TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL MOVES ON DERELICT PROPERTIES

October 14, 2020

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The Twentynine Palms City Council spent most of last night’s meeting taking on neglected properties that have become terrible eyesores. Reporter Heather Clisby has details….

Last night’s Twentynine Palms City Council began their meeting by welcoming a new Code Enforcement Officer, Chris Giunta. Just in time too, as the City is actively tackling properties that are abandoned.

Chris Giunta, the City’s new Code Enforcement Officer, greets the Council. Giunta recently moved to Twentynine Palms from Maryland, where he held the same position. Heather Clisby photo

interim Code Enforcement Officer Shawn Kilpatrick presented three different cases during the meeting. In the first case, regarding an abandoned fire-damaged building on Adobe Rd., the Council unanimously declared the property a “Public Nuisance and a Dangerous Building” despite the property owners lawyer pleading for more time. Councilmember Daniel Mintz noted that the owners have received 10 warnings over 23 years and gone through four code enforcement officers. The owners have 45 days to demolish or rebuild.

Shawn Kilpatrick, who retired as the Palm Desert Code Compliance Officer, lent the City a hand in dealing with a number of dangerous buildings, until a new officer could be hired. Heather Clisby photo

The action was repeated with another abandoned property on Adobe Rd., known as “the Church” by vagrants. Matthew Finnegan argued against the resolution as many homeless reside on the property. Equally passionate pleas were made from neighbors who have tired of the trash, noise and drug activity. The Council again resolved to declare the property a “Public Nuisance and a Dangerous Building” and the owners were given the same 45-day window to resolve.

Another property, 6609 La Luna, was demolished in September 2019 costing the City more than $21K. The Council voted unanimously for the amount to be paid by the property owner as a supplemental tax within 10 days.

Last Friday, San Bernardino County sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom requesting that he consider re-opening less populated sub-regions of the County with low COVID-19 infection rates. Communities named in the letter include Needles, Big Bear and the Morongo Basin.

San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters, Bob Page, gave a remote presentation that illustrated the many secure ways that residents can cast their ballot in the days leading up to November 3. The County has set up 72 official ballot drop-off boxes and there will be 210 polling places on the day of the election.