City Council - July 7, 2026

The City Council of Desert Hot Springs held a regular meeting on July 7, 2026, addressing several procurement and budget-related matters. Key procurement discussions included the award of a construction contract to DBX Inc. for a traffic signal project at Palm Drive and 20th Avenue, with a bid amount of $863,640 and a total construction authorization of approximately $1.04 million, funded through a California Active Transportation Program grant. The council also reviewed recommendations from the Streets and Roads Subcommittee, proposing a five-year paving plan prioritizing residential streets and major arterials, with potential funding sources including cannabis reserves and bond issuance in 2028. Additionally, the council discussed extending a moratorium on data centers for 22 months and 15 days to allow further study of their impacts. Other budget-related items included code enforcement lien assessments and a police department staffing analysis recommending an increase from 33 to 45 sworn officers over five years, funded by public safety parcel tax increments. The council also considered a rental registration ordinance aimed at improving housing conditions through property owner registration and inspections, with fees to be proposed later. Motions were passed to approve the construction contract, extend the data center moratorium with staff direction for study, adopt the rental registration ordinance, and support the streets and roads funding recommendations with a cap on cannabis reserve use.