RECAP: Twentynine Palms City Council, December 9, 2025
Daniel Mintz and Octavious Scott selected as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, Five Year Strategic Plan adopted.
In an upbeat yet lengthy meeting, Twentynine Palms City Council wrapped up 2025 with close to an hour of thank you’s and 90 minutes of business and public comment.
Video of the meeting is available here and our preview can be reviewed here.
A closed session on litigation preceded the meeting; as usual, no report was made.
Should most invocations be arranged by the Ministerial Association?
The meeting kicked off with an invocation from Minister Jeremy Young from the Sanctuary Church with explicitly Christian language, as was common throughout 2025:
More importantly, we serve a God that loves us, that sent his Son to die on the cross by our sins, Lord, and it is within that truth that we will always see the love of Christ and all of our brothers and sisters. May we remember this as we leave 2025 and as we usher in a new year 2026, we walk into it victorious knowing that we will walk in your purpose, walk in your will, and walk in your glory, and all these things I ask in your mighty and majestic Jesus name. I pray. Amen.
A resident of Yucca Valley has launched a petition urging their Town Council “to adopt a policy that mandates inclusive invocations at all public meetings.” In Yucca, policy dictates that the invocation, which is referred to as a prayer, “be voluntarily delivered by an eligible member of the clergy/religious leader in the Town of Yucca Valley.”1
The City of Twentynine Palms does not restrict the invocation to religious leaders — anyone can give the invocation by writing the City Clerk at cvillescas@29palms.org. However, most invocations are booked months in advance by the Ministerial Association, which provides slates of speakers to the City Clerk. The Sanctuary Church, for instance, is a member of the Ministerial Association, which is led by Councilmember McArthur Wright. The current policy is linked below.
A change in command and outgoing comments from Mayor Steven Bilderain
San Bernardino County Sheriff Captain Robert Warrick is moving into a new position within the department and was unable to attend the meeting. In his absence, Lieutenant Alvin Huff passed the command to newly promoted Captain Steven Scovel, whose prior position was with the Arson and Bombs Division.
Year end reports were given by Paul Razo, Chair of the Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC), and two members of the Youth Council, Chair Vivian Hermosillo and Youth Council member Truman Walsh.
The Youth Council has focused on community service projects such as the Senior Center but announced a new project for next year, a survey of local middle and high schools on the impacts of vaping.
Razo reported that the PAAC continues to develop an arts strategic plan and an inventory of existing design assets in the City among other initiatives. He also celebrated the restoration of Chuck Caplinger’s iconic 29! sculpture.
A presentation was made by Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers to 29 Palms Inn co-owner Heidi Grunt for support during the government shutdown. City Council honored 29 Palms Music Series Committee Members Anna Stump and Audrey Philpot for leading a successful Levitt Foundation campaign supporting concerts at Freedom Plaza. Mayor Steven Bilderain honored Employee of the Year, Animal Control Supervisor Rick Boyd, and gave the Mayor’s Recognition Award to Bob and Anita Clinkscales.
Steven Bilderain then capped off his two-year term as Mayor:
The position of the Mayor is not ceremonial, and it’s not just a power position, it’s responsibility. It’s a responsibility to the citizens and community and the City’s face. So, this position, I take very seriously. I hope, in the last 24 months, I was able to lead by example, show my growth and true character… A lot of us agree on things. A lot of us don’t agree on things. A lot of us agree and disagree on things, but I hope the whole time you felt respected and heard and that was my goal.
Meetings attended also include an impromptu thank you
Councilmember April Ramirez held a housing education session with Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services (NPHS) and used her report to thank City Manager Stone James and City Clerk Cindy Villescas for helping to prevent her daughter from choking at a recent meeting. She organized a photo opportunity during the reports. Other meetings noted by Councilmembers included the City tree lighting ceremony, a Morongo Basin transit meeting, an event at Sky’s the Limit, a domestic violence fundraiser, the Wing-n-It Thanksgiving dinner and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians’ toy giveaway.
Consent Calendar: the strategic plan and Freedom Plaza parking are pulled for discussion
The warrant register, education on septic system maintenance, building codes, public relations for the 1% sales tax and the donation of a flood zone parcel were voted through without discussion. Please see our agenda preview for details on Consent Calendar items.
The Five-Year Strategic Plan
City Manager Stone James introduced the draft five year strategic plan, eliding the lack of transparency and public outreach and participation in its creation. There was one session on April 5, where there was limited public participation due to spotty attendance and a public poll with fewer than 300 responses — the draft plan was never presented in a public forum. This was pointed out by in public comment by MJ Fiocco:
I have a question for you. I do not understand why the City Council is willing to spend $14,000 for an engagement process for tax increase next year, but isn’t willing to do any public engagement in sharing its strategic plan? And I’d like to know what thinking goes into that, and what might be done to help citizens understand, through public engagement, where you’re trying to steer the city.
Because the comment was made in general public comment, and not in comment on the agenda item, the question went unanswered.
James emphasized that the plan is a living document:
Now this strategic plan, if it is approved this evening, is not going to be cast in stone. From a staff level, this is going to be worked on on a weekly basis. This will be coming back to the Council, at least on a yearly basis, to update the Council on every single goal, and then what the staff has done that year to accomplish that goal. And going forward, if it’s in six months, if it’s in a year, if there needs to be some tweaking of the goals, then the Council has the absolute full authority to do that, and in fact, the Council has, of course, the ultimate authority to modify it [the strategic plan] at any point.
