OKAY. MY OFFICE IS FREEZING COLD. JUST. IF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL ANY BETTER. FREEZING COLD.
[This meeting is joined in progress*]
[PRESENTATIONS]
[00:00:05]
WARM. SO. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THIS ITEM. I THINK EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME, RIGHT? OR.YES. ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS BASICALLY AN OVERVIEW OF SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. AND I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES. WE STRIVE TO DRIVE ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND WEALTH BUILDING THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP. WE TRY OUR BEST TO CONNECT SMALL BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, TO RESOURCES THEY NEED TO START, MANAGE, AND SCALE. WE ADVANCE RESILIENCY THROUGH DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCY INITIATIVES. AND BY THIS WE ARE REFERRING TO OUR WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE CENTER AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAMS. BECAUSE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE'S A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EMBEDDED THERE. ALTHOUGH YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT ADVANCE RESILIENCY THROUGH DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. WE ALSO CURATE A SUPPORT NETWORK TO HELP ENTREPRENEURS ACCESS CAPITAL AND NEW MARKETS. TODAY, WE, FOR EXAMPLE, MET WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, A SUBSIDIARY OR A CONNECTION TO THE US COMMERCE ADMINISTRATION. AND THEN NEXT WE HAVE SOME SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES THAT THE CITY OF COACHELLA OFFERS. YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE IN CIRCULARITY AND FOOD SYSTEMS, AND BY WE MEAN BY THIS, WE MEAN WE'RE REFERRING TO OUR RESTAURANTS OR FARMS OR FARMERS, RECYCLERS, THRIFT STORES, REPAIR SHOPS OR OTHER FOOD OR CIRCULAR ECONOMY BUSINESSES. THE CITY IS LAUNCHING A FOOD INCUBATOR PROGRAM IN 2025, AND PART OF THE WORK WITH OUR RESILIENT CLIMATE RESILIENCY CENTER. IT WILL INCLUDE CLEAN COMPOSTING, SO WE'LL HAVE SO CIRCULAR CIRCULARITY WILL BE A ITEM FOR US IN THE COMING YEARS. WE ALSO DO WORKFORCE AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND SO WE'RE CONNECTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESS COMPANIES WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE PROGRAMS FOR THE WORKFORCE AND TALENT NEEDED TO CREATE, EXPAND OR MAINTAIN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE WORKING WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AT THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE. WE WORK WITH THE CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, TRAINING, THE GREATER COACHELLA VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND OTHER PARTNERS LIKE GREAT ALTERNATIVES. WE ALSO OFFER COMPLIANCE, REGULATION, PERMITS AND LICENSES. SO PART OF OUR WORK INVOLVES GUIDING COMPANIES FIND THE RIGHT CITY OF COACHELLA CONNECTION TO ASSIST THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING PERMITS AND MEETING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE REGULATIONS. WE ALSO OFFER BUSINESS CONNECTIONS AND INCENTIVES TO FACILITATE INTRODUCTIONS TO KEY BUSINESS GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP LOCAL COMPANIES SUCCEED. WE COLLABORATE WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS TO OFFER RELEVANT AND INNOVATIVE SEMINARS, CLASSES, AND ROUNDTABLES TO CITY OF COACHELLA BUSINESSES. A RANGE OF BUSINESS INCENTIVES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT, RETAIN, AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY'S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING. SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES THAT WE DO OFFER. AND THEN WE GO OVER JUST SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY THAT GOES ON AS PART OF THIS WORK. SO WE PROCURE GRANTS AS THEY DO CREATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND SO WE PUT SOME LOGOS OF SOME LOCAL PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE HELPING US WITH THIS WORK. WE HAVE THE CALIFORNIA STRATEGIC GROWTH COUNCIL, THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY, AND THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, WHICH ARE ALL AGENCIES THAT ARE HELPING US CREATE RECREATIONAL RESILIENCY AND OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THEIR GRANT FUNDING SUPPORT THAT THEY'VE GIVEN US. AND THEN WE HAVE THE GREATER COACHELLA VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFERING SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE TEENY TINY VISITOR CENTER THAT OFFERS SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES RIGHT HERE. AND WE HAVE MR. BRANDON MARLEY HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT IF NEEDED. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY EDA OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. AND SO JOAQUIN TIJERINA AND HIS TEAM ARE OUTSTANDING AT CONNECTING US WITH WORKSHOPS THAT HELP BUILD CAPACITY IN OUR SMALL BUSINESS, PROSPECTIVE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND EVEN CURRENT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. AND THEN WE ALSO RELY ON THE WORK OF OUR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AND BASICALLY OTHER CULTURAL OFFERINGS AS WELL THAT REALLY ENRICH THE LIVES OF OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO I JUST KIND OF PICKED A HANDFUL, AND WE HAVE LIKE UC RIVERSIDE EXTENSION PROFESSIONAL STUDIES THAT IS GOING TO BE BRINGING SOME SMALL BUSINESS CAPACITY BUILDING COURSEWORK TO THE CITY. WE ALSO HAVE THE CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, WHO WILL BE OFFERING
[00:05:04]
SHORT TRAININGS TO HELP SCALE UP OUR WORKFORCE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'LL HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN TRAINING, HVAC AND OTHER GREEN PROGRAMING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO OFFER GREAT ALTERNATIVES WILL ALSO BE OFFERING A SOLAR INSTALLER COURSE AND INTERNSHIPS. SO WE HAVE THEM DOING A MYRIAD OF THINGS ALONG WITH OTHER PARTNERS. AND THEN WE OFFER SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. AND SO THESE ARE TARGETED AT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IMPROVING THE FACADE OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE A FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. WE OFFER PERMITTING AND LICENSING ASSISTANCE TO KIND OF EXPEDITE PROJECTS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES THAT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES. WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR OPPORTUNITY ZONES IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA, AND WE DO OFFER OTHER SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, PARTNERS LIKE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE SBDC THROUGH THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN HERE I JUST KIND OF IDENTIFY SOME FINANCING RESOURCES IN CASE ANYONE'S WATCHING. AND THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM, IF THEY WANT TO MAKE FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS OR GREEN BUSINESS PRACTICES, AGRICULTURE, EXPORTING, IMPORTING, STARTUPS, SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT. SO WE KIND OF JUST LIST THESE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. AND ALSO FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING PORTALS THAT OFFER ADDITIONAL FUNDING SUPPORT TO, TO, TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.AND THEN I JUST LISTED A BIG LIST OF ALL THE PLACES THAT REALLY MAKE THE MOST SENSE FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS, PROSPECTIVE ENTREPRENEURS, AND EVEN CURRENT BUSINESS OWNERS CAN VISIT AND THESE ARE ALL ALSO FEATURED ON OUR WEBSITE. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. AWESOME. THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. YES. SO I KNOW YOU MENTIONED UNDER THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. YES. DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT'S GOING TO LAUNCH? WELL, IT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF KIND OF COLLECTING PAPERWORK FROM EACH APPLICANT THAT SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE LEASING A BUILDING THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE PERMISSION FROM THE ACTUAL PROPERTY OWNER, OTHERWISE WE RISK BEING SUED FOR PAYING FOR WORK THAT IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY THE OWNER. BUT IT WAS ALREADY OPEN. IT'S STILL OPEN. IT'S STILL OPEN RIGHT NOW. YES. ARE WE ADVERTISING IT? YES. WE'VE BEEN ADVERTISING. WELL, WE'VE BEEN REACHING OUT DIRECTLY TO EACH PROPERTY OWNER ALONG THE CORRIDORS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE AND SO WE'VE HAD ACTUALLY A LOT OF INTEREST, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE LEASING FROM A BROADER OWNER. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE MINI GRANTS. BUT THEN THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING IS NOT GIVING THEM PERMISSION. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SAD BECAUSE I'M SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO THIS OWNER BECAUSE IT'S ONE OWNER AND HE OWNS MULTIPLE BUILDINGS, ACTUALLY ALONG THE CORRIDOR. SO I GOT TO GET WITH HIM AND SEE IF WE CAN REASON WITH HIM BECAUSE HIS BUILDINGS NEED HELP AND HIS TENANTS ARE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THEIR NAME OUT THERE AND, YEAH, TO DO THE WORK. AND HAS HE GIVEN A REASON WHY I DON'T THINK HE HAS.
