[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6577887,"mediaKeyId","3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c","parentId",3091066,"title","Council debates self-help housing proposal; asks staff for more due diligence and schedules community workshop","audioSeconds",2478,"startMs",2294000,"endMs",4772000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c&start=2294&end=4772","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c/thumbnail_2294000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577887/Twentynine-Palms-City/San-Bernardino-County/California/Council-debates-self-help-housing-proposal-asks-staff-for-more-due-diligence-and-schedules-community-workshop","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577887-f12af1ea0a415796f18d4bb8c6bf2e66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207651&Signature=XClWmizree51kfNIds27aTIYdfultJcFDPoYl6UMGtE~xlNrZbDlI80bBKVnm24CJB5bfYxAXZH0I7kgwtMgZqe~snTnhvOVItwnjnX00RKjQNMVgxTiWaSDmTh57L-OkAikrlAtTLognHSjTJzflijDzJVp8Nu~ZY3NmAjbwDRWFsykyg48hR3ROsnetA1QEGkismU7F~ZOHqFpsMym3y~NbOo2nkaWoh4TxvBJRqmtd1JnXsIBICQyoH-kWVTH6PU8KbSP07hBUiNGsmKwy1wLr~3YhVD4tiV8RI2uqgR7iCBaD7OIsn0d~RwkbRGnakgRHNyowQ0RdxaN5AqP5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Twentynine Palms, CA","date","2025-04-23T04:28:32.94Z","article","Twentynine Palms City Council members spent more than an hour on April 22 discussing a proposed self-help homeownership program in which the city would acquire vacant lots and partner with a nonprofit builder to enable low- and moderate-income households to construct homes themselves.

City Attorney Patrick Munoz and staff outlined legal and administrative constraints the city must consider before acquiring lots, especially if the purchase uses restricted housing funds. Munoz told councilors that restricted funds typically carry monitoring obligations — the city must annually confirm that homes funded with restricted dollars remain occupied by income-qualified households and that resale restrictions are enforced. He cautioned that recent revisions to the Surplus Lands Act and related rules make it more difficult to resell restricted lots if a program fails to use them as intended.

Staff said they had engaged with two nonprofits, the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) and Habitat for Humanity, and noted CVHC has a long self-help track record in other regions but had been slow to provide requested due-diligence materials to city staff. Council members and public commenters expressed varying views: some urged the council to move quickly and buy lots now to spur housing construction; others urged more safeguards, argued the city should avoid assuming excessive land-ownership risk, and suggested alternatives (for example, the nonprofit acquiring lots itself and the city purchasing them later if conditions are met).

Councilmember Scott made a motion directing staff to inquire about acquiring 10 vacant residential lots for a self-help construction program and to begin related due diligence, including identifying candidate parcels for potential purchase and preparing materials for closed-session review if needed. Councilmembers discussed possible funding sources — restricted housing funds versus general-fund or other unrestricted funds — and noted that using restricted housing dollars increases administrative complexity and long-term monitoring obligations. Several council members asked staff to explore contract structures that would reduce city liability or shift initial land-acquisition risk to a nonprofit partner.

After council debate, city staff agreed to organize a public workshop with CVHC to present qualifications, program mechanics and recruitment criteria to the community. Several residents said they could recruit potential applicants locally and urged the council to schedule a recruitment event in Twentynine Palms so local residents could apply and be screened. Multiple residents urged prioritizing city residents for any local funding.

No formal ordinance or land purchase was approved at the April 22 meeting. The council’s immediate next steps recorded in the meeting were: staff will continue due diligence, attempt to obtain outstanding materials from CVHC, and hold a public workshop/presentation with the nonprofit to explain program eligibility and timeline. Councilmembers said that only after due diligence and clear contractual protections would they consider a formal land-acquisition vote.

Key factual points from the council discussion:
- Staff reported past allocations: the city and staff have identified candidate parcels and estimated they would need 10 lots close together for the CVHC self-help model to proceed.
- City Attorney Munoz said the nonprofit had been slow to respond to repeated requests for documents; he identified two prior lawsuits found in public records against CVHC — one dismissed and one settled with no admission of liability — and expressed concern about the lack of timely documentation from CVHC as a red flag for city due diligence.
- Commenters and a local realtor said recruiting qualified buyers locally can be difficult because of current interest rates and loan underwriting; residents and proponents argued that even 10 homes would create generational wealth and should be pursued.

