Aug. 28 Daily Briefing: Next steps in wage case, benefit run, local focus for podcast, and more

Happy Thursday. Yesterday, we decided to dive deeper on something that’s been troubling us since we started The Post. We examined the homepages of all the area’s news providers and did the math on something: while 42% of the headlines on one local TV station’s homepage focused on violence, crime, or death, less than 1% of The Palm Springs Post’s homepage stories had violent connotations. That’s a huge difference. And it’s intentional. When nearly half of what you read is about violence, it shapes how you see your neighbors — and your community. At The Post, we believe our community is about more than just what goes wrong — it’s also about what goes right. If you believe in that kind of journalism, we hope you’ll support it.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Come Clean” by Hilary Duff

LEADING OFF

Developer to appeal prevailing wage ruling for $194M Palm Springs project

The developer of a major Downtown Palm Springs redevelopment project plans to appeal to the California Supreme Court after losing ion the latest round of a case involving worker wages. 

At issue: A state appeals court ruled in June that workers on the $194 million project that replaced Desert Fashion Plaza should have been paid prevailing wages despite the city’s local ordinance exempting municipal projects.

Driving the news: The Court of Appeal affirmed a Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) decision that Palm Springs Promenade LLC — which was formed by Wessman Development, now known as Grit Development — was required to pay prevailing wages to construction workers who transformed the former mall into a mixed-use development.

The details: Michael Braun of Grit Development said Wednesday that the company will cite a 2012 precedent favoring charter cities in its appeal to the higher court. Palm Springs had passed an ordinance in 2002 allowing exemptions from state prevailing wage requirements on local projects.

• The DIR determined in 2018 that the project constituted public work subject to prevailing wage requirements, a finding it affirmed in 2020 after an administrative appeal.

By the numbers: Palm Springs Promenade contributed $143 million in private funds and obtained $68 million through construction loans, while the city contributed about $51.4 million toward the project.

Yes, but: The appeals court concluded the project was not a “municipal affair” because the developer retained substantial control over construction and primarily benefited from the development.

• “We hold that where the charter city contributes money to a private development project, that undertaking does not necessarily transform the project into a municipal affair,” the court wrote.

What’s at stake: Grit now faces potential liability for back pay to workers who should have received prevailing wages on the project that transformed 13 acres of largely vacant downtown property into a multi-block urban village.

Dive deeper with our complete story

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BRIEFLY

🎃 Halloween-themed race to support homeless services

Martha’s Village and Kitchen will host its inaugural Spooktacular 10K & 5K Race on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Ruth Hardy Park. The Halloween-themed event welcomes runners, walkers, and families, with all proceeds benefiting the Palm Springs Navigation Center, which provides services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

• Participants are encouraged to wear costumes, with prizes awarded for the best-dressed runners. All participants will receive finisher medals and race shirts, and the event will feature local vendors, music, and photo opportunities.
  
• Registration costs $39.25 for the 5K and $44.25 for the 10K, with prices increasing to $54.25 and $65.80 respectively after Aug. 31. The race begins at 8 a.m. at the park, located at 700 Tamarisk Lane.
  
• Zoom in: Registration is available at this website  for those interested in supporting the cause while participating in the Halloween-themed fitness event.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Better Brain and Balance
9 a.m. | Mizell Center
A health course held weekly at the Mizell Center, its geared towards those experiencing challenges with balance and memory issues. 

Art Museum Free Admission
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Art Museum 
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy free admission to galleries and exhibitions, and explore the collection at your own pace. 

Lia Booth
7 p.m. | Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs
One of Southern California’s most captivating young jazz vocalists, Lia Booth is quickly establishing herself as a powerful and beloved voice in today’s jazz scene. ($18)

VillageFest
7 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs  
Weather permitting, the street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food.

View all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• CV Lip Sync Battle on Sept. 6
  
• 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Sept. 11 starting at 8:15 a.m.
  
• Healthy Desert Healthy You Environmental Summit from Sept. 11-12
  
• Cinema Diverse for two weekends in mid-September
  
• One Night Out Paris benefitting The Foundation for PSUSD on Oct. 4 
  
• Junior Ranger Expo at Indian Canyons on Oct. 11
  
• Spooktacular 5K/10K Run at Ruth Hardy Park on Oct. 11

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AND FINALLY …

Sometimes a casual conversation can spark something bigger. That’s exactly what happened when Modernism Week’s bus tour manager Bert Simonis met a member of The Post staff in 2024 and chatted about capturing the stories of long-standing local businesses.

Fast forward: Simonis said this week that he turned that brainstorming session into a podcast series, diving into the fascinating details and stories that make not just Palm Springs businesses, but the entire community unique.

• “Some of my podcasts are inspired by double-decker bus tour guests’ questions, others are just fun little details that I have run across when I research the bus tour scripts,” Simonis said.

Why it matters: The podcasts are preserving local history and the quirky stories that give Palm Springs its character, ensuring they don’t get lost over time.

How to listen: You can access the podcasts by visiting Simonis’s website at http://www.simonis.org/, where you can choose your preferred listening platform.

But wait: Simonis is actively seeking more story ideas from the community, so if you know of a local tale worth telling, he’s all ears. reach him at bert@modernismweek.comAndrology labs at a new location and resumed complete operations. You can find it at 1180 North Indian Canyon Dr., Suites 301–303, and staff can be reached at 760-346-4334.nly goes up.