HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-07 Section 14From:Christy Holstege
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Section 14 Survivor
Date:Thursday, November 7, 2024 1:16:45 PM
Christy Gilbert Holstege, Esq.
Councilmember
District 4
City of Palm Springs
Begin forwarded message:
From: marie mck <marielacy67@gmail.com>
Date: November 6, 2024 at 3:39:02 PM PST
To: Christy Holstege <Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: Section 14 Survivor
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 Mayor and Palm Springs City Council:
For more than a year, the Section 14 Survivors have been negotiating with the
City of Palm Springs to reach an agreement on restitution for the violent
displacement that they endured and on July 2nd, the Survivors submitted a formal
settlement counterproposal to the City - PLEASE ACCEPT IT IN FULL.
The Survivors are urging the City Council and Mayor to accept this fair and
reasonable offer so that we all can close this chapter and set forth on the path of
healing and unity.
Act now to ameliorate the inequity and emotional pain for the survivors and their
descendants and be the model of reconciliation.
Please act now to exemplify Palm Springs as a city of excellence for the world.
Thank you,
Marie Lacy-Mckinney
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Christy Holstege
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: To The Mayor and Palm Springs City Council:
Date:Thursday, November 7, 2024 1:16:33 PM
Christy Gilbert Holstege, Esq.
Councilmember
District 4
City of Palm Springs
Begin forwarded message:
From: j norbert mcdaniel <mcdan5555@gmail.com>
Date: November 6, 2024 at 4:14:00 PM PST
To: Jeffrey Bernstein <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>, Ron deHarte
<Ron.deHarte@palmspringsca.gov>, Grace Garner
<Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>, Christy Holstege
<Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca.gov>, Lisa Middleton
<Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: To The Mayor and Palm Springs City Council:
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.
For more than a year, the Section 14 Survivors have been negotiating with the
City of Palm Springs to reach an agreement on restitution for the violent
displacement that they endured and on July 2nd, the Survivors submitted a formal
settlement counterproposal to the City - PLEASE ACCEPT IT IN FULL.
The Survivors are urging the City Council and Mayor to accept this fair and
reasonable offer so that we all can close this chapter and set forth on the path of
healing and unity.
Act now to ameliorate the inequity and emotional pain for the survivors and their
descendants and be the model of reconciling.
Please act now to exemplify Palm Springs as a city of excellence for the world.
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
Thank you,
J. Norbert McDaniel
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Christy Holstege
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I Support the Section 14 Survivors" Settlement offer
Date:Thursday, November 7, 2024 1:14:42 PM
Christy Gilbert Holstege, Esq.
Councilmember
District 4
City of Palm Springs
Begin forwarded message:
From: Stephanie Brown <sincereavenue@yahoo.com>
Date: November 7, 2024 at 10:04:14 AM PST
To: Jeffrey Bernstein <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>, Ron deHarte
<Ron.deHarte@palmspringsca.gov>, Lisa Middleton
<Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca.gov>, Christy Holstege
<Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca.gov>, Grace Garner
<Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: I Support the Section 14 Survivors' Settlement offer
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.
November 4, 2024
Dear Palm Springs City Council Members,
My name is Stephanie Brown. I am a descendant of a Section 14 Survivor. As a
descendant of a Section 14 survivor, I respectfully urge you and your colleagues in Palm
Springs city government to finally do the right thing by the Section 14 families that were
displaced by accepting the counter offer presented to the Palm Springs City Council by the
Section 14 Survivors and their Descendants. The time to act and do the right thing is NOW!
As a descendant and previous resident of the city of Palm Springs, whose family loved and
contributed significantly to the economic success of the city of Palm Springs, I urge you to
please accept the counter offer presented to the Palm Springs City Council by the Section
14 Survivors and Descendants.
Please act Now....by accepting the counter offer of Section 14 Survivors and Descendants
today! I stand in support of the Section 14 Survivors' counter offer and I hope you do too.
Please change the city's previous actions to destroy and harm the Section 14 Survivors and
their families over economic greed and opportunity to to new actions to help restore and
heal the Sections 14 Survivors and Descendants from the harmful and lasting effects that
the destruction of Section 14 by the city has caused them, affecting their ability to receive
generational wealth and economic advancements as they would have been able to do
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
before the destruction and trauma and lasting effects of the economic destruction of the
Section 14 Survivors' businesses, churches, homes, and community centers and
organizations along with their jobs that they worked to economically contribute to the city
and provide for their families to help create generational wealth... that was stolen from them
by the devasting effects of the destructions of their homes on Section 14 and the forceful
removal of them from their beloved homes, jobs, community and city.
Now, I urge you as new and existing city council members of Palm Springs to help make a
positive change and difference in the lives of the Section 14 Survivors and Descendants by
accepting the counter offer that was presented to the Palm Springs City Council in full. By
doing so, it would help heal some of the deep rooted pain that the city of Palm Springs has
caused the Section 14 Survivors and Descendants that was direct impacted by what the
city did towards the Survivors of Section 14 and how it also effected the Descendants as
well through the residual effects of the city's unjust actions to displace the Section 14
families from their community, jobs, their city and location from their homes in palm springs,
a place they loved!
