Feb. 9 Daily Briefing: More help for renters, lower cannabis taxes approved, a sweet surprise for cat cafe, and more

Happy Friday! If you happen to be walking or driving by any city buildings today, you should notice a new flag flying — the Black History Month flag. During last night’s Palm Springs City Council meeting, several public commenters expressed disappointment that the flag was not flying on the first day of the month. To make up for that, even though it won’t be hoisted until today, it will still be flying for 30 days, extending the tribute into March. Next year, officials assured it will start flying on Feb. 1.

🎶 Setting the mood: “So Fly” by Brittany Davis

LEADING OFF

City Council approves another $1 million for tenant assistance program

In light of the success of the city’s Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program, the Palm Springs City Council voted Thursday to give the program another $1 million to continue its work keeping residents housed.

Driving the news: The TBRA was first approved in September of 2023 when city staff identified a need for more housing options for Palm Springs residents without major barriers. With another $1 million now approved from the city’s housing set-aside fund, the TBRA can assist more households. 

How it works: TBRA funds provide financial assistance and housing stability services to eligible households for various assistance. The funds can be used by households for rent, rental arrears, and outstanding utility costs.

By the numbers: Since starting the program, the city has assisted more than 200 households and spent the entirety of the original $1 million allocated for the program.

• 46% of the households assisted have at least one person who works in the hospitality industry. 33% have at least one person on a benefit like Social Security or disability. 

Looking ahead: The city acknowledges the need to look beyond “Band-Aid” solutions, and staff is investigating solutions beyond the rental assistance program. Those could include affordable housing infill projects, efforts to preserve mobile home communities, and home repair assistance. 

Why it matters: Staff highlighted more than a dozen thank-you notes from some of the people who benefited from the program. One beneficiary, Brandon Allen, said he had been living in his car after his business failed during Covid and had been searching for a place to live for months. He applied for the TBRA program on a Friday, and by Monday, he had a place to live.

What they’re saying: Allen said getting a roof over his head gave him enough peace of mind that he was able to start creating artwork.

• “The help from this Palm Springs housing association has re-transformed my life,” Allen said. “It provides me with the stability I needed to secure a job and regain my footing. To have the ability to get ahead and not feel as though I’m constantly trying to tread water.”

BRIEFLY

💰 Measure passes to decrease cannabis taxes, place moratorium on new dispensaries

The City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to reduce taxes on cannabis, in addition to other measures to help the local cannabis industry.

• Councilmembers tackled two of the biggest problems facing the cannabis industry in the city: high taxes and oversaturation.
  
  
• With city retail taxes at 10%, coupled with state taxes, buyers have been patronizing other valley cities with lower taxes or avoiding taxes altogether and buying from the illicit market.
  
  
• Now, city taxes have been reduced to 5%, and councilmembers decided against instituting a 2% distribution tax.
  
  
• But wait: Council members also decided on a four-year moratorium on new dispensary applications to deal with the oversaturation of the market. A cap on dispensaries had previously been proposed.

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YOUR WEEKEND

ALL WEEKEND

“Mid-Century Moderns”
Friday & Sunday | Revolution Stage Company
Catch this homegrown musical comedy this weekend at Revolution Stage Company. (Tickets start at $55, but you can get $20 off using promo code REV20 at checkout.)

Intersect Palm Springs
Friday – Sunday | Palm Springs Convention Center
The annual celebration of contemporary art and design has returned to Palm Springs and will be in town through the weekend. Showcasing a vibrant infusion of 30 premier contemporary art and design galleries. ($25)

“The New Century”
Friday – Sunday | Palm Springs Cultural Center
“The New Century,” directed by Stan Zimmerman, is a funny and outrageous comedy, but it doesn’t stop there, it also raises questions that aren’t easily answered. ($40)

“Something Rotten!”
Friday – Sunday | Palm Canyon Theatre
In this mash-up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century Broadway, brothers Nick and Nigel are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of the master playwright known as “The Bard.” ($38)

Find Your Love Adoption Event
Saturday & Sunday
Help the Palm Springs Animal Shelter tackle the overpopulation crisis, especially among our larger canine friends, by finding forever homes for these lovable animals. All adoptions are graciously sponsored by Boozehounds. 