RIGHT. CAESAR. FRANK. NO, HE HE DID NOT GIVE A REASON OTHER THAN I DON'T THINK HE'S UPSET WITH US EITHER. IT'S JUST I THINK HE MIGHT BE THINKING. YEAH, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN 100 GRAND OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE WHATEVER IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE. BUT BUT ANYWAY. AND SO, SO WE'RE GOING TO REACH OUT FACE TO FACE AND TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF WE CAN CONVINCE HIM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, OR AT LEAST GIVE HIS TENANTS THE PERMISSION TO PARTICIPATE, BECAUSE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THEY NEED IS LIKE, HEY, I WANT A NEW SIGN, OR HEY, I'M GOING TO REPLACE THE DOOR, OR I'M GOING TO IMPROVE THE WINDOWS OR WHATEVER. AND SO IT'S SMALL STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, KEEP US POSTED ON THAT. MAYBE IF WE CAN ADD IT TO THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT ONE AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE FARMERS MARKET SO THAT IS IN PROGRESS MEANING. SO WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. SO ONE ORGANIZATION THAT WE'RE HOPING TO KIND OF TAP INTO BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE OF FARM FARMERS AND GROWERS, IS HIDDEN HARVEST TO KIND OF HELP US LIKE JUMPSTART THE FARMERS MARKET. SO WE DID HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM AND THEIR TEAM TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT, LIKE BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND LIKE A GUIDE THAT'S SUPER DUPER HELPFUL. AND IT KIND OF PIECES, PIECES IT ALL TOGETHER. AND SO I JUST KIND OF OFFER THAT TO OFFERED IT TO THEM TO BE LIKE, HEY, THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK WE'RE HOPING TO FOLLOW. ARE YOU ON BOARD? AND SO THEY WERE LIKE, ABSOLUTELY. AND SO OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR FELT THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE JUST SUCH A GREAT ORGANIZATION TO HELP US CATALYZE THAT BECAUSE OF ALL THEIR ACCESS TO, YOU
[00:10:03]
KNOW, TO LOCAL FARMS AND FARMERS. AND SO AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL COUPLE IT WITH OTHER EFFORTS THAT THE CITY WILL CONDUCT. SO WE'LL BE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THEM IN, IN IMPLEMENTING THE BEST PRACTICES THAT WE SAW IN THIS MANUAL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY KIND OF TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING A VOLUNTEER BASED FARMER'S MARKET MODEL WHERE THAT DOES NOT WORK IN ANY SHAPE, SHAPE OR FORM, DEFINE VOLUNTEER BASED. WELL, BECAUSE HE MENTIONED SO, FOR EXAMPLE, BASICALLY IN THE MODEL THAT WE'RE HOPING TO EMULATE, WE WOULD PAY THE SALARY OF A FULL TIME FARMER'S MARKET MANAGER SO THAT THEY CAN SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU NEED THAT PRESENCE, YOU NEED THAT RECRUITMENT. AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY. BECAUSE MOST OF OUR FARMER'S MARKETS HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY THAT DO RUN AND ARE BEING VERY SUCCESSFULLY, SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED, THEY HAVE THAT MODEL WHERE THE FARMER'S MARKET MANAGER IS SOMEONE THAT IS PAID AND THEY'RE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE ON SITE WHEN THE FARMER'S MARKET IS HAPPENING AND JUST ENSURING THAT PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP, KEEPING THEIR COMMITMENT. YEAH. AND SO THAT THEY CAN ENSURE THAT ALL THE LOGISTICAL ITEMS ARE MET, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STUFF IS BEING MET. SO THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THOSE THINGS. YEAH. THAT MAKES SENSE. YES. THANK YOU. I'M LIKE WHAT. I COULD MANAGE IT I CANNOT. YEAH OKAY. THAT MAKES SENSE. YEAH. YEAH. THERE'S SO MUCH LOGISTICAL IF YOU HAVE FOOD VENDORS AND YOU MIGHT HAVE LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL HELP COMING OVER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING ON CHECK. YEAH.AND BATHROOMS AND ALL THIS FUN STUFF. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTRICACIES. BUT THE MANUAL THAT WE FOUND LIKE IDENTIFIES ALL OF THAT, LIKE ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT. AND SO THEY EVEN HAVE DIFFERENT FRAMEWORKS FOR YOUR COLLABORATIVE STAKEHOLDER STRUCTURES. SO LIKE THEY'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF MULTIPLE LIKE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE HELPING YOU LIKE SHAPE THE FARMER'S MARKET AND GET IT GOING. KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE AG SUMMIT. WHAT IF WE SO FOR THIS, FOR THIS FARMER'S MARKET MANAGER SITUATION, COULD WE MAYBE GO INTO AN AGREEMENT AND CONNECT WITH LIKE, LIKE IDENTIFY KEY STAKEHOLDERS THAT WOULD BE A PART OF IT ALL THE TIME. SO LIKE GROWING COACHELLA VALLEY AND THEN US MAYBE HIDDEN HARVEST AND EVERYONE ELSE. AND COULD WE WORK ON HAVING A FARMER'S MARKET MANAGER THROUGH ALL OF THEM? LIKE EVERYONE COLLABORATING TO MAKE SURE TO COLLECTIVELY MANAGER. AND THEY DO DISCUSS THAT IN THE MANUAL. THEY TALK ABOUT EVERYONE CONTRIBUTING COLLECTIVELY TO THIS EFFORT, NOT JUST LIKE A SINGLE ENTITY. AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL PROBABLY ENCOUNTER IS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE BULK OF IT, BUT AT LEAST IF WE CAN GET OTHER PEOPLE TO ALSO COLLECTIVELY ASSIST, IF WE SO GROWING COACHELLA VALLEY, THEY HAVE A THEY THEY HAVE A FUND LIKE THEY HAVE I KNOW THEY HAVE FUNDING. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY DECIDE WHERE THEY USE IT, BUT THEY DO HAVE LIKE THEIR MEMBERSHIP PAYS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THEY PAY, BUT THEY DO PAY MONEY TO BE PART OF THE ORGANIZATION. AND, YOU KNOW, GET ALL THOSE PERKS. BUT I'M THINKING IF WE PARTNER WITH GROWING COACHELLA VALLEY AND THEN US AND WHOEVER ELSE, THAT MIGHT BE A KEY STAKEHOLDER, AND WE PUT TOGETHER LIKE AN AGREEMENT AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE ALL GOING TO COLLECTIVELY HAVE THIS FARMER'S MARKET. IT BENEFITS THEM BECAUSE SOME OF THE GROWERS CAN SELL SOME OF THEIR STUFF HERE, DATES AND WHATEVER ELSE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY GROW, THAT THEY HARVEST. SO LET'S LOOK INTO THAT TO SEE HOW. YEAH FOR SURE. BECAUSE WE ARE DEFINITELY THINKING WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF CONTRACT OR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OR SOMETHING THAT KIND OF MEMORIALIZES EVERYBODY'S ROLE. AND YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, WE ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT THAT. COOL. SO THANK YOU. OKAY. AND THEN. LET'S GO BACK TO LIKE THE SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT ASPECT OF THE OF WHAT YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR PRESENTATION. WHAT ARE LIKE WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU SEE FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR THAT WOULD BENEFIT OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE NOT DOING RIGHT NOW? SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS OBVIOUSLY LIKE OUR FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THAT'S A BIG DEAL. HOPEFULLY WE'RE ABLE TO GET YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT. BUT WHAT ARE SOME OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE COULD PROBABLY HELP WITH TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, I NOTICED BECAUSE OUR STAFF CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH, I ASKED THEM TO I'M SORRY, AM I
[00:15:01]
TOO LOUD OR NO? OKAY. SOUNDS LIKE MY VOICE CARRIES OVER SO. SO STAFF CONDUCTED RESEARCH.THANKFULLY, CAESAR, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TECHNICIAN, IS PART OF THE CMTA. AND SO HE REACHED OUT LIKE LIKE A LISTSERV AND HE ASKED ALL SORTS OF CITIES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO TELL US, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY? LET US KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE DOING. PLEASE. AND SO, SO MANY DIFFERENT CITIES RESPONDED. AND WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION NOW THAT YOU ASK, AND I'VE ACTUALLY HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH BRANDON AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ABOUT THIS AND OUR CITY MANAGER. SO I NOTICED THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING REALLY CATALYTIC AND REALLY SUPER SUCCESSFUL WITH SMALL BUSINESS STARTUPS ARE PEOPLE THAT OFFER A SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER, LIKE A LITTLE HUB WHERE YOU HAVE LIKE AN INCUBATOR AND SO MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, GABRIEL MARTIN HAD IDENTIFIED, I GUESS, THIS AMAZING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN SOME OTHER STATE, AND I FORGET WHICH STATE. BUT IT WAS LIKE SOMEWHERE BACK EAST. AND SO HE WANTED TO BRING THAT MODEL HERE TO THE CITY OF COACHELLA, BECAUSE HE WAS SO INSPIRED. AND SO WE DID THIS. WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH JOSH BONNER WHEN HE WAS THE CEO. AND THEN I'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH ALSO WITH BRANDON ABOUT LIKE, WHAT IF WE HAD THE CHAMBER HAVE LIKE A PERMANENT RESIDENCY HERE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA AND FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE SIXTH STREET SENIORS APARTMENT, THE COMMERCIAL ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR PART OF IT, AND THEN HE COULD HAVE HIS OFFICES FOR HIS NORMAL OPERATION. AND PERHAPS THERE'S A SECTION FOR SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES INCUBATOR TYPE, TYPE OF WORK. SO THAT IT'S LIKE A CONSTANT. AND SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE THEY CAN COUNT ON GOING THERE FOR SURE TO GET LIKE THE HELP THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT AND, AND HOW WE COULD ADVANCE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THAT'S A REALLY GOOD RESOURCE THAT I FEEL THAT COULD REALLY HELP ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT ARE HOPING TO, YOU KNOW, LAUNCH A BUSINESS TO REALLY GET THAT CAPACITY TRAINING THAT THEY NEED OR ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND ADVICE. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH THE SPACE, WITH THE CHAMBER? WELL, THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THAT. SO RIGHT NOW, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ISN'T LIKE FULLY LIKE THEY'RE NOT. THIS IS NOT THEIR RESIDENCE. RIGHT? THIS IS NOT THEIR MAIN HEADQUARTERS. AND SO BUT THEY DO HAVE A PRESENCE HERE. THEY HAVE A VISITOR'S SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER RIGHT HERE, RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT IF THE CHAMBER ACTUALLY HAD LIKE THEIR CORE OFFICES HERE IN OUR CITY, I THINK THAT DAY TO DAY PRESENCE WOULD REALLY HELP, YOU KNOW, CATALYZE LIKE THE RESOURCE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE HIS ENTIRE TEAM THERE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO REALLY BRING PEOPLE IN AND OFFER RESOURCES AND WORKSHOPS THERE. AND SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE WANT TO BRING IT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. BUT WE HAVEN'T QUITE FINISHED SYNTHESIZING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. BUT IN THE RESEARCH THAT I WAS MENTIONING THAT WE CONDUCTED, IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL HAVE LIKE A SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE HUB, LIKE LIKE A DAY TO DAY ONE, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S COMPLETELY MANNED AND YOU'RE LIKE, WOW, THAT'S THAT'S REALLY COOL. VERY IMPRESSIVE. OKAY. GOTCHA. CAN WE ALSO ADD TO MAYBE SET SOME TIME? I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT THAT MOVING FORWARD WE REALLY FOCUS. AND WITH YOU FOCUS ON PUTTING TOGETHER LIKE A STRATEGIC PLAN JUST FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WE DID LIKE A CITY WIDE AND THAT'S I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE HELPFUL. BUT WE NEED TO LIKE SIT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT SOMETHING JUST WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YES. AND PUT TOGETHER A PLAN. SO MAYBE TALK TO GABRIEL MARTIN AND PUT TOGETHER LIKE SOME DATES. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE OUR COMMITTEE COULD PARTICIPATE AND THEN MAYBE SOME OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS, YOU KNOW, OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM, MAYBE SOME PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE SHOULD DO THIS SOON. OKAY. LIKE JANUARY. YEAH. LIKE JANUARY LATE JANUARY. OKAY. AND IT JUST GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PLAN TO I THINK EVEN SO, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE WHEN WE DEALT WITH COVID AND WE WERE DEALING WITH ALL OF THESE CHANGES AND WE COULD USE COVID AS AN EXAMPLE TOO, OF HOW TO BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES AS A CITY AND WHAT TO DO. AND EVEN THROUGH LIKE THIS STRATEGIC PLAN FOR COVID, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS EXPECTING THAT WE WOULD
[00:20:06]
RECEIVE FUNDING. A LOT OF COMMUNITY CITIES, COUNTIES WERE RECEIVING A LOT OF FUNDING, AND EVEN THROUGH THE COUNTY WE HAD SOME WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFICULT TIME THINKING, OH MY GOD, OKAY, WHAT PROJECTS COULD WE FUND? BUT IF WE HAD A PLAN TOGETHER AND NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE COVID, BUT JUST IN GENERAL SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE SEE OUR CITY GOING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. YEAH. WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT TO WORK ON, WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, AND THEN ALSO HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE AND WHO WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT WITH AND WHAT WE'RE DOING REALLY GOOD WITH CERTAIN PIECES. WHEN IT COMES TO YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING OUR CITY. BUT I THINK THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT PERHAPS WE'RE NOT TAPPING INTO THAT I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS ON THIS UPCOMING YEAR. YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I KNOW MAYOR HERNANDEZ HAD MENTIONED THAT IN A PREVIOUS CONVERSATION WHEN I WAS PROPOSING A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD JUST DUST OFF THE ONE THAT WAS DEVELOPED YEARS AGO AND JUST KIND OF LIKE, LOOK AT THAT. AND, AND, AND SEE WHAT WAS MENTIONED THERE. SO I WAS THINKING MAYBE IF WE DO HAVE A SESSION, A NEW SESSION TO DISCUSS A STRATEGIC PLAN, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO INCLUDE WHAT WAS MAYBE IDENTIFIED IN THE PAST? AND THEN, I MEAN, JUST SO PEOPLE COULD SEE? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO WE'LL BRING THE PREVIOUS. OKAY.WELL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THAT ITEM. THANK YOU. AND YOU HAVE THE NEXT ONE RIGHT. YES. THE NEXT ITEM IS SPACE PLANNING FOR THE OLD CITY HALL BUILDING. AND SO THIS IS REALLY JUST A COMPILATION OF IDEAS AND HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. LET ME HAVE JESUS BRING THAT UP. OKAY.