Please Act Now and accept the counter offer of Section 14 Survivors and Descendants.
Thank you,
Stephanie Brown
A Descendant of The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I Support the Section 14 Survivors" Settlement offer
Date:Thursday, November 7, 2024 10:13:47 AM
Thank you,
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Stephanie Brown <sincereavenue@yahoo.com>
Date: November 7, 2024 at 10:04:13 AM PST
To: Jeffrey Bernstein <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>, Ron deHarte
<Ron.deHarte@palmspringsca.gov>, Lisa Middleton
<Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca.gov>, Christy Holstege
<Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca.gov>, Grace Garner
<Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: I Support the Section 14 Survivors' Settlement offer
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.
November 4, 2024
Dear Palm Springs City Council Members,
My name is Stephanie Brown. I am a descendant of a Section 14 Survivor. As a
descendant of a Section 14 survivor, I respectfully urge you and your colleagues in Palm
Springs city government to finally do the right thing by the Section 14 families that were
displaced by accepting the counter offer presented to the Palm Springs City Council by the
Section 14 Survivors and their Descendants. The time to act and do the right thing is NOW!
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
As a descendant and previous resident of the city of Palm Springs, whose family loved and
contributed significantly to the economic success of the city of Palm Springs, I urge you to
please accept the counter offer presented to the Palm Springs City Council by the Section
14 Survivors and Descendants.
Please act Now....by accepting the counter offer of Section 14 Survivors and Descendants
today! I stand in support of the Section 14 Survivors' counter offer and I hope you do too.
Please change the city's previous actions to destroy and harm the Section 14 Survivors and
their families over economic greed and opportunity to to new actions to help restore and
heal the Sections 14 Survivors and Descendants from the harmful and lasting effects that
the destruction of Section 14 by the city has caused them, affecting their ability to receive
generational wealth and economic advancements as they would have been able to do
before the destruction and trauma and lasting effects of the economic destruction of the
Section 14 Survivors' businesses, churches, homes, and community centers and
organizations along with their jobs that they worked to economically contribute to the city
and provide for their families to help create generational wealth... that was stolen from them
by the devasting effects of the destructions of their homes on Section 14 and the forceful
removal of them from their beloved homes, jobs, community and city.
Now, I urge you as new and existing city council members of Palm Springs to help make a
positive change and difference in the lives of the Section 14 Survivors and Descendants by
accepting the counter offer that was presented to the Palm Springs City Council in full. By
doing so, it would help heal some of the deep rooted pain that the city of Palm Springs has
caused the Section 14 Survivors and Descendants that was direct impacted by what the
city did towards the Survivors of Section 14 and how it also effected the Descendants as
well through the residual effects of the city's unjust actions to displace the Section 14
families from their community, jobs, their city and location from their homes in palm springs,
a place they loved!
Please Act Now and accept the counter offer of Section 14 Survivors and Descendants.
Thank you,
Stephanie Brown
A Descendant of The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Bob H
To:City Clerk; Jeffrey Bernstein
Subject:RE: Palm Springs Section 14 reparations
Date:Thursday, November 7, 2024 10:05:21 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.
Good day,
I would like to once again express my opposition to any reparations for the "victims" of the
Section 14 evictions that occurred in the 50's-70's in downtown Palm Springs.
The individuals that claim damages were illegal squatters on land they did not own. The tribe
owns the land and is responsible for whatever occurred over 40 years ago.
Based on what has been published regarding the history, the residents were given plenty of
opportunities to vacate and only those that refused were evicted from property that was not
theirs.
Do not waste any Palm Springs tax money on any type of sympathy payments.
Regards,
Robert E Hamilton
3045 N Sequoia Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92262
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Susan
To:City Clerk; Lisa Middleton; Jeffrey Bernstein; Grace Garner; Scott Stiles; Andrew Mills
Subject:Section 14 situation
Date:Thursday, November 7, 2024 9:36:59 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 Clerk, Manager Council members;
Please read my opinions to date as to situation of Sec 14
1. This needs to go to the vote of citizens,
2. Facts are the council has relied on rumors, not records when doing official apology. With
records that prove all tenants there were noticed in writing, knew for many, many years that
the tribe made plans to finally develop, ala book "You can't eat dirt" Viola Ortner, Tribe
Chair.
3. Now council needs to apologize, remove itself from the claims or remove claimant matter
from the city agenda. This is grift or grab for taxpayer funds
4. Let claim go to court, if need be, with litigants attempts to grift the tribe, The Federal govt
will quash it, have the court dismiss because one cannot make a money claim against a tribe
when such claim concerns sovereign land. This alone is reason to inform claimants to simply
withdraw.
