — City Council Salary Increase

The second and final reading of Ordinance No. 328 comes after its initial reading at the May 26 meeting, where it passed unanimously. If adopted, it would raise Council members’ monthly compensation from $465 to $700, the first increase in 24 years. The increase takes effect following the November 2026 election. For a deeper-look at the Council salary discussion, check out our previous coverage from the March 10 recap.

Item 7. Information on the Importance of Periodic Septic System Maintenance

The recurring septic system maintenance education item is a standing fixture at every meeting as part of the City's collaboration with the Twentynine Palms Water District on groundwater quality. As the May 26 recap noted, resident Heather Drake urged Council to extend septic enforcement to rental property management companies, citing personal experience with a management firm that failed to maintain systems in properties she had rented and later purchased.

Item 8. Three-Year Granicus Subscription Agreement — Visit 29 Palms TBID

The Tourism Business Improvement District’s marketing website, Visit29.org, runs on the Simpleview platform, now provided by Granicus. This item renews the subscription for three years, beginning at $26,449.46 in year one and rising to $29,094.41 and then $32,003.85 — roughly $87,500 over the full term. Funding comes from the TBID’s budget, not the General Fund.

The renewal was placed on the TBID Advisory Board’s consent calendar on March 19 and now appears on the City Council’s consent calendar, meaning a three-year contract is on track to be approved at both bodies without public deliberation unless a Councilmember or resident request discussion on the item.

It also carries some recent history. At the TBID's January 29 meeting, lodging partner Susan Peplow raised concerns in public comment about the rollout timeline for the platform's new business portal and the value of the events calendar as a resource for lodging partners and local businesses. A review of Visit29.org this week found the events calendar current and 102 lodging listings, suggesting the calendar and listings concerns have started to be addressed, despite the lodging listings representing about one-third of what’s available.2

Item 9. Emergency Repair of Luckie Park Well

The southeast well at Luckie Park failed in February 2026, prompting an emergency repair completed by Chambers Choice Drilling to keep the park’s irrigation, restrooms, and pool running. Once underway, the work turned up additional problems, pushing the cost to $28,231, beyond the City Manager’s spending authority and requiring the vendor to be paid before Council could act. Council is now being asked to ratify the expenditure after the fact. The cost falls within the $50,000 budgeted for well repairs in the General Capital Projects Fund for FY 2025-26.

Item 10. SB1 Road Project List for FY 2026-27

The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 requires the City to adopt a resolution each year identifying which road projects will be funded with SB 1 gas tax revenues. The City anticipates approximately $795,609 in SB 1 funds for FY 2026-27. The money will pay for asphalt overlay totaling about 22,000 linear feet, with work scheduled from July 2026 through June 2027, across 12 street segments:

Per the staff report, the City’s pavement condition index is currently above the SB 1 benchmark of 80 and rated “good.” Cities must maintain that threshold to remain eligible for the funding.

PUBLIC HEARING

11. Placement of Solid Waste Service Charges on the County Property Tax Roll

This is the meeting’s only public hearing. Each year the City must pass a resolution authorizing San Bernardino County to collect Burrtec’s residential solid waste charges through the property tax roll, a practice in place since 2005 that the City Attorney’s staff report says saves residents money over direct billing. The County began requiring annual re-authorization in 2025.

The hearing is not a vote on the rates themselves. According to the staff report, standard residential service will rise by $3.18 per month effective July 1, 2026, and most of that increase happens automatically under the City’s existing franchise agreement with Burrtec, without Council action. It includes a 3.09% cost-of-living adjustment, $2.10 representing the third year of a four-year phase-in of state-mandated organic waste recycling costs under SB 1383, and $0.43 in added recycling costs.

The single component actually before the Council is a 1.07% increase, about $0.28 per month for standard residential service, to cover Burrtec’s costs of complying with SB 1383’s organic waste procurement mandate. The staff report presents the $3.18 figure as the overall change to residential rates on July 1, so this $0.28 charge appears to be one part of that total rather than an addition to it.

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS

12. Support for AB 1821: California Public Records Act Amendment

AB 1821 would amend the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the state law that gives the public the right to obtain government records. Current law requires an agency to determine whether requested records are disclosable and to notify the requester within 10 days, a window understood under state law to mean 10 calendar days. AB 1821 would change that to 10 business days and would similarly shift the permitted extension under unusual circumstances from 14 calendar days to 14 business days.34

As of late May 2026, the bill had passed the Assembly and moved to the Senate, which means it is not yet law. The Council is being asked to adopt a resolution supporting it. City Manager Cole will present the item; no staff report is included in the published agenda packet, which is unusual for an action item and leaves the public and Council members without written analysis before the vote.

For residents who have submitted records requests to the City of Twentynine Palms, the response window may already look like what the bill proposes: City Clerk Cindy Villescas has consistently treated the deadline as 10 business days rather than 10 calendar days, giving the understaffed City more time to respond.

The Desert Trumpet has a direct interest in this legislation: it regularly files public records requests with the City and other local agencies, and the bill’s deadline change would apply to those requests. There is some irony in the Council being asked to put the City’s name behind a public-records law when its own compliance with that law has been challenged at past meetings. At the May 26 meeting, for instance, Desert Trumpet Editor-in-Chief Cindy Bernard raised the issue with Council members during public comment:

The Desert Trumpet submits public information requests as a part of our investigative reporting. While a few of you do a great job of supplying the documents legally required by the California Public Records Act, others of you are less forthcoming. You know who you are. In fact, documents produced in response to one of our requests show that a council member directed City staff to filter our records response using only quote exact keywords, a practice inconsistent with the City’s obligation under the California Public Records Act.

The past City Manager was not a fan of CPRA compliance — is this agenda item a sign of change?

13. Sales Tax Ballot Measure — Polling Results and Ballot Language

The City is asking Council to provide direction on placing a 1% local sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot; a formal vote on ballot language and a placement resolution would return to Council on June 23. According to the staff report, the City faces structural pressure on the General Fund, with operating expenses, led by law enforcement costs, growing faster than revenues. The Sheriff’s Department contract for FY 2026-27, approved at the May 26 meeting, rose 7.4% over the prior year — an increase of $429,052, bringing the total to $6,220,995. The campaign’s FAQ, produced by Clifford Moss LLC, says the contract rose 10% this year, with no math shown.

The outreach has proceeded in phases. Beginning in 2023, the City conducted two community surveys. At its October 14, 2025 meeting, Council approved a $122,250 package: a Probolsky Research survey plus funding for a political consulting firm to promote a possible measure, with the consultant’s role made contingent on the survey’s results. Staff originally recommended the Lew Edwards Group, but Council substituted Clifford Moss LLC at Councilmember April Ramirez’s suggestion. Probolsky completed its survey on January 17, 2026, and then a citywide mailer went out to more than 5,000 voter households, generating 682 responses and 542 written comments; digital advertising produced 184,000 impressions and 13,455 clicks. A second mailer, signed by then-City Manager Stone James, went out in May.

The draft ballot question reads:

Shall the measure funding the City of Twentynine Palms services such as maintaining 911 response times, police officers and patrols, emergency response, maintenance of streets, parks and trails, upgrade the animal shelter, and support general city services; raising the sales tax by 1%, be adopted, providing approximately $2,000,000 annually until ended by voters; requiring audits/public spending disclosure, all funds used locally, be adopted?

As a general tax, the measure’s revenue would flow to the General Fund and could be spent at the discretion of whichever Council is seated, which is also why it needs only a majority to pass rather than the two-thirds a dedicated tax requires. That structure sits awkwardly against how the measure is being presented. Several claims in the City’s outreach materials warrant scrutiny:

• A general tax presented as dedicated spending. The ballot question and both outreach documents list specific uses — 911 response, police patrols, streets, parks, animal shelter upgrades — but as a general tax, none of those uses is legally binding; the money can be spent on anything. The FAQ concedes as much.

• A claim the City has never substantiated. Both the fact sheet and the mailer assert that “visitors and tourists would pay a large percentage” of the proposed tax. No data supporting this appear in the packet. When the same talking point was used during the City’s earlier sewer-tax campaign, records obtained by the Desert Trumpet showed the then-City Manager, asked for the figure behind it, acknowledged the City did not have that analysis.

• Grocery and prescription “protection.” The FAQ frames exempting groceries and prescriptions as a safeguard built into the measure. Most groceries and prescription drugs are already exempt from California sales tax statewide, regardless of any local measure.

• Unsourced statistics. The fact sheet claims a pavement condition index “20% above the average of all Coachella Valley cities” (Twentynine Palms is in the Morongo Basin, not the Coachella Valley), and an animal-shelter “save rate nearly 3x higher than the national average.” Neither figure is sourced.

• A regional claim stated as fact. The materials assert the City is “one of the few communities in the region without a local sales tax,” which the packet does not substantiate.

One omission is its own kind of disclosure. The item is titled to present polling results, but the Probolsky report is not in the packet. When Council first accepted the survey on January 27, the full Probolsky Research report, including methodology, sample, and a margin of error of plus or minus 5.8 percent, was included in the agenda packet, available to the public before the meeting. The June 9 packet contains only the Clifford Moss fact sheet, FAQ, and mailer. The underlying poll is absent.

The City’s current sales tax rate is 7.75 percent, with no local component. Staff asks only that Council receive the report and provide direction; the final ballot language and placement resolution return for a vote on June 23.

FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS

The following 14 items are queued for future Council action or discussion:

1. Shade structures around Freedom Plaza and a possible art fixture announcing the location.

2. Discussion of a policy regulating the use of City Attorney resources.

3. Discussion on creating a “Recognized Neighborhood Program.”

4. Discussion on the new federal holidays to coincide with the City’s holiday schedule.

5. Discussion on the use of City funds for grants and the potential reallocation of housing and homeless funds to grants.

6. Discussion on creating guidelines for the use of City Hall meeting rooms by elected and appointed officials for official City business.

7. Discussion on the next steps of reallocating $1.3 million for housing.

8. Discussion of Code Enforcement, compliance with Proposition 36, and a pathway to meeting new guidance issued by Governor Newsom.

9. Discussion about annexing parcels APN 0634-05-124 and 0634-05-109, also known as Set Free Ranch.

10. Discussion of a possible safe passage with CalTrans around Donnell Hill.

11. Discussion on a collaboration with Liberty Military Housing to update the City’s RHNA numbers.

12. Study session regarding the FLOCK cameras.

13. Expedited item to discuss Cooling Center hours.

14. Review and revision to Municipal Code Chapter 5.08 related to cannabis uses, to bring the City into compliance with new state legislation. Requested by Councilwoman Ramirez, seconded by Councilmember Bilderain, per the May 26 minutes.

Run for City Council! Districts 3 (Mintz), 4 (Scott), and 5 (Wright) are up for election. The nomination period for candidates begins July 13, 2026 and ends on August 6, 2026. Contact City Clerk Cindy Villescas for details and check out our article on How to Run for City and Town Council for general guidelines.

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This last Tuesday, June 2, the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission held a study session on General Plan updates. They analyzed two Land Use maps and discussed zoning intricacies in southwestern portions of the city. Three of five Commissioners were present with Vice Chair Krushat and Commissioner Paahana having excused absences.

The meeting was just under an hour. Commissioners sifted through a series of questions on utility owned parcels, residential properties that do not meet their current zoning criteria, and potential zoning changes of federal properties.

The agenda packet is here. Coverage of the meeting agenda is available here. The first 4:28 minutes of the meeting is available here, though the study session was not recorded. Per state requirements, the City has until July 1 to begin recording and livestreaming all workshops, study sessions, committee meetings, and board meetings.

PUBLIC COMMENT

None

STUDY SESSION: Study Maps 1 and 2 of the General Plan Update

The City General Plan is past due for an update. City Staff is conducting the beginning stages of this lengthy process in-house, without consultants, starting with the Land Use element. The Land Use element contains the zoning map for the City, and defines the various land uses and districts within that zoning map, from residential to commercial, rural to public, and everything in between.

City Staff is starting this process by analyzing sets of the City’s land use maps, with an anticipated 22 maps in total. For this study session, commissioners had two maps to analyze with a set of questions and considerations to discuss. They included the question of retaining the Open Space-Conservation (OS-C) land use type, which was created through a Conditional Use Permit to facilitate the development of the Ofland Resort project.1 Other questions included federal property zoning designations and the land use designations of property owned by utility companies such as Southern California Edison and the local water district.

Community Development Director Keith Gardner kicked off the study session:

There is no timeline to this, but the general plan does need to be updated, and this is going to be a slow process. We want to make sure we get it done in a thorough process as we can.

Map 1 displayed a series of five-acre residential lots owned by the federal government and a handful of lots owned by County Flood Control and the Twentynine Palms Water District.2 Also on the map was a purple section labeled “STUDY AREA” in which a series of undeveloped residential lots did not meet the correct lot size for their current zoning.

Gardner posed the following questions to Commissioners regarding Map 1:

1. Should those properties in the area bounded by Highway 62, Lee Road, Kern Boulevard, and Sullivan be redesignated to reflect actual lot sizes?

2. Should those properties owned by the federal government be redesignated as “P” or “OS-C”?

3. Should properties that are inconsistent with their land use designation be considered for redesignation?

4. Should all properties owned by the City be shown as “P” or should that be on a case-by-case basis?

5. Should a consideration be made to redesignate a portion of the properties at intersection of Lear Avenue into a commercial land use designation?

A southwest portion of the city, between Kern Boulevard, Lee Road, Sullivan Road, and Highway 62, highlighted in the map above, contains an area of one-acre residential lots that are zoned for 2.5 acres, a mismatch Gardner attributed to government survey lots that were likely grandfathered when the City incorporated.

The commission agreed to address these mismatched zoning areas on a case-by-case basis. Cure inquired on the history of the lots and argued that isolated parcels sandwiched among larger ones don’t necessarily warrant a blanket redesignation.

Chair Max Walker and Commissioner Alex Garcia were in agreement that the map should match what’s on the ground as much as possible.

Regarding designation of federal property as P for public or OS-C, Commissioners and City Staff emphasized that the City has very little jurisdiction over what the federal government can do with its own land though the land is not appropriately zoned for residential use as it is too difficult to develop.

Though commissioners were generally in favor of retaining the Open Space Conservation (OS-C) land use designation, Commissioners stopped at wanting to apply that designation to federal properties. Chair Max Walker asked if a lawsuit on the Ofland development was why the OS-C land use was no longer in play. Gardner confirmed:

We have a request from their attorney to rescind all Ofland [zoning], including the establishment of the open space conservation zone.

Commissioner Cure was in favor of designating federal land and City-owned land as Public (P) and that utility-owned parcels should be in their own separate category. Garcia was also in favor of utilities having their own separate category and inquired if the Public land use designation can be subdivided into more specific criteria.

Cure stated:

If it’s conservation, then it should be conserved and nothing else — zero grading. So it wouldn’t necessarily be applicable to some of the state or federal [land].

Gardner and Walker both acknowledged that any conversion of residential property to a different land use designation would have to accommodate state requirements. Government Code Section 65863 — the no-net-loss statute prohibits reduction of residential density below a required threshold unless replacement sites are identified.

Property owners would also have to be notified by the City before any zoning changes are implemented.

Will There Be A General Plan Advisory Commission?

Speaking from the public was Cindy Bernard, who called for the formation of a citizens advisory committee:

Why are we starting this conversation without a citizen advisory committee? There's always been a citizen advisory committee for any General Plan work we've done, and yet, for some reason, we don't have one now. We had a citizen advisory committee when we revised the STR ordinance. I don't know why we don't have one for the general plan, so I'm putting that to you to please discuss, because I think it's absolutely necessary. It'll be a mistake to do this process without a citizen advisory committee.

Because this was a study session, Commissioners were able to respond to concerns raised in public comment. Chair Walker drew from his experience working on the Marine Base master plan revisions and was ultimately receptive to the formation of an advisory committee:

For the citizen advisory thing, my experience with this — on the base, we didn't bring the base population into the conversation for a little while, while we worked through kind of how we wanted to approach updating the Base master plan. I don't necessarily know if we're there yet with where we're at in the process. I think we're just kind of working through some general thoughts and ideas.

Gardner said he was open to public input if Council chose to go that direction. Walker clarified whether or not the Planning Commission has the authority to create a committee:

Until the Council directs us to set up the advisory committee, I think coming to the meetings, which we greatly appreciate, and giving your input, is kind of where we're at, and that's where we're going to go from there.

Sitting in the audience was newly appointed City Manager Kevin Cole. Walker added:

I think, by me saying this right now with the new City Manager in the audience, I am asking for at least the conversation to be brought up to the City Council.

Map 2 - County Flood Zone Properties

Map 2’s discussion involved County flood zone properties east of Stater Bros and west of John’s Place. A handful of businesses are in this residentially zoned area— Commissioners agreed that they should be converted to reflect their commercial business and that flood zone property should have its own Land Use designation.

Lear Avenue & the Circulation Element

Within the staff report was an inquiry on anticipated development for Lear Avenue and Highway 62. Zoned for 2.5 acre lots, Gardner said there are two parcels on the southern side of the Lear/Highway 62 intersection (in Indian Cove) that are zoned neighborhood commercial. The item asks whether the four parcels at the intersection of Lear and 62 should all be commercial instead of residential.3

Bernard raised objections to Gardner's suggestion that parcels at the Lear Avenue and Highway 62 intersection could be reconsidered for a commercial designation:

We just fought very hard to make this parcel residential and not commercial. I think you’re going to find a lot of residents very upset if you take that back to commercial.

Bernard also identified what she called an inconsistency with Lear Avenue’s extension being triggered by development of the southeastern parcel on Highway 62 and Lear instead of the southernmost parcel between Sullivan and Baseline. Highlighting the Circulation Element, Bernard pointed out:

Why is the extension of Lear triggered by development on this [northern] parcel, when the whole point is — it’s supposed to go all the way up into this [the southern] parcel, per the circulation element.

Gardner said he would consult the city engineer when the commission reaches the Circulation Element portion of the review — including whether all general plan roadways are still needed as currently drawn.

Community Development Director Update

Director Gardner informed the Commission of a request from Wing-N-It to move from its current location at 72317 29 Palms Highway, to a location just west of that between Hatch Road and Highway 62, at 72115 29 Palms Highway. The moving plans showed blueprints with a cactus garden in the front and outdoor seating. The comment period ends June 12 with the staff expected to decide on the relocation application June 16. Because the move requires only an Administrative Use Permit (AUP), the approval decision is delegated to the Community Development Director. To comment on the Wing-N-It application, write to kgardner@29palms.org.

Gardner said the commission would have at least one more general plan workshop in two weeks, may have development applications coming up in July, and is potentially looking at a development code update for accessory dwelling units to better reflect changes in state law. The July 21st meeting was cancelled after all three commissioners present indicated conflicts that day.

The next Planning Commission meeting will take place June 16 at 5 pm.

NOTE: Desert Trumpet staff members Cindy Bernard, Kat Talley-Jones, and Heidi Heard live in the Indian Cove neighborhood, adjacent to the Ofland development project, and are on the organizing committees of Indian Cove Neighbors and Say No to Ofland. Read our policy for covering Ofland here.

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This upcoming Tuesday, June 2 at 5 pm, the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission will hold its second of many study sessions on the City’s General Plan update. The last General Plan update was finalized in 2012. Due to budget constraints, City staff is conducting the heavy lifting for this arduous process in-house, without outside consultants. At past Council meetings, Mayor Daniel Mintz has admitted that formulating the 2012 General Plan cost the City upward of $1 million.

Relevant Background Information:

• The Desert Trumpet has an overview of the City’s General Plan update process here.

• Coverage of the last Planning Commission meeting is available here.

• A link to the entire 20-page agenda packet is available here.

The General Plan contains eight elements— land use, circulation, housing, safety, conservation and open space, recreation, equity and social justice, and noise. Staff is opting to tackle the Land Use element first, because all other elements are contingent upon it. A ninth element on Art is currently in the works through the Public Arts Advisory Committee.

The Land Use Element & City Zoning Map

In the aftermath of the City’s strategic planning sessions where residents, elected and appointed officials, and community stakeholders had opportunities to outline their long-term goals for the City for the next 5, 10, and 20 years, the City is now taking on its General Plan revisions.

For this study session, Commissioners will review two out of an anticipated 22 Land Use maps. Whether this is the most efficient approach to updating the General Plan is yet to be determined.

The current Land Use Element is 117 pages and contains the City’s zoning map with all of its land use categories and definitions. Listed within that adopted element are ten guiding principles:

• Goal LU-1 Encourage orderly growth and development as

  envisioned by community residents.

• Goal LU-2 Protect existing neighborhoods and the area’s natural

  surroundings by encouraging development that is

  compatible with the City’s small-town character.

