Palm Desert City Council - Study Session, February 27, 2025

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AI transcript text.

[00:04:47] Speaker: It's time, and everyone's here, so let's get going for the study session for February 27th. How do you want to start?
[00:05:00] Speaker: We're going to turn this over to Chris and let him take us through the presentation, and we'll follow his lead.
[00:05:06] Chris Asabo: Mayor and Council, Chris Asabo, Assistant City Manager. Staff's prepared a couple of documents for you today. The guidance you give us today will be incorporated into the budget planning sessions which will take place in May to ensure that City resources are aligned with your priorities. The first part here, we're going to recap each of the goals to show what's been accomplished and what are the next steps. The second part, staff has summarized Council's individual comments, so we'll work through those items to see what refinements you have or what changes you'd like to see. So with that, I'll kick it over to Martine Alvarez, our new Economic Development Director, previous and now back, to cover the first three goals.
[00:05:48] Speaker: It's Martin 2.0.
[00:05:52] Martine Alvarez: Good afternoon, Mayor, members of City Council. We're going to walk through a couple of slides giving you some accomplishments on a couple of different topics and also some next steps. On the first item, we want to talk about is the CSU Palm Desert campus. As you know, throughout the last couple of years, Priority One CV has worked with the CSU leadership, other stakeholders, and other members of the legislature to secure $79 million for the new student services building. That building has been designed, and it is scheduled to commence construction later this summer, so that is good news that's happening there. We're continuing to work with CSUSB Palm Desert campus in coordination of a lot of different projects that are in the works, many of which you're familiar with, including the Fire Station 102, the improvements for drainage, the improvements that potentially could come to fruition for a joint use for a regional park. I know Randy will talk a little bit more about that here in the next couple of slides. We are also working with them on coordination with control, other issues that basically are joint with the city, so that collaboration continues strong and we'll continue that moving forward. The other discussions that we're having in the works is looking through other drainage opportunities or drainage storage opportunities we have. Basically, with Tropical Storm Hilary, we learned that Gerald Ford and Cook Street took a big hit, and then for their future uses also. So we're going to need to collaborate so that we can have potential joint capacity for their future expansions and for us to retain some additional water in that area. So we talked a bit about next steps. The student center, as I mentioned, will start construction this summer. We're working with the Student Services Advisory Committee to continue to see if there's other opportunities to look at grant funding, other fundraising opportunities to continue to grow that campus. And then also, Randy's going to talk about the potential collaboration for some park uses on that side. So if there are no questions on that slide, we can move on to the next one.
[00:08:11] Speaker: Can I—I'm just going to make a quick note for everyone here, if they'll mark their calendars to jot it down now. May 9th, the morning of May 9th, is the date of the groundbreaking for that Student Center at CSU.
[00:08:31] Martine Alvarez: Okay, we can go ahead and move on to the next slide. Okay, the other slide here talks about our Desert Willow strategy. Over the last year, we've been working on a lot of different opportunities to build out the remaining lot pads at Desert Willow. Lot pad A, which is the east and north of the clubhouse, we recently completed, with the help of staff and various departments, completed about 200 new parking spaces that will help expand the opportunity for guests and also for Desert Surf. That is going to continue to move forward with their construction. We're also looking at other opportunities to look at hospitality opportunities for the lot pad in the future. Lot C and D, those are the ones in the middle of the property as you're coming up Desert Willow Drive. Those lots have been cleared for the Surplus Land Act process. There is a covenant that if there is any residential built on those sites, that 10% affordable housing be set aside for that. However, we currently are in an exclusive negotiation agreement with CamSam company, that is the owner of JW Marriott. They're looking at a hospitality project on those two lots. That will probably be coming back to the City Council for consideration in the next quarter. We're continuing to have discussions with them. We've seen some conceptual designs, and we're going to be looking at see what those...
[00:10:01] Speaker 1: Opportunities are moving forward on Lot E, which is the one down by Country Club and Desert Willow Drive closest to Ralphs, the lower portion. That also has been cleared through the Surplus Land Act, and we're currently finalizing a purchase and sale agreement with an affordable housing developer to bring about 130 units to that location. So that also will move forward here shortly in the coming months. And I think that concludes primarily what is happening with the development strategy here at Desert Willow, and we'll bring up some additional updates here in the next couple months.
[00:10:43] Speaker 1: In terms of business recruitment, coming up to speed here on this particular program or these particular programs, but the most active one we have right now is a commercial developer named Fountainhead. Most of you know that the project that they have in the works is the Chick-fil-A project. We call it the Chick-fil-A project, but there's plenty of opportunities there to expand. They have approvals for two hotels, they have three more retail users that are basically just on the brink of breaking ground, so we're continuing to work with them to make sure we facilitate those openings. And there's some infrastructure that needs to be adjusted there, so we're working with them really closely. They are also working on the property that is north of Lowe's. That is a commercial site, also residential and mixed-use commercial site. They're also looking at opportunities to develop that piece, so they're very active in our area, and we've been partnering with them over the last couple years to move that forward.
[00:11:45] Speaker 1: In terms of the Invest Palm Desert incentive program that has been active, you'll have an item this afternoon on the agenda to basically request assistance for relocation of a restaurateur that's been well-known and has been in the city for over 40 years. But those incentive programs are basically there to assist relocations of businesses, expansions, to facilitate the growth, to create jobs, and to basically enhance our economic base. And that economic base is really what helps us provide the services to our residents. So that's active, and it's still something that we're working to promote and to bring out to the community.
[00:12:35] Speaker 1: The next item is the Retail Coach. Oh, I'm sorry, go ahead with the Retail Coach. Sorry, you sure? Okay. The Retail Coach is our consultant that helps us basically look at analytics, psycho-analytics of what potential businesses can come to Palm Desert, would want to open in Palm Desert, what businesses are out there in the community or even nationally would be a good fit for Palm Desert. So we're constantly working with them to look at vacancies, look at buildings that could fit some of the new entertainment, restaurants, retailers that are coming into the market in the next year. So we're basically in constant contact with them as they're coming up with ideas of what's out there in the retail market.
[00:13:24] Speaker 1: We're working with our brokers continually to see what sort of trends are happening, what potential businesses are going out into bankruptcy, what potential big boxes are going to be needing to be filled in the future. So we have a really close tie with our brokers in the community. We will be bringing back to you a broker report here in the next couple meetings to give you an update of what's happening in the community in terms of retail recruitments and also availabilities.
[00:14:00] Speaker 1: And of course, we're constantly working through and working with our community partners, both El Paseo and Pablo North, the I-10 corridor, any of our commercial sectors, basically trying to find opportunities to enhance and promote new developments in those areas. And the last item there in terms of next steps, we have been in discussions with Dick's Sporting Goods, even Ikea, and even some of other entertainment operators that are in the market looking for a space in Palm Desert. More to come on that in the next couple meetings. I think that concludes my three slides, and are there any questions?
[00:14:43] Speaker 2: I do. Can you remind me the dollar amount of the contract with Retail Coach?
[00:14:47] Speaker 1: I don't know off the top of my head, to be honest with you. I don't know if anybody else does, but we can get that information too.
[00:14:54] Speaker 2: And secondly, can you name some individual success stories they provided for us?
[00:15:01] Councilmember: Businesses they've found. Okay, yeah, yeah, I think that's a good idea. We should have an entire report of what we're paying, what they've done for us, what they are currently pursuing. I think that's a good idea.
[00:15:14] Councilmember: And if I could just add, that ties into my goal number three with the mall redevelopment, which I'll wait till my turn, but the Retail Coach or whoever, it's vital to... but anyway, I will wait till I'm discussing my goals.
[00:15:29] Councilmember: If I may on that same topic, Martin, I thought that was part of the original agreement of why we chose them, that they were supposed to give us, I think, at least two presentations to the council directly. I remember that was one of the... when I at ICSC in meeting with them, it was great. They said they were going to have a live spreadsheet that was going to be updating, so you would always know to the minute any conversations ongoing per retailer, and that they said that they would come to give a council presentation directly. So now that the Mayor has requested that, it was a reminder that I think they were already supposed to do that.
[00:16:06] Councilmember: Do we know when they started? I mean, in terms of how many have they missed?
[00:16:12] Martin: No, I do not. I'm stepping into this, this is my like second day. But certainly those are very good points. We'll bring back the entire report, both the Retail Coach and also the broker report, and what successes have been through working with those, both local and the national company.
[00:16:32] Councilmember: Yeah, I believe it was March of last year. I remember sitting in on a Retail Coach meeting, so...
[00:16:40] Councilmember: And if I may, you know, you spoke of the mall and that would be the next steps, and the last point. And so many, in reading through this, so many of the suggested next goals are actually part of what we're already doing. So let's keep that in mind as we go along, that really much of what we need to do is continue the good work and continue the momentum that we've got going already. And welcome back, and congrats on getting tossed straight into the fire.
[00:17:07] Martin: Thank you.
