Rancho Mirage City Council Meeting, April 02,2026

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AI transcript text.

[00:00:20] Good afternoon and welcome to Thursday,
[00:00:22] April 2nd, 2026, 100 p.m. It is the
[00:00:26] regular meeting of the Ranch Mirage City
[00:00:29] Council and Community Services District,
[00:00:31] Energy Authority, Housing Authority,
[00:00:33] Joint Powers Finance Authority, Library
[00:00:36] and Observatory, and Redevelopment
[00:00:39] Successor Agency boards. We welcome you
[00:00:41] all.
[00:00:44] Time for the flag salute. Would you
[00:00:46] please join me in saluting our great
[00:00:47] nation?
[00:00:52] I pledge algiance to the flag of the
[00:00:55] United States of America and to the
[00:00:58] republic for it stands nation
[00:01:02] indivisibley
[00:01:04] and justice for all.
[00:01:15] >> Madame clerk, will you do roll call,
[00:01:17] please?
[00:01:18] >> Council member DS,
[00:01:19] >> I'm here. Council member Framberg
[00:01:20] Edelstein
[00:01:21] >> present.
[00:01:22] >> Council member Wy
[00:01:23] >> here.
[00:01:24] >> Mayor Prom O'Keefe
[00:01:25] >> here.
[00:01:25] >> And Mayor Molatto I am here.
[00:01:29] >> Next item on the agenda presentations.
[00:01:31] And we have Coachella Valley Disaster
[00:01:34] Preparedness Network presentation. We
[00:01:36] invite Mitch Brown our board the board
[00:01:38] president to the podium. Welcome all of
[00:01:41] you.
[00:01:43] >> Thank you so much. Good afternoon
[00:01:45] everyone. Um, Madame Mayor, Mayor Pro
[00:01:49] Tim, city council members and city
[00:01:53] staff.
[00:01:56] Um, each of you have supported me or
[00:02:00] inspired me or gave me a little push
[00:02:04] along the way that got me here today.
[00:02:08] Um, when I was putting this together, I
[00:02:09] got very excited to show you what CBDPN
[00:02:12] and Rancher Mirage have accomplished
[00:02:14] together. um and where we see this great
[00:02:17] partnership going.
[00:02:19] So, let me introduce myself. I'm Mitch
[00:02:21] Brown, uh along with my dedicated
[00:02:23] volunteers behind me, all in red. Um I
[00:02:28] wear a bunch of hats in this area. First
[00:02:31] and foremost, uh I'm a full-time
[00:02:33] caregiver for my mom, Shirley, who
[00:02:36] celebrated her 95th birthday last week,
[00:02:39] >> and she says hello to everyone.
[00:02:41] >> She's a ball of fire.
[00:02:44] And um we live at Del Webb Rancher
[00:02:46] Mirage and have for six years now. Uh
[00:02:49] where I lead the emergency preparedness
[00:02:51] committee for the last four years. uh 11
[00:02:55] amazing committee members
[00:02:57] and 158 volunteers 48 of which are cert
[00:03:01] trained and we we hope that that is a
[00:03:05] model that other HOAs uh strive to
[00:03:08] achieve too and frankly CBDPN played a
[00:03:11] huge role in making that happen. Uh I
[00:03:15] wear two more hats. I proudly serve on
[00:03:17] the city of Ranch Mirage Emergency
[00:03:19] Preparedness Commission.
[00:03:21] And as a side note, the commission is
[00:03:23] partnering with the high school drama
[00:03:26] department. And we're going to have the
[00:03:28] first ever, we think, uh, emergency
[00:03:30] preparedness theme play on April 30th at
[00:03:34] 6:00 p.m. open to everyone here and the
[00:03:37] public. And it's going to be called
[00:03:39] Seismic Survivors, an earthquake
[00:03:41] survival story. So, I hope you all make
[00:03:43] it. Uh, but anyway, I'm proud to
[00:03:46] represent CVDPN today. So, play along
[00:03:48] with me for just a second before we get
[00:03:51] started. Um, what if we are awakened at
[00:03:54] 2:00 a.m. in the morning with a major
[00:03:57] earthquake?
[00:03:59] The city would be dealing with road
[00:04:02] issues, injuries, fires, bridges out,
[00:04:06] communications out,
[00:04:08] all at the same time. And the good news
[00:04:11] is is you have a plan for that. and and
[00:04:13] you train for all these cascading
[00:04:16] emergencies.
[00:04:17] And what we know even in the best of
[00:04:19] times, resources are limited. Uh whether
[00:04:23] it's the first responders or the food
[00:04:25] and water that's on the shelf in the
[00:04:27] stores, everything has a limit. Sadly,
[00:04:30] many that live here, probably most that
[00:04:33] live here are not prepared. Um and that
[00:04:35] burden falls directly on the city's
[00:04:38] resources
[00:04:39] and they become quickly overwhelmed. And
[00:04:41] really that's where CVDPN comes in. So
[00:04:44] now I'm happy to put the presentation
[00:04:47] up.
[00:04:52] Yay.
[00:04:54] So Rancho Mirage knows very well that
[00:04:58] disasters are not if but when. Whether
[00:05:00] it's earthquake, flooding, extreme
[00:05:03] weather, wildfires
[00:05:05] or everything all at once. And uh I feel
[00:05:10] and I believe CBDPN feels that Ranch
[00:05:12] Mirage is really set up the best. Uh
[00:05:15] you've invested in an emergency manager.
[00:05:17] Uh you stay up to date in all the latest
[00:05:19] technology
[00:05:21] and have a very robust plan.
[00:05:26] On top of that, you've got a commission
[00:05:28] that does outreach to all the HOAs
[00:05:31] and the farmers market and the schools.
[00:05:34] Um, and it's a great uh commission and
[00:05:37] the website rmre.org
[00:05:39] is really one of the gold standards here
[00:05:41] in the valley with a lot of information
[00:05:43] available and thank you so much for
[00:05:45] linking that to CVDPN. We appreciate
[00:05:47] that and you all offer alerts and email
[00:05:51] notifications.
[00:05:54] So about CVDPN, uh we are a 10-year-old
[00:05:58] nonprofit with lots of experience from
[00:06:01] really from India to Desert Hot Springs
[00:06:04] and everything in the middle. Uh we are
[00:06:07] filled with people that are or were
[00:06:09] first responders, emergency managers, uh
[00:06:12] emergency committee chairs,
[00:06:15] and
[00:06:17] see
[00:06:19] one of the statistics that I like to
[00:06:20] mention is is that in 2025, uh our
[00:06:24] volunteers provided 5,000 hours of
[00:06:27] service to CBDPN and the communities
[00:06:29] that we serve. And that's almost
[00:06:31] $200,000
[00:06:33] that people did not have to pay. Um, so
[00:06:36] we think that we're really the only
[00:06:37] organization in the valley that provides
[00:06:39] no cost training,
[00:06:42] um, in-person training, uh, also in
[00:06:45] Spanish as well. And I wanted to mention
[00:06:48] the constant contact newsletter reach
[00:06:50] that we have, which is a little over
[00:06:52] 16,000, and 18% of that are ranch Mirage
[00:06:55] residents. and we use that to notify
[00:06:58] people of CERT classes and our training
[00:07:00] as well. On the right hand side of this
[00:07:02] slide, you can see the classes that we
[00:07:05] provide
[00:07:06] and I'm going to take you through some
[00:07:09] of them. What I'd like to mention here
[00:07:12] is the community disaster plan
[00:07:14] development. So, for example, that class
[00:07:17] which I took in 2022
[00:07:20] gave me the opportunity and the
[00:07:21] knowledge to write the Dell web disaster
[00:07:24] plan that we have today that we're going
[00:07:25] to practice on April 12th.
[00:07:28] So, just to take a look at our programs
[00:07:30] at work at the RAP Foundation, that's
[00:07:32] the regional access project foundation
[00:07:34] on Cook and Hovy Lane. You can see on
[00:07:37] the left hand side, uh this is our
[00:07:40] classroom where we teach personal
[00:07:41] preparedness. We also have guests come
[00:07:44] in like Desert Regional Trauma Center to
[00:07:47] teach fall prevention and stop the bleed
[00:07:49] training. This room will hold up to 60
[00:07:51] people.
[00:07:53] And then we partnered with the
[00:07:54] commission and our Jeff Kurpatre spoke
[00:07:57] at our readiness seminar recently at the
[00:07:59] library community room. And then just on
[00:08:01] Monday, we trained 55 people at Mission
[00:08:04] Hills Country Club. That's the picture
[00:08:06] on the right.
[00:08:07] And then we participate in the
[00:08:09] Sunnylands Disaster Preparedness Day.
[00:08:11] This is where high school and elementary
[00:08:13] kids come out and they do a mock
[00:08:15] earthquake drill and learn triage.
[00:08:19] And then most importantly, I think is
[00:08:21] that not every HOA has a indoor
[00:08:24] community room. So we also teach and
[00:08:26] train outdoors when the and this is an
[00:08:29] example of Desert Falls. So what has our
[00:08:32] impact been? You can see starting in
[00:08:35] 2023 just a little over two 2600 people.
