Rancho Mirage City Council Meeting, November 20, 2025

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AI transcript text.

[00:00:10] Good afternoon everyone. What an
[00:00:11] apicious group we have today. There must
[00:00:15] be something going on today.
[00:00:18] Anyway, welcome. Glad to see you all
[00:00:20] here.
[00:00:22] This is the regular meeting of the Ranch
[00:00:24] Mirage City Council and Community
[00:00:27] Services District. the Energy Authority,
[00:00:30] Housing Authority, Joint Powers Finance
[00:00:35] Library and Observatory, and
[00:00:38] Redevelopment Successor agency boards.
[00:00:42] I would now like to ask you to please
[00:00:44] join me in a salute to our great
[00:00:47] country.
[00:00:51] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[00:00:54] United States of America and to the
[00:00:57] republic for which it stands, one nation
[00:01:00] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[00:01:03] justice for all.
[00:01:11] >> May we have roll call, please.
[00:01:13] >> Council member DS,
[00:01:14] >> I'm here.
[00:01:15] >> Council member Fberg Edstein,
[00:01:17] >> here.
[00:01:17] >> Council member O'Keefe
[00:01:18] >> here. Mayor Prom Molatto
[00:01:20] >> Mayor while
[00:01:21] >> here.
[00:01:26] Uh
[00:01:27] we now have something on the calendar
[00:01:30] that is looks unusual to me.
[00:01:34] Uh and it says the appointment of a
[00:01:36] mayor and mayor prom.
[00:01:39] What an exciting day.
[00:01:42] And this is truly exciting because you
[00:01:46] have two people that are so welld
[00:01:48] deserve deserving of this appointment.
[00:01:53] The action that we're about to take is a
[00:01:57] recommendation to appoint
[00:02:00] my good friends
[00:02:03] and colleagues
[00:02:05] Lyn Matto to serve as mayor and Michael
[00:02:08] O'Keefe to serve as mayor prom.
[00:02:14] [clears throat]
[00:02:21] Okay,
[00:02:28] at this time I'd like to make a comment.
[00:02:33] It has been a privilege to serve as
[00:02:37] mayor of Rancher Mirage for my third
[00:02:40] term over these past 13 years.
[00:02:44] I am deep deeply grateful for the
[00:02:46] opportunity
[00:02:48] and for the trust that this community
[00:02:51] continues to place in me.
[00:02:54] Our successes as a city are the result
[00:02:58] of a collaborative city council. And
[00:03:01] indeed, it is collaborative
[00:03:05] and the steady leadership
[00:03:08] of our city manager whose financial
[00:03:10] expertise
[00:03:12] and business focused approach continues
[00:03:15] to guide our city with excellence. Thank
[00:03:19] you.
[00:03:21] Ranch of Mirage remains one of the most
[00:03:23] financially sound and well-managed
[00:03:26] communities in the region and that is
[00:03:29] something we all can take pride in.
[00:03:33] This past year has been one of exciting
[00:03:35] progress and major milestones.
[00:03:39] The groundbreaking of Disney's first
[00:03:41] ever masterplanned residential community
[00:03:44] here in Ranch Mirage is an achievement
[00:03:48] that brings national attention and
[00:03:51] long-term economic promise to our city.
[00:03:56] The casino development is moving forward
[00:04:00] impressively
[00:04:02] and by next fall residents and visitors
[00:04:06] will be able to enjoy its vibrant mix of
[00:04:09] restaurants, cafes,
[00:04:12] specialty shops, and the remarkable
[00:04:15] Crystal Lagoon that will serve as its
[00:04:18] men as its center plate centerpiece.
[00:04:23] These thoughtful, highquality projects
[00:04:26] reflect the standard of excellence we
[00:04:28] expect and work hard to maintain.
[00:04:33] We have also continue to address one of
[00:04:35] the most important priorities,
[00:04:38] expanding affordable housing and
[00:04:40] workforce housing.
[00:04:43] By approving additional housing
[00:04:45] opportunities for our hospitality and
[00:04:49] hospital employees,
[00:04:51] we are taking meaningful steps to ensure
[00:04:55] that those who support our community
[00:04:58] each and every day also have the
[00:05:01] opportunity to live within our bounds.
[00:05:05] This remains essential to sustaining a
[00:05:08] strong and balanced workforce.
[00:05:13] I would like to extend my
[00:05:15] congratulations to my friend and
[00:05:17] colleague Lynn Molatto
[00:05:20] as she steps into the role of mayor.
[00:05:24] Lynn brings extensive government
[00:05:27] experience,
[00:05:28] a steady and thoughtful leadership
[00:05:30] style, and a deep commitment to the
[00:05:34] residents of Rancho Mirage.
[00:05:37] I am confident that our city will thrive
[00:05:41] under her guidance.
[00:05:43] I also congratulate Michael O'Keefe as
[00:05:47] he assumes the role of mayor prom.
[00:05:50] His dedicated and careful judgment have
[00:05:54] consistently strengthened this council
[00:05:57] and his continued service will benefit
[00:06:00] our entire community.
[00:06:03] I also want to give a major thanks to
[00:06:08] frankly
[00:06:10] what drives me and supports me and is
[00:06:14] the backbone of my very existence
[00:06:18] and that's my darling wife Jenny.
[00:06:23] She is my inspiration.
[00:06:26] She has been with me the entire tenure
[00:06:31] that I've been on the council, which is
[00:06:34] 13 years and six years on the planning
[00:06:37] commission
[00:06:38] and a number of years before I got
[00:06:41] involved in public service.
[00:06:45] She is my everyday motivation
[00:06:50] and I can say
[00:06:53] unequivocally
[00:06:55] uh that out without her uh so much of my
[00:06:58] success would be gone. And with that I
[00:07:02] would like to present her with just a
[00:07:05] token of my appreciation.
[00:07:21] Thank you.
[00:07:24] [applause]
[00:07:46] >> [clears throat]
[00:07:49] >> Thank you again for the honor of serving
[00:07:51] as your mayor. I look forward to
[00:07:54] supporting my colleagues and continuing
[00:07:57] my work on behalf of the residents of
[00:08:00] Rancher Mirage as a member of the city
[00:08:03] council. Thank you very much. [applause]
[00:08:14] We will now ask for council comments and
[00:08:20] I will start on my left with council
[00:08:22] member Eroberg Med Edelstein.
[00:08:26] >> Thank you mayor. Um it's been an honor
[00:08:29] to watch you last year and learn from
[00:08:32] you. you've been an incredible mentor
[00:08:34] and leader and I appreciate all your
[00:08:37] support um
[00:08:39] in this uh big job. You've you've made
[00:08:43] it a lot easier to manage. And to our
[00:08:45] new mayor coming in, well, there aren't
[00:08:48] enough words. It's why we're wearing
[00:08:49] matching jackets. Um [laughter]
[00:08:52] so other than that, I don't have any
[00:08:54] other comments today, but
[00:08:55] congratulations to both of you and also
[00:08:57] to Mayor Prom.
[00:08:59] >> Because of you, the job is easy. Thank
[00:09:02] you, Michael O'keave.
[00:09:04] >> Uh, thank you, U, Mr. Mayor. Good
[00:09:07] afternoon, everyone. Uh, when Ted and I
[00:09:10] were running for election last year, I
[00:09:13] told him that if he won, he was going to
[00:09:16] have a banner year. Uh, I was right. He
[00:09:19] won. And he has led our city as mayor uh
[00:09:22] this year with steady and professional
[00:09:24] and thoughtful leadership. And it
[00:09:27] doesn't matter if he's at city hall or
[00:09:29] at Starbucks. Um, we all know Ted.
