# City Council Meeting | October 28th 2026


**Body:** City of Palm Springs
**Date:** October 29, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Construction & Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, Grants & Funding


The Palm Springs City Council’s regular meeting on October 28, 2026, included several procurement- and budget-related matters. The council approved Jim Vanderpool’s appointment as interim city manager, effective November 1, under an employment agreement paying $156.24 per hour, capped at 960 hours. Staff updated the council on the convention center modernization, a roughly $135 million project encompassing renovation, infrastructure, east-side expansion, and downtown connectivity. Financing and phasing remain under review; no construction award was made. In discussion of the Ramon Road Bridge project, council members addressed an $8 million contingency and change-order oversight, with staff agreeing to report when change orders reach $4 million. The consent calendar also included a $90,000 traffic-safety grant for police department programs and a consultant scope covering project management (about $87,000) and public outreach (about $140,000); staff described hourly billing under an existing on-call agreement and committed to providing more detailed task and cost breakdowns in future proposals. The consent calendar passed with items removed for separate discussion; the transcript does not clearly identify the final vote on the separately discussed contract item.

The council adopted an ordinance clarifying that the hotel operations incentive program applies to rehabilitation and remodel projects as well as new construction. Staff confirmed that participating applicants must meet prevailing-wage requirements and participate in the convention-center room-request program. The meeting also included reports on fire department equipment and facility investments, including a new fire station, but no related purchasing action was taken. Other significant items included recognition of the retiring city manager and fire chief, a housing-related general plan amendment, and presentations on the aerial tramway and LGBTQ+ quality-of-life study.

**Source:** City of Palm Springs