CITY COUNCIL RECAP: JUNE 27, 2023, PART ONE
Invocations, Wastewater, Affordable Housing
As is our usual, we will recapping the meeting’s highlights but encourage our readers to view the agenda and the video. This was Council’s final meeting before a month long summer break, making for a long night and 2-1/2 hours of discussion - so long that we decided to split our recap into two parts! Read Part Two on the Tourism Improvement District (TBID) now.
INVOCATION
The invocation was originally planned to be given by Pastor Lolila Faaaliga from Born Again Ministries. Instead her assistant, Pastor LeeAnn Clarke stepped in.
In an email exchange with Desert Trumpet, Clarke provided some background. “The ministry meets at the United Methodist Church on Sunday afternoons and is a small ministry that is Samoan/English speaking.” In addition to being secretary of the Ministerial Association from which many invocation speakers are drawn, Clarke was a member of the Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) for several years and is the Chair of Action 29 Palms, the nonprofit responsible for the Oasis of Murals. We applaud Clarke for focusing on a short blessing of the meeting in lieu of the sermonettes given by past speakers.
During the City Manager’s report, City Manager Luckino noted that the invocation policy has been updated “to current standard and nothing will be changing.” We have attached it below. He added “We do already have a tab on our home page for those who are interested in doing an invocation - just sign up on our home page.” We were unable to find a home page tab to link to, so inquired as to its location. The City Manager directed us to the existing page, which has no link or tab labeled “Invocations” — it’s unclear how residents would find the page.
Desert Trumpet submitted a public information request for the schedule of upcoming invocations (note that City Council is not meeting in July).
August 8 - Rev. Don Thursby - Little Church of the Desert
August 22 - Elder Robert Kelley - Oasis Community Church
September 12 - Pastor Michelle Ronia - Oasis Community Church
September 26 - Rev. Amy Miranda - First Assembly of God Church - Twentynine Palms
October 10 - Mr. Elliott Balsley - No church affiliation (Citizen from the community)
CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT
No announcement was made regarding the closed session that took place prior to the Council meeting. If we find out anything we will be sure to inform our readers.
AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS
Wastewater Committee: Committee Chair Karalee Hargrove and members Dawn Benton and Veno Nathraj presented an update. Hargrove reported packed houses for the Committee’s three meetings and said that “biggest questions asked” are 1) can the location be moved and 2) concerns about smell, health, and realty. Hargrove also discussed a meeting she described as “contentious”: “As a Chairperson and somebody who’s been involved in politics for over 12 years, one meeting was easily the hardest meeting in my political career.” Speaking for herself, not the Committee, she asked that Council members not attend, pointing out that the Committee is the Council’s advisory board.
In contrast, Nathraj, who also sits on the Housing / Homeless Committee, thanked Councilmen Bilderain and Scott for attending, pointing out that it shows they care about the community and that it allows them to get the “real vibe” of the meetings. He encouraged Council members and Planning Commissioners to attend Wastewater Committee meetings. Nathraj said there were 700 homes and apartments within a one-mile radius of the proposed treatment plant location, including senior housing. He likes the project just not the location.
Committee Member Dawn Benton commented that he was excited to see more people at Council meetings and added that the wastewater meetings are challenging, but “We’re learning a lot; sometimes we need to separate fact from fiction, but that’s part of what they’re there for.”
Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) The CVHC is a nonprofit community development corporation with a mission to “improve the living conditions of low-income individuals and families by constructing and operating affordable housing infused with resident service programs.”
Making the presentation were Executive Director Pedro Rodriguez, Single Family director Emilia Mojica, and Senior Construction Manager Slawomir Rutkowski. CVHC helped construct 2,100 single family residence (SFR) units and 40 apartment complexes serving more than 5,000 families throughout Riverside and Imperial counties. San Bernardino County is also within their service area. They have developed housing for farm workers, the mentally challenged, seniors, those living with chronic illness and unhoused veterans.
Mojica added that “we don’t just build the housing and walk away.” Among the programs she mentioned were child care, after-school programs and classes such as ESL, GED, mariachi, and ballet folklórico.
The project is funded by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) loan system, which is applicable to rural communities with fewer than 35,000 residents such as Twentynine Palms.
Mojica discussed a mutual self-help construction program they have administered since 1987 — these are programs in which residents build their own homes, providing 65% of the labor needed at 40 hours per week, Mojica explained that the hours can be shared within the family. While they cater to families making 80% of area median income (AMI) and below, they have a mandate that 40% of applicants be at 50% of (AMI) and below. The AMI for Twentynine Palms is $46,8871 so residents making approximately $37,500 would qualify with a set aside for residents making $23,4443 or less. Because the program supports a group of 11 to 13 families working together to build the homes, Mojica pointed out the it builds community in addition to wealth through home ownership.
The City is in the process of an ENA (exclusive negotiations agreement) with the CVHC so the final agreement will come before Council. Bringing self-help housing to Twentynine Palms was spearheaded by Council member Octavious Scott, who said his family benefitted from programs like this one in 1996, when he was growing up in Palm Springs.
COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REPORTS OF MEETINGS ATTENDED
Councilman Mintz said that he had attended the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD) meeting. He said that the exchange program for gas to electric tools (chainsaws, lawnmowers, trimmers, blowers, and hedge trimmers) was still on-going. The website lists Builders Supply in Yucca Valley as one of the participating locations. Desert Trumpet inquired at Builders Supply, and they said they were not involved. The closest location to the Morongo Basin is Lucerne Valley Market Hardware.