5 Justin Clifton gave council sage advice years back that a. taxpayer funds may not be gifted
out. 2. claim is for personal property which again at law the city would be illegally gifting. 6..
personal property claim does not support lost opportunity or missed generational wealth.
7. Those who took the $200 down payments have accrued appreciation, gain.. should they then
be subjected to special assessment or realized gain for past 60+ years? Then they can share
with those in this community who allegedly claim.
8. The claim is not equitable to all tenants.. many owned businesses or the rental shacks.. 351
families total, 115 renters of color, the rest white. A payout needs to be across the board to all
tenants then. Again place on the ballot for a vote.
This city and recent council have made many knee jerk statements, decisions that have gone
wrong. Close this matter, do not 'gift' taxpayer money illegally now. It is wrong and the
subject needs to either close or the city needs to place it on the ballot. Even Newsom has
stated he will not approve reparations in California.
When I drive in town I see so many necessary maintenance issues. A major one is a need to
completely re-pave major streets. add signal and stop warning signs plus the many vacant,
decaying buildings. Tax funds need to be allocated to maintain this city as the charter states.
We again have seen the welfare gifting of funds gone awry, the DCE failures that city now
funds, the Trans welfare. The downtown blights a block off Palm Canyon or east of Indian.
Million or millions here or there.
Please proceed to close the matter, just say no to the frivolous IMO money grab. Or, place it
on ballot to see if citizenry votes for a special referendum to misuse taxpayer funds in a non
legal manner for a claim with no basis in law. I think voters will side with Newsom. City
council ought to also.
Respectfully,
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
Always~
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without
surrender, be on good terms with all persons.Desiderata
Susan
760/567 8867
Susan Smith Cogliano
Emeritus* Realtor, Broker G.R.I
DRE#00575036
destoseaproperties@gmail.com
Desert to Sea Properties
Realtor since 1976 *Emeritus 40+ yrs NAR honors
Palm Springs- Desert Resident 1957
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Restitution for Section 14 Survivors/Descendants
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 4:03:04 PM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Prayer Warrior <kymber1000@gmail.com>
Subject: Restitution for Section 14 Survivors/Descendants
Date: November 6, 2024 at 12:44:39 PM PST
To: Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
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 Mayor and Palm Springs City Council:
For more than a year, the Section 14 Survivors have been negotiating with the City of Palm Springs
to reach an agreement on restitution for the violent displacement that they endured and on July
2nd, the Survivors submitted a formal settlement counterproposal to the City totaling $42 million.
The Survivors are urging the City Council and Mayor to accept this fair and reasonable offer so that
we all can close this chapter and set forth on the path of healing and unity.
Act now to ameliorate the inequity and emotional pain for the survivors and their descendants and
be the model of reconciling.
Please act now to exemplify Palm Springs as a city of excellence for the world.
Thank you,
Kimberly Esse
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Section 14
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 4:02:34 PM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: marie mck <marielacy67@gmail.com>
Subject: Section 14
Date: November 6, 2024 at 3:35:14 PM PST
To: Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
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 Mayor and Palm Springs City Council:
For more than a year, the Section 14 Survivors have been negotiating with the
City of Palm Springs to reach an agreement on restitution for the violent
displacement that they endured and on July 2nd, the Survivors submitted a formal
settlement counterproposal to the City - PLEASE ACCEPT IT IN FULL.
The Survivors are urging the City Council and Mayor to accept this fair and
reasonable offer so that we all can close this chapter and set forth on the path of
healing and unity.
Act now to ameliorate the inequity and emotional pain for the survivors and their
descendants and be the model of reconciliation.
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
Please act now to exemplify Palm Springs as a city of excellence for the world.
Thank You
Marie Lacy-Mckinney
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I support the Section 14 Survivors’
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 9:09:12 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Mark Reyes <reyes.mark@tressandbalance.com>
Subject: I support the Section 14 Survivors’
Date: November 4, 2024 at 7:20:40 PM PST
To: "Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov"
<Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>
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 Jeffrey Bernstein,
I read about the Section 14 Survivors’ proposed settlement offer and I’m writing
to express my strong support for the city to accept their proposal and finally close
this chapter of out history. It is time for us all to move on in healing and unity,
and their offer is beyond fair and reasonable considering the magnitude of
atrocities that occurred and the lifetime of trauma that the Survivors have
endured.
Please vote yes on this proposed settlement.
Sincerely,
Mark A Reyes and Mark S Raskin
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Section 14 proposal
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 9:08:58 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: DELIA GENERA <generadelia@aol.com>
Subject: Section 14 proposal
Date: November 4, 2024 at 7:20:54 PM PST
To: Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
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.
Hello Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein,
I would like to send my support for Palm Springs Section 14 proposal and hope
we can finally come to an agreement.
