[Call to Order]
[00:00:07]
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL. CLOSED SESSION AND REGULAR MEETING ON MAY 28TH.
PUBLIC COMMENTS MAY BE RECEIVED IN PERSON, VIA EMAIL OR COUNCILMEMBER PEREZ. HERE.
[Approval of Agenda]
COUNCILMEMBER. DOCTOR. FIGUEROA. PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM DELGADO. HERE. AND THEN CAN I HAVE AN APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? IS THERE ANY REQUESTED CHANGES? MAYOR PRO TEM, WE DO HAVE ONE CHANGE. WE ARE UP IN THE AGENDA FORMAT. I WILL NOTE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON AGENDIZED ITEMS SHOULD BE HEARD PRIOR TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. SO WE WOULD ASK THAT THAT BE CHANGED. OKAY. IN ADDITION STAFF WOULD REQUEST TO CONTINUE ITEM 22 TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AND MOVING PUBLIC COMMENTS RIGHT BEFORE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND THEN MOVING AGENDA IS ITEM 22. I MOTION 22 TO THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? I. ARE THERE ANY THEY RECEIVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING CLOSED SESSION ITEMS? YES. I RECEIVED ONE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM STEVE. STEVE AND I PLACED A COPY ON THE ON THE DAIS. THANK YOU.[Adjourn to Closed Session]
AND NOW WE'LL ADJOURN TO CLOSE[Reconvene Regular Meeting]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE'LL RECONVENE THE REGULAR MEETING AT 606. RYAN, COULD YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF DIGITS? OF COURSE. EVERYONE READ THAT RIGHT. OVER THE HEART. READY? BEGIN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU.[Closed Session Announcements]
RYAN, DO WE HAVE ANY CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THE CITY COUNCIL MET IN CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO THE ITEM LISTED ON THE CLOSED SESSION AGENDA, AND THERE IS NO REPORTABLE ACTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, RYAN. AND[Proclamations/Presentations/Direction]
THEN IF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL CAN JOIN ME TO THE FRONT SO THAT WE CAN READ PROCLAMATIONS TO OUR YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSIONERS. I'M SORRY. GOOD EVENING. EVERYONE. IS ALEJANDRO COBOS HERE? AND YES, I'M GETTING. YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED TO TONY HERE OR BETTER? YEAH, FOR ME, IT DEPENDS ON HOW. YOU. THIS IS THE CITY OF COACHELLA PROCLAMATION TO ALEJANDRO. WHEREAS THE CITY OF COACHELLA PROUDLY RECOGNIZES THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION, A GROUP OF DEDICATED YOUNG LEADERS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR COACHELLA YOUTH BY ENGAGING IN PROGRAMS THAT INSPIRE, UPLIFT AND UNITE YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY. AND WHEREAS, THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED TO ACT IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS AFFECTING THE YOUTH OF COACHELLA AND TO PROMOTE INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS THEIR EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL NEEDS. AND WHEREAS, DURING THEIR 2024 2025 TERM, THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION ACCOMPLISHED THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS.LAUNCHED THE SAFE SPACE CAMPAIGN AND LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR TEEN SOCIAL PROGRAMING. 2025 FOSTERING INCLUSIVE, SUPPORTIVE AND ENGAGING ENVIRONMENTS FOR TEENS. PARTICIPATED IN THE ADOPT A PARK STREET PROGRAM, CONTRIBUTING TO THE BEAUTIFICATION AND UPKEEP OF PUBLIC SPACES THROUGH GRAFFITI REMOVAL AND PARK CLEANUPS. VOLUNTEERED WITH FINE FOOD BANK, HELPING COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY AND SUPPORTING FAMILIES IN NEED ACROSS THE COACHELLA VALLEY.
[00:05:01]
ENGAGED WITH LOCAL SENIORS THROUGH THE SENIOR CENTER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, INCLUDING ORGANIZING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WII BOWLING, STRENGTHENING INTERGENERATIONAL BONDS IN THE COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, STEVEN HERNANDEZ, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA BY THE POWER INVESTED IN US, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING.COMMISSIONER WHO SERVED WITH DEDICATION, PASSION AND A COMMITMENT TO POSITIVE CHANGE. I WANT TO SHARE SOME. OH, WE'LL DO A QUICK CULTURE, I THINK. OKAY, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME OR THE FIRST TIME, A LONG TIME THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS PROGRAM. BUT I AM GLAD THAT I GOT THE COLLEAGUES THAT THAT I ACTUALLY GOT AND THE QUALITY TIME WE SPENT TOGETHER. I FEEL LIKE WE COULD HAVE DONE A LOT MORE WITH THE TIME WE WERE GIVEN. HOWEVER, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME AND WE WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED, BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE FOUND A WAY THAT WE COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUTH COMMISSIONERS. ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WE'RE GRATEFUL. DID YOU DID YOU GUYS WANT TO GIVE ANY COMMENTS OR FRANK, DID YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY COMMENTS? OKAY. SUPER. KAREN I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE OUR FIRST I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT CLASS, BUT GROUP RIGHT. COHORT OF YOUTH COMMISSIONERS THAT GOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CIVIC PROCESS AND KIND OF FOUND THEIR WAY. RIGHT. IT'S WHEN YOU'RE NEW TO IT, YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE, HOW DO WE ALL COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO? AND, YOU KNOW, LAYING THAT FOUNDATION, LIKE YOU SAID, IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND NOW PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COME BACK AND SEE, OKAY, WHAT DID THEY DO BEFORE? AND GIVES A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR FOLKS. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'RE DOING IT. SO HE'S ALREADY HE'S ALREADY FOUND SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON. AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
ALEJANDRO. SO MAYBE YOU CAN COME BACK WITH US NEXT YEAR WHEN WE START THE NEW TERM AND SHARE SOME OF YOUR WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED AND WHAT YOU THINK WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. CAN I GET A COUPLE OF YEARS? YOU'LL BE BACK AND YOU'LL BE ONE OF THESE DAYS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU CONTINUE BEING INVOLVED. THANK YOU. THAT'S ACTUALLY MY KNEES REPLACE A GOOD. YEAH. GOOD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANKS. AGAIN. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE FAMILY. SO NEXT IS BRIANNA LARA SALDIVAR. NO. SO THEY ALL THEY ALL READ THE SAME. RIGHT. DO THEY ALL READ THE SAME. THEY. SO YOU WANT TO READ IT. SO DO WE. SHOULD WE JUST DO EVERYBODY I THINK MAYBE FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. YEAH. YEAH. BRING EVERYBODY. BUT WE CAN TAKE PICTURES. YES. YEAH. SURE. TAKE PICTURE HERE. IVONNE MENDES. OF EL MIJO. OH, OKAY.
OH, OKAY. CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA. CHRISTIAN. ISABELLA NUNEZ.
LIBNI H. VALLE. S SAMUEL MEZA. NO. MEZA. JOSHUA. OH! JOSHUA. PULIDO, JOSHUA. NO! OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN ARLENE ARRIAGA. ARRIAGA. OKAY. WAS THAT THE. YEAH, THOSE WERE RIGHT HERE. NO.
DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND I'LL READ IT. OKAY. THE CITY OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA PROCLAMATION, WHERE THE CITY OF COACHELLA PROUDLY RECOGNIZES EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION, A GROUP OF DEDICATED YOUNG LEADERS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR COACHELLA'S YOUTH BY ENGAGING IN PROGRAMS THAT INSPIRE, UPLIFT AND UNITE YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY. AND WHEREAS, THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED TO ACT IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS AFFECTING THE YOUTH OF COACHELLA
[00:10:05]
AND TO PROMOTE INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS THE EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL NEEDS.AND WHEREAS, DURING THEIR 2024 2025 TERM, THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMISSION ACCOMPLISHED THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS. LAUNCHED THE SAFE SPACE CAMPAIGN AND LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR TEEN SOCIAL PROGRAMING. 2025 FOSTERING INCLUSIVE, SUPPORTIVE AND ENGAGING ENVIRONMENTS FOR TEENS. PARTICIPATED IN THE ADOPT A PARK STREET PROGRAM, CONTRIBUTING TO THE BEAUTIFICATION AND UPKEEP OF PUBLIC SPACES THROUGH GRAFFITI REMOVAL AND PARK CLEANUPS.
VOLUNTEERED WITH FINE FOOD BANK, HELPING COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY AND SUPPORTING FAMILIES IN NEED ACROSS THE COACHELLA VALLEY. ENGAGED WITH LOCAL SENIORS THROUGH THE SENIOR CENTER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, INCLUDING ORGANIZING RECREATION ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WII BOWLING AND THEY LOVE WII BOWLING OVER THEIR STRENGTHENING INTERGENERATIONAL BONDS IN THE COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, I, STEPHEN HERNANDEZ, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COACHELLA BY THE POWER INVESTED IN US, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING COMMISSIONERS WHO SERVE WITH DEDICATION, PASSION AND A COMMITMENT TO POSITIVE CHANGE. THANK YOU GUYS. HI EVERYONE! MY NAME IS JOSHUA PULIDO AND I FEEL MORE THAN HONORED TO RECEIVE AN AWARD LIKE THIS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'VE. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALL TRIED SO HARD TO CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS THE YOUTH OF COACHELLA, AND I DO WISH I COULD HAVE ATTENDED MORE EVENTS. BUT HOWEVER, I FEEL LIKE EVEN WITH THE THINGS THAT WE DID TOGETHER, WE WERE STILL ABLE TO DO A LOT AND MAKE LIKE A SMALL IMPACT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE SMALL THINGS ARE THE THINGS THAT LEAD TO THE BIG CHANGES IN THE FUTURE, AND I'M JUST EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. OKAY, MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN FAUSTO. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYONE HERE FOR COMING, AND IT TRULY IS AN HONOR TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE BRING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, AND I'VE LEARNED HOW TO BETTER ASSIST MY PEERS, BETTER ASSIST MY COMMUNITY. AND I LOVE PLAYING WII BOWLING WITH OUR SENIORS HERE. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THEY DID WIN LIKE TWO ROUNDS AGAINST US. WE DIDN'T. WE LOST TERRIBLY. BUT IT WAS FUN. AND IT'S JUST AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE THAT NOT MANY WOULD HAVE. LIKE JUST FOR EXAMPLE, THE STUDENTS WHO WERE HERE BEFORE US, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, AND I HOPE THAT THIS CONTINUES ON TO BE SOMETHING EVEN BIGGER. SO THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BRIANNA. LIKE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID BEFORE, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE. I FEEL LIKE THE WORK WE DID MIGHT HAVE BEEN SMALL BUT NOT INSIGNIFICANT. WE LAID THE GROUNDWORK THAT HOPEFULLY OTHER YOUTH WILL ALSO COME TO BUILD UPON. SO I HOPE THAT WITHIN OUR OWN RESPECTIVE FIELDS THAT WE GO ON WHEN WE MOVE ON TO GO TO COLLEGE, THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AS THEY HAVE GIVEN TO US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. DID YOU WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING? I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR YOUR GUYS'S SCHEDULES, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS GO TO SCHOOL AND TO ACTUALLY COME AND VOLUNTEER AND DO THIS, IT SAYS A LOT. I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL MENTOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO GET INVOLVED, TOO, AND THAT YOU GUYS, BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, CAN ACTUALLY EXPLAIN TO RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA WHAT IS BEING DONE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA, WHAT YOU GUYS DID, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE AND MORE, MORE YOUTH LIKE YOU GUYS TO VOLUNTEER. SO THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. AND THEN REALLY QUICKLY, AS YOU GUYS GO ON, PLEASE REACH OUT. LIKE IF YOU NEED A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US SO WE CAN GIVE YOU THE CITY LETTERHEAD. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. OH.