Mintz also confirmed that the Alamo Laundromat is re-opening in Twentynine Palms. Council member Klink added that Knotts Sky Park will have Independence Day festivities and 4th of July fireworks will take place at Tortoise Rock Casino at 9PM.
CONSENT CALENDAR & Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Conversion - Please see Part Two.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
#12. Amendments to the City’s Master Fee Schedule for FY 2023-24
This item was discussed in our agenda recap. After a presentation by Finance Director Abigale Hernandez-Conde, there was no public comment or Council discussion. Item was approved 5-0
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
#13. Reject All Bids for the Project Phoenix – Treatment System Improvements
The Staff recommendation was to reject all bids for Project Phoenix treatment system, review the project and revise the scope as needed. Council member Daniel Mintz recused himself from the discussion.
As Desert Trumpet wrote back in July 2022, currently the Project Phoenix sewer collection system dumps into a 7,500 gallon septic tank. As City Manager Luckino phrased it, now almost one year later, “Part of the maturation process was to transform that into a package treatment plant.”
The City was granted $1,675,680 by the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) back in October 2021 for the package treatment plant with a required City match of $300,000. However, the low bid received from the Van Dyke Corporation based in Twentynine Palms was for a “like” project that couldn’t be validated. Additionally, according to Luckino, downtown is included in phase one of the “city wide” sewer project, so if the large wastewater treatment plant that’s currently planned for the intersection of Desert Knoll Avenue and Buena Vista Drive is built, downtown is covered. This smaller package plant would only be rebid if the larger project is not built.
After brief discussion with Council member Scott stating his belief that the City-wide sewer system won’t happen and Mayor McArthur Wright indicating it will, and a conversation, also initiated by Scott, about extending the existing Project Phoenix sewer lines to all of downtown, Council member Klink motioned for all the bids to be rejected. Motion to reject all bids approved 4-0-1 with Mintz recusing.
#14. Affordable Housing IIG Application
This item commits the housing funds necessary and moves forward land sales and acquisitions needed for the multi-family affordable housing project slated for construction on the land adjacent to City Hall and Veteran’s Memorial Park. Again, also see our agenda review coverage of this item. Per City Manager Luckino, this is a project that was originally planned for Split Rock, then moved to Project Phoenix and finally landed in its current location, assuming grant funding for construction is secured. The development consists of 32 units of senior housing in a three-story elevator building and 59 units of family housing in three, three-story walk-ups with construction potentially beginning in late 2024. Similar to the self-help housing discussed earlier in the meeting, eligibility to live in the complex is based on 30% to 60% of the average median income of the area. A copy of the presentation made to the Planning Commission in October 2022 is attached above.
Since the project includes the cost of wastewater treatment, Council member Mintz asked about proximity to the planned wastewater treatment plant mentioned in the Project Phoenix discussion—the affordable housing project is just outside of phase one and is uphill from the planned plant. Luckino responded by discussing the concept of “value engineering2”—that existing plans could be tweaked to accommodate other solutions.
Council member Scott voiced concerns about the height of the project and asked if the developer if they could housing structure single story instead of two-story and limit it to senior housing. The developer replied that the density and family housing is needed for the project to be feasible and competitive for the grants needed.
Later in the discussion, Scott asserted his point again, explaining that the three-story structures would be built on an elevated piece of land and that views of surrounding properties will be blocked. Mintz responded, that the project has been in development for two years and in his opinion, the location is good for the City. The Mayor and Luckino also pointed to the location being determined in part by development monies the City needs to expend that are targeted for the Four Corners Development zone.
In public comment Veno Nathraj expressed concerns about the project’s distance from transportation and shopping centers and the developer’s lack of “skin in the game.” Luckino disputed this assertion, and outlined some of the costs incurred by the developer, as well as pointing out a bus stop and other services in proximity.
Council voted the project forward 4-1 with Scott as the nay vote.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Joseph Carder, leader of the Stop the Sewer campaign, expressed that he felt the Committee presentation at the beginning of the meeting failed to convey the anger of the residents who are opposed to the wastewater plant and that a recording of the meeting can be viewed at stopthesewer.org. Also speaking against the plant was Rena Lilly.
April Ramirez, who gave public comment as a part of the TBID discussion, returned to the podium to address what she sees as a lack of connection between the City and the military community with regard to 4th of July celebrations and outreach to the base regarding Marine attendance at council meetings and City news. She went on to point out that only 20% of students graduating from Twentynine Palms High go on to college and advocate for scholarships from Council. (Note: Ramirez may be unaware that only two of the five Council members have college degrees.)
Veno Nathraj expressed disappointment with transparency at City Hall and noted his belief that the effectiveness of the City Manager has resulted in a lack of “verification” from Council members. He claimed that the City Manager Luckino intercepted his public information request on the Luckie Park pool construction and limited the amount of information received.
City Manager Update
At the conclusion of Public Comment, Luckino gave the City Manager update, noting the recent law passed protecting Joshua Trees, the need for community members to sign up to follow committee meetings using the iCompass system, the aforementioned invocation policy update, and suspension of Council meetings for the month of July.
And with that, the Mayor adjourned the meeting until August 8.
Disclosure: Desert Trumpet co-founder and editor Cindy Bernard is a member of the Public Arts Advisory Committee, which is a part of the City of Twentynine Palms.
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Per the US Census: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/twentyninepalmscitycalifornia
“Value engineering can be defined as an organized effort directed at analyzing designed building features, systems, equipment, and material selections for the purpose of achieving essential functions at the lowest life cycle cost consistent with required performance, quality, reliability, and safety.” - General Services Administration