City Council Meeting | October 14th, 2026

At the October 14, 2026 regular meeting of the Palm Springs City Council, members considered an amendment to the vacation-rental ordinance separating permitted event-house activities from annual vacation-rental contract caps. The council moved the amendment forward, removing the rule that automatically counted qualifying event-house events as vacation-rental contracts while keeping the programs’ other requirements in place. Members also directed staff to assess potential process improvements, including shorter permit timelines, reusable application documents, and coordination across departments. Event-house operators had proposed reducing the standard application period from 60 days to 30 days, with a possible 15-day expedited option; staff said streamlining repeat permits appeared feasible but required further review.

The council received a police department update on its Flock public-safety camera program, including 55 leased license-plate readers, CCTV cameras, and related technology. Staff cited a $4.5 million state grant, estimated costs of about $21,000 for 2027 and approximately $730,000 total for 2028–29 if the program continues in its current form; the grant runs through December 2027. No camera contract award or new spending approval was identified. Council requested updated cost and technology assessments, consistent privacy and data-use terms across contracts and policies, improved audit transparency, a proposed misuse ordinance, and consideration of outside technical advice. Staff reported that three of four vendor contracts had been amended to reflect council’s data policies, with one still being updated. Public commenters also objected to proposed Old Las Palmas underground-utility assessments, including individual assessments exceeding $100,000; the matter was scheduled for a public hearing, with no action taken on it at this meeting.