[00:09:33] What some folks may not know is that
[00:09:35] this year Ted was also the chair of the
[00:09:37] executive committee at the Coachella
[00:09:39] Valley Association of Governments.
[00:09:41] That's a big job. They work on
[00:09:43] transportation, homelessness, safety,
[00:09:46] conservation, and much more. Um, so not
[00:09:50] only was he representing all of us as
[00:09:52] mayor here at city hall, but he also
[00:09:54] represents the city throughout the
[00:09:56] valley. Uh, I know that this takes a lot
[00:09:59] of work, a lot of time, and working with
[00:10:02] a lot of different personalities,
[00:10:04] but I will say, Ted, you made it look
[00:10:06] effortless, which is a testament to your
[00:10:09] leadership skills. Um, and that's not
[00:10:11] just me talking. Some of our valley's
[00:10:14] most important officials agree.
[00:10:16] Congressman Calbertt called Ted a great
[00:10:18] leader. Uh, Supervisor Perez said he was
[00:10:22] a true public servant.
[00:10:24] uh chair tribal chair Reed Milanovich
[00:10:27] said he was not only a friend but a
[00:10:29] visionary. Um
[00:10:33] these are high praises from people who
[00:10:34] know what the work entails. So I would
[00:10:38] just like to say thank you for your work
[00:10:40] this year and for the last 13 years and
[00:10:44] for your third term as mayor. I want to
[00:10:46] encourage you to keep trying until you
[00:10:48] get it right. [laughter]
[00:10:51] I'm just joking. you had a great job.
[00:10:54] Thank you for everything that you do and
[00:10:55] I look forward to working with you
[00:10:56] another year.
[00:10:58] >> Well, thank you, Michael. [applause]
[00:11:02] Those are very kind and flattering
[00:11:04] words. I appreciate that. And uh as I
[00:11:08] said, uh I look forward to your term as
[00:11:12] mayor prom and I know that you'll do an
[00:11:15] incredible job.
[00:11:20] Council member DS.
[00:11:24] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, um I have Ted
[00:11:28] to thank for my time on the planning
[00:11:30] commission and also I have Ted to thank
[00:11:32] for my time on this uh city council. So
[00:11:35] it was in 2019 that there was an opening
[00:11:38] on the planning commission and for a
[00:11:41] variety of reasons I had spoken at the
[00:11:43] commission meetings a few times and I
[00:11:45] had uh to spend some time with members
[00:11:47] of the planning department and with many
[00:11:49] members of this council especially Ted
[00:11:51] on an issue that involved my homeowners
[00:11:53] association and Ted uh was always very
[00:11:56] helpful uh to me and to uh to my uh my
[00:11:58] community. So I appreciated that. In any
[00:12:00] event, so 2019 an opening came on the
[00:12:03] planning commission. I spoke with Ted.
[00:12:05] Uh he encouraged me to uh to apply. He
[00:12:08] said that he thought that uh I had maybe
[00:12:11] an opportunity to do a decent job at the
[00:12:13] planning commission. So I did apply and
[00:12:15] I was appointed. And then in uh in
[00:12:18] November of 2021
[00:12:21] uh when legend legendary council member
[00:12:23] in this city Dana Hobart concluded that
[00:12:25] it was time for him to retire and step
[00:12:27] down from public service. I again spoke
[00:12:29] with Ted and asked him about the wisdom
[00:12:31] of my uh applying uh to um fill that
[00:12:35] seat and Ted again was uh was very
[00:12:37] encouraging. So, I did apply and I was
[00:12:39] uh unanimously selected by this council
[00:12:42] to serve the balance of Dana Turb and
[00:12:44] then I was elected for a full full full
[00:12:46] four-year term in November of 2022. So,
[00:12:48] in my time on council, Ted he's been a
[00:12:51] source of wisdom. You've been a source
[00:12:52] of of common sense. You've been
[00:12:54] insightful and I appreciate that. Um Ted
[00:12:57] has always had two guideposts that he
[00:13:00] tells all of us about. He said it often
[00:13:03] uh about the way in which he makes
[00:13:06] decisions uh that we have to think about
[00:13:09] uh on this council uh and the votes that
[00:13:12] he has to cast. There are two issues
[00:13:14] that he uses as his guideposts. That
[00:13:17] which is best for the residents of the
[00:13:20] city of Ranch Mirage and that which is
[00:13:22] best for the future of this city. That's
[00:13:24] it. Nothing else. Those are the two
[00:13:26] guidelines that Ted has passed on to all
[00:13:29] of us. So, thank you for your confidence
[00:13:31] in me and my time on the planning
[00:13:32] commission. Thank you for your
[00:13:33] confidence in me and my time here in
[00:13:35] this city council. Thank you, my friend,
[00:13:37] not just for uh for your steady hand at
[00:13:39] the tiller this last year as mayor, but
[00:13:41] for the last 13 years, I think it's
[00:13:43] almost 14 now that you have served on
[00:13:45] this council. Thank you, Ted. Oh, thank
[00:13:48] you, Steve.
[00:13:50] [applause]
[00:13:53] I your your comments are most
[00:13:56] appreciated
[00:13:58] and I will say this that uh you two have
[00:14:02] been exemplary in your position not only
[00:14:06] on the council but previously as mayor
[00:14:09] yourself. So again I thank you uh and
[00:14:12] look forward to continuing a
[00:14:15] relationship and working with you. And
[00:14:17] now it's my great pleasure to introduce
[00:14:21] for the last time
[00:14:24] a mayor prom
[00:14:26] uh a
[00:14:28] a person that is about to step into the
[00:14:31] shoes of mayor. A incredible lady who is
[00:14:37] dedicated,
[00:14:38] thoughtful,
[00:14:40] sincere,
[00:14:42] compassionate about what she does. and I
[00:14:46] am so proud to call her my friend. And
[00:14:50] with that, Mayor Prom,
[00:14:53] it is your mo microphone.
[00:14:56] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[00:14:58] It has been indeed a pleasure and honor
[00:15:04] to serve as your mayor prom to you and
[00:15:07] the city council. It's been a a very
[00:15:10] very busy year
[00:15:13] and it will continue to be a very busy
[00:15:15] year with the year upcoming and you have
[00:15:19] provided
[00:15:20] wonderful guidance, counsel, direction.
[00:15:23] Um, I always felt very very comfortable
[00:15:26] if I had a question I could come to you
[00:15:29] and you
[00:15:31] had your thoughts, but you'd present two
[00:15:32] or three different options that I could
[00:15:36] head into or to look at those options
[00:15:39] and see how they affected the city.
[00:15:42] I too of am of the belief that we have
[00:15:46] two purposes. one to serve the citizens
[00:15:49] of this great city, but also how it
[00:15:52] affects them and how it benefits um the
[00:15:55] city. And you continued that tradition
[00:15:59] as has been carried out through past
[00:16:02] city councils and it's a wonderful
[00:16:04] legacy that the city council here in
[00:16:07] Ranch has and continues to be. Thank you
[00:16:11] for your kindness. Thank you for your
[00:16:13] words of wisdom. Thank you for your
[00:16:15] friendship.
[00:16:17] You still have your computer in my
[00:16:19] office? My new office? No,
[00:16:22] I'm not. We're It's This has been an
[00:16:24] ongoing week of teasing each other about
[00:16:26] moving in and out of the offices we
[00:16:28] rotate. I'll keep it safekeeping for
[00:16:31] you. [snorts] Um but thank you, Mr.