AND NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE COACHELLA WATER AUTHORITY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL, WE HAVE CHROMIUM SIX COMPLIANCE PLAN PRESENTATION FOR YOU TODAY. AS YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ADOPTED A NEW REGULATION FOR CHROMIUM SIX
[00:15:05]
BACK IN 2014. IN 2017, THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT INVALIDATED THE RULE. LAST YEAR, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ADOPTED THE SAME REGULATION. AND SO IT IS NOW LAW. AND SO WE ARE ON THE ROAD TO COMPLIANCE. JUST BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT CORONA ENVIRONMENTAL AND DOCTOR CHAD SEIDEL, WHO'S HERE TODAY, HE'S GOING TO BE MAKING THE PRESENTATION. HE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH THE CITY BACK IN 2014 WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE BACK THEN. THEY'RE ALSO INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THE OTHER WATER AGENCIES HERE. CITY OF INDIO, MISSION SPRINGS CBD. AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AS AGENCIES. AND SO TODAY, WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE PROJECT, WHAT THE PATH LOOKS FORWARD FOR US TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE. AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO BRING UP DOCTOR CHAD SEIDEL TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING, GLAD TO BE HERE TO HELP CONVEY WHAT THE NEW REQUIREMENTS ARE AND HOW THE CITY IS MAKING EFFORTS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THOSE AND THE CONTEXT TO GET YOU ON THAT PATH.AND SO MY NAME IS CHAD SEIDEL. I'M PRESIDENT OF CORONA ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING. I HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON DRINKING WATER TREATMENT FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER. AND AS OUR FIRM LOOKS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS LIKE THIS, HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM WAS ACTUALLY THE SUBJECT OF MY PHD RESEARCH IN THE EARLY 2000. AND SO IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A LONG ROAD TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS. AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS AT BOTH THE STATE AND OTHER WATER UTILITIES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS WITH YOU ALL. NOW, AS CSULA DESCRIBED, CALIFORNIA HAD PREVIOUSLY REGULATED CHROMIUM SIX, OR HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IN ABOUT A DECADE AGO, THE STATE SUPREME COURT INVALIDATED THAT AND REQUIRED IT TO BE RESCINDED. IN 2017, THE STATE DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER THEN WENT BACK AND REESTABLISHED IT AND REISSUED IT. IT WENT THROUGH THE STANDARD PROCESS OF PROPOSAL AND COMMENT AND FINALIZATION, AND WAS REESTABLISHED IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR WITH THE SAME MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL, WHICH IS THE AMOUNT THAT'S ALLOWABLE IN DRINKING WATER AS MEASURED AT TEN MICROGRAMS PER LITER. THERE'S A SNIPPET OF THE RULEMAKING ON THE WEBSITE SHOWN HERE ON THIS SLIDE THAT DESCRIBES ONE UNIQUE ASPECT OF THE NEWLY REESTABLISHED MCL THAT HAS A STAGED COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE. SO AS COMPARED WITH PRIOR MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE COMPLIANCE WHEN THE RULE IS ENACTED, THEY HAVE INCLUDED A TWO, THREE, OR FOUR YEAR COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE FOR WATER SYSTEMS TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, DEPENDING UPON THEIR SIZE. GIVEN THE SIZE OF COACHELLA WATER AUTHORITY BEING LESS THAN 10,000 SERVICE CONNECTIONS, THE COMPLIANCE DATE IS OCTOBER 1ST OF 2027. THE REALITY FOR CURRENT PROJECT TIMELINE, WHICH WE'VE BEEN CONTRACTED TO ADDRESS AND BEEN WORKING WITH STAFF ON NOW FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO, ALIGNS WITH THE STATE'S DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER DDA COMPLIANCE TIMELINE. AND SO THE EFFECTIVE DATE WAS LAST OCTOBER. THE COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE REQUIRED TO INITIATE QUARTERLY SAMPLING OF THE WATER AT EACH OF THE WATER SUPPLIES THAT ARE OPERATING THAT WAS STARTED ON SCHEDULE. STAFF HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THAT. THE SECOND QUARTERLY RESULTS FOR TWO OF THE WELLS HAVE TRIGGERED AN MCL EXCEEDANCE NOTIFICATION FROM THE STATE, WHICH WAS RECEIVED JUST EARLIER THIS MONTH ON MAY 14TH, WHICH TRIGGERS A FEW MORE THINGS. WHAT'S COMING NEXT TO MEET THE COMPLIANCE EXPECTATIONS IS PUBLIC NOTICE. AND I'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. WE, AS A PART OF OUR PROJECT TEAM, ARE COMPLETING A TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION TO HELP UPDATE WHAT WE WERE A PART OF ADDRESSING ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO WITH WHAT SHOULD MOVE FORWARD BASED UPON NEW INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE THAT'S BEEN GAINED NOT ONLY HERE, BUT FROM OTHERS IN THE VALLEY AND ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE ADDRESSING SIMILAR ISSUES. LOOKING FORWARD, WE'LL BE DOING ADDITIONAL TESTING TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE SELECT THE MOST EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE APPROACH, AND THEN WE'LL HELP INFORM THE STATE REGULATORY FOLKS ABOUT THE COMPLIANCE PLAN THAT IS NEEDED, ULTIMATELY RESULTING BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. PRELIMINARY DESIGN IS CUT OFF THERE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR IN 2025. FROM THERE, THE ANTICIPATED NEXT STEPS THAT WILL BE INFORMED BASED UPON THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THIS YEAR IS WHAT COMES THEREAFTER. AND SO THIS IS WHAT'S ANTICIPATED AND WHAT THE COMPLIANCE DEADLINE IS FOR OCTOBER OF 2027. BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, WE'LL HAVE TO KICK OFF THE DETAILED DESIGN ACTIVITIES FOR THE RECOMMENDED TREATMENT SOLUTIONS, EFFORTS TO PROCURE THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO INSTALL THAT. THEN CONSTRUCTION WILL HAPPEN STARTING TOWARDS THE END OF 2026 INTO 27. THE STATE WILL THEN ISSUE A PERMIT, AND START UP WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THE COMPLIANCE DEADLINE. THAT'S THE SCHEDULE THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORTH GIVEN THE THREE YEAR
[00:20:03]
COMPLIANCE WINDOW THAT CW HAS AND THE EXPECTED ALTERNATIVES THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, WE DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE BY THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENT. SO TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, THERE ARE SIX EXISTING WELLS. AND THERE'S A WELL 20 THAT IS PLANNED, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT LATER AS I SEE ON THE AGENDA. BUT ALL OF THE GROUNDWATER WELLS ARE OVER A THOUSAND GPM, UP TO ABOUT 2000 GPM. THEY'RE GOOD SIZED WELLS THAT PRODUCE GREAT QUALITY WATER WITH RESPECT TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, WITH THE EXCEPTION NOW THAT IT HAS NATURALLY OCCURRING CHROMIUM SIX CONCENTRATIONS ABOVE THIS NEW REQUIREMENT, THE WATER QUALITY HASN'T CHANGED. THE REQUIREMENT HAS. SO WE ANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME LABORATORY TESTING AT BENCH SCALES, WHAT WE CALL THAT TO ASSESS HOW THE TREATMENT PROCESSES WILL PERFORM FOR EACH OF THEM. AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH MORE SITE SPECIFIC TESTING AT AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT A FEW MORE LOCATIONS TO CONFIRM THOSE DETAILS. TO REALLY HELP OPTIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY, BOTH COST AND PERFORMANCE WISE, FOR WHAT MOVES AHEAD, HERE IS A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE WATER QUALITY SAMPLES THAT HAVE BEEN COLLECTED JUST THIS YEAR. SO I'M NOT SHOWING THE HISTORY OF RESULTS OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS, BUT RATHER WHAT WAS COLLECTED JUST FOR THE COMPLIANCE PURPOSES. AND YOU'LL NOTE THAT IN EVERY CASE, FOR EACH OF THE WELLS, THE CHROMIUM SIX HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM CONCENTRATIONS ARE GREATER THAN THE TEN MICROGRAMS PER LITER LIMIT. AND THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IN ADDRESSING THESE CONCERNS WITH THE NEW STATE REQUIREMENT. NOW, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THOSE WELLS ARE ALL ABOVE THIS NEW REQUIREMENT, THERE'S A FEW REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS. SO WITH THE EXCEEDANCE THAT WAS MEASURED STARTING WITH RESULTS IN APRIL, DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER REQUIRES PUBLIC NOTICE. SO I'LL SHOW YOU A SNIPPET OF THE DRAFT THAT'S BEING WORKED ON BY STAFF TO HELP ADDRESS THAT. SO WITHIN THE MAY 14TH DATE OF WHEN THE COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED BACK FROM THE STATE, THAT PUBLIC NOTICE HAS TO BE ISSUED WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THAT MAY 14TH DATE, WHICH IS AUGUST 12TH. A COMPLIANCE PLAN HAS TO BE ISSUED. BUT WHILE THERE'S A SPECIFIC DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER REQUIREMENT FOR WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT, THE WORK THAT CITY STAFF OR THE CWA STAFF AND WE ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING IS GOING TO BE WELL IN EXCESS OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE SUBMITTED TO MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT. THERE'S ALSO A NEED TO COMMUNICATE PUBLICLY TO THE CONSUMERS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR YEARS GOING FORWARD. SO THE 2025 CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT, WHICH WILL NEED TO BE ISSUED BEFORE JULY OF 2026, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE SOME REQUIRED LANGUAGE DESCRIBING THE FACT THAT THE GROUNDWATER SAMPLES CONFIRM HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM CONCENTRATIONS ABOVE THE NEW STANDARD, AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THAT. AND AGAIN, ALREADY WORKING ON THAT. AND THEN LAST BEFORE THE NEW COMPLIANCE STRATEGY LIKELY TO BE TREATMENT AT THE WELLHEADS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND OPERATIONS PLAN WILL BE DEVELOPED AND GET APPROVED BY DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER AS WELL. SO HERE'S A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE INITIAL DRAFT OF THE PUBLIC NOTICE THAT'S BEING WORKED ON TO HELP COMMUNICATE THIS TO CONSUMERS. AND THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED PUBLICLY WITH THE PREVIOUS MCL. TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE WATER QUALITY AND GROUNDWATER HASN'T CHANGED, BUT THE REGULATION HAS WHAT IT IS, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE, AND WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION ABOUT HOW THIS IS PROGRESSED TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE. AND SO THIS IS BEING WORKED ON NOW AND WILL BE ISSUED PRIOR TO THE REQUIREMENT NEXT MONTH. NOW TAKING THE NEXT STEP ABOUT HOW CWA WILL ADDRESS THIS, KNOWING THAT EACH OF THE GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES HAS HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IN EXCESS OF THE NEW REQUIREMENT, THERE ARE THREE BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES RO REVERSE OSMOSIS ICS, WHICH IS SHORT FOR ION EXCHANGE, OR RCF, WHICH IS SHORT FOR REDUCTION. COAGULATION, FILTRATION, ALL WATER CHEMISTRY AND WATER TREATMENT. EXAMPLES ABOUT HOW TO REMOVE THIS CONTAMINANT HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM SPECIFICALLY FROM GROUNDWATER, AND OUR INITIAL EVALUATION HAS ALREADY POINTED TO RCF AS BEING THE BEST OPTION, BOTH IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF COST AND OPERATIONAL SIMPLICITY, AND EXPECTED TO BE THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ALL CWA WELLS. NOW, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, NOT JUST AT INDIVIDUAL WELLS, BUT ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF CAN WE COMBINE WELLS TOGETHER FOR CENTRALIZED TREATMENT? AND GIVEN THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS OF WELLS, IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT INDIVIDUAL WELLHEAD TREATMENT, WITHOUT CONSOLIDATING THEM TOGETHER WILL BE BEST SIMPLY BECAUSE THE COST OF INSTALLING PIPES BETWEEN THOSE TWO PLACES IS LIKELY GREATER THAN THE COST SAVINGS AFFORDED BY INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT IN THOSE LOCATIONS. SO EXPECTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH[00:25:05]
THE RCF TREATMENT PROCESS. THE PICTURE ON THE FAR RIGHT THERE HAPPENS TO BE THE FIRST AND STILL PRIMARY EXAMPLE OF THAT TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS INSTALLED BY A WATER SYSTEM IN LAS LOMAS, CALIFORNIA, SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS INSTALLED FOR THAT PURPOSE PRIOR TO THE MCL BEING RESCINDED. SO IT SERVES AS ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES. WE WERE THE LEADS ON IMPLEMENTING THAT SOLUTION MANY YEARS AGO. NOW, TO BE ABLE TO INFORM THE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW BEST TO IMPLEMENT THAT FOR YOUR GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES WILL BE CONDUCTING SOME BENCH AND PILOT SCALE TESTING. YOU CAN SEE THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT. IT'S CALLED THE JAR TEST. THOSE SQUARE BEAKERS OR JARS. WE TAKE WATER FROM YOUR GROUNDWATER WELLS AND WE ADD VARIOUS DOSAGES OF THE REDUCTION CHEMICALS. AND THEN WE FILTER IT OUT, AND WE SEND THOSE RESULTS TO A LAB TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DOSE AND TIME CONDITIONS ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE THE TREATMENT OBJECTIVES. ONCE WE HAVE THAT FOR EACH OF THOSE WATER SAMPLES FROM YOUR GROUNDWATER WELLS, WE WILL THEN INFORM THE PILOT TEST PLAN. AND ON THE RIGHT IS A PICTURE OF A FILTER PILOT. AND THAT'S EFFECTIVELY A SMALL SCALE VERSION OF THE PICTURE I JUST SHOWED FROM THE FULL SCALE EXAMPLE THAT ALLOWS US TO ANSWER KEY QUESTIONS SHOWN ON THE RIGHT. CAN WE VALIDATE THE BENCH SCALE RESULTS? CAN WE ESTABLISH HOW LONG THOSE FILTERS WILL REMOVE THOSE PARTICLES? THE LONGER THE BETTER, THE MORE WATER EFFICIENT IT IS. HOW WE CAN CHARACTERIZE THE BACKWASH WATER. SO THOSE FILTERS WILL REMOVE THAT FOR A WHILE. AND THEN THEY FILL UP AND YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THEM. SO WE BACKWASH THAT THAT BACKWASH WATER THEN NEEDS TO GO SOMEWHERE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND MOST OPERATIONALLY SIMPLE APPROACH IS TO SEND THAT BACKWASH WATER TO THE SEWER SYSTEM. AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT IN MOST CASES, THE SEWER SYSTEM IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE WELL SITES, THE INTENT IS TO SEND THE BACKWASH WATER TO THE SEWER. BUT WE HAVE TO FURTHER ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FATE OF THOSE PARTICLES. ONCE IT GETS TO THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM.SO THOSE ANSWERS WILL COME FROM FROM PILOT TESTING, BECAUSE, AS I DESCRIBED, IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE PROCESS. I'M JUST SHOWING THE BLACK BOX VERSION. YOU'VE GOT GROUNDWATER THAT COMES FROM THE WELL. IT GOES THROUGH THE REDUCTION COAGULATION FILTRATION PROCESS. WHEN IT IS BACKWASHED, YOU SEE THAT YOU CAN EITHER SEND THE WATER BACK TO THE SEWER, OR YOU CAN HAVE A RECYCLE LOOP THAT TAKES WATER BACK TO THE HEAD OF THE TREATMENT PLANT. OUR GOAL IS TO OPTIMIZE THAT SO YOU LOSE AS LITTLE WATER AS POSSIBLE. WE DON'T WANT TO WASTE WATER. WE KNOW IT'S VALUABLE. WE WANT TO MAKE USE OF THAT RESOURCE AS BEST POSSIBLE. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE WATER THAT GOES TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THERE TO THE RIGHT CONTAINS CONCENTRATIONS BELOW THE NEW STANDARD AND YOU'RE IN COMPLIANCE. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED. SO THE NEXT STEPS AGAIN ISSUE THAT PUBLIC NOTICE BY THAT TIMELINE SPECIFIED. EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS AND CAN HELP ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. THE FOLKS HAVE ALREADY DONE A GREAT JOB IN COMMUNICATING THESE ISSUES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THAT'S BEING UPDATED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL CURRENT AND RELEVANT. WE'LL COMPLETE OUR TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION, WHICH I GAVE YOU A PRECURSOR OF HERE WITH A LOT MORE DETAIL TO ANSWER THE KEY QUESTIONS OF WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED, WHAT WILL BE THE SCHEDULE, AND ULTIMATELY, WHAT WILL THE COST BE AND HOW WILL THAT BE ADDRESSED? TALKED ABOUT THE PILOT SCALE TESTING THAT WE'LL START HERE SHORTLY, AND THEN THAT COMPLIANCE PLAN WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER WITHIN THE 90 DAYS, BY THE AUGUST TIMEFRAME. AND BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE'LL HAVE THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN, AND THAT WILL REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT COMES NEXT. THAT WILL BE THE POINT AT WHICH YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE CONCRETE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANTICIPATED NEED, THE SCHEDULE AND THE COST, AND HOW THAT THEN WILL BE STAGED GOING FORWARD FOR IMPLEMENTATION, CONSTRUCTION AND STARTUP. SO WITH THAT, I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND CERTAINLY WANT TO CONTINUE THE COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT YOU TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? YOU KNOW, JUST I THINK THAT THE FLIER THAT THE STAFF IS WORKING ON, I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
RIGHT. AND I THINK YOU YOU MENTIONED IT A COUPLE TIMES THAT THE WATER QUALITY HAS NOT GONE DOWN. IT'S THE MCL FOR THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS AT 50, CORRECT. RIGHT. AND THEN THE STATE HAS LOWERED IT TO 10.00 TEN IN FACT. SO A LITTLE CLARIFICATION. THE FEDERAL LIMIT FOR TOTAL CHROMIUM IS 100 MICROGRAMS PER LITER. CALIFORNIA HAS A TOTAL CHROMIUM LIMIT OF 50 MICROGRAMS PER LITER. AND THEY'VE JUST ESTABLISHED A HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM STANDARD OF TEN MICROGRAMS PER LITER. SO YEAH, THAT'S THAT NUANCE IS WHAT IS CHANGING. AND YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES. WITH HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM HIGHER THAN TEN. AND SO YOU'RE YOU ARE ONE OF THE FIRST TO BE ISSUING THE PUBLIC NOTICE. BUT YOU'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITHIN THE VALLEY AND ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE DOING THE SAME THING. YEAH. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE BY THE FIRST?
