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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNon-Agenda - Public CommentFrom:Char To:City Clerk Subject:Public Comment on Agenda Date:Monday, October 3, 2022 8:22:28 PM NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. Why does it take the city over 5 weeks to clean up Indian Canyon at the wash? So ridiculous and absurd. It should never take this Long for the only second major thoroughfare into the city and the bridge is falling apart in the same area come on get real and do something constructive about it. Sent from my iPhone 9/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:mike pitkin To:City Clerk Subject:Public Comment (Non-Agenda Items) Sept. 29, 2022 Date:Tuesday, September 27, 2022 7:13:24 PM NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. Michael Joseph Pitkin, a resident of Palm Springs (1 year). I am 57-year-old, democrat, homosexual, HIV+ & cancer, multi- racial European, Theistic-Satanist male, un-housed, un- employed. In that year, let it be Palm Springs history: In order to avoid being a daily nuisance to Palm Springs City Police, I protested your lack of management (for healthy growth in affordable housing), in Palm Springs, by surviving out on the Palm Springs mountains. Every day, I walked between 6 - 10 miles a day. After a year, that is over 2,000 miles I have walked. Being un-housed, & protesting your lack of management (for healthy, growth in affordable housing), I have (according to rental standards in The Coachella Valley), consumed $30-$70 thousand dollars worth of AIR, by being present here in Palm Springs. The un-housed are of value even here in Palm Springs, Ca. I caution that you do not become a Lake Tahoe & find yourselves too exclusive. No one should be walking 2,000 miles, to survive!. Hail White Buffalo Woman! 9/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:LetsAll@GoBananas.net To:City Clerk; Yvonne Wise; Lindsey-Paige McCloy; Events@ONE-PS.org Subject:2022-09-29 City Council Agenda - Item W Date:Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:12:34 AM NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. Dear City Council and Staff, Cc; Parks & Rec, Sustainability, ONE-PS Events, Agenda Item: W Having an MRI vs. Having a Party Balloon. Which is more important? For YEARS now we have been bringing this issue to the conscience of the City leaders and residents hoping someone will care. The planet now has less than ten years supply remaining of the precious resource Helium. There is no substitute and it can’t be reproduced. If we claim to care about our planet or hope to be able to have a life-saving MRI in the future (the equipment requires the use of Helium) the responsible action is clear. BAN the use and/or sale of Helium for recreational purposes in the City. That means no more Helium Balloons for the Festival of Lights Parade. Thank you for reading this (again), Bob Heinbaugh and Paul Hinrichsen – Upper West Side NOrg leadership members. 9/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:colleen . To:ParksAndRec; Geoff Kors; Lisa Middleton; kristy.holstege@palmspringsca.gov; CityManager; Yvonne Wise; Dennis Woods; City Clerk Subject:Agenda item 3 - Re-striping Ruth Hardy tennis courts Date:Monday, September 26, 2022 3:59:13 PM NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. Dear Mayor, City Councillors and Yvonne, I would like to protest the proposal to re-stripe the tennis courts at Ruth Hardy Park. The issue of utilizing the tennis courts at Ruth Hardy Park for pickleball has been raised several times in the past. The suggestion that the re-striping two courts for youth play is a joke. I have officiated tennis for many years and even 6 year old children play on full size tennis courts. I have never heard of a youth size tennis court. It is clearly a ruse to implement pickleball courts. There was a decision to build additional pickleball courts near the Boys and Girls club on Sunrise. This was to be paid from the Measure J funds. What happened to that plan? Please let common sense prevail and leave the Ruth Hardy Tennis courts alone. The is the only place left to play recreational tennis in Palm Springs. Both sports would like more courts; many tourist dollars are at stake. Sincerely, Colleen Hawes Palm Springs 09/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:James To:ParksAndRec; Geoff Kors; Lisa Middleton; Christy Holstege; CityManager; City Clerk; Yvonne Wise; Dennis Woods Cc:T John Chisholm; T Tony Sesma; T Jose Teran; rapidrobert@verizon.net; julie knowles; John Miller; joecoronaelectric@yahoo.com; T Peter McPherson; T Joe Corona; T Don Castellanos; chad-r- morris@hotmail.com; T David Elman; T Barry Shuman; T Robert Arnett; T Mike Kinsey; T Don Wright; T Jerry Toye; T Keiko Takahashi; T Les Muttersbach Subject:Ruth Hardy Tennis Court Striping Date:Monday, September 26, 2022 4:38:29 PM NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. To the Parks and Recreation Department and Palm Springs City Council et All: I have been informed a meeting is taking place this evening regarding adding "Mini-Tennis" or "Pickleball" court lines to the Ruth Hardy Park Public Tennis Facility. I have heard the reason was so that the "grassrootstennis" youth program can accommodate more children. While myself and my Ex have supported the "grassrootstennis" program with donations of Tennis Racquets, Misc. Tennis Apparel, Equipment and Donations for the past 5- 6years, I am opposed to adding any kind of lineage to the existing courts. I believe it is an unnecessary expenditure. Many hundreds (Thousands More Likely) of Youth and Adult humans have been taught and enjoyed tennis at this facility with the current standard tennis court layout, including those graduating from the "grassrootstennis" program that has operated at Ruth Hardy for many years. I have enclosed a photo of a gentleman teaching his two young daughters (One Shown) just this very morning with no problems. He is a regular here with his gal children. I would venture to guess that most all of the millions of tennis players around the globe and current and past professional and amateur tennis players from Roger Federer and Serena Williams to current World Number One Carlos Alcaraz, had no issues learning to play and enjoy tennis on standard striped courts. Adding stripes for additional "Mini-Tennis" or "Pickleball" courts on top of existing standard court lineage is incredibly distracting. At medium to high levels of tennis it is already difficult to make line calls and strike the ball cleanly. Added lines create a sort of "Strobe" light effect on fast moving shots. It is so important to be able to watch the incoming ball and the bounce to make clean ball contact. And, ask ANY tennis player how many times they missed a service return because they were focused on the close bounce to the standard "Service Box" line. Now add a hodgepodge of additional courts lines to that and hopefully you can understand the distraction. 09/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda At courts where these lines have been added, an example being the two north courts at the local Palm Springs Tennis Club, which were striped over for Pickleball, tennis playing club members no longer like or want to use these two courts, unless they are playing Pickleball. Also, if the "grassrootstennis" program feels it must have these mini courts to continue, I might suggest that the city has already created a "Mini-Tennis" facility made to order that can be used at the DeMuth Park Pickleball Facility. This can be used at off hours or evenings with no extra work or expenditures needed. Also, if this youth program needs additional volunteers for supervision and instruction, I am offering up my time to help. And I am sure many others in the Ruth Hardy Tennis Community would also volunteer so that they can effectively use all the existing courts as they are currently configured to better support the kids. And again, if there is a desire and need for a "Mini-Tennis" or "Pickleball" facility at Ruth Hardy Park, and there is budget, THERE IS room for one. And the Ruth Hardy Tennis Community would support the building of said facility. But not to the determent of a long and storied tennis facility. As an aside, the existing courts are starting to get very busy again with waits on Friday - Sunday to play. Also, if there is budget, the existing Tennis Courts could use some love. A cement ramp for wheelchairs on Court 5 is needed. The courts were, at great cost, re- surfaced and re-striped several years ago, but are starting to deteriorate. They need to be cleaned at least once a month and that has not been performed. Dirt is starting to embed itself into the court surface. Thank you for your consideration, James Degaine Palm Springs and Coachella Valley Resident Since 1973. Ruth Hardy Tennis Player Since 2006. 760-485-3430 09/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:Tennis John To:ParksAndRec; Geoff Kors; Lisa Middleton; Christy Holstege; CityManager; Yvonne Wise; Dennis Woods; City Clerk Subject:Re. Ongoing proposals to restripe tennis courts/ lower standards Date:Friday, September 23, 2022 10:55:13 PM NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. Dear Yvonne, Mayor, and City Council: The Parks and Rec meeting Monday, 5:30pm, once again has an agenda item to restripe courts, into minicourts. This is extremely controversial ! We have all been through this so many times before, I am so sorry you have to deal with this all over again. Please can you continue to oppose any such proposal, which would lower the quality of our fabulous Ruth Hardy tennis facility; it is world-famous as an "access-for-all" facility and is a critical part of Palm Springs history and heritage. These are not just "concrete courts" to be