In its shortest meeting in recent memory, the Twentynine Palms City Council, its numbers reduced to a bare quorum in the absence of Jay Corbin and Cora Heiser, filled the vacancy on the Planning Commission, and dispatched the rest of its agenda without much discussion. Dan Stork peers through the blur of speed…
Left to right: Reach Out Executive Director Robin Schlosser, Edison District Manager Ken Hoover, Edison spokesperson Jennifer Cusack, 29 Palms Mayor Dan Mintz.
At the start of the meeting, the Council and Southern California Edison, represented by Jennifer Cusack, commended each other on their cooperation during the rain-caused emergency during the Independence Day weekend. Cusack also presented Reach Out Morongo Basin with a $5000 check.
The new Planning Commission member is Jeffrey Perry, who was recommended for selection by Council members Jim Harris and Dan Mintz, over one other applicant – John King – following interviews of both men. Perry favors the establishment of Vacation Home Rentals in the City.
In other business, the Council
• Removed from the consent agenda adjustment of the Fire Facilities Impact Mitigation fee, returning it to staff for further work;
• Confirmed the levy for the 1st Lighting and Landscaping Assessment District;
• Authorized minor corrections to the budget for 2014-2015;
• Following a Planning Commission recommendation, considered initiating an amendment to the Development Code, allowing “Ambulance Services” as a permissible use in multiple zoning districts.
At Jim Harris’ suggestion, “Ambulance Services” was generalized to “public safety services”. Harris said that this zoning change is likely to benefit the Desert Heights area, with improved response times for medical emergencies in the wake of the closure of the Lear fire station. Morongo Basin Ambulance, having made over 1000 calls in the Twentynine Palms area last year, would like to have a permanent staging area for calls.
Council adjourned to closed session, to discuss property acquisition for rights-of-way for sidewalk, curb, and gutter construction on State Route 62.