THANK YOU JESUS. SO AS YOU KNOW, OUR I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE HISTORY. JUST REAL QUICK SO THAT THOSE THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING. SO AS YOU RECALL, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY, THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT PAID FOR A STUDY. A, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY IT STARTED OUT AS A COACHELLA WELLNESS CENTER FEASIBILITY STUDY. I'M SORRY. ONE SECOND. OH, YEAH. THE MAYOR. OKAY. HELLO. I STARTED THE MEETING ALREADY.
THE MEETING STARTS AT FIVE. YES, BUT YOU NEED TO VOTE ON THE LAST ITEM. SPONSORSHIP REQUESTS BY THE INDIGENOUS CULTURAL CENTER. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? THERE'S FIVE ITEMS AND WE JUST FINISHED ITEM NUMBER ONE. YOU KNOW, I JUST. I'LL ASK. I'LL ASK STAFF WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT KEEPING THE MEETING GOING, BECAUSE WE ALREADY STARTED IT. AND THERE'S PEOPLE HERE. PEOPLE THAT HAVE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. SO THE MEETING START AT FIVE? NO, THEY'VE ALWAYS STARTED AT FIVE. OKAY. WELL, HE'S NOT COMING. SO DO WE NEED I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE. WELL WE COULD DO IS JUST PLACE IT ON THE AGENDA. COUNCIL AGENDA. YEAH.
AND THEN PEOPLE CAN DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO MOVE IT FORWARD OR NOT. YEAH. DO THAT. SO WE CAN JUST PLACE IT ON AGENDA COUNCIL. SO THAT'LL BE DECEMBER 11TH OKAY. YEAH. IT'S NOT SETTING YOU BACK AT ALL. TYPICALLY IT COMES TO US SO THAT WE CAN HEAR IT FIRST. AND THEN WE GIVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL. BUT REGARDLESS OF US HEARING IT TONIGHT IT STILL GOES TO THE COUNCIL. SO THIS DOES NOT SET YOU BACK AT ALL RIGHT. YEAH. YOU'RE FINE. THANK YOU. BUT DO
[00:25:06]
YOU STILL HAVE THEIR PRESENTATION? I DO, DID YOU WANT TO SEE IT? I MEAN, BECAUSE YOU CAN JUST SEE IT OR HEAR IT WITHOUT. BUT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO STICK AROUND LIKE IT'S. IT'S OKAY. WELL, WE CAN IT'S A VERY SMALL THREE PRESENTATION, I THINK. DO YOU WANT TO PRESENT IT. YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. LET'S DO IT. LET'S DO IT. WE'LL TAKE THIS ONE DOWN AND BRING UP THE NUMBER FIVE. ITEM FIVE. YEAH. JUST SO THAT THEY'RE NOT WAITING. YEAH. IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WENT UP DECEMBER 11TH. SO NEXT WEDNESDAY AND THEY'LL BE ON THAT AGENDA. THEY'LL BE ON THE AGENDA. WE CAN WE CAN PUT IT ON. I CAN ADD IT. SO I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE ON THAT AGENDA.OKAY. I'M SORRY. OKAY. THE MAYOR IS LATE. NOT A PROBLEM. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH AS TYING IN WITH THE THEME TONIGHT. ECONOMIC AND RESILIENCE DEVELOPMENT. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE COLLECTIVELY WITH ME AND MY FAMILY HERE. SO WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT WHAT THAT'S LOOKING LIKE. AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE COMING UP HERE IN 2025. SO OKAY, SO IT ACTUALLY WORKS OUT BECAUSE GABRIEL ARMENTA, WHICH IS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, INDIGENOUG CIRCLE. SO WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS. OKAY. BUT FOR MYSELF MY NAME IS CLAUDIA ARMENTA AND I AM THE CO-FOUNDER AND ALSO INSTRUCTOR OF DANCE AZTECA TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF AND HOW WE GOT HERE. SO MY FAMILY AND I IMMIGRATED FROM MEXICO AND WE'RE MICHIKA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY FROM MEXICO. AND SO ARRIVING HERE TO THE UNITED STATES, WE ALWAYS TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HOLD ON TO THOSE TRADITIONS AND PRESERVE THEM AS WE WERE IMMIGRATING HERE TO THE UNITED STATES. AND SO FOR MANY YEARS, WE ACTUALLY PRACTICED THIS AT HOME AND JUST AMONGST OURSELVES. BUT WHEN WE STARTED DOING THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE FOUND THAT SO MANY OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACTUALLY WERE IN THE SAME. THANK YOU. WE'RE IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE WERE TRYING TO STAY CONNECTED, TRYING TO RECONNECT. AND SO THAT REALLY CREATED COMMUNITY AND SO I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF. OKAY. AWESOME. YEAH. WELL MY NAME IS ERIC LEMUS. I'M THE PROGRAMS MANAGER. I'M ALSO A LEAD FOR A COALITION THAT WE HAVE HERE. HISTORICALLY, COACHELLA VALLEY IMMIGRANT DIGNITY COALITION. AND WHY THE WORK THAT DANZA TIES INTO THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY DO TIES INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE OF BRINGING RESILIENCE INTO OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES. AND SO I'VE HAD THE HONOR TO SPEARHEAD A COALITION, WHICH I'LL NAME THE PARTICIPANTS AND PARTNERS HERE IN A BIT. BUT JUST SO THAT YOU KEEP IN MIND HOW THIS WORK TIES IN COLLABORATIVELY AND BRINGING OUR DIGNITY TO OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES. SO. OKAY, SO ON NOVEMBER 22ND, WE HOSTED OUR GRAND OPENING, DANZA AZTECA. AND THE YEAR 2022 OFFICIALLY BECAME A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF CARAVANSERAI PROJECT. AND THEY'RE BASED IN PALM SPRINGS, AS WELL AS THEY PARTNER UP WITH UC RIVERSIDE, THE BUSINESS DEPARTMENT TO HELP NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESSES WITH THEIR WITH THEIR PROJECTS. SO AFTER TEN YEARS OF SEARCHING AND TRYING TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE LOCATION, WE FOUND ONE ACTUALLY HERE ON SIXTH STREET AND CESAR CHAVEZ AND THE SPACE WAS FUNDED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF INLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND DANZA AZTECA. AND SO WE HAVE NOT ONLY SECURED A SPACE WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE OUR WORK AND SAFELY PRACTICE THE PRESERVATION OF THE MEXICA CULTURE, BUT IS ALSO HAS HAS ALSO OPENED UP THE DOORS TO MANY OTHER INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE EASTERN COACHELLA VALLEY. SO OUR WORK THAT WE DO IS RANGING FROM CEREMONIAL DANCING, WHICH A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACTUALLY KNOW US FOR THE AZTEC DANCING FOR THE DRUMMING, THE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE. BUT WE ACTUALLY ALSO HOST INDIGENOUS TALKING, HEALING CIRCLES AND ADVOCACY CIRCLES. OKAY, SO THE SERVICES THAT I WILL MENTION TODAY AS, AS I SAID, THE INDIGENOUS TALKING HEALING CIRCLES, THE ROOTED AND NATIVE
[00:30:04]
AMERICAN TRADITIONS, AND THEY OFFER HOLISTIC HEALING AND AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.THESE CIRCLES PROMOTE KINDNESS, INCLUSIVITY, TRUST. AND THEY PROVIDE A SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES. BUT ALSO BUILD RESILIENCE. AND THE ADVOCACY CIRCLES THE ADVOCACY CIRCLES THEY FOCUS ON EDUCATING PARTICIPANTS ABOUT LEGISLATION AND EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY, EQUIPPING THEM WITH WITH THE TOOLS TO ADDRESS SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES LIKE WOMEN'S AND LABOR RIGHTS, AND ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ORGANIZING, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, THE WOMEN'S MARCH, AND ALSO MAY DAY. SO THE ADVOCACY CIRCLES WE TEACH PARTICIPANTS ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENTS, HOW TO WRITE PUBLIC COMMENTS, MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES HERE AT CITY COUNCIL, BUT MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE A PUBLIC COMMENT OR SOMETIMES THEY'RE AFRAID TO USE THEIR VOICE BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. WE ALSO TEACH THEM ABOUT BILL TRACKING AND ACTIVITIES TO ENCOURAGE PERSONAL EXPRESSION AND ACTIVISM. MY SISTER AND I, WE HAVE OUR DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND WE'RE FINISHING UP OUR OTHER DEGREE AND PUBLIC POLICY, AS WELL AS MYSELF. I AM COMPLETING MY ACCREDITATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, SO WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY AND TEACHING THEM HOW THEY CAN USE THEIR VOICE. SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WOMEN'S MARCH, THE MISSION OF THE WOMEN'S MARCH IS TO HARNESS THE POWER OF DIVERSE WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CREATE A TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL CHANGE.
