City Hall

Brenda Pree, who currently works in the same role for the city of Pittsburgh, will become the next city clerk in Palm Springs. Monique Lomeli had been serving in the role on an interim basis.

While some are off to a good start, they still have a ways to go to catch up to what a pair of current councilmembers raised during their most recent campaigns

A vote Thursday evening came one day after Coachella approved a program to provide 140 low-income immigrant families with a $400 monthly stipend for two years.

Only one person chose to comment Monday, taking both the entire Palm Springs City Council and individual councilmembers to task for Justin Clifton’s departure.

Current City Manager Justin Clifton Clifton is believed to be leaving to take a job in the private sector after 15 months in Palm Springs. His last day will be Sept. 16.

Candidates for City Council have until Aug. 12 to request paperwork from the city and turn in a minimum of 80 signatures from registered voters in their districts.

During Justin Clifton’s tenure, the city first grappled with economic uncertainty brought on by the battle against COVID-19 — leading to job cuts at City Hall — then saw a rebound as visitors flocked to local hotels and vacation rentals.

Most councilmembers were on board with adjusting future elected officials’ salaries or staffing. However, Councilmember Dennis Woods questioned whether a pay raise would attract a more diverse set of candidates.

A resolution passed Thursday evening by the City Council has specific language affirming that law enforcement here will not comply with attempts to investigate patients who travel to California seeking care.