[00:16:33] Mayor, for everything um you have done
[00:16:36] for not only me, but for the council and
[00:16:38] for the city, not only this year, but
[00:16:40] the past 13 years. Thank you.
[00:16:42] >> Thank you. [applause]
[00:16:46] And thank you, Lynn. Uh, I consider you
[00:16:50] a dear friend. Uh, and I'm so very proud
[00:16:54] of you and look forward to, frankly, you
[00:16:58] becoming the mayor within the next few
[00:17:01] minutes. Thank you.
[00:17:03] >> No pressure. With that, I'd like to
[00:17:05] invite Mayor Wild to the front here. We
[00:17:09] have a little presentation we'd like to
[00:17:12] share with you.
[00:17:25] >> [snorts]
[00:17:39] >> This beautiful shadow box is from the
[00:17:43] city council. and the staff for your
[00:17:45] hard work this past year and years past,
[00:17:48] 13 years past. We are indebted and most
[00:17:52] grateful to your service. Thank you.
[00:17:55] >> Thank you. [applause]
[00:17:59] Thank you, Lynn. And thank you to my
[00:18:01] colleagues who have made the job so much
[00:18:04] easier. Uh you're a great group to work
[00:18:07] with and frankly we have the very best
[00:18:11] staff that I can imagine. Uh everyone
[00:18:15] that's sitting on this dis and those
[00:18:18] members of the staff that are not here
[00:18:21] just make us look good. And I have said
[00:18:25] uh many times that we on the city
[00:18:29] council, and this is probably true for a
[00:18:32] number of city councils, but we get far
[00:18:36] too much credit for the success of our
[00:18:39] city because the workers and the work
[00:18:42] worker working bees are [snorts] the
[00:18:45] staff. They're the ones that make
[00:18:48] everything work and make us look good.
[00:18:51] So, it's a thank you to them. It's a
[00:18:54] thank you to my colleagues, and I look
[00:18:58] forward to continuing to serve the great
[00:19:01] city of Rancho Mirage. Thank you very
[00:19:03] much. [applause]
[00:19:13] >> Otherwise, you'll do another 20 minutes.
[00:19:16] [laughter]
[00:19:37] >> [clears throat]
[00:19:40] >> Okay. Um,
[00:19:43] are there any other compliments that I
[00:19:45] can [laughter]
[00:19:49] Uh anyway, again, thank you for all the
[00:19:52] kind words.
[00:19:54] >> Uh we now will go into Oh,
[00:19:57] >> asky to do.
[00:19:59] >> Oh,
[00:20:04] >> okay.
[00:20:04] >> I know you're just trying to skip the
[00:20:06] vote so you can stay mayor, but uh our
[00:20:08] city clerk has to do a staff report.
[00:20:12] >> Thank you, honorable mayor and council
[00:20:15] members. In accordance with the Rancho
[00:20:17] Mirage City Charter, each non-election
[00:20:19] year at the second regular meeting in
[00:20:22] November, the city council shall appoint
[00:20:24] one council member to serve as mayor and
[00:20:27] proemp. Prior to these appointments
[00:20:29] being made, council members shall each
[00:20:31] be identified by the length of time they
[00:20:33] have continuously served on the city
[00:20:35] council without having served as mayor.
[00:20:38] The new mayor shall be the council
[00:20:39] member with the longest term of
[00:20:41] consecutive service without having
[00:20:42] served as mayor. The mayor prom shall be
[00:20:45] the council member who to the greatest
[00:20:47] extent possible appears to be the person
[00:20:49] most likely to meet the eligibility
[00:20:51] requirements to succeed the newly
[00:20:53] appointed mayor. Based on service
[00:20:55] records, Lynn Molatto is due to serve as
[00:20:58] mayor and Michael O'Keefe is due to
[00:21:00] serve as mayor prom. That concludes my
[00:21:02] staff report, but if you'd like, I can
[00:21:03] go ahead and handle public comments.
[00:21:06] I did not receive any comment cards for
[00:21:08] this item. Is there anyone in the
[00:21:10] audience who would like to speak on this
[00:21:11] item?
[00:21:13] Seeing none, um, I'll turn it back over
[00:21:16] to you.
[00:21:21] >> I think at this point, um, we would call
[00:21:25] for a vote.
[00:21:26] >> Actually, we need to make a motion and
[00:21:27] I'd be happy to make that motion that
[00:21:29] the city council appoint Lin Molatto to
[00:21:31] serve as mayor and Michael O'Keefe to
[00:21:33] serve as mayor proemp for the next 12
[00:21:34] months.
[00:21:35] >> I will second.
[00:21:38] >> There's a motion and a second.
[00:21:40] >> Okay. And I will
[00:21:40] >> This will be a voice. Yes.
[00:21:42] >> Voice vote.
[00:21:43] >> Yes. I will do a roll call vote. Council
[00:21:45] member DS.
[00:21:46] >> Yes.
[00:21:47] >> Council member Framberg Edelstein.
[00:21:48] >> Yes.
[00:21:49] >> Council member O'Keefe.
[00:21:50] >> Yes.
[00:21:50] >> Mayor Prom Molatto?
[00:21:52] >> Yes.
[00:21:52] >> Mayor While?
[00:21:54] >> Absolutely.
[00:21:55] >> Motion. Motion carries. 5. [applause]
[00:22:03] >> And now I would like to invite Mayor
[00:22:06] Mulatto and Mayor Prom down to take
[00:22:08] their oath of office.
[00:22:12] No.
[00:22:26] >> Congratulations.
[00:22:27] >> Thank you, Christie. So, we'll do both
[00:22:30] at the same time. Just raise your right
[00:22:31] hand.
[00:22:33] Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you
[00:22:35] will support and defend the Constitution
[00:22:37] of the United States in the Constitution
[00:22:39] of the State of California against all
[00:22:42] enemies, foreign and domestic, that you
[00:22:44] will bear true faith and allegiance to
[00:22:46] the Constitution of the United States in
[00:22:48] the Constitution of the State of
[00:22:50] California, that you take this
[00:22:51] obligation freely without any mental
[00:22:54] reservation or purpose of evasion, and
[00:22:56] that you will well and faithfully
[00:22:57] discharge the duties upon which you are
[00:22:59] about to enter.
[00:23:00] >> I will. Congratulations.
[00:23:03] [applause]
[00:23:07] >> So, if you two want to take a photo
[00:23:09] together and then once they do that, if
[00:23:11] I can have the other council members
[00:23:12] come down for a photo as well.
[00:23:20] Here's his stuff.
[00:23:44] Ted, you gonna come?
[00:23:47] Maybe he's had enough photos today.
[00:23:49] [laughter]
[00:23:55] For those of you who probably don't
[00:23:56] know, we spent about an hour or more.
[00:24:02] >> You're still the prettiest girl.
[00:24:04] >> I know.
[00:24:09] At least my wife was here. She
[00:24:23] >> love
[00:24:32] you.
[00:24:44] I'm sure
[00:25:09] Oh my goodness.
[00:25:12] >> Real.