Sincerely,
Delia Genera
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I Support the Section 14 Survivors" Counter Offer Proposal
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 10:23:08 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Dimitrios Broumas <dimitriosbroumas@gmail.com>
Subject: I Support the Section 14 Survivors' Counter Offer Proposal
Date: November 4, 2024 at 9:32:21 PM PST
To: Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
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 Bernstein,
My family (grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins) lived on Section 14. Thestories of that time have filled my childhood even though my mother was the onlymember of her family that did not live on Section 14. My mother was born in PalmSprings and grew up in the "North End"/Desert Highland Estates community ofPalm Springs. My maternal grandfather passed away in 2019 and my maternalgrandmother passed away last year, and I am writing to honor them and the rest ofmy family, and to express my strong support for the City of Palm Springs to acceptthe Survivors’ proposal and to finally close this chapter and make room for theprogress of the younger generations living in and visiting Palm Springs. I am 22years old and my memories of Palm Springs should include efforts towards racialhealing and justice. I want to make my friends aware of all that Palm Springs hasdone and offers to its residents, especially those historically marginalized.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and I ask that you accept the mostrecent counter offer presented to the City Council by Section 14 Survivors andDescendants. Please vote yes.
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
Sincerely,
Dimitrios Broumas
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Section 14
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 9:06:53 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jerry Payne <dineroace@yahoo.com>
Subject: Section 14
Date: November 4, 2024 at 7:31:36 PM PST
To: <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>
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.
My father Jerry Donald Payne is a survivor of Section 14. I Devin Payne am a
dependent of section 14. We strongly encourage the City Council to accept our
latest counter proposal of section 14, to finally bring healing and revenue dollars
to the city.
Thank you, God Bless
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I support the Section 14 Survivors’ settlement offer
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 9:06:49 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: "J.T. Reyes" <reyes.jt1@gmail.com>
Subject: I support the Section 14 Survivors’ settlement offer
Date: November 4, 2024 at 7:50:39 PM PST
To: Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
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 Jeffrey Bernstein,
I read about the Section 14 Survivors’ proposed settlement offer and I’m writing
to express my strong support for the city to accept their proposal and finally close
this chapter of out history. It is time for us all to move on in healing and unity,
and their offer is beyond fair and reasonable considering the magnitude of
atrocities that occurred and the lifetime of trauma that the Survivors have
endured.
Please vote yes on this proposed settlement.
Sincerely,
Josephina M Reyes
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I Support the Section 14 Survivors" Counter Offer Proposal
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 8:53:35 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jordan Miller-Surratt <j.millersurratt@gmail.com>
Subject: I Support the Section 14 Survivors' Counter Offer Proposal
Date: November 5, 2024 at 5:22:28 PM PST
To: Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
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 Bernstein,
My family (grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins) lived on Section 14. Thestories of that time have filled my childhood even though my mother was the onlymember of her family that did not live on Section 14. My mother was born in PalmSprings and grew up in the "North End"/Desert Highland Estates community ofPalm Springs. My maternal grandfather passed away in 2019 and my maternalgrandmother passed away last year, and I am writing to honor them and the rest ofmy family, and to express my strong support for the City of Palm Springs to acceptthe Survivors’ proposal and to finally close this chapter and make room for theprogress of the younger generations living in and visiting Palm Springs. I am 30years old and my memories of Palm Springs should include efforts towards racialhealing and justice. I want to make my friends aware of all that Palm Springs hasdone and offers to its residents, especially those historically marginalized.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and I ask that you accept the mostrecent counter offer presented to the City Council by Section 14 Survivors andDescendants. Please vote yes.
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
Sincerely,
Jordan Miller-Surratt
--
Jordan Miller-Surratt
Sr. Product Manager
510.393.2894
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Section 14
Date:Wednesday, November 6, 2024 8:53:25 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Phillip Frazier <mpgwellness@gmail.com>
Subject: Section 14
Date: November 5, 2024 at 5:39:32 PM PST
To: jeffrey.bernstein@palmspringsca.gov,
ron.deharte@palmspringsca.gov, grace.garner@palmspringsca.gov,
christy.holstege@palmspringsca.gov, lisa.middleton@palmspringsca.gov
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.
Greetings City of Palm Administrator,
I, Phillip Frazier, have forwarded this email to you to express my feelings about
providing reparations for Section 14 survivors and descendants. The first thing
that I want you to know is I was 5 years old when the homes in Section 14 were
burned and bulldozed to the ground. To this day I can vividly remember the facial
expressions and demeanor of my mother and older relatives in my family.
Although my mother and older relatives were terrified, heartbroken, bewildered,
and traumatized they had to be composed to keep their families together.
The impact that this atrocity had on Black and Hispanic families affected them
mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially thus preventing them from
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
creating generational wealth. Reparations for Section 14 survivors and
descendants are important because they can use the funds to invest in programs
where they can begin establishing generational wealth.
I am very proud to call the City of Palm Springs home. However, I believe that
addressing this matter and righting this wrong is long overdue. I sincerely hope
that you will give this matter deep consideration before making your final
decision.