[00:08:39] And then if you drop down to 2026, we've
[00:08:42] almost hit that number just in the first
[00:08:43] three months of the year. Um yes, the
[00:08:47] earthquakes on January 19th and 20th
[00:08:49] probably helped a little. And yes, KESQ
[00:08:52] and KMIR interviewing us and running it
[00:08:54] over and over again brought a lot of
[00:08:56] awareness to it. But we've been doing a
[00:08:58] lot of speaking and a lot of training
[00:09:00] residents to be their own first
[00:09:02] responders. This is taking it home to
[00:09:04] Rancho Mirage. Uh about 800 people have
[00:09:08] been trained in these events that are
[00:09:10] listed here.
[00:09:12] And what I wanted to uh call out is the
[00:09:15] Springs for example. And this is this
[00:09:17] was a very robust program at the Springs
[00:09:20] because I know a lot of people that
[00:09:21] lived there and moved to Del Webb. And
[00:09:23] unfortunately when you lose your leader
[00:09:26] the programs do tend to be at risk. And
[00:09:29] what the meeting that we held there did
[00:09:31] is it brought a whole group of people
[00:09:33] forward to start volunteering again,
[00:09:36] want to take the training, want to
[00:09:37] update their emergency plan, which
[00:09:39] really helps the city I think overall.
[00:09:45] All right. These are the proven
[00:09:47] partnerships that we have with CVDPN and
[00:09:49] there's more on the next slide. Uh I did
[00:09:52] want to thank the city of Ranch Mirage
[00:09:53] for their support. We've recently become
[00:09:56] a partner with Palm Springs Unified
[00:09:58] School District. Uh we've held training
[00:10:00] for nurses for risk management as well
[00:10:02] as the security people and um we are the
[00:10:10] regional arm for Earthquake Country
[00:10:12] Alliance and these are the people that
[00:10:14] play that do the uh great California
[00:10:16] shakeout in October. Uh many of you know
[00:10:20] the Hero and You Foundation and we
[00:10:23] promote this and we use it to teach
[00:10:26] families when they have children for the
[00:10:28] events that we we held and that we've
[00:10:31] recently begun uh training at the
[00:10:33] Jocelyn Center as well as with Jewish
[00:10:35] family services.
[00:10:38] So yes, you see a lot of cities up here
[00:10:40] which is awesome. We have great
[00:10:42] relationships with them. Recently, we
[00:10:44] have partnered with some of our state
[00:10:46] assembly members and uh again, Jewish
[00:10:50] family services. And then just uh three
[00:10:53] weekends ago, we partnered with the Red
[00:10:54] Cross and while they installed uh 91
[00:10:57] smoke detectors, we gave out fire
[00:11:00] blankets to all the homes. Um it was a
[00:11:02] great experience for for us and them
[00:11:06] and the business community. I think is a
[00:11:09] is a big opportunity for training. I
[00:11:11] know that the city relies on the revenue
[00:11:13] stream for hotels and small businesses
[00:11:15] to open up as quickly as they can after
[00:11:17] a disaster. So, that's something we've
[00:11:20] got to focus more on. We are members of
[00:11:22] the two chambers, the Palm Desert and
[00:11:23] the Ranch Mirage, and we work closely
[00:11:26] with Greater Palm Springs Realtors and
[00:11:29] Cai.
[00:11:32] So, um this is really exciting news. uh
[00:11:35] almost simultaneously when we were at
[00:11:37] the HARK survey reveal uh that was about
[00:11:40] a month ago. Uh this is really the quote
[00:11:43] that came out of their survey that being
[00:11:46] prepared can significantly reduce the
[00:11:48] physical and emotional and financial
[00:11:50] toll of a disaster and that you really
[00:11:54] have to have the emergency supplies,
[00:11:56] know how to evacuate, take care of your
[00:11:58] pets and so on. And at the same time,
[00:12:01] the global wellness summit listed this
[00:12:05] same situation as the top five global
[00:12:07] health concern. So, we know we're on to
[00:12:10] something here.
[00:12:12] So, looking ahead together, this is what
[00:12:14] we would love Rancher Mirage to partner
[00:12:16] with us. continue to let us be uh your
[00:12:18] training arm, if you will, to speak to
[00:12:21] the HOAs and the businesses
[00:12:24] and help us market these training events
[00:12:26] so that we go big, we get even more and
[00:12:29] more people to each one of them. If
[00:12:32] we've done 800 this year, we've got
[00:12:34] almost 18,000 more to do. So, help us
[00:12:36] get bigger. We're happy to do it. And
[00:12:40] then what we provide is the training
[00:12:42] that they're readymade programs that
[00:12:44] have been vetted. Uh, we let's see. Did
[00:12:47] I bring it up? Nope. So, we give
[00:12:49] everybody a red ready to go bag that is
[00:12:52] behind me filled with the right
[00:12:54] information that helps you put together
[00:12:57] what you need in your car, what you need
[00:12:59] in your home, and what you need at work
[00:13:00] or where you volunteer.
[00:13:02] And then we can talk perhaps if we sit
[00:13:05] down together about what it could look
[00:13:07] like to have a 3-day survival kit for
[00:13:10] people, which would buy your first
[00:13:12] responders and our first responders a
[00:13:13] little extra time. How about everybody
[00:13:16] having a three-day kit where they've got
[00:13:18] a food and water and medical supplies so
[00:13:20] that they're not dependent on someone to
[00:13:24] come and save them? And why don't we
[00:13:26] start with our seniors? Why don't we
[00:13:29] start with the workforce housing? How
[00:13:30] about a welcome kit for the people that
[00:13:32] move into the workforce housing with
[00:13:34] this 3-day emergency kit? There's plenty
[00:13:37] of room on the bag to put Rancho Mirage.
[00:13:40] So anyway, the bottom line, we we hope
[00:13:42] that you believe it's a win-win
[00:13:44] situation. One thing we want to point
[00:13:46] out is that the statistics show that for
[00:13:48] every dollar of preparedness invested,
[00:13:52] you get $13 in recovery returns. So
[00:13:56] that's not too bad at all. And this is
[00:13:59] what we want everyone to feel like after
[00:14:02] they've had their training.
[00:14:04] May I answer any questions?
[00:14:09] Did I go too long?
[00:14:12] >> I'd like to say so I have had a terrible
[00:14:15] fear of earthquakes since I was a child.
[00:14:16] Probably from living out here and being
[00:14:18] through so many earthquakes. So I think
[00:14:20] that the go bag and the preparedness
[00:14:22] plan is a mustave. It's peace of mind.
[00:14:26] >> It is.
[00:14:27] >> Um and for that it gives me a lot of um
[00:14:30] um comfort to know that I'm prepared for
[00:14:33] my family, my pet, everything. So thank
[00:14:35] you for this education. I I truly
[00:14:38] believe in it. I've spoken about it from
[00:14:40] from my council comments and um I'm
[00:14:42] thankful that we have an organization
[00:14:44] like yours locally available as well as
[00:14:46] our commission and thank you for all
[00:14:48] your service, Mitch.
[00:14:49] >> Oh, my pleasure. Happy to do it.
[00:14:53] >> All right. I appreciate everything you
[00:14:55] do along with your group in CVDBN
[00:14:59] and uh as many know I I work for the
[00:15:01] city of Cathedral City and prior to that
[00:15:03] I worked trauma and surgery for the
[00:15:05] hospitals and when you have a disaster
[00:15:11] I did my training in downtown Los
[00:15:13] Angeles and it it's it's it's a disaster
[00:15:16] that's a disaster in and of itself and
[00:15:18] to your point the more that you can be
[00:15:21] prepared
[00:15:22] the less pressure that you as a group, a
[00:15:26] volunteer group have, it it buys it it
[00:15:28] buys your committee time. Um I'm going
[00:15:31] to talk in a few minutes and my council
[00:15:34] comments about um meeting with the
[00:15:36] seniors. Our senior communities, our
[00:15:38] mobile home committees are the most
[00:15:39] vulnerable. Um so I have you on my list.
[00:15:44] >> Speed dial.
[00:15:44] >> Yes. On Well, yeah, you're on speed dial
[00:15:47] anyways. We're neighbors. But um I
[00:15:50] appreciate all that you do because it is
[00:15:53] not a a situation of if but when. And
[00:15:57] it's not just about earthquakes as we
[00:15:59] learned about, you know, Hurricane uh
[00:16:01] Hillary, right?
[00:16:02] >> It could be warfare. It could be
[00:16:04] anything.
[00:16:05] >> So we really appreciate all that you do
[00:16:07] and thank you to all of you for for your
[00:16:10] contributions to all the communities.
[00:16:12] >> All right. Thank you all.
[00:16:13] >> Thank you, Mitch.
[00:16:19] The next presentation is from Sha's
[00:16:22] Warriors.
[00:16:28] Good afternoon, ladies.
[00:16:30] >> Hello.
[00:16:31] >> We have Sheay Maraga and Maddie
[00:16:33] Bautello.
[00:16:37] >> Good afternoon, council. Thank you for
[00:16:39] having us today. Um, this is more of an
[00:16:43] impact report that we wanted to share
[00:16:45] with you from last year and just to give
[00:16:47] you some updates on everything that you
[00:16:50] help us do throughout the year. Um, I
[00:16:53] believe we have a video.