• Goal LU-3 Promote a high quality of life by encouraging attractive

  high quality development that is compatible with

  existing uses and the City’s desert environment.

• Goal LU-4 Adequately address the potential impacts of new

  development on the existing community and the City’s

  infrastructure system.

• Goal LU-5 Preserve Twentynine Palms natural resources and

  protect the public health, safety and general welfare of

  City residents in areas adjacent to potentially hazardous

  natural and man-made features and facilities

• Goal LU-6 Promote development of a well-balanced community that can adequately meet the needs of future residents and promotes economic development.

• Goal LU-7 Protect and preserve Twentynine Palms natural

  resources, promote the existing quality of life and prepare for future residents and businesses by promoting superior sustainable development.

• Goal LU-8 Maintain Twentynine Palms as a clean and healthy place

  to live, while protecting the City’s groundwater supply.

• Goal LU-9 Protect the health and safety of residents living in the

  vicinity of airports

• Goal LU-10 Promote a high quality of life for Twentynine Palms

  residents by developing and sustaining a strong and

  diverse local economy.

Staff has also laid out “goals” for “reviewing the land use element.” What’s notable here is the framing in the staff report: these are described as “goals that Staff has developed” — it doesn’t say “proposed goals for commission consideration and revision” or “draft goals for community input.” It presents them as already established, with the commission’s role being to work within them rather than shape them. While 1 and 2 read as goals, 3-5 are written as procedures, methods or reminders.

• Goal 1: The Land Use Element should be reflective as much as possible of actual real-world conditions; i.e. land use designations should accurately reflect the established lot sizes and actual developments

• Goal 2: Where feasible, suggestions for changes to the Land Use designations would reflect achievable long-term development

• Goal 3: Where appropriate, new land use districts may be developed – or existing land use districts may be consolidated and simplified.

• Goal 4: Historical and environmental considerations also play an important role in developing a Land Use Element;

• Goal 5: Each Specific Plan will Be studied for modern relevancy

The General Plan update is the City’s first systematic attempt since 2012 to reconcile what the map says with what actually exists on the ground, with the staff report citing commercial businesses located in residentially zoned areas as one category of interest. Residential lot sizes that do not match their listed zoning type are also being looked at.

Questions for the Planning Commissioners—and the City

For this week’s study session, staff is posing the following questions to Commissioners:

1. Should an “Open Space - Conservation Land Use District” be created?1

2. Should a “Utility Land Use District” be created to reflect ownership of the various utilities? Or should their properties be shown changed to the “Public (P) Land Use District”?

3. Should we have a “One Map” system, where the General Plan Land Use Map and the Zoning Map are the same? Or should we have a “Two Map” system, where the General Plan shows broad categories, and the Zoning Map gives more detail?

4. Should the “Public” (P) land use designation be more specific? In other words, should there be a difference between those properties used for parks and those used for utilities?

5. Should the minimum Land Use District size be maintained, or revisited?

A Potential Open-Space Conservation Category

Staff is floating the creation of an Open Space Conservation2 land use district and asking if it is applicable to federally owned properties within City limits:

B) Approximately 126 acres in the far southwest corner of the City boundaries are owned by the Federal Government and are very hilly and topographically difficult in which to build. Should those properties be shown as Open Space - Conservation (OS-C) or Public (P)?

Labeling federally owned land as OS-C signals that conservation matters more than ownership type. Choosing Public (P) acknowledges that the federal government controls what happens there. How the City handles this parcel will likely shape how it treats other environmentally sensitive or government-owned land going forward.

Per the Land Use Element:

The P (public) land use serves as a means of identifying public lands and facilities, such as City and County facilities and offices, schools, libraries, museums, parks, open space lands and other publicly owned lands. Public uses that contribute to and support the needs of the community are allowed in P designated properties.

Lear Avenue & Highway 62 Intersection Improvements Expected

Addressing expected improvements to the intersection of Lear Avenue and Highway 62, the staff report states:

It is anticipated that Lear Avenue may need to be improved in the near future, along with further engineering improvements. It may be prudent to consider a change to the land use designations at that intersection from residential to commercial.

Currently, all parcels on either side of Lear Avenue are zoned as residential. Territory north of Amboy Road is unincorporated San Bernardino County, which is also zoned for Rural Living with 2.5 acre minimums.

The Circulation Element contains the proposed road network of the City General Plan, where road improvement intentions are laid out, addressing how people, goods and resources move throughout the community:

This element primarily addresses the City’s street network which establishes the existing conditions of streets and a Circulation Plan for expanding the street network to service the land uses planned for in the Land Use Element.3

Projected improvements to Lear Avenue are included in the Circulation plan, approved April 27, 2012, which entail that as development along Lear Avenue continues, plans for up to a four-lane improvement are in place, while six lanes are planned for 62. Lear between 62 and 2 mile is marked as a special study area for potential increase to six lanes.

As stated in the Circulation Element, Lear Avenue is one of the City’s main north-south arterial roads, along with Adobe Road, Utah Trail, and Mesquite Springs Road. It also serves as a critical byway for travel to and from the 29 Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Portions north of Amboy Road are unincorporated.

The Community Development Director is asking Commissioners if the land use designations at the intersection of Lear and Highway 62 should be changed from residential to commercial. The justification for this conversion is nebulous, however, with the staff report arguing that converting the land from residential to commercial would “a) minimize potential conflicts with residences in the future; and (sic) 2) encourage the improvements to Lear Avenue in a planned manner.” 4

It should be noted that the Ofland project discussed in Footnote 2 was triggering the paving of Lear between Highway 62 and Sullivan, a point of contention with residential property owners along the proposed improvement. Since the residential properties already exist on the southwest side of the proposed Lear extension, it’s unclear how upgrading the southeast parcel to commercial would ease conflicts.

Questions for Residentially Zoned County Flood Control Properties

A series of residentially zoned areas fall within San Bernardino County Flood Control jurisdiction:

Flood Control owns several properties that are designated for residential development, and are realistically part of the maintenance area for the major flood control channel. Additionally, there are several commercial businesses in areas zoned for residential. Should these zoning on these properties be modified to reflect the real-world situation?5

Rezoning flood control land and Lear Avenue away from residential could trigger a state compliance problem due to SB330 state housing law requirements. The City would need to identify replacement residential capacity somewhere else if SB 330 is triggered.

Is A General Plan Citizens Advisory Committee Needed?

Whether Gardner's map-by-map approach ultimately produces a genuine vision for Twentynine Palms' future or will simply be a consuming exercise in cartography and staff time may depend on City leadership.

The General Plan approved in 2012 encompasses over 950 pages, including an environmental impact report, and broad categories with impactful implications in terms of future development and guidelines for City leaders to follow with longterm vision in mind.

Advisory committees are common for such processes— the City of Big Bear Lake established a GPAC for its 2025 General Plan update, with members appointed directly by the City Council. Along with hired consultants, the City of San Bernardino also had a citizens advisory committee for its General Plan update in 2020.

In 2022, the City created a General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) to advise on its Equity and Social Justice Element the members were Jonas Childs, Korina Cole, Jamie A. Garcia, Gary Horn, Lashara Maea and Mariana Wright-Mills. At a past Planning Commission meeting, resident Kim Ortamond spoke of her participation on a past GPAC where she advised on minimum acreage for horse stables and animal keeping standards.

Acknowledging what this process actually requires before staff gets too far down the road to change course will be up to Council and newly appointed City Manager Kevin Cole to determine. See how it plays out this Tuesday at 5 pm, 6136 Adobe Road.

NOTE: Desert Trumpet staff members Cindy Bernard, Kat Talley-Jones, and Heidi Heard live in the Indian Cove neighborhood, adjacent to this proposed development project, and are on the organizing committees of Indian Cove Neighbors and Say No to Ofland. Read our policy for covering Ofland here.

Hi, new subscribers! Desert Trumpet understands you might not be interested in all of our coverage. That’s why it’s divided into separate newsletters allowing you to opt out of reporting that’s not important to you. For instance, you may want our Education news but not City Hall 29.

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It's not often that Awards, Presentations, Appointments and Proclamations and Council Comments and Reports of Meetings Attended provide the most compelling moments from a city meeting, but that was the case on Tuesday, May 26, at Twentynine Palms City Council. From two Marines speaking glowingly of picking up trash to benefit Feathers 'n Fur, to the accomplishments of the Youth Council, an ambitious housing proposal for justice involved veterans and the recent calendar of an equally ambitious Council member, the first half of the meeting was packed.

Relevant links:

• Meeting agenda

• Our agenda preview

• Video of the meeting

Active duty Marines helping out

Presentations for Twentynine Palms’ paid community beautification program Cash for Trash kicked the meeting off with the warmth that (mostly) permeated Council chambers Tuesday night. The Cash for Trash and Recycling Program is a partnership between the City of Twentynine Palms and Burrtec in which community groups and organizations volunteer to pick up trash in return for cash payments. The programs benefitting this evening were the Feathers ‘n Fur Wildlife Rehab, the Kiwanis and the Twentynine Palms High School Interact Club.

As Bradley and Jeremiah were speaking to their work on behalf of Feathers ‘n Fur, someone in the audience shouted out, “these are active Marines right here!” Jeremiah spoke to job at hand:

Just picking out the trash, it really felt rewarding at the end of the day, even though there's some hard work fighting that vegetation and whatnot... it goes by really quick when you got some people to laugh with.

A VERY productive year for the Youth Council

Initiated in May 2024, the Twentynine Palms Youth Council has just completed its second year. The council is composed of 14 student members and meets twice monthly, collaborating with city leaders, organizing community projects, and gaining hands-on experience in leadership and civic engagement. 2025-2026 accomplishments include:

• Food drive at Grocery Outlet — a repeat of last year’s effort, with strong community outreach and turnout

• Twentynine Palms Youth Olympics — a youth-focused community event designed to address the lack of activities for young people featured a dunk tank with City Council members (including Councilmember Wright in goggles)

• Astronomy night — Youth Council Chair Viviana Hermosillo noted that Sky’s the Limit, the local observatory, is an underutilized asset

• Senior Center volunteering — monthly visits, held on the fourth Wednesday of each month

• Youth as Solutions anti-vaping project — Youth Council designed and posted anti-vaping signs across schools, distributed materials at the Olympics, and organized a pledge-not-to-vape campaign

• Youth survey — surveyed residents ages 7-18; key findings: 40% of youth say there is nowhere to hang out; top requests were sports programs, arts and creative programs, community events, indoor recreational spaces, and a dedicated teen center

Chair Hermosillo and her colleagues presented an impressive five-minute documentary video produced as a part of their anti-vaping initiative. Unfortunately, staff could not get the audio working during the meeting, but the video can be watched in full here. Per Amy Tessier, Recreation Program Supervisor and Youth Council staff liaison, the documentary was chosen to participate in an international film competition, called Docathon, through MAD (Make a Difference) Courses.

Applications for the next Youth Council are still being accepted. Youth entering grades 6 through 12 in the fall are eligible.

A Housing Proposal for Justice-Involved Veterans — With Questions

As discussed in our preview, the Re-Enlist to Life Housing and Veteran Services (REL) presentation was postponed from May 12. REL is seeking a letter of support for its $12.6 million permanent supportive housing development for 32 justice-involved veterans housed in 16 units, to be funded through the State’s Homekey+ program under Prop 1 at no cost to the City.

Presenting the project were Founder Robert M. Embry and Chief Operating Officer Daniel Bevan — both are Marine Corps veterans. About the project Bevan said:

Our residents are your neighbors, they are individuals you will see at grocery stores, at community events, and in local places of worship. They are skilled, disciplined, and eager to prove their worth to the community that sits right next to the Marine Corps installation many of them once called home.

While a valiant proposal — it was met with applause from the public — several questions remained unanswered at the conclusion of the presentation.

• While REL's executive summary states the project site is in escrow, the property address is inconsistent across documents and no APN was provided.

• Embry described REL as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise — a specific California state certification administered by the Department of General Services. Desert Trumpet was unable to verify that REL holds that certification in either the California DGS database or the federal SAM.gov database.

• Homekey+ requires a local public entity as Lead Applicant, meaning a city, county, or public housing authority. No Lead Applicant is identified in any of the materials presented to Council.

The project was brought to Council under former City Manager H. Stone James, whose tenure ended May 16. City Manager Kevin Cole, now six days into the job at the time of the meeting, inherited the item. Given the unresolved questions around the project, it is reasonable to expect that Cole will conduct his own review before any letter of support is issued — if one is issued at all.

It should also be noted that as a Presentations item, the staff recommendation that Council direct the City Manager to write a letter of support was not actionable. No vote was taken.

Councilmember Ramirez's Ten-Topic “Meetings Attended” Report

Council Comments and Reports of Meetings Attended has a specific transparency purpose: it allows the public to see which meetings and conferences are attended on the City's dime. When the segment expands to include high school sporting events, community barbecues, and personal commitments alongside City-funded travel and policy claims, that transparency purpose gets lost. Which of these activities did the City pay for? The format as used doesn't answer that question.

As we've previously noted, Council Comments and Reports of Meetings Attended has increasingly become a platform for Councilmember April Ramirez. At the May 26 meeting, instead of aiming at a colleague as she did on August 26 of last year , Ramirez delivered an approximately 900-word account of her activities and achievements. Alongside routine community activities expected around the Memorial Day holiday, such as the Reach Out Morongo Basin barbecue, a cemetery service and a military spouse appreciation luncheon, Ramirez traveled to Lake Arrowhead for a City-County conference and Alpine for a Tribal Leaders Emergency Preparedness and Energy Summit earlier in the month.

She also listed activities in which her own role appeared to be exaggerated or was difficult to discern.

I also helped coordinate a Proposition 36 enforcement and outreach operation alongside the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and multiple community partners. I would like to thank Morongo Basin Arch under the new direction of Alfreda Wright, Molding Hearts under the direction of Lakita Johnson and Becky Reese from Family Jewish Services, the H.O.P.E. Team, San Bernardino Inroads, and all of the mental health professionals who participated on site.

As we noted in our April 14 recap, Prop 36 is a state criminal sentencing statute implemented at the county level through prosecutors, sheriffs, and courts — cities have no direct enforcement role. Notably, City Manager Cole described the same operation in his City Manager update as a joint traffic, OHV, and encampment enforcement event — without reference to Proposition 36. Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott was also present at the action.

Lastly, I want to briefly discuss Proposition 13. For those unfamiliar, Proposition 13 limits property tax increases and requires voter approval for certain tax changes in California. When I learned that there were discussions that could potentially weaken those protections, I became deeply concerned, because when property taxes goes up, rent goes up too, and many working families in our city simply cannot absorb that cost. I joined the coalition, and we needed 500,000 verified signatures statewide to place the issue before voters this November. I'm proud to say that our grassroots coalition got 1.35 million verified signatures, and the state will no longer be able to raise your property taxes without your permission, as 13 was intended to protect us. So, I want to thank Mayor Daniel Mintz, Council Member Steven Bilderain, Kat Reichmuth and David Cole from King of the Hammers for supporting my grassroots efforts.

This was not a grassroots campaign led by Ramirez. The campaign was in fact led and funded by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the California Business Roundtable, the California Taxpayers Association, and the California Business Properties Association — some of California’s most powerful conservative political organizations.

She closed her nearly seven-minute statement with the famous Steve Jobs quote — “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do” — without attribution.

CONSENT CALENDAR

Passed 5-0 with two public comments. See our agenda preview for details on the items.

In public comment, Heather Drake spoke about Item 11 (septic systems), urging Council to extend enforcement to long-term rental management companies, citing personal experience with Triad Realty failing to maintain septic systems in properties she rented and later purchased.

Elliot Balsley raised a pointed question about Item 9 (the Sheriff’s $6.2 million contract): the contract includes a $195,000 line item for the Supplemental Local Law Enforcement Fund (SLEF), which Balsley noted is a state grant — not a General Fund expense. He expressed concern that approving the contract as written could pre-authorize spending those funds on Flock camera renewal without a separate Council vote. Finance Director Abigail Hernandez-Conde clarified that approving the Sheriff's contract does not pre-authorize the Flock renewal. Council will still get a vote on that at the October renewal.

Public Hearing and Discussion and Action Items sail through

Four items passed 5-0 with little Council discussion and no public comment.

• General Fund Budget Revisions FY 2026-27
  Finance Director Abigail Hernandez-Conde presented the revised budget. Key figures: $15,762,371 in revenues, $15,753,821 in expenditures, projected surplus of approximately $8,550. The City expects to end FY 2026-27 with approximately $12 million in unassigned reserves.
  

  One exchange worth noting: Ramirez raised AB 1383, pending legislation that could change the CalPERS retirement formula, asking what a jump from 3.1% to 6.1% in pension costs would look like. Hernandez-Conde estimated $100,000-$150,000 more. City Manager Cole clarified the legislation relates to the pension formula and would only affect the City if they chose to change their current formula — tempering the concern somewhat. Ramirez said she’d share the legislative call to action with the full Council.

• Master Citywide User Fee Schedule FY 2026-27
  See our agenda preview for detail on the vehicle tow fee doubling to $100, VHR appeal fee reinstatement, and other changes.

• Nonprofit Grant Recommendations

  Community Events Coordinator Scott Clinkscales presented the subcommittee recommendations. Of 12 applicants requesting a combined $196,890, three organizations will receive funding from a pool reduced from $75,000 to $50,000 due to budget constraints:

  • 29 Palms Community Food Pantry & Outreach Ministries: $25,000

  • Reach Out Morongo Basin: $15,000

  • Animal Action League: $10,000

  Mayor Mintz offered a brief explanation: “We addressed food, obviously the seniors, and did the Animal [Action League] so we could get neutering done for our animals in the city.” Mayor Pro Tem Scott noted that some unfunded organizations may find alternative funding through the Public Arts Advisory Committee or TBID — however only two of the nine would potentially qualify: Project Sheba and the 29 Palms Artist Guild. See our May 12 agenda preview for the full applicant list.

• Council Compensation Increase to $700/month
  City Manager Cole introduced the item, noting the increase hadn’t happened in 24 years and that the law had changed to allow it. If approved after the second reading, the ordinance takes effect after the November 2026 election — meaning Councilmembers Mintz, Scott, and Wright, all up for re-election, would not benefit unless re-elected. See our March 10 recap for the full backstory.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

A brief update on two items:

• The Donnell Hill safe passage item — Mayor Mintz noted Caltrans has cleared the east lane shoulder, creating a less obstructed path. City Manager Cole mentioned improvements at the base of the hill as well. Lighting remains a question requiring Caltrans approval.

• Cooling Center hours — Scott asked Cole to bring this forward. Cole indicated he’s already looking at adjusting hours at Freedom Plaza without incurring additional costs and will report back.

Two new items added by Ramirez:

• Review and authorize repairs needed at the EV charging station at Freedom Plaza

• Review and revise Municipal Code Chapter 5.08 on cannabis-related uses to align with new state legislation — seconded by Bilderain for the education of Council

Ramirez requested that the Council review and authorize any repairs needed at the EV charging station at Freedom Plaza. City Manager Cole, six days into the job, gently redirected: repairs of that nature fall within City Manager authority and don’t require Council action. He will assess the cost and bring it back to Council only if it exceeds his authority. It may never appear on a formal agenda.

It’s a small moment but a notable one — a new City Manager quietly establishing the boundary between administrative and legislative authority on his first night at the dais.

Flock cameras dominate public comment, again

Three speakers addressed Flock cameras, one welcomed the new City Manager.

Flock cameras dominated. Five letters were read into the record — four against, one in favor. Two speakers addressed the issue in person:

Heather Drake delivered a detailed statement alleging the Sheriff’s Department is operating the Flock system in violation of California law — specifically SB 34 transparency requirements — and has stonewalled her California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests for four months:

They claim that showing me the records of my own car would violate the privacy rights of the people involved. It's my car. They're claiming that they need to protect my privacy from myself. That is absurd.

She demanded the cameras be covered, the contract agendized, and the program ended.

Jeff Drake followed, providing legal context: he argued the Sheriff’s Department’s reliance on Haynie v. Superior Court to classify all Flock data as a permanent investigatory file is directly contradicted by the California Supreme Court’s ruling in ACLU v. Superior Court, which held that mass bulk ALPR data collection is a dragnet, not a targeted investigation, and therefore not exempt. He also argued that using privacy exemptions to block a person from seeing records of their own vehicle “is a complete subversion of the law.”

Andrew Wilson welcomed Kevin Cole, saying Cole was his basketball coach growing up and “whenever I needed somebody, Kevin Cole was always there.”

