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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPresentation - PS Council Year in Review Dec 2020 - Dec 2021Palm Springs City Council Year in Review December 2020 –December 2021 December 2020 –December 2021 Year in Review December 2020 Free Covid testing is offered at the Convention Center by Riverside University Health System. Ordinance passed protecting local businesses from being overcharged for third party delivery apps such as Uber Eats. City of Palm Springs Sustainability Office launches Sustainability Scholarship Program to help local businesses defray costs associated with sustainability related expenses. Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism launches “We Are Palm Springs”promotional campaign about locals supporting local businesses. January 2021 Council approved $1 million Covid 19 Small Business Financial Aid Program, providing forgivable $10,000 loans to local small businesses. Justin Clifton, City Manager of Sedona, is selected as new City Manager. Agreement approved with Tesla to install thirteen additional free super chargers in the downtown parking structure. February 2021 ‘Chuckwalla Gates’, four gated barriers that divided residents along Chuckwalla Road from cul-de-sacs in the El Mirador neighborhood, are removed-allowing pedestrian access to the public sidewalks in the El Mirador neighborhood. December 2020 –December 2021 Year in Review February 2021 (cont.) The City along with FIND Food Bank hosted free diaper distribution at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Council voted to expand the city’s EV charging infrastructure by authorizing the installation of up to 33 new charging stations downtown and at City Hall. The Palm Springs Convention Center opened as a mass Covid-19 vaccination site operated by Curative in partnership with Riverside County. 42,000 people were vaccinated before the center closed in June. March 2021 City launched Vaccine Buddies, a program to help seniors and vulnerable community members in the Coachella Valley secure hard to come by vaccine appointments. ‘Hero Pay’ Ordinance requiring grocery stores with up to 300 employees nationally and at least 15 employees per location in Palm Springs to provide premium pay of an additional $4.00 per hour to their workers in Palm Springs for at least 120 days. City Council authorized the City Attorney’s Office to proceed with legal action in order to force the owners of four stalled hotel venture–the Andaz Hotel on Palm Canyon Drive, the Dream Hotel on Amado Road, the Orchid Tree on Belardo Road and the TOVA on North Palm Canyon –to resolve those uncompleted projects. City is awarded $869,540 in Cannabis Social Equity grant funds through the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. December 2020 –December 2021 Year in Review March 2021 (cont.) Tova property is demolished; Andaz Hotel is rebranded as a Thompson property and slated to open at the end of 2022. April 2021 Mayor Christy Holstege joined mayors across the country for the 10th Anniversary of the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation by asking residents to commit to use water more wisely. Council adopted an ordinance establishing breeding permits in order to regulate the responsible breeding of dogs and cats within the city. May 2021 Boost California, an initiative of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), commended the City of Palm Springs as a model for renewable energy development. A Community Workforce Agreement was unanimously approved by Council,to provide goals for local hiring and training programs by contractors on City of Palm Springs public works projects valued at $1 million or more over the next five years. The city assessed its greenhouse gas emissions and found that it had exceeded the State of California’s ambitious goals to reduce emissions and help fight climate change by a significant 16%. This was a direct result of over 80% of the City’s residents and businesses receiving 100% carbon free electricity from Desert Community Energy, a program launched in April 2020 by the City of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, (CVAG). December 2020 –December 2021 Year in Review June 2021 City Hall and other city facilities safely and successfully reopen to the public. Ordinance passed requiring cannabis businesses with five or more employees to enter into a Labor Peace Agreement. Forever Marilyn is unveiled on Museum Way. July 2021 After several public workshops, the Housing Element of the city’s General Plan is updated to plan for the building of 2,557 additional units between October 2021 and October 2029. Proclamation written by the Palm Springs Black History Committee is presented proclaiming June 19th, 2021 as Juneteenth. Ordinance reducing single use plastics and polystyrene in food service ware is adopted. A 24-hour cooling center at United Methodist Church opened in conjunction with Martha’s Village and Kitchen and Riverside County. August 2021 Airport ticket wing expansion completed. Council held a special meeting and passed an ordinance requiring patrons to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test result to enter indoor bars and restaurants in the city. December 2020 –December 2021 Year in Review September 2021 The Palm Springs Access Center, the city’s new daytime drop-in facility operated in partnership with Martha’s Village and Kitchen, is opened to the public. The dog park was renamed in honor of former City Manager David Ready. A formal apology for Section 14 is issued by Council during a special joint meeting with the Human Rights Commission. Council also votes unanimously to begin the process of removing the Frank Bogert statue from in front of City Hall. October 2021 PSPD received Implicit Bias Training, in which every department employee attended daily intensive eight-hour training in Principled Policing, Procedural Justice, and Implicit Bias. Santa Cruz Police Chief Andrew Mills named new Palm Chief of Police Downtown Park grand opening and community celebration is held. The Monarch Apartment Homes, the city’s first new affordable housing complex to be built in over 12 years, officially broke ground. Rainbow crosswalks are installed in the Arenas district. November 2021 The city begins the 2021 redistricting process with a series of public hearings and workshops. December 2020 –December 2021 Year in Review November 2021 (cont.) A special closed session meeting is held to discuss future goals and priorities and develop performance expectations for the City Manager, with an opportunity for residents to provide input. Council voted to move forward with acquiring a 3.64-acre site at 3589 McCarthy Rd. for $5.9 million for use as a navigation center to provide service to unsheltered people. A goal of achieving total carbon neutrality by 2030 was set in the city’s Climate Action Roadmap. Staff was also directed to initiate first steps for the city’s participation in the Cool Cities Challenge and include conservation efforts in the Climate Action Roadmap. December 2021 Council approved a Development Agreement between the City and the Desert Aids Project vesting certain development rights and establishing a timeline of ten years for construction of an 18,500-sqaure foot medical office addition, known as the Pavilion, located at the Desert Aids Project campus. Ordinance reducing speed limits along certain street segments is introduced in response to a citywide engineering and traffic study. A new sculpture, “TOT” by California artist Richard Becker, is unveiled at the Palm Springs Swim Center. An emergency overnight shelter is opened at the Palm Springs Access Center in response to severe weather.