Respectfully yours,
Phillip Frazier
--
Phillip W. Frazier
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Section 14
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: I support the section 14 survivors’ settlement counter offer proposal
Date:Sunday, November 3, 2024 8:59:42 PM
Thank you!
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Vicki Plautz <viclee68@yahoo.com>
Subject: I support the section 14 survivors’ settlement counter offer
proposal
Date: November 2, 2024 at 11:13:57 PM PDT
To: <jeffrey.bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>
Cc: <Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca.gov>,
<ron.deharte@palmspringsca.gov>, <grace.garner@palmspringsca.gov>,
<christy.holstege@palmspringsca.gov>
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 Palm Springs City Council Members,
I heard about Section 14, and I am writing to express my strong support for theCity of Palm Springs to accept the Survivors’ proposal and to finally close thischapter of our history. It is time to move on in healing and unity, and their offer isbeyond fair and reasonable considering the magnitude of atrocities that occurredand the lifetime of trauma that the Survivors have endured. Palm Springs shouldbe known for its efforts to promote racial healing, not for its unjust past.
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
I did not grow up in the Palm Springs area and never knew this story, but sinceuncovered, I realize that I have loved ones whose families were impacted by thisand there is a need for more than acknowledgment. I ask that you accept the mostrecent counter offer presented to the City Council by Section 14 Survivors andDescendants. Please vote yes.
Sincerely,
Vicki L. Plautz
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: The Survivors of Section 14
Date:Sunday, November 3, 2024 8:59:28 PM
Thank you!
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bernstein
Mayor
City of Palm Springs
442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jack Devine <jddevine@pacbell.net>
Subject: The Survivors of Section 14
Date: November 3, 2024 at 12:08:56 AM PDT
To: <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>
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 Honorable Mayor and Esteemed Members of the Palm Springs City Council,
As an ally of the Survivors of Section 14, I am reaching out to voice my wholehearted endorsement for the proposed settlement counteroffer put forth by the Survivors. I believe it is high time for
the city to embrace this counter proposal, thereby allowing us to turn the page on this part of our history. The path towards healing and unity lies ahead, and accepting their counteroffer is a
significant step in that direction. The terms of the counteroffer are more than just and equitable for the Survivors, their Descendants, and the City of Palm Springs.
Sincerely,
Jack A. Devine
1374 Garfield Place
Woodland, CA. 95776
Phone 530-383-4771
11/07/2024
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:dougsky1@aol.com
To:Scott Stiles; Brenda Pree; City Clerk
Subject:Public Comments- Closed Session Nov 7,2024
Date:Sunday, November 3, 2024 3:54:02 PM
Attachments:Final Letter ot City Council 110324-2.docx
DS Editorial-Historic Consultant.html
Letter to Scott Stiles, June 23, 2024 (Final)-3.docx
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.
Good morning-
Please provide copies of the attached documents to the following -
Mayor and City Council
City Attorney
City Consultant Trevor Daley
Doug Evans, on behalf of Friends of Frank Bogert
November 3, 2024
RE- Closed Session on Section 14, Reparations, and Mayor Frank Bogert
Dear Mayor and City Council,
We understand that the City Council will be dealing with the Section 14 historical
consultant report on November 7 in closed session. We believe the City Council has made
significant strides to understand the complexities of what transpired in Section 14 and in
turn what Frank Bogert’s role as mayor was. We are hopeful and optimistic that the City and
Friends of Frank Bogert can move forward positively. In dealing with correcting the record
regarding the HRC Frank Bogert Monument Report, apology resolution, statue relocation,
and other retractions which are needed to correct the past egregiously false allegations.
The city cannot have conflicting city documents in the record if it hopes to move forward.
We strongly object to considering this report in closed session. As the City Council knows,
there are public comments before a closed session and the public has the right to know
what the new facts are to provide meaningful public comment. In the interest of
transparency and to engender trust, we suggest the report be released to the public
immediately and that discussion encouraged.
Additionally, the scheduled November 14 open meeting will not afford the public sufficient
time to read, evaluate, and debate what should be a historic context report with hundreds
of pages. The city council appears to have backed itself into a political corner and after over
4 years of work it is rushing a decision to accommodate a winding down election cycle
clock. This is not fair to the community and undermines the Mayor and City Council
members’ very own words regarding open discussion and transparency. It creates an
appearance of hiding and rushing, calculated to be after the larger election, and before the
citizens can weigh in.
The commitment of Council to hire a historical consultant was made in public session in
April 2023. The content of the consultant's report is clearly public information and should
not be hidden under the guise of a threatened lawsuit. The report should be released to the
public and with adequate time for public review. The Council should not take any action in
closed or open session regarding Section 14 before a full public discussion. This Council
should wait for the newly-elected members to fully consider all the facts which have come
to light before spending millions of taxpayer dollars.