[00:17:15] Richard Kenon: I'll take on the next slide here regarding North planning. For the record, Richard Kenon, Director of Development Services. Some of the major accomplishments regarding this item was the kickoff of the Unified Development Code, and what that is is really taking our zoning code, grading ordinance, and subdivision code, updating those, and then consolidating them into one document. There's a number of inconsistencies throughout all of those. Our subdivision regulations were from 1976, and so in a desperate need to update those. We're continuing working on amendments to the UNP, primarily that update is focused on the 170 acres. Most of the development right now occurring in the North Sphere is a result of that UNP plan, but again, that 170 is something that we need to relook at that planning. Part of that was a 20 to 40-acre park, and now with some of that shifting over to possibly CSU, we have a little bit of a pause on that project right now with the final development concepts. But if you recall, we had a contract amendment that we pushed until we figured out exactly what we were going to do with that park location, and so I know at some point we'll be bringing that item back once we figure that out. And then collaborated with IID and the Berger Foundation regarding development of a new electrical substation. And so some of the next steps related to that, again, as I mentioned, continue refining the preferred land use plan as part of the UNP. Added in maintaining communication with Edison, that's something we continue to do, and it has, I would say, improved tremendously. We have a process now we think in place that lets our developers know right up front to reach out to them. Some of them initially thought, 'Well, we have a letter to serve,' and we explained that they're just taking that to mean they'll serve you, but it doesn't tell you when electric will be available. And so we work through some of those nuances. We again recently just had our meeting with the City Council subcommittee for the UDC update, and so again, that's continuing to progress, as well as providing ongoing updates with the IID and the Berger Foundation regarding a new substation for that, I would say, North area of the North Sphere. I included another... I added a slide to this. I wanted to... next one. If you recall, last month I brought...
[00:20:01] Staff: Forward sort of a number of key projects. We had, I think there were 11 total for Development Services, and so I kind of consolidated on one slide here all of the ones that are related to the UDC. I know what one of the goals to be discussed later is expediting the timeframe for that, and just kind of want to let everyone know there's, while the code is sort of on the main line, we've got a number of other projects running on parallel tracks that will ultimately feed into that, meaning the University Neighborhood Specific Plan, the Hillside Development Ordinance, which we will be bringing a sort of initial findings to Council study session on March 27th.
[00:20:43] Staff: The downtown zoning, if you recall, we actually pushed that down so we can focus on the Hillside Ordinance. So that one, we're gearing the subcommittee back up to meet on March 7th to go over the downtown zoning. And then we have the downtown zoning objective design standards—I'm sorry, the downtown zoning objective design standards is the one that we pushed to a later date. We have a map cleanup and a General Plan cleanup that we're working on right now for the downtown zoning, and then we're looking at, over the course of the next 10 months, working on that zoning amendment, what I'm calling changing the colors on the map to make sure we have the heights that everyone desires for future development and consolidating a number of the overlays that we have out there into actual districts so we don't have all of these competing regulations.
[00:21:41] Staff: And then a lot of that process-related, as to how development will occur, falls back to the development code, so that will be part of that UDC update. And so we're finalizing that assessment memo now. Just to give you an idea of staff's initial review of just the zoning code, excluding the downtown chapter, we identified 547 issues within our zoning code. So this is everything from internal inconsistencies, some regulations that just don't make sense, and just a whole slew of things. And so on top of that, we have a complete overhaul of our subdivision and grading regulations. And so this is a heavy lift. There's a lot of policy implications that we want to make sure everyone fully understands, more so we have the community meetings, but most importantly, testing the regulations and making sure that we don't have any unintended consequences. And so while there's always an unintended consequence, we want to try to mitigate that risk as best as we can.
[00:22:52] Staff: So just wanted to let everyone know, and so what we're looking at right now is bringing that initial findings, that initial assessment memo, to a study session on April 10th. And so we're trying to get it done sooner so you're not just getting it the week before. So we want to try to get that out at least to the subcommittee in advance because it's going to be a pretty hefty document. I'll be happy to answer any questions.
[00:23:25] Staff: In terms of the mall redevelopment, staff continues to interface with Pacific Retail Capital Partners on their strategic planning for the mall, bouncing ideas off of us. We are still waiting for the next idea in terms of what the mall looks like. We've asked, after the first plan that we saw six months ago, that they focus on making sure that we were able to protect those revenues to the extent possible on the commercial side, and bring back to us a little bit more encompassing plan for the entire site, as well as what they're asking for in terms of phasing. They are still at this point trying to acquire the money to initiate the CEQA process, which is going to be a significant undertaking on this site. And so there'll be more to come. We'll be putting together kind of a letter to them sometime in the next week or two, voicing our needs and our concerns with the planning process, so we'll make sure that you're in the loop there.
[00:24:34] Staff: In terms of the overall discussions that we've been having with the other retailers regarding the Sears property, we'll also be likely bringing a proposal back to the Council at the next meeting—is what we're shooting for. We've got an initial proposed offer on the Sears site; however, we're still going through our due diligence. We're not sure it makes total sense yet, so we're working on a counter and...
[00:25:01] Staff: making sure that anything we bring back to the Council pencils out and, most importantly, ensures that you continue to have a say in what the overall development/redevelopment of that mall looks like. We have seen concepts where the Affordable Housing Act is being met on that site, which really allows them to work around many of the zoning processes of the city. So we're continuing to have those discussions in terms of what does this look like, what is your timeline. They initially had been on—Pacific Retail had been on a 60-month shot clock with the note holders of the mall, and so that's been about 15, 16 months ago now at least. So there's a little bit of an urgency there. I think the interest rate environment isn't helping them in terms of some of the areas of the site where they were hoping to see residential occur and start accumulating some funds that way. So, a lot more to come. My guess is that there is going to be a point where they pause and have to go back to the note holders and renegotiate parts of this deal before we see a much more clear picture from them. But that is not going to necessarily have any impact on the Dick's negotiations that we've been talking to on the Sears side as well. We believe that we've been able to continue forward with that without impacting the larger mall site itself, in fact, and we believe it helps Pacific Retail with the redevelopment process as well. So, happy to answer any questions that you might have.
[00:26:47] Veronica Chavez: Okay, good afternoon. Veronica Chavez, Director of Finance. The city was successful in passing Measure G. Measure G was passed on November 5th with a 65% approval rating of the residents. Upon approval of Measure G, staff went ahead and completed all the documents required by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, so we are in the clear to begin administering Measure G on April 1st. Our collections will be for the last quarter of the fiscal year and then a full year beginning in July. In addition to approving Measure G on the ballot, Council also approved a five-year spending plan, and that plan prioritized public safety, flood control, the North Sphere Regional Park, and the library, and replenishing reserves. In alignment with the spending plan, City Council approved funding for the public safety costs, and staff is currently developing the quarterly report that will go to the Finance Committee and City Council in order to ensure compliance with the five-year plan. That's all I have on this item. If you have any questions, happy to answer them.
[00:28:06] Council Member: When did you say the month and year that we're going to get our full—our full 1% to the city?
[00:28:12] Veronica Chavez: So, the 1% will begin on April 1st, and then the full year of receiving 1% will begin July 1st. Staff is actively getting that information out there, as well as the state.
[00:28:31] Mayor: Any other questions or comments? Okay, let's keep moving.
[00:28:44] Amy Lawrence: Good afternoon, Mayor, members of the City Council. I'm Amy Lawrence, Deputy Director of Economic Development. Throughout 2024, staff continued to make significant progress on environmental initiatives. In addition to the accomplishments listed on this slide, a few other notable projects included adoption of an artificial turf policy for city-owned properties, parks, and in the public right-of-way; completion of LED lighting upgrades at Palma Village Park; various intersection modifications; and installation of benches made from recycled wind turbines. Staff also began working with CVAG on a regional comprehensive climate action plan, which includes an updated greenhouse gas inventory and projections for 2030 and 2045. So, next steps for this project for environmental initiatives include completion of that comprehensive climate action plan, which should be around Q3 of this year; exploring possible reallocation of federal grant funding for energy efficiency upgrades at city facilities; and continued work on the many projects listed in the environmental initiatives plan, which new projects are added to regularly; and also ongoing quarterly reporting on the environmental...
[00:30:01] Staff: initiatives planned to the City Council and to the public through Engage Palm Desert, and I'd be happy to answer any questions. Any questions? Okay, thank you.
[00:30:18] Randy Chavez: Good afternoon, Mayor, members of City Council. I'm Randy Chavez, Director of Public Works. We're going to discuss two parks: Community Park and the Regional Park. We'll discuss the Community Park first. The initial design was approved by City Council December 2023. Staff issued a task order agreement to a construction management team for plan review and cost validation. Staff has also reached out to the capital projects team for comments, who submitted comments to improve park accessibility and traffic flow. Concurrently, the Section 29 retention basin expansion up in the north section has been completed, and survey data is being collected for future construction plans. So, the next steps for the Community Park is staff took the updated conceptual plans to the Parks and Rec Committee meeting on February 4th, 2025. Two community engagement meetings are planned for March and possibly early April, and after the outreach, staff intends to bring back the final approval to City Council meeting in either late April or early May. If approved, we will begin developing construction documents and CEQA amendments with the intent to go out to bid in spring of 2026 for the park. The Regional Park concept, discuss that one next. The City Council directed staff to include a 35-acre Regional Sports Park in the University Neighborhood Specific Plan update. Currently, we're discussing with Cal State University San Bernardino staff to look at an alternative site at the Palm Desert campus. City staff is working on a conceptual plan for the alternative site that meets the needs of both the city and university site. The next steps is to update the conceptual plan. There's a meeting scheduled in the next week or two with university staff, and the intent is for city staff and college staff to collaborate on a letter of intent to outline a mutually beneficial park arrangement. That's the update, and I'll be happy to answer any questions.
[00:32:45] Council Member: Thank you, Randy. So, in terms of the original location on Frank Sinatra and Portola, which is across from Cal State, you're saying now where would this be located for the Regional Park?