THE WOMEN'S MARCH IS ACTUALLY A SISTER MARCH FOR THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S MARCH, AND IS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S MARCH IN D.C, THE WOMEN'S MARCH IS A WOMAN LED MOVEMENT PROVIDING EDUCATION ON DIVERSE RANGE OF ISSUES, CREATING ENTRY POINTS TO NEW GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM, ORGANIZING AND ENCOURAGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH TRAINING, OUTREACH PROGRAMS, AND EVENTS.
THE WOMEN'S MARCH IS COMMITTED TO DISMANTLING SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION THROUGH NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE AND BUILDING INCLUSIVE STRUCTURES GUIDED BY SELF DETERMINATION, DIGNITY AND RESPECT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO JUST TO MAKE A NOTE, THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE OUT OF THE CENTER IS INCLUDED WITH DANZA'S WORKSHOPS, YOU KNOW, AND A REGULAR THING. AND SO WHY WE MENTIONED SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE CENTER OF THE WOMEN'S MARCH AND MAY DAY IS BECAUSE OUT OF THESE TALKING HEALING CIRCLES IS WHERE WE'RE FINDING AND WE'RE ORGANIZING FOLKS TO DEAL WITH THE LOCAL ISSUES AND PUTTING THEM INTO PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED HERE LOCALLY. AND SO WITH THAT IS KIND OF HOW IT LEADS INTO THE WORK THAT WE ARE NOW. WE'RE SEEING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TURMOIL HAPPENING AND THE RESULTS OF THIS NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AND SO WE FIND OURSELVES MYSELF, I FIND MYSELF WHERE I WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO HERE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CITY HALL, AND I BELIEVE MAYOR STEPHEN HERNANDEZ ACTUALLY CAME AND SPOKE AT OUR FIRST RALLY THAT WE HAD BACK WHEN THE LAST PRESIDENCY TOOK PLACE AND HAD THIS ANTI RHETORIC FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. RIGHT. AND SO, RIGHT. IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE COALITION. AND BACK THEN I WAS A COMMUNITY HEALTH ORGANIZER AND ORGANIZER ON HEALTH SYSTEMS. BUT AS THIS WORK LED BROADLY WE LOST. WE SEE A LOT OF INEQUITIES WITHIN OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES ACCESSING HEALTH AND HOUSING. AND SO ESSENTIALLY, REALLY MAY DAY IS A WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS AND ALSO CHALLENGES THAT OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES FACE HERE IN THE EASTERN COACHELLA VALLEY. AND SO HISTORICALLY, WE'VE BEEN ALREADY ORGANIZING MAY DAY SINCE 2016, AND WE'VE COLLABORATED WITH ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH I'LL MENTION RIGHT NOW. BUT REALLY, THE FOCUS IS TO HIGHLIGHT COLLECTIVELY, TOGETHER WITH LOCAL, STATE OFFICIALS OF WHAT ACTIONS NEED TO BE DONE TO CONTINUE TO BRING DIGNITY TO OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES. AND SO NOW,
[00:35:02]
ONE OF THE SOME EXCLUDE SOME OF THE CAMPAIGNS, BUT ONE OF THE VERY CRUCIAL CAMPAIGNS THAT I WAS ALSO HISTORICALLY ADAPTED TO THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF COMITÉ LATINO, WHO IS ALSO A PART OF COALITION, WAS THE SANCTUARY CITY, RIGHT AND WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS A WIN FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND NOW HERE WE ARE AGAIN THIS YEAR, BRINGING UP WHAT IS THE STATUS OF BEING SANCTUARY CITY. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A HOT ITEM, AND WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND TO FORM A UNITED VOICE. AND WHAT IS GOING TO CARRY, YOU KNOW, RESILIENCY THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S A VERY COLLECTIVE EFFORT. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE ORGANIZING THAT. AND I KNOW IT'S MAY AND IT'S GOING TO COME OKAY. SO AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF OUR PARTNERS THAT'S US. AND THEN EQUITY PARTNERSHIP, TELDEC FLYING DOCTORS CALIFORNIA INDIAN NATIONS COLLEGE, GREENROOM THEATER, COMITÉ LATINO, WINGS OF FREEDOM LEADERS, CAPUCHINAS, JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES FOUNDATION, CULTURAS MUSIC AND ARTS, AND THEN EMPIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HISTORICALLY YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE WORK AND YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I'M TIED PERSONALLY WITH EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. AND IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN AS, AS, AS VISIBLE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE TURMOIL WASN'T AN ANTI RHETORIC AGAINST OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITY. SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN UPLIFTING. THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH EACH OF THESE PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, AND CONTINUING RIGHT. FLYING DOCTORS, YOU KNOW, THE AMAZING WORK THAT LUCY MORENO DOES. AND SO WE ALL JUST GEAR UP. WE DO LIKE FUNDRAISERS. WE DO DRIVES, TOY DRIVES AND THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE VISUALLY AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE DOING THIS FOR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES, BUT WE KNOW THAT THESE SERVICES, BUT IN THEIR PAST, WHEN WE WERE ACTIVE, WE WERE ACTIVE IN HEALTH. FOR ALL THE ADVOCACY FOR, YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE, MEDICARE, THAT WAS A BIG THING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THE SANCTUARY CITY WORKER PAY DURING COVID, RIGHT? THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY AUTOMATICALLY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE NEEDED FOR OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES. BUT THE CITY OF COACHELLA AGAIN SUPPORTED THEIR ONCE AGAIN. AND THEN AND RIGHT BEFORE COVID, WE ACTUALLY HAD THE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID HOTLINE, IN WHICH DANZA HELPED USE THESE, FACILITATING THESE TALKING CIRCLES. WE SAW A LOT OF ANXIETY ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH SEEING BORDER SIGHTINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND SO WE TURNED OUR RAPID RESPONSE LINE INTO A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST LINE, WHERE WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH A JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES AND REFERRED TO AN ACTUAL PSYCHOLOGIST TO SPEAK ABOUT SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, ANXIETIES. AND SO WHY THIS WORK IS CONTINUE TO BE IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A VERY CHALLENGING TIME WITH HOW OUR FAMILIES FEEL, HOW OUR COMMUNITIES FEEL SAFE. RIGHT. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF MIXED MESSAGING AND SO WE ARE AIMING TO LEAD A LOT OF THE WORK THAT DANTE IS DOING INTO THIS GREATER, BIGGER EFFORT. AND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ON MAY FIFTH, I'M SORRY, MAY 1ST, WHICH IS MAY DAY, WE COULD HAVE A COLLECTIVE VOICE OF PRESENTATION. AND AS YOU GUYS KNOW, I DO A BIT OF PRODUCTION BACKGROUND AND WITH ALL THESE OTHER ELEMENTS OF FESTIVALS. BUT I REALLY WANT TO BRING THAT TO THE CITY OF COACHELLA. I WANT TO REALLY BRING GIVE THE CITY A PLATFORM, OUR COMMUNITY, A PLATFORM TO REALLY VOICE THESE ON A ON A FEDERAL LEVEL. RIGHT. BECAUSE THE WORLD IS GOING TO BE HEARING WHAT COACHELLA HAS TO SAY, RIGHT? LIKE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SANCTUARY CITY, I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY HOT TOPIC. AND SO WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND HAVE THIS JUST VERY DYNAMIC PRESENCE TO SAY THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, YEAH, THIS WAS OUR LAST THING, THE LAST ONE. BUT I MEAN, WE THERE'S TWO EFFORTS. I KNOW WE HAD ASKED ORIGINALLY THIS IS FOR MORE OF THE COALITION WORK BECAUSE WE WERE MATCHED WITH OR FUNDED BY INLAND AT INLAND EMPIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE WORK AS A COALITION. BUT IT'S OPEN ENDE.I THINK WE HAD ORIGINALLY FOR OUR GRANTS COMMITTEE FOR 5000, WHICH WOULD BE A HELP TO HELP FACILITATE THE HEALING CIRCLES AND START BRINGING ELEMENTS TO MAINTAIN THE ADVOCACY CIRCLES.
