Well it was quite a night Wednesday at the Palm Springs City Council. I was watching the proceedings at home at first and then decided to pop on in. I know how much some members of the city council enjoy being in my presence. Well here are some of my takeaways from all the excitement.
The public comments section is torture. Half the time taken up last night was about an issue I support but of which the council has zero jurisdiction. And zero influence.
There really needs to be better interaction between staff and council. Several times Geoff Kors politely talked about receiving information at the last minute. This has to improve.
We could all do without the segment council members commenting on what they do in the community. Although mercifully short last night, the temptation to blow their own horns is omnipresent.
After a nearly hour and half sign ordinance debate, I went home. I have sat through Palm Springs sign debates in 3 different decades now. The city always screws up. They will impose an ordinance, it will be challenged and they will lose in court. Sun will rise in the East too. So back to the computer.
I was pleasantly surprised by the 5-0 vote on changing the city attorney to an in house set up. I thought Geoff Kors and Rob Moon did a great job in framing the debate. I'm sure because of legal ramifications or legal advice, they were never going to bring up the real impetus behind the change. That of course being the questionable legal advice of Doug Holland before and after the raid on the PS City Hall in September. The fact that a hybrid system (In house attorney plus law firm for help.) is being considered means they want Holland gone. I caution readers that this change will take place slowly over probably 5 or 6 months complete with the usual "search for the best candidate" mantra taking place. I do think city council members should state for the record that they would not support bringing Mr. Holland or his firm into a hybrid set up. Not a lot of fun in Costa Mesa today as Doug Holland has to explain to his partners about the loss of a million dollar contract.
The debate over the hiring and continued employment of former DA Rod Pacheco was an interesting insight into the decision making process in Palm Springs. 3 of the people who were there when he was hired, council members Chris Mills, Ginny Foat and city attorney Doug Holland spoke about the reason for the hire. Curiously, city manager David Ready was silent.
Basically all 3 spoke of the shock of the raid on Palm Springs. Holland said he hired Pacheco because of the former DA's contacts in law enforcement and his expertise. He took responsibility and for that he should have been let go. Ginny Foat spoke passionately about how torn she was and scared for the city. To her credit, she did acknowledge that she knew the hire would be controversial. No one addressed the form of payment to Pacheco nor was who signed off on the hire totally clear. Mr. Ready was as quiet as a church mouse.
Chris Mills, who in May opined that the thought of a raid on City Hall was laughable was on another planet last night. He talked about how much value the city had gotten from Rod Pacheco and how Pacheco had started the task force that raided Palm Springs. The latter point is bogus as a 1 minute google search proved. He was the lone vote to keep the Pacheco contract. No way he runs again in 2017.
Geoff Kors and Rob Moon focused on Pacheco's unsuitability. JR Roberts stuck to the absurdity that the only reason Pacheco was controversial was because of Warm Sands and if it it had never happened, no one would be complaining. But it did happen. And Rod Pacheco was not just hostile to the gay community.
Anyone who has done an hour's research on Pacheco knows he did a lot more odious things. He shut down county civil and juvenile courts for 2 years in the his no plea bargain reign. I repeat my assertion that no other city in the Valley including the traditionally conservative Cove Communities, (Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells) would touch this guy.
My biggest takeaway from last night is that Palm Springs may and I emphasize may be in a new era. Finally.
Steve Kelly can be reached at skelly@rrbroadcasting.com or followed on Twitter @skellynj.
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