After hearing a moving presentation on the deep-rooted problems that lead to homelessness and how far it reaches across the county, the Twentynine Palms City Council made a generous financial gesture to a local homeless resource organization, Morongo Basin Arch.
Last night, the Twentynine Palms City Council meeting began with an update on Twentynine Palms High School athletic facilities where a new stadium is being constructed, grass is being laid, light poles are getting installed, and the gym floor will be refurbished.
The council then heard a presentation by the Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement (H.O.P.E) team on available resources for homeless in the city and county. Following a brief presentation by the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), the council approved a 1.5 percent assessment on all short-term stays in the city.
Morongo Basin Arch (MBA) President Astrid Johnson spoke before the council to ask for a temporary $50,000 loan as they await pending funds from the county. Councilmember Bilderain took it a step further and made a motion to provide the loan and lower the debt to $30,000, thereby granting the homeless support organization a donation of $20,000. The motion was approved.
Regarding the affordable housing project behind City Hall, the council voted to table the item and revisit later this year, or possibly early next, as details are still being determined.
Finally, the council heard updates on the implementation of the new Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Policy formalized earlier this summer. The city is now at the maximum capacity of 500 permits plus 25 over that, as standby for pending applications that will not complete. New permit grantees will have to take a $80 in-person Good Neighbor Education Class that will cover host responsibilities, VHR operational standards, safety and compliance regulations, and noise mitigation. Current policy states that VHR regulations should be revisited every eight years, but council agreed to consider reviewing more frequently.