changed whenever a new fad or sports arises - this amazing facility has been an historic asset for an entire community for over 50 years, hundreds of our residents' lives revolve around this resource. It is the center of our dynamic tennis community, one of the reasons why our resort city developed (along with golf/ tourism), and it attracts thousands of tourists in winter. I represent hundreds of local tennis players in begging you to stop these attempts. In 2018, we sent the City a petition with about 400 local signatures, with numerous reasons to save the facility from the takeover attempt by a few aggressive pickleball advocates. We all begged you to please "Save Tennis in PS.", since the city had already destroyed the PLAZA facility, and converted 3 Demuth Park courts to pickleball, leaving Ruth Hardy as the LAST public tennis resource. I can resend the petition, if you wish. The 2018 battle was exceptionally controversial, with great media attention. The tennis community was being threatened with extinction due to ignorance, and we had to fight to survive. . But we should not need to keep repeating this with every damaging proposal to "take" or "steal" or diminish. The City council in 2019 soundly defeated the pickleball takeover, solving the problem with the City Manager - by allowing BOTH sports to thrive!! Signs were placed at Ruth Hardy stating they were for "Tennis Only- Pickleball courts are provided at Demuth Park". And the City would try to build more pickleball courts at Sunrise Park. Wisdom prevailed, the War was over, peace and happiness has reigned at RHP since this sensible decision. Our community is safe-- until now. We still need more tennis courts - they are overloaded with long wait times from Sept - April. Restriping/ adding more stripes damages the tennis courts, making it more difficult to play; it is confusing. Please support PROPER tennis, and do not allow the integrity of our world- class tennis facility to be damaged. Monday's RESTRIPE idea seems innocuous, but would set a precedent., and: 1. Make it easier for more courts to be restriped, in future. 2. Open the facility with a foothold for pickleball to continue those old attempts to take over the tennis courts, restripe them for this new sport. Many in the tennis community believe a "restripe for mini tennis " proposal plays into the hands of those who wish to steal tennis courts for pickleball/ paddleball, or other types of sports. Respectfully: are there biased Pickleball advocates behind the restripe idea, even influencing some Parks/ Rec commissioners? Those commissioners should be asked to refrain from voting on such a matter due to conflict of interest. Dimensions?? do they conveniently match the lines for Pickleball, for a future takeover? ie. a piecemeal proposal? 9/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda 3. This would be the start of the final nail in the coffin for the tennis community in PS. Please dont allow this under your watch. Responsible councillors have always protected our PS communities. 4.Would NOT help the children for what the lady coach is supposedly calling "youth play" for tennis. This is a ploy! The children, our future, would eventually lose the facility. As a professional tennis coach, we can see her reasoning; she can make more money by having more kids jammed onto one tennis court playing . This raises safety and liability concerns . NOTE! she already has a very sweet relationship with the City and can get more of the courts to teach on in the afternoons, to cater to higher numbers! Yes it takes better coaching /organizational skills and more supervision for safety. Our community has members who would offer to help her with the coaching! And proper tennis coaches develop youth far better on PROPER tennis courts, playing proper tennis, not on mini-courts with bats (this is NOT tennis- it may be called ping pong or pickleball, and is not needed). 5. The coach, who is the only person who stands to benefit by the restripe, can simply use the current restriped facility the City provided her at Demuth Park!! If she wants mini- tennis, she already has 12 perfectly restriped courts the taxpayers / City provided when 3 tennis courts were converted. Thank you so much for taking time to read through our rationale; please consider the huge ramifications of restriping/ damaging our community's perfect sporting facility. The community also wishes to thank you all for the shade structures and beautiful tree plantings you have recently provided. Our community members continue to help with small maintenance tasks for the courts, cleaning and trash pick-up. We will continue to care for this sacred place, where we celebrate birthdays/ parties/ commemoration services for members who have died, etc. Community is more important than mere concrete surfaces. Sincerely, John Chisholm 77 El Placer Rd Palm Springs 9/29/2022 Public Comment Non-Agenda