The Desert Trumpet speaks to California Public Records Act (CPRA) compliance

Desert Trumpet Editor (and writer of this preview) Cindy Bernard attended the May 26 meeting in her capacity as a journalist and addressed Council on CPRA compliance:

The Desert Trumpet submits public information requests as a part of our investigative reporting. While a few of you do a great job of supplying the documents legally required by the California Public Records Act, others of you are less forthcoming. You know who you are. In fact, documents produced in response to one of our requests show that a council member directed City staff to filter our records response using only quote exact keywords, a practice inconsistent with the City’s obligation under the California Public Records Act.

She also noted that when council members and staff fail to provide requested documents, it increases staff time and city attorney time and motioning to the room indicated that those costs are ultimately borne by taxpayers. She added that those costs would increase significantly if the Desert Trumpet is compelled to enforce its requests legally.

Shortly after the Desert Trumpet’s public comment on CPRA compliance, we received an email from the City requesting that we narrow a 10-week-old records request by providing specific keywords — or face closure of the request within five days.

New City Manager Kevin Cole keeps it brief

Is it possible the days of lengthy City Manager discourses are past? Kevin Cole’s first City Manager update at City Council clocked in at just 2-1/2 minutes. In addition to participating in the previously mentioned joint enforcement action, Cole noted he’s getting up to speed on the sales tax initiative. He closed with a warm note about the public cemetery’s Memorial Day flag display, calling it “a beautiful place” that has improved significantly in recent years, while noting it’s a special district, not under City jurisdiction. In summary:

Well, it’s day six and it actually has been great. I want to thank the public, I want to thank the staff, I want to thank the council for welcoming me here. It feels like I’m home.

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On Thursday, May 21 the Twentynine Palms Tourism Improvement District (TBID) Board held their regular monthly meeting. The agenda focused on funding for the Area 29 Galactic Gathering, which was approved for $10,000, and a discussion about updating grant and sponsorship requirements. Kevin Cole, the new Twentynine Palms City Manager, introduced himself and pledged to attend TBID meetings on a regular basis. Maria Madird announced her departure from the TBID due to moving out of state next month.

Present were Vice Chair Ashton Ramsey and Board Members Maria Madrid, Ben Uyeda, and Liz Schickler. Chair Rakesh Mehta joined by teleconference.

Director of Marketing update

Marketing Manager Breanne Dusastre opened the meeting with her regular monthly update. In conjunction with celebrating California Tourism month, Dusastre shared highlights from the 2025 Economic Impact of Travel report, including:

• $158.9 billion in travel-related spending statewide, which was up 1.7% from 2024.

• 1.2 million travel-related jobs across California, a 0.4% increase from last year.

• $13.6 billion in state and local tax revenue generated by travel, which was up 3.6% from last year.

On the local level, Dusastre shared preliminary results of the second quarter of TBID revenue collection, which covers January through March, 2026:

• Revenue collection for this quarter is about $130,000, which is up 19% from the same period in 2025.

• The hotel and RV segment accounted for $74,000 of the revenue, which was a 33% increase from last year.

• Collection for vacation rentals is up 4% from the same quarter last year.

• The total collected so far year-to-date is $232,000, which reflects a 13% increase over last year.

Dusastre also reported that a three-month billboard campaign on the I-10 near Palm Springs has been launched in a location that generates about 418,000 weekly impressions based on its location, which she hopes will have an impact on destination visibility for Twentynine Palms.

Praising Twentynine Palms as a place loved by visitors and locals

The only general public comment was offered by Suzanne Lyons, a part-time resident who also lives in Humboldt County. She discovered the Best of California magazine in a hotel on her drive to Twentynine Palms and commented on a feature about Twentynine Palms,

I was interested to see that the things that they praise for tourists are many of the same things that we just love about living here. So [this] strikes me that there’s kind of a win-win going on with quality of life and our town making us all happy as residents, but also being a great experience for people when they come here and discover the town.

The Best of California is published by Visit California, the statewide tourism organization, and features sponsored destination content.

Funding for Area 29 Galactic Gathering approved

The board awarded $10,000 in funding for the Area 29 Galactic Gathering, which will be held August 13 to 16 during the Perseid Meteor Shower. Now in its third year, the event is organized by Rediscover 29, an association of local businesses. It aims to bring together alien, space, and desert-enthusiasts, including 200 out-of-town guests, for four days of events like film screenings, art shows, performances, a glow-in-the-dark dance party, citywide scavenger hunt, and an alien themed pool party.

The funding discussion and decision for Area 29 had been tabled at April’s meeting because of a lack of a quorum due required recusals for board member Shickler and Vice Chair Ramsey. Both operate businesses that are paid members of Rediscover 29 and were not able to vote on funding.

There were three public comments in support of the event. Sarah Lyons, President of Rediscover 29 and co-owner of Scorpion Lollipop, submitted a written comment. She highlighted that a space themed festival was recently announced at Pappy and Harriet’s for the same weekend, which showed that the event concept has value, but that planning must begin soon. She wrote,

We have an opportunity to build something truly special and unique in our city with this event, and it’s unfortunate that Twentynine Palms could yet again be overshadowed by another high desert community.

Jimmy Brower, Vice President of Rediscover 29 and owner of Sun of the Desert, stressed the importance of symbiotic relationships between groups like Rediscover 29, the TBID, and other local nonprofits to support tourism and economic development in Twentynine Palms. He suggested that event marketing and tracking an event’s impact must be a connected, group effort that needs ownership and buy-in from TBID stakeholders and local businesses. Practically, he suggested a QR code to track bookings from events like Area 29.

He also echoed Lyons comment, remarking it was unfortunate that Pappy and Harriet’s and the Pioneertown Motel announced a space-themed festival, which was ticketed at a price higher than what Twentynine Palms can command right now. However, he noted Twentynine Palms has an advantage,

We have something that I see distinguishes us from many of those other upper echelons of visitor caliber and deep pocket books, which is really local flavor. We bring something that is unique and something that can’t be matched because of the people doing it, the organizations funding it, and understanding where those dollars go, which is right back into our community versus out into a different thing.

Anna Stump expressed her support for Area 29 and Rediscover 29 as an organization, stating, “I totally believe in this group of people. They are amazing. They are the future of this town.” She also emphasized that Area 29 was distinct from the Pioneertown event, suggesting that the city could piggyback off of it and encourage people to stay in Twentynine Palms, where more lodging is available, and experience funky, free events.

Uyeda proposed funding for $10,000 of their $14,487 request. He praised the event’s goal to activate venues around the city, but reiterated the importance of tracking impact of overnight stays and how essential that was to the application. The funding passed 3-0-2, with recusal by Shickler and Ramsey.

The juxtaposition between the Space Craft event at Pappy and Harriet’s, which is relying on outside event producers Night Howl, while Area 29 leverages the connections, creativity, local knowledge and expertise of local businesses and creatives, raises an interesting question about the direction the TBID could choose to go in terms of event funding. Do they want to bring in outside producers that can pull in high ticket prices or better invest in and nurture local talent with the potential of creating memorable signature events that also reflect the community of Twentynine Palms?

Board discussion of grant and sponsorship guidelines

The majority of the meeting was spent on one agenda item: Discussing how grants and sponsorship guidelines could be revised to be clearer and better support the TBID’s mission and goals. Grants and sponsorships are funded by the 1.5% passthrough tax (also known as the Transit Occupancy Tax or TOT) on lodging properties within Twentynine Palms. For this fiscal year, TBID allocated $150,000 to the program. $120,000 designated for event grants, which are designed to support signature events and range from $3,000 to $20,000 in funding per event. $30,000 was designated to sponsorships, with a maximum of $3,000 of funding available per event.

Issues that have been repeatedly raised with the grants and sponsorship program by the board, applicants, and community members include:

• Lack of clarity and consistency in scoring

• The varying quality and completeness of applications

• The lack of connection between funding and results, including the number of overnight stays booked.

• The staff time it takes to prepare, follow up on, and administer grant applications.

• Whether events fuel the TBID’s mission to promote Twentynine Palms as a tourism destination and if they are an effective use of TBID funds.

These issues were reiterated by board member Uyeda to help frame the discussion. The board is looking to rethink the grant process and guidelines before the application cycle for 2027 events begins.

Public comments offer suggested improvements

Vicky Waite and Jimmy Brower offered public comment about the grants and sponsorship guidelines. Waite, the past recipient of a TBID sponsorship noted the jump between $3,000 and $20,000 was large, especially for smaller events. She asked if funding could be more balanced between grants and sponsorships and if the sponsorship funding potential could be raised slightly to $5,000, which would be impactful for regular, smaller-scale events with a proven track record.

Jimmy Brower reiterated the value of engagement of local businesses and nonprofits in organizing events and adding value to Twentynine Palms outside of the National Park. He stated,

[Local business owners and nonprofits] are your movers and shakers, aka event producers ... There’s there’s value in seeding and investing in homegrown events created by Twentynine Palms residents, business owners, and nonprofit leaders. The reciprocally [between these groups] supports and fosters comfort, trust, and familiarity, something that, in my opinion, TBID really needs to work on, as it’s unfortunately eroding in the community.

Brower suggested this trust could be repaired through workshops, seeding and investing in local events, keeping event support local, and helping organizers scale sustainably towards self-sufficiency.

Board members offer their ideas for an improved grant program

In order to get clear, actionable feedback on the grant program, Uyeda took the lead on facilitating a discussion about event grant and sponsorship criteria. A member of the events subcommittee, he asked each board member to articulate their suggestion for how funding applications should be evaluated and how the program could be improved. Their responses generally echoed each other and emphasized both clarifying criteria and the types of events the TBID is looking to fund.

The discussion touched on:

• The need to track impact overnight stays and marketing exposure and demonstrate return on investment.

• Simplify scoring and clarify evaluating and funding criteria.

• Emphasize and encourage events that activate multiple nights that are smaller and regularly scheduled, such as music series, trivia nights, or a monthly new moon festival.

• Invest in public art or monuments that create a lasting impact through shared social media content.

• Ensure the dollar amounts that organizations are requesting are in line with the impact they have and enable applicants to apply for a greater range of funding, potentially eliminating the split between grants and sponsorship amounts.

• Simplify and streamline the application process, potentially with support from the city’s IT department, to make applications easier to submit and evaluate and to save the Director of Marketing’s time, as she currently spends more than half her time administering the program.

In closing Uyeda brought up a fundamental question about the goal of the event and grants sponsorship program, asking “What is this for? Is this to see new things? Is it to support the things that are working and keep investing in them?”

Uyeda also discussed how expectations and funding criteria could be clarified and that dollar amounts could be tied to the potential number of overnight stays. This guidance would offer event organizers,

Predictability on their planning, because otherwise we’re incentivizing people to write really fabulous proposals, see how much they get, and then just rework it with what they got. That’s not efficient project planning, so we should have some sort of financial expectation relative to the judging criteria if they make it through to that final round.

Uyeda briefly brought up the question of the TBID’s annual re-authorization and whether that presented a challenge in investing in the grants process, if the very existence of the TBID was unsure from year to year. Despite Uyeda’s comment, a future agenda item to discuss reauthorization was not proposed. Shickler and Uyeda, the current events subcommittee, will meet and put suggestions into writing for the next meeting for discussion.

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The May 26 City Council meeting is the first regular session since the departure of City Manager H. Stone James, whose two-year tenure ended May 12. The meeting, held at City Hall, begins at 6 pm.

Incoming City Manager Kevin Cole has already made a brief first appearance at the May 21 Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) meeting, where he stopped in to introduce himself on day four of the job: "As I get my feet under me, I'll attend these meetings on a regular basis," he told the TBID board, adding that he had nothing yet for a City Manager update but looked forward to working with the group. May 26 will be his first appearance before the full City Council.

The agenda is substantive for a post-holiday lift: two public hearings, several consent calendar items, and two action items that deserve more than a quick vote. The agenda packet is available here.

PUBLIC COMMENT

You can comment on agenda items and issues important to you at every City Council meeting. Comments on agenda items take place during discussion of that item, while comments on non-agenda items take place near the end of the meeting. The Brown Act prevents Council from commenting on non-agenda items. To comment, pick up a form at the entry desk, fill it out, and hand it to the Clerk, who usually sits just in front of the Council dais on the right.

Here’s the list of Council email addresses to write if you can’t get to the meeting — be sure to email them prior to 2 pm on the date of the meeting so they have time to read your email prior to discussion. You can also copy the clerk at cvillescas@29palms.org and ask that your letter be made part of the public record.

Keep in mind that the City has been falling short on documenting public comment — see our analysis here.

AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

The meeting opens with three presentations before getting to business. The
Feathers ‘N Fur Wildlife Rehab Team, the Kiwanis Club of Twentynine Palms, and the Twentynine Palms High School Interact Club will be recognized for their participation in the Cash for Trash and Recycling Program. The Youth Council will present its annual Year in Review.

The third presentation may sound familiar: Re-Enlist to Life Housing and Veteran Services (REL) will finally get its turn before Council, having been postponed at the May 12 meeting when Mayor Mintz announced it would be held to the next meeting. As we covered in our May 12 preview, REL is seeking a letter of support for its $12.6 million Permanent Supportive Housing development for 32 justice-involved veterans, to be funded through the State’s Homekey+ program under Prop 1 at no cost to the City.

The question about the address raised in that preview remains unresolved. The project is described as located at 605 Utah Trail on 40 acres, but that address does not appear to exist — the numbering doesn’t align with current Utah Trail addresses — and the staff report provides no APN for the proposed parcel. It’s a reasonable question to ask whether a letter of support can be written for a project whose location hasn’t been established in the public record.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Consent Calendar consists of items usually approved with a single vote. The public is given a chance to make public comment on these items prior to the Council motion. Fill out a comment form specifying the item you wish to address and submit it in person, or send an email in advance regarding any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.

Consent items include approval of the May 12 meeting minutes and several items of varying consequence: the routine annual levy of assessments for the Lighting and Landscaping Assessment District (covering parkways in Tract 16729 and the Historic Plaza, with no increase from last year); a nine-year extension of the City’s waste disposal agreement with San Bernardino County, locking the rate at 83% of the County’s gate rate through June 2035; Amendment #5 to the Split Rock Avenue Bridge design contract, adding $104,000 for a third channel redesign forced by changing direction from the County Flood Control District; and the standing reminder from the City and Twentynine Palms Water District: please maintain your septic system.

8. Appropriation Limit FY 2026-27

California’s Proposition 4 (the Gann Initiative) requires the City to set an annual cap on General Fund spending each year. The General Fund covers the City’s core operating expenses — law enforcement, parks, code enforcement, administration, and other day-to-day services — as distinct from restricted funds like gas tax revenue or grant money, which can only be spent on specific purposes. Based on state population and income change calculations, the City’s Proposition 4 appropriation limit for FY 2026-27 is set at $87,524,044 — well above the City’s projected appropriations.

9. Annual Contract with San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for FY 2026-27

The Sheriff’s contract for law enforcement services comes in at $6,220,995 for FY 2026-27, a 7.4% increase over last year, or $429,052 more. Speaking of the General Fund, at $6,740,026 when incidental costs are included, law enforcement represents approximately 43% of the City’s total General Fund expenditures, by far the largest single line item in the budget. The main driver of the increase is a sharp jump in insurance and personnel liability premiums. The County’s preliminary premium allocation to the City was $624,411, a $246,226 increase over the prior year; the County approved a one-time subsidy reducing the City’s share to $498,375.

The contract provides two patrol deputies on-duty at all times, one traffic officer (40 hours/week), a School Resource Officer (shared 50/50 with Morongo Unified School District), two citizen patrol units, two detectives, and support services. The budget for FY 2026-27 had under-budgeted this contract by $293,511; the budget revision on this agenda (Item 12) corrects that.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

12. Proposed Revisions to the General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27

This is the second year of the City’s two-year budget cycle, and staff is presenting proposed revisions before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. The bottom line: the revised budget projects $15,762,371 in revenues and $15,753,821 in total expenditures and transfers out a surplus of approximately $8,550. The City expects to end FY 2026-27 with approximately $12.8 million in reserves, with about $12 million unassigned, well above the City’s 50-55% reserve policy target.

Key changes from the original adopted budget include:

• The Sheriff’s contract came in $429,000 higher than budgeted — see Item 9 for detail.

• Employee cost-of-living adjustments are set at 3.1% across the board.

• The Councilmember compensation increase — which was budgeted to take effect in January 2026 — did not happen on schedule. It is now expected to take effect January 2027 at the earliest (see Item 15), so the Council budget was reduced by $28,000.

• Contributions to nonprofits were reduced from $75,000 to $50,000. (See Item 14.)

• The events budget for Juneteenth ($2,500) and the JT 55 Ride ($17,500) were eliminated, for a combined savings of $20,000.

The budget proposes $282,000 in transfers from the General Fund to the Capital Projects Fund for playground equipment, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project management, a dump truck for Parks maintenance, and seed money for a future street sweeper. It also proposes drawing $355,000 from reserves, including $200,000 for additional pension liability prefunding, $25,000 for a cost allocation and fee study, and $25,000 for a sewer fee study.

San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust JPA membership dues, approved by Council at the April 14 meeting, are budgeted at $30,000 for the first year, with ongoing dues expected to run $25,000 to $40,000 annually by year three.

13. Amendments to the Master Citywide User Fee Schedule for FY 2026-27

The City’s fee schedule, last comprehensively overhauled in 2020 with assistance from consultant Willdan, is updated annually. For FY 2026-27, a 3.1% Consumer Prince Index (CPI) increase was applied to most fees. Development Impact Fees were adjusted by 2.67% based on the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index.

Beyond the standard CPI increase, several fees are worth noting:

• Vehicle tow fee doubles from $48 to $100 — the first increase in over six years. The City’s prior rate was among the lowest in the region; Yucca Valley charges $100, the County Sheriff $155, and San Bernardino $349.

• Ancillary business and entertainment license fees are formally added to the fee schedule, following Council's adoption of Ordinance 327 at the January 13, 2026 meeting. These licenses, which cover covering secondary commercial activities or live entertainment operating within an existing business, are added on to an existing business license rather than issued as a separate permit. The fee mirrors the standard business license: $123.26 for a first-year application and $44.36 for renewal.

• Vacation Home Rental (VHR) appeal fee ($375.91) is reinstated after being inadvertently dropped from the schedule in FY 2024-25.

• Public road improvement inspection fees are corrected from 1% to 2% of project valuation — reflecting actual longstanding practice that was never updated in the fee schedule.

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS

14. Subcommittee Recommendations for Contributions to Non-Profit Organizations

Twelve nonprofits applied for Community Development Block Grants during the open application period this spring, requesting a combined $196,890. At the May 12 workshop, eleven organizations presented before Council. The pool was originally advertised at $75,000, but following the workshop, staff determined that budget constraints reduced the available amount to $50,000. The subcommittee, which was made up of Mayor Daniel Mintz and Councilmember Steven Bilderain, recommends the following distributions:

• 29 Palms Community Food Pantry & Outreach Ministries: $25,000

• Reach Out Morongo Basin: $15,000

• Animal Action League: $10,000

Nine of the twelve applicants are recommended to receive nothing — including arts, youth, veterans, and military family services organizations covered in our May 12 preview. The funded three all provide direct basic-needs services: food distribution, transportation for vulnerable residents, and affordable veterinary access. Of the two spay/neuter organizations, the Animal Action League has an existing paid relationship with the City, conducting shelter clinics at $3,600 per clinic for several years. The unfunded organization, PALS of Palms N Paws, is a newer nonprofit (founded October 2025) dedicated to supporting the municipal shelter through a resident spay/neuter voucher program.

A notable exception to the apparent basic-needs pattern is the Armed Services YMCA, which operates a food pantry on the Marine Corps base for lower-enlisted military families and expects to distribute 200,000 pounds of food to roughly 10,000 military family members in 2026, a direct service that was passed over. The staff report provides no criteria, scoring, or rationale explaining the selections, so any pattern readers detect is inferred rather than documented. Council may approve the recommendations, modify them, or table the item.

It is worth noting that the budget revision in Item 12 reduces the nonprofit contributions line from $75,000 to $50,000 for FY 2026-27. Organizations that applied based on the $75,000 advertised amount were not informed of the reduction until after they presented. The outlook for next year is bleaker still; the budget projects the nonprofit contributions pool dropping further to $25,000 in FY 2027-28.

15. First Reading: Ordinance to Increase City Council Monthly Compensation to $700

This is the first reading of an ordinance that would raise Council members’ monthly pay from $465 to $700, the first increase since December 2002. Council gave direction to bring this ordinance forward at the March 10, 2026 meeting, after a discussion that was more revealing than the outcome.

The increase is authorized under Senate Bill 329, enacted January 1, 2024, which updated Government Code Section 36516. Under the population-based method Council selected, cities with populations up to 35,000 may set compensation at up to $950 per month.