[00:32:59] Randy Chavez: Yes, the Regional Park. So, the Regional Park would be on Cook Street and Gerald Ford, across the street from the Spanish Walk development. Right now, the conceptual plan puts it behind the proposed or the new fire station in that area.
[00:33:14] Council Member: Okay. And why did we look at changing the location?
[00:33:16] Staff: Yeah, the idea was the real heavy, intense uses. The concept was, would it help the CSU potential build-out if we relocated those ball fields with the tall lights and that sort of thing on their site and were able to share the facilities, versus leaving it where it currently is? And so CSU kind of picked that conversation up and asked us to take a look at further partnering with them. I'm not sure we're going to make this a viable option for Council. This has been our goal is to say, which option do you prefer? It would not be taking all the park space out of the initial site; it would just be moving the heavy ball field usage over into that large part of that campus, which is largely unused right now. We have not been, to date we have not been able to reach a consensus on what that looks like, how it would actually work. So the idea would be to come back and provide Council a couple of different options to consider.
[00:34:17] Council Member: Okay. And you're saying just the ball fields would be over there, nothing else? Because, and I know there's not, in terms of distance and miles, there's not a huge gap there, but it is more windy over there by Spanish Walk. And even though it is, I mean, the wind doesn't stop, there's not a wall to stop it, it's just slightly more windy and dusty over there.
[00:34:45] Staff: Yeah, the idea would be at some point in their master plan, they've got ball fields there anyway, and so is there an ability to share resources? One of the discussions we've been having with them is there was a request for us to put the ball fields closer to Spanish Walk, which...
[00:35:00] Staff: ...completely defeats the purpose of moving those tall lights and all the traffic in the middle of the campus closer to another housing subdivision. So, where that conversation continues to move forward, we get your point about the wind corridor. The idea would be, though, are we better off partnering with them and potentially sharing expenses and uses in the long haul, or do we just leave it where it is? And certainly, the windbreak of the houses over off of Portola is something you take into consideration, but we've been actively trying to give you two options to consider before we make that big investment.
[00:35:36] Council Member 1: If I may, okay. I recently met with community stakeholders, and taking into consideration if it is a Palm Desert-owned park, we will see such a high increase in the request to use public spaces. If we share with Cal State, would we then be able to say, 'You're going to have X amount of hours,' or 'You will have priority'? So, that's one side of my thinking. On the other, this would reinforce our commitment to Cal State to show Sacramento, 'Look, we keep investing. We already are looking ahead at their sports programs and how we can develop that.' So, it's again looking at both sides, but I think it would be a reasonable thing to consider. And of course, we can't control wind, just like any other community can't control if it's rainy and gets muddy on their field. But I think that the upside would be to look at the longitudinal impact of getting support from the State of California.
[00:36:34] Staff: Yeah, that's certainly part of the goal. One of the other things, selfishly, that staff's been thinking about as well, you know, is the fact that the CSU is going through a process right now of trying to get a private partner on that site in order to develop some of the outlots along Gerald Ford. So, with development, that will start breaking up that dust and wind as things start filling in there. But the idea is, if you could get some ball fields down, some grass down, some windbreaks, helping those residents also over in Spanish Walk from all the blowing dust complaints that we get—we've been able to help a little bit with laying down the palm fronds and that sort of thing—but it's an idea worth pursuing. It brings more investment there. One of the things that we continue to hear from the CSU administrators is there's not enough for these kids to do. So, on one vein, they're heading down actively trying to get student housing built to activate the site. This was another idea. At the end of the day, we still don't have an agreement with them to see what this looks like in terms of who operates it, how it's maintained, what access we have. So, the conversations are continuing, but we don't have an agreement and an option to show you at some point. Internally as a staff, we basically are going to try to get something nailed down by this summer. If we can't get some agreement there, I think we just need to cut the conversation off. But it has been exactly with the goal of trying to help activate that site, make it more attractive for students.
[00:38:05] Mayor: Does anybody else have... Please go.
[00:38:08] Council Member 2: If the agreement with Cal State comes to fruition and we move the ball fields up there, it sounds like there will be some element of a regional park at the existing Frank Sinatra site, correct?
[00:38:21] Staff: It just changes the programming of it. So, we're still getting a ton of requests for play, you know, ball fields, for open space, for pickleball courts. There's been talk about a community center, lots of ideas over there. But the idea is, if we could take that real intensive use out of that area, it probably helps from an overall residential development perspective. But absolutely, there's no intention whatsoever to not have at least a 15 or 20-acre park there at all.
[00:38:52] Council Member 2: Then what I may suggest counters the intensity, but I'm aware that the CVB has been studying the potential of bringing a large indoor sports facility to the valley, and it would be something I would like to see come to our town. And potentially, that might be a good location if we already plan to have some regional park facility there. It coincides with some of the family-friendly amenities and attractions we plan to talk about later. I know they're still in the study phase, but if that's something that we could put in the back of our minds as we plan, I think that would be really a great thing to aspire for. Of course, once the details are ironed out, it may not be that great, but if it turns out to be a great thing, I'd like us to be on the front end of, you know, attracting that.
[00:39:40] Staff: Yeah, we have been part of that conversation. We've had at least one developer I'm aware of that's approached us and CSU, and we've shared that information with CVB as well, and they're very excited about the indoor platform. It's really more of a matter of, will CSU play ball? And they like... because they're needing a lot of land, you know, and then how is it...
[00:40:02] Staff: ...financed. So these are all, these are all exciting things that we are talking to them about.
[00:40:09] Councilmember: Okay, so I was just going to mention the same thing. I know we're looking at an indoor facility, and CVB has had the discussion. And it would be great, we all know that it would provide impetus for the growth for the campus. It's an amazing thing what sports does as far as building education, but it works. But what I think we have to be a little apprehensive about, or very, very careful, because we saw what happened when we turned over the land to the CSU and we didn't have a detailed, in-depth contract, and we are suffering with that now some 20 years later. So any contract we have, it has to be just so detailed, so clear, so concise, or we wind up with a problem. And we're dealing once again with the state, and we know what happened with the library. So there's a lot of red flags that come up that we really have to be careful and take into consideration as we go forward. As much as we all want the enclosed sports facility, I think it would be a great asset. I know CVB is excited about it, they did their studies and it shows it would serve the valley well. We just have to make sure that it serves Palm Desert as well.
[00:41:40] Staff: What's next? Anything else? Any other thoughts? Okay, on Public Safety, the Council recently approved the addition of six additional sworn personnel for the Sheriff's Department. Two positions have been filled, the two motors, and additionally working with Lieutenant Porras to fill the remaining vacancies. Once the deputies are filled for those remaining vacancies, we'll see response times drastically improve across the four priority levels of calls. ALPR continues to prove to be a great success. We're researching new opportunities. Just recently we got word that the state will allow us to add cameras to both the on-ramps and off-ramps of the freeway, so we're looking at how we could add that as an enhancement to the system. And then we're continuing to work with COD since they have a city-wide camera system on potential integrations with their system. So, more to follow on that. And then also with the passage of Measure G, next in April we're scheduled to have the groundbreaking for the fourth fire station, Station 102, for it to be brought online next year. Going forward, we're continuing to double down on all of our homeless services. Our outreach efforts continue to be a success, as well as our enforcement activity. We're preparing a report for Council so you can hear firsthand once the PIT counts are finalized. And then we're continuing to enhance our emergency preparedness efforts. Council have any comments or questions?
[00:43:11] Councilmember: What was the, if I can get clarification, you said the state is now allowing cameras at the freeway?
[00:43:16] Staff: So, sorry, CHP, yeah, for both the on-ramps and the off-ramps.
[00:43:20] Councilmember: On-ramps, okay. Thank you.
[00:43:23] Staff: Correct. So part of the budget is we do have budget already for existing cameras, and so we've been looking for optimal sites. So right now, the Sheriff's Department has indicated that's a prime, prime location. Any other additional questions, thoughts? Then we'll just keep moving.
[00:43:48] Jess Colepepper: Good afternoon Mayor, City Council. Jess Colepepper, Director of Capital Projects. I'm going to cover the active transportation projects goal and recap for 2024. Some of our key accomplishments this year are the substantial completion, actually completion just yesterday for Haystack, of construction on the Haystack Road traffic calming improvements Phase 2 and PD Link Phase 2 projects, which NOC was just recently issued. We have our conceptual design for Walk and Roll PD Phase 2, which is the bike lane improvement portion, and Phase 3, which is the pedestrian improvements, were finalized and progressed to schematic design. We completed the construction of Monterey and Fred Waring, and Haystack and Highway 74 intersection improvements project, and expanded our community outreach efforts and incorporated community feedback to redesign multiple ATP projects, including Haystack and PD Link Phase 2. Our next steps moving forward to continue the public engagement through community meetings, providing updates, addressing concerns, and gathering feedback to refine project details, which will be key in Walk and Roll Phase 2 and 3, and also the El Dorado Drive pavement...
[00:45:00] Staff: Rehab, complete design and construction of Walk and Roll, PD Phase 2, complete the design and construction of Walk and Roll Phase 3, and complete the design and construction of Eldorado Drive bike lanes, which is kind of a two-for-one because it's doing the pavement rehab but also incorporating a portion of Walk and Roll, a significant portion. So, that's kind of the update for the ATP goal, and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you.
[00:45:33] Staff: All right, Madam Mayor and City Council, here you have a summary of all of the candidate goals that were submitted, and we'll go ahead and hand it off to each of the council members to present their proposed goals. And first up is Councilmember Instandy.
