Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for improvements on National Park Drive, featuring metal sculptures by artist Ricardo Breceda, the Twentynine Palms City Council moved to City Hall, where they planned a meeting whose purpose was to plan a meeting. Reporter Dan Stork explains, and relates what else transpired…
Meeting with Water District.
The major topic of discussion at the Twentynine Palms City Council meeting was how to respond to the refusal of the Water District to respond to the Council query to the District as to what the District wanted to discuss at a joint meeting of the Council and District, which the District had requested. Council member Jay Corbin said that there should be some specificity in the agenda: How much money is wanted for the fire department? What will be done with the money? What degree of control will the city have in its use? In the end, the Council decided to arrange a joint open-ended public workshop. Issues raised in that workshop will be the basis for the agenda of a subsequent meeting.
Farewell to Matt McCleary, and welcome to Andy Takata and Jim Hamilton.
The Council gave a farewell appreciation to Matt McCleary, the outgoing Interim Community Development Director. It welcomed his replacement, Jim Hamilton, and Interim City Manager Andy Takata.
Planning Commissioner compensation.
The Council directed staff to implement the compensation guidelines for Planning Commissioner as written: $300 per month for a month in which a commissioner attends at least one meeting, with no extra compensation if there are more than two meetings in a month.
Planning Commission vacancy.
Jim Harris and Jay Corbin were appointed by Mayor Dan Mintz to interview applicants for the vacant Planning Commission seat. Three applications have been received.
Summer schedule.
The Council will meet once each month in July and August.
Reinvestment program.
Council agreed to carry over the $250,000 that had been budgeted for Community Reinvestment in the current year’s budget, but not spent, and add it to the $125,000 budgeted for the coming year. $335,000 in requests have been received for beautification projects such as creation of trash enclosures, landscaping, and painting. Since the allocation exceeds the requests, Matt McCleary said that staff will not need direction in prioritizing requests.
