ON THE AGENDA: City Council April 23, 2024
ON THE AGENDA: City Council April 23, 2024
Next steps for the Channel Trail, Reset Hotel Projects, City Sponsored Events Grants, and new flood signs.
This Tuesday, April 23, the Twentynine Palms City Council will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. and will address a handful of items. The full agenda can be found here and can be viewed online on YouTube.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Following a presentation to the Interact Club for their participation in Burrtec’s Cash For Trash program, the City Council will address items in the Consent Calendar. The Consent Calendar consists of routine 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 if you wish to address any of the items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar.
The Consent Calendar includes approval of approval of minutes from the March 26 and April 9 meetings, the City Treasurer’s report for the third quarter of FY ‘23-‘24, approval of a designer’s contract for the Channel Trail Project, and submission of a funding request to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority for a bike path along the Channel Trail.
The Channel Trail Project, a 2000-foot walking trail along the City’s flood control wash, will continue to roll out in phases. Phase one, which opened last year, connects portions of Adobe and Split Rock Avenue. City staff received two proposals after putting out an RFP (Request For Proposal), with Sherwood Design Engineers as the applicant the City deemed most qualified to meet their project and budget specifications. Previously, the engineering company contracted in conjunction with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to install the extensive walking trail and bike path of the historic San Francisco Presidio neighborhood, along the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Funding for the Twentynine Palms Channel Trail project will be paid for with grants from San Bernardino County Transit Authority and available funds from Measure I, a half-cent sales tax measure approved by San Bernardino County voters in 2004 to improve transportation and roads. The trail has an anticipated completion time of 14 months.
The Consent Calendar also includes the changing of the authorized signatories on the City’s Pacific Premier bank accounts. “With the appointment of the new City Manager, Stone James, the City needs to update its authorized signers on the aforementioned bank accounts. This update includes adding Stone James as a new signer on both accounts and removing James L. Bowden, Interim City Manager, from both accounts,” the agenda packet states.
Authorized signers for the City’s checkbooks will include all five City Council members and the City Manager. The new policy includes flexible verbiage so that future officials will have a streamlined process to becoming the City’s authorized bank signers moving forward.
PUBLIC HEARING
Item 9: Request to Vacate a Portion of Foothill Drive on Parcel Map 20360.
This agenda item pertains to the property off Sullivan Road owned by Reset Hotel LLC. Residents can find the Reset Hotel construction site located across the street from the Palms N Paws Animal Shelter. The Desert Trumpet covered the Planning Commission’s approval of the vacation back in February of this year. “This action would vacate a segment of Foothill Drive, a public road easement, that is located between two parcels owned by the proprietors of the Reset Hotel,” the agenda packet states. Those interested in the topic or with questions on the matter are encouraged to attend this meeting.
The staff report acknowledges that the Twentynine Palms Water District has an existing water main on the Foothill Drive Road easement and that the Water District has requested a permanent easement be implemented to ensure access to the water main and maintain utility access.
“The attached Resolution vacating Foothill Drive reserves from the vacation of the easement, all rights to construct, maintain, operate, remove, and renew all existing public utilities, including the water district's facility,” the Request to Vacate states.
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
Agenda Item 10: Community Events Grants
The City of Twentynine Palms, through its Events Ad Hoc committee, will be awarding $20,000 in total funding to the following entities:
$1500 to the Dine 29 Food Festival + Restaurant Week
$18,500 to Distance Duet- Free Choral Performances
Hosted by Black Cactus, the food festival will spotlight an “eating and dining week focused on increasing local visibility, awareness and opportunities to support the restaurants important to 29 Palms.”
Distance Duet seeks funding for dancers, performers, set design, equipment, and choreographers for Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs next musical performance project. The composer and California local “is known for creating experimental opera and vocal performances that collapse the boundaries between audience and performers.” The composer has had installations and performances in San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art, the De Young Museum, and has been featured by the New York Times.
In its adopted budget, the City allotted $50,000 for Community Events Grants for the current fiscal year ending June 30. Of that, $22,000 has been granted for projects leaving $28,000 was available for allocation. The Community Events Grants are a separate fund from the tourism directed Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Sponsorship and Event Grant Program. The first round of those grants were announced in February of this year. The Twentynine Palms Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC) also has grant funds available between $500 to $1000 for arts and culture events. Those applications are due May 9.
Agenda Item 11: Facility Rental Fee Waiver Policy Update
The current fee waiver policy, which the staff report states dates back to 1989, sets forth the qualifications for a facility fee waiver:
Private non-profit organizations
Charitable organizations
Other public service agencies
Events must also have a “substantial and documented community benefit,” or serve a “recognized charitable purpose supported by the City Council.” Revisions to the City’s facility fee waiver policy will now give the Recreation Division Manager expressed powers to approve a facility fee waiver. It also sets forth limitations on the number of days an organization can utilize their fee waiver to two per calendar year.
The staff report states, “Over the past two decades, the Recreation Department has permitted one free (one day) rental to all qualified organizations per calendar year. The language in the original policy should be updated and reflect currently practiced procedures for approval.”
This proposed policy update was brought about when City Council granted a request from The Sanctuary Church for a fee waiver for three days of a multi-day event. The City lost $3855 dollars in facility rental income as a result.
Agenda Item 12: Approval of 20 flashing LED road signs for flooding to the tune of $57,551.55
Twentynine Palms is no stranger to severe flooding. With frequent flash flood alerts and FEMA flood zones throughout the area, municipal storm response remains a priority for Morongo Basin officials. Part of this response involves signage and alerts- ensuring proper warnings are in place for residents. The staff report acknowledges that current equipment used by the Public Works Department is dangerous to assemble and structurally unfit. The Public Works Department report states, “This procedure can be dangerous, we have experienced near misses from traffic and our vehicles and staff members during the placement and removal of signs in the past.”
New equipment will be specialized to make way for easier storm response and will also have Bluetooth capability to transmit warning signage remotely. The City received bids from NexTech Systems Inc., Skyline Safety and Supply, and Jam Services Inc. for the project and plans on using grant money from the CIRA (California Intergovernmental Risk Authority) project to assist with funding for the signage.
FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS
Discussion of moving the 29! sign, a review of the City’s General Plan and a revisitation of Navigation Center and portable shower funds will be addressed at future City Council meetings.
PUBLIC COMMENT
You have an opportunity to comment on agenda items and issues important to you at every City Council meeting. Please use the opportunity to question your City Council members on the issues affecting our City. Comments on agenda items take place during the discussion of that item. Comments on non-agenda items take place near the end of the meeting. Comments are limited to three minutes. The Brown Act prevents Council from commenting on non-agenda items.
To comment, pick up a green (or occasionally gold) form at the entry desk, fill it out, and hand it to the Clerk. The public can also send comments via email to City Council Members and cc Cindy Vasquez, the Council secretary.
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