[00:30:07]
YEAH. WHY EXACTLY ARE WE THE FIRST? IF THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT MIGHT THAT THERE ARE ABOVE THE, THE NEW REQUIREMENT. SO THERE ARE. WELL I'LL JUST SAY THEY'RE HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. OTHER WATER SYSTEMS THAT HAVE GROUNDWATER WELLS WITH CHROMIUM ABOVE TEN THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS THESE SAME OBJECTIVES INCLUDE INDIO WATER AUTHORITY. CVS, MYOMA DUNES, MISSION SPRINGS AND OTHERS FURTHER AWAY FROM US. THIS THE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENT THAT COMES 30 DAYS AFTER THE SAMPLE EVENT. STARTS. ONCE THE DISTRICT ENGINEER AT THE DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER RECEIVES THOSE RESULTS. AND SO CWA HAS BEEN PROACTIVE IN STARTING THAT PROCESS AND IS ACTUALLY A MONTH OR TWO AHEAD OF OTHERS THAT ARE DOING THAT PROCESS. AND SO WE EXPECT THAT OTHERS THAT HAVE CONCENTRATIONS SIMILAR TO THE CWA WELLS WILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SO JUST THE OTHER THING THAT OTHER AGENCIES HAVE THE BENEFIT OF DOING IS THAT SOME OTHER AGENCIES HAVE HAVE WELLS HAVE A REDUNDANCY OF WELLS. SO THEY'RE ABLE TO THEY'RE ABLE TO TURN OFF WELLS TO TRY TO PUSH OUT THE NEED TO SAMPLE THOSE THAT WOULD TRIGGER THE EXCEEDANCE. WE CAN'T DO THAT HERE. ALL OUR ALL OUR WELLS ARE HAVE LEVELS ABOVE THE TEN PARTS PER BILLION. AND SO AND THOSE ARE ALL IN USE TO TRY TO PROVIDE THE, THE, THE CAPACITY THAT WE NEED TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS. SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING. AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THE NOTICE I DID SHARE THIS WITH, WITH THE COUNCIL AND WITH CITY MANAGER TODAY. IT'S A DRAFT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY STAFF AND ALL OF THE LANGUAGE IN THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE. THIS IS FROM A TEMPLATE THAT HAS ALL THE REQUIRED LANGUAGE THAT WE SIMPLY JUST TOOK AND PUT IT IN THIS FORMAT THAT FOR US LOOK MORE USER FRIENDLY. THE ONE THING THAT WE, THAT WE DID ADD THAT IS NOT IN THE IN, IN THE TEMPLATE THAT THE STATE ISSUED BECAUSE I THINK SO. SO WE HAVE TO SUBMIT THIS TO THE STATE FOR REVIEW FOR APPROVAL BEFORE WE SEND IT OUT. SO OUR PLAN IS TO SEND THIS TO THE STATE FOR REVIEW. AND THEN ONCE WE GET THE OKAY THEN THEN IT'LL GO OUT. BUT I THINK THEY WANT TO VERIFY THAT ALL THE LANGUAGE THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE TEMPLATE IS IN THE IS IN THIS. NOTICE WHAT THEY WHAT THEY WHAT THEY I THINK WILL ALLOW FOR IS FOR US TO ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE. WE PROBABLY CAN'T TAKE ANY LANGUAGE OUT, BUT WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE. AND SO TO DOCTOR FIGUEROA'S POINT, WE WANTED TO ADD THIS SECTION THAT YOU SEE HERE THAT'S CALLED WHAT IS CHROMIUM SIX AND CHROMIUM.THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ADDING. AND IT'S AND IT'S TO TRY TO TELL THAT STORY THAT CALIFORNIA IS THE FIRST STATE IN THE NATION WHO IS IMPLEMENTING THIS TYPE OF REGULATION THAT IS CAUSING US TO REACT IN THIS MANNER. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR WATER QUALITY IS CHANGED. IT MEANS THE REGULATION HAS CHANGED. AND CALIFORNIA IS THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE. AND SO I THINK US BEING ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY ALLOWS OUR RESIDENTS TO KIND OF GET THE SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND NOT ASSUME THAT SOMEHOW THE WATER QUALITY HAS CHANGED, THAT WE DID SOMETHING WRONG, THAT WE'RE NOT KEEPING THE SYSTEM UP THE WAY WE SHOULD BE UPKEEPING IT. IT'S SIMPLY THE FACT THAT THAT THE LAW HAS CHANGED IN CALIFORNIA, AND IT'S AND IT'S MOVED THE NEEDLE AS TO WHAT AN ACCEPTABLE CONCENTRATION OF CHROMIUM SIX IS NOW IN CALIFORNIA. SO I SHARED IT WITH WITH THE COUNCIL AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER TODAY TO ALLOW YOU TO PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF FEEDBACK THAT THAT THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE IN HERE. AGAIN, MOST EVERYTHING IN HERE NEEDS TO BE IN THE NOTICE. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS ADDED WAS THAT THAT WHAT IS CHROMIUM SIX LANGUAGE THERE? IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS MORE THAT WE CAN ADD TO ACHIEVE WHATEVER MESSAGING YOU, YOU WOULD WANT TO BE OUT TO THE PUBLIC. PLEASE SEND THOSE OVER TO, TO US, TO THE CITY MANAGER, AND WE CAN INCORPORATE THOSE IN THE VERSION THAT WE END UP SENDING THE STATE. OUR PLAN IS TO SEND THIS NOTICE TO THE STATE FOR REVIEW BY MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK. THIS DRAFT WAS JUST FINISHED TODAY. SO AGAIN, THAT THAT 30 DAY DEADLINE IS PRETTY TIGHT. SO WE HOPE TO SEND THEM SOMETHING BY MONDAY WHICH WHICH WILL GIVE THEM THE REST OF THE WEEK TO REVIEW IT AND GIVE US AN OKAY BY THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, WHICH WE WOULD THEN TRY TO ISSUE
[00:35:06]
THIS BY JUNE 11TH. YOU'LL SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NOTICE THAT WE HAVE PUT THERE THAT THAT THE NOTICE IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS OF JUNE 11TH OF 2025. THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD WE WOULD PUT THIS ON THE ON THE MAIL. THANK YOU. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. SO HAVING HAVING WATER FILTERS IN YOUR HOMES, IT DOESN'T HELP. IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE SEE CANCER THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIKE, OH WOW, WE CAN'T DRINK THIS WATER.EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS IT HERE IN THEIR MIND, IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE, NO, IT CAN CAUSE CANCER.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING BECAUSE YOU ALSO MENTIONED HAVING FILTERS AND REPLACING THE FILTERS. YOU KNOW, ONCE THE CHROMIUM SIX PROJECT STARTS, YOU KNOW, SO IF THERE'S NO WATER FILTERS, THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO THINK, WELL, MAYBE THERE'S WATER FILTERS THAT WE CAN PURCHASE. AND SO WHENEVER CUSTOMERS ASK A QUESTION ABOUT HOW CAN THEY FURTHER TREAT THEIR WATER BEYOND WHAT MAYBE THE CITY STANDARDS ARE, WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT YOU DIRECT THEM TO THE LISTING OF CERTIFIED PRODUCTS TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES. AND THERE THERE ARE SOME CERTIFIED PRODUCTS TO REMOVE HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM, AND WE CAN HELP SHARE THE LINK TO THE CERTIFICATION LIST THAT DESCRIBES THOSE THINGS. AND IT'S A GOOD APPROACH TO GIVE FOLKS AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WHILE THE WATER QUALITY HASN'T CHANGED, THE REGULATION HAS. AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE THOSE ACTIONS AHEAD OF THE WATER UTILITIES EFFORTS, CERTAINLY THEY COULD CHOOSE TO DO SO. BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, AS IT SAYS, RIGHT AT THE VERY TOP, THIS ISN'T AN EMERGENCY. AND THE LANGUAGE THAT THE STATE REQUIRES IS THAT CONSUMING WATER WITH HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM ABOVE THE STANDARD OVER MANY YEARS MAY HAVE AN INCREASED INCIDENCE OF CANCER. SO IT'S THEY USE PRETTY THEY USE SOME LIMITED LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE THAT. BUT THEY DO USE THAT WORD AS YOU SAY. THANK YOU. THE QR CODE WILL GET UPDATED. RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT JUST LEADS YOU TO A RANDOM WEBSITE ABOUT CHROMIUM SIX ON THE WEBSITE. YES. SO AGAIN, THIS IS A DRAFT AND BUT GO AHEAD. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A LINK TO THOSE TYPE OF FILTERS, THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO PUT IT WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND READ MORE ABOUT IT IN THAT WEBSITE, I THINK IS AN APPROPRIATE PLACE.
YEAH. WE, YEAH, WE, WE, WE PUT TOGETHER A CHROMIUM SIX SECTION IN OUR WEB PAGE BACK WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THIS BACK IN 2014. SO WE DO HAVE A PLACE FOR IT. I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF, OF UPDATING THAT A LITTLE BIT, INCLUDING THE TYPES OF LINKS THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED TO FURTHER COMMENT ON THE, THE FILTERS. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE THAT MIGHT BE A SHORT TERM SOLUTION FOR THE CUSTOMER AT THE TAP, IT IS IT. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MEET THE REGULATION BY BY BY OFFERING THAT SOLUTION, WE HAVE TO TREAT THE SOURCE OF WATER THAT WE'RE PUMPING. WE HAVE A PERMIT THAT IS ISSUED TO US BY THE DIVISION OF DRINKING WATER THAT ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE WATER FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF, OF PEOPLE. AND, AND, AND WE HAVE TO TREAT IT AT, AT THE SOURCE WHEN IT COMES OUT. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT OF, OF COMPLIANCE FOR US IS WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THE WELL. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE WHAT IS CHROME SIX. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IT'S A NATURAL METALLIC ELEMENT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONTAMINATION BUT RATHER IT'S NATURALLY GROWN. JUST YOU KNOW YOU KNOW BY THE HOUR BY HOUR BY EARTH. AND SO I THINK IT'S CRITICAL AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS PUT THAT IMAGE THERE TOO, OF THE WATER CYCLE, BECAUSE IT JUST KIND OF REFERS BACK TO THAT. IT'S A NATURAL ELEMENT. SO WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR. THAT'S PART OF THE THAT WE HAD TO ADD IN THERE. THAT'S STATE LANGUAGE. STATE LANGUAGE. YEAH. EVERYTHING IN THERE IS STATE LANGUAGE OTHER THAN THE LITTLE SNIPPET OF WHAT IS FROM SIX. IT'S A BIT MISLEADING. IT REALLY IS I BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING, HEY, IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY. AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR. AND SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THAT LANGUAGE IS THERE. BUT I DO LIKE AS A RESPONSE THAT WE THEN ADDED, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS CHROME SIX? IT'S A NATURAL ELEMENT THAT'S GROWING IN THE EARTH. AND THEN ALSO IS A HISTORY OF IT. SO THAT IT WAS DENIED IN 2014. SO THAT KIND OF SHARES A BIT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE THAT MUCH OF AN EMERGENCY IF IT WAS DENIED IN 2014 AND IT TOOK, YOU KNOW, WHAT, TEN YEARS TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO BE APPROVED. AND SO I, I DO APPRECIATE THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE JUST TO KIND OF COUNTER AND GO BACK TO THAT.
THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY, BUT A NEW REGULATION. SO THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR
[00:40:06]
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING KENDRA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR PRO TEM DELGADO, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, INTERIM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR. AND TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING ON HOME OCCUPATION AND MICO PERMITS. SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON WHAT IS A MICROENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OPERATION, ALSO KNOWN AS AMICO. AMICO IS A FOOD FACILITY THAT IS OPERATED BY A RESIDENT IN A PRIVATE HOME WHERE FOOD IS STORED, HANDLED AND PREPARED FOR, AND MAY BE SERVED TO CONSUMERS. THAT MEETS ALL THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS. THE OPERATION HAS NO MORE THAN ONE FULL TIME EMPLOYEE, NOT INCLUDING A FAMILY MEMBER OR HOUSEHOLD MEMBER. FOOD IS PREPARED, COOKED, AND SERVED ON THE SAME DAY. FOOD IS CONSUMED ON SITE AT THE MICO OR OFFSITE. IF THE FOOD IS PICKED UP BY THE CONSUMER OR DELIVERED WITHIN A SAFE PERIOD BASED ON HOLDING EQUIPMENT CAPACITY, AND THE FOOD PREPARATION DOES NOT INVOLVE THE PRODUCTION, SERVICE OR SALE OF RAW MILK OR RAW MILK PRODUCTS OR RAW OYSTERS. AND THERE'S ONE MICO PERMIT ALLOWED PER RESIDENCE. FOOD PREPARATION IS LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN 30 INDIVIDUAL MEALS PER DAY, OR THE APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENT OF MEAL COMPONENTS WHEN SOLD SEPARATELY AND NO MORE THAN 60 INDIVIDUAL MEALS, OR THE APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENT OF MEAL COMPONENTS WHEN SOLD SEPARATELY PER WEEK, THE LOCAL ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY DECREASE THE LIMIT OF NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL MEALS PREPARED BASED ON FOOD PREPARATION CAPACITY OF THE OPERATION, BUT SHALL NOT, IN ANY CASE INCREASE THE LIMIT OF THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL MEALS PREPARED. SO MEAL IN THIS CONTEXT IS DEFINED AS THE AMOUNT OR QUANTITY OF FOOD THAT IS INTENDED TO BE CONSUMED BY ONE CUSTOMER AND ONE. SO SOME RESTRICTIONS OF THE MICO PERMIT ARE RAW OYSTERS, RAW MILK, PRODUCTION OF MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS AND SPECIALIZED PROCESSES ARE NOT ALLOWED UNDER THAT PERMIT. MCOS CAN ALSO NOT CANNOT ALSO OPERATE AS A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATOR, A CATERER, A TEMPORARY EVENT VENDOR, OR A MOBILE FOOD VENDOR, AND MCOS CANNOT SELL FOOD TO OTHER FACILITIES. USE HOME HOME KITCHEN AS A COMMISSARY, AND HAVE OUTDOOR SIGNAGE OR ADVERTISING. SO JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE FOR THE COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT JUST SOME KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO. SO THE MCOS PROVIDE A BROAD RANGE, INCLUDING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS. THE COTTAGE FOOD IS LIMITED TO NON POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS. THERE'S SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE ALLOWABLE SALES. MICO IS DIRECT SALES TO CONSUMERS ONLY, WHERE COTTAGE FOOD CAN BE INDIRECT SALES TO CUSTOMERS, DEPENDING UPON THE LICENSE THAT THEY HAVE. THERE IS A MILL LIMITATION UNDER MCOS WHERE THERE IS NOT A CAP ON THE COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION. SO FOR REGULATORY OVERSIGHT, THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH REGULATES THE CALIFORNIA RETAIL FOOD CODE OR CR. ENFORCEMENT. FOOD SAFETY, VERMIN INSIDE THE HOME, FOOD DEBRIS, AND DAILY AND WEEKLY SALES, AS WELL AS GROSS INCOME VERIFICATION. THE INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITIES ALSO HAVE REGULATORY AUTHORITY OVER THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, SO WE CAN ENFORCE LOCAL ORDINANCES, SIGNAGE REQUIREMENTS, NOISE, NUISANCES, TRAFFIC AND PARKING, NON FOOD DEBRIS AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOME. TO ACCOMMODATE THIS PROPOSED BUSINESS. SO SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN THESE MCOS ARE OPERATING IS TRAFFIC AND PARKING IN THE COMMUNITIES. NOISE, ODOR AND SMOKE. FATS, OILS AND GREASE DISPOSAL AND ALSO FIRE SAFETY.JUST TO TOUCH ON THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE, WE HAVE FOUR EXISTING PERMITTED MCOS IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RESIDENTS THAT HAVE HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH ONE OF THE OPERATORS, SOME OF THESE PERTAINING TO TRAFFIC IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY WANTED TO BRING TO ATTENTION AS A GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN ENFORCE AND REGULATE UPON. AND JUST TO TOUCH ON THE HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT.
THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS A MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION THAT ADDRESSES HOME OCCUPATIONS, AND INCLUDED ON THIS SLIDE IS THE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE CODE. THIS WAS ADOPTED DECEMBER 11TH OF 2013, AND SOME OF THE PARAMETERS LIMIT EMPLOYMENT AT THE HOME OCCUPATION STATEMENTS THAT THERE SHALL BE NO ALTERATION OF RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER. IT LIMITS THE SIZE OF BUSINESSES WITHIN THE HOME, AND IT ALSO REGULATES WHERE THINGS CAN BE STORED AND ITEMS SUCH AS
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THAT. SO WHILE WE DO HAVE THIS SECTION OF OUR CODE, WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A PERMIT THAT RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR TO OBTAIN OBTAIN A HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT. SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING TODAY IS GUIDANCE FROM YOU ALL ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE US TO REGULATE SOME OF THESE MICO CONCERNS AND HOME OCCUPATION PERMITS. SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STAFF HAS IS TO CREATE A STANDARDIZED CONDITION OF APPROVAL TO ADDRESS NUISANCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TRAFFIC AND PARKING, GREASE DISPOSAL AND FIRE SAFETY. FOR SOME OF THESE MCOS, AS WELL AS CREATING A PROCESS AND PERMIT TO FURTHER REGULATE AT HOME BUSINESSES AND ENFORCE COACHELLA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 17.58. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL OF THE HOME OCCUPATION? HOW MANY PERMITS DO YOU DO WE HAVE? DO YOU HAVE THAT TOP OF YOUR HEAD? I DON'T I'M NOT SURE IF SELENA MAY KNOW, BUT CURRENTLY WHAT THE PROCESS IS, IS IF BUSINESSES WANT TO OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME RIGHT NOW OR AT THEIR HOME, WE PROVIDE THEM A BUSINESS LICENSE. BUT THERE ISN'T THAT PAIRING OF A HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT THAT JUST REGULATES THOSE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. SO THERE ARE SOME EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING OUT OF THEIR HOME WITH JUST A BUSINESS LICENSE, BUT HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL HOME OCCUPATION PERMIT WOULD HELP WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THINGS AND WITH CONDITIONING BUSINESSES TO OPERATE WITHIN THE APPROVED ORDINANCE STANDARDS. OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE. AND IT'S JUST LIKE A PICKUP, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE THEY CAN SIT DOWN AND FOR THE FOR THE MCOS. YES, THEY CAN THEY CAN SIT DOWN. OKAY. YEAH. BUT IT IS LIMITED TO 30 MEALS PER DAY. NO MORE THAN 60 PER WEEK. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE THE GREASE DISPOSAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE IN REGULAR RESTAURANT LIKE IT GOES IN A SPECIFIC SPOT. CORRECT. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THE INTENT WITH THIS IS TO TRY TO CREATE A STANDARDIZED LIST OF REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS. SO IT'S FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD. AND THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN POINT TO AS, HEY, THIS IS A CONDITION OF APPROVAL THAT'S BEING ASKED FROM ALL MCOS OR FROM ALL HOME OCCUPATION PERMITS. SO IT ELIMINATES ANY GRAY AREA THAT THERE MAY BE, AND IT JUST STANDARDIZES THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. SO ARE YOU SEEKING WHEN YOU SAY CREATE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL JUST TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CREATING ONE? CORRECT. YEAH. IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE OPEN TO US WORKING ON, JUST SEEKING APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, LOOKING INTO WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND THEN COMING BACK AGAIN BEFORE YOU GUYS AND DISCUSSING THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE FOUND ON THAT. YEAH, I DO. SO I THINK BEFORE WE AGENDIZE THE ITEM, MAYBE COME BACK WITH ANOTHER PRESENTATION TO SEE WHAT WE CAN COMPARE IT TO. OKAY. ONLY BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES HAS OBVIOUSLY WOULD STILL BE IMPLEMENTING OUR OWN. BUT THERE'S LIKE TONS OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE. AND THEN ALSO IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY KIND OF I THINK, YOU KNOW, RAMPED UP IN THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE STARTED WORKING OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING FOOD JUST TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT THAT YEAR ALONE. AND THEN IT KIND OF JUST GREW. AND THEN THEY HAVE A PASSION FOR IT AND THEY REALLY ENJOY IT. AND SO WE WANT TO BE AS SUPPORTIVE AS WE CAN TO THEM WHILE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. AND I THINK IT'S SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ONLY IS IT A SAFETY CONCERN, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COOKING WITH ALL THE REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS, BUT THAT ALSO IS THAT WHEN WE HAVE HOUSING COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE REALLY GOOD WITH NOT MAKING THEM BUSINESS COMMUNITIES. AND SO MY CONCERN IS ALSO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS IS HOW MANY WOULD WE ALLOW WITHIN A COMMUNITY ALONE, A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. AND I'M THINKING THAT PROBABLY MANY HAVE GROWN. AND I ALWAYS SAY THIS.BUT, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY ALSO BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ANY ACCOUNTABILITY OR EDUCATION OR REGULATION, IT KIND OF JUST CONTINUED, YOU KNOW, TO GROW. AND SO I'M HAPPY THAT YOU'RE BRINGING THIS UP. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. IN ADDITION, IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, THAT WE'RE TYING IT IN TO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S NEEDED. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN PUSHING A GREAT DEAL FOR WHEN IT COMES TO THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS THE EDUCATION. I CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH. IT'S EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. SO IF THEY WANT TO DO A HOME OCCUPANCY OR HOME OCCUPATION, HOME OCCUPATION IS WHAT THE APPLICATION LOOKS LIKE, THE BUSINESS PERMIT, BECAUSE I THINK MANY FOLKS ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED A BUSINESS PERMIT. AND I THINK THAT HELD TRUE MANY TIMES WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE DOING THE AIRBNBS, THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WAS A BUSINESS AND THAT THEY NEEDED A BUSINESS PERMIT. SO I DO WANT TO GO IN HERE AS SUPPORTIVE AS REASONABLY POSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY, IS THAT
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THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ALSO HAVE TO GET A COUNTY PERMIT. AND SO THERE'S A LOT TIED INTO HERE.THERE'S MULTIPLE PERMITS. THERE'S A BUSINESS AS A HOME OCCUPATION, AND THEN THERE'S A COUNTY PERMIT. AND SO AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THIS IS THAT WE REALLY KIND OF TIE IT ON TO TIE IT IN TOGETHER SO THAT THEY ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PROCESS AND CONNECTION AND WHAT EACH OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS AND WHY. AND SO I THINK WHEN WE'RE REGULATING AND IT'S LIKE, HEY, YOU NEED A COUNTY PERMIT, IT'S GOING TO BE MAYBE HARD FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE REQUIRING A COUNTY PERMIT. AND AT THAT POINT, OBVIOUSLY, IT NEEDS TO BE MADE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HEALTH REQUIREMENTS ARE REGULATED BY THE COUNTY AND NOT BY THE CITY. SO AND I KNOW YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF ALL THIS STUFF, BUT THAT WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WE'RE AS SUPPORTIVE AS REASONABLY POSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE ARPA MONEY CAME OUT, I PUSHED AND I PUSHED AND I PUSHED FOR MONEY TO BE SET ASIDE FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT DID NOT HAVE PERMITS, SO THAT THAT MONIES CAN GO TO PAY THE PERMITS AND HELP THEM WITH THE APPLICATIONS, BECAUSE IT STARTS ADDING UP AND IT'S VERY INTIMIDATING. IT'S A VERY INTIMIDATING PROCESS THAT WAS NOT SUPPORTED. BUT I, I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED BECAUSE IT DOES GENERATE GROWTH FOR US. IT DOES BUILD ON IT. SO I KNOW ā THAT'S QUITE A BIT, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU'LL BRING THAT BACK WHEN YOU COME BACK AGAIN. THANK YOU. AND THEN JUST A QUICK UPDATE WAS WITH TWO OF THE MICO OPERATORS. THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND I KNOW THAT THEY DID HAVE ONE OF THEM HAD A RESIDENT REACH OUT LIKE CONCERNED WITH TRAFFIC. AND SELENA AND I MET WITH THAT OPERATOR BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING, WELL, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IMPACTFUL TO RESIDENTS. THIS IS ALSO A GREAT SIGN AND SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT WITH MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE YOUR BUSINESS IS GENERATING A TON OF TRAFFIC. WE DISCUSSED DIFFERENT OPTIONS WITH THIS BUSINESS OWNER TO GO INTO A BRICK AND MORTAR, SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP TRANSITION THOSE THAT ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL INTO DIFFERENT SPACES AND OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL. SO IT'S OUR INTENTION, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND TO HELP HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO FURTHER PURSUE THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESSES. YOU KNOW, AND I ALWAYS SHARE WITH THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE PERMITS, IS THAT HAVING THE PERMITS ALLOWS YOU TO GO AND NOW SELL AT EVENTS. AND SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY MAYBE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE LARGER BENEFIT TO IT. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THEN WE'RE NOW MOVING ON TO THE COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKET. GOOD EVENING SELENA. GOOD EVENING. VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. CITY MANAGER SELENA JIMENEZ DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE BRINGING AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM FORWARD FOR THE COUNCIL'S JUST INFORMATION AND MAYBE POSSIBLY DIRECTION, BUT IT'S MOSTLY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES. AND I JUST WANTED TO BEGIN WITH THIS LITTLE CUTE LITTLE DEFINITION ABOUT A FARMER'S MARKET. SO A FARMER'S MARKET IS AN AGE OLD FORM OF FARM DIRECT MARKETING, DATING BACK TO THE EARLY HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. MARKETS BRING FARMERS TO URBAN AND RURAL SETTINGS WHERE CONSUMERS SHOP FOR FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN FOODS. SO A FARMER'S MARKET HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE LOCAL FOOD SECURITY, TEACH ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS, AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL FARMERS AND BUSINESSES WHILE ENRICHING THE CULTURAL, HERITAGE AND COMMUNITY LIFE OF, SAY, THE CITY OF COACHELLA. AND SO A FARMER'S MARKET WOULD HAVE A NEXUS AND CONNECTION TO OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS ELEMENT IN OUR GENERAL PLAN. SO THAT'S THAT HELPS US MEET THAT MANDATE. AND THEN HERE ARE SOME POSSIBILITIES AT THE FARMER'S MARKET, A SUCCESSFUL FARMER'S MARKET COULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE BIG TABLE DINNERS, KNIFE SHARPENING, EDIBLE GARDENS, COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS, PRODUCE BOXES, COMPOSTING, MUSIC AT THE MARKET, AND FOOD AS MEDICINE. SO ABOUT A CERTIFIED FARMER'S MARKET. SO A CERTIFIED FARMER'S MARKET IS A MARKET WHERE FARMERS SELL THEIR CALIFORNIA GROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC. AND THIS ITEM RIGHT HERE IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT YOU GREW THE PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE SELLING. AND SO YOU HAVE TO OBTAIN AN ANNUAL PERMIT THAT ARE OBTAINED BY THE MARKET MANAGER OR THE FARMER'S MARKET ORGANIZER. ANNUAL PERMITS CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM $744 TO $1600, DEPENDING ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE MARKET. AND SO
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CFM'S ARE REGULATED AND INSPECTED BY BOTH THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER. AND SO THESE ARE THE WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN BECOME A CERTIFIED PRODUCER WITH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. THEY MUST CONTACT THEIR LOCAL COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE FOR THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ARE PRODUCED, AND THEN THEY MUST CONTACT AND OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE MARKET MANAGER OR THE ORGANIZER WHERE THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN. AND SO INDIVIDUAL FARMERS ARE COVERED UNDER THE MARKET MANAGER'S PERMIT AND ARE NOT REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A SEPARATE PERMIT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. SO IT'S QUITE THE PROCESS TO KIND OF GET TO BEING A SELLER THERE AND WHAT CAN BE SOLD. AND SO WHAT CAN BE EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN BE SOLD AS CERTIFIED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS? EXAMPLES INCLUDE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES, RAW SHELLED NUTS, EGGS, RAW UNTREATED HONEY, FLOWERS AND NURSERY STOCK. AND THEN FOR THE NON CERTIFIED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT ITEMS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE CHEESE, JUICE, JAMS, JELLIES, OLIVE OIL, LIVESTOCK, POULTRY, FISH AND SHELLFISH. AND HERE'S A LISTING OF OUR EXISTING FARMER'S MARKETS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. THERE'S ONE AT INDIAN WELLS, PALM DESERT, RANCHO MIRAGE, PALM SPRINGS, AND THEN INDIO. AND IF YOU NOTICE, A LOT OF THESE RUN OCTOBER THROUGH MAY, AND THEN THEY GO DARK IN THE SUMMER, EXCEPT FOR THE PALM SPRINGS CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET WHERE THEY OPEN, THEY SHIFT THEIR MARKET TO INDOORS FOR THE MONTHS OF JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER. AND THAT'S REALLY LITERALLY THE ONLY FARMERS MARKET THAT IS HELD INDOORS DURING THE SUMMER. AND ALL THE OTHER ONES ARE OUTDOORS DURING THE MORE FAVORABLE WEATHER MONTHS. AND HERE'S A PROJECTION OF ANNUAL COST. AND THIS CAME FROM ME SPEAKING WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, WITH MULTIPLE FARMERS, MARKET MANAGERS AND ORGANIZERS. AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT AND THIS IS NOT COUNTING LIKE CITY STAFF TIME, IT'S ABOUT $168,000. AND SO IT WOULD BE FOR ALL THESE ITEMS THAT YOU SEE UP HERE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN A FARMER'S MARKET IS ESTABLISHED THAT THEY HIRE LIKE A MARKET MANAGER AND AN ASSISTANT TO HELP ENSURE THAT THE FARMER'S MARKET IS VIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE, SUSTAINED OVER TIME. AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE MEETING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN HAVING A RESTROOM AND HANDWASHING STATIONS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $168,000 MINIMUM. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE STAFF TIME. IF STAFF HAS TO GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, PUT LIKE ROAD CLOSURES OR OTHER THINGS, LIKE EVEN JUST SUPERVISING TO ENSURE THAT THE EVENT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, REMAINING COMPLIANT AND SAFE. AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION FOR SUCCESS AND THIS CAME FROM SOME RESEARCH THAT MY TEAM CONDUCTED NATIONWIDE. WE LOOKED AT VARIOUS RESEARCH DOCUMENTS THAT TALKED ABOUT LIKE WHAT WHAT REALLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE SUCCESS OF A FARMER'S MARKET. AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE FOUND IS THAT YOU SHOULD START WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE. AND SO STARTING A NEW FARMER'S MARKET IS A MUCH BIGGER UNDERTAKING THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE. A GREAT DEAL OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND IT REQUIRES A GOOD DEAL OF TIME AND A WIDE VARIETY OF SKILLS. SINCE MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF STARTING A NEW FARMER'S MARKET BY CREATING A STEERING COMMITTEE. AND SO THE JOB OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE WOULD BE TO CONDUCT THE BACKGROUND RESEARCH, DEVELOP THE GOALS AND MISSION FOR THE FARMER'S MARKET, AND OVERSEE THE CREATION OF THE MARKET. THE MOST EFFECTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL BE REPRESENTATIONAL OF THE COMMUNITY, AND SO IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU INCLUDE FARMERS, CONSUMERS, LOCAL BUSINESS BUSINESSES, MUNICIPAL LEADERS, KEY PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, NON-PROFITS, COOPERATIVE EDUCATORS, AND CONSULTING FIRMS JUST TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP IT GOING. AND SO I WANTED TO BRING THIS QUICK LITTLE CASE STUDY. THIS IS THE SANTA BARBARA CERTIFIED FARMER'S MARKET ASSOCIATION. THIS FARMER'S MARKET IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND I WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW THE CITY COUNCIL JUST WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. AND SO THIS MARKET WAS STARTED MANY YEARS AGO IN 1983. AND SO BASICALLY OVER THE YEARS THERE, MEMBER, MEMBER OWNED AND OPERATED ASSOCIATION HAS GROWN TO APPROXIMATELY 130 MEMBERS. AND THEY ALL PARTICIPATE IN THEIR SIX WEEKLY CERTIFIED FARMER'S MARKETS THROUGHOUT SANTA BARBARA, GOLETA, MONTECITO, CARPINTERIA, AND SOLVANG. AND SO THEY BASICALLY PRACTICE A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE OF PRODUCER TO CONSUMER. SO THEY WORK[01:00:07]
DILIGENTLY TO BRING THE FRESHEST AND MOST NUTRITIOUS PRODUCE FROM THEIR RICH LOCAL AGRICULTURAL LAND. AND SO AND THEY SELL IT DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC. AND SO HERE I POINTED OUT SAMPLES OF THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU NEED AN INVESTED STRUCTURE WITH LOCAL FARMERS SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINABLE FARMER'S MARKET. AND THEN STAFFING. STAFFING IS A MUST. THAT'S A NECESSARY COMPONENT FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THEY'VE GOT A GENERAL MANAGER, A SENIOR ONSITE MANAGER, A BOOKKEEPER, A MARKET MANAGER, AND LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT MARKET ASSISTANTS TO ENSURE THAT THIS FARMER'S MARKET, IT DOES NOT FAIL. AND I DID HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT ON THEIR OWN THEY WENT TO SANTA BARBARA AND THEY ACTUALLY JUST HAPPENED TO VISIT THE FARMER'S MARKET. AND SHE TOLD ME IT WAS AMAZING. BUT SHE WAS LIKE, THERE WAS A LOT OF STAFF AND A LOT OF LIKE, THE FARMER'S LIKE RUNNING IT, LIKE IT WASN'T THIS THING WHERE IT'S JUST A COUPLE OF PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, SO I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH.AND SO HERE'S A CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY FARMER'S MARKET. AND AGAIN, THIS CHECKLIST IS VERY EXTENSIVE. BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS REALLY GOOD FOUNDATION AND RESEARCH BEHIND IT. AND SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER THE ENTIRE CHECKLIST. BUT I JUST WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH THE MARKET SEASON DAYS AND TIMES OF OPERATION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO COMPETE WITH OUR OTHER EXISTING FARMER'S MARKETS, BECAUSE SOME OF THE MARKET FARMER MARKET ORGANIZERS THAT I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH, THEY ASKED IF COACHELLA IS GOING TO BEGIN. ONE, DON'T LOOK TO US BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU, BUT PLEASE PICK A DAY THAT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH OUR FARMER'S MARKETS. SO I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THAT LEAVES ME WITH MONDAY AND TUESDAY. WHO IS WHO IS THESE PEOPLE? YOU SAID IT'S CHRISTY.
CHRISTINE. SHE'S THE ONE THAT RUNS THE PALM DESERT, RANCHO MIRAGE, INDIAN WELLS, FROM THE CULTURAL CENTER THAT THEY RUN. ALL OF IT? NO, SHE. SO SHE ONLY DOES LIKE FOUR. SO, LIKE, LET ME GO BACK REAL QUICK. SO SHE OPERATES THE PALM DESERT, RANCHO MIRAGE AND INDIAN WELLS. SHE SOMEBODY ELSE DOES INDIO. AND SHE HAS TOLD ME THAT ACTUALLY. SO THE FOUR THAT CHRISTY RUNS, SHE TOLD ME THAT NO ONE THERE IS LOCAL. AND I ASKED HER WHY, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE LOCAL FARMERS? AND SHE SAID, WELL, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE. THEY DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BECOME A CERTIFIED FARMER'S MARKET PRODUCER BECAUSE THEY SELL THEIR PRODUCTS, LIKE IN BULK AND TO, YOU KNOW, LARGER RETAIL MARKETS. AND SO THE PEOPLE THAT SHE HAS AT EACH OF HER MARKETS IS THE SAME PEOPLE, BUT IT'S LIKE PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE AREA. SO PEOPLE FROM ANZA MURRIETA, YUCAIPA, YOU KNOW, LIKE I'VE BEEN TO THEM, YOU KNOW, I'M ACTUALLY A BIG SUPPORTER OF FARMER'S MARKETS. BUT EVERYBODY THERE IS NOT FROM HERE. AND SO SHE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT WHATEVER YOU'RE SELLING, LIKE YOU GREW IT HERE AND THEN YOU'RE SELLING IT, THAT YOU GREW IT YOURSELF. AND SO A LOT OF THE FOLK DON'T WANT TO GET THAT CERTIFICATION. AND SO, SO SHE WAS LIKE, SO I'VE JUST BEEN VERY FRUSTRATED AND I JUST DON'T EVEN DEAL WITH THE LOCALLY. AND THEN SHE MENTIONED THAT. SO THE PALM SPRINGS FOLK, THEY'RE LIKE IN A WHOLE ELEMENT IN, IN, IN THEMSELVES LIKE THEY, THEY OPERATE AND RUN THEIR FARMER'S MARKET INDEPENDENTLY. THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CHRISTY. AND BUT THEY DO A VERY, VERY NICE JOB THERE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO THEIR FARMER'S MARKET. AND SO THEY ALSO HAVE SOME OF THE SAME VENDORS, BECAUSE I KIND OF WONDERED, WHY IS IT THAT WE DON'T HAVE LOCAL FARMERS THERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME LOCAL GROWERS OR WHATEVER. AND, AND SO THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE SELLING AND GROWING THEIR STUFF, LIKE DIRECTLY, IT'S THE MADISON PRODUCE STAND. I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN IT IN INDIO, AND IT'S JUST LIKE A PRODUCE STAND AND EVERYTHING THEY SELL THERE, THEY GREW RIGHT THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE FOLK ARE OKAY. BUT SO I THINK IT WOULD BE PROBABLY DIFFICULT TO GET SOME PARTICIPATION. I'M NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THESE ARE THE REALITIES THAT I ENCOUNTERED WHEN I TALKED TO PEOPLE LOCALLY AND EVEN OUTSIDE THE AREA, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY VISITED THE FARMER'S MARKETS IN SAN DIEGO, IN VISTA, HILLCREST AND LITTLE ITALY, AND EVEN THOSE PEOPLE THERE WERE TELLING ME JUST ABOUT SOME OF THESE FACTORS. SO IT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED. THE PEOPLE IN SAN DIEGO DO CHARGE LIKE THEIR VENDORS. THEY MAKE THEM SIGN A CONTRACT AND THEN THEY MAKE THEM THEY PAY LIKE A FEE. AND SO THERE'S LIKE A FEE, A FEE TO PARTICIPATE. AND THEN IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP, LIKE YOU GET FINED. AND SO THERE ARE MECHANISMS TO ENSURE
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PARTICIPATION IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. AND SO LIKE I DIDN'T SEE THAT HERE IN THE DESERT. BUT IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY THEY DO HAVE LIKE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, YOU HAVE TO BE HERE RAIN OR SHINE. AND THAT'S WHY YOU NEED THAT MARKET MANAGER TO AND THE ASSISTANTS TO KIND OF ENSURE THAT THERE'S PARTICIPATION FOR THE FARMER'S MARKET. AND SO YEAH, SO THAT SO WE BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STEERING COMMITTEE LED BY THE LOCAL FARMERS. AND THEN SO WE REVIEWED THE CASE STUDY AND THEN THE CHECKLIST. AND I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. BUT I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE THE COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET US KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SEE, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT MAYBE, PERHAPS SHOULD BE TAKEN UP BY OUR LOCAL FARMERS? AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE GROUPS HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY THAT HAVE AN ALLIANCE AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST AND BY THE WAY, I DID CHECK WITH THE COACHELLA VALLEY GROWERS. I THINK THE GROUP THAT JANELLE, MISS JANELLE IS A PART OF. AND SHE DID TELL ME THAT I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE STAFF AND I DON'T HAVE MONEY. WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AS YOU SAW, IT'LL TAKE A MINIMUM OF $168,000 A YEAR. AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE IN-KIND STAFF SUPPORT. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? AND IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU CAN DO IT ON SATURDAYS BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S ALREADY DOING ON SATURDAYS, RIGHT? YEAH. UNLESS WE JUST WHERE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HERE WORK DURING THE WEEK, LIKE FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAYS WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE THE BEST TIME TO HAVE HAVE THESE EVENTS. BUT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY THEY'RE ALREADY OPERATING THEIRS. WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD JUST BE, I THINK I GUESS AGGRESSIVE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HOLD YOUR OWN FARMER'S MARKET. BUT WE CAN IT'S JUST I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICAL ITEMS TO KEEP IN MIND. AND SO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT STAFF IS HERE TO DELIVER WHATEVER THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE. SO I'M HERE TO DELIVER. BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF WHAT THESE COSTS LOOK LIKE. AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CALCULATE LIKE HOW MUCH STAFF TIME BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT LIKE, MARITZA'S BUDGETS FOR LIKE SOME OF THE EVENTS AND THE OVERTIME THAT GOES INTO THOSE TO KIND OF LIKE PUT THAT IN HERE. AND THE LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH OUR CITY MANAGER, I HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ADDITIONAL $40,000, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE ABOUT 200,000 A YEAR TO RUN A FARMER'S MARKET. BUT LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ONE. I JUST I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO DO BECAUSE THERE'S THERE THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICS THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND. THANK YOU. SO IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NO. MY QUESTION. WHAT THE MARKET MANAGER WOULDN'T BE A CITY EMPLOYEE, RIGHT? YOU'D BE A CONTRACT RIGHT WITH SOMEONE TO COME AND DO THAT. YES. BECAUSE THE CITY HAS TWO OPTIONS. WE EITHER CAN HAVE THE STEERING COMMITTEE FARMER PEOPLE LIKE SET THAT UP. AND THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY. A CITY REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVE CAN BE ON THAT COMMITTEE JUST TO BE LIKE A LIAISON BETWEEN THE CITY AND THEMSELVES. BUT IN THAT MODEL, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY GO AHEAD AND OPERATE THAT AND DO EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO DO. OR THE OTHER MODEL WOULD BE WHERE THE CITY JUST TAKES IT ON, AND THEN WE PAY FOR EVERYTHING AND THEN WE HAVE TO ORGANIZE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING. AND SO THE CITY HAS HAD A PAST FARMER'S MARKET HERE, I BELIEVE, TWO TIMES. WHAT WAS IT, BILL? AND IT WASN'T SUCCESSFUL. AND THEY HAD THE SNAP PROGRAM OFFERINGS BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT YOU CAN TAKE CALFRESH AND WICK AND SNAP AND ALL THAT, AND IT JUST WASN'T SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE KEPT SAYING THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD, HEARD FROM, HEARD ABOUT WAS THAT THEY FELT LIKE, WELL, I PICKED THE PRODUCE. LIKE, I GET IT FOR FREE. I WHY DO I WANT TO PAY EXORBITANT PRICES? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE EVEN ORGANIC PRODUCE COSTS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST REGULAR PRODUCE. AND SO PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT TO PAY THOSE PRICES BECAUSE THE FARMER'S MARKET THAT I, THE FARMER'S MARKETS THAT I'VE ATTENDED HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, EVERY TIME I GO, I PROBABLY SPEND ABOUT $75. AND SO, I MEAN, THAT'S COST PROHIBITIVE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO SPEND $75 ON FRUIT, YOGURT, VEGGIES WHEN YOU CAN GET IT FOR FAR LESS. I MEAN, SO I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NO, NO.DOES COUNCIL WANT TO GIVE DIRECTION I. WELL DOES DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR OPINIONS ON DIRECTION. I THINK BASED ON IT NOT WORKING OUT LAST TIME, I MEAN I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT. OTHER CITIES HAVE IT. THE THING IS, TO ME IT'S THE DAYS IT WOULD NOT WORK OUT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT HERE, BUT THAT'S MY THING. BUT I MEAN, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT LA QUINTA HAS, WHAT INDIO HAS, YOU KNOW, PALM SPRINGS AND PALM DESERT HAS. MY QUESTION IS
[01:10:04]
INVESTING THE MONEY AND NOT HAVING THE TURNOUT AND THEN HAVING TO CANCEL IT? THAT'S.YEAH, IT IS $200,000 BECAUSE THEN YOU GOT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE STAFF. I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HAVE IT ON SATURDAY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME DOWN HERE AND DRINK COFFEE OR A SUNDAY MORNING, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO COMPETE WITH INDIO. AND THEN MY CONCERN IS THEN ARE WE GOING TO EVEN GET LIKE THE SAME VENDORS, LIKE PEOPLE SAY, OH, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY HERE OR PEOPLE WON'T BE ATTRACTED BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE ELSE ON A SUNDAY AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE KNOW WE GET THE REOCCURRING CLIENTELE THERE. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF THESE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, RIGHT? SO THEY CAN'T HAVE TWO STANDS AT ONE TIME. SO I THINK THAT'S THE DATES, THE CHALLENGE.