[00:17:03] cancer knocked on my door and I had to
[00:17:07] answer it and deal with how challenging
[00:17:11] that word of having cancer can be on a
[00:17:15] human being. I got the dreaded phone
[00:17:17] call on December 13th, 2023 that I was
[00:17:22] diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma
[00:17:25] and that I needed to be referred to
[00:17:27] oncology right away. The immediate
[00:17:30] thoughts really are to um you know
[00:17:33] family in your life. Will I live long
[00:17:37] enough to see my kids graduate from high
[00:17:40] school?
[00:17:42] >> All I could do was
[00:17:44] push the emotions
[00:17:46] deeper and deeper inside just so that I
[00:17:50] could get through the day. Nobody in my
[00:17:52] family knew anything anything at all
[00:17:56] about that part of my life. like they
[00:17:59] never saw it. All they saw mom lose her
[00:18:01] hair, mom lose a little bit of weight,
[00:18:03] mom not feeling well. I felt so oddly
[00:18:07] alone. I felt so empty. And until you
[00:18:12] find someone that has gone through it or
[00:18:17] knows how you feel during and after,
[00:18:20] that's where Sha's Warriors came in. And
[00:18:23] I will forever, forever be grateful.
[00:18:28] The Shea's Warriors vision came to
[00:18:29] fruition in 2016 when I was diagnosed
[00:18:32] with stage 3 triple negative breast
[00:18:34] cancer. As a young woman under 40 years
[00:18:37] old who had never had a mammog, I sought
[00:18:40] out support for other women like me.
[00:18:43] That support came from another breast
[00:18:45] cancer survivor, Eileen Alvarez, who
[00:18:47] also at a young age experienced this
[00:18:49] horrible disease.
[00:18:51] Initially, the vision was to create a
[00:18:53] 4-day, three-ight retreat, fully paid
[00:18:55] for, for up to 50 breast cancer
[00:18:57] survivors. The moment I showed up to the
[00:19:00] retreat was life-changing. I walked into
[00:19:03] the lobby and
[00:19:06] felt at home and that entire weekend
[00:19:10] changed my life.
[00:19:13] Watching
[00:19:14] each of these women start to heal. Heal
[00:19:18] from the trauma of having cancer, it
[00:19:21] changed my life in a way that I would
[00:19:25] never have dreamt. And then we'd
[00:19:27] reconnect at the end of the day and talk
[00:19:31] about either the retreat or just bond,
[00:19:35] talk about our lives. There's something
[00:19:37] really powerful in being able to connect
[00:19:39] with someone who's been in your shoes
[00:19:41] before. Cancer
[00:19:43] treatment isn't the only part of a
[00:19:45] patient's journey. The next step after
[00:19:48] that is survivorship. And so it's really
[00:19:50] nice to partner with Sha's Warriors
[00:19:52] because we feel like we have peace of
[00:19:54] mind at the cancer center that we're
[00:19:57] handing that patient off to someone
[00:19:59] who's going to hold their hand for that
[00:20:00] next step of the journey. Big Horn Golf
[00:20:03] Club Charities was established in 2007
[00:20:06] and we oversee Big Horn Cares and Big
[00:20:08] Horn BAM and within that we have been
[00:20:11] able to be partners with Shaes Warriors.
[00:20:13] It helps with local cancer patients,
[00:20:16] nonprofits and education scholarships.
[00:20:18] We love supporting Sha's Warriors
[00:20:20] because they're local here for Coachella
[00:20:22] Valley and because cancer survivors need
[00:20:26] continued support.
[00:20:28] We aim to give back what cancer takes
[00:20:31] away in a community that understands and
[00:20:34] at absolutely no cost to the
[00:20:36] participants.
[00:20:39] In addition to our retreat, we have four
[00:20:42] monthly free community programs.
[00:20:44] Talkless and share, move to heal, and
[00:20:47] coffee and connections. Plus, our newest
[00:20:50] program, the Yo Bro, I'm Brave Too, a
[00:20:53] program designed for male cancer
[00:20:54] survivors and caregivers. Because men
[00:20:56] need a safe space for support, too. We
[00:20:59] cannot continue to offer support and
[00:21:02] freak programs without the generosity of
[00:21:04] our entire community. It truly takes a
[00:21:08] village to help others heal in life
[00:21:10] after cancer, something often no one
[00:21:13] ever thinks about. My life today after
[00:21:17] cancer is better because of Sha's
[00:21:20] Warriors in that we have this community
[00:21:23] now where we're all living our lives
[00:21:26] again, but there's still that fear and
[00:21:29] that longing for support and Sha's
[00:21:34] warriors and the entire community
[00:21:37] involved. We're we're lifers. We're a
[00:21:40] family. I can't even begin to express
[00:21:43] the tremendous
[00:21:46] support and love. And it was the
[00:21:51] opportunity
[00:21:53] to dig myself out of the hole that I had
[00:21:57] been in and give myself the grace to
[00:22:00] know that it was okay to live.
[00:22:04] I do this because I got a second chance
[00:22:06] at life. It is now my purpose. And by
[00:22:10] being a part of the Shaes Warriors
[00:22:11] community, we all get the opportunity to
[00:22:14] help survivors and their families heal
[00:22:16] through this harsh life after cancer
[00:22:18] journey. We get to give hope and joy
[00:22:21] back to others. All healing together.
[00:22:25] Mind, body, and soul.
[00:22:41] We definitely extend our greatest
[00:22:43] gratitude to all of you and everyone who
[00:22:47] supports Sha's warriors um with the city
[00:22:50] of Rancher Mirage because we host the
[00:22:53] retreat right in your backyard and we
[00:22:55] partnered with the Ritz Carlton 3 years
[00:22:58] ago now and it is one of the most serene
[00:23:00] and most beautiful retreats that we've
[00:23:03] done here in the valley and as you can
[00:23:05] see from those survivors um from this
[00:23:08] past year that's some of the joy that
[00:23:11] you and all of us in the community are
[00:23:14] able to give back. Um because a lot of
[00:23:16] times survivors don't want to talk about
[00:23:20] the life after cancer process. Um with
[00:23:23] that some of those people that you saw
[00:23:25] also decided to go into our advocate and
[00:23:29] ambassador program that we've had since
[00:23:31] the beginning. They are now doing the
[00:23:34] full ripple effect by giving back. We
[00:23:37] did a program and trained 12 women and
[00:23:41] two men um to be able to do the
[00:23:45] peer-to-peer support in the talkless and
[00:23:48] share the coffee and connections, the
[00:23:50] move to heal and also the yo bro I'm
[00:23:55] brave too program. So they're giving
[00:23:57] back and that was our full ripple effect
[00:24:00] that we wanted to see happen. Um to date
[00:24:03] we've served over 760
[00:24:06] cups of coffee or tea. We've done over
[00:24:09] 150 YouTube um uh educational videos.
[00:24:13] We've supported fully 215 women that
[00:24:18] have gone to that retreat. This year 25
[00:24:20] men will have their own full day
[00:24:23] retreat. And then we've also done over
[00:24:26] 2,000 plus um move to heal classes which
[00:24:31] are done every week at Eisenhower's Lucy
[00:24:33] Kirchie Cancer Center and also the
[00:24:35] gardens on El Piso. So we spread the
[00:24:37] love throughout the valley throughout
[00:24:40] that
[00:24:41] and all of our programs are completely
[00:24:44] free to anyone cancer survivor that
[00:24:46] wants to attend because of generous
[00:24:49] supporters and donors. Um, it's really,
[00:24:52] I think, what makes Shaay so special is
[00:24:54] our monthly programs because it's
[00:24:57] accessible to everyone and it's
[00:24:59] accessible to everyone in the valley.
[00:25:01] That's why we change locations. That's
[00:25:03] why we try to keep it consistent with
[00:25:05] our schedule so people can plan around
[00:25:07] and actually attend our programs. Um,
[00:25:10] and then also because we are a nonprofit
[00:25:13] and need to raise money, um, I host a,
[00:25:16] uh, with Shayes a annual pre-Mother's
[00:25:19] Day high tea at Wall-E's Desert Turtle.
[00:25:22] It is May 2nd. It is Saturday, May 2nd
[00:25:25] at 12:00. And we give all the proceeds
[00:25:29] to Shaes and most of those proceeds go
[00:25:32] to having cancer survivors, local cancer
[00:25:35] survivors, come and attend our retreat.
[00:25:37] And the retreat is so beneficial for
[00:25:40] these women. And as you saw in the
[00:25:43] video, after they attend the retreat,
[00:25:45] they get involved. They go to our
[00:25:47] monthly programs. They become our
[00:25:48] ambassadors. They become our advocates
[00:25:51] and they just grow this program, which
[00:25:53] is what it's all about. It's about
[00:25:55] community and it's about having support
[00:25:58] with people who understand what they
[00:26:00] went through. So, we will be having our
[00:26:02] premother's day tea. Tickets are on sale
[00:26:05] at open table at wallally desert
[00:26:07] turtle.com and um like I said everyone
[00:26:10] will be um there in attendance to
[00:26:13] support Sha's warriors. It'll be a
[00:26:15] wonderful event.