YEAH. SO THANK YOU. YEAH. SO THE $60,000 ESSENTIALLY IT'S GOING TO BE FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE WOMEN'S MARCH AND MAY DAY. RIGHT OKAY. YES. SO IT'S FOR THE INDIGENOUS TALKING HEALING CIRCLES, THE ADVOCACY CIRCLES, THE WOMEN'S MARCH AND MAY DAY. AND THAT WOULD HELP US. THE 60,000 WOULD HELP US SUB ALSO GRANT TO OUR PARTNERS ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US ENSURE THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT THING. AND THEN ALSO THE PRESENTATION AND THE PRODUCTION. AND AS LIKE I SAID MENTIONED I DO HAVE SOME VERY HIGH PROFILE ARTISTS THAT I WANT TO BRING THAT HAVE BROUGHT DIGNITY TO OUR THING SO THAT I HAVE SOME THINGS IN MIND, BUT WE WANT TO PUT SOME EXTRA EFFORTS ON OUR GUEST SPEAKERS. SO, OKAY, MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU WILL BE THAT MAYBE YOU GO INTO MORE
[00:40:04]
DETAIL WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE 60,000. I THINK EVERYONE IS ON THE COUNCIL FOR THE MOST PART. I THINK WE'RE ALL PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I WOULD PROBABLY EMPHASIZE THAT FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON. HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING TO DO FOR THE WOMEN'S MARCH FOR MAY DAY. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE THINKING. IF YOU'RE THINKING OF BRINGING, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE GUEST SPEAKERS. SO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON ON THOSE ACTIVITIES AND THEN ALSO TALK ABOUT YOUR HEALING CIRCLES, WHAT THEY ENTAIL, WHO SHOWS UP, HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTEND, WHERE YOU HOST THEM, DIFFERENT STUFF LIKE THAT. I THINK IT'LL BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THE WITH THAT.OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AND BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE WELCOME EVERYBODY HERE TO THE CENTER. WE HAVE SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW JUST HISTORIC PICTURES. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME RIGHT. WE HAD THE WOMEN'S MARCH. THIS WAS THE MAY DAY AFTER COVID, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS, RIGHT? THAT WAS ALLOWED IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA BECAUSE WE HAD ABOUT LIKE 200 PEOPLE THERE. BUT AT THE FIRST WOMEN'S MARCH, MAN, WE HAD PROBABLY ABOUT LIKE CLOSE TO 4400, 500 PEOPLE. AND WE ACTUALLY HAD PARTICIPANTS THAT CAME OUT FROM ARIZONA. OH, WOW. FROM LOS ANGELES AND SAN DIEGO. OKAY. ESPECIALLY ARIZONA. YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T FINDING ANYTHING IN THEIR AREA. SO THEY ACTUALLY DROVE ALL THE WAY TO COACHELLA TO ATTEND THE WOMEN'S MARCH LIKE WE'VE BEEN HAVING. AND JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, SO IT JUST GET PERMISSION FROM THE LANDLORD IF, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF YOU NEED IT, IF YOU NEED IT, YOU'RE INTERESTED. BECAUSE I THINK SHE CESAR TOLD ME THAT I THINK SHE WAS PLANNING ON PUTTING IN FOR SOMETHING FOR THAT WHOLE SITE THAT SHE OWNS. BUT IN THE EVENT THAT SHE DOESN'T TALK TO HER ABOUT, HEY, CAN I PUT IN, YOU KNOW, FOR SIGNAGE AND OTHER FACADE IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE A MINI GRANT AND THEN WE'RE NO MATCHES REQUIRED FOR $5,000, AND THEN WE HAVE THE LARGER, YOU KNOW, REQUEST BEYOND 5000. BUT FOR THAT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF PROVIDE SOME, SOME MATCH OR SOME LEVERAGING, YOU KNOW, BUT TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT. I GUESS LATER.
OKAY. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GUYS'S CULTURAL CENTER. THAT'S AMAZING. I HEARD YOU GUYS HAVE BOOKS. YES. SO WE ACTUALLY PARTNERED UP WITH THEY'RE CALLED THE LIBROS LINCOLN HEIGHTS. SO WE ARE ACTUALLY AN EXTENSION. SO WE'RE THE LIBROS COACHELLA. OH, WOW. AND SO WE HAVE THEIR BOOKS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND ALL THE AUTHORS ARE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. AND MEXICO. AND THE PROCEEDS OF THE BOOKS GO BACK TO OUR SCHOLARSHIP FUND. OKAY. THAT'S AMAZING. I OFFERED OUR CITY OF COACHELLA BOOK IF THEY IF THEY WANTED TO HAVE IT THERE. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE HAVE THAT LITTLE RED BOOK. YEAH. AND SO WE HAVE IT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. OH, NICE. BUT YEAH, NO, DEFINITELY. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU GUYS ARE DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT. YES, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS. THANK YOU. YES.
THANK YOU ERIC. OKAY. YEAH. JUST MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT DECEMBER 11TH ONE. YEA.
THANK YOU. BYE. THANK YOU. BYE. YEAH I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT, BUT THEY THEY'RE THE CITY MANAGER HAD RECOMMENDED $5,000 BECAUSE I THINK 60,000 IS THEIR ENTIRE BUDGET. BUT WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT THE COUNCIL SAYS. YEAH. 60 IS A IT'S A GOOD CHUNK. YES, IT'S A GOOD CHUNK. I THOUGHT YOU HANDLED THAT VERY GRACEFULLY. YOU'RE LIKE COULD YOU BREAK IT DOWN 60 IS A GOOD CHUNK. YES. NO MORE COMMENTS. YES. THANK YOU. PRETTY COOL THOUGH. ALL RIGHT OKAY. DID YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH ITEM TWO PLANNING OKAY. YEAH. ITEM NUMBER TWO PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE EVERYONE WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF I'LL START FROM THE BEGINNING. THESE ARE JUST SPACE PLANNING IDEAS FOR OUR OLD CITY HALL BUILDING. AS YOU ALL KNOW, MANY PEOPLE HAVE A RESIDENCE HERE, RESIDENCY HERE, AND I'LL KIND OF GO INTO THAT IN A MINUTE. AND HOW WE CAME TO THAT. SO BACK IN 2018, WE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT TO POSSIBLY FUND A COACHELLA WELLNESS CENTER. AND SO THEY ACTUALLY DID FUND A FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WAS INITIATED BY THEM. AND THEN WE THEN IT WAS DECIDED THAT THAT WASN'T GOING TO BE THE CASE AFTER ALL. SO THEN WE MOVED INTO A COACHELLA COMMUNITY CENTER FEASIBILITY STUDY, AND THEY
[00:45:05]
REQUESTED TO HIRE CTI. SO THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT PAID CTI TO COME UP WITH SOME POSSIBLE USES OF THE CITY HALL BUILDING AND SO, SO THEY DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB. AND SO SOME OF THE PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME AS A RESULT OF THEIR STUDY WAS A NONPROFIT HUB WITH CONFERENCE ROOMS, A CO-WORKING CENTER, A COMMUNITY KITCHEN, HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER, YOUTH SPACES LIKE A TEEN CENTER OR CHILDREN'S CORNER, FLEXIBLE GATHERING SPACES LIKE A MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER AND EVENT HALL FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH AND WELLNESS. PRIVATE EVENTS. AN EVENT PLAZA LIKE FARMER'S MARKE. PUBLIC EVENTS, FESTIVALS, PERFORMANCES AND SO THEY ALSO SURVEYED THE COMMUNITY AND THEY IDENTIFIED THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES THAT YOU SEE LISTED THERE, LIKE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, SMALL BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND RESOURCES, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND THEN ARTS AND CULTURE. AND I THINK THE CITY HAS BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL AT IMPLEMENTING MOST OF THESE BASED ON THE NONPROFITS THAT ACTUALLY RESIDE HERE. BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED TO DO MORE. AND SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND GET INTO THAT. SO, SO CTI, AFTER POLLING THE PUBLI, I THINK THIS RESEARCH IS STILL RELEVANT TODAY, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO SEGUE INTO WHAT WILL PRESENT NEXT. SO THEY KIND OF TALKED ABOUT FLEXIBLE EVENT AND GATHERING SPACE BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR LIBRARY GETS USED UP BIG TIME BY MANY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, A FLEXIBLE SPACE IS DEFINITELY IN HIGH DEMAND AND IN HIGH NEED. AN EVENT PLAZA COWORKING SPACES, AND THEN A COMMUNITY KITCHEN. SO WE ARE ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN OR COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AT THE WELLNESS HUB, AT THE PARK AND THEN AT THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUB. WE WILL HAVE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACE THERE. WAIT, SORRY. THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN AT THE COMMUNITY. HOW ARE WE DOING THAT THROUGH TCC? IT'S THE GRANT. YES, WE'RE GOING TO SORRY WE DID. RIGHT NOW. NO, I'M SORRY, I MEANT TO SAY THAT THERE IS A KITCHEN THERE, BUT IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT. YEAH. AND SO I'VE BEEN MISSING THAT FOR YEARS THEN. NO. OKAY. GOTCHA, GOTCHA.SORRY I'M GLAD I ASKED. OH, NO. SORRY ABOUT THE CONFUSION. AND THEN SO KATIE CAME UP WITH THESE CONCEPT PLANS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS COULD ALL TAKE SHAPE. AND I'LL JUST KIND OF QUICKLY GO THROUGH THEM. AND SO, SO THEY HAD SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS AND THEY ACTUALLY PROPOSED TO HAVE THIS BUILDING ACTUALLY HAVE TWO STORIES. SO LIKE A BOTTOM FLOOR. AND THEN A TOP FLOOR. SO THEY ENVISIONED THAT SOME OF THE COMMUNITY SPACES WOULD BE BELOW. AND THEN LIKE GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS WOULD BE LIKE UPSTAIRS. AND SO IF ANYTHING AND SO HERE WE SEE HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS OF COST. AND SO THEY WERE TRYING TO REALLY MAXIMIZE CURRENT LIKE THE CURRENT SPACE AND LIKE LAYOUT SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AND REVAMPING THE SPACE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE BUDGET AMOUNT THAT CAME IN AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I BELIEVE IT WAS 19 MILLION TO BUILD THIS, TO DO ALL THAT. YEAH, 19 MILLION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED IT, BUT WHY? WHY DID WE WHY DID WE INITIATE THIS LOOKING INTO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD WANT? YES, YES, BECAUSE THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT WAS LOOKING TO MAKE A SIZABLE INVESTMENT OF THEIR LAST DOLLARS THAT REMAINED OF THEIR 80 MILLION. AND SO THEY HAD 10 MILLION. AND SO THERE HAD BEEN LONG STANDING CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE ENDOWMENT AND THE CITY STEMMING BACK ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2016, WHERE THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE CITY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL THE 40 ACRES THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE, BUT REMEMBER THE 40 ACRE SITE SO THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS MASSIVE CAMPUS WE HAVE LIKE DESIGNS FOR IT AND EVERYTHING UNDER JONATHAN HOY, THE PREVIOUS CITY ENGINEER. OKAY, OKAY. AND SO THAT DIDN'T COME TO PASS FOR MANY REASONS BECAUSE THEN WE GOT THE LIBRARY BUILT HERE AND THEN WE HAD, YOU KNOW, SO THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO THEN THEY, THEY BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTED LIKE A NONPROFIT LIKE SPACE HUB, YOU KNOW, OR LIKE A TEEN CENTER AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND IF YOU NOTICE, WE DO HAVE THE LGBTQ CENTER HERE. WE HAVE ALIANZA, WE HAVE KDE, WE HAVE THE CHAMBER. WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE GREEN ROOM AND A MYRIAD OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE SPACE HERE. AND SO AND THE LEAP INSTITUTE IS NOW HERE TOO. SO THAT'S WHY WE DID IT. BUT DOES THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT IS, ARE THEY STILL
[00:50:01]
OFFERING THE TEN. YEAH. THEY'RE NOT. AND IN FACT THEY TOLD US THAT THEIR PRIORITIES CHANGED.AND SO ANYWAY, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HARSH BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY INVESTED OVER 150,000 IN THESE EFFORTS. PROBABLY GETTING GETTING ALL THIS. YES. AND IT WAS ACTUALLY 300,000 BECAUSE IT WAS 150 FOR PHASE ONE AND 150 FOR PHASE TWO. SO THEY ACTUALLY INVESTED $300,000. AND WE DIDN'T DO ANY, ANY OF THE THINGS THAT THAT THEY HAD PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD INVEST IN. ALL WE DID WAS CONVERT IN OUR OWN WAY, THE SPACE IN LIKE A NONPROFIT HUB. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ALL THE NONPROFITS THAT ARE HERE. ARE WE THINKING OF REIMAGINING THE SPACE? YES.