IT'S A CHALLENGE RIGHT. IT'S LIKE A IT'S LIKE A IT'S A GAMBLE OF LIKE INVESTING MONEY. AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT $200,000 OR WHATEVER COULD HAVE GONE INVESTED ELSEWHERE OR, YOU KNOW, WORK IN A DIFFERENT TYPE OF FOOD PROGRAM, RIGHT, IN DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO PAY BEFORE. RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S A KEY INDICATOR, RIGHT? LIKE, ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE LIKE, WELL, I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT AGAIN IN THAT SENSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TIMES HAVE CHANGED. BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE I, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. SO A FEW THINGS HERE IS ONE, I, I WANT YOU TO HOW DID WE THE PRESENTATION HOW DID YOU COME TO DO THE PRESENTATION. BECAUSE I SEE SOME PEOPLE NODDING THEIR HEAD. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THEM TO THINK THAT I DIRECTED YOU TO BRING THIS FORWARD. SO CAN YOU GIVE US A HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE WITH THE PRESENTATION? YES. SO ACTUALLY THIS ITEM WAS BROUGHT, I GUESS, THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR HERNANDEZ HAD MENTIONED THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE STAFF EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, THE FEASIBILITY OF A FARMER'S MARKET. SO, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT IT FORWARD TO THE COUNCIL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING AND IT JUST I THINK IT WAS REQUESTED, I BELIEVE OUR CITY MANAGER WAS TOLD TO BRING THIS ITEM FORWARD. AND SO WE DID. AND, AND I JUST ASKED FOR TIME BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE THOROUGH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE COST AND TALKING TO THESE PEOPLE AND THOSE PEOPLE AND EVEN THE, THE VENDORS THEMSELVES, BECAUSE AS DOCTOR FIGUEROA MENTIONED, WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH VENDORS AT THESE FARMERS MARKETS, THEY ALSO TOLD ME, LOOK, I, I CAN'T SUPPORT YOUR SUPPORT, YOUR MARKET. IF YOU PICK A DAY THAT I'M ALREADY AT THESE OTHER FOUR OR, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S THAT CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT APPEARS THAT THERE'S REALLY NO ONE LOCALLY THAT WANTS TO SELL THEIR PRODUCE UNLESS YOU'RE THE MADISON PRODUCE STAND. BUT, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT'S HOW IT CAME ABOUT. SO I JUST SO FOR LISTENERS IS WE HAVE SUBCOMMITTEES AND SUBCOMMITTEES.
THERE'S DIRECTION THAT'S GIVEN AND THEN THAT DIRECTION. THEN THIS IS WHY THE CITY MANAGER ASKED TO DEVELOP THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO PUT IT FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE SET UP HERE IN THE CITY. SO I DON'T AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE I, I CANNOT SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT COST THE CITY $210,000 AND SO MANY STAFFING HOURS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I THINK OF WHAT WE NEED HERE IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. AND I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO SEE A PROGRAM FOR A SMALL BUSINESS, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY OR BRICK AND MORTAR TO, YOU KNOW, TEACH THEM HOW TO DO MARKETING, TEACH THEM HOW TO DO ONLINE SOMETHING WHERE THE SKILLS THAT ARE NECESSARY HERE FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE. BUT WHEN I THINK OF THE MONIES AND THE STAFF THAT WE USE, I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW IT BENEFITS COACHELLA RESIDENTS. HOW DOES IT BENEFIT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING $35,000? AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FARMER'S MARKET, FARMER'S MARKETS ARE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. THEY'RE VERY COSTLY. YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE HIGH, HIGH COSTS ON THE PRODUCE AND, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING FORWARD. FOR ME, IT'S NOT THE DAYS I DON'T IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME SO MUCH THAT THERE'S OTHER EVENTS GOING ON ON THE SAME DAY, BUT RATHER IS THAT, IN MY OPINION, WE DON'T HAVE THIS TYPE OF RESOURCES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A STEERING COMMITTEE. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE STUFF THAT'S NEEDED. HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU ALREADY INVESTED BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'VE VISITED OTHER CITIES AND STUDIED WHAT THEY HAVE AND WHAT WORKS, AND IT'S FARMERS MARKETS STRUGGLE, YOU KNOW, THEY STRUGGLE AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERS, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE WILLING PARTNERS THAT DOESN'T BRING THAT MUCH REVENUE BACK. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST WHAT
[01:15:04]
IT IS. AND SO JUST FROM YOU TALKING AND SAYING THAT YOUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, IS, IS HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU ALREADY INVESTED? IT'S A LOT. IT'S A LOT. AND FOR ME, AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES IS, IS THAT I WANT TO SEE US. I WANT TO SEE OUR RESIDENTS. I WANT TO SEE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. I WANT US TO SEE US THRIVE. I WANT US TO SURVIVE. AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE JUST SURVIVING. THEY'RE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR KIDS, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HELPING OUT IN THE RESTAURANT OR HELPING OUT IN THE BUSINESS. BUT I WANT TO SEE US. I WANT TO SEE COACHELLA THRIVE. AND I PREFER TO USE RESOURCES AND MONIES FOR WHAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY AND HOW WE CAN HELP ELEVATE THEM AND US. BUT THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE I STAND. AND I DO WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY COLLEAGUES TO THINK THAT IN NO WAY AM I BEING CRITICAL OF IT. BUT BUT THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY REALISTIC OF WHAT RESOURCES AND WHAT MONIES WE HAVE AND WHERE AND HOW WE CAN USE IT BEST. AND I SAID AT THE LAST TIME IS WE'RE NOT A BIG CITY.WE'RE A VERY MUCH WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY. AND I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE OUR SMALL, WHEN WE HAVE OUR OUR DEMOGRAPHIC, OUR POPULATION, AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE I COME ACROSS THESE PARENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. THEY WORK THE FIELDS, THEY WORK THE FIELDS. AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO AND SHOP AT A FARMER'S MARKET FOR PRODUCE THAT THEY LIKE. YOU SAID THAT THEY PICK, THEY DON'T. AND SO, BILL, I MEAN, I KNOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET AND WE SEE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE VERY GOOD WHEN IT COMES TO MONIES AND WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE AND IN YOUR OPINION, AND THAT IS YOUR EXPERTISE IS, YOU KNOW, CAN FARMERS MARKET IS A GREAT IDEA. BUT CAN WE CAN YOU INVEST THAT MUCH OF YOUR STAFF. AND YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE KIND OF HAD THIS DISCUSSION ALREADY ONCE WITH THE AG SUMMIT. AND I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IS THINGS WILL SUCCEED IF THE PEOPLE THAT BENEFIT FROM IT THE MOST ARE BEHIND IT, WHICH WOULD BE THE FARMERS YOU DON'T SEE IN THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT THE CITIES ARE LEADING THE EFFORTS IN THE FARMERS MARKETS. IT'S AG DOING THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND AG HERE IS ON A WHOLESALE BASIS, AND I'M SURE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE LEVEL WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE MICRO ECONOMY. THEY WANT TO LOOK MACRO BECAUSE THEY DO IT ON A LARGE SCALE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF LAND THAT'S FARMED HERE. I JUST DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT FARMER'S MARKETS FIT HERE BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US. FARMERS PRODUCE ON A LARGE SCALE, THE ONE THAT'S ON MONROE. PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHERE A FRUIT STAND WORKS. OR, YOU KNOW, A VEGETABLE STAND BECAUSE IT'S MICRO. IT'S NOT MACRO. I THINK THAT IS WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE SUCCESS WITH OUR LAST MARKET OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BACK THEN, HAD WORKED, PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO IT AND DIDN'T GET A LOT OF SUPPORT. AND I WOULD HATE TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD WHERE WE'RE INVESTING A LOT OF STAFF TIME, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF STAFF TIME INVESTED PUTTING TOGETHER A, YOU KNOW, A PRESENTATION. AND WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT AS A CITY. AND FOCUSING ON AG IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS WORK THERE. BUT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING SERVICES TO THOSE CONSTITUENTS. AND SO I AGREE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT WE NEED TO STAY OUR COURSE, OUR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, AND WE ARE HAVING BUDGET PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW AND ADDING MORE TO STAFF WITH ULTIMATELY FEWER STAFF. IT'S JUST GOING TO NOT ALLOW US TO FOCUS ON WHERE WE NEED. OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE. YES. THANK YOU BILL. SO PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT OUR CITY MANAGER JUST SAID IS THAT ALSO IS THAT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE WHERE THE CITY PURCHASED THE AND IT WAS A BILL WHO BROUGHT THIS UP. IS THE COMMUNITY FACILITY THAT WE HAVE THE CRC. YEAH. IS THAT YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE LARGE REFRIGERATORS IN THERE AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN IN THERE. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT LOCATION AS WELL. IF, YOU KNOW, FARMERS WANT TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE OR ANY FOOD PRODUCERS THAT THAT CAN BE AN AREA IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE THEIR PRODUCE. BUT THAT'S JUST A FACILITY THAT'S THERE FOR THEIR USE, BUT IT'S STILL NOT BEING CITY LED. AND SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON
[01:20:03]
PROGRAMS ON HOW WE CAN HELP OUR EXISTING SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AND I KNOW YOU AND KENDRA HAVE ALREADY STARTED BY GOING IN AND LOOKING AT THE HOME OCCUPATION BUSINESSES AND HELPING THEM THRIVE. BUT I THINK I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME PROGRAMS GOING THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP OUR, OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY GROW AND DEVELOP WITH WHATEVER TOOLS AND RESOURCES WE CAN PROVIDE THEM. YES. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY INPUT OR I MEAN, ARE YOUR FEELINGS? OH, I, I AM HERE TO DO AS YOU DIRECT AND, AND SO WE WANT TO BE VERY REASONABLE BECAUSE I DO AGREE WITH OUR CITY MANAGER THAT WE HAVE TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS OF STAFF TIME, BUT ALSO JUST CONSCIENTIOUS OF COST. AND SO IF THERE'S SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO LEAD THIS EFFORT ON BEHALF OF THE LOCAL FARMERS, I THINK TERRIFIC. YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MOST WINNING RECIPE THAT WE COULD CONJURE. SO I DO THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF, IF THAT COULD TAKE PLACE NATURALLY AND WITH WITH THOSE FOLKS BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO AGAIN LIKE FEATURE LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE, BUT THAT IT'S PROVIDED BY, BY THESE PEOPLE. AND SO, SO I THINK, I MEAN, I, I, WE EXPLORED SO MANY OPTIONS AND I FEEL LIKE I PRESENTED IT OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE. AND SO HOPEFULLY THE COUNCIL FEELS THAT IT WAS COMPREHENSIVE. BUT I REALLY DID LOOK AROUND AND I YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF LOGISTICS. SO IT WAS VERY WELL PUT. THANK YOU, THANK[Public Comments (Non-Agenda Items)]
YOU, THANK YOU. AND THEN NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. IF WE RECEIVED ANYBODY ONLINE OR ANYONE IN PERSON WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, I DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKER SLIPS. IS THERE ANYBODY ONLINE? NO. HANDS RAISED ONLINE? NO. IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO GET A SPEAKER SLIP AND MAKE A COMMENT? OKAY, OKAY. AND THIS IS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS OKAY. OKAY. YOU CAN YOU CAN COME UP HERE FIRST AND THEN I'LL GET THE SLIP AFTER OKAY. IT'S OKAY.EDUARDO ORTEGA. YO VENGO PARA HACER UN FOLLOW UP COMO SE DICE PARA SEGUIR LA CONVERSACION ACERCA DEL FUTBOL PORQUE INTERESA MUCHO ESA PARTE POR LA MANERA DE ESTAN VUELTO LOS NINOS COMO USTEDES DICEN LA COMUNIDAD. PORQUE ESO ES EL PRINCIPAL JUEGA AQUI EN EL VALLE PUSIERA.
ENTONCES COMO HICIMOS LA OTRA VEZ LA VEZ ANTERIOR HOY RUMORES DEL CONSIGLIO QUERRIA ESTABAN LA NUEVA DE UN DE REPENTE. ENTONCES EL PROTOCOLO YO SEGUIR EL CONSIGLIO CON LA EL COMITĆ DE.
RELACIONES. ES EN EL MOU. ENTONCES SOLAMENTE EL. EN VIVO. LAS DOS LIGAS TRABAJANDO YA TIENE MUCHO TIEMPO. TRABAJANDO EN LOS DOS DIAS. USTEDES LAS CONOCEN. ENTONCES YO PIENSO.
NECESARIO OTRA ALGUIEN NUEVO Y VER A VER COMO COMO TRABAJA. PERSONAS EN ESTAS ESA NUEVA O ESA COMO USTEDES. ENTONCES NADA MAS ES LO QUIERO UNA PARA PARA VER. QUĆ ES EL HAN TOMADO.
USTEDES EN CONSIDERACION Y SI LO HAN PENSADO. QUĆ QUĆ VA A PROCEDURE PORQUE ESTAN LAS COMO A MEDIO TORNEO. YA SE VA ACABANDO. PERO QUĆ VAMOS A VER POR LO MENOS. YO QUIERO SABER.