[00:26:17] >> Are there any questions?
[00:26:21] >> No, I' I'd merely like to thank you for
[00:26:24] what you do. Uh I can identify as a
[00:26:28] cancer survivor myself.
[00:26:30] uh everything that you do uh reinforces
[00:26:35] uh the importance of of being involved
[00:26:38] of getting people aware and the more you
[00:26:41] do that uh we collectively will succeed.
[00:26:46] So thank you for the effort and uh all
[00:26:49] that you have done in the past and in
[00:26:52] the future.
[00:26:53] >> Thank you.
[00:26:56] Well, I love SHAS and I I've been a part
[00:27:00] of SHA since the beginning. Um, and I um
[00:27:05] participate because of the women
[00:27:06] involved, but also in honor of the two
[00:27:08] women that I know mean so much to you
[00:27:10] and they meant so much to me, which is
[00:27:12] Maddie, your mother, and Eileen Alvarez.
[00:27:15] So, um, it's important. I have had
[00:27:18] family members and friends go through
[00:27:20] the retreat and they've said it's
[00:27:21] life-changing. So, um, I it's really an
[00:27:26] incredible organization and I'm really
[00:27:27] happy that the city of Rancher Mirage
[00:27:29] has a connection and a relationship with
[00:27:31] this charity and and the events that are
[00:27:33] held in our city. So, thanks ladies.
[00:27:35] Always good work and always good to see
[00:27:37] you.
[00:27:37] >> Thank you. Thank you.
[00:27:39] >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. So, uh, having
[00:27:42] survived two cancer surgeries and follow
[00:27:43] courses of treatment, I'm really
[00:27:45] appreciative that you're here today and
[00:27:47] I'm very delighted that at the city
[00:27:48] we're able to help support Chase
[00:27:50] Warriors. So, thanks for being here
[00:27:51] today and give us your g g g g g g g g g
[00:27:52] g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
[00:27:52] g g g g g g g g g g g giving us this
[00:27:53] update. Thanks very much.
[00:27:54] >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much
[00:27:57] again and we hope to see you at one of
[00:27:59] our programs soon even to speak.
[00:28:02] >> Thank you so much.
[00:28:11] Moving on to council member comments and
[00:28:14] reports. We'll start with council member
[00:28:17] E. Framberstein.
[00:28:19] Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, I think we
[00:28:21] have a PowerPoint
[00:28:25] that accompanies my comments.
[00:28:36] Oh, wait a minute. Okay.
[00:28:37] >> I'm wondering
[00:28:39] >> if they need a minute to set up, we can
[00:28:41] go on to another council member.
[00:28:44] >> That's it. Sorry, I was looking there
[00:28:46] and I was looking at the wrong screen
[00:28:47] and I'm not looking at my screen. Sorry,
[00:28:51] >> it's been there the whole time. Okay,
[00:28:53] sorry everyone. Um, no further delay.
[00:28:56] Uh, on March 27th, I had the honor of
[00:28:59] attending a very special event which was
[00:29:02] the Jewish Federation of the Desert
[00:29:05] Building, renaming, and lunchon honoring
[00:29:07] Sherwin Turbo. Danny, the executive
[00:29:09] director, would you come up to the to
[00:29:11] the podium while I talk in case there's
[00:29:14] more questions or comments? Thank you.
[00:29:16] Um Danny Luben is the CEO for the
[00:29:19] federation and threw an absolutely
[00:29:22] amazing party. You haven't been to a
[00:29:24] good party till borched is the appetizer
[00:29:26] cocktail
[00:29:27] which is Sherwin's favorite meal. Um
[00:29:30] there was a meaningful and memorable
[00:29:32] occasion held right here in Rancher
[00:29:34] Mirage just across the street from city
[00:29:36] hall highlighting the close connection
[00:29:38] between the federation and our
[00:29:39] community. The event celebrated the
[00:29:41] renaming of the federation's building in
[00:29:44] honor of Sherwin Turbo, recognizing his
[00:29:46] lifetime of generosity, leadership, and
[00:29:48] dedication to philanthropy. Mr. Turbo's
[00:29:51] story is truly remarkable. From his
[00:29:53] early success as a student athlete and
[00:29:56] collegiate golfer at USC to his
[00:29:58] accomplishments as business leader and a
[00:30:00] real estate investor. What stood out
[00:30:02] most was his deep commitment to giving
[00:30:04] back, his support of organizations like
[00:30:06] the Jewish Federation of the Desert,
[00:30:08] Alzheimer's initiatives and Alzheimer's
[00:30:11] Coachella Valley and cancer research and
[00:30:14] an organization his sister is deeply
[00:30:16] involved in in the Los Angeles area and
[00:30:18] has made a lasting impact both locally
[00:30:20] and beyond. It was an honor for the city
[00:30:22] of Rancharrage to formally recogni
[00:30:24] recognize Mr. Turbo during the event
[00:30:26] where we presented him with a beautiful
[00:30:29] pro proclamation acknowledging his
[00:30:31] extraordinary generosity, leadership and
[00:30:33] enduring commitment to strengthening the
[00:30:35] Coachelli Valley community. His belief
[00:30:38] in the power of education and community
[00:30:40] connection is something that resonates
[00:30:42] strongly with all of us. Events like
[00:30:44] this are a reminder of the individual,
[00:30:46] incredible individuals who help shape
[00:30:48] and uplift our region. And we are
[00:30:50] fortunate to have that kind of
[00:30:51] leadership and generosity here in Rancho
[00:30:54] Mirage. And I think the most beautiful
[00:30:56] part was that Mr. Turbo had his two
[00:30:59] tables worth of family members. Uh that
[00:31:02] he has carried on a tradition of
[00:31:05] philanthropy and community involvement
[00:31:06] that his parents instilled in him and
[00:31:08] his sister who was also there. It's very
[00:31:10] involved in the philanthropic community
[00:31:11] in cancer research and um and the
[00:31:15] generations of his grandchildren and
[00:31:17] children who also give. So, um, if I
[00:31:19] missed anything, Danny, please, um,
[00:31:22] comment. But it was a really incredible
[00:31:24] day and we were lucky enough to be able
[00:31:25] to have council members at that and also
[00:31:27] the senior inspiration awards. So, we
[00:31:29] divided and conquered that day, but it
[00:31:31] was really lovely. The locks were good.
[00:31:33] The borch was nice. It was a good day.
[00:31:35] It was a good day. Well, I'm just sorry
[00:31:37] that Sherwin Turbo himself wasn't able
[00:31:39] to be here today to hear this report,
[00:31:43] but I do want to thank on his behalf and
[00:31:45] on behalf of the Jewish Federation of
[00:31:46] the Desert, the entire city council of
[00:31:50] Rancho Mirage, as well as you
[00:31:52] specifically, Council Member Edelstein
[00:31:55] Framberg, or rather strike that
[00:31:57] riverstein
[00:31:58] >> too long for the proclamation and for
[00:32:02] being a part of the festivities. But the
[00:32:04] festivities in some ways were a
[00:32:07] representation of um much more
[00:32:10] significant events. Um, one, this was an
[00:32:15] opportunity for us to really rebrand and
[00:32:19] create a sense of greater visibility for
[00:32:22] Jewish Federation here in Rancho Mirage
[00:32:25] because part of the
[00:32:28] uh, donation from Sherwin Turbo allowed
[00:32:30] us to have additional new signage on the
[00:32:34] building. So, perhaps you've noticed
[00:32:36] when you look Kitty Corner across the
[00:32:38] street, but I do want to thank everybody
[00:32:40] who was responsible for approving the
[00:32:42] signage um and the new lighting. And I
[00:32:46] think it really will help from our
[00:32:48] perspective in terms of letting people
[00:32:50] know that Jewish Federation is here as a
[00:32:53] community resource and really as a very
[00:32:56] proud statement of the Jewish
[00:32:58] community's presence uh here in Rancho
[00:33:01] Mirage. Uh today is the first day of
[00:33:03] Passover. Um and so I also want to wish
[00:33:07] everybody who celebrates a happy
[00:33:09] Passover and everybody who will be
[00:33:12] celebrating Easter on Sunday a happy
[00:33:14] Easter. And um really Sherwin is one of
[00:33:20] many donors who we have who are
[00:33:23] responsible for keeping so much of the
[00:33:27] services and the resources that we are
[00:33:30] able to provide. available. We're
[00:33:32] actually coming uh in a couple weeks to
[00:33:35] our annual allocation cycle where we'll
[00:33:38] be allocating more than a million
[00:33:40] dollars to different nonprofit
[00:33:42] organizations throughout the Coachella
[00:33:43] Valley as well as to other organizations
[00:33:46] worldwide and in Israel, but over a
[00:33:48] million dollars will go specifically and
[00:33:51] directly to nonprofits here in the
[00:33:55] desert. and we had an open call for
[00:33:58] proposals and we'll be reviewing those
[00:34:00] very carefully uh with our allocations
[00:34:02] committee and um really
[00:34:06] it's a privilege and a great
[00:34:08] responsibility to represent the
[00:34:09] organization
[00:34:11] uh my board members and staff and we all
[00:34:14] take this with great seriousness
[00:34:17] um and it's really our um ability to
[00:34:21] help contribute to everybody's
[00:34:23] collective needs here in the desert
[00:34:26] that keeps us inspired and focused. And
[00:34:29] um the ability to really recognize one
[00:34:31] particular donor who has been such an
[00:34:34] outstanding exemplar of philanthropy
[00:34:36] will hopefully inspire other
[00:34:39] philanthropists uh both of course for
[00:34:41] Jewish Federation but also writ large
[00:34:43] for all of the very important causes
[00:34:46] some of which we've had a chance to hear
[00:34:47] about today. So, I'm grateful for this
[00:34:49] opportunity and for the exposure uh to
[00:34:51] learn about emergency preparedness and
[00:34:53] Sha's warriors and there's just so much
[00:34:56] need and also so much generosity here.