[00:25:13] >> It's real. As my friend and fellow uh
[00:25:16] council member uh E Framberg says, it's
[00:25:19] real. Well, it is my honor and privilege
[00:25:22] uh to serve in my first term as mayor
[00:25:26] and very very grateful for the support
[00:25:28] that makes this work possible. Ted,
[00:25:30] where'd you go? I know we're playing
[00:25:32] musical chairs. There we go. Um,
[00:25:35] I want to thank Mayor Ted While for his
[00:25:37] steadfast uh dedication to our city, his
[00:25:41] thoughtful leadership in the many years
[00:25:43] devoted to building the strong
[00:25:45] foundation we continue to benefit and
[00:25:47] enjoy from today. I'm deeply
[00:25:50] appreciative and congratulations
[00:25:54] uh to Mayor Prom Michael O'Keefe and
[00:25:58] thank you to my fellow council members
[00:26:00] Eve Framber Edelstein and Steve DS for
[00:26:04] their continued teamwork. I look forward
[00:26:07] to our continued collaboration and
[00:26:09] progress for the city of Ranch Mirage.
[00:26:11] There's so much that is happening. It's
[00:26:14] exciting and we are moving forward at it
[00:26:18] seems like warp speeds, but it's it's
[00:26:21] all good. I'd be remiss if I didn't
[00:26:24] include past council members and city
[00:26:27] leadership for their kindness, their
[00:26:29] words of wisdom and experience they've
[00:26:32] shared with me along the way.
[00:26:35] A heartfelt thank you to our city staff
[00:26:37] for the work they do every day. I often
[00:26:40] share with public that this city council
[00:26:42] makes policy.
[00:26:44] All city councils make policy
[00:26:47] and we receive so much credit. But
[00:26:50] really the credit as the mayor, former
[00:26:53] mayor um alluded to moments ago, it is
[00:26:56] the staff. It's the talented staff,
[00:27:00] these wonderful professionals that share
[00:27:02] their wisdom, their expertise, their
[00:27:05] recommendations that help us as a
[00:27:07] council make sound decisions. I've
[00:27:10] always said that Ranch Mirage has a
[00:27:12] legacy of making thoughtful and measured
[00:27:16] decisions and they help us to continue
[00:27:18] doing that.
[00:27:20] There are some wonderful people in the
[00:27:22] audience today um that I'd like to thank
[00:27:24] for taking time to be here. Um
[00:27:29] elected officials, we have uh Nancy Ross
[00:27:32] that's here today. I see Kathleen Gerasi
[00:27:35] here today with Palm Springs Cemetery
[00:27:37] District. Uh Mayor Ross is with the city
[00:27:40] of Nancy, are you still here or did you
[00:27:42] run out? I think she she had to go to
[00:27:44] another meeting. Uh she's mayor with the
[00:27:46] city of uh Cathedral City. I'd also like
[00:27:50] to thank uh my former boss,
[00:27:54] former city manager of Cathedral City,
[00:27:57] Don Bradley, who took time out of his
[00:27:59] day. Um he's a wonderful gentleman
[00:28:03] [applause] and and whatever knowledge
[00:28:06] and expertise I have, it's been under it
[00:28:09] was under his leadership that I gained
[00:28:11] that wonderful information.
[00:28:14] Have my I see a lot of people here from
[00:28:16] Dell web. Thank you for being here. And
[00:28:19] uh from the from the Ranch Mirage
[00:28:21] Library, thank you for being here,
[00:28:23] friends. Um it it's very touching. Very
[00:28:27] very touching. And last but not least,
[00:28:29] I'd like to thank my family for being
[00:28:31] here. You took off from work today. My
[00:28:34] son Zach Kuchi and his wonderful wife,
[00:28:37] my daughter-in-law, Brenda, and Zach's
[00:28:40] dad, my favorite gentleman, Jim Kuchia.
[00:28:42] Thank you so so much for being here
[00:28:44] today.
[00:28:46] >> [applause]
[00:28:50] >> Okay. With that, we need to move on. We
[00:28:53] have a meeting.
[00:28:57] Okay.
[00:28:59] City council comments have already taken
[00:29:01] place. Oh, I'd like to make one addition
[00:29:03] if I may. This week, we lost one of our
[00:29:06] colleagues in our uh neighboring
[00:29:08] community, Cathedral City. I'd like um
[00:29:11] all of us to remember the um
[00:29:16] and take a moment to cherish um council
[00:29:18] member Mark Carnival.
[00:29:22] Mark was a dedicated community member. I
[00:29:25] knew him for at least 354 years. He was
[00:29:28] passionate about Cathedral City. He
[00:29:30] worked hard for Cathedral City and uh as
[00:29:34] well as the outside agencies that all of
[00:29:37] us as council members participated on.
[00:29:40] He was passionate about homelessness and
[00:29:42] worked very closely with the SEAG
[00:29:44] officials to find answers and solutions
[00:29:47] to problems. If all of us could just
[00:29:50] remember in our thoughts and in our
[00:29:52] prayers uh this gentle gentleman who
[00:29:55] dedicated so much of his life, I'd
[00:29:57] greatly appreciate it. Our hearts go out
[00:29:59] to his wife Rhonda, his kids Nick and
[00:30:02] Carrie, and all of his grandchildren. He
[00:30:04] was a wonderful husband, father, and
[00:30:07] grandfather. Thank you. And with that,
[00:30:10] >> let's go and do council comments.
[00:30:12] >> Okay, we are now going into council
[00:30:15] comments. And I will start to my left
[00:30:18] with council member
[00:30:21] Ephroberg Edelstein.
[00:30:22] >> Um, no further comments at this time.
[00:30:25] Okay. Council member Ted While.
[00:30:29] >> No, I think I said it all. And again,
[00:30:31] congratulations to uh to yourself and
[00:30:35] Michael uh who I know will carry on
[00:30:38] splendidly in your new position. So,
[00:30:41] best of luck.
[00:30:43] >> Thank you,
[00:30:44] >> Council Member Steve DS.
[00:30:46] >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, uh
[00:30:48] congratulations to you again uh on your
[00:30:50] appointment to serve as mayor for the
[00:30:52] upcoming year. You'll do a great job and
[00:30:54] I look forward to working with you. So,
[00:30:56] uh, what I did want to talk about for a
[00:30:58] couple of minutes is this rotation meth
[00:30:59] method that we use in determining who
[00:31:01] will be mayor. It serves this city very
[00:31:04] well. It's part of our city charter
[00:31:07] and uh, so uh, it's an issue that we
[00:31:09] have followed for for years now. The way
[00:31:12] in which we handle the mayor may marrow
[00:31:14] rotation in the city removes political
[00:31:16] ranker among members of this council. It
[00:31:19] causes us to work more collectively
[00:31:21] together and and and in a better way for
[00:31:23] the betterment of this city and
[00:31:24] encourage encourages all of us uh to
[00:31:27] work constructively for every person in
[00:31:29] this city. We sometimes have suggestions
[00:31:31] about electing a mayor. I don't think
[00:31:32] so. I'm not in favor of that. Um I think
[00:31:37] that uh the reason our city is so well
[00:31:38] managed and fiscally responsible is
[00:31:40] because of our political structure. And
[00:31:42] there are two issues there. One is the
[00:31:44] marrow rotation, but the other is that
[00:31:46] we do not have districts in this city.
