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Cathedral City council approves consent items, committee appointment and multiple contracts; balloon festival headliner tier approved
Summary
The Cathedral City City Council on Aug. 13 approved a slate of consent items, appointed a new member to the finance advisory committee, extended an engineering agreement for a local assessment district, authorized design work for Date Palm Drive repairs, awarded a trail/bike-route construction contract and approved a tiered headliner plan for the
The Cathedral City City Council on Aug. 13 approved the consent agenda and several discrete items including an appointment to the finance advisory committee, a contract amendment for an assessment-district engineering study, a design agreement for Date Palm Drive repairs, a construction contract for a local bike-route project, and a budget direction to pursue a Tier 2 headliner for the city’s annual balloon festival.
Why it matters: The actions set funding and contracting direction for multiple public-works and community events projects, and they fill one advisory-board vacancy that had been left open by the recent passing of a committee member.
Key outcomes
- Consent agenda: The council unanimously approved routine consent items including minutes, check registers, grant acceptances, vehicle purchases, and salary-schedule updates. Motion: Council member Gutierrez; second: Mayor Ross. Vote: unanimous “all ayes.”
- Finance Advisory Committee appointment: David Leach was appointed to fill an unexpired term through June 30, 2026. Motion: Council member Carnivale; second: Mayor Ross. Vote: unanimous “all ayes.”
- Amendment No. 1 to the Willdan Engineering agreement (Sarah Street assessment district phase 2A): Council approved a time extension and a budget rollover to allow additional outreach and a postcard survey of property owners. Mayor Pro Tem Tim Gregory recused for a financial interest; roll-call votes recorded: Carnivale — yes; Gutierrez — yes; Mayor Ross — yes. Motion carried.
- Professional services agreement with HR Green Pacific, Inc., for design of Date Palm Drive reconstruction (storm damage from Tropical Storm Hillary): Council authorized a contract with HR Green Pacific for design services totaling $345,303 and a 10% design contingency of $35,000, with additional local funds requested to cover the gap. Motion: Council member Gutierrez; second: Council member Carnivale. Vote: unanimous “all ayes.”
- Construction contract award to Granite Construction Company for Whispering Palms Trail Class III bike-route project: Council awarded a base construction contract for $672,000 and authorized a 20% construction contingency, bringing construction authorization to $806,400. Funding sources cited: RCTC SB-821 grant funds and local matching funds. Motion: Mayor Pro Tem Gregory; second: Council member Gutierrez. Vote: unanimous “all ayes.”
- Balloon Festival Saturday headliner direction (tier selection): Council directed staff to pursue a Tier 2 headliner package for the Saturday night concert, and authorized staff to negotiate revenue-sharing/sponsorship arrangements related to that tier. Motion: Council member Gutierrez; second: Council member Carnivale. Vote: motion carried 3–1 with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Gregory recorded as voting no.
What the council did not decide: No final artist contracts were signed at the meeting. The motion on the balloon festival authorized staff to pursue the Tier 2 option and to return with contract language and sponsorship/revenue-sharing terms for council approval.
Notes and next steps
- Contracts and agreements referenced will return to council where required for signature and final approval. The city manager was authorized to execute certain administrative documents as part of the staff recommendations.
- The City Council noted that Mayor Pro Tem Gregory recused himself from the Sarah Street assessment item due to a stated financial interest.