AGAIN OR OR WHAT? YES. THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO SEGUE INTO NEXT. AND GOOD THING GP IS HERE.
SO HE CAN KIND OF CHIME IN ON OUR IDEAS BECAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE HIS IDEAS, BY THE WAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE FAMILIES AND KIDS OUTSIDE. I JUST THINK THAT'S SO COOL. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LIGHTS AND THE TREES AND PHOTO OPS FUN. SO WE HAVE AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO INSULT ANYBODY HERE, BUT SO WE HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR POSSIBLE REIMAGINED SPACE HERE.
AND THESE ARE NOT BY ANY MEANS VETTED WITH ANYONE THERE. SO GABRIEL MARTIN SUGGESTED, HOW ABOUT THE ANTI-MALL? AND I WAS LIKE, YOU'RE KIDDING. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S REALLY COOL. IT'S IN COSTA MESA. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE EVER BEEN THERE. IT'S THE ANTI-MALL IN COSTA MES.
AND BASICALLY WHEN YOU WALK IN THERE, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WALKING INTO LIKE A WAR ZONE BECAUSE, LIKE, EVERYTHING IS INTENTIONAL. IT'S VERY ARTSY, VERY, VERY ANTI-MALL. SO THEY HAVE ALL SORTS OF ART AND LIKE THE LOOK IS VERY DISTRESSED AND BUT IT'S REALLY NEAT. THEY, THEY HOUSE SOME REALLY INTERESTING STORES THERE. IT'S REALLY COOL. YOU GUYS. I USED TO GO THERE WHEN I WAS IN AT UC IRVINE. SO THEY HAVE LIKE STORES AND THEY HAVE STORES, RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, LIKE A MALL, BUT NOT THE WHAT IS IT LIKE THE DESIGN OF IT IS NOT LIKE A MALL. IT'S NOT LIKE A MALL WHATSOEVER. AND YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THESE PICTURES, IT'S VERY UNUSUAL, BUT KIND OF COOL. ECLECTIC. I THINK ECLECTIC IS PROBABLY THE BEST WORD THAT DESCRIBES THE SPACE.
IT'S A HUGE HIT IN ORANGE COUNT. PEOPLE LOVE GOING THERE AND THEY HAVE LIKE I SAID, LIKE COFFEE SHOPS, LITTLE RESTAURANTS, REAL SMALL. AND THEN LIKE STORES. I'M GONNA TRY TO GO THERE. AND THEN THE NEXT IDEA CAME TO US BY OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR, AND HE AND HE HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF THIS SPACE COULD BE LIKE A HOTEL, YOU KNOW, LIKE A MINI BOUTIQUE HOTEL RIGHT HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE FOUNTAIN YOU COULD HAVE, LIKE A DRIVEWAY OUT FRONT AND THAT KIND OF THING. AND SO WE JUST KIND OF THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'D BE KIND OF NEAT. YOU KNOW, AND I KIND OF WAS TELLING JAIME OR CESAR EARLIER THAT, GOSH, IT'S TOO BAD WE REMOVED OUR SWIMMING POOL THAT USED TO BE IN THE BACK OF THIS BUILDING. YOU KNOW, IF YOU RECALL, I DON'T WE USED TO HAVE A YEAH, WE HAD A SWIMMING POOL BACK THERE. I DID NOT KNOW THAT. AND IT WAS BARELY REMOVED IN 2016. REALLY BECAUSE WE COVERED OR SOMETHING. WELL, A GRANT PAID FOR IT AND PAID FOR THE RENOVATIONS OF VETERANS PARK. AND SO INSTEAD OF HAVING THE POOL, WE THAT'S HOW YOU HAVE THE MEMORIAL THAT WHOLE AREA, THAT'S WHERE THE POOL WAS. THERE WAS A THERE WAS A POOL, A SWIMMING POOL, A PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL BACK THERE. AND SO WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL TO HAVE LIKE THE HOTEL IF YOU IF YOU WILL, THERE'S A SWIMMING POOL ALREADY THERE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. AND YOU COULD REALLY MAKE IT LIKE THE POOL. ARE YOU SURE THERE WAS THERE WAS REALLY I WENT THERE. ARE THERE PICTURES? YEAH. LET'S LOOK AT THE PICTURES. NO, NO, NO I DON'T HAVE THEM IN THIS PRESENTATION. BUT I'M SAYING THAT AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO SEE THESE PICTURES BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW HOW I, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THIS PARK SINCE I WAS LIKE A LITTLE KID. I NEVER SAW YOU, NEVER SAW IT, NEVER SEEN A POOL. WAS THAT I WAS I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, IT WAS KIND OF HIDDEN. YOU HAD TO KNOW. IT HAD TO BE HIDDEN. IT WAS SORT OF HIDDEN AND, YOU KNOW, AND BUT YEAH. SO, SO STAFF HAS THOUGHT MAYBE A HOTEL COULD BE A GOOD USE OF THE SPACE, LIKE A CUTE BOUTIQUE HOTEL. SO I TRY TO FIND A CUTE BOUTIQUE HOTEL PHOTO. I DON'T KNOW THAT I SUCCEEDED, BUT YOU KNOW, AND THEN, OH, THIS IS MY FAVORITE. AND I'M A LITTLE BIASED HERE, BUT BALBOA PARK, IF YOU GUYS HAVE EVER BEEN TO BALBOA PARK, IT'S AMAZING. THIS PARK, I FEEL LIKE, WOW, THEY REALLY, REALLY DELIVERED ON THIS ONE BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE THAT LITTLE CAROUSEL, THE WOOD CAROUSEL THAT IS ICONIC AND, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY LOOKED INTO A CAROUSEL FOR THE CITY OF COACHELLA WHEN WE WERE APPLYING FOR A PARK GRANT, AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE CAROUSEL MAKER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. NO WAY. YES, THAT WILL DO IT FOR YOU COMMERCIALLY. OF COURSE, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT DO MAKE THEM RIGHT, LIKE, BUT THEY'RE NOT LIKE FOR PUBLIC USE. THEY'RE MORE LIKE FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL
[00:55:03]
WHATEVER. BUT THERE'S ONE THAT MAKES ONE THAT MAKES THEM COMMERCIALLY LIKE THIS. AND, WELL, WHO MAKES THE ONES FOR THE FOR THE PARKS, LIKE THE THEME PARKS AND STUFF? IS IT THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT MAKER BECAUSE THE GUY. NO, NO, IT'S THE SAME MAKER BECAUSE HE SAID, I MAKE THEM ALL. AND SO HE TOLD US THAT AT A VERY MINIMUM, LIKE OUR CAROUSEL WOULD HAVE COST 500,000. SO I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE CAN'T WE CAN'T PUT THAT IN THE PARK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YEAH, SO, SO BALBOA PARK, I FEEL LIKE, OH MY GOD, IF WE COULD EVER MAKE THIS PLACE LOOK LIKE BALBOA PARK BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACREAGE WITH MUSEUMS, GARDENS, ARTS AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS, AS WELL AS THE SAN DIEGO ZOO. I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE HAVE A ZOO, BUT I AM SUGGESTING THAT IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL IF THIS SPACE, IF THIS SPACE WOULD FEATURE LIKE A MUSEUM, SOME GARDENS, THE ARTS, RESTAURANTS LIKE THE CAROUSEL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING THAT SPLASH PAD. BUT I FEEL LIKE, WHAT IF WE ALSO GOT LIKE A CAROUSEL? AND THAT WOULD REALLY BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO OUR DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW? SO ANYWAY, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST SHOW YOU GUYS THAT. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. AND I DO WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. PEREZ TO SEE IF HE WISHES TO ADD ANYTHING FOR SOME REIMAGINED SPACE IDEAS, BECAUSE I KNOW HE HAS HE HAS GOOD THOUGHTS. BUT NO, I THINK IT JUST I THINK THE HOTEL IDEA CAME FROM ACROSS THE WAY AT SIXTH STREET COFFEE. SO STEVE MENTIONED LIKE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT? I DON'T KNOW, I WAS LIKE, WELL, WHY DOES IT BECOME LIKE A HOTEL AND OBVIOUSLY A HOTEL? WE DON'T HAVE ONE IN THE CITY. RIGHT? AND SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AS A CITY HAS BEEN REQUIRED US TO LIKE, DO THINGS ON OUR OWN RIGHT TO MAKE IT WORK. RIGHT. BRING IN LIKE COFFEE SHOPS, BRING IN SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT NORMALLY WOULDN'T COME TO COACHELLA. AND SO THERE COULD BE A WAY WHERE IT'S ALSO A COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT IT'S THAT IT HAS PEOPLE THAT WANT TO STAY HERE THAT ARE FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, THAT IT HAS SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY. MAYBE THERE'S LIKE A WELLNESS SPOT FOR SOMEONE THAT HAS A SMALL BUSINESS HERE IN COACHELLA WHERE THEY CAN DO THA, BUT ALSO JUST LIKE VISITOR SERVING FACILITIES. SO LIKE CONFERENCE SPACE. SO YOU NEED, YOU KNOW, THINGS TO FILL UP THE HOTEL