[00:31:48] Every one of us in this at on this dis
[00:31:50] is responsible for every square foot of
[00:31:53] the city. And I'll give you an example
[00:31:54] that makes some sense to me. So uh at
[00:31:57] recent council meetings, we've had
[00:31:58] discussions about the um cell phone
[00:32:01] study that we recently did. I do not
[00:32:04] want to be in the position of trying to
[00:32:06] fight for my district to get a cell
[00:32:07] phone tower built to the to the
[00:32:10] detriment of my colleagues in their
[00:32:12] districts. I don't think that makes any
[00:32:13] sense at all. I think what makes good
[00:32:16] sense is if every one of us on this dis
[00:32:18] is committed to finding the right place,
[00:32:20] the right set of towers in the right
[00:32:22] places so that every single resident of
[00:32:24] this city benefits. And that's what no
[00:32:27] districtricting does. That's what
[00:32:28] election at large does. It makes us all
[00:32:31] equally responsible. Now, if this were
[00:32:33] Los Angeles, if we had two million
[00:32:34] people to watch out for or four million,
[00:32:36] whatever the population of Los Angeles
[00:32:38] is now, things might be different. But
[00:32:40] it's not here. We only have 20,000
[00:32:42] residents and all of us are equally
[00:32:43] capable of watching out for the best
[00:32:45] interests of everyone in this city. And
[00:32:46] that's what districtricting no district
[00:32:48] does does for us. Um, and the the
[00:32:51] rotation system that we've and that
[00:32:53] we've utilized for years now, as I said
[00:32:55] a few moments ago, it simply removes the
[00:32:58] ranker that sometimes is involved in
[00:33:00] city councils where they argue with one
[00:33:03] another about who will be mayor. We
[00:33:05] don't have to worry about that. Lyn
[00:33:06] Molatto knows today that 12 months from
[00:33:09] now, Michael O'Keefe will become mayor.
[00:33:11] Michael O'Keefe knows today that 12
[00:33:13] months after his uh after he has sworn
[00:33:15] in as mayor that Eve Robertstein will
[00:33:18] become mayor. We know that. We don't
[00:33:20] have to worry about it. We don't have to
[00:33:21] argue with one another about it. We know
[00:33:23] who the leadership will be and I think
[00:33:25] it serves us well and I think it has
[00:33:26] served us well for years and years in
[00:33:28] this city. This is one of the reason
[00:33:29] that this city is looked up to by every
[00:33:31] other city in this desert as being an
[00:33:33] exceptionally well-managed city and a
[00:33:35] fiscally responsible city is because of
[00:33:37] the way we are structured. Now, we, as I
[00:33:39] said earlier, we do hear every now and
[00:33:41] then uh arguments about let's have a
[00:33:44] mayor, let's uh let's have
[00:33:45] districtricting. I'm opposed to it. I
[00:33:47] think it just might come up uh in um uh
[00:33:50] in next year's election and we'll talk
[00:33:52] about it and everybody will have an a
[00:33:53] chance to to uh to to share their
[00:33:56] opinions about that if it does come up.
[00:33:58] I am in favor of continuing the system
[00:34:00] that we have now because I think it
[00:34:01] stood stood us in goodstead for years
[00:34:03] and I think it will stand us in
[00:34:05] goodstead for years to come. Thank you,
[00:34:06] Madame Mayor.
[00:34:08] >> Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim O'Keefe.
[00:34:11] >> Uh thank you, Mayor Molatto. Uh first I
[00:34:14] want to welcome everybody here today.
[00:34:15] Uh, thank you for coming. It's very nice
[00:34:17] of you. And a special welcome to my
[00:34:19] friends from Dell Webb. Thank you for
[00:34:21] showing up today. And to my husband, Jim
[00:34:23] Hayne, as well. Uh, first I want to do
[00:34:26] congratulations to Katie Slimco and the
[00:34:28] chamber for that great expo uh last
[00:34:31] week. I knew that it was going to be
[00:34:33] good. I didn't know it was going to be
[00:34:35] that good. It was a great success. So,
[00:34:38] great job. Uh so everyone here, you know
[00:34:41] that I'm going to say that it is an
[00:34:43] honor and a privilege and a big
[00:34:45] responsibility to serve as mayor prom.
[00:34:48] Um you know that because it's true and I
[00:34:51] know that uh which is why I am humbled
[00:34:54] sitting here today. Um I will always be
[00:34:57] a resident representative for all of our
[00:34:59] residents as we are a welcoming city to
[00:35:01] all. Uh my pledge to you is that I will
[00:35:04] always place the interests of the city
[00:35:06] of Rancho Mirage above any other agenda.
[00:35:09] I will honor my fiduciary duty to the
[00:35:11] city and its residents. And I will never
[00:35:13] break the public trust you have given me
[00:35:16] by electing me to this council.
[00:35:19] So I'm looking forward to a great year
[00:35:21] ahead. And Isaiah, don't listen to this
[00:35:24] part. Our city manager, Isaiah
[00:35:27] Hagermanerman, is a great city manager.
[00:35:30] uh and the team of directors and staff
[00:35:33] that he has pulled together uh is second
[00:35:35] to none. I also look forward to working
[00:35:38] with my colleagues, Council Member DS,
[00:35:41] Council Member Framberg Edelstein for
[00:35:43] another year. But I'd like to take just
[00:35:45] a moment and give you a couple of
[00:35:47] thoughts about the new incoming mayor.
[00:35:51] Uh working with Lyn Molatto for the last
[00:35:53] two years has been a real education. Um,
[00:35:57] she has vast governmental experience.
[00:36:00] She knows more about policy and
[00:36:02] procedure than most people will ever
[00:36:04] know. And when she talks about it, she
[00:36:07] does it with that pleasant voice and a
[00:36:08] smile on her face. But make no doubt,
[00:36:11] she is focused like a laser on the
[00:36:13] issues that are important to our city.
[00:36:16] And she's focused like a laser on those
[00:36:20] issues that mean so much to her,
[00:36:22] especially helping disadvantaged folks
[00:36:24] who need help.
[00:36:26] She will be our first woman mayor in
[00:36:28] seven years and I'm proud to serve as
[00:36:31] mayor prom alongside her. Thank you.
[00:36:35] [applause]
[00:36:38] >> Thank you, Mayor Prom. With that, you've
[00:36:41] heard enough from me already today, so
[00:36:42] we'll move on to city manager comments.
[00:36:46] >> Uh none today, Madame Mayor, so we'll go
[00:36:48] right into the uh consent calendar. The
[00:36:50] council has six items on the consent
[00:36:52] calendar for consideration. Uh items 5A
[00:36:56] through 5F. Item 5A is to wave the full
[00:37:00] reading of any ordinance introduced or
[00:37:03] adopted pursuant to this agenda. Item 5B
[00:37:06] is the revision of the Library and
[00:37:09] Observatory Collection Development
[00:37:10] Policy in compliance with the California
[00:37:13] Freedom to Read Act AB1 1825.
[00:37:17] Second reading adoption. Item 5 C is to
[00:37:21] approve the November 6th, 2025 regular
[00:37:25] city council meeting minutes. Item 5 D
[00:37:28] is to receive and file the Rancho Mirage
[00:37:32] Mobile Home Fair Practices Commission
[00:37:35] annual report. Item 5E are to approve
[00:37:38] the contracts and 5F our demands. Before
[00:37:42] we go to council comments or questions,
[00:37:44] I'll ask the city clerk to take any
[00:37:45] public comment on the consent calendar.
[00:37:47] >> Thank you. I did not receive any speaker
[00:37:49] cards. Is there anyone in the audience
[00:37:51] who would like to speak on the consent
[00:37:52] calendar? No speakers.
[00:37:57] >> With that, may I ask for a motion?
[00:37:59] >> Move to approve the consent calendar.
[00:38:01] >> Second.
[00:38:02] >> We have a motion, a second. Please vote.
[00:38:09] >> Motion carries. 5-0.
