One PS - September 2022 Meeting

Vista Las Palmas Neighborhood Organization One PS Meeting
September 13, 2022

Hello neighbors, 

The September ONE-PS meeting was held both in person (at The Pavilion Community Center) and virtually (via Zoom) Tuesday afternoon September 13, 2022. Your neighborhood representatives from Vista Las Palmas were in attendance (virtually). 

Below are the highlights from the meeting so that you can be fully informed about important local issues.

Cathy Cohn - Vice Chair of ONE-PS facilitated the meeting as the other officers were absent. There was no August 2022 meeting and many people were still out of town during the September meeting. Thursday, September 29th is an Emergency Preparedness event/class behind Home Depot. Home Depot often simultaneously runs sales on certain items used during an emergency (For example, flashlight or batteries) Classes scheduled for mid October have been postponed due to fire personnel working the Fairview Fire in Hemet. Expect classes to be rescheduled mid November.

The ONE-PS board is still looking for 5 executive positions and 6 at large positions for 2023. Consider volunteering. ONE-PS to host City Council candidate forum Oct 1st & October 2nd at The Palm Springs Cultural Center (2300 E Baristo Rd.). In addition, the forum will host Desert Water Agency Board candidates.

Neighborhood presentations continued with Old Las Palmas and Melody Ranch reporting. Our sibling neighborhood OLP has THIRTEEN Board Members. Please consider volunteering some time to VLPNO or running for an upcoming VLP Board Seat. Melody Ranch, on the other hand has over ONE THOUSAND family members; it primarily consists of 3 HOAs (Seven Lakes Country Club, Canyon Sands HOA and Oasis Resort ) and the Parker Hotel. So....

Please renew your VLP membership! https://www.vistalaspalmas.org/join It must be done annually per the VLP bylaws.

Mayor Lisa Middleton said a search for a new City Manager continues. Finalists will be selected after election results. In the interest of fairness and the spirit of full disclosure, the City Manager candidate finalists will know with whom they would be potentially working. Numerous requests for information from College of The Desert have been requested by The City of Palm Springs. Councilmembers want as much information in the public domain as possible before COD Board elections. Recent revelations point to a major reduction in the scope of the West Valley Campus (Palm Springs). In other words, the number and size of the facilities planned for the Palm Springs campus are expected to be dramatically smaller (scaled back). On August 11th various Coachella Valley stakeholders met with Union Pacific representatives in LA about bringing Amtrak service to the Coachella Valley. Amtrak service is run on Union Pacific rails. A third rail running parallel to existing rail lines is proposed. The project is estimated to cost $1B. Former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is now the Riverside Transportation Commission point person for the project. Reviewing solutions for the closure of Indian Canyon from San Rafael to I-10 due to flooding and blowing sand. A bridge is estimated to cost $285M. A smaller prefabricated bridge is estimated to cost $50M. Ambulance response time can be an additional 45 minutes when roundabout routes must be taken due to closure(s) on Indian Canyon and/or Gene Autrey. The Vacation Rentals Forum has been meeting and is expected to make recommendations to the City Council in October.

Interim Fire Chief Jason Loya PSFD - Was installed as Interim Fire Chief immediately upon former Fire Chief J Kevin Nalder's resignation which took effect immediately. Loya introduced himself; he has over 21 years with PSFD. He has risen through the ranks by internal promotion. Normally the City Manager appoints/hires department heads including the Fire Chief. However, former City Manager Justin Clifton resigned after a little over a year. His last day on the job was September 16th. Consequently Assistant City Manager Terest Gallavan has been acting as City Manager on an interim basis. Gallavan is also new to Palm Springs, starting last November. Her predecessor resigned to become the City Manager of Rialto in May 2021. Loya reiterated recent hiring statistics: just hired 6 more firefighters. PSFD is moving toward a four person fire engine crew. This complies with national safety standards. Presently Palm Springs firefighting crews are only 3 in size. Safety regulations dictate that if 2 fire fighters enter a burning building, 2 firefighters must stay outside. The department’s current 3 person firefighter crew size hinders the department’s efficacy in fighting fires. Furthermore, a 4 member team will better ensure the safety of our firefighters. The budget had been increased to $27M, up from $18.5M last year.

Lt. Hutchinson — PSPD — Reiterated recent statistics brought up at July's meeting: said they are getting 3 additional officers plus 2 staff positions as mentioned by Mayor Middleton in July. 18 officers are currently out sick. 6 officers are in training. Operation Clean Street continues. The area behind Walmart on the Cathedral City line was targeted. Presently that is a homeless encampment. There have been reports of drug dealing. Several arrests were made for drug possession and parole violations. Some people accepted services. Code Enforcement is no longer under PSPD. (It is now under Public Works.)

Bob Farran, the ONE-PS event chair — Six houses have been approved for the October 15th city-wide house tour during mini-Modernism which is ONE-PS' biggest fundraising event of the year. They have sold out of their 300 ticket allocation priced at $65/ticket. They hope to gross approximately $15K. Docents are needed. Consider volunteering.

Liz from Palm Springs Disposal Services — As discussed in previous meetings, pick-up of organic, recycling, kitchen waste will go live Monday, October 3rd. $14K worth of carts arrived and are being assembled the weekend of September 17th. The new carts will be delivered during the next 2 weeks. [You should have had your green cart delivered by now. If not, contact PS Disposal. @ (760) 327-1351.]

October 15th (8am - 12noon) e-waste/shredding event scheduled at PS City Hall Parking Lot. October 22nd bulky items may be dropped off at PS City Hall parking lot between 8am and 2pm. e-waste/shredding will occur simultaneously until noon on the 22nd as well.

Denise Goolsby - Manager, Office of Neighborhoods — May submit questions for DWA Board candidates to her.

Xochit Pena - Desert Water Agency — Water conservation measures still in place. Do not water the lawn during daylight hours. "Let it go gold.". Grass will come back in the Spring. Don't overseed. (Seed prices are up incidentally.) Beware The Water Waste Patrol!

Steve Orr and Gustav Swanson