[00:34:59] So, thank you for being able to help us
[00:35:02] mark that and celebrate it because it's
[00:35:04] not something to take for granted and
[00:35:06] every individual who contributes makes
[00:35:09] that very personal decision and uh we
[00:35:12] felt it was important to create that
[00:35:14] recognition and encouragement and and
[00:35:16] sense of gratitude. So thank you Rancho
[00:35:19] Mirage for being part of that.
[00:35:20] >> Thank you and thanks for being here.
[00:35:22] That is the conclusion of my comments
[00:35:24] >> and they're wonderful comments. Thank
[00:35:26] you Danny to the Jewish federation. I've
[00:35:28] lived in the desert for 46 years and the
[00:35:31] Jewish Federation has an exemplary
[00:35:34] legacy of being brilliant community
[00:35:36] members, generous community members, and
[00:35:39] always coming from a place of
[00:35:41] contribution. And the Coachella Valley
[00:35:44] as a whole have been the beneficiaries
[00:35:46] of
[00:35:48] great kindness and we appreciate that.
[00:35:50] Thank you so much.
[00:35:51] >> Thank you, Mayor MTO
[00:35:53] >> and Danny and a a happy Passover to you
[00:35:57] and the entire Jewish Federation.
[00:36:00] >> Thank you. Thank you, Council Member
[00:36:02] While. Thank you,
[00:36:05] >> Council Member DS.
[00:36:08] Yes, please.
[00:36:11] >> We don't want to interrupt the applause
[00:36:12] for
[00:36:13] >> not for my comment.
[00:36:16] >> So, thank you. Madame Mayor, today I
[00:36:17] want to talk about uh public safety and
[00:36:20] specifically I want to talk about law
[00:36:21] enforcement safety. So in mid 2025 we
[00:36:25] reported on property crime statistics in
[00:36:28] the city of Ranch Mirage. At the time we
[00:36:30] had data between 2021 and the early
[00:36:33] months of 2025 and now we have data for
[00:36:36] the full year of 2025. So I want to
[00:36:38] share those with you today. But before I
[00:36:40] do, uh, I want to talk a bit about some
[00:36:43] steps that we have taken to reduce the
[00:36:45] property crime rate in our city. Over
[00:36:47] the last several years, uh, what this
[00:36:50] council has done is increased the number
[00:36:51] of deputies that provide service to our
[00:36:54] city. These hardworking, well-trained
[00:36:55] deputies are dedicated to keeping our
[00:36:58] city safe. Uh, and as of today, two
[00:37:00] cities in the desert, ourselves and
[00:37:02] Indian Wells, have the highest ratio of
[00:37:04] deputies per capita here in the
[00:37:06] Coachella Valley. And the other uh issue
[00:37:08] that we've uh we've done over the last
[00:37:10] several years in this city is we've
[00:37:12] significantly uh increased the uh tools
[00:37:15] and technology that we provide to our
[00:37:17] deputies. A good example are the Flock
[00:37:19] camera automated license plate readers
[00:37:21] uh that uh our deputies tell us is one
[00:37:23] of the most important crime fighting
[00:37:25] tools that they have. So the numbers the
[00:37:27] numbers uh were uh were uh were
[00:37:29] accumulated by uh staff member Tyler
[00:37:31] Folks in conjunction with uh um with um
[00:37:35] the sheriff's department. And so this is
[00:37:37] a table that I'm going to put up on the
[00:37:38] screen that I created from the numbers
[00:37:41] that uh Tyler put together for us, Tyler
[00:37:43] and the deputies put together for us.
[00:37:44] And so some numbers that I think are
[00:37:46] really critically important that we all
[00:37:48] understand uh uh is that ch that that
[00:37:52] line on the table that shows the percent
[00:37:54] crime reduction year-over-year. So 2021
[00:37:56] versus 2022, the property crime rate in
[00:37:59] the city was down 13%. 2022 versus 2023
[00:38:02] was down 15%. 2023 versus 2024 is down
[00:38:06] 27%. And now that we have full year data
[00:38:09] for 2025, the property crime rate in the
[00:38:11] city of Rancher Mirage between 24 and
[00:38:14] 2025 was down 23%. And the cumulative
[00:38:17] rate of crime reduction in this city
[00:38:20] between 2021 and 2025 was 58%.
[00:38:24] Now, a good question to wonder about, I
[00:38:26] think, is how does this compare and is
[00:38:28] there any benchmarking? Well, there's
[00:38:29] not. staff has done not done any work on
[00:38:31] on benchmarking how we compare to other
[00:38:33] cities. It's very difficult to do
[00:38:34] because of differences in u uh in
[00:38:37] population, differences in density,
[00:38:39] differences in uh city areas,
[00:38:41] differences in whether you're uh part of
[00:38:43] a city or or part of unincorporated
[00:38:45] county areas. So staff has not done any
[00:38:47] research on benchmarking, but I did take
[00:38:49] a look at a at a Google search and you
[00:38:51] can do the same. I simply looked at uh a
[00:38:53] Google Google search. I I typed in has
[00:38:56] the property crime rate declined
[00:38:58] nationwide? uh in recent years. Uh and
[00:39:01] the search results tell us that yes, the
[00:39:03] property crime rate nationwide has
[00:39:05] declined considerably in recent years.
[00:39:07] And so here are a couple of uh data
[00:39:09] points that I found on Google. You can
[00:39:11] find them as well. Uh the first one of
[00:39:14] the first uh search results I found
[00:39:15] indicated that FBI data seems to
[00:39:17] indicate that property crime was down
[00:39:19] 28% between 2015 and 2024. So that's a
[00:39:22] 9-year time frame. Property crime rates
[00:39:24] down 28% according to some data from the
[00:39:27] FBI. Another search results suggests
[00:39:29] that the property crime rate in the US
[00:39:31] has dropped by 60% over the past 30
[00:39:33] years. Again, a pretty significant
[00:39:34] number. Now, I don't know if either of
[00:39:36] these numbers are correct. I haven't
[00:39:37] done any research on it. All I did was a
[00:39:39] Google search. You, as I said, you can
[00:39:41] do the same. But if either of these
[00:39:42] search results is anywhere close to
[00:39:44] accurate, then the Ratcher Mirage
[00:39:46] property crime rate reduction of 58%
[00:39:49] over a 4-year period is an exceptional
[00:39:52] result. And there's a number another
[00:39:54] number that I found of particular
[00:39:55] interest in the report. Uh the specific
[00:39:57] report that u Tyler and uh the sheriff's
[00:40:00] department put together for us breaks
[00:40:02] out the various types of property crime.
[00:40:03] One of them uh was stolen vehicles. In
[00:40:06] 2021, there are 105 reported stolen
[00:40:09] vehicles in the city. 2026 it was 16. An
[00:40:12] 85% reduction in the stolen vehicle rate
[00:40:14] in our city. Pretty remarkable result.
[00:40:16] Uh I have to think that one of the
[00:40:18] reasons for that just might have to do
[00:40:19] with those automatic license plate
[00:40:21] readers. So for any city council, public
[00:40:24] safety is job one. And here in Ranch
[00:40:26] Mirage, uh, we're doing the best that we
[00:40:28] can to make our city safe and keep you
[00:40:30] secure. And to Lieutenant Chris Turnis
[00:40:32] and the dated dedicated team of deputies
[00:40:34] assigned to our city, we're very
[00:40:36] grateful for the hard work that you do.
[00:40:38] Thanks for a job well done, and I'm very
[00:40:40] delighted to be able to report these
[00:40:41] remarkable numbers to you today. Thank
[00:40:43] you, Madam Mayor.
[00:40:44] >> Thank you, Council Member Ted While.
[00:40:47] >> Thank you, Madame Mayor.
[00:40:50] Uh this past week I visited Catino
[00:40:54] Story Living by Disney where I had the
[00:40:57] opportunity to see firsthand the
[00:41:00] progress taking shape on this exciting
[00:41:03] development.
[00:41:05] The tour focused on the future town
[00:41:07] center and surrounding commercial spaces
[00:41:11] which is which are designed to bring a
[00:41:14] vibrant mix of dining, retail, and
[00:41:18] entertainment to Rancho Mirage.