[00:38:12] >> We'll move on to public hearings. Item
[00:38:14] number six on the agenda, the first uh
[00:38:17] public hearing, annexation number 201
[00:38:21] facilities district number one in
[00:38:23] connection with tenative parcel map
[00:38:25] number 38492
[00:38:27] location approximately 2,000 ft south of
[00:38:30] Frank Sinatra Drive on the west side of
[00:38:32] Vista Del Soul, Artemis Court. And Jacob
[00:38:35] de la Cruz, financial analyst, is here
[00:38:37] to give the report. Thank you, Jacob.
[00:38:40] >> Thank you, Mary. Congratulations.
[00:38:41] >> Thank you.
[00:38:42] >> Good afternoon, council. This item is to
[00:38:44] hold a public hearing for annexation
[00:38:45] 2011 into community facilities district
[00:38:47] number one. This is the second and final
[00:38:49] step in the city's annexation process
[00:38:51] for developments within the city's
[00:38:52] jurisdiction. The first step was
[00:38:54] considered and approved at the September
[00:38:55] 18th council meeting. The territory
[00:38:58] proposed for annexation is located
[00:38:59] approximately 2,000 ft south of Frank
[00:39:01] Sinasha Drive on the west side of Vista
[00:39:03] Deloul and is comprised of one parcel
[00:39:05] totaling approximately 5.05 acres and
[00:39:07] the project is slated to subdivide the
[00:39:09] parcel into four single family
[00:39:10] residential lots. At the conclusion of
[00:39:12] today's public hearing, provided written
[00:39:14] protests have not been filed and in the
[00:39:15] absence of a majority protest, the city
[00:39:17] council may consider adoption of the
[00:39:18] attached resolution calling a special
[00:39:20] election, declaring the results of the
[00:39:22] election, determining the validity of
[00:39:24] prior proceedings, approving the
[00:39:26] annexation of the territory, and
[00:39:28] directing the recording of an amendment
[00:39:29] to the notice of special tax le staff
[00:39:31] recommends approval. And that that
[00:39:32] concludes my presentation.
[00:39:34] >> Thank you, Jacob.
[00:39:36] >> Madame Clerk, are you ready to to
[00:39:39] deliver the public testimony? I am.
[00:39:41] Thank you. The ballot for the six
[00:39:43] eligible votes was received on October
[00:39:46] 24th, 2025 and was in favor. Therefore,
[00:39:49] votes cast in favor equal 100% of total
[00:39:51] votes cast. And I can go ahead and take
[00:39:54] public testimony.
[00:39:56] Is there any I did not receive any
[00:39:59] speaker cards. Is there anyone in the
[00:40:00] audience who would like to provide
[00:40:01] public testimony on this public hearing
[00:40:03] item?
[00:40:05] No speakers.
[00:40:06] >> Thank you, Madam Clerk.
[00:40:09] Recommended action is to adopt
[00:40:10] resolution number 2025 next in order
[00:40:13] calling an election on living a special
[00:40:15] tax within the area proposed to be
[00:40:18] annexed to community facilities district
[00:40:20] number one annexation number 2011
[00:40:22] declaring the election results approving
[00:40:25] the annexation of the territory and
[00:40:27] directing the recordreditdation of the
[00:40:30] amendment of the notice special tax
[00:40:32] lean. Do I have second that motion?
[00:40:37] You make the motion.
[00:40:40] >> We have a motion. Second.
[00:40:42] >> Oh, I'll second that motion. I'm sorry,
[00:40:44] Eve. Thank you.
[00:40:45] >> Got it.
[00:40:45] >> Second motion. Please vote.
[00:40:53] >> Motion carries. 5-0.
[00:40:55] >> Terrific.
[00:40:57] Next item, public hearing 6B, annexation
[00:41:01] 202 to community facilities district
[00:41:03] number one in connection with
[00:41:05] preliminary development plan case number
[00:41:07] PDP24-00002
[00:41:11] location south of Via Vale, west of
[00:41:13] Monterey Avenue and east of Ranch Mirage
[00:41:16] Dog Park, also known as the Rosetta
[00:41:18] Apartments. Jacob de la Cruz will give
[00:41:20] this report as well.
[00:41:22] >> Thank you again, Mayor. This item is to
[00:41:25] hold a public hearing for annexation 202
[00:41:27] in community facilities district number
[00:41:28] one. This is the second and final step
[00:41:30] in the city's annexation process for
[00:41:31] developments within the city's
[00:41:32] jurisdiction. The first step was
[00:41:34] considered and approved at the October
[00:41:36] 16th council meeting. The territory
[00:41:38] proposed for annexation is located south
[00:41:39] of Vel, west of Monterey Avenue and east
[00:41:41] of the rancher dog park and is comprised
[00:41:43] of one parcel totaling approximately 10
[00:41:45] acres. At the conclusion of today's
[00:41:47] public hearing, provided written
[00:41:49] protests have not been filed in the
[00:41:50] absence of a majority protest, the city
[00:41:52] council may consider adoption of the
[00:41:53] attached resolution, calling a special
[00:41:55] election, declaring the results of the
[00:41:57] election, determining the validity of
[00:41:59] prior proceedings, approving the
[00:42:00] annexation of the territory, and
[00:42:02] directing the recording recording of an
[00:42:04] amendment to the notice of special tax
[00:42:06] lean. Staff recommends approval. That
[00:42:07] concludes my presentation.
[00:42:09] >> Thank you, Jacob. Christie, do you have
[00:42:14] would you like to open the public
[00:42:15] hearing? Yes, I did not receive any
[00:42:18] speaker cards. Is there anyone in the
[00:42:19] audience who would like to provide
[00:42:20] public testimony on this item?
[00:42:23] No speakers. And I'll go ahead and read
[00:42:25] the election results for this one. The
[00:42:27] ballot for the 10 eligible votes was
[00:42:29] received on October 12th, 2025 and was
[00:42:31] in favor. Therefore, votes cast in favor
[00:42:34] equal 100% of total votes cast. Thank
[00:42:38] you. Are there any council comments?
[00:42:43] No council comments. May I have a
[00:42:45] motion, please?
[00:42:46] >> I'll move to adopt resolution number
[00:42:49] 2025 next in order calling an election
[00:42:51] on levying a special tax within the area
[00:42:54] proposed to be annexed to community
[00:42:56] facilities district number one,
[00:42:58] annexation number 202 declaring the
[00:43:00] election results approving the
[00:43:02] annexation of the territory and
[00:43:04] directing the recordation of the
[00:43:06] amendment of the notice of special tax
[00:43:07] lean. Second.
[00:43:11] >> Please vote.
[00:43:15] >> Motion carries. 5-0.
[00:43:19] >> Next item is 6C continued from
[00:43:23] November 6, 2025 city council meeting.
[00:43:26] Minina Duke Dukick, excuse me, director
[00:43:28] of development services reports. Thank
[00:43:30] you, Madam Mayor. staff is requesting
[00:43:32] additional time to bring the project
[00:43:34] forward and as such uh we're
[00:43:35] recommending continuing the item to
[00:43:37] December 4th.
[00:43:39] Thank you.
[00:43:40] >> I'll move to continue the item to
[00:43:41] December 4th.
[00:43:42] >> I'll second.
[00:43:43] >> Please vote.
[00:43:48] >> Motion carries 5.
[00:43:50] >> Wonderful.
[00:43:52] Now it's time to open uh non-aggenda
[00:43:55] public comments. This is an opportunity
[00:43:57] for the public to speak on issues not on
[00:43:59] the agenda for a maximum of three
[00:44:01] minutes per speaker.
[00:44:04] Madame clerk,
[00:44:05] >> thank you. Our first speaker is Susan
[00:44:07] Ragsdale.
