City Council - October 6, 2026

The City of Desert Hot Springs City Council regular meeting on October 6, 2026, included several spending and procurement matters. Council approved a public-art project at Reflection Park unanimously: the “We Are One” sculpture costs $18,000, with total purchase, installation, and site improvements capped at $42,600 from the Art and Public Places Fund. Council also considered a proposed $7.5 million lease-revenue bond program for a former cultivation facility to house animal control and public works operations, facility improvements, and citywide road resurfacing, including $2.5 million for roads. Staff estimated annual debt service of about $540,000. The action sought authorization to form a finance team and prepare for a later bond-authorization decision, expected November 17; it was not authorization to issue the bonds. The transcript indicates the item proceeded to a vote, but does not clearly capture the vote result.

Council tabled the proposed rental-registration program fees, with Councilmember Pi opposed, pending further review of program costs, staffing, and potential General Fund impacts. Proposed fees included $100 per property registration, $5 per unit starting with the tenth unit, $60 for qualifying self-certification renewals, $150 for appeals, and $10 for permit modifications. Staff estimated base registration revenue of about $130,000 annually, before additional charges. Separately, the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission reported on cleanup funded by a prior state abatement grant and described planned restoration work, including fencing, road decommissioning, and native planting. No new award or contract approval for that work was presented.