The Twentynine Palms City Council met last night and confronted COVID-19 vaccination rates, highway safety projects, impact fees, Project Phoenix, and the unanimous rejection of a vacation home rental permit application. Reporter Heather Clisby was there …
Last night’s Twentynine Palms City Council meeting began with Director Josh Dugas, from the San Bernardino County Public Health department, presenting both county and city numbers on COVID-19 vaccination rates. While Twentynine Palms shows 32.4 percent of eligible residents receiving at least one dose of the vaccine compared with the county rate at 59.8 percent, Dugas noted existing data discrepancies might involve the Marine base.
The council voted unanimously to deny an appeal of a vacation home rental (VHR) permit application rejection. Property owner Thomas Johnson was denied a permit after repeatedly operating without a permit and receiving citations for multiple vehicles on the property (overcrowding) and overflowing trash. Johnson, who is currently stationed overseas with his family, can re-apply for a VHR permit after one year.
The council discussed possible changes to Development Impact Fees that generally come with the application for a building permit. No decisions were made but the council discussed rescinding these fees on single-family homeowners.
Kenneth Bailey, from the city’s engineering department, presented project updates from the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Bailey discussed plans to address high-collision areas. Improvements will include road signage, roadway marking upgrades, and road repaving that will begin next June.
The council considered somehow honoring Twentynine Palms resident Sgt. Maj. Ray Wilburn as part of Project Phoenix. Wilburn, a Marine veteran of three wars, passed in 2018 at the age of 98. The concept of a memorial wall or brick pavers for individual purchase was also considered.
The council approved the purchase of a property for $335,000 that will be used for the wastewater treatment facility for Project Phoenix. The money will come from the $6.2 million the city received in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
