The Twentynine Palms City Council moved briskly through its agenda Tuesday night. Reporter Dan Stork recaps the action…
The Twentynine Palms City Council began its May 26 meeting by approving an amendment to the Development Code that will establish guidelines for single room occupancy facilities, in accordance with state guidelines. There are no current plans or noted demand for an SRO facility, which would offer small places to live for people transitioning from homelessness.
Then the contract of Jim Hamilton, the part-time Development Director, was extended. The terms call for 450 hours at $75 per hour.
Council authorized the city manager to lease a city-owned house to the Joshua Tree Science Campus Committee at $1 per year, to be used as a place for meetings and other activities related to the NatureBridge Science Camp.
City Manager Frank Luckino reviewed this year’s budgeting process, which resulted in a draft budget for fiscal 2015-2016, with a surplus of about $23,000 projected in the nearly $8 million budget. The current year’s budget is expected to have a surplus of about $400,000. According to Luckino, next year’s small surplus reflects conservative revenue and expense assumptions. He noted that, despite the recent favorable state concession on Project Phoenix bond funds, the city may still have to pay back, from reserves, a $2 million loan it had gotten from the Redevelopment Authority. Council approved the budget.
