[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6651452,"mediaKeyId","2622418-f91b6536197b48977846ffef78ed608d","parentId",2622418,"title","Council approves Desert Recreation District services, tax-transfer and several agenda items including ATP amendment","audioSeconds",2020,"startMs",4120000,"endMs",6140000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2622418-f91b6536197b48977846ffef78ed608d&start=4120&end=6140","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2622418-f91b6536197b48977846ffef78ed608d/thumbnail_4120000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6651452/Cathedral-City/Riverside-County/California/Council-approves-Desert-Recreation-District-services-tax-transfer-and-several-agenda-items-including-ATP-amendment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651452-c77fa000d5d1d3fd6b39ff7cb8fbd04e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207432&Signature=cJ1QsPFJl~8aOzYIJWYyj2FAPo-8w-CBXZYncVYSW35iPV4pC8s3KKd-RmupICPFDUEdn0vDspe5LLpkJdestw5zpHk1VabG9j8WJPEk9bNQwOPr~-K6bXI8NfJDycGCng0iNGp9GTfYjxknYZElNKyp0AyY6VDmbQ3~ppm7D9meWFOT8njMciYuPBL6XszLjvsHffpKlGc5JXFU5NSgCQjKZOiylFDISsF7FcwnsOD2-Qlvf7Uikg02adffQzUtA~84xNcZnMrXT0OKKkU3R0DZiMVN3EFEqsNMtNv8j5SHf25DE6j2enE3qlWsL0yBXyN-Y5FH6yOaP9ccHfrXTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cathedral, CA","date","2025-02-12T10:53:34.33Z","article","The Cathedral City City Council voted unanimously to approve a services agreement with the Desert Recreation District (DRD) and a companion tax-exchange agreement that will transfer a slice of property-tax revenue and provide DRD-operated parks maintenance and community programming for city parks.

Why it matters: The agreements are intended to create a consistent parks and recreation program for Cathedral City residents, give residents in-district rates for DRD programs, and shift day-to-day park operations to the regional district while preserving the city’s capital role on larger park improvement projects.

Details of the agreements and budget effects: The total first-year contractual cost for DRD services was presented as roughly $1,798,000. Staff described matching and offsetting steps so that the net effect on the city’s general fund would be neutral: the city will transfer approximately 15% of its property tax receipts—about $1,000,000 in fiscal 2025–26—to the DRD through the tax-exchange agreement; Measure W receipts (a half-cent transaction and use tax) will partially replace that revenue in the city budget. The remainder of the first-year service cost, about $798,000, will be paid in quarterly payments from the city to DRD, with a year-end true-up provision.

Services and programs: Under the services agreement, DRD will provide maintenance at city parks including Century Park, Panorama, Ocotillo, Dennis Keats Soccer Park, Town Square Park, Memorial Park, the Cathedral City Amphitheater, Patriot Park, the downtown dog park and the soon-to-be-completed Esperanza Park. The city will continue to maintain Town Square Park, the Downtown Dog Park, Memorial Park and the amphitheater; day-to-day maintenance for most other parks will transfer to DRD. DRD will place a staff member in the city to take registrations and help coordinate programming. The ongoing summer swim program at Cathedral City High School will be run by DRD and will continue to offer in-district rates to Cathedral City residents.

Council discussion and concerns: Council members and staff discussed service levels, dog-park maintenance and capital-improvement thresholds. DRD representatives said dog parks in existing agreements are maintained five days a week for two hours a day (trash removal, bag restocking, bench cleaning and pressure washing) and that signage and posted hours will be coordinated with city staff. Council discussed that capital improvements costing more than $10,000 per item would remain a city responsibility and require prior authorization.

Public comment and communications requests: Commenters including Danny Lee and consultant Dorian Whitney urged a clear public communications plan that explains how Measure W and the annexation-related transfers will be used and what residents can expect on the timeline to a new community recreation center. One resident also asked that the community amphitheater remain accessible to the public rather than closed for events.

Other votes at the meeting: Council approved a special-use permit for the Color the Spectrum Art Festival (an autism‑focused event in the community amphitheater on April 6) and accepted a Public Arts Commission recommendation to fund a Karen and Tony Barone sculpture exhibition in Town Square with an allocation of $2,300. The council also approved an amendment to a professional-services agreement for construction engineering support on two Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 5 projects, authorizing an extra $110,000 to cover inspection and material-testing costs caused by unanticipated utility and county‑review delays.

Voting and motions: The services agreement (Item 5A) was moved by Councilmember Ernesto Gutierrez, seconded by Councilmember Carnivale, and passed on a unanimous vote. The tax-exchange agreement (Item 5B) was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Mary Gregory, seconded by Councilmember Lam, and passed unanimously. The ATP amendment and the event approvals were each approved by unanimous vote.

