Twentynine Palms City Council expected to explore sales tax increase to fund new animal shelter
Since incorporating in 1987, Twentynine Palms has taken an informal approach to collecting road/street info but tonight, the Twentynine Palms City Council hopes to change that by establishing an official Maintained Road List. Staff is hoping the list will bring much-needed clarity to which roads are/are not maintained and to what exact standards.
Council will also discuss results from a community survey on a proposed increased sales tax to fund the new Palms-n-Paws Animal Shelter. The agenda also includes an update from the shelter at the meeting outset.
The council meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 27, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. It can be livestreamed or viewed on-demand via the city’s website.
As to why there is a need for a new animal shelter in Twentynine Palms, Mayor Dan Mintz and City Manager were guests on a recent episode of the Z107.7 Up Close Show. Host Gary Daigneault inquired about the status of the current animal shelter and the costs of a new one. Here is a snippet from their conversation.
James explained, “Our current situation with the animal shelter is that it built around 1994. It was almost immediately inadequate, and it is now a stunningly outdated facility. We are having tremendous success right now with the animal shelter, but that is due to the diligence and the drive and the creativity of our staff, of our volunteers, and our foster parents.”
“As far as plans for the new shelter, we are taking a look at a site that is located on the northwest corner of Foothill and Adobe Road. It’s about a three-acre site. And so right now, Mayor Mintz and Councilmember MacArthur Wright are on the City’s cost committee and the design committee to try to value engineer the facility. We have engaged the top planning firm in the United States that builds the shelters that animals need but we are not an affluent community.”
“Mayor Mintz and Councilmember Wright have the big job of value engineering, figuring out where they can cut costs to make it a facility that the city can afford to build.”
When asked what the proposed shelter development might cost, Mintz said, The first one they tried to show us was about $20 million. I don’t think that’s really where we’re at. Realistically, anything you build in a municipality is expensive, so we are currently considering a range from $8 million to $15 million.”