[00:45:50] Councilmember Instandy: Well, thank you everyone. And as we just had a wonderful presentation from staff, you will notice that two out of my three goals have been ongoing, and I still wanted to choose those again for 2025 to put the emphasis on the importance of our goals so that staff knows what my particular top priorities are. And we're everyone's, you know, working together on the North Sphere development and the fire station. It looks like, you know, we're discussing the regional park, we've got the options that we were just discussing with Cal State, it looks like everything's moving forward. I was happy to learn about the Fountainhead development that is potentially being proposed north of Lowe's. I think that that would be wonderful if that project moves forward. And then the other issue, and this is getting into the weeds per se, but when our visitors get off of Cook Street, we're starting to, you know, improve that area. There's an art sculpture there now, but I still think when people get off the Cook Street exit—maybe not Monterey, because that's just, you've got every big box known to mankind there, it's very commercial—but getting off of Cook Street, I hope we can continue to make it look a little more lush and beautiful, like down valley. It is still a little stark, but it's starting to fill in, and I really think it's important that we continue our efforts with the North Sphere there. And then my new proposal is for the City of Palm Desert to be a regional hub for AI innovation and entrepreneurship. And I had a link that we were going to show, and this would be a good collaboration with Cal State. You know, we are so intertwined with Cal State, and they've just announced to become the nation's first and largest AI-empowered university system. I think this is huge, and this could really help diversify our economy if Palm Desert can be known, can be partnering in this to some extent. I don't have an exact plan of what that looks like, but I do believe it's worth exploring. And then my third priority, again, is the mall redevelopment. And I know staff, we know we're all working forward with it, and we've got the Pacific Retail Capital Partners, and I look forward to hearing what the proposal is for the Sears building. I just can't stress enough, though, that the mall is vital to our revenue. Our two biggest sources of revenue, as we all know, are sales tax and TOT, so we really need to be keeping our eye on that mall redevelopment. What we decide will have long-lasting economic consequences, hopefully positive consequences, so I do want to make sure we stay on it and look forward to getting a presentation from the Retail Coach. So, yeah, those are my three priorities.
[00:49:19] Staff: Next up is Councilmember Petto.
[00:49:28] Councilmember Petto: Based on the presentation we saw today about the UDC, I think that's infeasible to expect it to get done this year, and I appreciate that workflow. I'd prefer that we get it right than just get it done. So, I think the way staff has proposed combining it with exploring fire hardening and some other things, I think is a very good way to structure that goal. And then as far as, I think some of my colleagues have expressed the idea of enhancing...
[00:50:02] Speaker 1: ...infrastructure in the north part of the city. And I think today we heard IID says they're issuing will-serve letters—'we will serve sometime'—and I think up here we're talking about making that 'sometime' sooner. And again, I think that's not something we're going to fix this year. So as I read through the way that staff had presented the goals, I thought it was—you combined it in a very smart way. So those are my priorities, and based on what staff has consolidated, I think you encapsulated it pretty well. Next is...
[00:50:44] Speaker 2: A lot of the same thing. We're right on track and exploring what we need to do. Same thing with Cal State San Bernardino. I know that we have had ongoing lobbying efforts; however, I think that we need to find ways to have the students directly be a bigger campaign. We have students at College of the Desert that could be a part of it, integrating political science students and leadership opportunities, getting them to express—I mean, we could give reports all day long, our legislators look at reports, they may browse reports, but hearing the testimony directly from those that are impacted, I think, would make that difference. I mean, having a high school student—I mean, I was having conversations recently with our City Manager about how the largest expense is not tuition, it's housing, and saying, 'I would like to complete my four-year degree here while saving on that,' I think would be a way to support our own economic development by keeping our students here instead of exporting our brightest students, getting their degrees and finding we don't have opportunities for them here at home. That also aligns with Councilmember Nande, solidifying the opportunities and growing AI. I think that's essential, and that also weaves into Councilmember Pretto, as you were talking about the need to solidify our energy opportunities. AI is one of the largest drains on our electrical grid, and we're looking at how we're going to go back and forth between how to manage that. I know I've mentioned it before that even before the wildfires in LA, there was a two-year backorder on some of the essential parts for transformers, and now I'm wondering how realistic the timeline that IID had given, or even SCE, to be able to deliver in whatever timeline they had expressed that they would have. In a conversation, I was able to press Mr. Aaron Thomas, and maybe he was unhappy that I got him to let it slip, that there are opportunities for us to build in a kill-switch feature into our housing where, in the event of a power outage—I mean, we've been generating all of this wonderful sunlight, it goes to them, then there's a power outage, they've kept all of it, and here we are stuck with the high heat and the inability to have any of that power. If we're looking ahead to opportunities in our environmental plans, is there a way to find opportunities to keep and make these batteries affordable for some of our places? I mean, I know we've got generators at the senior centers, but if we can find additional community locations, or as we do retrofittings, or if we have opportunities to save—what's the program I'm looking for, for any kind of repairs? Or my brain is spinning with so many of the ways that this is all interwoven. Long story short, we know we're going to keep seeing the demand on that. It is expensive, the batteries are expensive, but if we are going to look ahead, we need to find how we are going to protect ourselves in case of these emergencies. In case of an earthquake, we're not going to have access to any of that, we're not going to have access to any of that, and it's up to us to protect our residents and protect ourselves because there's no way that that will-serve letter—I think it's going to be a meaningless piece of paper with good intentions. If they said—I think SCE said they're looking at us as one of the top fastest-growing regions, and they think we're going to need nine substations in order to fully build out what we want in North Palm Desert. And if we want to annex beyond the freeway, that's another burden we're going to have. So I would implore staff and the Council to support opportunities for battery storage, so that goes back to the same issues. I love the idea of setting a little thumbprint and holding our thumb...
[00:55:00] Councilmember 1: ...with how we can have, you know, some sort of a place in mind for indoor activities. I know that that's something we hear time and time again. Experiential-based opportunities, they keep families here, they stay longer, they're going to shop, they're going to eat while your kids are playing indoors. So if it's not going to happen inside the mall, something like a skate rink, then we could find something that's more substantial that will keep people here. But we need experience-based opportunities, and we need to be sure that we can keep them powered while we have them going on. So I think it kind of weaves them together. The last part of that is in terms of the experience-based is having something that is accessible for families at different price points. I specifically put in there things like the karaoke booths. That's something that families, if right now they were to try to go and do a kid's birthday party that does karaoke, the closest one is, I think, Orange County. And that would be something that's unique. We wouldn't have any type of competition here in the desert. It could be year-round. You know, the adults want to engage in anything of their choice and want to do the same. So I think this also is something, whether we consider it at the mall or any future complex, we need to look at making things that are available for all ages at all price points.
[00:56:33] Mayor Pro Tem: Thank you.
[00:56:37] Councilmember Troop: Okay, thank you. So, actually, this year, kind of like last year, I kept my goals fairly modest and achievable, I hope. And first was the monthly reporting of contract procurement from outside agencies. I think in the interest of transparency, accountability, this is something I get asked a lot from residents to see, just kind of get a handle on what we're spending on consulting contracts, etc., etc. And I hope my other four colleagues don't mind, but I submitted a template, and Veronica came back with either a modified version or slightly modified version, and we decided, and I hope you all agree, that we'll just provide this on a monthly basis in the agenda so the public can, you know, have easy access in one place, one time, to view what we're spending on procurement contracts or contracts outside the city. So that is number one. Number two...
[00:57:35] Councilmember 2: I'm going to ask—I am unclear on this—what exactly you're saying. 'Contracts from outside the city, consulting, but outside the city.' So if they're in the city, you don't care?
[00:57:49] Councilmember Troop: Outside of city staff. In other words, outside the walls of City Hall.
[00:57:54] Councilmember 2: Exactly.
[00:57:54] Councilmember Troop: Exactly. So, for example, you know, Retail Coach, what was—so the ones that rather than hiring people and bringing them inside, we just contract, and when we're finished with our services, then they go their way, we go ours.
[00:58:10] Councilmember 2: Exactly. Okay, because, you know, I want to see a comparison. I've been told that hiring consultants is the best way to go so we save money on staff, but I just want to see it in black and white numbers on a monthly basis, and for our residents to see it as well.
[00:58:23] Councilmember 3: And then, I had a question on that, Evan. Is that okay on this?
[00:58:29] Councilmember Troop: Okay.
[00:58:29] Councilmember 3: Okay, so then, but then how do we balance the cost savings in terms of the sheet you're going to have? Is there going to be a column to say, 'Well, if we hired a full-time staff member to do this, it would cost X amount'? Are we going to have that as part of it to see?
[00:58:46] Councilmember Troop: That's—it provides the data so you can conduct those or ask those kinds of questions. And also, I'd like to see there on a regular basis, like the question asked about Retail Coach, are we getting our bang for the buck? The same with that outfit out of Texas we're using for tourism...
[00:59:02] Councilmember 3: Pedler, yeah, Idea Pedler.
[00:59:05] Councilmember Troop: Idea Pedler. So just things like that, so you have data in front of you so you can ask those questions and do an apples-to-apples comparison, hopefully, with versus what we do in-house. And secondly, the foundation—actually, it's coming up later on our agenda tonight, or this evening, this afternoon rather. So just with that experience we had interviewing candidates for the foundation in January sort of stimulated my thinking that, are there other ways we can raise money for the city? So again, that's going to be on the agenda later. We can have a discussion about it then if you like. But all the other projects everybody put forward, and again, going over what we introduced in 2024, some of the projects that are ongoing—North Sphere development code, library, all the other things we're doing—I didn't want to—I think we've got some good progress going already, so I didn't want to throw too much at staff this year.