[00:41:21] As construction continues, it's clear
[00:41:24] that these areas are being thoughtfully
[00:41:27] planned to create a dynamic gathering
[00:41:30] place for both residents and visitors.
[00:41:35] I also received updates on several of
[00:41:38] the businesses expected to be part of
[00:41:41] the project reflecting a strong emphasis
[00:41:45] on quality experience and community
[00:41:48] connection such as the new Elvare
[00:41:53] restaurant.
[00:41:55] The integration of these commercial
[00:41:57] offerings alongside residential
[00:42:00] neighborhoods will create
[00:42:04] a walkable, engaging environment that
[00:42:07] enhances overall vision of CINO.
[00:42:12] It's exciting to see this project
[00:42:14] continue to move forward.
[00:42:17] Developments like Catino not only add
[00:42:20] new amenities and experiences to our
[00:42:23] city, but also support economic growth
[00:42:27] and reinforce Rancho Mirage's reputation
[00:42:31] as a premier destination in the
[00:42:34] Coachella Valley.
[00:42:37] It's my feeling that when the commercial
[00:42:40] area opens in the fall or late
[00:42:46] 26
[00:42:48] and the public is invited and starts to
[00:42:51] use the restaurants, the shops, you will
[00:42:56] find that there is tremendous amount of
[00:43:00] activity and buzz that takes off. In in
[00:43:04] addition to that, the number of homes
[00:43:06] that will be sold will increase
[00:43:09] significantly.
[00:43:11] So, it was a a very worthwhile, exciting
[00:43:14] trip and I think that all good things
[00:43:17] are going to happen. One of the things
[00:43:21] that is not talked about yet is one of
[00:43:25] the plans for the future is a hotel
[00:43:28] site. And although there's no mention of
[00:43:30] anything specific going on, we do know
[00:43:34] that there is a great deal of interest.
[00:43:37] And when that becomes a reality,
[00:43:40] that will add substantially
[00:43:42] to the
[00:43:44] toot revenue for our city. So, thank
[00:43:48] you, Madame Mayor. It was a great trip
[00:43:49] and um uh good things are in the future.
[00:43:55] >> It was a good visit out there the other
[00:43:57] day. Thank you, Mayor Prom.
[00:44:00] >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. No comments
[00:44:02] today.
[00:44:04] >> Thank you. I have two items. Uh in
[00:44:07] recent weeks, uh the council council
[00:44:09] members, not only this council, but
[00:44:11] council, city councils across the valley
[00:44:13] have been receiving complaints about the
[00:44:17] noise of the flight path uh on approach
[00:44:21] to Palm Springs airport. And this past
[00:44:23] week, there's a article in the Palm
[00:44:26] Springs Post. And we recently learned
[00:44:29] within the last 7 to 10 days that as
[00:44:33] well through our various agencies that
[00:44:35] we sit on that the Federal Aviation
[00:44:39] Administration, the FAA changed the
[00:44:41] approach path to Palm Springs uh without
[00:44:44] notifying the airport back in June of
[00:44:47] 2025.
[00:44:50] Of course, we have residents that are
[00:44:52] complaining, stop it, tell them to
[00:44:54] change the flight path. It's not easy to
[00:44:56] tell the federal government government
[00:44:58] right now and there are specific
[00:44:59] channels for that um to change the
[00:45:03] flight path back. One of the reasons for
[00:45:05] the change was that traffic air traffic
[00:45:08] has increased and they need a wider arc
[00:45:12] to come in and on approach to the
[00:45:14] airport. Um, one of the questions that
[00:45:18] was brought up by a resident um, asking
[00:45:22] why the passenger facility charge or the
[00:45:24] PFC funds uh, are not being used uh, for
[00:45:29] noise mitigation. And typically they
[00:45:32] are. Unfortunately, with the expansion
[00:45:34] plans of Palm Springs Airport, those
[00:45:36] have to be approved by the FAA and that
[00:45:39] approval has yet to take place. So, what
[00:45:43] I'd like to say to residents because we
[00:45:46] too hear the planes um is please be
[00:45:49] patient. There there are conversations
[00:45:53] that are ongoing. Municipal employees,
[00:45:55] I'm sorry, yes, municipal employees and
[00:45:57] municipal leadership have very limited
[00:46:01] access to the federal government. I
[00:46:03] would encourage
[00:46:05] um residents if they want to get to the
[00:46:07] federal government a little faster,
[00:46:08] maybe reach out to your federal
[00:46:10] leadership and share your thoughts,
[00:46:13] share your concerns respectfully,
[00:46:14] please. And so that way they can weigh
[00:46:17] in uh with the federal um aviation
[00:46:21] agency administration. Okay. Thank you
[00:46:23] so much. It's going to be an ongoing
[00:46:25] issue. It's not going to be fixed
[00:46:26] overnight, but we we hear you and uh
[00:46:31] hopefully maybe in the weeks to come we
[00:46:33] can have our uh airport commissioner
[00:46:36] come and give us an updated report. Uh
[00:46:38] this past Tuesday, Council Member E.
[00:46:41] Framberg and I had the opportunity to
[00:46:43] visit all of our affordable senior
[00:46:45] housing complexes. Uh this is nothing
[00:46:48] new. This is something that councils in
[00:46:51] the past have done. they've they've gone
[00:46:53] on visits and uh we enjoy every December
[00:46:59] a holiday lunchon but at that holiday
[00:47:03] and we had the opportunity also to hear
[00:47:06] concerns from our residents not so much
[00:47:08] about what the city does for them but an
[00:47:11] overarching
[00:47:13] concern about the fact and we're all
[00:47:16] aware of the cuts that have occurred in
[00:47:17] Washington but how that's impacting you
[00:47:20] know everyone's wallet
[00:47:22] And this was back in December before all
[00:47:24] the gas prices started going up. So, um,
[00:47:28] a couple of us had conversations,
[00:47:30] thoughts, ideas of what we could do to
[00:47:32] help maybe ease some, um, some nerves.
[00:47:36] Um
[00:47:38] even I went to the housing uh complexes
[00:47:42] to first of all reassure them that they
[00:47:45] do have housing through their um social
[00:47:48] security and subsidized housing
[00:47:50] vouchers. Um
[00:47:54] we're here for them. We want to share
[00:47:56] with them some possible resources that
[00:47:59] they might participate in if they're not
[00:48:00] already participating. whether it's
[00:48:03] through uh food food f uh fine food bank
[00:48:07] hidden harvest and then the Joselyn
[00:48:09] center rancher mirage supports the
[00:48:11] Joslyn Center along with the cities of
[00:48:13] Palm Desert and Indian Wells this is
[00:48:15] called the cove commission and we
[00:48:18] participate annually on this not only
[00:48:21] does Joselyn Senior Center provide a a
[00:48:24] wealth of programs and activities but
[00:48:28] they also have Penny's food bank Penny
[00:48:30] Penny's pantry it's called on Friday
[00:48:33] mornings. So if in fact they're a little
[00:48:35] short because the concerns that were
[00:48:37] brought up, I don't know whether I'm
[00:48:38] going to pay my my secondary insurance
[00:48:41] premiums or I buy my prescriptions or I
[00:48:44] buy food. That's a real concern. So even
[00:48:48] I went out and with the help of Marcus
[00:48:50] Alamman, our our housing director, and
[00:48:53] Mina Duke, our um community services
[00:48:57] director, we went out and um and visited
[00:49:01] these people. It was it was eyeopening
[00:49:04] for both sides. It was very warm. It was
[00:49:07] engaging. It was reaffirming for the
[00:49:09] residents to know that their city is
[00:49:11] behind them. We gave them some ideas
[00:49:14] that they hadn't thought of or had
[00:49:16] forgotten. Uh we included uh suggestions
[00:49:21] about Sunline participating in Sunline's
[00:49:24] ongoing rides imagined survey that the
[00:49:28] Sunline wants to hear from the residents
[00:49:30] because since co there have been routes
[00:49:33] that have been closed down and they want
[00:49:35] to reopen roots but where is the need?
[00:49:38] So if in fact you are a Sunbus uh rider
[00:49:42] or need to be because of the fact of uh
[00:49:46] uh the cost of gas, please go on to
[00:49:48] Sunline. There is a survey sunline.org.
[00:49:50] Get that survey filled out. We are going
[00:49:53] to go to the senior centers or senior
[00:49:56] housing and get get those forms filled
[00:49:58] out so I can hand deliver them to
[00:50:00] Sunline. It's a year-long um process to
[00:50:04] assess what the need is and how we're
[00:50:06] going to reimagine those rides and make
[00:50:08] accessibility. We're also working with
[00:50:10] them to provide details on Southern
[00:50:12] California Edison's care program, which
[00:50:14] offers meaningful savings to uh our
[00:50:17] seniors on their energy bills. And if
[00:50:19] you have a CPAP or medical um devices,
[00:50:24] Southern California Edison will give you
[00:50:26] a discount.
[00:50:27] We're also talking about section 8
[00:50:29] housing vouchers.
