After debate over labor policy, local business access and financial risk, the council signed off on a five-year convention center food and beverage deal following a round of amendments.
The revised Oak View Group contract removes some disputed language, but critics say questions remain over local business protections, labor policy, financial risk and contract oversight.
Finance Director Kristopher Mooney said current staffing allows only 150 to 200 smaller property audits per year, leaving some rentals unreviewed for five years or more.
Councilmembers also asked staff to explore limited overnight shelter during extreme weather events, at an estimated annual cost of $171,700.
A projected $1 million deficit is not a sign of financial distress, the city’s finance director said, but reflects Measure J dollars being spent on previously budgeted capital projects.
Concrete is poured and light towers are up, but a supply chain issue has delayed the opening of Demuth Park's highly anticipated 22-court complex, city staff told commissioners on Monday among a host of other project updates.
Wednesday's City Council agenda leads the week, covering a continuation budget, millions in infrastructure and Convention Center deals, and a short-term rental ordinance update.
Wayne Olson’s exit follows a meeting where he defended a $170K contract amendment as vital to the city’s economic plan while two councilmembers questioned more consultant work.
Four city bodies — including an appeals board with three enforcement cases on the docket — meet Monday through Wednesday on development, short-term rental regulation and sustainability.
The city has been searching in earnest for a new location for a downtown fire station since February 2025, when a city-commissioned consultant report on fire services found that Fire Station No. 1 is “woefully out of date."
A vote on the amendment, which would push the city's total commitment to CVL Economics to nearly $593,000, was postponed to allow an absent councilmember to weigh in.
“I want Palm Springs to be safe and welcoming for everyone, not just the wealthy retired white men, but for people of every race and background,” one speaker said.
