HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-09-26 Agenda Item 1OFrom:David Vignolo-ABM
To:Jeremy Hammond
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:Public Comment - City Council Regular Meeting on September 2024
Date:Sunday, September 22, 2024 4:06:05 PM
Attachments:Public Comments for Council Regular Meeting of September 26 2024.pdf
Good afternoon Deputy City Manager Hammond (bcc City Council and Human Rights
Commission members):
Please include the attached public comments for consideration by the full Human
Rights Commission at its October 9 Special Meeting; these will constitute the bulk of
what I will say during agenda item 10, "Commission Member Comments and Requests".
I am also submitting these to the City Clerk for distribution to all members of the City
Council for inclusion in their materials for their September 26, 2024 regular meeting. I
am sending this email as I have reported the link for electronic public comments on
https://www.palmspringsca.gov/government/city-clerk/city-council-meetings is
currently broken. Thank you.
Respectfully,
David A. Vignolo
Human Rights Commissioner (Term expires June 30, 2026)
Vice Chair, City of Palm Springs Human Rights Commission
2041 S Madrona Drive
Palm Spring, CA 92264-9220
(202) 409-5113
09/26/2024
Public Comment
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Mayor Bernstein, Mayor Pro Tem deHarte, Councilmembers Garner, Holstege and Middleton:
I respectfully request your reconsideration of the Council’s decision of June 13, 2024, to pause the
work of the Human Rights Commission and to delay any further appointments to fill its two
vacancies. This action was taken in response to a request by Councilmember Holstege during
agenda development at the regular meeting of the City Council on May 23, 2024. During that
discussion, there were suggestions of possible violations of the Brown Act by current commissioners
but to my knowledge no commissioners were ever contacted, and actions have been taken to rectify
any unintentional violations by a previous Executive Committee (since disbanded).
At the May 23rd meeting, Councilmember Holstege requested a code of conduct be applied to all
members of Boards, Committees and Commissions, but then seemed to single out only the Human
Rights Commission for a hiatus, during which it would be “rebranded”, and its role, scope and
authority would be looked at. Unfortunately, during this conversation, the Council was not made
aware that the current Human Rights Commission had already begun to look at ways its roles,
responsibilities and mission could be clarified and how Chapter 2.45 of the Palm Springs Municipal
Code could be updated – all which would have been submitted to the City Attorney and Council for
their review and approval. The current Human Rights Commission had also begun extensive work to
draft recommendations for Council’s review and approval to strengthen and address the process for
soliciting, vetting, and recommending individuals and organizations for future Community Service
Awards. I believe if the Council had been made aware of our work and our commitment to ensuring
that the Commission’s work reflected the values and priorities of the Council, the majority of the
Council would have directed the City Manager, city staff and the City Attorney to work and support
the current Commission’s work to improve its processes, while continuing to promote and protect
the diversity of our community and improve human relations through education and community
awareness.
At the regular Council meeting of June 13, Mayor Bernstein announced that instead of a hiatus of the
Human Rights Commission, its work would be “paused” and Human Rights Commission
appointments delayed. At that time, the details and scope of this “pause” were not made clear.
Since June 13, there have been two regular Commission meetings (July 8 and September 9) at which
the only agendized item was “Listening Session Regarding Future Work of the Human Rights
Commission”. Although I appreciate Mayor Bernstein and Councilmember Garner’s willingness to
hear from Commissioners and the public, I remain concerned that this process is punitive, not well-
09/26/2024
Public Comment
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defined, too open ended, and sends the wrong message to our community. At a time when there is
so much division, anger, and concern among Palm Springs residents, there is much the current
Human Rights Commission could do on behalf of the Council if it were not paused. I suggest the
time has come to reconsider the current approach.
A better path forward, in my opinion, is for the Commission to work with the City Council to address
any concerns you have about scope, while allowing us to do the work which you entrusted us to do
when you appointed us to this Commission. Allow the current Commission to work independently
with city staff to draft recommendations for the new Council to consider at its first Council meeting
on Thursday, January 09, 2025.
If we remain on this path of more listening sessions over the next 3 months while continuing to pause
any new work, it will certainly be mid-2025 before a functioning Human Rights Commission is able
to resume serving the community in any meaningful way. Any proposed changes to the Palm Springs
Municipal Code will take months to be adopted, given that the process requires multiple readings
before the Council takes final action; I believe the city deserves better now.
Let the Human Rights Commission get back to the fundamental business of promoting human rights
in the City of Palm Springs, while we simultaneously work to complete the Commission’s rebranding
and the updating of our statutory authorities. Thank you.
09/26/2024
Public Comment
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