[00:50:31] We will be going back to those
[00:50:33] facilities to help them fill out those
[00:50:36] uh vouchers. Currently, there is a
[00:50:38] waiting list. That waiting list, they're
[00:50:40] not accepting additional applications
[00:50:43] unless you're a veteran, a widow of a
[00:50:45] veteran, you're 70 years old, and I know
[00:50:47] there's a fourth category that I'm
[00:50:49] forgetting.
[00:50:50] >> Over 70.
[00:50:51] >> I just Yeah, I did say that. Okay, then
[00:50:53] I covered them all. So, even though the
[00:50:56] waiting list isn't open
[00:50:59] uh for the general for other categories,
[00:51:03] we're still asking you to fill out that
[00:51:04] that waiting that application for the
[00:51:06] waiting list so that when it opens,
[00:51:08] boom, our housing department can get
[00:51:10] those and we have someone from the
[00:51:12] county. Marcus told me this afternoon we
[00:51:15] have a representative from Riverside
[00:51:17] County that will be helping us. And then
[00:51:19] the last thing, um, they have shelter,
[00:51:22] they have food, we have resources, their
[00:51:24] health is priority. So, we're working in
[00:51:26] partnership with Eisenhower uh
[00:51:29] healthcare uh desert healthcare network
[00:51:32] uh Desert Oasis and Desert um AIDS
[00:51:35] Project uh to provide needed resources
[00:51:39] such as shingles updates, flu shots, um
[00:51:42] that type of thing, other other care
[00:51:45] that might be overlooked. and Eve did a
[00:51:49] great job explaining what uh Desert AIDS
[00:51:52] Project brings to the community and a
[00:51:55] lot of people just had no idea that
[00:51:57] these resources were available. So,
[00:51:59] we're making them front and center uh
[00:52:01] with them. That's just something um our
[00:52:04] council um
[00:52:07] appreciates and holds close to our heart
[00:52:09] our citizens. We're starting with our
[00:52:11] senior citizens and then we're going to
[00:52:13] take this act on the road to with our uh
[00:52:16] mobile home parks and the first meeting
[00:52:19] will be at the end of April with
[00:52:21] Southern California Edison followed by
[00:52:24] section 8 housing with Riverside County
[00:52:26] and then we have a few things that we'll
[00:52:28] be car carrying on through the summer.
[00:52:29] So, I'm very grateful to Marcus uh
[00:52:32] Alamman and our property managers uh for
[00:52:36] these uh senior developments because
[00:52:38] without them, they're the boots on the
[00:52:40] ground and uh they're they're really
[00:52:44] cherished. They're they're wonderful
[00:52:46] individuals and yes, Mitch, because we
[00:52:49] need to get them. They are the most
[00:52:50] vulnerable. We need to get emergency
[00:52:52] preparedness there. All right. Thank
[00:52:55] you. That's all I have. Did you want to
[00:52:58] say something, Eve? We're good. Okay.
[00:53:00] Next item on the agenda is our consent
[00:53:03] calendar. And I'm going to defer to our
[00:53:05] city manager.
[00:53:07] >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. The council has
[00:53:09] four items on its consent calendar for
[00:53:12] consideration. Items 5A through 5D. Item
[00:53:16] 5A is the March 19th, 2026 regular city
[00:53:19] council meeting minutes. Item 5B is the
[00:53:23] final acceptance of improvements for
[00:53:25] parcel map number 38315.
[00:53:28] Item 5 C are the approval of contracts.
[00:53:30] 5D are the approval of the demands. And
[00:53:33] before we go to council comments or
[00:53:34] questions, I'll ask the city clerk to
[00:53:36] take public comment on the consent
[00:53:38] calendar.
[00:53:38] >> Thank you. I did not receive any speaker
[00:53:40] cards. Is there anyone in the audience
[00:53:41] who would like to speak on something on
[00:53:43] the consent calendar? No speakers.
[00:53:47] >> Are there any council comments?
[00:53:49] >> Move to approve the consent calendar.
[00:53:51] >> I'll second that.
[00:53:52] >> Very good. Please vote.
[00:54:10] Thank you. Motion carries 5-0.
[00:54:13] >> Very good.
[00:54:14] >> All having technical difficulties today.
[00:54:18] We're moving on to the action calendar
[00:54:20] and the first item is establishing a 20
[00:54:23] mph speed limit within designated school
[00:54:25] loans and Jeff Benson, our management
[00:54:27] analyst, will be reporting on this item.
[00:54:33] >> Good afternoon, Madame Mayor and City
[00:54:34] Council. The resolution before you today
[00:54:37] would establish a speed limit of 20 m
[00:54:39] hour in designated school zones when
[00:54:42] children are present and when 20 mph
[00:54:44] speed limit signage is posted. The
[00:54:47] purpose is to improve child safety while
[00:54:49] walking and biking to and from school
[00:54:51] and during busy drop off and pickup
[00:54:53] times, but would also apply to anytime
[00:54:55] children are present. Designated zones
[00:54:58] include Rattler Road in front of Rancher
[00:55:00] Mirage High School, Indian Trail and
[00:55:02] Mirage Road next to Rancharrage
[00:55:04] Elementary School, and Plumbley Road in
[00:55:07] front of Nelly S. Kaufman Middle School.
[00:55:09] The middle school is located in
[00:55:10] Cathedral City, but the northbound side
[00:55:12] of Plumbley Road is in Ranch Mirage city
[00:55:15] limits.
[00:55:16] California Assembly Bill 38 382 passed
[00:55:19] in October 2025 declared that the speed
[00:55:23] limit in school zones be lowered from
[00:55:25] its current posted 25 mph to 20 mph. And
[00:55:29] this goes into effect statewide on
[00:55:31] January 1st, 2031.
[00:55:34] The bill also gave local jurisdictions
[00:55:36] the option of lowering these speed
[00:55:38] limits in advance of that 2031 date
[00:55:40] through ordinance or resolution in order
[00:55:42] for it to be enforceable without the
[00:55:44] need for an engineering and traffic
[00:55:46] survey.
[00:55:47] The city has prepared a technical
[00:55:49] memorand memorandum from a traffic
[00:55:51] engineering firm Minar and Associates
[00:55:56] as an addendum to the tra the
[00:55:58] engineering and traffic survey prepared
[00:55:59] in 2023.
[00:56:01] The technical memo recommended that the
[00:56:03] 20 mph speeds be implemented at these
[00:56:06] locations. Implementation would require
[00:56:09] city council approval and the
[00:56:11] appropriate street signage, including
[00:56:13] posting of the new speed limit. If the
[00:56:16] resolution is adopted, the new speed,
[00:56:18] would be enforceable once the new
[00:56:19] signage is posted. Thank you, council
[00:56:22] members. This concludes my presentation,
[00:56:25] and I'm available for any questions you
[00:56:26] may have.
[00:56:28] >> Good, Jeff.
[00:56:30] This was Jeff's first presentation. You
[00:56:32] did great. I have a question. Does this
[00:56:35] also include Palm Valley School on
[00:56:37] Duval? Is that And that's not required.
[00:56:40] Okay, just a
[00:56:40] >> question.
[00:56:41] >> Correct.
[00:56:41] >> Just public schools. Okay. Thank you.
[00:56:46] Are there any questions?
[00:56:49] Is there any public comment?
[00:56:51] >> Yes, I do have one speaker card from
[00:56:52] Isaiah Harris.
[00:56:59] Welcome, Mr. Harris. Oh,
[00:57:01] >> thank you. Well, uh, Madame Mayor, uh,
[00:57:04] Mayor Promp, uh, council members and the
[00:57:07] wonderful staff of Franch Mirage. I rise
[00:57:09] in support of this ordinance, but I had
[00:57:11] one question, and the question was
[00:57:12] asked, uh, by council member.
[00:57:14] Unfortunately, I didn't hear the answer.
[00:57:17] And my question is, why is not um
[00:57:20] included as part of this? Uh,
[00:57:22] >> it's for the public schools.
[00:57:23] >> I'm sorry,
[00:57:24] >> the public schools. So therefore,
[00:57:26] children at private school are not
[00:57:28] deserving of the same protection as uh
[00:57:31] as the as the children of public
[00:57:33] schools. So if I mean
[00:57:37] >> well I I I I do find that unfortunate,
[00:57:41] you know, because I think we should
[00:57:43] protect the the the children as children
[00:57:46] if they're in the vicinity of um
[00:57:50] the roads. And I actually went by um the
[00:57:55] the the Palm Valley school and the the
[00:57:57] signs there identified as schools and
[00:58:00] there's a sign there that says um school
[00:58:04] 25 miles per hour when when children are
[00:58:06] present and on and when I read the the
[00:58:09] the document that's all presented all
[00:58:11] three documents none of it said private
[00:58:13] school it says schools designated so I
[00:58:17] would wish that the council reconsider
[00:58:19] that and include the pari the valid
[00:58:22] score. Thank you.
[00:58:24] >> Thank you. That was the only speaker
[00:58:25] card. Is there anyone else in the
[00:58:27] audience who would like to speak on this
[00:58:28] item? That was the only speaker.
[00:58:32] >> Okay. Thank you very much.