[01:00:00] Speaker 1: Thank you, and Mayor Harnik, thank you very much. And to reiterate, so much of what we all have said is just part of what we are doing right now, and we're just, I guess, expressing our support of the momentum we've got. So the first one I put was the crime prevention technology: continue efforts to create a citywide security, safety, and crime prevention system through implementation of ALPR, speed detect cameras, and state-of-the-art technology. Part of that was additionally knowing about the CHP allowing us to pay for cameras to put on the on-ramps and the exits on the highway, I think is a tremendous asset. And the justification: the camera systems have shown to be effective in our community, and further use will not only buoy the security, protect community members and guests, and prevent and deter crime, all while using the most cost-effective methods. So that's one, but again, that is more of the same. We're in progress with that, and it's just emphasizing it's something we must continue with. The assessment of our city medians—and I don't know about any of my other colleagues, and I'm sure our city staff hear about it—we hear comments about our city's medians. Some of them are not as nice as others, I get it, but there's more to just the aesthetic and visuals of them. And so I include it in here, especially now that we are looking at extreme weather events, emergency conditions, line of sight, and aesthetics review. Needs landscaping, possible assets or deficits in the PD inventory. And then I go on, and we can all read the same thing, but the aesthetics of Palm Desert are critical to its success. We do attract visitors because of what we offer, the beauty of our community. Vehicles, pedestrians, and alternative mobilities all must be safe in Palm Desert's road system, and the medians are important in achieving that. Then I go on to talk about the heat, winds, storms, and wildfires we've witnessed. Palm Desert is best served by addressing issues proactively. The next is building and landscape fire prevention by design: develop a program similar to RivCo Sheriff's Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, their CPTED program, but addressing fire issues. What SoCal has experienced recently is an illustration of the disastrous possibilities wildfires present. If all buildings, including homes, businesses, schools, etc., have the knowledge provided by fire professionals and take a proactive approach, disaster may be avoided. So those are what I have, and again, so much of this is ongoing, and the Palm Desert team is doing so much of this already, but it's all we need to emphasize and take a look at.
[01:03:04] Staff: So with that, in total there were 13 overall goals submitted, and it is staff's recommendation—
[01:03:16] Speaker 2: One moment, there was a question. So just on your third goal, the fire program, how does that go above and beyond, or aren't fire inspections supposed to achieve some of that? And how does this go above and beyond that?
[01:03:31] Speaker 1: Okay, so, and I'm kind of overstepping my boundaries, no question about it, asking the fire professionals to do something like that, but it's very similar to what Stacy Austin does. If you pick up your phone, any resident, any business, you call her up at the sheriff's station and say, 'Can you come over and go through my house, my building, and look at how I can harden my target as far as safety, as far as the sheriff's look at it?' If we had a similar program where the fire was looking at it, we might—that might prevent issues. So that's what I was looking at.
[01:04:08] Staff: So with that, there were 13 individual goals submitted. Staff's recommendation is to do that monthly report on the contract procurement administratively and bring that forward to City Council. And also, as mentioned, the foundation will be on tonight's agenda. When we look at potentially grouping these into a lesser number, we do find that we can group them into six distinct priorities and goals. And although number four, the expediting of the development code, might not be achievable, you could just eliminate that portion of it but still keep it as a priority so that you do get that quarterly tracking.
[01:04:56] Staff: I'll leave it to Council for a discussion if I—
[01:05:02] Councilmember: I ran these through ChatGPT and I said, 'Combine these in the most logical way possible,' and this is what they came up with. So, I don't know if somebody's plagiarizing—maybe staff did that too.
[01:05:16] Councilmember: Joe, we like to call that learning, not plagiarizing. So, a couple of thoughts. I think this is very well summarized and put together. I think on number four, 'work towards updating the development code and Fire Prevention by Design,' I would suggest that's a good change to that. And then on assessment for the medians, I like that a lot. And then Councilwoman Nandy also mentioned some of our public spaces up and around the off-ramps, and I'm wondering if, Mayor, you would be open to even opening it to some of the other public spaces on even on the shoulders and the sidewalks that the city maintains.
[01:05:57] Mayor: So, in that case, I don't know. I'll ask our Director of Public Works if there's a better way to frame City medians, and or just say public spaces in terms of assessing them for maintenance, attractiveness, safety.
[01:06:14] Director of Public Works: Yeah, public spaces, right-of-way, median. Yeah, we'll put them all together, and those would be my two suggestions.
[01:06:24] Mayor: Any other thoughts?
[01:06:27] Councilmember: I think that looks great. I think it shows how five individuals can come together and have a similar blend of strategies, needs, and moving forward, building upon what we have. I think that, as mentioned, when we look at the overall flow of things, I agree that as we build out North Palm Desert, we don't want it to look like it's been an afterthought. Art is one of those new ways of bringing people in when you get off of... I think over the holidays, you get off of Monterey and you see all of the bright lights and the intersections, and you get less of that in other areas. And I think that it's a very worthwhile suggestion. I think it's a cost-effective suggestion. We've already looked at ensuring that we've got the turf reduction, so we can do this in a cost-effective way that's pleasing to the eye, while prioritizing some substantial areas. And I want to thank staff for all of the work that went into this, into condensing all of this, and also being able to show where we have the update from what we've been doing and how this has been progressing for years.
[01:07:48] Mayor: Any comments?
[01:07:52] Councilmember: I support these combined six goals. Do we need to make any formal, or we're just discussing amongst...
[01:08:02] Councilmember: No, I think it's well combined from everyone. I want to point out on the first goal, the CSU Palm Desert campus, I think this is looking at it, it's very much what Dr. Bonas is doing at the iHub that we... now it's no longer the iHub.
[01:08:23] Councilmember: Yeah, so it's exactly that, and perhaps we have a discussion with him about putting an emphasis on AI in that facility because the Business Innovation, Entrepreneurship... I don't remember now what it's changed the name to, but it was...
[01:08:47] Councilmember: ERC.
[01:08:51] Councilmember: You're right, you're right. Yeah, so if we talk to Dr. Bonas about this, I think we'll get a nice reception and some activity from that.
[01:09:01] Staff: And so, City Council, just for the next steps, if there is consensus on using this as the framework for your goals for the next year, staff will bring forward a resolution at your next meeting for you to adopt these, and we'll also start developing a work plan to get these accomplished.
[01:09:17] Councilmember: I support that. I really want to emphasize the fact that we have so many great things going on, and they are multi-year projects, and the staff has been working on them, and they have great momentum. It's with great vision as well, and I don't want anything to take from the progress we're making. You know, we're getting to the backlog of the deferred maintenance and all the CIPs. We have to be cognizant of that. Though each one of these is important, we need to make sure that we continue supporting the momentum of the projects that are ongoing, and there must be an emphasis on that.
[01:10:05] Speaker 1: Yes, one additional thought. Thank you very much, Mayor Pro Tem, for bringing forward the request to look at who we're contracting. I know, especially now that we have asked our residents to increase our funding, does it make sense to keep putting out RFPs to different people that are going to come and not have continuity for some of the projects that the city will be looking at instead of having a piecemeal? Yes, it's great to get different visions and ideas, but at what point do we take ownership of that? And I think that's a very, very valid point, and I appreciate you bringing it forward so that we can look at that. I know that's something that a lot of people in the community ask about. Thank you.
[01:10:59] Speaker 2: Madam Mayor, for the next item, I believe the consultants will be here at approximately 2:30, so could we take a brief recess?
[01:11:05] Speaker 3: Great idea.
[01:24:10] Speaker: Okay, we're back. What's next?
[01:24:16] Randy Chavez: Madame mayor, members of City Council, Randy Chavez, Public Works Director. We have a presentation for the wayfinding and the monument signs, and we have a consultant here. I'm going to turn it over to Chris Gary, our Senior Project Manager, to give the presentation.
[01:24:41] Chris Gary: Good afternoon, everyone. Mayor Harnik and council members, Chris Gary with the Public Works Department. The item before you today is an update on the Citywide wayfinding and entry monument sign projects. These projects are intended to improve local navigation, strengthen Palm Desert's identity, and enhance visibility throughout our city. Following...
[01:25:01] Staff: Council's initial direction, the city engaged Selbert Perkins Design to lead the development of these concepts. The designs presented today reflect community input, feedback from the Active Transportation Subcommittee, and the Architectural Review Commission. Today, we're presenting progress and seeking Council's feedback on various revised concepts. Based upon Council's comments, staff and our consultants can continue to refine these concepts, develop detailed cost projections, and return to Council for further review. And with that said, I'd like to turn over to Brandon Reeves, who is the design director for Selbert Perkins Design, who's going to walk through the design development process, concepts, as well as receive input.
[01:25:45] Brandon Reeves: Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Brandon Reeves, I'm a design director at Selbert Perkins Design, and we're so grateful to be here and to give this presentation on the wayfinding concepts. We started with a survey, just something to get out to the community to ask about the existing signage and wayfinding system in the city of Palm Desert. We learned that there are many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The city has consistent branded signage throughout, which is great. All of the signs are helpful, which we found from the community survey. Some of the weaknesses we found were that the messaging is inconsistent on some of the signs, there are too many signs in specific areas, entry monuments are also inconsistent, and there's a lack of pedestrian signage in walkable areas such as El Paseo. Existing signage blends in with the environment sometimes; people can't tell with the background, and the existing signage is not visible at night. Some of the opportunities are we can include new and existing destinations to the signage and wayfinding program, develop branded signage that will appeal to visitors, residents, and businesses, and use technology to enhance the wayfinding experience. We also found that some of the threats are residents, visitors, and businesses probably don't want their signs to change and that it works as is, and there are concerns that some businesses may be included in the wayfinding and some others won't.