At the March 10 meeting, City Manager Stone James framed the discussion with a regional comparison showing Twentynine Palms Councilmembers earning $465 against a regional average of $975, and noted that adjusted for CPI, $465 in 2002 is worth roughly $832 to $850 today, meaning Councilmembers have effectively taken a pay cut every year for 24 years. He also put the time commitment in perspective, noting that the two or three hours at the dais twice a month are “actually the smallest amount of time” Councilmembers spend on the job.

Public comment was unanimously in favor of an increase, including from former Mayor Joel Klink, who had originally raised the issue in October 2024 and suggested the full $950.

The Council discussion that followed revealed a generational split. Mayor Mintz and Councilmembers Bilderain and Wright focused almost entirely on their own discomfort. Bilderain said he felt bad seeking a pay raise “when we’re trying to raise taxes at the same time,” Wright said he hadn’t known the position was paid when he first ran, and Mintz was brief: “I’m going to tell you now I won’t vote for $950.” None of the three addressed the harder question: who can afford to serve on a council paying $465 a month?

The two younger first-term members did. Mayor Pro Tem Scott noted that staff members receive cost-of-living raises — why not Council? Councilmember Ramirez moved $825, calculating based on gas, mileage, and childcare costs she personally absorbs. That motion failed 3-2, with Ramirez and Scott voting yes. Wright then moved $700, which passed 4-1, with Mintz the lone no vote.

A few things to understand about timing: this is only the first reading. A second reading at a future regular meeting is required before the ordinance takes effect. And critically, the increase cannot take effect until Councilmembers begin a new term — at the earliest December 2026, when the November election results are certified. Councilmembers Mintz, Scott, and Wright are all up for election in November 2026. The total annual salary cost at $700/month would be $42,000, an increase of $14,100 from the current rate.

FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS

The growing list of future agenda items now stands at 13 items carried over from prior meetings, including three new additions from May 12: a collaboration with Liberty Military Housing on RENA numbers1 (requested by Ramirez), a study session on Flock surveillance cameras (requested by Ramirez, seconded by Scott), and an expedited discussion on Cooling Center operating hours (requested by Scott, seconded by Wright).

1. Shade Structures around Freedom Plaza and a possible art fixture with “Freedom Plaza” announcing the location

2. Discussion of a policy regulating the use of City Attorney resources.

3. Discussion on creating a “Recognized Neighborhood Program.”

4. Discussion on the new Federal holidays to coincide with the City’s holiday schedule.

5. Discussion on the use of City funds for grants and the potential reallocation of housing and homeless funds to grants.

6. Discussion on creating guidelines for the use of City Hall meeting rooms by elected and appointed officials for official city business.

7. Discussion on the next steps of reallocating $1.3 million for housing.

8. Discussion of Code Enforcement and compliance with Proposition 36 and find a pathway to meeting the new guidance issued by Governor Gavin Newson.

9. Discussion about annexing parcels: APN 0634-05-124 and 0634-05-109, also known as Set Free Ranch.

10. Discussion of a possible safe passage with CalTrans around Donnell Hill.

11. Discussion on a collaboration with Liberty Military Housing to update our RENA numbers.

12. Study Session regarding the FLOCK cameras.

13. Expedited item to discuss the Cooling Center hours.

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The May 19 Planning Commission meeting clocked in at just over 26 minutes, setting in motion an initiative that will shape Twentynine Palms for decades to come: the first steps toward updating the City’s general plan. In attendance were Commissioners Alex Garcia, Vice Chair Jim Krushat, and Chair Max Walker, with Leslie Paahana arriving a few minutes after the meeting started. Commissioner Jessica Cure was not present.

Relevant links:

• Meeting agenda packet

• Desert Trumpet Agenda Preview

• Video of the first four minutes of the meeting. The study session on the general plan was not livestreamed.

Public Comment: Is the City in Violation of the Brown Act?

No members of the public came forward during the opening public comment period.

Posters on social media have reported that they have sent letters and emails to the Planning Commission (and City Council) that have not been read aloud or acknowledged on the dias during the meeting nor have they been mentioned in meeting minutes.1

City Council and Planning Commission meeting minutes have recently become less detailed about public comment: current minutes (2025–2026) list speakers’ names but omit the substance of their remarks, and written letters—while sometimes listed by name—are neither summarized nor acknowledged during meetings.

This is a change from past practice: 2023 minutes show that letters were read aloud at meetings and both spoken and written comments were summarized in the minutes for City Council and Planning Commission alike.2

The Brown Act does not require that letters and emails be read aloud or noted, but they do need to be made available for public inspection “upon request and without delay.”

• The City of Berkeley, for example, includes letters sent by the public in its agenda packets.

• In Manhattan Beach, the City Clerk briefly announces at the meeting that written correspondence has been received on an item and sometimes lists the names of senders.

• San Luis Obispo posts letters and emails about agenda items on its website. Richmond posts correspondence alongside meeting minutes: all written public comments received are published on the city's website for the record with the meeting minutes.

The lapse in Twentynine Palms appears to be that letters are not available for public inspection online, in the agenda packet, or in City offices. Now that Kevin Cole, the new City Manager, has taken office, those who wish for more transparency could bring this issue up in public comment at a future Planning Commission meeting or at the upcoming City Council meeting on May 26. It would be to the benefit of the City and the community to know more about the issues that affect everyone who lives in Twentynine Palms. It would also avoid a Brown Act violation.

The Consent Calendar, which consisted of approval of the May 5 meeting minutes, passed 4-0-1 (absence).

Study Session: Planning the General Plan

Community Development Director Keith Gardner described how the City’s General Plan, the master document that guides how land is used and developed in Twentynine Palms, was last fully overhauled in 2012. The state of California requires that each city have a general plan that includes these elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, and environmental justice.

Twentynine Palms’ General Plan currently combines conservation and open space into one element and also includes a recreation element because of the importance of Joshua Tree National Park to the City’s economy.

Gardner proposed something new for the update: adding an arts element to the General Plan. He said he is already working with the City’s Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) on the new element, which would identify good locations for permanent public art, temporary installations, and performing arts spaces around town.3

The City’s staff will conduct the work to lead to the new General Plan without hiring outside consultants. Gardner said the City will be doing as much work in-house as possible, which means the update will likely take longer than it would in a city that has budgeted to hire planning consultants. He told the Planning Commissioners:

We’re just making sure we’re going down the right pathway, make sure we’re all in agreement. This is where we want to go, and realistically, it’s going to be a while. There is going to be workshop after workshop, discussing different areas in detail, different policies in detail, and you’ll probably be sick of this topic, but this really needs to be updated, because it’s reaching [the end of] its useful life.

In the spirit of starting with the hard things first, Gardner said staff recommends tackling the Land Use element first, since almost everything else — traffic planning, population projections, where future homes and businesses go — depends on it. He laid out five goals for the update:

1. Land use designations should reflect real-world conditions as accurately as possible.

2. Proposed changes should reflect realistic long-term development.

3. Land use districts may be consolidated or simplified where it makes sense.

4. Environmental and historical factors must be considered.

5. Each existing Specific Plan will be reviewed for whether it is still relevant today.

Gardner walked the Commission through a study map of the southwestern part of the City from Shoshone Valley Road west to the City boundary, and south from Highway 62 to Joshua Tree National Park. The map was included for illustrative purposes only; no zoning changes are being proposed yet.

The map highlights parcels owned by flood control districts, utility companies, and the federal government that are currently zoned for residential development even though development on those properties is essentially impossible. “The reason why that's important,” Gardner said, “is that you have traffic counts and population projections, etc., based upon what the general plan has for its land use.”

Commissioner Garcia said the process seemed headed in the right direction and he was looking forward to seeing it unfold. Commissioner Paahana emphasized the importance of accurate data for traffic and housing numbers. Vice Chair Krushat asked Gardner to clarify how gray areas on the allowable land use chart should be read. He confirmed that if a use isn’t listed, it isn’t permitted. Krushat also raised a question about the difference between the terms “single family dwelling” and “single family residence” in the development code. Gardner said cleaning up that kind of language is exactly what this process is for.

Chair Walker compared the City’s approach to the way the Marine Corps recently updated its own base master plan and said it felt like the right direction. He asked Gardner to include a direct link to the General Plan in future staff reports, noting that the City’s website can be hard to navigate. (It’s here.)

In comment on the General Plan, Carlos Blandon suggested a roundabout to slow traffic on Lear Avenue.

City Development Director Update

Keith Gardner said that a smog check station proposed for the southeast corner of Adobe Road and Hwy 62 is moving through the administrative use permit process. (The Desert Trumpet took an in-depth look at this proposed business here.) Notices went out the same day, and unless someone objects, it is set to be approved by the end of the following week.

Gardner and the Commissioners discussed their summer schedule, but no firm plans were made for meeting cancellations. And with that, the meeting adjourned.

The Planning Commission meets Tuesday, May 19 at 5 pm at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road. There is just one substantive item on the agenda, and it is an important one that has the potential to shape Twentynine Palms moving into the future: it’s the first in what will be a series of study sessions on updating the City’s General Plan. The agenda packet includes—for illustration purposes—possible rezoning for southwestern Twentynine Palms, including Indian Cove and points west. Residents of this area will want to pay attention to these proposed changes.

The agenda is available here.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

After Commission announcements, the public may comment on topics not on the agenda. Comments on agenda items will be taken when that item comes up. Fill out a comment card and hand it to staff, or email your comments to Planning Commission members and Community Development Director Keith Gardner in advance and request that they be read into the record. Each speaker has three minutes.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The only Consent Calendar item is approval of the minutes from the May 5, 2026 meeting. That meeting featured a public hearing on a Conditional Use Permit for the Friends of the Historic Plaza that allows regular Sunday events at the Plaza parking lot, which the Commission approved unanimously.

STUDY SESSION: Introduction to the General Plan Update

This is the main event. The City’s General Plan, essentially the master document that guides how land in Twentynine Palms is used and developed, was last overhauled in 2012. An Equity/Environmental Justice element was added after considerable community input in 2023.1 The Housing element is due for another update in 2029.

State law requires cities to have a General Plan, and California prescribes that it cover specific topics, called “elements”: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice. The City’s current plan also includes Recreation.

City residents often invoked the General Plan in recent, sometimes contentious conversations about land use around the E-Group PS solar facility and the Ofland Resort and a lack of a coherent City plan guiding these developments. These projects both included Conditional Use Permits that changed zoning from residential to commercial and other usage types without considering—as some speakers claimed in comment at public meetings—land use regulations in the 2012 General Plan. In particular, commenters claimed, “preserving the desert environment” and “preserving the City’s desert small-town feel” were concepts that were ignored. Changes to the General Plan have also come up in discussions of commercial campsites, when the scant amount of commercial tourist zoning has been noted by City staff and Planning Commissioners.

No consultant has been hired to assist in developing a new general plan, and there’s no budget for it in the upcoming fiscal year. Instead, City staff have been doing their own research to determine what needs to change before a consultant is brought on. In this meeting, City staff will check in with the Commission and getting feedback on the direction.

Staff are recommending that the Land Use element be tackled first, since so many other elements depend on it. The road network, for instance, needs to match where people actually live and where future residential and commercial development is likely, which means the Land Use Plan has to come first. Staff have proposed five goals for updating the Land Use element:

• Goal 1: The Land Use Element should be reflective as much as possible of actual real-world conditions; that is, land use designations should accurately reflect the established lot sizes and actual developments.

• Goal 2: Where feasible, suggestions for changes to the Land Use designations would reflect achievable long-term development.

• Goal 3: Where appropriate, new land use districts may be developed – or existing land-use districts may be consolidated and simplified.

• Goal 4: Historical and environmental considerations also play an important role in developing a Land Use Element;

• Goal 5: Each Specific Plan will be studied for modern relevancy

The staff report is clear that this session is just an introduction. Staff want to know whether the Commission agrees these are the right goals and not to take positions on any particular property or policy yet. An Environmental Impact Report will likely be required before the General Plan Update is finalized.

Two attachments come with the staff report: a land use map of the southwestern portion of the City west of Shoshone Valley Road to the City boundary, and south of Sunnyslope to the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park. The report notes that the map is included for “illustrative purposes,” and there is no suggestion that any zoning changes will be discussed.

The area labeled “STUDY TO RL-1” west of Kern to the City’s western border stands out on the map as a large block currently under review for a potential rezoning to higher-density residential, although much of this land is already zoned RL-1.2

A detailed eight-page chart of all the allowed uses and development standards in each of the City’s zoning districts.

Why this matters

A General Plan Update is one of the most consequential things a city can do. It shapes what gets built where for years to come. Residents who care about the future of Twentynine Palms have an interest in staying engaged as this process unfolds. This first study session is an important entry point: no votes, no specific proposals, just a conversation about goals. That makes it a good time to show up and be heard as the planning process begins.

The meeting can be live-streamed through the City’s website at www.29palms.org. Recordings are available on YouTube after the meeting. Planning Commission study sessions have not been live-streamed in the past, but as the Desert Trumpet recently reported, California SB 707 updates the Ralph M. Brown Act, requiring local legislative bodies to provide the public with the ability to attend all open meetings via two-way audio/video by July 1, 2026.

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On Tuesday, Twentynine Palms City Council met for a nearly two-hour meeting where they hosted a workshop on nonprofit grants, received recognitions from Yucca Valley Mayor Merl Abel, heard from concerned residents on the Flock surveillance system, and recognized outgoing City Manager H. Stone James for his two years at the City.

Our agenda preview for the meeting is linked here; video footage of the meeting is available here.

CDBG Non-Profit Grant Applicant Presentations

Before the official meeting, Council hosted a grant workshop where they heard three-minute presentations from 11 of 12 nonprofits applying for a pool of $75,000 in available City funds.

Presenters and requested amounts were:

• 29 Palms Artists’ Guild - $11,300

• 29 Palms Community Food Pantry & Outreach Ministries - $30,000

• Animal Action League - $10,800

• Armed Services YMCA 29 Palms - $10,000

• Basin Wide Foundation - $10,000

• First Assembly of God Church - $55,790

• Girls on the Run Inland Empire - $15,500

• Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts - $5,000

• PALS of Palms N Paws - $10,000

• Project Sheba - $10,000

• Reach Out Morongo Basin - $25,000

Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts Director Vickie Waite and board member John Cole presented on the upcoming 14th annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo, a free event that draws more than 400 attendees and features a month-long juried exhibition of art inspired by the national park. The City has co-sponsored the event every year since its inaugural 2013 expo, and the organization is requesting $5,000 to continue that partnership. “We will be grateful for whatever the City can give us,” said Waite.

Lori Cosgriff presented on behalf of the 29 Palms Community Food Pantry and Outreach Ministries, requesting $30,000. Her presentation focused heavily on celebrating the volunteer base that runs the pantry. Cosgriff emphasized the pantry is run exclusively by people who give their own time.

The pantry hosts three food distribution programs. Three days a week, the pantry serves 150 to 200 families across 29 Palms, Wonder Valley, Desert Heights, and the Marine Corps Base. Volunteers also coordinate a monthly USDA food distribution to approximately 144 families, and collaborate with Reach Out Morongo Basin to provide 300 boxes of food to seniors.

Last year, our pantry spent $57,000 on food and we received 21,000 pounds of food in donations and our board of directors kept our costs at less than 8% of our total operating budget

The organization relies on food donations, monetary donations, and grant programs.

Grace Lebda spoke on behalf of the Youth Activity Center at First Assembly of God Church. Requesting approximately $56,000, the location is seeking funds for the building to have an HVAC system, allowing for expanded programs and operating hours. The building currently has no cooling system, leaving the center inoperable during hot days.

In a city like ours where summer temperatures regularly reach extreme levels, having a safe, reliable indoor environment is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Our youth center serves as a critical hub where our youth can go after school, during weekends, and throughout the summer months. It provides structure, supervision, and positive engagement in a setting that keeps them safe and off the streets.

Two organizations presented requests for City-based spay/neuter clinics: Animal Action League, a mobile low-cost clinic that has operated in the Morongo Basin since 2005, and PALS of Palms N Paws, a nonprofit founded in October 2025. Both organizations noted that residents in 29 currently have no access to a spay-neuter voucher program, unlike residents of Yucca Valley and unincorporated San Bernardino County.

Presenting for PALS was Michelle Benedum, who said the nonprofit has partnered with Animal Action League on two community clinics. Showing a strong community demand for affordable spay/neuter services, Benedum said each clinic filled within 48 hours and had zero no-shows.

Summing up presentations was Director of Reach Out Morongo Basin, Robin Schlosser, reporting that the nonprofit served over 1,200 residents in 2025, logged 15,000 trips, and 104,000 miles last year, serving Wonder Valley, Desert Heights, Indian Cove, and 29 Palms.

Reach Out MB assists with transportation to and from appointments, grocery shopping, meal delivery, and assistance to those who are home bound and without transportation, and operates out of the 29 Palms Senior Center.

60 to 80 seniors gather there for daily lunch programs, health clinics, chair yoga, art groups, Medicare and financial information sessions — and is where the Twentynine Palms Youth Council regularly volunteers. They also deliver food boxes to homebound seniors who cannot otherwise access services:

We hand delivered over 1,400 of those boxes to shut-in seniors that would not be able to access these programs because they can’t get out of the house. So we hand deliver these boxes and the food to them.

Desert Media Foundation, which had applied for $3,500, was unable to attend.

No formal action was taken on funding requests as this was just a workshop. Council members will vote on nonprofit fund distributions at a future date.

REGULAR SESSION

The official Council meeting kicked off shortly after 6 pm with a Pagan-inspired invocation from Stephanie Ballard. Her invocation focused on five elements with themes that related to the City and encouraged audience participation.

Mayor Daniel Mintz announced that an anticipated presentation from Re-Enlist to Life Housing and Veteran Services will be postponed until the next council meeting.

Agenda Item 10, under the Consent Calendar, entailed council approval of a $9,000 payment to Culper Consulting for services to provide a City code enforcement manual. The item was removed from the agenda by outgoing City Manager James without explanation.

As the Desert Trumpet reported here, James signed the Culper Consulting contract to the tune of $17,000 on April 16, just seven days after announcing his resignation. Signature lines for City Attorney Patrick Muñoz and City Clerk Cindy Villescas for the contract in the agenda packet were blank. The City Attorney issued a work stoppage on the contract four days later.

City attorneys were not present at Tuesday’s meeting. The staff report pertaining to the agenda item stated that Council would be pulling funds from its code enforcement cleanup budget to cover the costs of Culper Consulting’s invoice, though Council never formally approved the consultant contract in the first place nor did the City post a formal RFP (request for proposal) for code enforcement consulting services.

As of now, it is unclear if approval of funds to cover the $9,000 consulting bill will be a formal agenda item at a future meeting. Culper Consulting is operated by Deputy Mayor of Yucaipa, Justin Beaver.

The item also entailed approval of a code enforcement report provided by Gemini Consulting, whose principal is a former colleague of James through his previous employer—Cathedral City.

A copy of the item’s 130-page staff report is available here.

AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Council heard two presentations– one from Yucca Valley Mayor Merl Abel, presenting for the 35th birthday of Yucca Valley, and the other from San Bernardino County Fire Department’s Division 4 Assistant Chief Bill Villarino, who provided an operational update on Twentynine Palms Station 44.

Abel acknowledged Yucca Valley and Twentynine as partners in a shared region with a shared identity, noting that Twentynine Palms inspired Yucca to incorporate in 1991:

Our residents don’t really look at city limits. They experience the high desert and the beauty in one connection, one connected region. They work across our communities. They support local businesses throughout the Basin.

Chief Villarino said that thanks to a three-year federal grant, the fire department has been able to add a fourth full-time firefighter to ME44 at the Twentynine Palms station and spoke on the department’s Explorer Program.

Council marks end of Stone James era at City Hall

One behalf of the City of Twentynine Palms, Mayor Daniel Mintz presented a plaque to outgoing City Manager H. Stone James for his two years of service. Steve Reyes, Field Representative for County Supervisor Dawn Rowe, also presented James with a certificate of recognition from the District 3 Supervisor’s office.

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS

None

FUTURE COUNCIL-INITIATED ITEMS

Councilmember April Ramirez requested to add a future agenda item for a study session or discussion regarding constituent concerns on the Flock surveillance program, which was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott.

Scott requested an expedited item—that the City look into its cooling center operating hours.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Council heard from seven audience members: Lashara Maea, LeeAnn Clarke, Diana Rozendaal, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Heather Drake, Scott Curry, and Robin Schlosser.

