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Home My WebLink About3A - Public CommentFrom:LetsAll@GoBananas.net To:City Clerk Cc:Lindsey-Paige McCloy; ABig@kidatheart.com; "Ashley Metzger" Subject:Turf Conversion Rebate Program Date:Thursday, October 27, 2022 9:54:01 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 City Council and Staff, RE: Matching Turf Conversion Rebate Program. Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!!! Great discussion you had this evening on the Dias. A couple comments/concerns. Identifying an “Official Start Date” for the city program is important. Following is why. It would be a huge mistake to allow retroactive funding of applications submitted prior to the program official start date, plus it becomes an operational nightmare. If retroactive, day one all funds will be spent and those waiting due to affordability will be left with nothing. Also, how would DWA chose who gets retroactive funding and who does not, on day one when there are more applications already in the pipeline than there is city matching rebate funding. Please restrict rebates only to projects submitted after the program start date. Many people are waiting for this program before submitting because they know they can’t afford it without the rebate program. Those retroactive applications that already applied, applied based on what rebates programs were available when they applied. DWA has a flow rate requirement. DWA may also require the Lush & Efficient Guidelines be followed too, and if not, DWA might consider adding that as a new requirement for their qualifications too, simply because it make good sense. Plastic Grass is a luxury product, it is a well-known very serious environmental hazard. The city can’t say plastic bags, plastic straws, and Styrofoam containers are bad and ban them, then allow plastic grass suggesting it is good. That would be a complete contradiction. Plus, plastic grass being a luxury item, tax dollars should not go to luxury items, that’s not the goal here, nor is it good optics. A $5,000 cap will make HOAs able to do only very small projects of approximately 1,600 square feet of turf or less. In term of space HOAs must address, 1,600 sq. ft. is tiny. If nothing else, consider raising the HOA cap to $50,000 since they have huge highly visible areas. Many HOAs are struggling with their budgets with so many increases, their home owners are even getting hit with special assessments and increasing already, making turf conversion simply not affordable to even consider without this city matching rebate program. Thank you, Bob Heinbaugh & Paul Hinrichsen – Upper West Side NOrg – leadership members. Public Comment 10/27/22 Item 3A: Blue Zones Feasibility Study A few years ago, as a member of the Desert Healthcare District board, I was privileged to meet Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner during the Health Matters conferences held in the valley. I was there to share information about the district’s work with local school districts to address high obesity rates in Palm Springs and throughout the valley. Dan talked about his groundbreaking research and subsequent efforts to replicate the conditions that lead to people living longer, healthier and better lives. Blue Zones takes a systematic, environmental approach to well-being, focusing on optimizing policy, building design, social networks, and the built environment. I read Dan’s book, reviewed case studies and talked to some of the local leaders in CA and in the Midwest who had and were continuing to work with Blue Zones to implement and make demonstrable changes in their communities. I learned this systemic approach requires a shift to upstream thinking, with strategies to address the things we typically get caught up in addressing downstream – symptoms of systemic challenges we are dealing with after the fact. It makes sense. If we are constantly treating the symptoms, rather than moving upstream to address the underlying causes, we are simply throwing time and money at problems that will never be resolved. Upstream is where we must focus with intention. Not episodically, but longitudinally. The good news is that Palm Springs has already taken important steps in this direction with adopting a sustainability plan and creating a sustainability commission more than a decade ago, establishing neighborhood groups, public safety outreach, building safer streets and bike and pedestrian lanes, CV Link, the Wellness Park and more. It makes good sense now to take this first step with Blue Zones – Feasibility Study – to work with a set of experts to help us evaluate how far we have come, identify gaps and opportunities and to assess our readiness for next steps and where we can and should focus next. I urge you to support moving forward with the Blue Zones proposal before you tonight. I pledge my time and support to help lead and own the processes of educating and driving community stakeholder interest and engagement. Thank you. Kay Hazen Palm Springs 10/27/2022 Public Comment Item 3A DHCD.ORG 1140 N. INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262 PHONE: (760) 323-6113 FAX: (760) 323-6825 DESERT HEALTHCARE DIS TRIC T & F OUND A TION 1140 N. Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs CA 92262 To: Palm Springs City Council Date: October 26, 2022 Re: Blue Zones Proposal Blue Zones: Community well-being programs to improve the population’s health and economic vitality. I am pleased to support the proposal from Blue Zones, LLC to initiate a feasibility study for the City of Palm Springs. The Desert Health Care District considered the same conceptual proposal from Blue Zones in November 2014 which would have included the entire District. Because of the price tag ($28-33 million over a 10 year period) the Board decided to postpone their decision until more information was obtained. I have continued to advocate for a District wide Blue Zone effort since that time. In reading Dan Buettner’s book “The Blue Zones” (the founder), he investigated areas in the world where people live long healthy lives. With extensive reporting and research, the Blue Zone team brings results into community programs: documented decreased childhood obesity, adult weight loss, smoking cessation, stress reduction, improved productivity and preventing chronic diseases. This is a major public health initiative that transforms American cities using lifestyle choices (eat well, stress less, move more, and love more.) His methods have been published in peer reviewed medical journals and Medicare covers the Blue Zone lifestyle program for reversing heart disease. Beach Cities Health Care District in Southern California adopted Blue Zones in 2010 and partnered with School Districts, local businesses, civic groups and individuals to create amazing results. This is a link to a two-page synopsis of their Blue Zone Fact Sheet. https://www.bchdfiles.com/docs/hlc/BCHD- generalfactsheet&model.pdf In summary, they reported a 20% reduction in childhood obesity, 36% decrease in smoking, healthy eating and exercise up 10% , and above normal weight loss at 25%. I applaud Riverside County Board of Supervisors’ commitment to join the Blue Zone effort. I am hopeful that all the Coachella Valley Cities will participate as Palm Springs is considering. And I will continue to advocate for the Health Care District to join in this exciting project. Carole Rogers Carole Rogers R.N. M.P.H. Director cell: 510-772-1669 crogers@dhcd.org 10/27/2022 Public Comment Item 3A DHCD.ORG 1140 N. INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262 PHONE: (760) 323-6113 FAX: (760) 323-6825 10/27/2022 Public Comment Item 3A