In an odd moment, the City Manager described “a mention of a specific project by a specific organization, and that is something that should not be in there. So that’s something that I’m going to request be removed.” Councilmember Daniel Mintz pointed out “I think you should mention the fact that the Ofland project was mentioned by name — this should never have been in there. So I just [want to] make sure that the public knows that that’s what’s being stricken out of here.” The line, which read “Support future development and operation of upcoming Ofland lodging development,” was the subject of a letter from Reset Hotel partner Adam Wininger, as pointed out by Mayor Steven Bilderain.
However, with that specific mention being deleted, another, Theatre 29, was then added by Council vote — “that the City will continue to look for funding opportunities to either improve or expand the existing location or potentially build a facility for the theater.”
The Desert Trumpet will do a deep dive into the five-year strategic plan as currently adopted in a separate article.
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Parking at the Farmer’s Market
The City Manger then spoke to parking issues at Freedom Plaza during the Farmer’s Market. James reviewed multiple scenarios where a car might be left overnight in a space that was reserved for a vendor, prompting the possibility that the car owner would want to retrieve the vehicle during the market, causing the potential for public injury. Per Roger Thomas, who runs the market, the lack of parking control is affecting the Market’s insurance policy.
The proposed solution is the installation of signs prohibiting parking from midnight on Fridays to 2 pm on Saturdays in the areas of the Freedom Plaza parking lot used by the Farmers Market. After some discussion the time was adjusted to prohibit parking from 4 am to 3 pm on Saturdays only. However, the Council lacked a resolution to approve, so the item was voted through pending the City Attorney’s office supplying the needed document.
Daniel Mintz and Octavious Scott become Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
As anticipated, Council effectively choose to return to the rotation method for selecting the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, with the current Mayor nominating current Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Mintz of District 3, which was approved by unanimous vote. Councilmember McArthur Wright then nominated District 4 representative Octavious Scott as Mayor Pro Tem, also approved with a 5-0 vote. This is Mintz’s third time wielding the gavel.
Public Comment
Public comment ranged from acknowledgments and thank-you’s to a notice that water rates may be increasing and a warning about an freely available addictive substance.
Carlos Blandon spoke on several topics in the Consent Calendar, most significantly noting the need for parking restrictions for camping in public lots.
Veno Nathraj asked the Council to pay greater attention to education and job creation and pointed out what he believed to be deteriorating conditions at a local hotel.
Steve Reyes, Vice President of the Twentynine Palms Historical Society, thanked Mayor Bilderain for his support of the Marine Corp birthday celebration at the Historical Society.
James Dean spoke on behalf of Los Médicos Voladores, the Flying Doctors, discussing optometry exams and the distribution of eyeglasses at Freedom Plaza and similar upcoming event on March 7-8, 2026, at Yucca Valley High School.
Scott Curry commended the Flying Doctors on their event and discussed the wreath auction benefiting the Copper Mountain College Foundation.
Matt Shragge, Twentynine Palms Water District General Manager, addressed an upcoming increase in water rates and invited the public to a new Coffee with the General Manager initiative, on Thursdays at 5 pm, with the first session held on Thursday, December 11 and additional sessions planned for the future.
LeeAnn Clarke, Secretary of the Ministerial Association thanking City staff for assistance including City Clerk Cindy Villescas for “always assisting with the proclamations that are presented at the various services.” She announced that the Martin Luther King Jr March and Prayer Bowl is scheduled for January 19, 2026.
Reach Out Yucca Valley Community Health Workers and Outreach specialists Danielle Reed and Maryssa Mullens, along with Program Manager Carrie Kish, all spoke to the issue of 7-OH opioids and Kratom, which are addictive substances, available at local gas stations and convenience stores “in a 5 hour energy type bottle” and as CKR 8. Per Mullens, these items are working like fentanyl. Kish encouraged action:
I’m concerned for our community. I’m concerned for this getting into the hands of children. It’s often not behind the counter, it’s often right there by the register, easily taken. So I would just encourage if we could start a dialogue about improving the enforcement of existing regulations and possibly adding some additional policy as protections for our community.
City Manager Report
The meeting concluded with the City Manager’s report in which Stone James credited the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) with a 9% increase in Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) collections in the July to September quarter compared to the same period in 2024. He also stated there was a 16% increase in TOT coming from hotels. Although not noted by James, the increase may be also be partially attributed to two new hotels opening in 2025: Wren and Reset.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
NOTE: Desert Trumpet staff members Cindy Bernard, Kat Talley-Jones, and Heidi Heard live in the Indian Cove neighborhood, adjacent to the Ofland development project, and are on the organizing committees of Indian Cove Neighbors and Say No to Ofland. Read our policy for covering Ofland here.
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Separation of church and state. No invocations, much as I appreciate the pagan impulse. Full stop.
As a resident of Twentynine Palms, I appreciate the City's inclusive policy around invocations. As a practicing Pagan, I applied to present an invocation at a Council meeting and was accepted to do so in May, 2026. Paganism is an earth-based religion with varied forms, rooted in many indigenous cultures.