RECAP: City Council, February 13, 2024
Funding requests, presentations on Black History Month, the 29! sculpture and public comment dominate another brief meeting
Mayor Steven Bilderain’s campaign for kinder meetings continued in this uneventful and relaxed pre-Valentine Day session. Council members McArthur Wright and Daniel Mintz were out with excused absences leaving Mayor Bilderain, Mayor Pro Tem Joel Klink, and Council member Octavious Scott to conduct the evening’s business. As usual we will cover highlights—refer to the video for a complete record of proceedings, which included Council member Klink leading a round of “Happy Birthday” in honor of Council member Scott.
Community Block Grant Funding Requests. Business started early with a 5:30 pm workshop lasting just 15 minutes. As discussed in our agenda preview, Reach Out Morongo Basin, Twentynine Palms Community Food Pantry, Morongo Basin Unity Home, and the Twentynine Palms Public Library Adult Literacy each made three-minute presentations requesting funding.
Robin Schlosser from Reach Out Morongo Basin emphasized the importance of engaging and enriching the lives of seniors via services at the Senior Center as well as the Senior Nutrition program. She reported hosting an average of 45 to 60 people a day in addition to assisting 3,833 individuals via walk-in, call-in, and referrals from other agencies. Lori Cosgriff from the Twentynine Palms Community Food Pantry spoke of serving 200 families a month with an open case load of 1,000 people in 29 Palms and at the Marine Base. “Roberto” spoke on behalf of Unity Home, where he is a domestic violence advocate. They are seeking to rehab a basketball court for the kids of domestic violence survivors. Robin Holloway, the Regional Manager for the Twentynine Palms branch library, seeks funding to support one-on-one tutoring and other services to increase adult literacy.
The Council funding subcommittee, consisting of Bilderain and Mintz, will evaluate the requests and recommend funding to Council at an upcoming meeting.
Awards and Presentations. Recognition was given for Heart Health Month and Black History Month, with ex-Mayor Karmolette O’Gilvie making a surprise appearance to accept the proclamation. She noted the need for cultural awareness and sensitivity, “So I think as a nation if we achieved that, then we will truly be the best nation in the world.”
The restoration and location of Chuck Caplinger’s 29! sculpture continues to be a topic of concern with Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) members making presentations on the subject at the Planning Commission, Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), and multiple Council meetings. Their most thorough presentation yet was put forward by Chair Anna Stump and Committee Member Paul Razo—we are attaching it here.
The sculpture, a city icon, is featured on city signage and marketing materials, yet is in poor condition. The PAAC has been advocating for restoring the sculpture and relocating it from its current Donnell Hill location to Freedom Plaza. While there is agreement on the need for restoration with the TBID having committed partial funding, the potential relocation has proved controversial. At issue is the need for ADA access and the potential cost of accessibility at its current location, while opponents of the move point to the loss of the sculpture’s roadside status. Council added a discussion of the sculpture’s fate to its Future Council Initiated Items list.
Getting through business in short order. The Consent Calendar, Development Code “clean-up” Amendments, assignments to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Annual Regional Conference and General Assembly (Klink and Scott) and approval of new lights and poles for Luckie Park were unanimously approved with little to no discussion from the Council members in attendance.
Public comment. Susan Peplow spoke regarding the lack of Council action on the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID):
I am hoping that the City Council will look to putting onto the agenda reworking the TBID ordinance now that we have a full board of advisors. I hope that the City Council continues to recognize the priority to rework that. By example, we had the budget and the planning document that was presented in late July of last year. Strategic planning happened in October. We’re in the middle of February, and we are still without term limits. We are at every other month for sessions. I hope that the City Council and Staff can look at it with new energy and start setting up priority to our marketing.
Mary Jane Binge encouraged Council to drive through town and “look at it through the eyes of a visitor,” noting an increase in graffiti, the need for its prompt removal, and a requirement that boarded-up buildings paint the plywood to match the rest of the building. Binge also advocated for leaving the 29! sculpture on Donnell Hill. In a very quick presentation, Chuck Uyeda asked Council to address speeding cars on Two Mile, between Adobe Rd. and Encelia.
Future Council Initiated Items and closing remarks. As previously mentioned, the 29! sculpture was added to the future agenda items list. Also, Council member Scott suggested a review of the General Plan, “The last time we updated was 2012 and recommendation is usually 12 to 15 years.”
Interim City Manager Larry Bowden relayed that 27,000 pounds of canned food was donated by the Church of Latter Day Saints out of Utah and distributed throughout the Morongo Basin. And with that Mayor Bilderain closed out the meeting:
Happy Valentine's Day. Continue to smile and be nice to each other and, you know, do what we gotta do to make the city great. We gotta do it together.
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