CUAL ES EL TIEMPO O DE TODO ESTO. LO HAN USTEDES DECIDIDO. SI SE VA A SEGUIR. QUĆ QUIEREN HACER. EL POR QUĆ. MUCHAS GRACIAS. THANK YOU. MUCHAS GRACIAS. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYONE? I DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS. ANY. OH, EXCUSE ME, I DO NOT HAVE ANY
[Consent Calendar]
SPEAKER SLIPS. THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS IS, OR WOULD YOU LIKE ANY ITEMS TO BE PULLED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT CALENDAR. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. I NOW MOVING ON[New Business Calendar (Legislative and Administrative)]
TO AGENDA ITEM 20. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. THIS ITEM BEFORE YOU IS A CONTINUATION OF THE CONVERSATION WE JUST HAD RELATED TO CHROMIUM SIX. IF IT COULD PLEASE BRING UP THE[01:25:07]
PRESENTATION. I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION ON ITEM ITEM THREE. SO. THE PRESENTATION ON ITEM THREE IF YOU COULD BRING THAT UP. THANK YOU. SO JUST WANTED TO POINT YOU TO. TO THIS TIMELINE HERE. SO. SO BACK IN BACK IN 2023, WE WERE ALREADY ANTICIPATING THAT IT WAS ONLY GOING TO BE A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE STATE WATER BOARD ADOPTED THE REGULATION, AND THE BOARD ADOPTED THAT REGULATION IN APRIL OF 2024, WHICH THEN THE REGULATION BECAME EFFECTIVE IN OCTOBER OF 2024. BUT WE KIND OF ALREADY KNEW THAT AS AGENCIES. AND SO BACK AT BACK IN IN 2023, WE ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING WITH THEN OUR STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER GARCIA AND SENATOR PADILLA, AND WE STARTED MAKING A REQUEST FOR BUDGET THROUGH THE STATE APPROPRIATION, ANTICIPATING THAT THAT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL WE NEEDED TO BE IN A PATH TO COMPLIANCE. AND SO WE REQUESTED WE REQUESTED $500,000 THROUGH THE STATE APPROPRIATION TO KIND OF JUMP START THIS EFFORT. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THAT SOMETIME IN 2024 THAT REQUIRED US TO. THEN WE GOT NOTIFIED BY THE STATE THAT THE APPROPRIATION HAD BEEN MADE. AND WE HAD IT WAS GOING TO COME THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, AND WE HAD TO ACTUALLY GET INTO A FINANCIAL AGREEMENT. AND THAT FINANCIAL AGREEMENT REQUIRED THAT WE SPECIFY THE SCOPE OF WORK AND THE DELIVERABLES THAT WE WERE GOING TO PROVIDE THE STATE AS PART OF THE FUNDING THAT WE WERE GOING TO USE TO TRY TO CHECK OFF SOME BOXES IN THIS EFFORT TO COMPLIANCE. AND SO WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES WANTED TO SEE FROM US AT THAT TIME. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING A PILOT TEST, DOING SOME PILOT TESTING ON WHAT AT THAT TIME WAS CONSIDERED TO BE PERHAPS A LIKELY ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHROMIUM SIX, WHICH WE DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT TODAY, AND THAT WAS STANNIS. SO YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT STANNIS BEFORE. SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT THAT'S NOT A VIABLE SOLUTION. SO THAT KIND OF GOT PUT TO REST. AND SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO WE DIDN'T WANT TO ENTER INTO A FINANCIAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DOING PILOT TESTING FOR STANNIS. AND WE WANTED TO LEAVE IT OPEN SO THAT WE COULD USE AS MUCH OF THE MONEY FOR WHATEVER WE NEEDED TO USE IT FOR IN ORDER TO MEET COMPLIANCE. AND SO WHAT WE DID BACK WHEN WE INITIATED THE INITIAL CONTRACT WITH CORONA ENVIRONMENTAL IS RATHER THAN THAN SETTING THE CONTRACT FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE 500,000, WE SET THE CONTRACT FOR 200,000, KNOWING THAT WE NEEDED TO BUILD THE SCOPE OF WORK, THAT EVENTUALLY WE NEEDED TO WORK OUT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, AND THAT WHEN WE KIND OF KNEW THAT, THAT THEN WE WOULD COME BACK AND DO AN AMENDMENT.SO BACK IN, BACK, BACK IN 2024 LAST YEAR, YOU ALREADY APPROVED THE CONTRACT WITH CORONA FOR THE 200,000. AND SO THIS IS NOW COMING BACK TO DO THAT AMENDMENT SO THAT WE CAN FINISH THIS TIMELINE. SO RIGHT NOW THE 200,000 HAS HAS PRETTY MUCH GOTTEN US TO ABOUT JUNE. AND WE UNDER THE FINANCIAL AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE STATE, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMITMENT TO DELIVER UP TO THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN REPORT, WHICH IS WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE DELIVERED IN DECEMBER OF 2025. BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO GET TO THAT, WE NEED THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT THAT'S REMAINING FROM THE 500,000. SO WE'VE ALREADY COMMITTED 200,000. WE HAVE 300,000 REMAINING. WE WANT TO USE THE REST OF THAT, PLUS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAT WE NEED FOR A TOTAL OF. THE TOTAL COST OF THAT WOULD BE 655,000. SO THAT'S JUST TO GET US TO DECEMBER OF 2025. NOW, IF I COULD GO BACK TO THE OTHER, THE INVOICE THAT YOU HAD SHARED. SO THIS I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU THIS INVOICE HERE. THIS IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY UNIQUE IN THE WAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THIS FUNDING. AGAIN, IT WAS IT WAS DIRECTLY THROUGH A STATE APPROPRIATION, DID NOT GO THROUGH ANY OF THE FUNDING GRANTS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THIS MONEY WAS
[01:30:04]
SECURED THROUGH THE APPROPRIATION AND IT WAS SENT DIRECTLY TO THE TO THE CITY. SO THIS MONEY IS SITTING IN, IN THE CITY'S ACCOUNT. IT'S IN OUR ACCOUNT. SO WE HAVE IT. WE JUST HAVE TO USE IT PER THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES. AND HERE YOU'LL SEE THAT THE CITY MANAGER SIGNED THE AGREEMENT. WE HAVE THE MONEY AND WE HAVE A FINANCIAL AGREEMENT. AND SO THIS IS JUST TO CONTINUE TO USE THE REST OF THE FUNDING THAT THAT THIS WAS, THAT THIS WAS INTENDED FOR. AND THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF THE ITEM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. YEAH. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU'RE DOING THE REMAINING 155,000 IS COMING FROM THE IN THE UNDESIGNATED WATER FUND. RIGHT. YES. YES. CORRECT. OKAY. NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE ONLINE OR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? NO ONE HERE, NO HANDS RAISED. THANK YOU. ANGELA. WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE THE ITEM FORWARD? MOTION TO APPROVE THE AUTHORIZATION OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $455,001 WITH CORONA ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING, FOR A GRAND TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED 655,000 WITH $1. OH. GO AHEAD. SECOND. OKAY, I'LL TAKE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER. PEREZ. YES.COUNCIL MEMBER. FIGUEROA. AYE. MAYOR PRO TEM DELGADO. YES. THANK YOU. CASTELO. AND THE NEXT ITEM IS YOURS. YES. THANK YOU. IF YOU COULD OPEN UP THE NEXT PRESENTATION. SO GOOD EVENING AGAIN. THIS ITEM HERE IS FOR THE DRILLING OF A NEW. WELL. WE'VE WE'VE ALREADY AUTHORIZED IN PRIOR ACTION THE DESIGN OF THIS. WELL, AS A RECAP, WE HAVE SIX WELLS IN THE CITY. WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO ABOUT 92, 100 CONNECTIONS, ABOUT 45,000 PEOPLE. AND BASICALLY WE'VE WE'RE WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE SURPLUS SUPPLY, MEANING THAT THE SIX WELLS THAT WE'RE OPERATING RIGHT NOW. ARE BEING MAXED OUT. WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT OF CAPACITY BASED ON OUR HYDRAULIC MODELING THAT WE DO, AND WE DO THAT EVERY TIME WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT COME IN. SO FOR EXAMPLE, PYRAMID RANCH, THE EXPANSION AT THE 29 CASINO, SOME OF THE INFILL PROJECTS LIKE BELLISSIMA AND RANCHO MARIPOSA, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS GET GET PUT INTO OUR HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET A SNAPSHOT OF WE'RE ABLE TO COMPARE THE DEMAND VERSUS THE SUPPLY. AND SO THE DEMAND IS GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE SUPPLY THAT WE HAVE. AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS YOU HAVE TO PLAN FOR A NEW WELL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE GOING TO EAT UP THAT SURPLUS.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A BIG PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT. ALONG THE KIND OF CALHOUN CORRIDOR. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ANTICIPATED GROWTH THAT I THINK WE'RE STILL GOING TO SEE. AND SO THAT THAT WAS THE MAIN DRIVER FOR THIS PROJECT. AND SO WITH THAT, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT SO WE'VE ALREADY OPENED BIDS. WE HAVE THE BIDS AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD GET AN APPROVAL FOR AN AWARD TODAY. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN. WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD START DRILLING ACTIVITIES RIGHT AFTER THE HOLIDAY, MAYBE AROUND JULY 7TH. THAT GIVES US SOME TIME FOR US TO PUT CONTRACTS TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET SCHEDULES, THAT WE SET A PRE-CON MEETING WITH THE CONTRACTOR AND THE BASED ON THE CONTRACT CONTRACT DAYS, THIS THIS WOULD PUT THE PROJECT AT A COMPLETION DATE OF ABOUT JANUARY 2026. SOME OF THE. OH, AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE ZOOM FROM DUDEK. IF YOU COULD PLEASE LET HIM IN IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT SPECIFICS. SO SOME OF THIS IS GOING TO BE PRETTY INTENSE WHEN YOU DRILL THE WELL, A LOT OF THIS WORK REQUIRES CONSTANT WORK OF 20, SOMETIMES 24 HOURS A DAY. THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF DRILLING THESE WELLS. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT LOCATION. THIS IS RIGHT AT THE CORNER OF PYRAMID RANCH. WHEN WE APPROVED THE PROJECT, WE CONDITIONED THE PROJECT TO SET ASIDE A LOT THAT WE WOULD USE FOR A FUTURE WELL, SITE UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THESE
[01:35:06]
LOCATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL WELLS. WE HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY AND THAT THAT ARE ALL MEANT TO BE USED AS, AS WE PLAN FOR ADDITIONAL GROWTH. THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL TOO MUCH WITH HAVING TO FIND A PLACE TO DRILL A WELL. THESE THESE ARE THINGS THAT THAT GET CONDITIONED ON, ON PROJECTS. SO WE THEY DEDICATED THIS WELL SITE TO US. IT'S THERE AT THE PYRAMID RANCH ON VAN BUREN RIGHT BETWEEN AVENUE 50 AND 51, RIGHT IN FRONT OF VALENCIA. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S THE LOCATION OF THAT. WELL, THERE IN THE, IN THE BOTTOM WHERE YOU HAVE THE PURPLE ARROWS, THAT'S JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT THE WELL IS GOING TO GO RIGHT AT THE CENTER. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DRILL THE HOLE. AND, AND WHEN WE, WHEN WE PUMP OUT THAT WATER, WE HAVE TO DISPOSE OF THAT WATER AS, AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THE WELL. AND WE CAN DISPOSE OF THAT WATER BY SENDING IT TO THE NEWLY BUILT RETENTION BASIN. THAT'S RIGHT NORTH OF THAT. OR WE CAN ALSO USE THE SEWER THAT RUNS ON VAN BUREN. THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE WELL SITE. IT'S BEEN SEMI ENCLOSED BY A BY A BY A WALL. BUT IT'S BEEN GRADED. IT'S READY FOR US TO START CONSTRUCTION OF THIS. WELL AND THEN THAT PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS JUST A, A VISUAL OF A SIMILAR SITUATION AT ANOTHER AT ANOTHER LOCATION MAYBE IN PALM DESERT WHERE YOU HAVE THE SAME SITUATION, YOU HAVE AN EMPTY LOT AND THE NEED FOR A DRILLING OF A WELL. AND SO EVENTUALLY WE'LL HAVE A SIMILAR RIG IN OUR IN THIS LOT HERE DRILLING THAT WELL. THIS IS JUST A SCHEMATIC OF WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. IT'S ESSENTIALLY A BIG A BIG STRAW INTO INTO THE AQUIFER ABOUT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OVER 1300 LINEAR FEET. AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT THIS IS WHAT THE PROJECT WILL BUILD. HERE ARE THE BID RESULTS FOR THE PROJECT. WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD TURNOUT. WE HAD FIVE, FIVE BIDS AND THEY WERE GOOD BIDS. THEY'RE ALL THEY ALL CAME VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRST BIDDER AND THE SECOND BIDDER, AND IT'S ONLY ABOUT LESS THAN LIKE LOOK LIKE LESS THAN, LESS THAN $2,000 DIFFERENCE THERE. IT'S VERY VERY CLOSE. AND YOU SEE THE TYPICALLY THIS INDICATES THAT THAT IT YOU KNOW PEOPLE PEOPLE WERE GIVING YOU GOOD NUMBERS. SO I THINK GOOD NEWS FOR US JUST IN GENERAL THE CONTRACTOR WHO WHO WILL BE GETTING THIS CONTRACT IF THE RECOMMENDATION GOES THROUGH IS A LOCAL CONTRACTOR HERE. SOUTHWEST PUMP AND DRILLING. THEY DRILLED DOZENS, HUNDREDS OF WELLS HERE IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. VERY REPUTABLE WELL DRILLER HERE.LOCAL LOCAL DRILLER. THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY AND SOME SUPPORT FOR CONSTRUCTION, COMES OUT TO ABOUT JUST SHY OF 3 MILLION. JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU HERE THAT IN THE FISCAL IMPACT, WE HAD ANTICIPATED THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BE BUILT SOMETIME DURING FISCAL THIS FISCAL YEAR AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND WE ACTUALLY APPROPRIATED $3,070,000. SO WE ACTUALLY CAME A LITTLE BIT LOWER. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT, THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, HAS BEEN HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN WHAT'S CALLED THE INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF GRANT FUNDING FROM THIS PROGRAM. WE ACTUALLY HAVE 750,000 THAT WE SECURED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, VIA THE STATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS. WELL, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. AND THEN I'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS DISCUSSIONS. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE DUDEK ON ON THE ON THE ZOOM IF THEY NEED TO CHIME IN ON ANY PARTICULAR QUESTION. THANK YOU COUNSELOR. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, IT'S. THE CONSTRUCTION. SOUTHWEST IS THE DRILLING COMPANY, AND THEN DUDEK IS THE HYDROLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR THE DRILLING. OKAY. CORRECT. CLARIFY. ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. SO THAT THAT HOUSE IN THE CORNER WHEN THEY BOUGHT THAT HOUSE, DID THEY KNOW THEY WERE GOING TO GET A WELL NEXT TO THEM. CAN YOU BRING THAT UP AGAIN. BECAUSE IT'S A CUL DE SAC. BECAUSE ACROSS THE STREET THERE'S NOTHING. BUT THAT'S THAT CORNER HOUSE. RIGHT. YOU SAID THAT IT CAN RUN 24 HOURS WITH THOSE
[01:40:01]
PEOPLE. IT WILL. AND WE. YOU KNOW, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE THAT WE TRIED TO COORDINATE WITH PULTE. THEY KNEW THAT THAT THIS WELL WAS GOING TO BE DRILLED AND. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME PEOPLE MOVED IN NEAR THE WELL. AND SO WE'VE WE'VE ALREADY HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PULTE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE PROJECT WAS BID, THAT THE PROJECT IS GOING TO BE AWARDED MOST LIKELY, AND THAT WE ANTICIPATE THE CONSTRUCTION IS GOING TO START SOMETIME AROUND JULY. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE COORDINATING TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS PROPER NOTIFICATION TO THESE FOLKS. AND SO WE PLAN TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT THESE FOLKS ARE ACCOMMODATED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE INCLUDED IN THE IN THE AS PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION.ITEMS THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN TYPICAL IF THIS WAS IN THE SITUATION, IS WE WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE SOUND BARRIERS. SO THERE WILL BE SOUND BARRIERS UP AGAINST THAT WALL TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THE NOISE THAT'S COMING FROM THAT WELL SITE. IT'S MOSTLY ON THE ACTIVITIES THAT THAT REQUIRE THOSE, THOSE CONSTRUCTION TASKS THAT, THAT, THAT RUN THE, YOU KNOW, INTO THE NIGHT. THIS IS A THIS IS AN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE. SO, SO DURING THE NORMAL DAY, THERE'S CONSTANT CONSTRUCTION GOING ON. YOU COULD SEE THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS FINISHED. THEY STILL HAVE TO FINISH THE CUL DE SAC. SO THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT. IT'S JUST THAT THAT ONE.