Rodriguez, Dean of students at Palm Vista Elementary School, thanked Councilmember Bilderain and Mayor Pro Tem Scott for their attendance at a recent Morongo Unified School District board meeting in which possible school closures were the topic.

Maea, Clarke, and Schlosser recognized Stone James for his work. Maea spoke on behalf of the 29 Palms COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster), thanking James for recognizing the need for disaster response organizations in Twentynine Palms:

I would hope after your departure that the City Council and the individual who will sit in your seat but not replace you will continue to pick up where you left off.

Schlosser commended James on coordinating assistance for seniors during a critical flash flood, and noted his work in homelessness services as Co-Chair of the East Desert Regional Steering Committee.

I’ve had the honor of working with him from the very beginning when he first started and the city flooded and he was out there in his boots and hauling sandbags and mud.

Heather Drake and Diana Rozendaal raised concerns about Flock surveillance cameras, with Rozendaal highlighting a recent press release from the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Department that she says read more like an advertisement for Flock than an informative, factual police report.

The Sheriff’s press release pertained to an instance of repeat domestic violence that occurred May 1st, which states:

The use of FLOCK was critical in locating the suspect’s vehicle, which ultimately led to locating the suspect and protecting the victim from further harm.

Per Rozendaal:

The report editorializes, calling Flock camera technology critical and stating that it may have inevitably saved the victim’s life. May have inevitably is not the language of a factual police report. It is the language of marketing. But let’s be clear about what actually happened. The fact the victim was attacked twice. The Flock system did nothing to prevent the first assault and it did nothing to prevent the second.

Rozendaal highlighted that Deputies Maldonado and Arenas played an undeniably critical role in saving the victim’s life in this instance—not the Flock technology:

It overstates the technology’s value in a way that obscures what community safety actually requires: Timely, well-trained human response.

Scott Curry raised concerns regarding a personal banner he had paid for and displayed on a parcel off Lear Avenue and Highway 62. The banner thanked the outgoing City Manager:

At the top it said ‘Stone James’ and it says, “Thank you for your leadership.” I posted that about 10 o’clock in the morning. And my client who owns the property received a letter dated the same day. “Take it down….The sign’s too big…..You’re in a residential area….The post shouldn’t be there.” It’s the fastest you’ve ever moved for code enforcement within five hours, six hours. Very interesting and very suspicious to me. I’m disappointed with what I think happened.

City Manager Update

Stone James delivered his final City Manager update, thanking a number of individuals and local organizations, including the 29 Palms Ministerial Association and the Rotary Club. James concluded with a pointed quote from Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech, delivered in Paris on April 23, 1910:

If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

The next City Council meeting will take place May 26, 2026.

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Commencing at 5:15 pm with Community Development Block Grant presentations, the Twentynine Palms City Council will meet this upcoming Tuesday for a regularly scheduled meeting. Attendees can expect a marathon of presentations, with no action items and no public hearing. This will be a good opportunity for public comment.

The 622-page agenda packet is available here; coverage of the last City Council meeting is linked here.

PUBLIC COMMENT

You can comment on agenda items and issues important to you at every City Council meeting. Comments on agenda items take place during discussion of that item, while comments on non-agenda items take place near the end of the meeting. The Brown Act prevents Council from commenting on non-agenda items. To comment, pick up a form at the entry desk, fill it out, and hand it to the Clerk, who usually sits just in front of the Council dais on the right.

Here’s the list of Council email addresses to write if you can’t get to the meeting — be sure to email them prior to 2 pm on the date of the meeting so they have time to read your email prior to discussion. You can also copy the clerk at cvillescas@29palms.org and ask that your letter be made part of the public record.

WORKSHOP (5:15 pm) - CDBG Non-Profit Grant Applicant Presentations

The City opened applications for Community Development Block Grants to nonprofits on March 2 and closed April 3. A total of twelve applications were received during the open period, representing an aggregate funding request of $196,890.

City staff verified each applicant’s operating status and non-profit registry standing to confirm eligibility and adherence to the City’s funding guidelines.

Faced with a $75,000 budget, some applicants may be walking away empty handed or with significantly less money than requested. Those applicants and requested grant funds were:

• 29 Palms Artists’ Guild - $11,300

• 29 Palms Community Food Pantry & Outreach Ministries - $30,000

• Animal Action League - $10,800

• Armed Services YMCA 29 Palms - $10,000

• Basin Wide Foundation - $60,000

• Desert Media Foundation - $3,500

• First Assembly of God Church - $55,790

• Girls on the Run Inland Empire - $15,500

• Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts - $5,000

• PALS of Palms N Paws - $10,000

• Project Sheba - $10,000

• Reach Out Morongo Basin - $25,000

Though the 442-page staff report did not specify which organizations, if any, did not meet the City’s verification criteria, only one organization—Project Sheba—showed a revoked California AG charitable registration status. For Fiscal Year 26-27, the pool of available funds will be even smaller than last year, as the City’s nonprofit budget gets reduced to just $25,000.

The Desert Trumpet runs out of operating funds on July 1, help us provide the coverage you depend on and also experience a unique concert at Spirit Wind. Purchase tickets for our May 14 fundraiser today.

AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

1. Re-Enlist to Life Housing and Veteran Services Overview and Letter of Support Request

Re-Enlist to Life, or REL, is a business1 based in Yucca Valley that provides housing services to veterans and critical support services, such as vocational job training, to veterans who have been released from incarceration.2

The business is seeking a letter of support from the City of Twentynine Palms as part of the State of California’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) Homekey grant application process. The letter will show support for REL’s proposed Veteran Campus Project, to be located at 605 Utah Trail on 40 acres of property.3

According to the staff report:

The Twentynine Palms Veteran Campus is a $12.6 million Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) development designed to serve 32 justice-involved4 veterans annually. Managed by Re-Enlist to Life, the project utilizes a vocation-to-wellness ecosystem to provide a stable, trauma-informed environment that prevents homelessness and recidivism. The mission is rooted in the lived experience of Marine Corps veterans who served at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms.

At the last Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott and Councilmember McArthur Wright expressed enthusiasm and willingness to show support toward REL.

2. Presentation by the Town of Yucca Valley on their 35th Anniversary

The Town of Yucca Valley will be presenting on the 35th anniversary of their incorporation. To commemorate the occasion, 35 facts about Yucca Valley are posted on the city website to highlight the town’s vibrant history, from Frank Sinatra’s summer getaways in Yucca with the Rat Pack, to acknowledging the earliest stewards of the area—the Chemehuevi and Serrano.

3. Presentation by the San Bernardino County Fire Department

The agenda packet provides no information for this presentation. San Bernardino County Fire provides fire service coverage for Twentynine Palms following the annexation of the Twentynine Palms Fire Department back in 2016, which was previously operated by the Twentynine Palms Water District.

4. Presentation to Dr. Stone James for his Service to the City of Twentynine Palms

At their last meeting, Council approved an employment contract for Kevin Cole to assume the role of City Manager to the tune of $186,000 a year. This follows the resignation of Dr. H. Stone James, whose departure was announced in April. After more than six years as the Economic Development Director for Cathedral City, James assumed the Twentynine Palms City Manager’s position in April 2024 with a 5-0 Council appointment approval.

Since then, James has served as Co-Chair for San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership’s East Desert Regional Steering Committee and was inducted to the 29 Palms Rotary Club.

In the City’s announcement on his resignation, James was acknowledged for his ability to navigate the town through severe flash flooding incidents and emergency preparedness efforts.

Of note from his stint as City Manager is James’s proactiveness during a federal government employment crackdown from the Trump Administration, in which James facilitated the transfer of the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center lease from the National Park Service (NPS) to the Joshua Tree National Park Association to mitigate impacts from NPS staff layoffs.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Consent Calendar consists of items usually approved with a single vote. The public is given a chance to comment on these items prior to the Council motion. Fill out a comment form specifying the item you wish to address and submit it in person, or send an email in advance regarding any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.

Code Enforcement Contract Raises Questions

Though the consent calendar typically consists of routine items, such as updating the authorized signers on the City bank accounts, Agenda Item 10 pertains to a seemingly unexpected approval of $9,000 to Culper Consulting, executed by outgoing City Manager H. Stone James.

On April 16, 2026—after he had announced his resignation on April 9—James had signed a $17,000 contract with Culper Consulting to produce a Code Enforcement Policies and Procedures Manual. The manual would be based on results from a 2025 Code Enforcement Evaluation Report.

Four days later, on April 20, the City Attorney issued a work stop order on the Culper Consulting contract. The staff report doesn’t explain why the City Attorney intervened or on whose authority.

Culper Consulting, operated by elected official and current Deputy Mayor for the City of Yucaipa, Justin Beaver, is now charging the City $9,000 for services rendered. A draft manual of the Code Enforcement guidebook is included in the agenda packet, though it must be vetted by the City’s legal team before Council can consider its adoption. According to the staff report:

The one-time payment of $9,000 will come from the code enforcement clean up budget. This $9,000 will decrease the Code Enforcement’s short-term ability to fully clean up 7535 Sherman Hoyt Avenue, however, implementation of an industry-standard policy manual will give Code Enforcement the structure and tools to prevent future homes from becoming public nuisance like 7535 Sherman Hoyt Avenue has become over the last several years.

Though the contract was for up to $17,000 — within a city manager’s typical signing authority — the proximity to the contract execution and the City Manager’s resignation is worth noting.

The draft code compliance manual that Culper Consulting delivered prior to work stoppage uses Cathedral City — where Stone James previously worked — as its example city throughout its report. Per the staff report, the manual contains internal contradictions that staff say require review by HR and the City Attorney before any adoption can take place.

Also included in Item 10 is the 2025 code enforcement evaluation report, composed by Gemini Training — a firm whose principal, Justin Gardiner, is Cathedral City's Code Compliance Manager — a contractor hired by the City Manager with direct ties to his former employer. Gardiner’s name is included throughout the report.

Whether Council and City Attorneys were aware of the Cathedral City connection between Gardiner and James prior to the Gemini contract being awarded is not addressed in the staff report.

PUBLIC HEARING — NONE

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS — NONE

FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS

1. Shade Structures around Freedom Plaza and a possible art fixture with “Freedom Plaza” announcing the location.

2. Discussion of a policy regulating the use of City Attorney resources.

3. Discussion on creating a “Recognized Neighborhood Program.”

4. Discussion on the new Federal holidays to coincide with the City’s holiday schedule.

5. Discussion on the use of City funds for grants and the potential reallocation of housing and homeless funds to grants.

6. Discussion on creating guidelines for the use of City Hall meeting rooms by elected and appointed officials for official city business.

7. Discussion on the next steps of reallocating $1.3 million for housing.

8. Discussion of Code Enforcement and compliance with Proposition 36 and find a pathway to meeting the new guidance issued by Governor Gavin Newson.

9. Discussion about annexing parcels: APN 0634-05-124 and 0634-05-109, also known as Set Free Ranch.

10. Discussion of a possible safe passage with CalTrans around Donnell Hill.

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With only one substantive item, the May 5 Planning Commission meeting promised to be brief, and clocking in at just 28 minutes in length, it was. In attendance were Commissioners Leslie Paahana, Alex Garcia and Jessica Cure and presiding was new Chair Max Walker. Vice Chair Jim Krushat had an excused absence.

Relavent links:

• Meeting agenda

• Desert Trumpet Agenda Preview

• Video of the meeting

The Consent Calendar consisting of three sets of meeting minutes were approved 4-0-1 (absence).

Bounce Houses, Mechanical Bulls, and Later Nights—Historic Plaza Events Get Official Blessing

The Historic Plaza is unique in the City as local businesses surround the parking, which has a walkway and square between two rows of spaces and is dotted with trees. However, various entities own and run the businesses while the parking area is owned by the City. Friends of the Historic Plaza, a 501c3 nonprofit formed in 2024, has been producing events in the Plaza for the last two years and pulling Temporary Use Permits (TUP) for each event.

The proposed Conditional Use Permit (CUP) grants the nonprofit permission to produce Sunday events running from noon to 5 pm, with set-up allowed from 7 am with teardown through 7 pm. Alcohol sales are permitted under the CUP, provided an active ABC license is obtained and visible. Live and recorded music and street performers would be allowed, subject to the City’s noise regulations. A mix of vendors is also acceptable as long as each holds a valid City business license. Highlights of the 24 Conditions of Approval listed included:

• a prohibition on “kiddie rides”

• any sale or display of live animals must be coordinated with Animal Control

• all merchandise must consist of new items, handmade crafts, antiques (defined as 50+ years old), or collectibles

• a $1 million insurance requirement with the City listed as an additional insured

The Friends submitted a request to the Commission to amend the conditions presented in the agenda as follows:

• Extend the operating hours to 10 pm from May to September

• Allow kid friendly attractions such as inflatable bounce houses and mechanical bull rides

Near-by business owner Ted Pritchett also contacted the Commission with additional suggestions including two portable toilets, extra trash cans, restricting parking on Homestead Drive and at neighboring businesses and not impeding access to those businesses.

Discussion focused on the restricted parking, with Commissioners indicating that it was not within their authority to restrict parking on a public street. However, it was requested that the Friends place signage directing attendees to appropriate parking to ensure that business access isn’t affected.

Representative for the applicants, Friends of the Historic Plaza board member Jimmy Brower, spoke to the benefits of the events:

We’re able to increase and better the quality of life for our residents here in 29 but also add to the City’s Strategic Plan whenever it comes to boosting tourism and creating a unique identity for the City of 29 Palms amongst all of the other cities in the Morongo Basin.…It is also increasing more opportunities for entrepreneurial activities for all of our stay-at-home makers and crafters, our artists, our designers and those that are just following their dreams and passions and not able to afford a brick and mortar [business].

In public comment on the item, Mojaveland founder Anna Stump praised the Historic Plaza as “a magical place for kids” and endorsed the Friends application. Commissioner Cure echoed Stump’s comments, speaking to her appreciation of the Plaza and of the events produced there. Commissioner Garcia added, “It’s awesome seeing it being relooked at again, and revived a bit.”

A permit running five years, expiring May 5, 2031 was approved with 4-0-1 (absence) vote.

The Desert Trumpet runs out of operating funds on July 1, help us provide the coverage you depend on and also experience a unique concert at Spirit Wind. Purchase tickets for our May 14 fundraiser today.

Solar Returns in Public Comment

The E-Group Solar Project dominated general public comment.

Peter Lang focused on the March 3 Planning Commission meeting and assertions made by E-Group attorney Robert Smith that the project qualified under AB 205, which holds that renewable energy projects meeting specific requirements can bypass local mandates and receive approval from the California Energy Commission (CEC). As originally configured, the E-Group project fell below the 50 megawatt requirement for AC power generation, yet whether the project qualified for state review under AB 205 was never independently verified by the City.

A resident, Suzanne Lyons, contacted CEC and received verification that the project didn’t qualify. After being denied by City Council, E-Group reconfigured the project to meet the requirement and appears to have started the state process.

Lang expressed his frustration with E-Group:

E-Group spent nearly three years threatening this community with a state approval pathway they either did not understand or knew that they did not qualify for. There are only two explanations, and neither is acceptable. Either E-Group and its legal team failed to understand a basic eligibility requirement for this very process they were using to pressure the City, or they knowingly allowed the City, the Planning Commission and the public to operate under a false assumption that is either gross incompetence or dishonesty. In my view, either one should be disqualifying in the event that E-Group comes back to the City for a vote in any way, shape or form.

Lang concluded, “AB 205 still requires consideration of local laws and conditions, a finding of net positive economic benefit to the local government, plus legally binding community benefits, Benefit Agreements. E-Group presented AB 205, as a threat, but the actual process is more complex than they make it sound.”

Suzanne Lyons was next to speak, and promising “positive feedback,” thanked each Commissioner for their participation in the deliberative process, which resulted in a split 2-2 vote with one member remaining neutral.

I just want to say thank you to everybody and give you some positive feedback, because it was rough, it was hard. Everybody played a part, and you were all really important, and I think the whole process worked the way it’s supposed to work. So thank you.

Community Development Director Updates

Director Keith Gardner had three topics to discuss: Ofland, General Plan Updates and the Planning Commission calendar.

In the first City acknowledgement of Ofland’s abandoning of the planned resort in Indian Cove, Gardner said:

I did get a letter from an attorney representing the Ofland applicants asking for the City to initiate a rescission of their approvals. I’m working with our legal team to help [determine the] best approach to do that. So to be continued, I just want to let the Commission know that I did receive it, and we’re working on how, how best to approach that.

Regarding the General Plan, Gardner advised the Commissioners that Planning had examining land use on a parcel by parcel basis and would be working with the new City Manager Kevin Cole. He also pointed out that there was no budget allocation for 2026-2027 to hire consultants so the City is working internally to “get our thought process together before we hire anyone else.”

The Commission agreed to meet in two weeks, perhaps for a workshop on General Plan updates or other “broad topics.”

The next Planning Commission meeting is Tuesday, May 19 at 6 pm.

NOTE: Desert Trumpet staff members Cindy Bernard, Kat Talley-Jones, and Heidi Heard live in the Indian Cove neighborhood, adjacent to the proposed Ofland development project, and are on the organizing committees of Indian Cove Neighbors and Say No to Ofland. Read our policy for covering Ofland here.

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The Planning Commission skipped the month of April, making this the first meeting since March 17 — a short one, also with a one-item agenda. The single hearing or discussion item for this meeting? The Friends of the Historic Plaza are asking for a Conditional Use Permit that would allow outdoor vendor events at the Historic Plaza up to once a week on Sunday afternoons, replacing the patchwork of Temporary Use Permits that have governed events there since 2024. The agenda is here.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

After Planning Commission announcements, attendees can comment on items not on the agenda. Public comments on agenda items will be requested when the item is discussed. Fill out a green comment sheet for public or agenda item comments and hand it to the staff, usually sitting at the desk at the front of the room on the right side. Residents have three minutes to make comments.

You may also email comments to Planning Commission members and Community Development Director Keith Gardner and request that comments be read at the meeting.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Consent Calendar consists of items usually approved with a single vote. The public is given a chance to make public comment on these items prior to the Commission motion. Fill out a comment form specifying the item you wish to address and submit it in person, or send an email in advance regarding any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.

This meeting’s Consent Calendar is entirely housekeeping: approval of meeting minutes from three prior sessions. Items 1, 2, and 3 cover the minutes of February 17, March 3, and March 17, 2026.

That said, the minutes from eventful meetings are worth a review to ensure that discussion and public comment are rendered accurately for the public record — and two of these were doozies. The February 17 meeting featured a lengthy public hearing on the E-Group Solar Project, with 17 speakers in opposition and 4 in favor, before the Commission continued the item to March 3. At the March 3 meeting, the Commission voted to forward a split decision to City Council — two Commissioners (Leslie Paahana and Max Walker) in favor, two (Alex Garcia and Jim Krushat) recommending denial, and Chair Jessica Cure neutral. The Commission then had an unusually lengthy leadership decision — with Max Walker ultimately elected Chair and Jim Krushat as Vice Chair after two failed motions, and Paahana and Walker uniting across both votes to remove then Vice Chair Alex Garcia from Planning Commission leadership.

While approval of minutes is usually routine, readers interested in the full record of E-Group deliberations may want to examine the minutes which are the official record of that pivotal split vote.

4. Conditional Use Permit CUP26-000001 — Regular Events at the Historic Plaza

The one item on this agenda is a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application from the Friends of the Historic Plaza, requesting permission to hold regularly scheduled outdoor community events in the Plaza parking lot. The Historic Plaza is unique in the City as local businesses surround the parking, which has a walkway and square between two rows of spaces and is dotted with trees. However, various entities own and run the businesses while the parking area is owned by the City.

What’s being asked and why it matters
Under current rules, events at the Historic Plaza have required Temporary Use Permits (TUP), which are capped at four per year. Since 2024, the Plaza has hosted a variety of events from community barbecues to antique car shows to health fairs. The CUP would replace the need for repeated TUP applications by establishing a standing permit for events up to 52 Sundays a year — in effect, enabling weekly Sunday events if organizers choose to use the permit to its fullest extent.

If approved, events would run from noon to 5 p.m., with set-up allowed from 7 a.m. with teardown through 7 p.m. Alcohol sales are permitted under the CUP, provided an active ABC license is obtained and visible. Live and recorded music and street performers would be allowed, subject to the City’s noise regulations. A mix of vendors is also acceptable as long as each holds a valid City business license.

Conditions of approval
The draft Conditions of Approval attached to the agenda are detailed — 24 conditions in all — and reflect the unusual nature of permitting a recurring event in a shared commercial parking lot. Notable conditions include:

• a $1 million insurance requirement with the City listed as an additional insured

• a prohibition on “kiddie rides”

• any sale or display of live animals must be coordinated with Animal Control

• all merchandise must consist of new items, handmade crafts, antiques (defined as 50+ years old), or collectibles.