[00:44:14] >> I am so pleased that you're the mayor
[00:44:17] now. Mayor Mulatto, um you have a
[00:44:21] beautiful heart. It's very obvious and I
[00:44:23] know you're going to do the greatest job
[00:44:26] ever. I'm really happy for you too,
[00:44:29] Michael. Thank you. Um, I want to I I
[00:44:32] want to humbly request my public
[00:44:36] comment, which I still have on my phone,
[00:44:39] is 3 minutes and 30 seconds. And I
[00:44:42] couldn't cut it anymore. I'm sorry,
[00:44:44] somebody's texting me. I couldn't cut it
[00:44:46] anymore. And I would like to request
[00:44:48] that I be able to say it all because
[00:44:51] it's important.
[00:44:52] >> Please proceed.
[00:44:52] >> Thank you so much.
[00:44:55] Okay.
[00:44:56] All right. Oh, shoot. Okay. I write all
[00:45:00] these things on my phone. All righty.
[00:45:03] Here I go. All righty. Exactly seven
[00:45:06] years ago, I offered the city my life's
[00:45:09] work to my hometown. And I devoted I
[00:45:12] donated my large body of artwork along
[00:45:15] with the visual communication skills
[00:45:18] necessary to utilize this gift for
[00:45:21] marketing and promotion. Perhaps the
[00:45:24] timing wasn't right. A year ago, I
[00:45:27] offered the city this same gift. My
[00:45:30] presentation included a museum quality
[00:45:33] mid-century modern style print and two
[00:45:36] binders of artwork samples. The city
[00:45:39] council didn't even acknowledge my
[00:45:41] donation. The binders were returned and
[00:45:44] I've often wondered what happened to the
[00:45:46] large print. Now for the third time, the
[00:45:50] third time's a charm. I off I I offer
[00:45:53] this donation. I hope my gift will be
[00:45:56] appreciated and utilized. Currently, I'm
[00:45:59] living at Waldorf Manor in DHS.
[00:46:03] Recently, I was accepted to live at Alo
[00:46:06] Palm Canyon. I must vacate Waldorf Manor
[00:46:09] by November 27th. However, the Indo
[00:46:13] Housing Authority is taking forever to
[00:46:16] process my section 8 relocation
[00:46:18] paperwork. I have not signed the lease
[00:46:21] with Aloe and can't be sure they will
[00:46:24] wait another month. In 7 days, I have
[00:46:26] nowhere to go but the Indo homeless
[00:46:29] shelter. Meantime, all my possessions
[00:46:31] are being destroyed in a ratinfested
[00:46:34] storage base. The filthy rats have
[00:46:37] chewed a couple of my precious oil
[00:46:39] paintings.
[00:46:41] Currently, I'm completely out of cash
[00:46:43] due to deposits in this horrific storage
[00:46:46] space. At Whispering Waters, Mr.
[00:46:49] Dagostino, my neighbor, often harassed
[00:46:52] me by banging on our shared kitchen
[00:46:54] wall. I stopped cooking and eating
[00:46:57] regularly, quickly, losing 40 lbs and
[00:47:00] becoming dangerously underweight at 95
[00:47:03] lbs. This has seriously affected my
[00:47:06] heart and circulatory system. I'm
[00:47:09] painfully weak and my legs, feet, and
[00:47:11] hands have become somewhat paralyzed.
[00:47:14] However, the worst thing about the
[00:47:16] city's crimes is the destruction of my
[00:47:19] small, lovely family. Since the
[00:47:21] fraudulent termination of tenency due to
[00:47:25] unmanageable distress, my daughter cut
[00:47:28] off contact with me. She is a hospital
[00:47:31] RN and her husband is an attorney. They
[00:47:34] have a seven-year-old daughter who I
[00:47:36] have not seen for over three and a half
[00:47:39] years.
[00:47:40] Sadly, everything would have been okay
[00:47:42] if my son-in-law had just called city
[00:47:45] housing management and said, "Wait a
[00:47:48] minute. A year ago, I emailed the
[00:47:50] property manager asking for a reasonable
[00:47:53] accommodation. My mother-in-law has been
[00:47:56] victimized by neighbors. She is not a
[00:47:59] hostile person in the least. This is a
[00:48:01] tragedy that must be healed.
[00:48:03] >> Braggsdale, please, if you would.
[00:48:05] >> Okay. Please take care of these wrongs
[00:48:08] immediately. I've asked to be restored
[00:48:10] to any city apartment and I can stay in
[00:48:13] a temporary unit while I wait for a
[00:48:15] permanent home. Thank you very much.
[00:48:17] >> Thank you for your comments, Patrick
[00:48:19] Lowry.
[00:48:34] Good afternoon. Patrick Laur, 22 year
[00:48:37] resident of Rancho Mirage.
[00:48:39] Uh, a general statement toward Mr. While
[00:48:42] appreciated his comments. Appreciate
[00:48:44] you, even though we'll never see eye to
[00:48:46] eye on most things. But I do want to say
[00:48:49] we share one thing in common.
[00:48:52] uh we have a deep maybe immeasurable
[00:48:54] love and gratitude for our wives and I
[00:48:57] say that with passion. My wife is a
[00:48:59] tremendous leader in business. So
[00:49:03] wonderful that you have such a
[00:49:04] relationship. Wonderful that I have such
[00:49:05] a relationship. Let me say to Mr. DS now
[00:49:08] frankly and directly and I can't wait to
[00:49:10] see one more of his little treatises. Uh
[00:49:13] I do not believe that we should have a
[00:49:15] rotating mayor. I believe in a mayor
[00:49:18] single point of accountability. I also
[00:49:21] believe that we should have term limits,
[00:49:23] fresh views, new ideas, more spark, more
[00:49:26] action. I want to see that and I'm going
[00:49:28] to push hard in 2006, 2026. Can you
[00:49:32] believe this? Uh 2026 to get my point
[00:49:36] across publicly, social network, and so
[00:49:39] forth. We've got to change the way we do
[00:49:41] business. We have to do business like we
[00:49:42] are business people. Now, I attended a
[00:49:46] um autism get together in Fort Worth.
[00:49:50] Our god's son is autistic. Breaks my
[00:49:53] heart, but he's a wonderful, wonderful
[00:49:55] fellow. And uh I sat there in this
[00:49:58] thing. 400 people committed $1.6 million
[00:50:01] at this gathering. Rich Texans, just
[00:50:05] like the movies. It was good stuff. And
[00:50:08] I hope that we in this city instead of
[00:50:10] giving $2 million to this hospital that
[00:50:13] gets on my nerves, we would look and
[00:50:15] give $2 million to some way to take a
[00:50:19] single focused uh item like autism and
[00:50:23] dedicate ourselves to it. Our foundation
[00:50:25] too gave money to the museum because
[00:50:28] they have an approach to autism. Quiet
[00:50:31] room, fidget toys, good stuff. Hope this
[00:50:34] comes up someday on this calendar. Okay,
[00:50:37] next.
[00:50:39] Crime is always an issue to me, but I do
[00:50:42] enjoy our sheriff's department and they
[00:50:44] have a great program, Blue Envelope. Do
[00:50:46] you know the Blue Envelope program?