ROOMS. BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT THE WAY THE DOWNTOWN IS LAID OUT IS IT'S KIND OF LIKE A CAMPUS OF MEETING ROOMS, WHERE IT ALMOST SERVES AS LIKE CONFERENCE ROOM SPACE. WHEN THE LIBRARY ANNEX IS DONE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MEETING SPACE THERE AND ASSEMBLY SPACE ACROSS THE WAY AT THE LIBRARY. WHATEVER YOU DO HERE. I MEAN, IMAGINE IF THIS WAS A LIBRARY AND THIS IS CHRISTMAS TIME, AND YOU HAVE THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN HERE, YOU KNO, IT WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE THIS TO BE LIKE A MULTI-STORY BUILDING. YOU COULD PROBABLY PRESERVE THE FACADE, BUT THEN IT'S ONE OF THE WAYS TO START BRINGING IN LODGING THAT WE ALREADY DON'T. WE DON'T HAVE.RIGHT. SO THAT WAS IT. AND THE OTHERS ARE PRETTY COOL IDEAS. AND SO I THINK THE I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE THROUGH RFP TO SEE LIKE WHO HAS THE BEST IDEA RFP WHAT WOULD. SO ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE LIKE THE STUFF YOU GUYS SHOWED. ARE YOU ENVISIONING THAT OUR THAT WE WOULD TEAR DOWN THE CITY HALL O, OR BUILD ON IT, OR WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR THAT? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK IT'S REALLY TOUGH BECAUSE THIS BUILDING, GABRIEL, IS ALMOST HISTORICAL OR I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S ALMOST 100 YEARS OLD. YEAH. AND ULTIMATELY IT'S GOING TO BE WHATEVER CITY COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO DO. YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR PRESERVATION. SO WHAT RIVERSIDE DID A LOT WITH THEIR OLD HISTORIC BUILDINGS IS THAT THEY PRESERVED THE FRONT FACADE, AND THEY BUILT EVERYTHING BEHIND IT. SO YOU STILL PROTECTED THE HISTORICAL INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING. BUT THEN WHAT YOU BUILD BEHIND IT WAS ARCHITECTURALLY COMPATIBLE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU COULD DO NOW IF YOU IF THAT TAKES A LOT MORE WORK THAN JUST DEMOING AND STARTING FROM SCRATCH. BUT IT'S BENEFITED THEM. JUST PRESERVING THAT HISTORY THERE. OKAY. I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A COMBINATION OF THAT. LIKE HE MENTIONED TO DO SOME PRESERVATION AND SOME INNOVATIO. RIGHT. NEW INNOVATION AND SO AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK IN OUR MIND, WE'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT TO SOMEHOW INTEGRATE OUR NONPROFITS THAT ARE HERE. SO WE WOULD I WOULD AS A STAFF PERSON, RECOMMEND THAT WE CARVE OUT SPACE FOR THEM AS WELL TO KIND OF REALLY MAKE IT A VERY VIBRANT SPACE, JUST LIKE BALBOA PARK. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THERE THAT ARE NONPROFIT ON SITE. AND SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THE SAME THAT WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATING THEM HERE OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, JUST ELSEWHERE. I SUPPOSE. BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY
[01:00:08]
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THEM HERE AS WELL SOMEHOW LIKE INTEGRATED. I THINK SO I GUESS I'D LIKE TO ADD TO YOUR GUYS'S LIST OF POSSIBILITIES, BUT ANOTHER THING THAT WE ALSO NEED IN THE CITY THAT WE DON'T HAVE, AND WE'RE GROWING SO MUCH, IS LIKE A LIKE EVENT CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM TYPE OF THING. LIKE WE DO HAVE THE LIBRARY. OH, WHERE THOUGH. OH IS THAT THE SWIMMING POOL IS OR WHAT WAS THAT THE SWIMMING POOL. WAIT. HOLD ON. I'M LIKE COMO DICEN ORTEGA? HOLD ON. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE AT. WHERE ARE WE HERE? THIS IS THE BACK OF CITY HALL. OH, WOW. YEAH. SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. OH, YEAH. THAT'S CRAZY. I NEVER NOTICED THE SWIMMING POOL. GUYS. THEY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? A LOT OF PEOPLE MISSED IT. A LOT OF PEOPLE MISSED IT. IT WAS CRAZY. WELL THANK YOU. YOU GOT THAT REALLY FAST. THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S CRAZY. I'M GONNA I'M GONNA START CALLING MY FAMILY. DID YOU KNOW WE HAD A SWIMMING POOL? I KNOW, I'M CALLING MY TIA. YEAH. OKAY. YOU KNOW, ONE THING TO ADD IS, IS ONE OF THE FOOD HALL OPERATORS THAT WE'VE MET WITH BEFORE HAS MENTIONED THAT, LIKE, OUT OF OPTIONS, WE PRESENT TO THEM, THIS IS LIKE THEY'RE ALSO IDEAL OPTION FOR LOCATION JUST BASED ON WHERE EVERYTHING IS LOCATED. OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? YEAH. BUT WE THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING THAT THEY HAD MENTIONED THAT AS WELL. OKAY. VERY COOL. YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE IF WE PUT IT OUT FOR RFP, YOU KNOW. YEAH, DEFINITELY. IT HAS THIS BUILDING HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL HONESTLY. AND IT'S IN THE RIGHT AREA. YOU KNOW IT DOES. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.WANT TO BE IN DOWNTOWN COACHELLA. YES OKAY. VERY COOL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEFORE WE MOVE ON I'M GOING TO I DON'T WANT TO FORGET YOU KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT BACK HERE AND ALL THIS, BUT THIS LITTLE STAGE THAT WE HAVE AT VETERANS PARK, I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY UNDERUTILIZED. LIKE WE DON'T REALLY USE IT FOR ANYTHING UNLESS WE'RE HAVING AN EVENT SO IT CAN GO WITHOUT BEING USED FOR MONTHS. I, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, AT OUR NEXT MEETING, MAYBE COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF FOR RECREATION THAT WE COULD USE THAT LITTLE STAGE FOR LIKE I REMEMBER AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE EVER GONE BUT ORANGE COUNTY AND IRVINE, THEY HAVE A GREAT PARK SPECTRUM OR THE IRVINE SPECTRUM. YEAH, THE IRVINE SPECTRUM. SO YOU GO AND OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE A LOT OF SHOPPING AND WHATNOT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THIS HUGE AREA FOR FAMILIES AND IT'S FOR LIKE THE FAMILIES AND THE KIDS THAT ARE ALREADY TIRED OF WALKING AND MOVING. AND THEY GO INTO THIS LITTLE SPACE. THEY HAVE TURF AROUND. OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T NEED THAT, BUT THEY HAVE THIS LITTLE SPACE. BUT THEY HAVE INTEGRATED SPECIFIC THINGS FOR THE KIDS TO MESS AROUND WITH. AND PLAY WITH. AND THAT STAGE REMINDS ME OF THEY HAD SOMETHING, OR THEY HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR THEY PUT OUT LIKE A PROJECTOR AND THE LITTLE KIDS TURN INTO THEIR FACES, TURN INTO ORANGES, LIKE, OKAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS. I DON'T KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT THEY'LL STAND IN FRONT OF THE STAGE, THEY'LL MOVE AROUND, THEY'LL DO THEIR THING AND THEN THE, YOU KNOW, PROJECTOR WILL CAPTURE THEIR FACE AND THEY'RE ALL SCATTERED WHEREVER THEY'RE AT, AND IT'LL TURN THEIR FACES INTO ORANGES AND YOU JUST SEE A BUNCH OF KIDS JUST RIGHT IN FRONT OF A STAGE, JUST PLAYING FOR LIKE, HOURS. YOU KNOW WHAT THE. IT'S SO FUNNY. I'M LIKE, YOU WOULDN'T THINK, BUT THEY'RE GETTING ENTERTAINED WITH, LIKE, A STAGE AND ORANGE LIKE THEIR ORANGES. THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC HAS AN INTERACTIVE THING LIKE THAT WHERE YOU, THE KID, THE KIDS CAN GO TO THE COMPUTER. IT'S LIKE A THING. AND THEN AND THEY DO THEIR THING AND THEN THEIR FACES OR WORDS, THEY CAN TYPE. WORDS COME UP LIKE THEY'RE LIKE FISHING IN THE OCEAN OR WHATEVER. IT'S KIND OF NEAT. YEAH. SEE? AND SO YEAH.
INTERACTIVE. SOMETHING INTERACTIVE. YEAH. LET'S LET'S COME BACK WITH IDEAS. OKAY.
COOL. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE ON. SORRY ABOUT THAT. YES. NO. NO PROBLEM. I THINK WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER THREE FOOD TRUCK PARK UPDATE OR FOOD TRUCK PROGRAM UPDATE. I'M SORRY. YEAH I HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT I'LL BE ON THIS PRETTY QUICK BECAUSE THIS IS ON THE COUNCIL FOR NEXT WEEK.