The matter remains in the discussion phase; staff will return with more documentation and a schedule for a public CVHC presentation and community outreach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - Regular Meeting with Closed Session - 22 Apr 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Twentynine Palms City Council members on April 22 debated a proposal for the city to acquire 10 vacant lots to support a self-help homeownership program, with staff and the city attorney warning that restricted housing funds require annual monitoring and that the nonprofit partner had not provided complete due-diligence materials.","taxTitle","Twentynine Palms City, San Bernardino County, California","taxId",70852,"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},6577883,"Twentynine Palms council approves routine reports, a contract amendment and community grants; opposes AB 647",4934,1119000,6053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c&start=1119&end=6053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c/thumbnail_1119000.jpg","/articles/6577883/Twentynine-Palms-City/San-Bernardino-County/California/Twentynine-Palms-council-approves-routine-reports-a-contract-amendment-and-community-grants-opposes-AB-647","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577883-11dfe4da78a45153c885f58ae49944da/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207651&Signature=YShFOLuwUmr9NkEv4U80Ph6VhUNfCTkTG5Fs18-WuA3ns8uRdM~I7KKzEwK5nKwRlKVWxHae7fbZJglvJe1ys5LoRi8VaZ-Q-6XGnYB-uPx0-86EhNObnA5xCIlbNjpVcGeICz-U2umSTpvuEZ79SWBWwtkW6K-jx5UN04TJIj7DbgA2njil1ZF4J3duHdeX1OeUsgVNhjaEzQryegVy68c-JNkLivMBvA4wN0oj7gadYwcTZZbAdyTTR2W2~qj6VUUFyRo6FWyvIuKrMTcKHYB5IwhH2lFSNxeUtU2UCFsqN9gBW8v9nn9rSUfp0VA38qpauZrBO0Ct9F-s7v7zZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Twentynine Palms City Council took a number of formal actions on April 22, 2025. Major votes and formal outcomes recorded on the meeting transcript include acceptance of state-mandated reports, a contract amendment for an engineering services provider, a small community grant and a formal opposition letter to a state bill.

Key outcomes recorded in the meeting minutes/transcript:

- Consent calendar: Approved by roll call as a single motion (vote recorded as approved 5-0). Council members recorded: Councilwoman Ramirez — Aye; Councilmember Scott — Aye; Councilmember Wright — Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Mintz — Aye; Mayor Bilderink — Aye.

- Building permit activity report (annual state report): Council accepted and directed staff to forward the report to the state (motion to file and accept, approved 5-0 as recorded). Staff noted the city’s assigned housing target from 2021 was 1,047 units; the city reported approximately 80 units built to date and said “900 and something” remain to meet the 2029 allocation.

- General plan status report (annual state report): Council accepted the report (approved 5-0 as recorded). Staff reported no general-plan amendments in the prior calendar year and noted the equity and social-justice element adopted in 2023.

- Development code amendment (chapters 19.06 and 19.04): Council found the item exempt from CEQA and adopted the ordinance approving the development-code amendment for the specified chapters (vote recorded as approve, 5 votes). This item corrected inconsistent term start/selection timing for the planning commission and removed a procedural requirement that state law does not mandate, allowing certain reports to be placed on consent.

- Contract amendment — Charles Abbott Associates: Council approved the contract amendment for Charles Abbott Associates (city engineering/building services) which includes an annual increase schedule (approximately a 5% increase as described by staff). Vote recorded as approved 5-0.

- Graffiti abatement cost confirmation (6045 Adobe Road): Staff requested council acceptance of abatement costs and direction to recover costs from the property owner by billing or a special assessment. A motion to accept the abatement costs was made during the meeting; transcript records a motion and second. (No roll-call tally was read aloud in the excerpt.)

- Self-help housing acquisition discussion (item 20): Council discussed authorizing or directing staff to acquire 10 lots for a self-help housing program; a motion was made to direct staff to inquire about acquisition and continue due diligence. The meeting record shows debate and several procedural questions; no purchase vote or final approval for land acquisition occurred on April 22.

- Grant/donation — Ready for Reading Book Club (Backpacks): Council approved a $5,000 grant to Lynette Ramirez’s nonprofit Ready for Reading Book Club to support backpacks and related resource-fair services for junior-high and high-school students; motion recorded and approved by roll call as 5-0.

- Animal-shelter sponsorship (Joshua Tree No Kill Shelter Woof Walk): Council members committed to sponsor the regional Woof Walk fundraiser; councilmember(s) allocated $1,500 from previously allocated homeless-shower funds to match the organizer’s funding in-kind; the motion and vocal aye vote carried in the meeting as recorded.

- State legislation — AB 647 (density/ministerial housing bill): Council voted to oppose AB 647 and authorized a letter in opposition to the Legislature. Vote recorded as approved 5-0.

The council recorded several other staff updates and future agenda items, and directed staff to return with more information on a handful of items. The transcript shows roll-call tallies when recorded by the city clerk; where the transcript did not carry a roll-call, the article reflects the motion and notes when a formal tally was not spoken into the record.

