Last night’s meeting of the Twentynine Palms City Council featured citizen appointments to both housing and wastewater committees, a two-year budget report, and a lively conversation on the proposed wastewater treatment plant and pending sewer plan.
The Tuesday night meeting of the Twentynine Palms City Council featured significant discussions on housing, the city budget, and the proposed sewer and wastewater treatment plant. Councilmember Octavious Scott pulled the Housing Element Annual Progress Report from the Consent Calendar for comment. While the state has mandated that all California cities must add one thousand additional housing units by 2029, the city issued just 25 building permits in 2022 and only a handful this year so far. Scott stated that he would like to see “more self-help construction” underway.
On the same topic of housing, the council swiftly approved the appointments of Andrea Keller, an architect, and hotel owner Veno Nathraj to the Housing/Homeless Committee.
Finance Director Abigail Hernandez presented a preliminary Two-Year General Fund Budget that highlighted city priorities and targeted spending. Hernandez stated that city expenditures are increasing more than city revenues. It appears that renovations to the animal shelter and Theatre 29 would require special financing. The council did approve a budget adjustment of over $104K for increases to the sheriff’s contract. There will be public hearings on the city’s spending plans on May 23 and June 13 before the council gives final approval in July.
Next, each councilmember nominated a member of the community for the Wastewater Advisory Committee which now consists of Dawn Benton, former Mayor Karmolette O’Gilvie, Karalee Hargrove, Nathaniel Mathers, and Gerald Tern.
The remainder of the meeting focused on the financing and location of the Wastewater Reclamation Project Phase 1, rather, the wastewater treatment facility for the city’s eventual sewer system. The city has conducted several studies, consulted the Twentynine Palms Water District, and landed on a location – an open area north of Highway 62, west of Utah Trail and just east of the post office. Residents at the meeting expressed both concerns about unwelcome aromas, and excitement over septic-free properties. When Councilmember Scott suggested moving the proposed site, City Manager Frank Luckino explained that the city is applying for a time-sensitive state grant (consisting of leftover covid funds) slated specifically for septic-to-sewer conversions. The funds are first-come, first-serve, and the project must be shovel-ready. (Yucca Valley is applying for $177M and Twentynine Palms is applying for $158M.) Luckino stated that changing the location would likely mean more studies that would delay the application beyond the June deadline and the city could possibly miss an opportunity to have the project entirely funded, thus saving residents from upfront costs.
“If we don’t take this opportunity now, it will pass us. Eventually, the state will mandate the conversion and it will cost the residents more,” said Councilmember Mintz. The Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project was approved with Councilmember Scott abstaining.