[00:50:49] You put this on your dashboard. Let's
[00:50:51] say you have a problem. Autism may be a
[00:50:53] problem. You're on the spectrum. You can
[00:50:55] drive,
[00:50:56] but you may have other emotional
[00:50:58] problems and issues. You put this on
[00:51:00] your dashboard, your license, your
[00:51:02] registration, and so forth. So when the
[00:51:03] officer comes up, he's aware and can
[00:51:06] manage any unusual situation rather than
[00:51:09] have a reaction that doesn't fit really
[00:51:11] what's going on in somebody's mind. So I
[00:51:14] hope the city will somehow sit with the
[00:51:15] sheriff's department. This is great re
[00:51:18] repeating it again. I know I criticize
[00:51:20] sheriffs. I don't criticize them for
[00:51:21] their courage for what they do. I
[00:51:23] criticize them because they're not on
[00:51:24] the highways and they're not uh abiding
[00:51:28] by the contract. What a program. What a
[00:51:31] progressive way to look at things. Uh,
[00:51:34] one more thing
[00:51:36] in listening to Miss Ragsdale and give
[00:51:38] me one more minute. I know I've gone
[00:51:39] over, but it makes me think of Maya
[00:51:42] Angelou. I'm a fan of hers. I mean, the
[00:51:44] giant of metaphors, right? And she made
[00:51:47] a I wrote it down and it's not perfect.
[00:51:49] Uh, the best part of life is thriving
[00:51:51] with passion and compassion
[00:51:55] and generosity and kindness. It's not so
[00:51:59] hard for you guys to be kind to figure
[00:52:00] this thing out. Not that hard. Okay.
[00:52:03] Look forward to seeing me in 2026 going
[00:52:06] after you for term limits and the mayor.
[00:52:09] Take care.
[00:52:10] >> Thank you, Mr. Lowry.
[00:52:12] >> Trevor Ryan.
[00:52:27] Hello.
[00:52:29] I'm here to ask to open and maintain the
[00:52:33] easement granted uh in instrument number
[00:52:37] 169692
[00:52:38] for non-exclusive access.
[00:52:41] My name is Trevor Ryan. Start with small
[00:52:44] introduction. Uh I was born in Ranch
[00:52:47] Mirage 27 years ago.
[00:52:51] I've been a Ranch Mirage library card
[00:52:53] holder since before I could read.
[00:52:57] My family has held property in Riverside
[00:53:00] County in Ranch Mirage since the 1960s.
[00:53:04] Uh I'm also a civil engineer by trade.
[00:53:07] So,
[00:53:09] uh, since my family's been here for so
[00:53:11] long, I consider myself a direct
[00:53:13] constituent,
[00:53:15] [snorts]
[00:53:16] and I believe that this trail that I'm
[00:53:19] bringing up today
[00:53:21] uh should be opened and maintained for
[00:53:24] for the current residents. This trail
[00:53:26] was granted by a prominent, well-known
[00:53:29] man, Frank Sinatra, that is well
[00:53:31] respected by the community. His name is
[00:53:35] on the frontage road of the building
[00:53:37] we're in today, uh, city hall.
[00:53:42] So, I ask that
[00:53:45] you respect his wishes and the wishes of
[00:53:47] the constituents.
[00:53:49] Uh to and what a great opportunity to
[00:53:52] help preserve the character and identity
[00:53:55] of Ranch Mirage to maintain this
[00:53:57] equestrian trail for those that are
[00:53:59] lawful horse owners and those that have
[00:54:02] acquired conditional use horse
[00:54:04] ownership.
[00:54:06] It is called Rancher Mirage after all.
[00:54:10] That is not just a marketing name. It is
[00:54:12] a real place.
[00:54:14] >> [snorts]
[00:54:14] >> So, I stand here as evidence that this
[00:54:16] rural area is not being outdated, that
[00:54:19] it it is valuable and worth being
[00:54:21] maintained.
[00:54:23] So, please do not administrate out the
[00:54:26] character and integrity of this
[00:54:28] neighborhood.
[00:54:29] And if you haven't had a chance to walk
[00:54:31] along the Butler Blooms Trail, then I
[00:54:34] invite you to because it's an excellent
[00:54:37] walk.
[00:54:38] Thank you.
[00:54:40] Thank you for your comments, Wally
[00:54:42] Melendez.
[00:54:57] [laughter]
[00:55:08] Good afternoon everybody.
[00:55:10] [clears throat]
[00:55:12] I'd like to uh commend
[00:55:17] the
[00:55:19] elected officials and everybody else on
[00:55:22] a on a wonderful
[00:55:26] uh transfer of power,
[00:55:29] orderly
[00:55:30] and uh um
[00:55:35] uh peaceful
[00:55:37] and uh uh friendly.
[00:55:40] uh unlike what's been happening at the
[00:55:44] at the nation's uh capital,
[00:55:49] [gasps]
[00:55:51] the uh three uh the three-legged stool
[00:55:56] of the uh
[00:56:01] of the government of our country is
[00:56:04] holding up.
[00:56:07] Uh but we're still not out of the woods.
[00:56:12] The um
[00:56:16] the monsters that uh took control of the
[00:56:19] executive office
[00:56:21] are are are defeated. Or rather, they're
[00:56:26] going down,
[00:56:28] but they're still not defeated. They're
[00:56:30] kicking and and and punching and
[00:56:32] screaming, but they're going down.
[00:56:36] The Justice Department
[00:56:39] held up.
[00:56:41] The Congress has held up.
[00:56:44] The Congress uh did a wonderful job with
[00:56:47] the
[00:56:48] uh with the uh [sighs]
[00:56:54] the thing to bring out the U Epstein
[00:56:57] files.
[00:56:59] I'm proud of them. I'm actually very
[00:57:02] proud of the Congress and the judicial
[00:57:05] system.
[00:57:07] They they started out slow, but but
[00:57:09] they're gaining momentum
[00:57:12] and they're uh they got their hands
[00:57:17] on the executive branch
[00:57:20] that that just went out of control with
[00:57:24] power with with with with madness with
[00:57:28] power of the executive uh branches of
[00:57:32] government.
[00:57:34] So, so I'm commending you all and I'm
[00:57:41] the threelegged
[00:57:43] stool
[00:57:45] of the federal government
[00:57:48] that the great people the the people
[00:57:51] that wrote that constitution, God bless
[00:57:54] them.
[00:57:56] Thank you very much.
[00:57:57] >> Thank you. That was the last speaker
[00:57:59] card. Is there anyone else in the
[00:58:01] audience who would like to speak on
[00:58:02] something that is not on today's agenda?
[00:58:05] That was the last speaker.
[00:58:07] >> Thank you, Madam Clerk. At this time is
[00:58:10] closed session. I'll ask uh our city
[00:58:12] attorney, Colin Kirkpatrick.
[00:58:17] >> Thank you and congratulations, Mayor,
[00:58:18] Mayor Prom, and it's been a pleasure
[00:58:20] serving you. to the outgoing mayor.
[00:58:22] We'll be convening in a close session
[00:58:24] for the item before you, listed as 8A,
[00:58:27] conference with legal counsel, existing
[00:58:29] litigation pursuant to government code
[00:58:31] section 54956.9D1,
[00:58:34] case name unspecified since disclosure
[00:58:37] may jeopardize existing settlement
[00:58:38] negotiations.
[00:58:41] >> Thank you. [clears throat] We will now
[00:58:42] recess to close session.
[00:58:55] Council has now returned from close
[00:58:57] session.
[00:59:01] I will ask the the city attorney
[00:59:04] [laughter]
[00:59:05] Colin Kirk Patrick for any reportable
[00:59:08] actions.
[00:59:08] >> Thank you, mayor. No reportable action
[00:59:10] taken today.
[00:59:12] >> Thank you. The meeting's adjourned.