Palm Springs chief economic development officer resigns days after council debate over consulting contract

Palm Springs Chief Economic Development Officer Wayne Olson resigned Monday, five days after the City Council tabled a vote on a $170,250 consulting contract amendment he had argued was essential to putting the city’s economic development agenda into action.

The city confirmed the departure through Public Information Officer Kitty Alvarado, who added, “The City is in the process of beginning recruitment for a new chief economic development officer.”

In a statement to The Post Monday, Olson — who began in the role Jan. 2, 2024 — did not address the specific reasons behind his resignation, choosing instead to focus on accomplishments during his tenure.

“TOT is up, sales tax are flowing, and I believe we accomplished a lot as a city team,” Olson said in an email to The Post. “That said, there’s still a lot of work to be done, and I wish the next chief economic development officer the very best and building on the great successes I had in the role.”

“My husband and I love Palm Springs and it will always have a special place in our hearts,” Olson continued. “The future is bright, and we look forward to having time with family and friends both in Palm Springs and elsewhere.”

The resignation follows the June 10 council meeting in which Olson defended a proposed contract amendment with CVL Economics — the consulting firm that authored the city’s Economic Development Strategic Framework — over pushback from at least two councilmembers.

Amendment No. 2, pulled from the council’s consent calendar for discussion, would have expanded the city’s total contract with CVL Economics to $592,830, according to city documents. It was the second change to an original agreement executed in July 2024 and valued at $375,080.

Olson told the council the amendment was critical to carrying out the framework, which the council unanimously adopted Nov. 24, 2025, and which contains 103 action items. “If this isn’t passed tonight, it effectively stops the implementation of the economic development strategic framework,” he said.

He also cited business community survey data captured in the framework, including findings that 68% of Palm Springs businesses said city regulations work against their interests and 51% had considered relocating out of Palm Springs because of those regulations.

“What we’re proposing tonight is to conduct that audit and help businesses do what they do best, which is sell services and goods to the community,” Olson said.

Mayor Pro Tem David Ready made the motion to table the item, saying the city should engage directly with business owners rather than pay a consultant to identify problems they may already know.

“I’m not sure about paying $170,000 to tell us what we already know,” Ready said. “I guess that’s my concern.”

Councilmember Ron deHarte echoed those concerns, saying business owners who had contacted deHarte were frustrated at not being more directly engaged earlier in the process.

The council voted to continue the item to a future meeting to allow Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein, who had an excused absence, to participate. Ready noted that Bernstein had been actively involved in the city’s economic development process and had spoken with both the business community and the consultants about the contract.

City Manager Scott Stiles urged the council not to let the broader economic development effort lose momentum. “My fear is, if we don’t do anything tonight, that’ll all get a little stagnant,” Stiles said.

Olson came to Palm Springs from the city of Palm Desert, where he served as senior development manager for economic development. He was the first person to hold the Palm Springs chief economic development officer position.

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