Much of the focus at the Twentynine Palms City Council meeting was saying hello to its next administrator. Reporter Dan Stork tells what else happened in the relatively brief session…
Twentynine Palms City Council, staff, and citizens in attendance at last night’s meeting welcomed Frank Luckino, who will assume the position of City Manager on March 23. With the city’s experience of short-tenured city managers in recent years clearly in mind, Acting City Manager Larry Bowen good-humoredly said to Luckino: “You need to stay here for some years. That would be appreciated by all the staff and the community—and by the City Council too!”
Bowden and Council Member Dan Mintz and described a field trip they had made to car-racing facilities in Thermal and Desert Center, which will inform future discussions of a potential track in Twentynine Palms.
Incorporation of a chapter on high-density residential affordable housing into the Development Code, to accord with state requirements for such provisions, was approved. “High-density” means more than 20 units per acre. The place designated for such developments is a 51-acre area across Adobe Road from City Hall.
A mid-year budget review by Finance Director Ron Peck was accepted by council. Peck pointed out the drawing-down of several safety and improvement funds over recent years. Peck also gave the background for an increase in fire impact fees, which council approved. The fee structure, which was instituted when the city bought a fire truck for the Fire Department, and which is supposed to be reviewed and updated annually, has not been reviewed since its creation. Peck emphasized that it is to be used for capital improvements, not for operational or maintenance purposes.
TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL MEETS LUCKINO, DISCUSSES RACE TRACK, FIRE IMPACT FEES
