ON THE AGENDA: Twentynine Palms City Council, June 25, 2024
ON THE AGENDA: Twentynine Palms City Council, June 25, 2024
The USGS survey reappears as does an opportunity to comment on the organic waste program and sadly the rabbit virus. Plus RESET Hotel owner Ben Uyeda is proposed for the TBID Board
NEWS ALERT: Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV2) was detected in a dead cottontail in Yucca Valley in May and infected dead rabbits have been reported in other areas of the Morongo Basin. This is the disease that wiped out much of our cottontail population and many jack rabbits in 2020-2021. If you see a dead rabbit, report it to the CDFW, with a photo if possible. RHDV2 is EXTREMELY contagious and spread in part through the bodies of dead rabbits. Protect our wild rabbits and prevent the disease from spreading by double bagging the carcass, spraying the ground and bag with bleach, and disposing of the bag in the trash. Desert Trumpet will have more on this developing story in the next week.
The Twentynine Palms City Council segues into summer with a last meeting on Tuesday, June 25 before beginning a light schedule in July and August. As usual we will outline agenda highlights but encourage our readers to review the full agenda.
The meeting kicks off with a presentation to Boy Scout Troop 77, the latest youth group to assist with litter pick-up.
PUBLIC COMMENT
You have an opportunity to 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, whereas 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.
Note the Council has stopped reading letters from the public into the record at Council meetings. 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 and ask that your letter be made part of the public record.
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 the items from this meeting’s Consent Calendar.
4-United States Geological Survey (USGS) Evaluation of Geohydrologic Conditions and Geochemical Conditions within the City
Desert Trumpet readers may be surprised to see this item as it refers to the USGS study requested more than two years ago to assess water quality and potential septic contamination as well as the necessity of a sewer and wastewater system. City Council voted to move ahead with the study in August 2022.
Residents regularly questioned why prior City Manager Frank Luckino was pushing ahead with development of a sewer system without the results of the USGS survey. At the time, the survey was generally understood to be in process. The appearance of this item on the Consent Calendar would indicate that this much discussed five year survey has not yet started.
PUBLIC HEARING
5-Burrtec Rate Adjustment
This item follows on Information Director and Solid Waste and Recycling Manager Elijah Marshall’s report at the June 11 Council meeting. Marshall recounted his successful efforts to reduce the City’s financial liability for the collection of green waste, given its responsibility to account for the waste produced by the Morongo Basin School District.
This item addresses three rate adjustments requested by Burrtec, the company contracted to handle Twentynine Palms waste collection, totaling $36.72 per year beginning July 1, 2024:
• a Consumer Price Index adjustment of 4.26% equalling $7.44 annually
• an increase to the rate for Net-Recycling for residential service of $4.08 annually
• a graduated assessment for SB 1383 organic waste recycling starting at $25.20 per. year increasing until it reaches $100.80 annually in 2028.
Per the staff report, the Net Recycling increase is due to contamination in blue recycling bins. Commercial rates decreased, meaning that businesses are doing a better job of sorting and rinsing their recyclable items than residential customers (which also include short term rentals). The graduated assessment for organics waste recycling is being proposed by Burrtec as “many Twentynine Palms residents struggle with monthly expenses.”
Active social media discussions
The appearance of an agenda item addressing organic waste recycling fees is timely as it gives residents an opportunity to provide feedback to Council on the on-going rollout of the organics recycling program. Abundant social media threads in community forums indicate that while residents support the new program, they also have questions. In a May 2024 letter, the City told residents to expect “a 65-gallon green cart” for green waste and food waste, yet most received only a small 35-gallon container. Adding to the confusion, the container arrived unassembled with the handle needed for the truck pick up unattached and inside of the barrel.
When reviewing the notices, many residents failed to see a q-code that could be scanned to receive a free kitchen pail for collecting food scraps. A recent call to Burrtec indicated that these pails may not be delivered until July 2. Some are bagging and freezing their organic waste until pick-up in order to avoid a smelly container. A conversation with Information Director Marshall indicated that the bags will be emptied prior to processing the waste.
Regarding inquiries as to what happens to the compost created by the program, Marshall said that the compost is sold to farmers to offset the cost of the organics recycling. It is hoped that free compost will be offered to residents four times a year. The rollout is scheduled to be completed by June 30.
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
6-Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Advisory Board Appointment: Ben Uyeda
The Council subcommittee overseeing appointments to TBID is recommending architect, designer and RESET Hotel owner Ben Uyeda to replace Board Member Patricia Knight, who stepped down in February. The subcommittee consists of Mayor Steven Bilderain and Mayor Pro Tem Joel Klink.
Per Uyeda’s application cover letter:
I believe my professional background in marketing and design combined with the fact that I am an owner of the RESET Hotel which is currently under construction in 29 Palms puts me in a unique position to contribute to TBID’s mission. My experience working closely with the city of 29 Palms over last 4 years in the development of the RESET project has given me insight and familiarity into the development goals and human capital of the city. As a content creator with over 2 million followers across my social media channels I can work with the TIBD (sic) to amplify its message and accelerate its progress.
The proposed appointment is occurring as the TBID released its reauthorization schedule at their June 20 meeting:
• August 1: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget and Plan presented at TBID meeting
• August 13: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget and Plan presented at City Council
• September, date to be determined: Public Hearing on reauthorization at City Council
The TBID experienced a rocky road to reauthorization in 2023 with many long time City leaders calling for reorganization at the time. Yet to date, that reorganization has not materialized. While the TBID successfully implemented a professional process to grant the $200,000 mandated by Council last year, they remain the only City body without terms of office. At the June 11 meeting, Councilmember Octavious Scott attempted to add a discussion of the TBID to the Future Agenda Items list but failed to receive a second on the motion.
If appointed, Uyeda will join fellow new Board Member Ashton Ramsey in bringing new voices to the TBID Board.
7-Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) Grant Application
Staff is seeking direction on whether to apply for this Federal Department of Transportation grant, which has an extended deadline of July 17. The maximum grant amount is 15 million and Twentynine Palms has an appropriate project — the Channel Trail bike path — with a budget of 9 million. Per the staff report the City may qualify for a fully funded project given its economically disadvantaged status. However the timeline to file is extraordinarily tight. One has to ask why grants such as this aren’t on the City radar a bit sooner?
8-Purchase of a new Code Enforcement Vehicle.
Per the staff report, Council had initially allocated $40,000 for a new code enforcement truck in 2023. Then, once quotes were in, it became clear that another $10,000 would be needed — that was approved in May 2024. The is the final authorization to purchase the vehicle - a Ford F-150 from Palm Springs Motors.
This purchase would address transportation issues in Code Enforcement, again, per the staff report:
Currently the Code Enforcement Department has one vehicle, a 2011 Ford Ranger (small truck) 4 x 4 with 89,000 miles on it to be shared by two Code Enforcement Officers which is not efficient and at times not reliable when trying to attend to the City's current needs. The new vehicle would enable both officers to attend to the current volume of calls received by Code Enforcement as well as reduce the amounts of trips when collecting trash/debris from illegal dump sites which have increased significantly in comparison to previous years.
FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS
Revisit funds that were allocated to the portable showers and Navigation Center.
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