TODAY

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Public Library
The library is screening a film nominated for Best Animated Feature. “Across the Spider-Verse” was praised for its mind-bending visuals and innovative animation style. Check out the rest of the movies that will be screened here.

Bingo Night with Angelique Va Gorgeous
5 p.m. | The Lounge at Zoso
“The Queen of the Desert” is holding court at The Lounge at Zoso, welcoming all to a night of Drag Bingo. ($2)

Cinema on Ice: “McCabe and Mrs. Miller”
6 p.m. | Palm Springs Cultural Center
Deserted Films continues its Cinema on Ice series with the 1971 film from Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and iconoclastic American filmmaker Robert Altman. Check out the rest of the movies in the series here. ($12)

SATURDAY

26th annual Tour de Palm Springs
6:30 a.m. | Downtown Palm Springs
5,000 bicyclists will be participating in the 26th annual Tour de Palm Springs. Due to recent rain, the cyclists will be both leaving and returning to downtown via Tahquitz Canyon Way. They traditionally exit via North Indian Canyon Drive. Check out the rest of the route changes here. 

Certified Farmers’ Market
8 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Camelot Theatre
The market returns to its outdoor location, with local farmers and vendors offering fresh agri­cul­tural and related products.

Pasta Making and Cooking Class
12 p.m. | Trio Palm Springs
Calling all pasta-lovers! Enjoy this interactive opportunity to learn the art of pasta making in a hands-on session led by Trio Palm Springs’ Executive Chef, Jeremy Loomis. ($95)

“Witchland”
2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. | Revolution Stage Company
“Witchland” combines elements of traditional theatrical storytelling with immersive haunted elements. The story is based on the author’s experiences growing up in Richland, Washington, deemed the most toxic place in the Western Hemisphere. ($25)

SUNDAY

F-117 Nighthawk Pilot Round Table
Palm Springs Air Museum | 1 p.m.
Only 558 in the Air Force’s entire history were ever able to earn the title “Bandit” — the name awarded exclusively to pilots assigned to fly the top-secret F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. Hear from the combat-tested pilots in this round table moderated by Fred Bell. 

Book Signing and Benefit
2 p.m. | Just Fabulous
Local award-winning author, Dan Perdios, will be signing copies of his book, “Rescuing Morgan,” a true Palm Springs story of an abused Golden Retriever puppy and his forever Dad. Proceeds to go toward the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.

SAVE THE DATE

• Rock the Park: Cash, Killer, and The King Feb. 14 at Downtown Park.
  
  
• Palm Springs Modernism Week from Feb. 15 – Feb. 25.
  
  
• Palm Springs International Jazz Festival on Feb. 24 and 25.
  
  
• Mizell Center Third Wednesday Speaker Series on Feb. 28.
  
  
• An evening with PSIPC and Friends on Feb. 29.
  
  
• Palm Springs Woman’s Club Scholarship Luncheon at the Hilton on March 27.*

*Sponsored listing

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AND FINALLY …

The owners of the valley’s first and only cat cafe were surprised when a neighborhood girl raised money for cats at the business this week.

Driving the news: Sonny Von Cleveland, co-owner of Frisky Business cat café, couldn’t wait to call his partner Claire Rogers when a local girl came to drop off a generous donation. 

• As seen in a picture taken by her father, Malayna, an 8-year-old student at Palm Valley School, set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the cafe’s cats. Her father said that Frisky Business is her favorite spot.

What happened next: The enterprising student raised $50, which Rogers spent on cat toys. “I was just so shocked,” Rogers said. “Sonny was in tears, and I was in tears.”

• When Rogers posted about Malayna’s generosity online, two customers came forward to match the donation. Rogers will use that money to buy cat beds. 

But wait: Von Cleveland and Rogers sent Malayna home with some free merch from the cafe.

• “People are just looking for some goodness in this world,” Rogers said. “You can see that in the comments on our social media posts about this.”