The permit would run five years, expiring May 5, 2031, subject to a new or revised CUP at that time. The recommendation is that the Commission adopt the resolution approving the CUP.

For our “eagle eye” readers: The draft resolution in the packet includes a “WHEREAS” clause stating that a public hearing was held on April 27, 2026, the date of the last City Council meeting — but this agenda is for May 5, 2026. That inconsistency should be addressed before the resolution is adopted.

Why this is good news — with caveats
Increasing the frequency of events at the Historic Plaza would be a meaningful step toward activating one of the city’s most underused commercial corridors. Unlike recent large-scale development proposals that have divided the community, this is a locally-initiated, small-scale economic development idea with no apparent organized opposition. Some residents living near Plaza may have concerns about the potential for weekly events and the noise and extra traffic accompanying them. However, it’s unclear whether the application is due to a desire for more events or to alleviate the hassle and uncertainty of pulling multiple TUPs for the five to six community events on the the Friends of the Historic Plaza usual calendar.

The meeting is held at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, and may be live-streamed via the City website at www.29palms.org. Recordings are available on demand after the meeting.

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Following a closed session with the City Manager as the topic, the Twentynine Palms City Council held a two and a half hour meeting on Monday, April 27. On the agenda was a foreboding budget report, appointment and employment contract approval for a Twentynine-Palms resident Kevin Cole as the new City Manager, and a traffic study waiver for a local business owner and key community stakeholder. Council heard from the public on a number of topics, such as Flock surveillance cameras, a council code of conduct, and a request to extend cooling center accessibility. All five council members were in attendance. The meeting kicked off with an invocation from LeeAnn Clarke of the 29 Palms Ministerial Association.

Our agenda preview of the meeting is available here; video footage of the meeting can be found here.

AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Carrie Kish and Danielle Reed of Reach Out Yucca Valley gave Council a presentation on the dangers of 7-OH and kratom. Often described as a synthetic opioid, kratom is an addictive and highly abused substance that produces opioid-like effects. It can be found in products sold at liquor stores, smoke shops, grocery stores, and gas stations.

Legality of kratom/7-OH products varies by municipality. Kish relayed some local statistics for Twentynine Palms, citing that the town falls within the top 97th percentile of opioid overdoses in California, and that Reach Out’s program intake for those seeking treatment for kratom abuse has increased significantly compared to last year, saying it makes up for 30% of their 26 program enrollments. Emphasizing the dangers of overdose, especially when kratom is mixed with other substances, and the prevalence of the product in the community, Kish grew emotional as she relayed the case of a Yucca Valley local who had a loved one die from 7-OH:

We did just recently, this kind of personally hit us—in that one of our partners in Yucca Valley that works with youth lost someone due to 7-OH.

COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REPORTS OF MEETINGS ATTENDED

Councilmember Bilderain and Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott reported attending the Morongo Unified School District Board meeting. Scott also spoke of a potential Veterans Village hosted by Re-Enlist To Life. Mayor Daniel Mintz reported attendance at the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District meeting, noting that electric vehicle chargers at Twentynine Palms Liquor will be moving forward via a $185,000 state grant program. Councilwoman April Ramirez reported attending events for the California League of Cities 2026 and Partners Against Violence. Ramirez, Wright, and Scott also participated in the dunk tank at the Youth Olympics.

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS

City Budget Tightens as Revenue Growth Slows

Finance Director Abigail Hernandez-Conde presented a preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year of 2026-2027, which begins July 1. The City is expected to end fiscal year 2026-27 with an assigned fund balance of $12.2 million, which Hernandez-Conde described as “healthy.” TOT revenues are also up, with the City projected to have a budget surplus of $11,000.

A $250,000 decrease in net revenue is expected as a result of lower-than-projected property tax and vehicle license fees. The largest expenses for the City are its law enforcement contract through the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department , which makes up over 40% of the budget, and City staffing costs, such as salaries, benefits, and pension obligations. Hernandez-Conde emphasized, “These operating revenues are not increasing at the same pace as our operating expenditures.”

To maintain a balanced budget, the City is cutting its non-profit budget from $75,000 down to $25,000 and cutting funds for the annual Juneteenth celebration. From the public, Robin Schlosser, director of Reach Out Morongo Basin, an organization that receives City grant money through its non-profit funds, spoke against the budget reduction. Hernandez-Conde noted that the $50,000 reduction was just bringing the budget historically in line with past spending– the 25’-26’ non-profit budget saw a $25,000 increase. The City also has to move $60,000 in funds to pay for upcoming sales tax measure material costs and construction for Luckie Park improvements.

In public comment on the agenda item, Cindy Bernard expressed concern that the Juneteenth budget was being slashed. Council and staff clarified that there will still be a flag raising ceremony to commemorate the event. Women of Color Global 29, a local non-profit, will be hosting their annual Juneteenth event at Knotts Sky Park. In the past, the City has given funds towards the Juneteenth event and others but in the wake of financial tightening, they are encouraging non-profits to find outside funding rather than relying solely on City money.

The Finance Director’s preliminary report had both positives and negatives as the City approaches the new fiscal year, ultimately carrying a cautionary suggestion:

My recommendation is to establish cost-saving measures, including reducing non-essential costs. With this statement, I’m not saying that the City is going bankrupt, as I’ve heard from some people. I’m not saying anything to that effect — I’m just saying that we should start placing more emphasis on addressing what the City needs versus what the City wants.

Budget transfers were approved 5-0.

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Council Considers Traffic Study Waiver for a Longtime Community Stakeholder

Community Development Director Keith Gardner presented this topic for a potential commercial drive-thru development posed for the southwest corner of Encelia Avenue and 29 Palms Outer Highway. This corner takes up the dirt lot across the street from Burger King and the Stater Bros shopping center, with Jiffy Lube just up the road. Though not directly on Highway 62, the Outerhighway 62 easement is under CalTrans jurisdiction.

Current City policy is that any project expected to see activity of more than 50 cars per day is required to submit a traffic impact analysis. In this instance, the developer, Nathsons Hospitality Inc., represented at the meeting by Veno Nathraj, is requesting that the City waive that requirement, though CalTrans may still require their own traffic impact study.

Noting that that the project is CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) exempt, Nathraj said the project will consist of an 11-car drive thru with hopes of a pharmacy occupying one of the units.

Citing concerns with the cost of building, Nathraj encouraged Council to consider the traffic study waiver:

I’ve built the Holiday Inn Express. I’ve built the Starlight Inn, the Social Yards and the Oasis Inn & Suites. When I built the Holiday Inn Express, that was on almost 1.57 acres and I built it in 2008 or 2010, somewhere around there. I’m actually surprised that there was no traffic study required from me then, and why this small project which would happen to create job opportunities for local people in our community…

Speaking in favor of the traffic study waiver was developer Scott Curry, saying the City should do everything it can to reduce costs of construction:

Veno—as everyone knows, he’s made quite the contributions to the City, development, things like that. So I’m here to support him. I would ask for a waiver. If he bypasses CalTrans, more power to him. The project is small. I travel that intersection every day.

Lynette Ramirez called the project a win-win, encouraging the City to waive the traffic study. Former City Manager Larry Bowden inquired on which streets the exits would be located and encouraged Council to relegate any traffic study requirement to CalTrans. LeeAnn Clarke was also in favor of granting a waiver:

I’m very much a big supporter of local business and I think it’s important for us to do what’s necessary to help our local business owners be able to conduct business to service our residents. And based on what we’ve heard tonight, it appears to me that a waiver isn’t something that’s going to bring any harm to anyone.

Councilmembers were ultimately in favor of waiving the traffic study requirement, with councilmember Ramirez citing a speech on “13 Ways to Kill Your Community” by Doug Griffiths:

Number five says, “Send your residents to shop elsewhere—encouraging residents to spend their money in neighboring towns or online, rather than supporting local businesses.” And he really got into the fact that when there are these hurdles at a city level, all it does is just send our residents to go and spend their money somewhere else, and that’s less money that we have in our budget.

Mayor Pro Tem Scott said he agreed with Ramirez, and praised Nathraj. “I just want to commend Veno and give you your flowers, sir. You’ve done an amazing job with developments in the City, especially Veno’s pub, down there by your hotels.”

Ramirez’s motion to waive the traffic study requirement was approved 5-0.

Council Appoints Kevin Cole As New City Manager

The topic of appointing a new City Manager began with announcement of an abstention from Councilmember Ramirez:

While I do not have a conflict of interest on the laws for my government official position, there is a potential conflict of interest due to my other line of work in healthcare and a separate set of laws that I am expected to abide by. So I will be abstaining.

Copies of the staff report pertaining to this item were made available at the beginning of the meeting, as they were not included in the published online agenda.1 Following the recent resignation of City Manager H. Stone James, Council opted to go back to its initial hiring and interview process from late 2023. Second in line out of seven candidates chosen to be interviewed for the position was Kevin Cole, Director of Facilities and Operations at Copper Mountain College and former Twentynine Palms City Councilmember.

Cole was interviewed for the position in a closed session on April 14, in which all five councilmembers participated. “All five of us interviewed Kevin, and it was recommended that we offer him a contract. Kevin is an excellent candidate for the City Manager’s position. He’s familiar with the city, and having been on the council here, and has worked with the city for 10 years and I believe he was on the Council for two terms.”

Effective May 15, Council approved a base salary of $186,000, and due to Cole’s previous City employment, he receives a PERS benefits package with a rate of 8% instead of the usual 7.75%. A $700 per month car allowance, a City issued cell phone, a $2,500 annual budget toward participation in professional organizations, and a six months severance package if the contract is terminated without cause six months after an election.

Speaking in favor of Cole appointment was LeeAnn Clarke:

I think that Kevin will be just a perfect fit for us. He’s lived here. He knows our community, he knows our needs, and I just think it’ll be a very smooth transition to have him come in the position of our new City Manager. Thank you.

Anna Stump, Board of Trustee member for Copper Mountain College, spoke with high approval of Cole’s appointment:

I just want to say that every time Kevin’s name is brought up at the Board of Trustees meetings, it’s always glowing. He’s always done an amazing job, and I’m sure they’re crying over there.

Robin Schlosser gave Cole praise, saying she had the honor of working with him for many years back when he was with the City.

He knows the needs of the community. He is raised in this community, and his heart’s here, and he’s going to be a benefit for us all. Thank you.”

The appointment of Cole as new City Manager and subsequent employment agreement was approved by Council 4-0-1. Cole will be the fourth City Manager that Twentynine Palms has had since 2023. Following the resignation of Frank Luckino, Larry Bowden then served as interim City Manager, followed by the appointment of Stone James in March 2024.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Lynette Ramirez thanked the City for its support in Ready4Reading Book Club’s backpack event then called upon the council to adopt an ethics and code of conduct policy:

We have a problem when council members retaliate against constituents for speaking out. I have witnessed threats made against local businesses, defamation of local charities, and attempts to threaten the employment of residents. I say “we,” having problem, because if constituents file suit against the City for violating their constitutional rights, the taxpayers end up footing the bill. Furthermore, this behavior is counterproductive to all of our goals. There are frequent complaints about lack of jobs and business growth in Twentynine Palms. It makes no sense for council members to contact employers over differing views, nor does it encourage potential businesses to invest here if they fear their plans will be blocked for not going along with certain officials. We cannot operate without professional standards.

Elliott Balsley and Heather Drake spoke out against Flock surveillance systems, stating a petition has garnered 700 signatures to oppose the law enforcement surveillance camera and license plate reading program.

LeeAnn Clarke invited the public to a National Day of Prayer event Thursday, May 7, with events at Gospel Fellowship Christian Center, Veterans Park, and and emergency preparedness event via Zoom on May 21 at 6:30 pm. Clarke also used her time to commemorate longtime community leader Marjorie Smith, who passed away April 22:

She led her area in emergency activation, and was typically the first person contacted when an emergency occurred. With the Palm Springs bomber last year, she was called into 29 Palms to assist with the evacuation of residents on Adobe Road. Although she was 89 years young, Marjorie demonstrated that age is simply a number, and everyone can be involved in some capacity in their community.

Resident Beth Williams called on the City to change its operating parameters for cooling centers to reflect that of San Bernardino County. Cooling centers in Twentynine Palms operate when temperatures exceed a heat index of 115 degrees while San Bernardino County cooling centers operate when the heat index is above 100 degrees.

Heather Huguenor spoke against the flock camera and the political zeitgeist at large:

These are the same billionaires not only buying our elections, but deciding which blue and red characters that we get to vote for. We can exit from the dystopia, turn off mainstream media owned by the same people, stop letting them steer our reality, at the very least, read real history, because we are failing an open book test.

Closing public comment was Scott Curry spoke on the Copper Mountain College scholarship certificate dinner and thanked Stone James for his “outstanding service and passion for 29 Palms.”

City Manager’s Report

Outgoing manager Stone James opened his report by praising Marjorie Smith as a community volunteer coordinator and well respected community member, stating that he personally drove out to Loma Linda to thank Marjorie on behalf of the City, the community, and himself.

Regarding public concerns on Flock surveillance cameras, Stone pushed back, citing two instances in which Flock license plate readers assisted San Bernardino County Sheriffs with the apprehension of a quadruple murder suspect and a driver suspected of a hit-and-run in which the owner of Fans Sports Bar and Grill was critically injured.

On the appointment of Cole to succeed him as manager, James wished Cole success:

I’m looking forward to working with Mr. Cole. I’ve heard absolutely nothing but tremendously positive things about you. I’ve already begun working on some transition summaries to really help you continue the fantastic momentum that the staff has done. And so I, you know, I’ve been a little bit quiet about this, but it is also an incredibly difficult decision for me to resign. And ultimately, it came down to, I cannot in good faith serve this family if I am not serving my own. And so this has been an honor and privilege to serve the Council and to serve the community.

The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

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On Thursday, April 23, 2026 the Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District Board (TBID) held their regularly monthly meeting. The light public agenda focused on approving event grant and sponsorship funding for the second half of 2026. Present were Vice Chair Ashton Ramsey and Board Members Maria Madrid, Ben Uyeda, and Liz Shickler. Chair Rakesh Mehta had an excused absence. There were five members of the public in attendance.

Overall, the board approved funding for four grants totaling $52,000 and four sponsorships, for a total of $9,500. Originally grant scores were submitted with incorrect average total scores, which Marketing Director Breanne Dusastre corrected prior to the meeting after it was brought to her attention in a public comment submitted in advance by email.

Broader issues around the grant and sponsorship application process were raised in both board discussion and public comment. These issues have been a common theme at recent TBID meetings and have focused on the clarity of the application and the scoring process and how to ensure it is both consistent and that events being funded meet the board’s goal to bring more overnight visitors to Twentynine Palms.

Brief Board and Director of Marketing updates

Vice Chair Ramsey provided an update on the Levitt AMP music series, which began April 4 and runs through May 2 with free concerts on Saturday evenings at 7 pm in Freedom Plaza. The community rallied together to help win the Levitt grant, which provides funding for ten free concerts a year over three years. Now, Ramsey explained, is the time to make certain the events are a success and well attended. He discussed increasing radio spots and social media posts promoting the concerts and making a more comprehensive promotion plan for the fall concert series.

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Dusastre acknowledged most of her time had been dedicated to preparing the grants and sponsorships for review. She provided a brief marketing update that the billboard campaign on I-10 will launch on May 10 and that she will attend the Visit CA media reception in Los Angeles on April 30 to connect with journalists and other members of the media. She also echoed Vice Chair Ramsey’s comments about her focus on promoting the Levitt Concert Series and other events through radio and social media advertising.

Public comment focuses on accessibility of TBID meetings and suggestion for board structural improvements

There were two public comments. Susan Peplow provided suggestions for making the TBID meeting more accessible, especially to lodging partners and local business owners, who are often working during the 3:30 - 5 pm Thursday time slot. She also referenced an update to SB707, which requires that all meetings of a legislative body include a way for the public to participate remotely through a two-way audio or visual system. The city will be upgrading its AV system for meetings to meet the July 1, 2026 deadline for compliance, which was discussed at the April 14 City Council meeting.

While this type of recording may not be required by law for the TBID, Peplow suggested it would be beneficial for the TBID. Peplow remarked:

What would be great moving forward is the ability for people to actually stream these sessions and play them back at a later time, because I think we can see 3:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday is pretty tough for a lot of businesses, and it’s particularly lodging partners that are out of the area.

Peplow emphasized that she didn’t want her suggestion to put additional burden on staff time, but simply make sure sessions are available to the public.

Cindy Bernard echoed the need to move the meeting to a later time, but focused on TBID structure, pointing out that the board is the only body in the City that doesn’t have terms of office or rotate chair or vice chair on a yearly basis. The TBID Advisory Board members, who are lodging owners and operators, are appointed by the City Council. While such rotation is not required by law, in Bernard’s estimation, this could impact the TBID’s push for moving to a five-year reauthorization process under the Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994, instead of their current annual re-authorization schedule.

“No one’s going to give you guys your five-year reauthorization that I know you all want to ask for, unless you deal with some of the structural issues that are out of alignment with every other city body,” Bernard told them. Bernard also explained that the lack of rotation does TBID members a disservice because they don’t have the opportunity to learn the responsibilities of the board chair. She also inquired as to why the producers brainstorm session, which has been added as a future agenda item in December, had dropped off the agenda.

In second round of funding, TBID awards grants to four events

The TBID gives out event grant funding twice a year: The first round for events taking place between January and June, and the second for events between July and December. Grants are intended to support larger, signature events that generate overnight stays and, by extension, increased tourism spending.

Grants and sponsorships are funded by the 1.5% passthrough tax (also known as the Transit Occupancy Tax or TOT) on lodging properties within Twentynine Palms. For this fiscal year, TBID allocated $150,000 to the program, with $120,000 designated for event grants, which range from $3,000 to $20,000 per event. The TBID had previously awarded $20,000 during round 1, leaving $100,000 available for the remainder of the fiscal year. This round, the TBID received 12 grant applications and voted to fund four of them, with a fifth event, the Area 29 Galactic Gathering, tabled until the next meeting since two board members, Shickler and Vice Chair Ramsey, had to recuse themselves due to their connection to the event.

Grants were awarded to:

• Twentynine Palms Book Festival: $20,000 (4-0-1 approved)

• Joshua Tree Half Marathon: $20,000 (full) (3-0-1, Uyeda recused)

• Night Sky Festival: $6,000 (4-0-1, approved)

• Climb Smart: $6,000 (4-0-1, approved)

If producers’ estimations in the applications are correct, together these events will bring over 4,000 out of town visitors to the Morongo Basin.

Grant applications are scored by a five-person review committee, which includes three community members and two TBID board members. They must receive at least 80 points to move forward. The events grants committee is: TBID board members Liz Shickler and Ben Uyeda, and community members and lodging stakeholders Mary Jane Binge and Susan Peplow, and Scott Clinkscales, Community Events Coordinator for the City of Twentynine Palms.

Applications are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Target audience

• Organizer’s prior event experience

• Budget and marketing plans

• Alignment with the TBID destination pillars

The destination pillars are:

• Outdoor recreation

• Arts and culture

• Health and wellness

• Culinary experiences

• Stargazing and astronomy

Throughout the review process, evaluating against these criteria, especially the destination pillars, proved subjective, as scoring varied widely between reviewers. Reviewers also varied widely in their approach to evaluation, with some like Peplow and Clinkscales, leaving detailed remarks, while Uyeda left none at all. This inconsistency can provide a frustrating experience for applicants, especially those who missed the minimum by just a few points. It also raises the question of alignment and if the grants review committee has aligned on a scoring rubric to make clear what a successful, fundable application looks like.

Before the meeting, Cindy Bernard brought inconsistencies in the grant scoring, incorrect score totals, and concerns about the grant process to the board and Dusastre’s attention via email. Dusastre corrected the score totals, which did not impact funding eligibility. In her public comment, Bernard suggested that the granting system is broken and that the TBID rethink the grant process from the ground up and consider excluding board members from the grants committee, because it creates a potential conflict of interest. She offered ideas to improve the process, including:

• Pre-approval for proven event partners, such as the Joshua Tree half-marathon.

• Creation of a mentoring program that nurtures newer event partners.

• A mechanism for working with experienced event producers to put on the types of events that the TBID is looking for.

She explained,

Maybe it would be more productive for these larger figure projects to brainstorm what would be great projects, what are the projects that we need to happen here that could become signature events that would benefit everybody, and really think those through with the various producers in town that have long time production experience and then apply that idea.