[01:27:24] Council Member: Mayor, may I ask a quick question on weaknesses? How do you evaluate these weaknesses? Is it according to polling or some industry standards?
[01:27:34] Brandon Reeves: Right, this was a part of the polling we did with the survey.
[01:27:45] Brandon Reeves: So from the polling, we came up with these recommendations. We want to make sure we develop a branded signage and wayfinding system that will be visible day and night, coordinate with the city team to develop consistent messaging throughout all of the signs so that we can make sure every sign has the correct message, create a streamlined sign location plan eliminating any sign blight, add pedestrian-level signage in walkable areas, add new destinations to wayfinding, and design versatile digital signs suitable for various events or incorporate QR codes into the proposed signage system. So for our concept designs, from our early-on analysis, we were informed by a number of different signs that we could include for the system. So we developed this diagram, which we call a summary of signs diagram, that only informs of the menu of signs that we want to include. So we developed a Gateway Monument sign for three different locations. We developed a number of vehicle direction signs (large, medium, and small) as well as a pedestrian direction sign with a map included. We also had the opportunity to develop a few amenity signs, art totems, banners, and placemaking opportunities. For the first concept, we developed a mood board, and it was based off of the city's branding and the palm frond. We wanted to use some of the classic and timeless materials that Palm Desert is using now, such as the sandstone monuments, but also etched in the name of the city, and also use some sort of relief or pattern in the design that reflects back to the city branding. We also wanted to include, if possible, something to help illuminate the signs at night. So in the bottom lower image, we're showing different styles of diamond-grade high-intensity reflective material that when you shine lights on it, it reflects back until the signs are visible. So for our concept 1A, we developed three distinctly different Gateway Monument signs. At the top, you can see it is a...
[01:30:02] Speaker: A longer slab of the sandstone with another layer of sandstone in front with the PD logo. We will have the name Palm Desert etched in on the longer monument with the palm frond etched in on the side, and that's the exact same palm frond taken from the Palm Desert logo. We wanted to also reflect that with the other two monuments: a more vertical one that would be located at Cook Street, and then a shorter monument that has the same look and feel, which will probably be located at Fred Waring and Washington.
[01:30:42] Speaker: With that, we designed a number of wayfinding signs. So what we're looking at is our Concept 1A wayfinding. So our large, medium, and small, they all include the palm frond motif in the design. So this would be cut out of metal, and on top we would design the panel with a palm frond sort of shadow that almost seems like an illusion onto the panel.
[01:31:14] Speaker: One thing that was really great about the existing signage and wayfinding for Palm Desert is the large cap height, or the size of the letters of the existing signs, which is currently six inches. So what we wanted to do was keep that because that really enforces strong design and also a very visible wayfinding. So what we're showing here is large text that also has enough contrast from the background that can be visible, especially when you're driving at 50 miles per hour on the roadways. So we wanted to follow that through all the signs.
[01:31:47] Speaker: And through the pedestrian directory sign, we wanted to create sort of a totem that would be illuminated internally. This could also create pedestrian-level directionals at the top. So these would be what we call finger signs that will help direct people to parking, shops, or dining, and below, a directory with a map that will help people orient themselves in any walkable areas.
[01:32:15] Speaker: And we wanted to show what these signs would look like in context. So we wanted to show both day renderings and night renderings. So what you're seeing on the top left is the longer monument at Monterey and Dinah Shore. In the middle would be Cook Street as you're exiting off the 10 Freeway, and on the far right would be Fred Waring and Washington. And at the bottom, you can see what they would look like illuminated, and these would be externally illuminated, so just wash on the sandstone signs.
[01:32:59] Speaker: Here's just a sampling of some of the wayfinding signs. So on the far left, you're seeing the larger monument sign with the palm frond motif at the top and the palm frond on the post. We also wanted to emphasize the branding with the collar right underneath the messaging, so you can see the PD logo, and you can see the same through the middle and the far right.
[01:33:31] Speaker: Concept 1B is just a variation where we wanted to fully use the palm frond graphic that was taken from the Palm Desert logo and create a full signage and wayfinding system. So you're seeing the three distinct monument signs: the longer one, the more vertical option, and the shorter option. These, the letters would be mounted to the monument, and they would be illuminated from the inside but from the back, in what we call halo illumination, and there will be a backer behind that so you can see some of the illumination.
[01:34:08] Speaker: We wanted to follow that with a wayfinding system that would look very similar. So it would be a freestanding monument with a panel on top. Behind that is a graphic of the same palm frond, and it matches the aluminum backer to almost give the illusion that the sign is see-through, but the sign will be an opaque panel. On top of that would be the letters again at a six-inch cap height all the way through for the medium, small signs, and as well as the pedestrian directory at the far right. This will also include the map and some directional information in walkable areas.
[01:35:03] Presenter: Areas and here for concept 1B, we're also seeing the renderings for day and night in those same locations that we showed in for the first. So these again will be illuminated both externally and internally, so we could have lights that wash the monuments, and then we could have lighting behind the letters illuminated in a halo effect. And just a sampling of those wayfinding signs: we have the larger one on the far left, in the middle we have the smallest, and on the far right we have the pedestrian-level signage.
[01:35:46] Presenter: Concept two would be a hybrid of something more modern and something classic. What we wanted to do is not completely take away the sandstone, but also marry it with something more modern and sleek, but also add a pop of color. So we wanted to add in the Palm Desert branding yellow—the golden yellow would work really well and be modern while we were still using the classic and timeless sandstone in front. So this would be two layers, and in between these two layers would be lighting that would edge around the sandstone to sort of give a lighting effect. And the sandstone would be etched to match or mimic the mountaintop here that you can see in Palm Desert. And so when the lighting is behind it, it almost looks like the sun is setting behind the mountains. Again, we would add the Palm Desert logo on the front that would be etched and probably stained, and we would have the Palm Desert logo cut out of the metal on the far left. And we would do that for all three locations and monument sizes.
[01:37:02] Presenter: For the wayfinding, we wanted to do a folded panel that wrapped the pole, but on the returns that would be facing the street, you would see the name Palm Desert. So each panel and each post would have the name Palm Desert cut out, and you can see it through the post. Again, the letters for all of the signs would be at six-inch cap height, and it would have a graphic on the back of the panels mimicking the mountains or palm fronds, whatever we see fit. And we also have the Palm Desert logo at the bottom of each of the signs just to promote the brand.
[01:37:42] Presenter: We wanted to show the renderings of those in those exact same locations. So we have the larger one on the far left, in the middle we have the more vertical, and on the far right the shorter version. And you can see the lighting effect below, how the lighting is between the metal panel and the sandstone below, and it creates a golden sort of lighting effect behind the signs. And we can also wash the front of the signs with lighting, so we can illuminate the Palm Desert name. And we're showing just the sampling of the three locations for the wayfinding. So on the far left, that would be the larger one, and you can see the Palm Desert name on the returns that will be cut out, and the Palm Desert logo below that. In the center, the same thing with the yellow, and on the far right would be the pedestrian-level wayfinding sign. And those are our three options.
[01:38:54] Chairperson: Discussion or questions?
[01:39:00] Council Member: Oh, well, could you put that one that you had all of them on just then for us to look at? Back, back, back, yeah. I think that might be good for reference. Well, I was just going to say, I like 1A the best. I am—and it's subjective, it is subjective. You know, monuments are interesting to me because when you see a city that has done them well, they stand out and really make a place. And then when you see a city that has put a lot of effort into a monument and everything around it is dry and dead, then you're like, 'Why? Why do you even try?' It's pretty sad. So, you know, I think we'll do it right, but when I think about how it would look in lush landscaping, I like concept 1B, but I think 1A is the timeless thing that will stand out in our landscaping and in our environment. I mean, those are my two.
[01:40:02] Speaker: ...senses. One is timeless, and I think it'll stand out more in our desert palette of landscaping.
[01:40:13] Councilmember Trubee: Okay, thank you for the presentation. It was enlightening. A couple of questions. I almost, when I first—pun intended—when I first got elected in the spring of '23, I could have sworn we went through this process where we replaced the wayfinding signs, the brown ones. Maybe somebody on staff... Civic Center? We did? So just Civic Center? I thought we did. It looks like all the brown and white wayfinding signs are relatively new, and it was a six-figure spend, similar in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, if I remember. Is that right?
[01:40:47] Staff: Those existing wayfinding signs, and Chris probably correct me if I'm wrong, they're probably about 10 years old now. Those are the big brown or dark brown with the mountainscape that you see throughout the city that just a little bit highlight the destinations, schools, parks. Let's say they're 15 or so, it could be even longer now. We have replaced some over time when things have changed locations, but they've been here for at least over a decade. So in other words, I think you're right on the budget number, but Council asked us to kind of hold off, go back out, do a survey because they liked how that worked with the art projects, and then come back with some ideas. But you are right in terms of the initial cost of the wayfinding signs was about 100,000, it was six figures for sure, and then there was a discussion about how to move forward with the other Monument signs as well.