[00:58:34] >> I do have a question I would like to
[00:58:36] ask, Madame Mayor. So, I just want to
[00:58:37] make sure that I understand. I'm pretty
[00:58:38] sure I do. So, uh Jeeoff, this is a
[00:58:41] situation where the state of California
[00:58:42] requires us to do this no later than the
[00:58:44] end of what is it 2031. So, at some
[00:58:47] point, we've got to do it. Uh we did get
[00:58:50] a letter from a good uh neighbor uh
[00:58:52] yesterday who suggested that uh we're
[00:58:53] doing something we shouldn't do by uh
[00:58:55] enforcing this before the uh state
[00:58:57] requirement. But the fact is we have to
[00:58:59] do it at some point. So doing it early
[00:59:01] uh is something that we can do in order
[00:59:03] to provide better safety for the
[00:59:05] students in our city. Correct.
[00:59:06] >> That's absolutely correct. Um it is
[00:59:09] going to be uh mandated by the state in
[00:59:12] 2031. Uh we have the option of doing it
[00:59:15] sooner. um
[00:59:16] >> right
[00:59:17] >> as um a a measure to protect public
[00:59:20] safety
[00:59:21] >> and again the mandate from the state is
[00:59:23] specific to public schools. Correct.
[00:59:27] >> Let me I'm going to jump in and answer
[00:59:29] that. So the it's broad. We can look at
[00:59:34] speed limits anywhere within the city.
[00:59:36] Our initial analysis was let's give it a
[00:59:39] try at our public school locations where
[00:59:41] we have the most immediate and urgent
[00:59:44] need. Can we keep an eye on what's going
[00:59:46] on with other schools? Yes. But the
[00:59:47] legislation is broad and it does not
[00:59:49] define between the public and private.
[00:59:51] >> Okay.
[00:59:51] >> Yeah. And one of the considerations that
[00:59:53] we looked at for Palm Valley School is
[00:59:56] their pickup and drop off is behind a
[00:59:58] gate.
[00:59:59] >> Right.
[00:59:59] >> Right. It doesn't have the same dynamics
[01:00:02] um that a public school does with more
[01:00:05] students with how students come to and
[01:00:07] from that school. And so that's why
[01:00:10] staff said, uh, let's focus on our
[01:00:13] public schools where we felt like, um,
[01:00:15] that was most appropriate given the
[01:00:17] factors and specifics to those schools
[01:00:19] versus Palm Valley and their main pickup
[01:00:22] and drop off, reduce student count
[01:00:24] happens uh, on their site.
[01:00:26] >> Okay, good point. However, I guess it's
[01:00:28] also the case that if we were to choose
[01:00:30] to do so, we could include Palm Valley
[01:00:32] School at some point. Yep. So, one thing
[01:00:34] to do, it seems to me, is to get started
[01:00:36] and we can expand it if we choose to at
[01:00:38] some point.
[01:00:39] >> Yeah. I My son went to Palm Valley for a
[01:00:41] long time and and that was something
[01:00:42] that I was going to bring up. It does
[01:00:44] have the 25, but in addition, after
[01:00:47] dropping off and picking up there for
[01:00:48] what feels like an eternity. Um, it is
[01:00:51] all internal and there's no busing, so
[01:00:54] the kids never really leave our campus.
[01:00:56] And in addition, there are bike lanes in
[01:00:58] front of that school. There are parents
[01:01:00] that do pick up with bikes. There are
[01:01:02] really no children that bike. there used
[01:01:04] there were older children at at a time
[01:01:06] but not consistently. So probably 25 on
[01:01:10] Duvall is adequate. Uh I just didn't
[01:01:13] know if it applied to that school as
[01:01:15] well because it wasn't mentioned in the
[01:01:16] report but it does have a different drop
[01:01:19] off and pickup than Rattler Way or Nelly
[01:01:22] Kaufman or uh Ranch Marrage Elementary
[01:01:24] where those children leave campus and
[01:01:27] parents are on public streets picking
[01:01:28] up. So,
[01:01:29] >> and by the way, I would encourage more
[01:01:30] of our residents to actually slow down
[01:01:33] to 25 when you drive by Palm Valley
[01:01:35] School. I do. And often times people
[01:01:38] pass me and uh I think people should be
[01:01:40] more careful about that.
[01:01:41] >> Sounds like a good spot for police
[01:01:42] motors.
[01:01:44] >> Yeah, good idea.
[01:01:46] >> There is one and I have been caught in
[01:01:48] it once or twice while trying to get to
[01:01:50] school on time.
[01:01:51] >> Were you on your way to pick up your
[01:01:52] son?
[01:01:53] >> On my way to get rid of my son, drop him
[01:01:54] off, I mean. Sorry. and her son was the
[01:01:58] uh received uh a few sheriff's deputy
[01:02:01] badges. That's why he's a turncoat.
[01:02:05] >> All right, why don't we move on? I'll
[01:02:06] move to adopt resolution number 2026
[01:02:08] next in order establishing 20 mile per
[01:02:10] hour primmaacia speed limit within
[01:02:13] design school zones pursuant to
[01:02:15] California vehicle code section 22 352
[01:02:18] and 22 352.5
[01:02:21] Assembly Bill 382.
[01:02:22] >> May I have a second?
[01:02:24] >> I'll second.
[01:02:27] Please vote.
[01:02:30] Motion carries 5-0.
[01:02:33] >> Thank you. We now move on to non-aggenda
[01:02:36] public comments. This is an opportunity
[01:02:38] for the public to speak on issues not on
[01:02:40] the agenda for a maximum of three
[01:02:43] minutes per speaker. Madame clerk, the
[01:02:46] first speaker is Isaiah Harris.
[01:02:55] Welcome again.
[01:02:57] >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. And again, uh
[01:02:59] good afternoon to everyone. Uh my
[01:03:02] comment today is just want to say a big
[01:03:04] thank you to uh my city manager and and
[01:03:08] this the staff at um the the landscaping
[01:03:12] department. Uh there was an issue that
[01:03:15] uh was observed near our community
[01:03:18] having to do with um the view of the
[01:03:21] street from trying to make a left turn
[01:03:22] lane because
[01:03:24] the plants were a little high and so
[01:03:27] within a couple days of uh contacting uh
[01:03:31] city manager that was taken care of.
[01:03:33] Greatly appreciate that. Want to say
[01:03:34] thank you and I would like for the
[01:03:36] landscaping folks to keep that on their
[01:03:37] schedule. So don't let it grow back too
[01:03:39] high cuz indeed we've had three
[01:03:42] accidents at that location as a result
[01:03:44] of the uh my take is as a result of that
[01:03:47] but maybe other things involve speed and
[01:03:49] so forth but u again thank you for that
[01:03:52] greatly appreciate it.
[01:03:54] >> Thank you Wally Melendez.
[01:04:20] Welcome.
[01:04:21] >> Uh, good afternoon everybody. I'm Wi
[01:04:25] Melendez.
[01:04:31] The word of today is disaster.
[01:04:40] Thank God we have midterm
[01:04:44] elections
[01:04:48] whereby
[01:04:54] we can reign in
[01:04:58] the executive branch
[01:05:01] in Washington
[01:05:06] that has
[01:05:09] run
[01:05:18] hail pel
[01:05:21] over the citizens of the United States.
[01:05:33] The executive branch in Washington
[01:05:42] run a mock
[01:05:46] over the United States of America.
[01:05:50] Nobody
[01:05:52] mentions this disaster
[01:05:58] in our country
[01:06:00] emanating from Washington.
[01:06:08] Thank God we have midterm elections
[01:06:12] where we can
[01:06:17] turn this
[01:06:21] leader of my guy Trump.
[01:06:26] We can make him ineffective
[01:06:30] by voting in Democrats
[01:06:34] into the uh Congress.
[01:06:37] Thank God we have midterm elections.
[01:06:44] And I take issue
[01:06:49] when people say that Los Angeles, the
[01:06:53] city of Los Angeles, a real city,
[01:06:57] is a disaster.
[01:07:01] If I remember correctly, the city of Los
[01:07:04] Angeles turned into a disaster
[01:07:08] when Trump sent in his goons, ICE, to
[01:07:13] terrorize the citizens of Los Angeles.
[01:07:17] Thank you very much. Thank you.
[01:07:20] >> That was the last speaker card. Is there
[01:07:21] anyone else in the audience who would
[01:07:23] like to speak on something that is not
[01:07:24] on today's agenda?
[01:07:26] That was the last speaker. Thank you,
[01:07:28] Madame Clerk. We will now recess to
[01:07:32] close session.
[01:07:34] >> Thank you, Mayor. Before we do, uh,
[01:07:36] we'll be convening into close session
[01:07:38] for the item listed before you as 8A,
[01:07:41] conference with legal counsel, potential
[01:07:42] initiation of litigation pursuant to
[01:07:45] government code section 54956.9D4,
[01:07:49] one potential case.
[01:07:51] >> Thank you.
[01:07:55] >> Thank you everyone for coming.
[01:08:08] We have returned from close session and
[01:08:10] I'm asking the city attorney to report
[01:08:12] any reportable actions.
[01:08:14] >> Thank you, mayor. No reportable action
[01:08:16] taken today.
[01:08:18] >> This meeting is now adjourned. It's
[01:08:20] 3:00.