October 18 Daily Briefing: Measure J projects, airport facility, survey results, and more

TGIF, everyone! You may have seen the notice via email or text that the 911 lines went down in the city (and surrounding cities) yesterday. That seems to be happening more frequently, and it’s the provider’s fault, not the city’s. Since it’s likely to happen again, we suggest writing down the following tip: When you cannot reach 911, you can text 911 or call 760-323-8116 and press option 1 to reach the dispatch center. Additionally, you can visit any Palm Springs city government building for assistance in contacting dispatch if needed. 

🎶 Setting the mood: “I Try” by Macy Gray

LEADING OFF

Review of record 52 community-initiated projects begins

The Palm Springs Measure J Oversight Commission is facing a heavy workload as it prepares to review 52 community-initiated project proposals vying for a slice of the city’s sales tax revenue.

Driving the news: Commission members began the process at their regular meeting Thursday evening, where they had the chance to ask city staff questions about the projects and what was expected in the weeks and months ahead.

Zoom in: The applications span a wide range of city improvements like street paving, facility upgrades, and community enhancements.

• Measure J is a one-cent sales tax approved by Palm Springs voters in 2011. It’s on the ballot again this year. It generates approximately $21 million annually, with a portion set aside for community-initiated projects.
  
  
• The commission previously recommended a $500,000 cap on individual project funding, but the City Council suggested flexibility for compelling projects.

The latest: City Engineer Joel Montalvo provided updates on ongoing Measure J-funded projects, reporting that the $9 million street paving project funded last year has been completed under budget.

• Montalvo also cautioned that certain requests, such as a four-way stop sign, would still need to go through the city’s established evaluation process, even if funded.

Looking ahead: Commissioners are scheduled to reconvene on Nov. 17 to discuss which projects may require additional information from applicants, with presentations from selected applicants tentatively planned for the Dec. 19 meeting.

Dive deeper with our complete story

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BRIEFLY

🚗 Airport Commission prefers north location for new rental car facility

The Palm Springs Airport Commission continued deliberations over two potential sites for a new $500 million consolidated rental car facility this week, aiming to balance customer convenience, community impact, and financial feasibility. 

• At a regular meeting Wednesday, commissioners discussed building the facility either north of the terminal for customer convenience or south, where traffic would enter and exit off Ramon Road. Traffic impact analysis showed both locations would have comparable effects on surrounding roads.  
  
  
• In the end, commissioners unanimously approved locating the facility north of the terminal. That location was favored for its customer convenience.
  
  
• Next steps: The commission’s recommendation will next be considered by the Palm Springs City Council. Also up for discussion will be exploration of a phased building approach to mitigate high costs. A consultant who spoke Wednesday said the project could potentially be over $500 million.

Dive deeper with our complete story

🚨 Shooting at downtown park injures two

A shooting occurred at Graffiti Park in Downtown Palm Springs during a fight among juveniles late Thursday evening, leaving at least two people injured.

• According to a report from KESQ, the incident involved a gun being drawn amidst a confrontation, with a witness reporting hearing around five shots before seeing a crowd of people scatter. 
  
  
• Two teenagers were seen on the ground receiving medical attention from paramedics. Their condition was not immediately known.
  
  
• Bottom line: Palm Springs police are actively seeking to identify the suspect responsible for the shooting, but assured the public that there is no immediate danger following the incident.

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YOUR WEEKEND

MULTIPLE DAYS

• Mid-Century Moderns at Revolution Stage Company on Friday and Sunday. ($44-$59)
  
  
• Wildthots, Art Show by Marcus Rothering at Rubine Red Gallery all weekend.

TODAY

• Friends Book Club at Palm Springs Public Library Learning Center at 2 p.m.
  
  
• Comedy Night at Hotel Zoso at 8 p.m. ($15)
  
  
• Country Western Dancing at Dance Ranch Palm Springs at 7:30 p.m. ($5)

SATURDAY

• Tahquitz Creek Cleanup at Tahquitz Creek Foot Bridge at 8 a.m.
  
  
• Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market at Palm Springs Cultural Center from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
  
  
• Shredding Event at Palm Springs Convention Center from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.
  
  
• Four Seasons Palm Spring Community Wide Garage Sale at Four Seasons Palm Springs from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
  
  
• Open Cockpit Saturdays at Palm Springs Air Museum from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
  
  
• Jr. Ranger Expo 2024 at Indian Canyons from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
  
  
• 25th Annual Architectural Preservation Awards at Palm Springs Art Museum at 6 p.m.
  
  
• Benise at Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School at 7:30 p.m. $37)
  
  
• Coachella Valley Derby Girls at Palm Springs Air Museum at 7:30 p.m. ($10)
  
  
• Drag Bingo at one eleven bar at 6 p.m.

SUNDAY

• 3rd Annual Pride on the Page Book Festival at Palm Springs Cultural Center starting at 10 a.m.
  
  
• R107 & All Classic Mercedes-Benz Cars & Coffee at Mercedes-Benz Palm Springs starting at 9 a.m.
  
  
• Sunday T-Dance at Oscar’s from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. (First hour free, then $10)
  
  
• Beth and the Boys at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 7 p.m. ($34)

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AND FINALLY …

A few weeks back we asked you, our readers, to complete our annual survey, and nearly 1,000 of you did. Thank you! If you’re curious, here’s what we learned: 

• We asked how you like to consume your news. Not surprisingly, an overwhelming majority of you said you prefer reading news online and via newsletters. Print was a distant third, with TV and radio following. In what we consider a very nice surprise, getting your news from social media came in dead last.
  
  
• We asked if we should do a podcast. Nearly all of you said, “Nope, we’re good.” So, we’ll kill off the experimental, AI-driven podcast we threw out there for your consideration, but may still explore different ways audio can help us. As a reminder, you can listen to our stories when you’re on our website. Just look for the “Listen to this article” link at the top of each story.
  
  
• We asked if we should venture into opinions, letters to the editor, columns, etc. If this were “Family Feud,” we’d roll the big red X graphic and make that annoying buzzer sound. That’s because 63% of you said please don’t go there. That’s a relief and also further evidence that you like The Post because we don’t go there. So we won’t.
  
  
• Finally, we asked about our website. In years past, many people didn’t know it existed. But that seems to have changed. Compared with last year’s poll results, more than twice as many people said they venture to our site at least once a week. We think that ties into another thing you like — our free community calendar — but you also like that it uses clean, modern design, and isn’t cluttered like the templatized corporate news websites.

Bottom line: The Post belongs to you, the community, and we are just shepherding it. That’s why hearing from you is important and why we do polling. Still, we’re always here, so don’t wait until next year to share your thoughts. Just hit reply to any of these emails and you’ll reach us.