April 30 Daily Briefing: Demuth dog park reviewed, roadway fatalities, city needs you to serve, and more

Happy Tuesday, where, if you’re reading this, we’re glad you purposely chose to subscribe to this newsletter! Yesterday, we learned about a practice called “subscription bombing” — maliciously enrolling someone’s email in numerous newsletters without their permission — after we suddenly found ourselves with thousands of new subscribers overnight. It’s apparently a diversion tactic, with the goal of overwhelming  people’s inboxes so they potentially miss important emails such as fraud alerts. Despite no risk in keeping the new subscribers, we chose to unsubscribe them and introduce a double opt-in for future subscribers. Not that we don’t want everyone to know about our city, but it needs to be their choice.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Too Sweet” by Hozier

LEADING OFF

Plans for large, small Demuth dog parks moving forward; questions remain over layout

For the two dozen Palm Springs residents who showed up at Monday night’s dog park community meeting, the safety and happiness of their four-legged friends were their number one concern, and most felt the design firm working on the project had addressed their priorities.

Driving the news: The city is planning a significant upgrade to the Demuth dog park, and during Monday night’s second community meeting, project leaders from Kimley-Horn and Associates showed off the latest designs.

How it looks: The most significant changes between the first iteration and the latest include the addition of more shade structures, moveable seating, and small berms for the dogs’ entertainment, all priorities for attendees at the last meeting.

• During the last community meeting, attendees were presented with two options for the dog park design. The first option was a single dog park, divided by a fence, with large dogs on one side and small dogs on the other. The second option was two separate dog parks located about a quarter mile apart. 

Latest designs: The 1.1-acre large dog park would be located south of the baseball fields and the community center and the 15,000-square-foot small dog park would sit about a quarter mile east. Both would be slightly larger than the large and small dog parks at the City Hall dog park.

At issue: Palm Springs resident Tim Giuliani and a few others thought they had made it clear that the two dog parks should be separate but adjacent, asking, “What happens if someone has a big dog and a small dog?”

On the other hand: Michael Madsen, landscape architect with Kimley-Horn, said they’re considering that, while also hearing concerns of people who would prefer the two parks were separate. 

• “Some folks said at the City Hall dog park, owners will come with one small dog and one big dog and leave one alone while going off and socializing on the other side of the fence,” he said, which raises a safety concern if owners aren’t monitoring their dog closely.

What’s next: Kimley-Horn will take conclusions from the latest community meeting to the Parks and Recreation Commission, along with an updated design. They are still hoping to get everything approved so construction can begin early next year.

---

BRIEFLY

🚨 Two fatalities on local roadways Sunday in Palm Springs

Sunday evening just after 8 p.m., a vehicle traveling south on North Gene Autry Trail, driven by a 64-year-old motorist from Rancho Mirage, struck and killed a motorcyclist who was heading north on the same road.

• Palm Springs Police say the vehicle was turning east onto East Via Escuela when the collision occurred. The car’s driver stayed on scene and was transported to a hospital with moderate injuries. PSPD said neither drugs nor alcohol were factors in the fatal crash.
  
  
• Earlier that day, an Indio man’s vehicle went off the road and struck a cannabis dispensary in the 600 block of Garnet Avenue, just south of Interstate 10. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene around 1 a.m.
  
  
• Details: PSPD said anyone who witnessed the crash on North Gene Autry Trail should contact the PSPD Traffic Division at 760-323-8125. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 760-347-7867.

---

TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Trivia Tuesday
6 p.m. | Play Lounge PS
Come alone or bring a group to participate in trivia covering topics like history, pop culture, and science. 

Movies in the Park: “The Sandlot”
7 p.m. | Downtown Park
This month’s outdoor screening features the classic movie, “The Sandlot.” Check out the rest of the throwback movies coming up in the next few months.

SAVE THE DATE

• Palm Springs Entertainment Convention on Saturday at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
• Desert Winds Freedom Band Concert on Saturday at Temple Isaiah.
• PSUSD Multicultural Festival on Saturday at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
• Miralon Blood Drive on May 17. Sign up today!
• Communities’ Finest Dance Showcase on May 18 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
• Palm Springs International ShortFest from June 18 -24.

---

AND FINALLY …

The city is looking for a few good residents to step up and answer the call to serve, with an important deadline coming today.

Driving the news: There are vacancies on a dozen city commissions and boards, and the city is asking for those with interest or expertise to apply for one or more of the following:

• Administrative Appeals Board
• Airport Commission
• Architectural Review Committee
• Historic Site Preservation Board
• Human Rights Commission
• Library Board of Trustees
• Measure “J” Oversight Commission
• Parks & Recreation Commission
• Planning Commission
• Public Arts Commission
• Sustainability Commission
• VillageFest Board

Why it matters: It’s a big commitment, with long meetings and a lot of time spent reading and considering staff reports, but it can be a fulfilling way to make a difference in your community.

• The city is looking for people from all backgrounds in order to diversify the makeup of boards and commissions by introducing new viewpoints.

Who can apply: Applicants must either work, reside, or go to school within the city. Full-term appointments are for three years, and those appointed may be re-appointed for an additional full term, not to exceed seven years.

• Check out this video to see what the Planning Commission is looking for in applicants.

Yes but: Commissioners and board members are not paid for their services, but may receive reimbursements for travel or other expenses. 

How to apply: The application is due today, and you can fill it out online here.