In her public comment on the grants process, Susan Peplow acknowledged that her grant scoring was often much lower than her colleagues’ on the committee. She asked that the TBID reconsider quality applications that came within “striking distance” of 80 points, but may have been impacted by her scores.

By now, you should all be aware that I was concerned about my scoring, and it became really evident, specifically in the pillars department, that the scoring that came from my part was significantly lower than other people on the committee.

Peplow apologized for any extra time her communications caused and acknowledged that the TBID board, staff, and subcommittees could grow by acknowledging where they fell short, and also using this as an opportunity to rethink grant guidelines.

Board comments struck the same tone as public comments and focused on the need to rethink the grant process. Echoing what he had said during the board discussion of grant guidelines and process during the March TBID meeting Uyeda remarked,

I heard from quite a few applicants as well as quite a few stakeholders, about the [grant] process. I was hearing dissatisfaction on one side with how long and how much time was put into these applications, and on the other side about how feeling that, how selections and criteria for evaluation was too vague and not specific enough.

Shickler noted that reviewing the applications in one week and scoring them consistently was also a challenge and said it was important to keep the generation of overnight stays and revenue in focus.

Grant scoring, criteria, the types of events that are proposed, and the question of whether to work with experienced producers to create specific signature events, and how to measure the impact of overnight stays have been points of discussion in recent TBID meetings. At the March TBID meeting Shickler and Uyeda planned to meet within a month to come up with recommendations for updates to application guidelines and deadlines for the next funding round, though it was unclear if they have met yet. At the end of the meeting Uyeda proposed a future agenda item to discuss the grant and sponsorship program so that the board can weigh in on his and Shickler’s recommendations for an overhaul. According to Uyeda, “the amount of frustration I heard from all aspects involved with this last round was considerable.”

The board approves four sponsorship applications for $2,375 each

The TBID also approved applications for four event sponsorships out of eleven applications for the second half of 2026. Event sponsorships are for smaller events that contribute to visitor experience and overnight stays, as well as aligning with destination pillars. The TBID allocated $30,000 for sponsorships and awards ranging from $100 to $3,000 per event. The TBID had already awarded $20,500 in sponsorships in the first half of 2026, leaving $9,500 available for the rest of the fiscal year. Earlier in the meeting, Dusastre assured the board that the scoring for the sponsorship review was correct.

To maximize the use of the remaining sponsorship budget, the board voted 3-1-0, with Mehta absent and Shickler recusing, to approve funding of $2,375 each for four applicants. They were:

• Joshua Tree National Park Art Exposition

• Cosmic Connections: Women in Scientific Exploration

• Mil-Tree Presents a Night of Improv Theater

• Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours

Uyeda remarked, “It’s great that we got qualified recipients to the point where we used up the program’s budget,” and hoped that each event would continue to grow so all the qualifying applications can be fully funded in following years. Vice Chair Ramsey remarked how even though the TBID was contributing a small amount, which will support advertising and one event during the art tours weekends, relative to their overall budget to the Hwy 62 open studio tours it was, “Something that shows our support and helps them support us.”

In public comment, Bernard clarified some of her earlier points about the grant and sponsorship application and scoring process. She highlighted that:

• There is no wording that specifies funded events must be public and the board should consider whether tax dollars go to supporting private events.

• With many recusals on the board, the board should consider a formal process and rules in case a board or committee member needs to recuse from scoring or voting on an application.

• There is a typo on the grant application form attendance projection form that may have caused confusion, as there was a check box of “>100” or anticipated audience of greater than 100, when the correct notation have been “<100”, implying less than 100.

• The scoring rubric for grants and sponsorships, especially around destination pillars, is subjective.

She commented, “The event concept in alignment with TBID destination pillars is given so much weight in the application and is the most subjective element in the application that sometimes it throws things off.” These comments were not about sponsorship applications, but the process in general, highlighting that it needs to be overhauled and elements that need to be clarified.

City Manager update

The final portion of the meeting was an update by outgoing City Manager Dr. Stone James. He discussed the launching of a groundwater study to help the city understand the urgency of the implementation of a citywide sewer system, working with the Joshua Tree National Park Association to create housing for seasonal employees, and that a package sewage treatment plant that serves 15 businesses in downtown Twentynine Palms will open in about 90 days. More information about the affordable housing initiative is covered in the Desert Trumpet’s recap of the April 14, 2026 City Council meeting.

Dr. James seemed to respond to Bernard’s public comment about the lack of rotation in the TBID board chair. He claimed the lack of rotation was not due to an individual hoarding power, but the workload of other board members. “I’ve spoken with staff about this,” claimed James, “Found out that over time, that [Chair Mehta] has been in that position, he has offered that position to other board members, but due to the workload of the board members, they have respectfully passed.” Dr. James did not provide any specific examples. While legally the TBID board chair is not required to rotate, the question remains, why the TBID board chair seems to be based on an individual’s own decision and there is no formal rotation policy, as is customary and considered best practice for other civic boards.

A date for the May TBID meeting has yet to be announced. The only future agenda item proposed was a review of the grant and sponsorship application process.

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The Twentynine Palms City Council will hold a regular meeting this upcoming Monday, April 27, at 6 pm, following a closed session at 5:15 pm with the following topic:

Closed Session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957 – PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT: Title - City Manager.

Given agenda item 9, entitled “Appointment of City Manager and Approval of Related Employment Agreement,” this likely indicates that the Council will appoint its newest City Manager at this meeting. This follows the resignation of the previous City Manager, H. Stone James, which was announced following a special closed session meeting on Thursday, April 9.

Coverage of the previous City Council meeting is available here and here. The 103-page agenda packet is linked here.

PUBLIC COMMENT

You can comment on agenda items and issues important to you at every City Council meeting. Comments on agenda items take place during discussion of that item, while comments on non-agenda items take place near the end of the meeting. The Brown Act prevents Council from commenting on non-agenda items. To comment, pick up a form at the entry desk, fill it out, and hand it to the Clerk, who usually sits just in front of the Council dais on the right.

Here’s the list of Council email addresses to write if you can’t get to the meeting — be sure to email them prior to 2 pm on the date of the meeting so they have time to read your email prior to discussion. You can also copy the clerk at cvillescas@29palms.org and ask that your letter be made part of the public record.

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AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Council will hear a presentation from Reach Out Yucca Valley on 7-OH and Kratom, which are commercially available substances with high rates of abuse and propensity for addiction due to their opioid-like effects.1 Products sold at local smoke shops and liquor stores sometimes contain these substances. Reach Out has presented this community issue to Council in the past, noting their commercial accessibility makes school-aged youth vulnerable to abusing these substances, particularly when local smoke shops and liquor stores fail to properly ID minors when making purchases.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Consent Calendar consists of items usually approved with a single vote. The public is given a chance to comment on these items prior to the Council motion. Fill out a comment form specifying the item you wish to address and submit it in person, or send an email in advance regarding any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.

Consent Calendar items for this meeting include approval of the April 9 closed session meeting minutes, approval of a $326,567.05 construction contract for upcoming road repairs, septic system maintenance information, and a Treasurer’s Report for the 3rd quarter of the ‘25-’26 fiscal year.

PUBLIC HEARING- NONE

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS

7. Preliminary Review of the 2026-27 General Fund Budget Revisions.

Council approved its general fund budget on June 10, 2025. Since then, due to decreases in projected property tax revenue and vehicle license fees, the City Finance Director is requesting revisions to that approved budget.

The 47-page staff report states:

Revenues from Property tax and Property tax in Lieu of Vehicle License Fees (VLF) combined are expected to be $249K lower than originally projected. For instance, in FY 2022- 23, the City’s net taxable assessed values increased by 11.16% from the prior year. In FY 2023-24, the increase from the prior year was 12.01%. The City’s net taxable assessed values for FY 2025-26 are projected to increase by only 4.6% from the prior year.

Possible explanations for this include a slow down in the local housing market and general economic woes that are being seen countywide, not just in Twentynine Palms.

Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT, revenues were reported higher than this time last year, but due to the volatility and unpredictability of the local tourism market, the City Finance department is remaining conservative in terms of its projected TOT revenue going into 2027, expecting only a $50,000 uptick despite new hotels now fully operating in town, such as Hotel Wren and Reset Hotel. The staff report states:

Staff is anticipating another moderate growth year with Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) and Joshua Tree National Park continuing to have attendance growth.

City staff is requesting that Council approve money transfers to cover $40K in construction costs associated with the repaving of the Luckie Park parking lot, and an additional $25K to cover costs associated with a sales tax ballot measure, expected to be voted on by residents in the November 3 election.

In the wake of projected revenue being nearly $250K lower than expected, and to maintain a balanced budget, the staff report says, “adjustments were made, including reducing grants to non-profits from $75K to $50K.”

The staff report concludes by adding that inflation continues to be a constraint on the City budget, along with lowered gas tax revenue.

8. Waiver of Requirement of Traffic Impact Assessment for Administrative Use Permit.

City Council will consider waiving a requirement for a Traffic Impact Assessment for a proposed development project on a half-acre lot located on the southwest corner of Twentynine Palms Outer Highway and Encelia Avenue. City rules require a traffic study whenever a project generates more than 50 car trips per day, and the City Engineer estimates that this development will generate at least that much traffic.

The developer, Nathsons Hospitality Inc., whose principal is Charmaine Nathraj, submitted an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) application through David Rodriguez of CAD Design Plus in October 2025 to waive a traffic study because of its cost, although the fee is not included in the staff report and the City does not determine such costs. The City responded to the AUP application with an itemized request list for the application to be complete, which included the traffic study. Email correspondence between Community Development Director Keith Gardner, Cal Trans District 8 representatives, and developer Veno Nathraj, who is representing Nathsons Hospitality, is included in the staff report.

The City of Twentynine Palms passed its traffic study policy in 2005. Email documents included in the staff report show CalTrans also requests a traffic study for this particular project:

Also included in the staff report’s email correspondence were some testy words from Gardner to Nathraj, a local hotelier and business owner:

Of particular concern to Gardner, as noted in the emails, is whether the City waives this traffic study requirement or not, CalTrans will still require its own traffic study as a condition of approval for the project, meaning the developer will likely still have to pay any associated traffic study costs.

9. Appointment of City Manager and Approval of Related Employment Agreement

No name for a future City Manager is provided with the agenda, but given the resignation of the most recent City Manager and the upcoming closed session on the topic, one can assume the City has a particular candidate in mind. Whether this individual was drawn from a pool of previous City Manager applicants from 2023, following the resignation of Frank Luckino, is unknown.

Noted under this agenda item is that the “Staff Report and related documents will be provided at the beginning of the meeting.”

The Brown Act does not mandate the City to post applications for this open position, though they have done so in the past, nor is there any legal requirement that discussions on City Manager appointments be conducted publicly. However, the discussion of compensation must be public and should be discussed under item 9.

Back in October 2023, when the City had open applications for a new City Manager’s position, and prior to the appointment of the most recent City Manager, Dr. H. Stone James, Desert Trumpet penned an opinion piece entitled, “Who Should We Hire?” which called for an open and transparent government process in choosing a new City Manager.

The City of Twentynine Palms lists the expectations and duties of the City Manager on its website. The goal of the City Manager is to fulfill the following:2

1. Be the City’s chief administrative officer and be responsible to the city council for the proper administration of all affairs of the City.

2. Appoint and, when necessary, suspend or remove officers and employees of the City except as otherwise provided by the city charter or law, and direct and supervise their work.

3. Prepare the budget and submit it to the Council annually, together with a message describing its important features, and be responsible for its administration after adoption.

4. Prepare and submit to the Council as of the end of the fiscal year a complete report on the finances and administrative activities of the City for the preceding year.

5. Keep the Council advised of the City’s financial condition and future needs and make such recommendations as he may deem desirable.

6. Recommend to the governing body a standard pay schedule for each appointed office and position in the city service, including minimum, intermediate, and maximum rates.

7. Recommend to the governing body (from time to time) adoption of such policies as he may deem necessary or expedient for the health, safety, or welfare of the community, or health, safety, or welfare of the community, or for the improvement of the administrative services.

8. Consolidate or combine offices, positions, departments, or units under his jurisdiction with the city council’s approval.

9. Attend all city council meetings unless excused therefrom and participate in the discussion of all matters coming before the Council.

10. Supervise the purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment for which funds are provided in the budget.

11. See that all laws and ordinances are properly enforced. Investigate the activities of the City or any department or division.

12. Investigate all complaints concerning the administration of the government of the City and regarding service maintained by the public utilities in the City, and see that all franchises, permits, and privileges granted by the City are faithfully observed.

13. Devote his entire time to the discharge of his official duties.

14. Perform such other duties as may be required by Council.

The meeting takes place at 6 pm at 6136 Adobe Road. See you there!

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In Part 1 of our April 14 recap, Council passed a series of 5-0 votes on housing-forward initiatives — joining the San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with $1.75 million in Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) funds on the line, and authorizing lease negotiations with the Joshua Tree National Park Association for workforce housing on a 17-acre city-owned parcel near Theatre 29.

Also approved: a $21,483.92 audio/video upgrade to bring Council chambers into compliance with SB 707 by the July 1 deadline, and continuation of the countywide Measure I transportation sales tax. Council's most contentious discussion was over letterhead policy.

Councilmember April Ramirez's attempt to reopen the E-Group Solar Project discussion died for lack of a second. Her other two future agenda items — on Prop 36 and Code Enforcement and the annexation of two parcels, one being the location of Set Free Ranch — were seconded but lacked clear context.

General Public Comment

The Council meeting was close to two hours long when public comment on non-agenda items started. Upcoming events and concerns about the potential closing of Palm Vista Elementary School, Councilmember accountability and support for the HOPE Center would wake up a fatigued public. Two residents spoke in opposition to Flock cameras, a common topic at recent meetings.

Did a Councilmember attempt retaliation?

We are publishing Heather Huguenor‘s comments at length as they are a particularly well-spoken response to abuses of power, not just at a local level, but nationally. She prefaced her statement by saying “Notes on a City Council meeting, March 23, 2026”:

… people in power always seem to prove they can’t be trusted with power. And it turns out things are no different here in little 29 Palms. What’s worse than people in power winning? People in power losing. You see, it makes them angry, and then they have to find a way to remind themselves and other people of their power.

First, they find someone to blame and lash out. And if that doesn’t go their way, they’ll resort to all kinds of underhanded things, like trying to get that someone fired in a hush, hush behind the scenes kind of way.

It’s predictable like clockwork, almost, how power corrupts, and in the case I just described, a direct violation of the First Amendment, which states that we have the right to publicly express our opinion without censorship, interference, restraint or retaliation. Letterhead or no letterhead, I smelled a clear case of retaliation…

You see, where power always goes wrong is when it assumes that my voice is worth less less than any one of yours. It assumes the one who got the title must know best. I find the one who gets the title is usually just louder and willing to step on a few toes. Because somewhere along the line, polite society decided that’s how it wanted things to work, and from our tiny town to the White House, it certainly explains the circumstances that we all find ourselves in today.

So let me be clear, no one, no matter who, will successfully silence any one of my comrades, and no one will silence me. We keep us safe.

Anyway, can you all believe it’s April already? All power to the people.

The Desert Trumpet has confirmed that Huguenor’s remarks were inspired by an interaction between Councilmember April Ramirez and resident Heather Drake over the Flock camera issue that occurred after the March 23 City Council meeting and then appeared to escalate the next day.1 On the morning of Tuesday, March 24, Ramirez emailed Drake’s employer, Groundwork Arts, with an “urgent” request for a meeting. The email was obtained by the Desert Trumpet through a Public Information Request.

When reached by the Desert Trumpet, Groundwork Arts leadership confirmed that they were contacted by the Councilmember about Drake, but since they were unable to discuss an employee, the conversation shifted to other business.

Did a Councilmember get inside information or is she grandstanding?

Elliot Balsley, who had spoken on the Council letterhead item, returned to the podium with a different example of potential overstep to illustrate his Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) and Brown Act violation concerns:

Over the weekend, I observed some disturbing comments on social media from Councilmember Ramirez regarding the Geneva solar project. These comments conflict with the public record that has been presented at the recent meetings.

She says, “the fact is, I have inside knowledge that the project was already approved before it even went to the city.” That’s a pretty strong statement with no evidence of any kind. And this, this worries me, because if, if you have inside knowledge that you’re not sharing with the council, but you’re using it to make your own decisions, I mean, that’s just that’s not how government should work.

To share information like this in social media is basically just a rumor. If this is real, it needs to be shared publicly and on the record.

Balsley was referring to a lengthy Facebook thread started on April 11 in which Councilmember Ramirez was an active participant. As of Thursday, April 16, there were 313 comments. The Desert Trumpet made screenshots of the conversations in which Ramirez participated2. The statement quoted in Balsley’s public comment is just one of numerous posts made by Ramirez implying knowledge about state approval of the project prior to the Council vote. However there is no legal mechanism for the California Energy Commission to pre-approve a project.

Concerns about Palm Vista’s future

Stacy Smith, Elizabeth Rodrigo and Heather Drake addressed the potential closure of Palm Vista Elementary School on Baseline Road in Twentynine Palms. The Morongo Unified School District Enrollment Committee, formed in January 2026, has been meeting to review declining enrollment throughout the district — down from approximately 10,000 students at its peak to around 7,300 today — and to consider potential school closures. At the committee's April 9 meeting, as reported by the Hi-Desert Star, Superintendent Patricio Vargas presented alternate scenarios, one of which would close Palm Vista, Landers, and Morongo Valley elementary schools with students reassigned to the closest campuses.

Palm Vista Dean of Students Elizabeth Rodrigo urged residents to attend the MUSD Board meeting on April 21 at the new Joshua Tree Elementary School and the next enrollment committee meeting on April 29. Teachers Stacey Smith and Heather Drake both spoke to what Palm Vista means to the community.

Stacey Smith, on what Palm Vista has become:

My first year at Palm Vista, I realized that Morongo Unified School District thought of us as the nothing place. Teachers who couldn’t make it came to our school, kids that couldn’t make it came to our school. And in the last five years, we’ve gone from, in my opinion, the dumping ground to a shining star.

Is the E-Group partnering with the HOPE Project?

Shanese Risper, Community Outreach Director for the HOPE Project, spoke about the organization's Feed the Need program, which she said serves an average of 700-plus families and over 1,500 individuals monthly through weekly food giveaways. She described a current operational challenge — the program's only truck is in the shop, forcing them to rent a replacement at added cost — and said the organization is seeking a refrigerated truck to sustain the program long-term.

Risper closed by publicly thanking E-Group, the developer of the contentious solar project that was recently rejected at City Council. She described them as a "key community partner." She noted their contributions of $4,000 to Feed the Need and $3,600 toward an upcoming Color Run — a total of $7,600. E-Group's attorney had previously cited the identical donations as evidence of community benefit at the March Planning Commission meeting — raising questions about the relationship between the contributions and the HOPE Project’s and the Sanctuary Church’s public advocacy on E-Group's behalf.

Risper did not disclose her role as ordained Evangelist at the Sanctuary Church, whose nonprofit arm CLEP operates the HOPE Project.

Announcements: 29 Palms Art Gallery, the Basin Bike Path Initiative, Action 29 events

Mark Spangenberg announced that the 29 Palms Art Gallery is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a reception on May 2, 5–8 pm. There is an admission fee. Refreshments, dancing, and artwork will be on offer.

Eric Linnert (Yucca Valley) introduced the Basin Bike Path initiative, a long-term effort to connect the Morongo Basin with a multi-use path from Yucca Valley to 29 Palms, potentially looping through the National Park. He cited the Coachella Valley’s 40-mile CV Link as a model, noted the city’s channel-wide trail work as an encouraging parallel effort, and invited city staff to connect.

LeeAnn Clarke reported on several recent Action 29 Palms and 29 Palms Ministerial Association events including the signing of the restored “large lizard” by Chuck Caplinger. Clarke closed by thanking City Manager Stone James for his service to the community, noting “we understand you’re going to be moving on in a couple of months.”

City Manager Stone James resigned last Thursday, but is remaining for another 60 days to assist with a transition to a new City Manager, once hired.

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As promised on z107.7 and in social media, Councilmember April Ramirez made a bid to reopen the E-Group Solar Project discussion at Twentynine Palms City Council as one of several Future Agenda Item requests:

The last one would be E-Group has advised the City it has revised its project to meet AB 205 criteria, and, based on that, a desire exists to discuss this matter further.

30 seconds of silence was broken when Mayor Daniel Mintz confirmed the obvious…”No second…All right, we’re into the public comment section.”

One might assume that was the height of the April 14 meeting’s drama. It wasn’t. General Public Comment would contain its own reckoning.

While the 2-1/2 hour public meeting certainly demanded caffeine intake at times, the laying of groundwork for progress in housing provided those attending with hope for the future.