IT'S JUST THAT LIKE YEAH DRILLING. RIGHT. IT'S REALLY THERE. AND WE WILL, WE WILL.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO COORDINATE. OKAY. AND WE AS A MITIGATION EFFORT, WE, WE ARE GOING TO INSTALL SOUND BARRIERS. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I JUST THAT WAS MY QUESTION WAS THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE GOING TO BE PUT IS THE HEIGHT OF THAT WALL. IS IT GOING TO REMAIN THERE. THE HEIGHT OF THAT OF THE OF THE BRICK. YEAH. THAT, THAT HEIGHT OF THAT WALL IS A STANDARD HEIGHT OF A OF A WALL IN ANY DEVELOPMENT, EVEN IN THE WELL SITES WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE WELLS IN THOSE SIMILAR SITUATIONS. SO, SO THAT WELL, THAT THAT WALL HEIGHT IS A IS A IS A GENERAL. IT'S A GENERAL HEIGHT THAT IS IMPLEMENTED BY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STANDARDS. ONLY. BECAUSE I WAS ASKING ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS NEXT TO OBVIOUSLY IN THE CENTER OF THE HOUSING POPULATION. JUST FOR REFERENCE, MOST MOST OF OUR A MAJORITY OF OUR WELLS ARE LOCATED WITHIN COMMUNITIES. SO YOU HAVE WELL 19 THAT'S THAT'S INSIDE THE COMMUNITY OF TIERRA DEL SOL. YOU HAVE WELL. LET'S SEE 17 JUST BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED, BUT 17 WAS GOING TO BE INSIDE A COMMUNITY THERE FOR RANCHO LAS FLORES. YOU HAVE WELL, 12 WHICH WHICH IS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD THERE AT THE PARK. AND YOU HAVE. YEAH, YOU HAVE. AND THEN A LOT OF THE WELL SITES THAT THAT I, THAT WHEN WE CONDITION PROJECTS JUST THE WAY WE CONDITION THAT PARCEL THERE IN THE CORNER, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS WHERE WE HAVE WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME CONFIGURATION OF A WELL SITE THAT'S READY FOR US TO DRILL A WELL IF WE EVER NEEDED TO DRILL MORE WELLS. AND, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE KIND OF CONDITIONED THEM IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY, AS THE DEVELOPER COMES IN, THAT'S THE PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVE CONTROL OVER TO, TO, TO DEED OVER TO THE CITY. AND IT PREVENTS US FROM HAVING TO GO LOOK FOR A PROPERTY TO PURCHASE. YEAH. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY ONE ONLINE OR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENTS? I DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKER SLIPS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. IS THERE ANYONE ON ZOOM? NO HANDS RAISED. THANK YOU. ANGELA, IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE THE ITEM FORWARD? I'LL GET A MOTION TO MOVE ITEM SECOND, I'LL TAKE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER PEREZ. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. FIGUEROA. AYE. MAYOR PRO TEM DELGADO. YES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND WE'RE MOVING ON DIRECTLY TO. THE COUNCIL
[Reports and Requests]
COMMENTS. THAT'S IT. YEAH. SO COUNCIL COMMENTS. I'LL START TO MY RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER FIGUEROA, JUST A MINUTE TO THE AMERICAN LEGION ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY ON MONDAY AT THE COACHELLA VALLEY CEMETERY. THAT WAS A NICE EVENT WITH A LOT OF LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND WE DID HAVE A WREATH PRESENTED BY THE CITY AT THAT EVENT, SO THAT WAS NICE TO ATTEND TO. I. WENT[01:45:12]
TO THE APARTMENTS THIS MORNING. GRAND OPENING OF THE, I THINK, VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE TEN ADA ACCESSIBLE UNITS IN THAT NEW COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S, I THINK, VERY IMPORTANT. AND THEN I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TCC GRANT IMPLEMENTATION MEETING THIS WEEK. VERY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY GOES OUT AND LEARNS MORE ABOUT THAT. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ME WHAT THAT IS AND REALLY INFORMING THEM WHAT THAT IS. AND IT'S A IT'S AN IMPORTANT MEETING FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION, BUT ALSO TO GIVE INPUT ON THE TCC GRANT IMPLEMENTATION. AND THEN I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SUN COMMUNITY. FEDERAL CREDIT, GROUNDBREAKING ON FRIDAY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT CORNER LOT THAT HAS BEEN EMPTY ON VALLEY ROAD FOR A VERY LONG TIME FINALLY BECOME SOMETHING. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. I ALSO DID ATTEND THE CSC CONFERENCE WITH CITY STAFF AND THAT WAS A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD MEETINGS WITH FOLKS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BRING TOWARDS THE CITY. THOSE ARE MY. FOR NOW. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, IF YOU CAN JUST PROVIDE ME THE BUDGET FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER CAMPUS, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'VE GIVEN OR REACHED OUT TO YOU OR NOT. THEY THEY ACTUALLY JUST REACHED OUT THIS WEEK AND THERE'S QUITE AN INCREASE COMING OUR WAY. OKAY. AND I'D MET WITH THE COUNTY TO. SO ACTUALLY I BELIEVE I'LL SAVE IT FOR MY COMMENTS. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU.COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. PURSE I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND MY FIRST SUNLINE TRANSIT COMMUNITY MEETING TODAY. VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. THEY DID TALK ABOUT HOW OUR TAXIS ARE NOW BECOMING A THING OF THE PAST. THEY ARE SUFFERING AND THEY ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S UBER AND THERE'S LYFT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE WHO OWN THEIR OWN TAXIS AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING. SO I'M HOPING THAT PEOPLE WILL CONSIDER ALSO, YOU KNOW, USING THE TAXIS AND NOT JUST THE UBERS AND LYFTS, THEY WILL BE PUTTING OUT A FLIER AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT THROUGHOUT OUR RESIDENTS TO AS WELL CONGRATULATE ALL THE GRADUATES IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA THAT ARE GRADUATING FROM EITHER EIGHTH GRADE HIGH SCHOOL AND ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK. I KNOW IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY, SO THANK YOU. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PEREZ. I ALSO ATTENDED THE GROUNDBREAKING THIS MORNING, AND I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO WHAT I HAD SHARED EARLY THIS MORNING IS A BIG THANK YOU TO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS TYPE OF PROJECT TOGETHER IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH BOTH THE COMPANIES THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH, WHICH IS CHELSEA AND EMERSON CONSTRUCTION CREW. SO THANK YOU GUYS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE GUYS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING OUT THERE. IT'S GETTING HOT OUT THERE, AND YET THEY'RE STILL COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO OUR RESIDENTS. SO WE'RE COMPLETELY GRATEFUL TO THEM AND APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR HARD WORK THAT THEY PROVIDE US EVERY DAY.
I DO WANT TO START MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF, YOU KNOW, I KEEP GOING BACK TO SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND PROGRAMS THAT WE NEED. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH A BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM. AND THAT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE, THOSE WHO HAVE VACANT LOTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CLEANING UP THE AREA. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE COMMERCIAL SPOTS, COMMERCIAL PLAZAS, SHOPPING CENTERS, EVEN THE SMALLER BUILDINGS, IS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BUILDINGS ARE ALL ONE COLOR. THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRASH IN FRONT OF THEIR BUILDINGS ARE CLEANED UP. THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYTHING THAT'S ESTHETICALLY UNAPPEALING AND IS NOT FOLLOWING THE CONTRACT THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE CITY, THAT YOU KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR FAMILIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A CLEAN LOOKING CITY, AND THAT MEANS HOLDING FOLKS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE. AND AGAIN, IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL MANNER. WE ALWAYS WANT TO WE ALWAYS WANT TO APPROACH IT FIRST WITH EDUCATION. BUT MANY OF THESE COMMERCIAL SITES HAVE BEEN OPERATING THAT WAY FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE THAT THEY
[01:50:02]
HAVEN'T BEEN CLEANING UP, BUT THERE'S EVEN A LOT OF AREAS. AND I KNOW THIS GOES BACK TO THIS AS A CHAVEZ AND THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE CITY. AND I THINK THAT WE VISITED AT ONE TIME, I THINK, WITH SELENA AND WITH SOME OF THE DIRECTORS, IS WHERE WHERE WE HAVE SOME BUSINESSES, THERE'S THE SIDEWALK. AND THEN IN FRONT OF THAT IS LANDSCAPING. AND SO IT WAS ALWAYS A QUESTION FOR ME IS I THOUGHT THAT THAT BUSINESS THEN WAS RESPONSIBLE, BUT I THINK THAT FALLS WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE CITY. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT OBVIOUSLY, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND MONEY TO PUT IRRIGATION THROUGH THERE. BUT BUT THEN IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANYTHING, THEN LET'S JUST PULL THE WEEDS FROM THERE SO THAT AT LEAST IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, CLEAN. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE IS LIKE, OKAY, A WEED AND, YOU KNOW, A DYING PLANT. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MONIES THAT ARE BEING TIED UP, BUT THAT THEN WE JUST MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, REMOVE EVERYTHING AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NICE AND CLEAN. AND THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, BILL, IT WOULD BE NICE FOR YOU TO, YOU KNOW, GO WITH THE EXECUTIVES THAT OBVIOUSLY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS AND THEN JUST GO BACK AND, YOU KNOW, PUT A PROGRAM TOGETHER OR A TIMELINE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ALL ALONG. AND I SAY THAT WITH THE MOST RESPECT, BUT WE NEED TO CLEAN UP THE CITY. AND THERE'S MANY OTHER AREAS I KNOW IT GETS WINDY, BUT WE HAVE TRASH AND BAGS THAT ARE BUILT UP, WHETHER IT'S ON THE ON OUR BRIDGES OR ANYWHERE ELSE.BUT IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT HEALTHY, IT ISN'T HEALTHY. AND SO I DO HOPE THAT WE REALLY PUT TOGETHER SOME TYPE OF BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR CITY CLEAN. AND I'VE ASKED FOR THIS BEFORE, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK ONCE AGAIN, IS THE CITY OF COACHELLA WEBSITE? IT NEEDS TO BE RENEWED. IT'S JUST IT'S NOT USER FRIENDLY. IT'S NOT EASY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH. THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT STUFF HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET TO DIRECTLY. SO I WANT TO BE ABLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE BUDGET FOR ME. THE BUDGET SHOULD BE ON THE WEBSITE. PEOPLE CAN GO AND SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ON THERE. BUT I REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT WEBSITE MORE USER FRIENDLY. AND THAT'S THAT'S LONG OVERDUE. AND SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE SOME OF THESE CHANGES SOON. AND WITH THAT, THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR ME IS ALMOST UP. WE HAVE A MAYBE A WEEK AND A HALF LEFT. THE KIDS ARE ALWAYS ASKING ME WHEN'S THE LAST DAY? AND I SAID NOT SOON ENOUGH. IT'S NOT SOON ENOUGH.
BUT THERE IS A LOT OF GRADUATIONS GOING ON, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE MANY OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATE. WE HAVE OUR FAMILIES OUT THERE WHO DEDICATE SO MUCH OF THEIR TIME TO THEIR CHILDREN'S SUCCESS. AND SO I'M VERY, VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THEM. AND SO WITH THAT, THAT'S IT FOR ME. BILL, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? YES. THANK YOU. TO ANSWER DOCTOR FIGUEROA'S QUESTIONS, WE JUST GOT A THREE YEAR RATE SCHEDULE FROM THE COUNTY, AND OUR SHELTERING SERVICES ARE GOING TO GO FROM 637,000 TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR, 738,002 IN THE THIRD YEAR, WHICH IS THE 2728 YEAR, TO $806,000 FOR SHELTERING WITH ONE OFFICER. THAT'S NOT WITH INCREASING SERVICES OR CHANGING ANYTHING. SO WHEN I LEFT HERE BACK IN 2020, I THINK OUR CONTRACT WAS FOR ABOUT 280,000. SO WITHIN SEVEN YEARS WE'LL GO FROM 300,000, ALMOST 800,000 FOR ONE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER. SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE ANNEX THAT'S GOING TO COME ON AT SOME POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING FOR LIBRARY SERVICES, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE CLOSE TO $300,000. POLICE AND FIRE ARE CONSTANTLY GOING TO GO UP. SO AS WE SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR AND TAKING CARE OF THOSE THINGS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE STILL HAVE A MOUNTAIN THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CLIMBING JUST BECAUSE OF INCREASING COSTS THAT ARE BEING PUSHED DOWN FROM THE COUNTY, BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS ALSO GOING TO HAVE FISCAL ISSUES AS WELL. SO THEY'RE GOING TO MODELS WHERE THEY'RE RECOVERING FULL COST.
AND SO THOSE COSTS ARE GOING TO BE PUSHED DOWN ON US. SO AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON HOW AND WHERE WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONIES AND WHAT ACTUAL SERVICES WE'RE PROVIDING. AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM DELGADO, WE WILL GET ON THE WEBSITE. YOU'RE RIGHT. I ACTUALLY WAS LOOKING AROUND A FEW THINGS TODAY AND I CLICKED ON IT AND IT WOULDN'T TAKE ME. I WAS ON THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR AND I GO TO THE NEXT MONTH, AND IT WOULDN'T GO TO THE
[01:55:05]
NEXT MONTH FOR ME. SO YES, I HADN'T BEEN ON THE WEBSITE A WHOLE LOT, BUT IT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, SO WE WILL BE ALL OVER THAT. WE ALSO MET WITH ME AND MAYOR PRO TEM AND HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, AND WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THEM AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT WITH THEM, BUT THE CANDOR WAS GOOD BETWEEN US. IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. SO IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT CHANGE IN THE DISCUSSION WITH THEM. I'M ALSO MEETING TOMORROW WITH THE SPOTLIGHT 29 WITH THE GOVERNMENTAL. YES, WITH THE FORMER ASSEMBLYMAN TO DISCUSS DYLAN ROAD GAS TAX THAT'S BEING LOST TO THE CITY AND ENERGY. SO I WILL UPDATE THE COUNCIL AS TO HOW THOSE DISCUSSIONS WENT WITH HIM YESTERDAY. WELL, TOMORROW.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN JUST I WANT TO EXPRESS IS THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE GROWING COSTS WITH ANIMAL SERVICES? IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS WHY I'VE STAYED IN CLOSE CONTACT AND RELATIONSHIP WITH LOVING ALL ANIMALS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. IT'S A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. HOPEFULLY AS WE GET ANNEXED IN THAT WE WORK WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING A LOT OF SERVICES FOR US. AND WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR NONPROFITS REALLY DO HELP US A GREAT DEAL, ESPECIALLY IN US NOT HAVING TO USE COST BECAUSE THEY COVER IT FOR US. BUT IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH US. AND THEY HAVE A VERY BIG LOT. SO I KNOW THAT THEY'RE VERY EQUIPPED WITH RESOURCES AND DONATIONS. SO THANK YOU, BILL, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE WITH US. AND G
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.