At the April 27, 2023 meeting, members of the City Council stated that the city needed to
hire a historian to research Section 14 and provide objective facts about the circumstance
under which it was cleared before making a decision about Section 14 and reparations.
Council member Middleton stated, “I think we have to have a consensus as to what it was,
specifically, that we did wrong and I don't believe we have that consensus today." She
further stated she has “a fiduciary responsibility to the City of Palm Springs and to the
people in the City of Palm Springs" to do so. Council member Bernstein stated that the
council "needed in-depth research" and "objective research into the historical context."
Council member deHarte said that the council needed to "verify the historical context of
Section 14.” Mayor Garner stated. "Our goal as a council is to make the [reparations
discussion] an open and participative process, working with the community to
determine a fair outcome for everyone."
Instead, the Council delayed more than a year in contracting for the historical analysis.
When a contract was finally authorized (April 2024) Mayor Bernstein stated, “The council
values an external third party who will analyze historical documents and provide their
perspective which will provide the city and all stakeholders with a comprehensive report
of Section 14.”
Despite this commitment, the City Council made a Section 14 settlement offer to those
who submitted a claim against the city in April 2024. This is not transparent or ethical
governance. It is also not justified by the facts. Further, it is rumored the city will offer an
even larger settlement, some $9M, for unclear reasons. In light of their fiduciary
responsibility, at the very least, before doing so, the Council owes the citizens of Palm
Springs an explanation based in fact.
The City Council committed to reach consensus on the "wrongs" allegedly committed by
the city in 1966 before taking action on Section 14. Prior to making a settlement offer in
April 2024 the city attorney had made it clear that the un-adopted 2021 HRC "Monument
Report" did not provide credible evidence of wrong-doing by the city.
The Council wisely refused to adopt the HRC report because of its fallacious accusations
(which were documented by Friends of Frank Bogert), however this report continues to be
cited by some council members (and those seeking reparations) as the basis for the
claims. In the summer of 2023, the City Attorney was definitive in stating (in a letter to
attorney Areva Martin), "Your clients” believe that the (HRC) Monument Report should,
standing alone, support the payment to your clients of upwards of two billion dollars of
public money is simply not supported by any reasonable concepts of public governance …”
There is no evidence of City wrong-doing. Despite the un-adopted HRC "Monument Report"
having been discredited, Mayor Bernstein announced a settlement offer in April 2024. In
announcing the settlement offer Mayor Bernstein, speaking for the city council, (see the
city's press release) stated that the City's "wrong" was that "City funds" were used to
demolish structures.
By any reasonable definition the funds used were not "City" funds. The federal government
reimbursed the city for the demolition costs pursuant to a contract with the Bureau of
Indian Affairs. The Tribal Council had asked the city to assist with the clearing of the land
and the Indian owners issued the eviction notices. Without this contract, the costs for
removing the structures after the eviction notices would be the responsibility of the
landowners -- but at that time most of the Indian landowners could not afford these costs.
For them to benefit from the value of their land, the land needed to be cleared.
The source of the funds to clear the land, from Indian owners, the federal government or
the city, is irrelevant. The BIA had been very clear in 1961 when the director of the Palm
Springs Office stated, "that the individual Indian allottees, court appointed guardians and
conservators, in concert with the Bureau, had determined that all residential buildings
must be removed… to permit redevelopment for its highest and best use."
That spring the BIA issued eviction notices to all remaining 430 homes with a date for
completing the removal scheduled for June 30, 1961. Because of the efforts of Mayor
Bogert these eviction notices were delayed another 5 years at which time the agreement
between the federal government and the city to reimburse the city for the costs for
demolition was executed. By any stretch of imagination, this cannot be considered a City
"wrong ” since the City was assisting the Tribe in one of the first efforts to support Tribal
sovereignty.
Unfortunately to date, there has been no public discussion, no consultant report, no
previous mention about the source of funds used. The City Council is not acting in good
faith or dealing honestly with the public.
Friends of Frank Bogert submitted the attached letter to City Manager Scott Stiles on June
23, 2024. This letter further describes our concerns and specifically requests that the City
Council make factual amends for this fiasco.
The Friends of Frank Bogert request the following: the HRC Frank Bogert Monument Report
must be withdrawn from all city records and replaced by historical facts; apologize to the
Bogert family for false and seemingly malicious accusations; disclose who prepared the
HRC report; acknowledge the hard work Mayor Bogert and the city did to assist Section 14
residents; acknowledge that Mayor Bogert secured a moratorium on 430 evictions in 1961;
revise and correct false statements in the 2021 “Apology resolution”; cease citing the
discredited Assistant Attorney General Memorandum of 1968; correct false statement in
the City Section 14 Fact Sheets and other online sources of information; commit to
respond to, and correct false statements made by the media, and finally relocate the Frank
Bogert Statue to the Village Green restoring his reputation.