OKAY. COOL. SO AND MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO. SO IT'S QUICK IF THERE'S ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS. WE DID BRING THIS ITEM TO. DO YOU FIND IT TO THE ECONOMIC SUBCOMMITTEE MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AGO OKAY. RIGHT. AND I THINK THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR I. WE I THINK WE HAVE KIND OF A
[01:05:07]
COOL LOGO, BUT THAT SO WE BROUGHT THIS TO YOU PART OF IT WE THINK IT'S GOING TO SOLVE A FEW PROBLEMS. ONE IS WHEN WE DID THE SIDEWALK VENDOR ORDINANCE, A LOT OF THE VENDORS COULDN'T GET COMPLIANCE WITH GETTING LIKE A HEALTH PERMIT FROM THE COUNTY. SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT ALMOST.YOU ALMOST HAVE TO HAVE LIKE A FOOD TRUCK. RIGHT? WELL, IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT, WE DON'T ALLOW IT RIGHT? RIGHT. YOU WOULD THINK WE ALLOW FOOD TRUCKS, BUT WE DON'T ALLOW FOOD TRUCKS. SO HOW WOULD WE DO IT. SO THIS SO WE HAVE A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT ISSU. WE ALSO HAVE A WAY TO THIS CAN ADDRESS LIKE OUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS ELEMENT OF OUR GENERAL PLAN THAT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES FOOD TRUCKS, AS LONG AS THEY'RE HEALTHY. SO HOW DO WE MAYBE ALIGN THIS. YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOME PROGRAMING WITH COACHELLA ENTERTAINMENT PARK, BUT THIS IS THE POLICY FROM THE GENERAL PLAN, WHERE IT SAYS TO CREATE A SIMPLE, HEALTHY FOOD TRUCK PERMIT. I DON'T WORK FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S CONSIDERED HEALTHY EXCEPT WHAT I TRY TO EAT, YOU KNOW? SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE BLUE ZONES INITIATIVE, AND SO THEY DID MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO US ON HOW TO DO THIS. AND SO YOU COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A BLUE ZONE TYPE OF FOOD TRUCK IN THE CITY. RIGHT. SO WE WOULD ALLOW IT. BUT HEY YOU NEED TO BE HEALTHY. AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THAT 25% OF THE MENU BE BLUE ZONE MEET BLUE ZONE GUIDELINES. RIGHT. AND IT'S AS LONG AS IT MEETS CERTAIN CATEGORIES LIKE FRUITS, VEGETABLES, WHOLE GRAINS. AND SO YOU CONSIDERED HEALTHY THAT I DON'T KNOW YET. RIGHT. SO I'M JUST THINKING OF LIKE THE TACO TRUCKS LIKE ARE WE GONNA SAY, BUT NOT YOU 25%. WELL, MAYBE 25%. SO YOU COULD HAVE. SO, SO IT'S ABOUT THE BALANCE THAT YOU HAVE IN THE MENU. OKAY. YEAH.
AND I THINK THAT THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND ALSO BLUE ZONES, I THINK THEY'RE BOTH ALSO REALIZING THAT YOU CAN'T BE SO RESTRICTIVE. OTHERWISE IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WORK. WE HAVE LIKE FOOD TRUCKS AND THE TAMALES GUYS DON'T WANT ANY OF THAT. SO YEAH. AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE LIKE YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET THAT FOOD RIGHT. AND THEY CAN'T GET IT HERE.
SOMETIMES I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD. BUT I THINK ONE THING MAYBE WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER IS LIKE HAVING OPTIONS. LIKE WE ALSO DON'T WANT JUST TACO TRUCKS, RIGHT. BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO INTEGRATE OR STIPULATE LIKE, YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE HEALTHY, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO ALLOW FOR OPTIONS LIKE IT DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE 100% HEALTHY. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. NO.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ALL THIS COME BACK NEXT WEEK. SO I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO IT. BUT BASICALLY THE MAIN IDEA WAS THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ALLOWED ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES AROUND VETERANS PARK, OKAY. AND SO BASICALLY EACH OF THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS HAD A LOT OF THESE ARE RESIDENTIAL OR, OR KIND OF COMMERCIAL USES TODAY, BUT THEY WOULD ALL HAVE THE CHOICE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE ON THEIR PROPERTY. SO YOU MIGHT HAVE A RESIDENCE THAT HAS A FOOD TRUCK AND THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO DO THAT. RIGHT. THIS IS A PICTURE IN BARRIO LOGAN WHERE THEY DID THAT IN FRONT OF A HOME. AND THOSE ARE THE PROPERTIES THAT THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED IN. SO THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WOULD ALSO SERVE TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN THE DOWNTOWN AROUND THE PARK AND PEOPLE KIND OF GETTING THAT EXPERIENCE. BUT ALSO WITH THE IDEA THAT THOSE COULD BE EVEN LONG TERM USES. SO AFTER THE FOUR YEAR PILOT PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, THIS WORKS, MAYBE I SHOULD MAKE A RESTAURANT OUT OF LIKE THIS, THIS BUILDING. RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO DO THAT. YOU HAVE TO PUT A LOT OF INVESTMENT. BUT IF YOU COULD FIRST START WITH A FOOD TRUCK, THAT COULD BE A GOOD CATALYST, LIKE THE FOOD. AND THERE'S.
OKAY. YEAH, THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. AND OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE ALL THE PROPERTIES AROUND THERE.
THE OTHER IS JUST IN FOOD TRUCKS AND PARKS. SO IT WOULD ALLOW FOR TWO FOOD TRUCKS IN THE PARKS THAT YOU SEE HERE. SO RANCHO LAS FLORES BACK TO THE PARK. THE LIBRARY PARK BEHIND THE LIBRARY.
OBVIOUSLY THE OLD PARK, SIERRA VISTA AND GABE HAD A GOOD IDEA IS LIKE, HEY, LET'S ALLOW THIS AT THE CIVIC CENTER, PLEASE. YEAH. WHEN WE HAVE MEETINGS THERE, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS. I'LL GO INTO THOSE AT THE MEETING NEXT WEEK. BUT THE LAST ONE I WANT TO MENTION IS PROBABLY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PORTION OF THIS, IS THAT ALLOWING FOOD TRUCKS ON DATE FARMS. SO IF YOU GO TO THE VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS WEBSITE, THEY HAVE A LINK FOR DATE FARMS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LINKED TO THERE. RIGHT. SO HOW WOULD WE CREATE AN EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE ON THE MULTIPLE DATE FARMS THAT THERE ARE IN THE CIT? ONE IS HOW DO WE HOW COULD WE DO THAT? MAYBE WITH FOOD TRUCKS AND ALSO DO THAT WITH THE HEALTHY FOOD TRUCKS? A LOT OF THOSE FARMS ARE AT THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE CITY. AND SO HOPEFULLY MAYBE THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE FARMS RIGHT THERE. CREATING EXPERIENCE. IT WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO ACTUALLY CREATE AN ACTIVITY STATION. AND BEING ON THE DATE FARM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE ONE MENU ITEM THAT SERVES DATES. DATES OKAY. BUT BUT THAT'S IT. I JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU JUST TO KNOW
[01:10:06]
THAT WE HAVE THIS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED TO YOU. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK. OKAY. VERY EXCITING. I LIKE IT. THANKS, GABE. THANK YOU. AND THEN NOW WE HAVE THE HOTEL FEASIBILITY. YES, AND I APOLOGIZE. I DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION. OUR CITY MANAGER HAD INTENDED TO PRESENT. SO I, I WILL PRESENT FOR HIM. COULD WE LEAVE THIS FOR. DOES IT HAVE TO COME TO US OR CAN IT JUST GO STRAIGHT TO. IT'S GOING TO COUNCIL. BUT YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST GIVE YOU THE HIGH LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO COST ABOUT $79,500 TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL OF ATTRACTING ADDITIONAL HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TOT REVENUE FOR THE CITY. AND SO, YEAH, SO THEY'RE GOING TO DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT REALLY SYNTHESIZING, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY ARE THE MOST SUITED FOR A POSSIBLE HOTEL. SO THEY'RE GOING TO CONDUCT, YOU KNOW, LIKE SURVEYS. THEY'LL DO A HOTEL MARKET ASSESSMENT, FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY FINANCING APPROACHES, THEIR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE A REPORT AND PRESENTATION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. ONCE THEY FINISH THERE. AND IT WILL COST 79,000. YES, 79,500. WHERE ARE WE THINKING ABOUT GETTING THIS FROM? WE'RE THINKING OF USING THE GENERAL FUND. I GUESS IT WOULD APPROPRIATION FROM GENERAL FUND RESERVES FUND 101. AND SO THIS IS COMING TO THE CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEEK BECAUSE I THINK YOU GUYS HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED US TO KIND OF MOVE IT ALONG, BUT COME BACK AND JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE. SO WE BROUGHT YOU AN UPDATE AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S LOOKING LIKE.AND IT'LL TAKE A LOOK AT LIKE POTENTIAL SITES. YES. OKAY. SO THEY'RE GOING TO ANALYZE SITES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ARE A BEST FIT FOR A HOTEL. GOTCHA. BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT I LEARNED THROUGH THE PROCESS OF KIND OF TALKING WITH CTRMA AND VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT AMENITIES AND OTHER IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO NOT NOT JUST LAND USES, BUT YOU KNO, OBVIOUSLY HAVING CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AMENITIES IS REALLY KEY TO SOME OF THESE HOTEL SITES. AND, AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE EXAMINED, YOU KNOW, BY PROFESSIONAL FOLK THAT WILL HAVE ACTUAL DATA AND, AND FINDINGS TO PRESENT TO US AND SO, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED. EXCITED. EXCUSE ME. BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD REQUESTED EARLY ON IN MY TENURE THAT THAT WE PLEASE LOOK AT YOU KNOW, A HOTEL FEASIBILITY STUDY, PLEASE. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY HOTELS IN OUR CITY AND THAT THAT WOULD BE A HUGE ASSISTANCE, YOU KNOW, TO DRIVE TOURISM TO THE CITY, BUT ALSO TOT REVENUE. BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING THE ABILITY TO HOST PEOPLE IN A HOTEL. OKAY, WONDERFUL. IS THAT ALL WE HAVE? I THINK SO, I THINK WE YES, WE WRAPPED IT UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO NEW BUSINESS. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, WE DO NOT. OKAY. AWESOME. AT THIS TIME. 617 WE ARE ADJOURNING THE MEETING. ALSO, I NOTICED I NEVER ACTUALLY STARTED THE MEETING, BUT HE WAS WATCHING. WE STARTED AT 505. WE NEVER SAID WE'RE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.