[01:41:40] Councilmember Trubee: Okay, so we approved it, did not follow through and actually replace the wayfinding signs?
[01:41:44] Staff: Yeah, you gave us some more homework. So we went back through a process, gave you some design options for feedback, and we have not pulled the trigger on this project until we get your go-ahead.
[01:41:53] Councilmember Trubee: Perfect, and that's great. Thank you. And on, I think it was slide four of the five Monument signs, which are the two that we're considering replacing? Washington, Fred Waring, and Monterey, and... Dinosaur? I should know this by heart, I've lived here 30 years, but I want to make sure. Actually, back, you had a—sorry, this slide, it showed all four Monument signs coming into the city, all five, beg your pardon, with dates associated when they were installed: '93, '95, '96, 2004, 2006. Because under consideration now is replacing two of those. I just want to know which two we're considering replacing. It would be Fred Waring and Washington, and Monterey and Dinosaur? And I'm wondering which of those five we're talking about, because I don't know them by heart. Sorry.
[01:42:56] Staff: Sorry, I don't have that sheet on my—in my slides.
[01:43:02] Councilmember Trubee: Okay. I mean, just for the sake of—if we're removing two, I want to know in order to have consistency with the remaining three.
[01:43:10] Staff: Sure thing, Councilmember Trubee. So you're asking where exactly are those locations for the two ones that are being replaced?
[01:43:14] Councilmember Trubee: I want to know which pictures...
[01:43:19] Staff: Pictures, okay. Okay, it looks like the actually most recently installed, '04 and '06, is that right?
[01:43:24] Councilmember Trubee: Correct. Is the goal to change them all out so that we have some consistency in branding?
[01:43:33] Staff: Council's direction was to look at the two new locations as well—or excuse me, the new location, the two new—the two new locations according to the existing locations at that time. There was not a discussion about replacing the existing ones beyond those two. So with that in mind, you know, it's the two that really kind of stand out that aren't consistent. You know, Option 1A would be the more consistent design with the three that are going to remain. So that's just food for thought for my colleagues here.
[01:44:05] Councilmember Trubee: Um, it's more in keeping with the three that will remain.
[01:44:10] Staff: Yeah, 1A, right.
[01:44:12] Councilmember Trubee: The sandstone, yeah. And I thought I had one more. There is, in fact, I want to make sure, there is a monument sign on 111 coming in from Rancho Mirage, right?
[01:44:20] Staff: Correct, the west.
[01:44:22] Councilmember Trubee: Okay, cool. It's this beauty? Yep, yep. Okay, that was actually all I had. Thank you so much.
[01:44:29] Councilmember: I got excited with each new one, like, 'Wow, that looks great! Oh, that looks great! Oh, that looks even better!' My concern with the second one is it's very vibrant. I love the blue and the green contrast, however, from far away—I'm always trying to see things through like an ADA perspective, and I think the contrast is a little harder. When you get close, it's great. From further away, I think all of the background makes it blur a little bit. With the third one, the Goldenrod is...
[01:45:00] Councilmember: Beautiful, but the same, the same thing. Once you get to the individual wayfinding signs, and yes, they're all consistent with the six-inch, I think the Goldenrod, the orange tones underneath it may make it a little harder for people that are colorblind, for example. Those are conversations I have with my brother. I never understood until he said, 'Hey Gaddy, are these socks blue or are they brown?' And I never really stopped to think about it. But in terms of the ones for the entry, I like the third one. I like the way that it invites the sunset. I think that having the sandstone ties into what we already have, but as our logo has been more consistently used with the PD and the palm frond, unless the original seal, I think that this brings us forward. As we discussed earlier, as Councilmember Nande mentioned, bringing in North Palm Desert and how we welcome people in from Cook Street, I think this is the kind of opportunity to bring it to life. Once it's backlit, it's stunning. I think it is absolutely stunning. I think you've done a great job. Like I said, my only things were from an ADA standpoint, but that's minimal. Each one visually is stunning, but this one I think is top-notch, absolutely.
[01:46:25] Presenter: Thank you, and I do want to touch on your ADA concern, and that's one of our biggest concerns as well. And as a concept is chosen, we will definitely work to make sure that those concerns are addressed, making sure that all of the colors are, you know, within ADA parameters. So, thank you.
[01:46:49] Councilmember: We have a high concentration of population that is aging, and we know, and also with the rates of diabetes growing, so we've got macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are ongoing things that, you know, if it doesn't impact you, it may not be on your radar. But looking ahead at what even those of us that are sitting here across the room may not know that may impact us in the future. But thank you so much for keeping those items in mind. I appreciate that very much. Thank you.
[01:47:17] Councilmember: So, I have a question. I saw the directories, and those are wonderful. Is there an easy way, because as shops come and go, what is the process to being able to change that?
[01:47:30] Presenter: Well, we would develop, when we were doing the signs, we would develop in a section where it could be changeable so that if, you know, the maps do need to be changed out, it could be easily done. So it wouldn't have to be a whole new map every time something changes.
[01:47:48] Presenter: Well, a new map, but not an entirely new sign. So you won't have to replace the entire panel, just the map.
[01:47:53] Councilmember: Okay. And is there some product that you can use that's relatively easy to print or to protect by slipping it in or out, or however it might be changed when needed?
[01:48:11] Presenter: Yeah, there is a several different ways that we could do that, whether it's, you know, just doing a screen print and applying it, or doing something like you mentioned that is changeable where we can just have someone come out and change it themselves. There's a number of different ways that we can do and change the maps that would be easy and cost-effective as well.
[01:48:32] Councilmember: Great, I'd love to hear more. That's very reassuring. I appreciate that, thank you.
[01:48:36] Councilmember: So, I do have a couple of comments. It's always been an issue for me when I go, 'Okay, so we're using Arizona Sandstone for our signs.' It's always bugged me. And what we have, when we look at these five different styles, we have five different styles. There is no consistent branding here, and I really hesitate to use core design to determine our next decision. And what we have there, we have there, but let's not make that drive the decision as we go forward. I too like number—is it C? I suppose 1C. I think when you look at the, especially in the evening, when you look at those monument signs with the glow that comes between and makes the most of our mountains that we all cherish so much. And you know, we talked about it before, we're doing all these ordinances to protect our mountains, and we've spent years protecting our mountains, and they're so important to the identity of Palm Desert. And I look at these, and I guess that's Concept 2, is what it is? 1A, 1B, and 2, correct?
[01:49:56] Councilmember: Okay, I prefer 2. I think they're easy to read. They're stunning when they're...
[01:50:03] Speaker 1: When it's lit up, it allows us to use the logo. It combines the past and the future. It remains, in my mind, consistent and current, and it's an evolutionary type of nod to our branding. So I really like to... it says a lot about our city, I believe. I have a question: are we going to go out with these? And I saw the survey and the comments from our community members or those who were visiting. Will we have any sort of polling on what you've developed here?
[01:50:57] Speaker 2: We actually have had polling. We took these concepts to the community, and they have sort of unanimously gave their opinions, and majority liked actually Concept 1A.
[01:51:11] Speaker 1: That's what I would have thought because that's what they're used to. That's what they see when we look at what's there. And change, people are reticent when it comes to change. And that's when I look at two, what I see is then you have the kind of, again, a nod to the past and a nod to the future, and it gives branding a chance, but it's an evolved sort of monument sign in my mind. So those are my thoughts.
[01:51:48] Speaker 3: If I can tack on to the same thought, I think that in looking at it, it makes you feel warm. You are getting that sun, that sunset or sunrise, or whichever one it is. I think that the top one, yes, it's our standard, it's what people are used to, it's on brand. But as we're welcoming people, I think we want our out-of-town folks to see it for the first time, and this is why they're here. They're here for the views, they're here for the warmth, they're here for the outdoors. And as mentioned, right, this is a nod to the past as we bring it forward. I think that it has... I think visually it creates more than just letting you know here's where you are.
[01:52:33] Speaker 1: Agree. The polling indicated that the public liked Concept 1B on the directional signs, correct? And then they liked 1A on the monument signs, correct?
[01:52:44] Speaker 2: Correct.
[01:52:45] Speaker 1: So theoretically, we're not locked into one single branding aspect. Mix and mingle.
[01:52:50] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[01:52:51] Speaker 1: Do you have anything that shows the directional signs next to each other? That also might be helpful. Oh, there you go, yeah.
[01:53:03] Speaker 1: And I look at 1B and the first thing I think of is, boy, that takes up space on our sidewalk. And the same with the directional on two as well.
[01:53:15] Speaker 2: Those are all easily worked with as far as size and shape. It's the overall concept, I know, that you're looking at, and then you implement it as needed. And all parking is free in Palm Desert, by the way.
[01:53:33] Speaker 1: So I just look at something that, again, change is not easy for people. And so when we look at 1A, it's like, 'Well, yeah, that's the way it's always been, so let's just keep going with our Arizona sandstone.' I look at something that is... when I look at two, I just see a beautiful design. At night, it would be gorgeous, and it says welcome, and it says warmth. So that's what I see.
[01:54:07] Speaker 4: On Concept Two, tell me about the yellow portion of it. Is it metal? Is that right?
[01:54:13] Speaker 2: Correct, it would be, yes.
[01:54:16] Speaker 4: Potential for the paint to fade, graffiti... I mean, that's just some of the downside, possible, you know.
[01:54:24] Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. Nobody's really graffitied our signs yet, but I mean...