Relevant links:

• The meeting agenda

• Our agenda preview, for additional info on all items

• Video of the meeting

Editor’s note: General Public Comment on non-agenda items will be covered in Part 2 of our recap, which will be released on Sunday morning, April 19.

A Series of 5-0 Votes

The Consent Calendar with the warrant register, deferred compensation plan consolidation, Luckie Park playground equipment repair and the downtown septic contract was approved 5-0 as was every item on the meeting agenda.

Council Chambers gets an AV upgrade

In October 2025, Senate Bill 707 was signed into law updating the Ralph M. Brown Act, requiring local legislative bodies to provide the public with the ability to attend all open meetings via two-way audio/video by July 1, 2026. Staff has determined that the current AV system is not capable of meeting the new requirements. Staff identified a single vendor — Rat Sound Systems — at a cost of $21,483.92 for the primary equipment only; additional purchases from standard vendors will be needed to complete the full upgrade. The July 1 compliance deadline is firm. As IT Director Elijah Marshall pointed out, "We have spent less in 19 years than we're going to spend on this single upgrade combined."

In public comment, frequent meeting attendee Susan Peplow commended the upgrade:

We have arms within our government here that are not getting much representation, specifically the PAAC (Public Arts Advisory Committee) and the TBID (Tourism Business Improvement District). Having recorded [and] live [sessions] available for people who have children, [are] working, have mobility issues — where they're unable to attend some of these meetings — gives them an opportunity to be part of the process. Better yet would be is if they could actually speak real time with public comment, but at a minimum, have that camera on for all arms of our government, would be my recommendation for staff policy.

Our research indicates that SB 707 will make clear the requirement that the City livestream agenda items marked as “workshops” or “study sessions” during which cameras are often off. Whether the bill applies to “advisory bodies,” as Peplow hopes, is less clear. The two-way public access mandate applies to eligible legislative bodies, but does it flow to “subsidiary bodies” such as the PAAC and TBID? This will likely need to be sorted out by the City Attorney.

Council supports the continuation of Measure I

Measure I is the half-cent county transportation sales tax approved by San Bernardino County voters in 1989, currently set to expire in 2040. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is proposing to extend it beyond 2040 at the same rate, generating an estimated $7.5 billion over its first 30 years. Seventeen of the county's 24 cities had already approved the plan before the April 14 meeting; Twentynine Palms was among the remaining seven. SBCTA representative Otis Greer presented the item remotely prior to the unanimous vote.

Two housing related initiatives also pass without opposition

In the first housing initiative, City Manager Dr. Stone James announced that Twentynine Palms has been selected, along with Ontario, as one of two pilot cities under the new San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust Joint Powers Authority (JPA). $1.75 million in Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) funds are available to seed an affordable housing project. A formal Council vote was needed by April 15 or the funds would go to a different city. The funds must be allocated to a viable project by December 2026 and fully expended within five years.

During public comment, in response to a series of questions from Filo Totasi,1 City Manager Stone James, spoke on why small cities can’t do this alone:

It’s not Keith spending 5% of his time, me spending 5% of my time to try to do this. Our region, our county now has a voice.

Mayor Mintz, on the deadline pressure to identify a housing project:

We have to have the project ready to go in seven months, by the end of December. We saw what happened next door2 here — we gave those guys, took almost five years, and they finally just couldn’t get enough funds. So that’s a pretty tall order.

Speaking in favor during public comment were Scott Curry, Mary Jane Binge, Carlos Blandon and ex-Planning Commissioner Bill Easter. Our prior coverage on this topic can be found under “Housing” in our Article Index.

The second housing proposal stirred the room and was met with applause. Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) Executive Director Jacqueline Guevara sought approval for lease negotiations for a city-owned 17-acre parcel that would be used for workforce housing for Park seasonal employees. The parcel includes the planned Mojaveland artist-designed miniature golf course and is adjacent to Theatre 29.3

Affordable housing near the park has long been out of reach for seasonal NPS employees; as the park struggles to recruit and retain staff, access to stable housing close to the park entrance could make a meaningful difference. Speaking on the staffing crisis Guevara said:

Every season the park faces a critical staffing challenge. Qualified, passionate candidates often decline positions or leave early because they cannot find affordable housing nearby. Seasonal hires have been forced to piece together temporary arrangements that sometimes fall through, leading to mid-season departures.

JTNPA has already received a $75,000 planning grant from the National Park Foundation; securing a land lease would make them eligible for a $2 million construction grant — at no cost to the city.

Public comment was in favor with Brian Benton from Copper Mountain College speaking toward a potential partnership:

I’m training the next generation of construction workers in this community, and the opportunity that the parks Association has offered to the college in my program to participate with something with the weight of the USC School of Architecture and the National Parks association is really, really exciting.

Carlos Blandon also approved, calling it a “progressive development.” Any lease agreement will come back to Council for final approval.

Council’s most contentious discussion item? Letterhead.

The City has no policy governing when individual councilmembers can use City letterhead — which currently lists all five council members, implying full Council endorsement of the letter's content. This item was prompted by a need for staff guidance, and four possible directions ranging from permissive individual use to a full prohibition were presented for consideration.

Councilmembers Ramirez and McArthur Wright presented opposing views. Ramirez disclosed that she recently submitted a letter of recommendation for a youth group award and the submission was docked 11 points because her letter wasn’t on city letterhead — she couldn’t get three council members on short notice to authorize official letterhead use without a Brown Act issue.

Wright, on his reluctance to allow individual letterhead:

In 2018 when I was the mayor, I had a mayor’s prayer breakfast, and I basically got crucified because we advertised with the city’s logo.4 I don’t think we should have individual letterheads. If it’s a letter coming from any member of the Council, it should be in agreement with at least three of us.

Scott, Mintz and Bilderain were more open to individual letterheads with clear disclaimers or other solutions.

Elliot Balsley spoke in public comment urging a very restrictive policy (letterhead use only for items approved by the whole Council), citing FPPC violation risks and potential Brown Act issues.

A consensus gave Staff direction to:

• Produce City letterhead with city logo but only the individual councilmember’s name and district (no full roster of names),

• Councilmembers should include a standard disclaimer stating the letter does not represent the views of the full Council or the City,

• And to ensure California Public Records Act (CPRA) compliance, letters are to be processed through City staff to maintain a public record.

Future agenda items raise questions

While Councilmember Ramirez was unsuccessful in getting the solar project back on the agenda, she did get seconds on two other items, both of which lacked clear context.

Code Enforcement and Compliance with Prop 36 and find a pathway to meeting the new guidance issued by Governor Gavin Newsom. Next item is going to be to have a discussion about the annexation of parcels 063405124 and 063405109 also known as Set Free Ranch.

Prop 36 is a state criminal statute that increases penalties for drug and theft offenses, allows repeat shoplifters to be charged with felonies, creates "treatment-mandated felonies," and expands fentanyl-related penalties. Prop 36 is implemented at the county level — through district attorneys, sheriffs, probation, the courts, and county behavioral health agencies. Cities have no direct enforcement role.

At the Wednesday evening PAAC meeting, the Desert Trumpet informally asked Community Development Director Keith Gardner and Code Enforcement Officer Vanessa Cabrera what the relationship between Code Enforcement and Prop 36 might be. Neither could identify a clear connection between the two.

How or why the City might annex the two parcels mentioned, both owned by the Dietz Family Trust and one of which is the address for Set Free Ranch at 1555 La Buena Tierra, was similarly hazy. Both are west of the city limits and Lake Bandini, and they aren’t connected to each other.

In summer 2023, Set Free had been attempting to position itself as a rehabilitation center, which was supported by then City Manager Frank Luckino and Mayor McArthur Wright.5 Wright was also the 2nd on Ramirez’s motion.

However, then as now, the language used by Set Free on their website contradicts a rehab focus or expertise:

Phase 1 spans a 60-day blackout period, during which participants focus on maintaining sobriety and cultivating a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. This phase includes mandatory, meticulously scheduled group classes centered on direct biblical teachings. Upon completing the initial 60 days, participants have the choice to either continue with subsequent phases of the program or return home to their families.6

The only clue comes from a statement Councilmember Ramirez made at the January 13, 2026 City Council meeting while suggesting that there was no need for a Housing and Homeless subcommittee:

I realized that all of us, in our own different capacities and with our own different strengths, do work and focus on housing and homeless. For example, when Councilmember Bilderain and I went to California League of Cities, we both attended different housing education sessions. He and I have worked before with the DA law enforcement figuring out prop 36 and the legislative aspect of homelessness.

Set Free openly describe themselves as accepting “referrals from one or many agencies in the inland empire — social service, parole, and probation.” 7

Is it possible the two Future Agenda Items Councilmember Ramirez proposed are related?

City Manager’s Report

Outgoing City Manager Stone James covered three items in his update:

• A sales tax survey mailer has gone out to approximately 5,000–5,500 registered voters, with paper forms available at City Hall and an online version accessible via url and QR code; James urged as many residents as possible to complete the survey.

• The free Levitt AMP concert series at Freedom Plaza continues on April 18, April 25, and May 2, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and live music from 7–9 p.m.

• Finally, James reported that the April 4 community cleanup drew 220 participants, and reminded residents that their Burrtec contract includes four free bulky item pickups per year — call Burrtec at ‭1 (760) 365-2015‬ to enquire or schedule via this online form.

After the conclusion of Public Comment at 8:30pm, covered in Part Two of this recap, City Council then continued their late evening by adjourning to a closed session on Public Employment - City Manager.

Watch for Part 2 of our recap, covering Public Comment on Sunday morning

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After last week’s unexpected announcement that City Manager Stone James is resigning, it’s not surprising that this week’s meeting concludes with a closed session to discuss City Manager employment. James has agreed to stay on for 60 days making appointment of a replacement in lieu of a temporary solution more likely.

However, Council will need to wade through a 13 item, 312 page agenda prior to beginning the closed session. Among the items up for discussion are a regional housing trust, Joshua Tree National Park workforce housing, an A/V upgrade and extension of the regional transportation tax.

Based on this list we’d normally advise strong coffee instead of popcorn, but as z107.7 reported on Friday and we clarified on Saturday, Councilmember April Ramirez intends to request reconsideration of the E-Group Solar vote as a future agenda item toward the end of the meeting. And in an extensive Facebook thread, Ramirez has also promised to “go public with everything” in response to Desert Trumpet’s article.1 In the past Ramirez has used Council Comments to make extended statements on non-agenda items. Will Mayor Daniel Mintz be as generous with time as Steven Bilderain when he held the gavel?

The meeting begins at 6 pm at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road. Proceedings may be viewed on demand or live streamed at www.29palms.org by clicking the “Meeting Agendas” link.

PUBLIC COMMENT

You can comment on agenda items and issues important to you at every City Council meeting. Comments on agenda items take place during discussion of that item, while comments on non-agenda items take place near the end of the meeting. The Brown Act prevents Council from commenting on non-agenda items. To comment, pick up a form at the entry desk, fill it out, and hand it to the Clerk, who usually sits just in front of the Council dais on the right.

Here’s the list of Council email addresses to write if you can’t get to the meeting — be sure to email them prior to 2 pm on the date of the meeting so they have time to read your email prior to discussion. You can also copy the clerk at cvillescas@29palms.org and ask that your letter be made part of the public record.

AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Council will open with a presentation to the Twentynine Palms High School Tennis Team and the Rotary Club for their participation in the City’s Cash for Trash recycling program. Two proclamations follow: one recognizing April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month and a second recognizing April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Consent Calendar consists of items usually approved with a single vote. The public is given a chance to make public comment on these items prior to the Council motion. Fill out a comment form specifying the item you wish to address and submit it in person, or send an email in advance regarding any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.

One of the items is the warrant register, which totals $1,366,653.80. The ongoing $8,400 monthly payment to Clifford Moss LLC — the consultant overseeing Probolsky Research’s sales tax survey work — continues to appear, as do Rutan and Tucker legal fees of $128,580.59 for the period.

Other consent calendar items include the consolidation of the City’s three employee deferred compensation plans into a single plan with Empower, expected to save approximately $30,000 annually in record-keeping costs; and $50,000 from the Capital Projects Fund for safety-critical playground equipment replacement at Luckie Park and Knott’s Sky Park, where January 2026 inspections found cracked slides, corroded panels, and components that no longer meet safety standards.

8. Downtown Septic System Management Contract Renewal.

The City’s contract with San Bernardino County Service Area 70 (CSA 70) to operate and maintain the Project Phoenix septic wastewater system — serving Freedom Plaza 14-15 downtown businesses2 — expired March 31, 2026, and must be renewed. The proposed new contract runs five years through FY 2031 at a total cost of $409,233.63. A contract of this size and duration deserves more than a single-vote approval. The staff report also notes that while the downtown businesses pay wastewater rates, the majority of this cost has been and will continue to be paid by the General Fund — meaning all taxpayers subsidize the system. The amount paid by the businesses was not specified in the staff report. The package treatment facility that will eventually replace the two existing septic tanks is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2026.

DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS

9. Council Chambers Audio and Video Upgrade for SB707.

In October 2025, Senate Bill 707 was signed into law updating the Ralph M. Brown Act and requiring local legislative bodies to provide the public with the ability to attend all open meetings via two-way audio/video by July 1, 2026. Staff has determined that the current AV system is not capable of meeting the new requirements.

Following an assessment by Geertech, an audio/visual consulting firm funded by equipment manufacturers (at no cost to the City), staff identified a single vendor — Rat Sound Systems — that meets all requirements at a cost of $21,483.92. Staff notes this covers the primary equipment only, and additional purchases from standard vendors will be needed to complete the full upgrade.

Interestingly, the act also includes provisions addressing internet failures that may disrupt meeting transmission:

In the event of such a disruption, the body must recess its open session and engage in a good faith attempt to restore service. The session must stay in recess for at least an hour or until the disruption has been addressed and remedied whichever is earlier.

The July 1, 2026 compliance deadline is firm. If you’ve ever wanted to give public comment at a Council meeting remotely via video, this is the item that makes it possible.

10. Consideration of Resolution No. 8760 Approving the Measure I Continuation Expenditure Plan.

Measure I, the half-cent transportation sales tax approved by San Bernardino County voters in 1989 is currently set to expire in 2040. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is proposing to place a continuation of Measure I on the November 3, 2026 ballot — extending it beyond 2040 at the same half-cent rate. Over its first 30 years, the continuation is estimated to generate approximately $7.5 billion, all dedicated to transportation improvements within the county.

The funds are distributed to different areas based on population with percentages dictating the spending. For Twentynine Palms, revenues would be allocated 70% for Local Mobility (street rehabilitation, pothole repair, sidewalks, bicycle facilities, grade separations), 20% for Regional Mobility, and 10% for Operations. To receive Local Mobility funds, jurisdictions must adopt an annually updated Five-Year Plan, and five percent must initially be reserved for active transportation projects.

The plan requires approval by the County Board of Supervisors and a majority of cities representing a majority of the incorporated population. As of March 26, 17 of San Bernardino County’s 24 cities had already approved the plan. Twentynine Palms is among the remaining seven cities scheduled to act by April 14. Staff recommends that the Council approve the Measure I Continuation Expenditure Plan developed by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

11. Consideration of Joint Powers Agreement Participation in the San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust.

A Joint Powers Authority (JPA) is a legal entity that California cities and counties can form together to accomplish things that are difficult to do alone. By pooling resources, sharing administrative costs, and acting as a unified body, member agencies can access larger grants, attract more developer interest, and carry more weight with state and federal funders than any single small city could on its own. JPAs are common in California and are used for everything from regional transit systems to insurance pools to, increasingly, housing.

The San Bernardino Regional Housing Trust (SBRHT) is a new JPA being formed by San Bernardino County and member cities specifically to address the region’s affordable housing crisis. The goal is to raise and leverage state, federal, and private funds to support affordable housing production, preservation, and rehabilitation across the county. The JPA’s governing board will include one locally elected representative from each member agency, along with at least two housing policy experts. Annual participation costs are estimated at $10,000 to $30,000 in year one, settling to $25,000 to $40,000 per year at full capacity. 19 jurisdictions, including Yucca Valley, have joined and another five have the JPA on the docket in April.

It’s important to understand what the Trust can and can’t do on its own. It’s a gap funder — providing roughly 15-20% of a project’s total development cost alongside larger funding sources. New affordable housing in San Bernardino County is projected to cost approximately $596,000 per unit to build. The Trust is intended to be a lever to make projects financially viable and competitive for state and federal funding.

Twentynine Palms has been selected, along with Ontario, as one of two pilot project cities under the Housing Trust, with $1.75 million in REAP (Regional Early Action Planning) funds awarded to SBCOG by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). The $1.75 million is seed money to help attract the larger capital stack a real project requires. The funds must be allocated to a viable project in the City by December 2026 and then fully expended within five years.

Tuesday's vote is the public-facing decision point of a process that has been underway since 2021. The City's own engagement goes back to December 2022, when it submitted a letter of interest to SBCOG. What's new is that the REAP funding has created a hard deadline — a formal Council vote is needed by April 15 or the funds will go to a different City.

In voting yes, Council would be doing two things at once: joining the JPA and implicitly confirming to SBCOG that the City can meet the December REAP deadline, thus allowing SBCOG to recommend Twentynine Palms for the funding at the May 13 Board meeting.

12. JTNPA Workforce Housing on City-owned 17-Acre Site.

In a city that has seen more than its share of contentious development proposals — from the Ofland resort to the E-Group solar farm — this one stands out as something the community can agree on. Council is being asked to authorize staff to work with the Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) on a land lease for the purpose of developing workforce housing for National Park staff. The parcel is located near Theatre 29, west of Adobe Road, north of Foothill, and south of Sullivan.

The federal staffing crisis at Joshua Tree National Park provides important context for why the City would want to partner with the park and ensure housing stability for seasonal staff. Since the early days of the second Trump administration in February 2025, the NPS has lost approximately 24% of its permanent workforce nationally through layoffs, buyouts, and resignations — including six probationary rangers at Joshua Tree in the initial round of cuts. A third voluntary departure window opened in April 2026, with an April 12 application deadline. According to Resistance Rangers — a network of current and former NPS staff tracking and speaking out against the cuts — the agency has already lost 20 to 30% of its workforce, with further reductions anticipated. Park-specific tracking found that at Joshua Tree, 16 of 17 supervisory positions were eliminated, leaving just one person to handle seasonal hiring. Affordable housing near the park has long been out of reach for seasonal NPS employees, who tend to be on the lower end of the federal pay scale. As the park struggles to recruit and retain staff in an era of budget cuts and buyouts, access to stable, affordable housing close to the park entrance could make a meaningful difference.

That context makes the JTNPA proposal all the more timely. City Manager James met with JTNPA Executive Director Jacqueline Guevara, Director Christine Grimes, and project manager Ken Beck on January 26, 2026, and the 17-acre City-owned site — adjacent to Theatre 29 and close to the future Mojaveland miniature golf course and Palms N Paws animal shelter — was identified as a potential home for what JTNPA describes as a transformative, community-centered multi-use project.

JTNPA’s project proposal describes a development that is mission-driven, and economically supportive, integrating housing, education, volunteer support, and community gathering spaces. The housing component is central: 12 Single Resident Occupancy (SRO) units dedicated to National Park rangers and park staff. The stated benefits to the City include providing attainable housing, reducing pressure on the local housing stock, and freeing up existing rental units for other community members.

JTNPA was awarded a $75,000 planning grant from the National Park Service Foundation in 2025 specifically to design this project. Should they secure a suitable piece of land, they would become eligible to apply for a $2 million construction grant — funding the development at no cost to the City. The City acquired the parcel in April 2000, originally intending it as a future park; construction funding fell through and it has remained undeveloped ever since.

Council is being asked only to authorize the initial lease negotiations, with any final agreement returning to Council for approval.

13. Councilmembers’ Use of City Letterhead

As the staff report makes clear, the City doesn’t provide individualized letterhead for Council members — and has no policy governing when they can use the full City letterhead on their own. When a Council member wants to write a letter of support for a grant application, recommend someone for a recognition award, or weigh in on a State initiative, they have no official stationery to do it on unless they use the full City letterhead, which lists all five Council members, implying full Council buy in for the letter’s content.

The staff report outlines four possible policy directions:

• allowing letterhead use when the letter wouldn’t financially or legally obligate the City

• the Council member makes clear they’re writing as an individual rather than on behalf of the full Council

• creating new individual Council member letterhead that doesn’t list the other members

• or prohibiting individual use of City letterhead entirely unless the full Council has approved the action

The staff report focuses specifically on physical City letterhead — letters, not emails — and makes no mention of email correspondence. Whether Council chooses to broaden the discussion to cover digital communications would be up to them.