The Twentynine Palms City Council met last night to review, among other things, their mid-year budget. Reporter Heather Clisby was there…
Last night’s Twentynine Palms City Council meeting was all business. First up, the Council waived a processing fee of $275 for Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center—based on its non-profit status—to merge 15 acres of its land.
The Council agreed to send a letter to CalRecycle officially resisting enforcement of SB 1383, proposed regulation aimed at diverting organic waste from landfills. Though some businesses currently donate to food pantries and animal farms, the Council states there is no infrastructure currently in place and it fears many would face fines.
City Manager Frank Luckino reviewed the mid-year city budget, which is performing well. With $11.5 million in the general and investment fund, the city is heavily funded by property taxes. Some downsides: a double-digit decrease in local hotel stays during the government shutdown and Builders Supply’s closing for three months as it goes through post-fire repair. The city has a strong reserve balance of $9.2 million, though revenue growth is always a concern.
There was some discussion about adding a “No Turn on Red” sign at Hwy 62 and Lear Ave. Factors such as backed up traffic on Lear Avenue, access for the small business at that corner and whether the sign would actually decrease dangerous turns at that intersections were considered.
The meeting closed with a projection that official groundbreaking on Project Phoenix could take place in September.