Norm King and Doug Evans on behalf of Friends of Frank Bogert
CC- City Manager and City Attorney
Attachment:
Desert Sun Editorial May ,7 2023 "Palm Springs City Council Takes Small Step in Right
Direction in Reparations Study”
Letter to Scott Stiles from Norm King, June 23, 2024
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Date: June 23, 2024
To: Scott Stiles, City Manager, City of Palm Springs
From: Norm King, Friends of Frank Bogert
Thank you and Trevor for meeting with us last week. Thanks to you also for your
role in making the city more transparent and for the City’s beginning effort, by
posting information on the City website, to correct the record and to provide
factual information about Frank Bogert and Section 14.
As we emphasized at our meeting we appreciate that the City has begun to release
letters and post material which retract past false City statements about Section 14
and Frank Bogert. This information validates the Friends of Frank Bogert’s
indictment of the credibility and truthfulness of the Human Rights Commission
Frank Bogert Monument Report, the City’s “Apology Resolution,” the City’s
Frank Bogert Statue Removal Resolution, the Assistant Attorney General 1968
Memorandum and the fallacious rhetoric over the past three plus years. However,
additional retractions are needed to correct past false allegations.
It is evident that the City’s recent retractions are an effort to put the City in a
stronger position to defend itself against extravagant financial claims. These same
retractions should apply equally to the exoneration of Frank Bogert, who the
City claims was responsible for alleged “wrongs” perpetrated by the City in
Section 14.
Since April 2021 the City has sponsored a campaign which has given Palm Springs
a reputation nationwide as a racist city and the City has portrayed Frank Bogert as
a racist and has slandered his reputation.
Trevor asked what we wanted the City to do. Our overarching request is that the
City acknowledge its past dishonesty, lack of transparency and false statements
and correct the record regarding Frank Bogert and Section 14.
Our requests are:
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1. Relocate Frank Bogert’s statue to the Village Green. See the attached
document, “In Their Own Words” which provides quotes from councilmembers
from the September 29, 2021 City Council when the council voted to remove the
Bogert statue and relocate it to another site.
2. Apologize to the Bogert family for endorsing and promulgating false
information about Frank Bogert as part of a “political effort” as described by
Councilmember DeHarte.
3. Withdraw the HRC Frank Bogert “Monument” Report from the city
website and publicly state that the report is replete with falsehoods and should
not be used as a data source for anything relating to Frank Bogert or the City
of Palm Springs. (See the September 2021 Friends of Frank Bogert “Rebuttal” of
the HRC Report for the specific false allegations made about Frank Bogert). The
City’s newly posted “Fact Sheets” directly contradict the Bogert Monument
Report. The City cannot claim to be committed to promoting Section 14 “Facts”
while also allowing this falsified report to be posted on the city website and to be
touted as evidence of the City’s “wrongdoing.”
4. Disclose who wrote the HRC Report and publicly address and rectify the
plagiarism allegations made about the Report. In the interest of transparency
and accountability, residents have a right to know who wrote a report that not only
led to the removal of Frank Bogert’s statue, but that also triggered a costly
controversy over reparations.
5. Acknowledge that the HRC Report’s accusation that “Bogert demonstrated
no efforts to address Section 14 harms” is not truthful and does not
acknowledge the work he did to assist Section 14 residents. (As with all the
content of this letter we will be happy to provide documentation for all that I have
written.)
Also acknowledge Frank Bogert’s role in the spring of 1961 securing a
moratorium on the 430 eviction notices which had been issued by the BIA and
the Indian owners without the city’s knowledge. The Bureau established June
30, 1961 as the date all residents would be removed and announced that “all
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residential buildings must be removed … to permit the highest and best use.” It
should be noted the evictions of 1965-66, four and five years later, were the
second evictions notices which had been issued for the removal of the remaining
structures (of which there were only about 140 left by then.)
6. Revise and correct the false statements contained in the 2021 “Apology
Resolution.” The many falsehoods contained in this resolution are widely
cited by the media as evidence of the City’s wrongdoing.
Examples of the false information include:
“WHEREAS, The City of Palm Springs kept no official records of the persons
displaced and the residences destroyed in Section 14 and there is no record of any
attempt at determining that each homeowner and resident had been properly
served with eviction notices”
“The City, using public funds, cleared the land. Homes and personal belongings
owned by the inhabitants were destroyed and burned by the City, often ignoring
required notice provisions”
“Accompanying the destruction of homes in Section 14 was the continuing
disregard for relocation of these residents”
“individuals and families who endured forced removals…. “
“The City encouraged conservators for Indians owning the land to terminate the
leases or rentals of the land”.
“By 1964, the City of Palm Springs began executing a plan to demolish all existing
property on Section 14”
7. Remove from city records and cease citing statements based on discredited
information from the Assistant Attorney General Memorandum of 1968. If
the City makes reference to the Memorandum, include reference to his conclusion
that the City did not break any law.