Ending: City staff said a LAFCO annexation process will follow the intergovernmental agreements; annexation requires additional legal steps and approval by the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission. Council directed staff to return with routine implementation details and annual budgets.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - Regular Meeting - February 12, 2025 5:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Cathedral City City Council voted unanimously to approve a services agreement with the Desert Recreation District to operate parks maintenance and recreation programming, and approved a companion tax-exchange agreement to fund the services.","taxTitle","Cathedral City, Riverside County, California","taxId",5539,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6651457,"Residents tell Cathedral City council cannabis facility odors make them sick, urge enforcement",1570,196000,1766000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2622418-f91b6536197b48977846ffef78ed608d&start=196&end=1766","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2622418-f91b6536197b48977846ffef78ed608d/thumbnail_196000.jpg","/articles/6651457/Cathedral-City/Riverside-County/California/Residents-tell-Cathedral-City-council-cannabis-facility-odors-make-them-sick-urge-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651457-df1656bf04ee00ae61070cbac12c807c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207432&Signature=NuaJ2eGBOT~82yqc80h6r6ePyjm2PwxzahXogrL4Gn-EpW3gIMzC25DlJ-RL8DjCFdEi5Z-zZc26V09-eKH4maBQ3qowQlCjIeYZTdXwIGSgut4fN7i2IG-QfEYvNW604vzwRD7whoUFz7HSQTyhDPS3Ztiq2M~JBDtYSzIg8SD1gBb~qKmaLt2feMRR9wfgfFjvdIpGodxw2GQkBRxkbvlJqt69OJgOJc16Vmx6fZAavrRMmmq0ktW7oGbIpXKhAahl6I5mwAmBDA8DjvVDfcRiD4UnXv4dipJNGUoAyGWAtZIhwr6beuq2fecsvjDpQPeleMVBepIwvQYJGagabg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents told the Cathedral City City Council during public comment that persistent odors from the C4 USA cannabis manufacturing facility have sickened neighbors, driven down property values and forced some to seek medical care.

The concerns recurred across statements from residents of Outdoor Resorts and other nearby neighborhoods, who described daily and nightly odors, headaches, respiratory symptoms and worsened chronic conditions. ‘‘It’s been unbearable,’’ said Linda McDonald, a resident of Outdoor Resorts, adding that ‘‘approximately 2,000 complaints’’ have been filed and that property values have dropped ‘‘15 to 20%’’.

Why it matters: Speakers said the facility’s odors are a persistent public-health and quality-of-life problem because the site sits near housing and Cathedral City High School. Speakers pressed the council to enforce local rules, rescind or suspend permits and require the facility to stop operations until it can demonstrate odor control.

Several speakers gave specific technical and document-based complaints. Scott McDonald said the city recently provided safety data sheets for 38 substances reportedly used at C4 USA and questioned the qualifications and methods used in a chromatographic report produced for the company on Jan. 6, 2025. He said the report lacked equipment and methodology details and raised concern that hazardous components had been omitted from some sheets.

Other commentators described impacts on daily life. Michael Hayes said he has required counseling sessions and described harassment by neighbors; Rick Hollinshead, a seasonal resident, told the council the odor is strong enough to reach the nearby high school. Janet Ream and others said promised filtration systems have not stopped the smells. Several speakers urged the council to ‘‘make them stop’’ rather than accept partial mitigation measures.

Council members and staff did not take immediate regulatory action during the meeting. Danny Lee, a community commenter, asked the council to ensure that information from a police town hall on safety for LGBTQ residents is shared more widely and said the city manager would route town-hall items to appropriate staff. Some speakers requested clearer, ongoing public communication about tests, mitigation results and next steps.

What speakers asked for: Shutting down the facility until it meets standards, pulling or reviewing any conditional use permit, better public disclosure of testing methodology and results, and more frequent and accessible community updates. Richard Seiler cited the municipal code and argued the city should enforce an emissions standard he described as ‘‘0.0’’ and consider revoking the facility’s permit if it cannot comply.

City responses and next steps mentioned on the record were limited to staff follow-up. At least one resident asked the council for a public communication plan explaining how Measure W revenues and related commitments would be used to benefit parks and services; that request arose in a separate agenda item but was echoed here as part of broader calls for clearer public information.

Ending: Multiple speakers closed by asking the council to move beyond interim measures. No enforcement action or vote regarding the facility occurred at the meeting; the council heard public comment and later continued with the regular agenda.","Dozens of residents urged the Cathedral City City Council to enforce city codes and consider revoking permits after months of strong odors they attribute to a nearby cannabis manufacturing facility; speakers described health effects, property value declines and repeated failed mitigation efforts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves Desert Recreation District services, tax-transfer and several agenda items including ATP amendment

Residents tell Cathedral City council cannabis facility odors make them sick, urge enforcement