HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemorandum - Q&As 4 7 21 (01-13-22)
CITY OF PALM DESERT
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
To: Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Heather Horning, Assistant to the City Manager
Date: January 13, 2022
Subject: City Council Agenda (January 13, 2022)
Below you will find questions received from the Mayor and/or Councilmembers and answers provided
by City staff regarding tonight’s Council meeting agenda.
Consent Calendar – Item 4:
• Question: Can you clarify which specific issues that have been identified as an “immediate
threat to the public health, safety or welfare based on the passage of the new Senate Bill 9”?
o Answer: Governor Newson signed Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) as a state mandate to be
effective January 1, 2022, requiring local agencies to approve urban lot splits and allow
two residential units per single family residential lots. SB 9 allows cities to implement
objective standards or align with the state law by the effective date. After review of the
state law, the City determined a potentially significant impact to the character of the
city’s well established single family residential neighborhoods. The Urgency Ordinance
gives the City time to establish objective zoning and subdivision standards related to lot
configuration, unit size, height, setback, landscape, and architectural review criteria to
protect the character of the existing neighborhoods, minimize the negative impact of
property values, vehicular and pedestrian safety, on-site parking demand, and fire
safety.
Consent Calendar – Item 7
• Question: Could this project allow short term rentals?
o Answer: Short term rentals are allowed by the zoning for this project, as long as the
HOA allows them in their CC&Rs. The developer has indicated that they intend to ban
short term rentals for individual owners in this project’s CC&Rs.
Action Calendar – Item 21
• Question: If the state of emergency ends, would there be a legal issue with continuing to
offer Zoom or virtual meeting attendance options?
Question & Answer Page 2 of 2
o Answer: Assembly Bill 361 suspends certain parts of the Brown Act and requires the
Council to make findings every month that require:
1) proclaimed state of emergency;
2) state or local recommendations to promote social distancing; and
3) where meeting in person presents risks to the health or safety of attendees.
The bill sunsets on January 1, 2024. Based on this, there would not be an opportunity
to continue with virtual or hybrid meetings in the same way after the state of
emergency ends, absent further changes in legislation.