[01:54:28] Speaker 4: Concerns about aging on the metal. What can you tell me about that?
[01:54:34] Speaker 2: Well, when we use metal, especially here in the Coachella Valley, especially because of the sun and the aggressive heat we get during the summers, we do want to apply... the type of paint we would use is the same paint that you use for a car, and then we would apply a UV-resistant coating on that for graffiti as well. So when you spray it, it easily can be taken off.
[01:55:02] Councilmember: Perfect, cool. Well, I do agree with my colleagues. I believe it—it's a step up from what we have. It's beautiful, and it's sort of consistent with what we already have, but an improvement. So, I—I do like Concept 2, for sure. Um, and you surveyed over 600 residents during the course of this? I think it's...
[01:55:21] Staff: 700 now.
[01:55:22] Councilmember: 700, okay. Did you get any feedback or any considerable feedback from residents saying there's too many wayfinding signs, like it's sight pollution? That was always one of my concerns driving around town. People are using Google anyway to get around town, maybe the signs are annoying. Did you get into that feedback?
[01:55:39] Staff: We—we did get some feedback from people who felt that the signs—they weren't useful to them because, like as you mentioned, they use their phones for GPS to get around. Um, but I think it's uh important to note that there are people who come and visit Palm Desert every year, and many people do, and these signs are very helpful to them. Um, for people who are residents here, you don't necessarily use them um because you know your way around, but for visitors, this is a really important use for them to get around Palm Desert.
[01:56:23] Councilmember: Does that give what is needed? Are we—are we as confused as when we started?
[01:56:30] Staff: We can—we can certainly bring back the—the presentation in an active—in an action item so we can get better feedback from you, but we've got a pretty good idea right now, and at least two of them, so we'll set it up for one of the next agendas.
[01:56:46] Councilmember: You don't want to just get us a sense of where—of where we are, too? Because I'm not—I—I still prefer 1A, and I think I'm in the minority on that, so I don't want to make it confusing. I—if I listen to everybody, I think there's three that like Concept 2.
[01:57:05] Councilmember: If I may, they're all wonderful. It's—it's—I'm—I'm really impressed with all the work and appreciate all the work. I—I don't have super strong opinions, uh, but I don't trust myself with the design eye. I like 2 as well. I—I'm happy to go along and make it easier for staff to have direction on the monument sign. Uh, as relates to the directional signs, that I would like to kind of get a better feel from my colleagues of where everyone's on that.
[01:57:41] Councilmember: One, in terms of the wayfinding, you said that the—the community surveys liked Concept 1B better in terms of the—the layout, correct?
[01:57:48] Councilmember: Yeah, I think that not only is the—the tall block form easier to see, I think it may also be sturdier in the event of a vehicle kind of getting a little too close to it. We have seen—I think we had um a sculpture, we've had them broken. We had a horse that, you know, the tail got broken off in a car accident. So, I think that looking at it not only from visual, it's functional. And I really like the—the one on the far right where it shows El Paseo, the size of the map being a little lower, and the 'you are here' is extremely important, um, especially with so many little kind of nooks and little shops in back areas. I think that is extremely helpful, um, you know, and getting extra granular or maybe bringing it down a little bit more, the way that the top one has the map of more central from a vertical standpoint, and I like the size of it versus the—the one on the bottom where it's too high. Does that make sense?
[01:58:53] Staff: Yes, large map in the center on a block.
[01:58:58] Councilmember: Yes, and looking at the post on 2, I particularly liked the idea you had Palm Desert on the side. I thought that was—that was a winner, uh, on the—on the Concept 2, where I think that's an asset. We—we struggle with, you know, 'I'm going to Palm Springs and I'm going to go to El Paseo,' so we do push that branding effort quite often. So, that 'Palm Desert' along the side is an asset. Um, the 1B I'm not in love with because they're just too big, and when you talk about the signage, and it—this takes space, so it would be a toss-up between the top 1A and between 2, um, as far as they're cleaner, they use less space. I—I like the shape, the size of...
[02:00:00] Speaker 1: Everything on Concept 1A, I just had that thing about having Palm Desert down the side of the one on two. Those are just a couple of my thoughts. Could you make Concept 2 the same colors as Concept 1A? Then I would like Concept 2 a lot better.
[02:00:22] Speaker 2: One thing to note, we are still in a conceptual phase, so colors can change, things can mix and match. If we wanted to even mix and, you know, you mentioned that Concept 1B takes a lot of space, there is an opportunity to use sort of Concept 1A and 1B. We can use some of those free-standing elements and then some of the pole-mounted elements in areas where we don't have a lot of space. So, for example, if we wanted something more grand on Highway 111, we could use more of the 1B style. But on smaller arterial roads like Country Club or Portola, you can use sort of the smaller ones like 1A that are on a post that don't have a lot of space.
[02:01:16] Speaker 1: That's a good suggestion. You show so many on El Paseo. Has this gone in front of the El Paseo BID?
[02:01:26] Speaker 2: I don't think... I do not, I can't answer that. I don't think so.
[02:01:35] Speaker 1: It might be interesting just to get their opinion on that. And then my comment would be, since it looks like we're going to go with Concept 2 for the monument, which has the yellow color, wouldn't it be better to stick with that same color scheme if you're looking for branding? I'm just throwing that out there.
[02:02:01] Speaker 3: Consistency in branding is important, but there may be a way to work with that, I assume, with the other ones, so that it perhaps takes on a little bit more of the sandstone and the Goldenrod, I don't know.
[02:02:18] Speaker 4: Yeah, the orange looks a little like it's on fire. Not that we don't like warmth—we say we like warmth—but the orange is a little aggressive, and it draws your eye to the orange and not to the sign.
[02:02:31] Speaker 2: Yeah, we can definitely modify the color of the post so it's less warm and more inviting, and that we're using more of the wayfinding and looking less at the post.
[02:02:43] Speaker 4: Now that we've got the topic, we'll be able to look at where we can get in the middle.
[02:02:48] Speaker 4: Yeah, you've done a great job. This is wonderful. We've been discussing this for some time, and it's exciting to see what our community wants to see. The SWOT analysis is fabulous, thank you. I really enjoy a good SWOT, but that's just me. Being able to collect this and implementing all of those opinions, I think, is wonderful. I'm just really impressed and really appreciate your work. Thank you.
[02:03:16] Speaker 5: Um, I know we asked for staff and the consultants to bring this to us, but do we have to do anything on the wayfinding signs? Because I was driving around town the other day saying, 'Man, those brown and white signs actually look pretty good, like they were just refreshed.' So is that an option?
[02:03:33] Speaker 4: I don't like them.
[02:03:36] Speaker 5: You don't like them?
[02:03:39] Speaker 4: I've never liked them.
[02:03:42] Speaker 5: All right, just a question. I don't have an opinion on it, on the signs.
[02:03:45] Speaker 6: So if I could, one of the things we were looking at was for reflectivity. So the current signs we have now are reflective, so that was one of the items we were incorporating into the new signs. But what we're looking for for this discussion is to see where Council is leaning so we could come back with a cost analysis and take it back to the El Paseo board and get their input, just so we can keep moving this ball forward because it is subjective, so we want to make sure we cover all our bases.
[02:04:20] Speaker 4: Did we lean well enough?
[02:04:25] Speaker 6: Yes, thank you very much.
[02:04:28] Speaker 5: If you don't mind going... so Concept 2, the wayfinding signs, I was just worried that, you know, yellow was almost like a warning sign. If it was a little more orange, I don't know, that makes sense.
[02:04:38] Speaker 4: That's where I'm confused then, because you're leaning towards the sign that's yellow for our monuments, right?
[02:04:43] Speaker 5: Yeah, well, yeah, but I mean, the signage versus a monument, I don't know. But anyway, yeah, it's almost like a warning, like a danger, I don't know.
[02:04:53] Speaker 4: See, but I think that that's more golden, and the concept is the distance, it's not predominantly...
[02:05:00] Councilmember: Yellow, it's a goldenrod where the others, I think the darker tones really, as you mentioned, it does look caution yellow bright and it draws your attention there, not to the signage itself. But I think we're in excellent hands and of a lot of patience in doing this. No, this is great, this is great.
[02:05:25] Staff: Okay, anything else? We're good. So, would it be accurate to wrap this—I don't know if we are—so on the monument signs, what I would suggest is that we bring back Concept 2, and then on the directional wayfinding signs, bring back a couple more options for you, because just to make sure you're comfortable with it before this goes out to bid. I'm still not sure that I understand where we are in this one, and I do have great faith that we can come up with something that meets you in the middle. The whole point of today, though, is the last couple times we've had similar issues like this, nobody's liked anything, so this is awesome. And we'll bring you back a couple of options, but we do want you to weigh in and give us firm direction before we go out to the market.
[02:06:12] Mayor: Okay, good. Thank you. Thank you again.
[02:06:15] Councilmember: And Madam Mayor, for the record, would you agree that these, the new proposals, should go to the El Paseo Board and then to the City Council?
[02:06:24] Mayor: I think it's a good idea. Thank you.
[02:06:29] Councilmember: Yes, but start with the two monument... don't give a... we're just talking about the wayfinding, what's going to appear in front of their stores.
[02:06:40] Councilmember: Thank you.
[02:06:41] Staff: And then Madam Mayor, we do have a closed session at 3:30, so if you want to take a brief recess and then we can reconvene at 3:30 for closed session.
[02:06:50] Mayor: Perfect. We have 10 minutes, 11 minutes. Let's go. Thank you so much for everything.