ON THE AGENDA: Twentynine Palms City Council, September 10, 2024
Entertainment permits enforced, TBID annual review time, potential problems for a self-help housing program.
The summer lull sizzles down, Pumpkin Spice season and September Santa Ana winds settle in, and the Twentynine Palms City Council is back to business. Following an August 27th cancellation, the City of Twentynine Palms will hold their regularly scheduled City Council meeting this coming Tuesday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m., at 6136 Adobe Road. The 102 page agenda packet can be found here. At the last City Council meeting on August 13th Council approved Development Code amendments, community events grants, and recognized community members who assisted during the July flood. A third large surprise storm hit Twentynine Palms yesterday afternoon, September 7th— CalTrans crews were seen clearing mud and debris off Highway 62 into the evening.
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 that 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 2:00 p.m. 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
Youth Council Update
The City of Twentynine Palms Youth Council has thirteen members comprised of local teens and meets twice a month. At Tuesday’s meeting, Youth Council members are set to present to City Council a list of group by-laws, which will also include the position for a Youth Council social media manager. At their September 4th meeting, the Youth Council conducted elections for four officer positions and discussed the potential for the City to host an Olympics-themed event in 2025.
Presentation by FindFood Bank and acceptance of Proclamation.
Consent Calendar
The Consent Calendar consists of routine items usually approved with a single vote, although a Council member may choose to pull an item for discussion. 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.
The Consent Calendar for this meeting consists of approval of a $930,079.58 warrant register, approval of two routine Development Impact Fee reports from the City’s Finance Department for FY ‘23-’24, and approval of last meeting’s City Council minutes.1
Currently, the Development Impact Fund is used towards street and sidewalk improvement projects throughout town, including road projects on Cholla Avenue, Cactus Drive, and a future bike path on Hatch Road, according to the Finance Department’s report.
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
7. Designation of Delegate for the Annual CalCities Conference
The League of California Cities will host their annual Cal Cities Expo next month in Long Beach, CA. According to their website, the League is a non-profit organization composed of 476 cities throughout the state. They lobby at the state and federal level, advocating for legislation that impacts policy decisions that come down from the State Capitol in Sacramento. The City of Twentynine Palms will be sending a delegate and an alternate delegate to the expo, where they will participate and vote on the League’s annual business.
8. Entertainment Permits
Local karaoke nights, open mic nights, and monthly comedy events hosted throughout the downtown strip will be subject to permit enforcement after Tuesday. According to Community Development Director Keith Gardner’s report, “Community Development Staff has received several requests for temporary entertainment events on properties that are not fully appropriate for such activities. Several issues have come up in the process of reviewing these requests.” The staff report cited potential issues with venues not having adequate safety features in place or proper public access.
“Although ‘live entertainment’ is not yet defined in the Development Code, other jurisdictions require that when there is at least one person performing in front of an audience, that would count as a live entertainment activity. Therefore: karaoke, bands, open mike nights, drag shows, comedians, book readings, dance performances, etc. would be considered ‘live entertainment’.” The staff report then continues, “It should be noted that several establishments have had entertainment activities in the past but have not obtained the appropriate permit.”
The staff report cites barriers to entry businesses may encounter when applying for a live entertainment permit — particularly costs, which run between $2100 to upwards of $5000 depending on the type of entertainment proposed. City Staff is therefore suggesting City Council clarifies language regarding entertainment events permits and that Council either waive or “drastically reduce” entertainment permit fees in order to bring local businesses into compliance and promote tourism.
9. Self-Help Housing Project Status Update.
Last year, the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) presented on a potential self-help housing project. The project, which has seen success in Riverside County, was brought forth by Councilmember Octavious Scott, whose family benefited from a similar program in the Palm Springs region when he was growing up. The Desert Trumpet reported on the proposed project back in June of 2023 and continues to cover potential project updates. Previously, the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition requested the City purchase 10 lots to launch the self-help housing project.
The City Staff Report, also from the Community Development Director, lists legal and financial shortfalls the City would have if they chose to pursue this particular affordable housing project.
“In the current budget, it is doubtful that the City could purchase at least ten (10) lots to start participating in the program. The City has $92,000 available for affordable housing programs outside of the amount of monies designated for the Milestone project. Purchasing the lots, along with the addition of paying for appraisals and other fees, the cost of participating in this program is greater than the remaining current budget allotment for affordable housing programs. This is not to take away from the validity or the value of the Self-Build program administered by CVHC. However, as a government entity, the City faces particular procedural challenges that private landowners or non-profits do not have.”
Per the annual Housing Element report, discussed at the March 13th City Council meeting, the City of Twentynine Palms is significantly short of its 2029 affordable housing goal that was set forth in conjunction with the State of California back in 2021.
Staff verbiage in this latest project update is a marked shift in tone compared to the enthusiasm of the project previously expressed by Interim City Manager Larry Bowden back in January when direction was requested from Council.
10. Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID)
At their August 8 meeting, TBID board members approved a Tourism Marketing Plan & Budget for 2024-2025 — a report prepared as a part of their annual reauthorization process which will take place at both September City Council meetings. Visit 29 Palms Marketing Director Breanne Dusastre will present the plan to City Council at Tuesday’s meeting, to be voted on for Council approval. Established in 2017, the Twentynine Palms Tourism Business Improvement District is unique in that it is only one of three in the entire County and is funded by a 1.5% pass-through tax paid by guests at overnight accommodations.2
The history of the Twentynine Palms TBID has not been without contention, with last year’s reauthorization process involving an initial failure of Council members Bilderain, Scott, and Wright to reauthorize the TBID. Council members Mintz and Klink voted to uphold the TBID for another year. That 3-2 vote was later rescinded by the 5-member body during a special meeting held six days later.
Now, one year later, TBID, which projects revenue of $375,000 in 2024-2025, is under the spotlight as its annual reauthorization comes before Council.
Desert Trumpet editor Cindy Bernard covered the 2024-2025 TBID budget and marketing proposal in depth, highlighting the lack of data supporting TBID marketing decisions, the lack of detail for proposed budget line items and difficulty of aligning marketing proposals with the budget. For instance, marketing needs such as media and public relations are outlined in the report but missing in the budget. Bernard also discussed structural issues such as inadequate staffing. Structural issues pointed out by the public in past Council meetings include the absence of a regular meeting schedule, lack of terms for Board members and failure to rotate officer positions such as Chair and Vice Chair. The current Chair, Rakesh Mehta, has been in place since the TBID was formed in 2017.
After approving the annual budget, a public hearing for the yearly TBID reauthorization will be held at the September 24th City Council meeting.
FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS
Revisit funds that were allocated for portable showers and the Navigation Center.
Discussion on the General Plan Update.
Discussion surrounding dirt roads verses paved roads, costs associated with each, and how are they defined and maintained (e.g. city-maintained roads versus non-maintained roads).
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The Development Impact Fee Report gets published by the City Finance Department annually and is done so in accordance with California Assembly Bill 1600, which imposes finance and accounting requirements for California municipalities. According to the staff report, “A development impact fee is a monetary exaction other than a tax or special assessment that is charged by a local agency to new development for the purposes of defraying costs of public facilities needed as a result of impacts created by the new development.”
This is on top of a 9% Transient Occupancy Tax paid for by guests and tourists who stay at local accommodations.
Hi Natalie. I would like to send a letter to the 29 Palms town Council but I do not see their email address. Thank you, Ted Quinn - Joshua Tree.