Votes at a glance (items and recorded outcomes):
- Consent calendar — Approved (5-0)
- Building permit activity report (state) — Accepted/Filed (5-0)
- General plan status report (state) — Accepted/Filed (5-0)
- Development code amendment (Ch. 19.06 & 19.04) — Adopted / Ordinance approved (5 votes recorded)
- Contract amendment: Charles Abbott Associates — Approved (5-0)
- Graffiti abatement cost confirmation (6045 Adobe Road) — Motion made to accept costs and recover from owner (motion recorded; roll-call not printed in excerpt)
- Self-help housing acquisition (10 lots) — Motion made to direct staff to inquire and continue due diligence (no purchase vote recorded)
- Ready for Reading Book Club grant ($5,000) — Approved (5-0)
- Joshua Tree No Kill Shelter sponsorship (Woof Walk) — Council committed $1,500 (vocal aye recorded)
- AB 647 (state bill) — Council voted to oppose and send letter (approved 5-0)

This summary lists the formal actions shown in the meeting transcript; where the transcript included a roll call the counts above match the recorded votes.","The Twentynine Palms City Council on April 22 approved routine state reports, a contract amendment, a community grant, and a formal opposition to AB 647; the council also tabled a significant development-code change and discussed but did not approve a proposed city land purchase for a self-help housing program.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577892,"Twentynine Palms council tables development-code changes for campgrounds, citing resident concerns",0,1549000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c&start=1549&end=1549","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091066-b257540cc41aed988ae0b7e8ec63032c/thumbnail_1549000.jpg","/articles/6577892/Twentynine-Palms-City/San-Bernardino-County/California/Twentynine-Palms-council-tables-development-code-changes-for-campgrounds-citing-resident-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577892-1b0ae717ec7dfc399c590c8e5ebf8034/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207651&Signature=Vqm54VtE6Rfoz7tLFLW7UlYWU3qfM~bc1g8Yz6NaWbRkqCJLR2EwqsKXTeAd4TlLUB4hM6NW4n6vb1jDvfjTAwSI78ThpqbKKiHFcvjK5vEZ7I3HkCML5oGyr0Q4nx07Y65plN~wR-6WFZrWkhGwJq5I4LnMuTgTZqF~~JgsalKNXvqOTxVr3Q7kgpilcVFu3x-6oGCxW3sd08MuRV-wTEM4WLpa9-3s5m7rPxzoXFtoBn36wolQdqJMjMq7WzcBDe7-ht~P9Ev1FA3dfJ0zKuE8zkKQgr~SBjMEEJobGqaCMY3Y-xny3HpndLzfYgiodD-e1~JGaxUAJfU1LFMzaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Twentynine Palms City Council on April 22 tabled a proposed development-code amendment that would change how commercial campgrounds and RV parks are sited and regulated, after multiple residents raised concerns about traffic, dust, noise, wildlife impacts and neighborhood compatibility.

Supporters framed the item as a code “cleanup” to remove ambiguities between the city’s rules and state law, while several residents and letters submitted in advance urged caution and asked the council to limit campgrounds to commercial-tourism zones rather than residential or rural-living parcels.

The proposed changes discussed by staff would separate commercial campgrounds from RV parks in the code and establish numeric standards staff described as resolving “subject to interpretation” language. Public commenters and written submissions noted specific provisions in the draft amendment: a 5-acre minimum parcel size for both commercial campgrounds and RV parks, densities described in the record as 15 sites per acre for commercial campgrounds and 12 sites per acre for RV parks, and parking/restroom spacing requirements that commenters said would bring infrastructure and campers adjacent to existing homes.

Resident Pat Flanagan, whose written letter was read into the record, warned the council that on a hypothetical 5-acre parcel the proposed densities could equate to roughly 65 campsites or 45 RV spaces once parking and restrooms are accounted for, and listed air-quality, road-surfacing, code-enforcement and wildlife concerns. Susan Piplow and John Talley Jones told the council they supported tourism and campgrounds when sited in commercially zoned areas or public lands, but opposed allowing campgrounds in rural-living or residential zones.

Council members debated whether to approve the amendment or study it further. Councilmember Scott explicitly proposed further study; after public comment and council discussion, the council voted to table the item “off calendar” for now. At the hearing several council members said they would prefer more analysis before changing zoning that could make residential parcels available for tourism uses.

The council’s action halts the amendment’s progress and signals staff will return with additional analysis if and when requested. Staff told the council the amendment is not time-sensitive and can be re-noticed for future study. The planning commission previously reviewed versions of the amendment and the record includes at least two letters submitted late on the item.

Council members and several speakers emphasized that the city needs tourism options but urged careful siting and clearer development standards to protect neighboring homes and air quality.

The item was tabled off calendar; no ordinance was adopted at the April 22 meeting. Staff and planning commission materials and the letters read into the record remain part of the public file for the amendment.","After extensive public comment about air quality, traffic, noise and wildlife impacts, the Twentynine Palms City Council voted to remove a proposed development-code amendment regarding commercial campgrounds and RV parks from the agenda (tabled off-calendar) for further study.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council debates self-help housing proposal; asks staff for more due diligence and schedules community workshop

Twentynine Palms council approves routine reports, a contract amendment and community grants; opposes AB 647

Twentynine Palms council tables development-code changes for campgrounds, citing resident concerns