Discredited information includes the following: The use of the term “holocaust” is
by definition erroneous. The statement that the City “ignored that the residents
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were human beings” is not supported by any information. He stated that the
“conclusive evidence” of the City’s culpability was that the City did not keep
records. This statement was disputed at the time by city officials. The discovery of
the original eviction notices and records last year destroys the credibility of the
Assistant Attorney General’s memorandum altogether.
In his 1968 memorandum the Assistant Attorney General cited allegations of only
eight people in regard to the 1965-66 evictions. None of the allegations made by
these eight individuals occurred in 1965 and 1966 or turned out to be legitimate
complaints. For instance, two complainants stated they received but disregarded
the eviction notice. Another lost in court.
8. Provide a public explanation as to why the City did not follow through on
its April 2023 commitment to “find the facts” about Section 14 before moving
forward with reparations programs. Councilmembers Deharte and Middleton,
as well as Mayor Bernstein, are all on the record as saying that consensus on the
Section 14 facts was needed before moving forward with reparations.
9. Correct the non-factual statements which are contained in the newly posted
City Section 14 “Fact Sheets” – such as reference to “rectifying the events …
of the 1950s and 1960s.” Cease using Frank Bogert’s name and the statue removal
as evidence the City is committed to addressing the wrongs of the past, as it does in
the “Timeline of Palm Springs Equity Efforts for Section 14” Fact Sheet. Remove
the reference to the falsified and plagiarized Resolution to remove the Bogert
statue in this “Timeline” Fact Sheet. Include a reference in the City’s website
“Timeline” Fact Sheet that the City Council did not adopt either the HRC Frank
Bogert Monument report nor the Bogert Statue Removal Resolution due the
falsehoods.
10. A public retraction from Councilmember Holstege for her false comments
at the “Survivors” November 2022 Press Conference in Los Angeles. At this
press conference Holstege touted that “our Human Rights Commission issued a
report documenting the atrocities that happened on Section 14” and based on these
atrocities that the council took “formal action…to vote to move forward with a
reparations program.” Holstege exposed the city to financial liabilities by
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recklessly claiming that “the council recognized the risk of liability” when it issued
a formal apology but still “took action recognizing the city's role.”
11. Correct the false information contained in various city documents over the
past three years that the City’s “Apology Resolution” apologized for actions of
the city in the “1950’s and 60’s.” This falsehood, more than any other, have
raised unrealistic reparations expectations for survivors and exponentially
increased financial exposure by falsely portraying the period the City was involved
in demolishing substandard homes.
12. A commitment that the City will henceforth defend Palm Springs ’
reputation by responding to and correcting non-factual or misleading
statements made by the media about Frank Bogert and Section 14. [For
instance the reporter wrote last week in the June 20, LA Times’s article, “Seeking
Remedies for Racist Property Seizures,” that the survivors in Section 14 were
“evicted from their homes.” A proper response by the City would be to point out
those evicted were not homeowners and that their Indian leases had expired or
were non-existent.]
Countless other articles over the past few years have gone uncorrected by the City
thus leading to the racist reputation which the City Council has given the City of
Palm Springs.]
13. Retract the recent statement by Mayor Bernstein that the city’s “wrong”
was using “city funds” for demolishing structures in 1965-67. The City was
reimbursed for the demolition costs by the BIA and the federal government. If the
City believes that the source of funding the demolition constituted a “wrong” the
City should address that issue with the BIA.
In any case the issue of whose funds paid for the demolition is irrelevant. What is
relevant is that the eviction notices served by the Indian owners were legally
served and that City followed a meticulous process to demolish a home after
receiving approval from landowners. This is corroborated by contemporary news
articles and by the City’s discovery of the eviction records last year.
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14. Publicl y state that there is no evidence that the City of Palm Springs issued
any eviction notices to residents of Section 14 as Councilmembers Holstege,
DeHarte, and Middleton have all claimed.
………………………………………………………………………..
We realize that fulfilling the above requests, even though correcting the record is
the right thing to do, will be difficult for the City Council. We are asking nothing
more than that the truth be told. In light of the misinformation and false
representations emanating from the City over the past three years our requests are
reasonable. The City has an obligation to its citizens to uphold the truth. We look
forward to working with the City staff to do this.
Friends of Frank Bogert have compiled extensive documentation about the City’s
manipulation of the historical record, including internal councilmember texts and
emails, and the various actions of some city council members which have been
inappropriate and highly questionable. If necessary, we are prepared to launch a
media campaign to provide this information to the public. We hope that the City
will take the appropriate actions so it does not come to that.
Finally, at our meeting you indicated that the City will soon contract with a
professional consultant to delve into the facts about Section 14. Within the next
couple of weeks we will provide you with a compilation of our documentation
about Frank Bogert and Section 14 which you indicated you will provide to the
consultant. We also request to have the opportunity to meet with the consultant.
Again, thank you for meeting with us. We look forward to a timely response
about the next steps the City will take.
Norm