Although the Twentynine Palms City Council was down to three members at its June 23 meeting (with members Heiser and Cole away with excused absences), the meeting was not short on topics. Reporter Dan Stork broke his report into two parts. Today: a Park presentation, Lake Fire news, non-profit allocations, and the marketing consultant contract…
Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Presents State of the Park
Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith said that this year’s visitor count is on track to hit 2 million, 25 percent above last year’s record 1.6 million. He talked about plans for adding campsites, and wished for more RV facilities in the Morongo Basin. Expansion plans for the park headquarters in Twentynine Palms remain blocked by archaeological considerations, leading Smith to propose an inter-agency visitor center in town.
City Manager Relays Lake Fire Assessment and Worries
City Manager Frank Luckino passed along a fire official’s assessment of the Lake Fire. Authorities are optimistic about control of the blaze, as long as it heads into the already burned-over area of the 2006 Sawtooth Complex fire. They fear that predicted weekend thunderstorms may bring winds that could drive the fire up the hill into timber.
Non-profit Allocations
Responding to a plea by Reach Out Morongo Basin Executive Director Robin Schlosser about the cost of medical transportation services, the Council funded that organization at 100 percent of its request, and followed staff recommendation in funding the other four non-profits who had applied at 75 percent of their request.
| Organization | Request | Allocation |
| Reach Out Morongo Basin | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| MB Unity Home | $10,000 | $7,500 |
| 29 Palms Youth Club | $15,000 | $11,250 |
| Twentynine Palms Library | $10,000 | $7,500 |
| Family Services Association | $10,000 | $7,500 |
| Total | $60,000 | $48,750 |
The Council had previously allocated $45,000 for this purpose. City Manager Luckino said he would find someplace from which to move the additional $3,750.
Marketing Consultant Agreement
The Council renewed Vickie Waite’s contract as marketing consultant for the City as $20 per hour, to a maximum of $24,000 for a year.
Project Phoenix Property Buy Hits Speed Bump
The acquisition by the city of a property at the southeast corner of Yucca Avenue and the highway has hit a environmental assessment speed bump, likely related to the property’s history as a gas station site. Council capped the sales price at $200,000, as protection against yet-unknown mitigation costs.
Sculpture Purchase Rejected
All council members in attendance admitted to being “sculptured out,” or would like areas of the city other than National Park Drive to have sculpture. They voted to disapprove the use of about $11,000 for the purchase of a Ricardo Breceda piece depicting a pioneer woman. They pushed the issue into the next fiscal year, to follow a review of policy guidelines for the Public Art Advisory Committee.
Project Phoenix Consultant Selected
The council selected the consultant Kosmont Companies, in the person of former Development Director Matt McCleary, to assist in the disposition of former Redevelopment Agency properties, and to advise in the planning and implementation of Project Phoenix, at a maximum cost of $92,500 for a year.
Code Update Consultant Selected
The council selected the consulting company PMC to help bring the already 3-year-old development code update process to a conclusion. The completion target date is December of this year, and the maximum value of the contract is $53,000.
Cities’ Conference Delegates Selected
Council members MacArthur Wright and Dan Mintz were selected to be the delegate and alternate delegate, respectively, to the conference of the California League of Cities.
