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Twentynine Palms council appoints Steve Bilderink mayor, names Mintz mayor pro tem; consent calendar approved
Summary
At its Dec. 10, 2024 meeting the Twentynine Palms City Council voted unanimously to appoint Steve Bilderink as mayor and Daniel L. Mintz as mayor pro tem and approved the consent calendar 5-0. The meeting included swearing-in of newly elected council members and public comment on the appointment process.
The Twentynine Palms City Council on Dec. 10, 2024 voted unanimously to appoint Steve Bilderink as mayor and Councilmember Daniel L. Mintz as mayor pro tem and approved the meeting consent calendar 5-0.
Council members and newly elected officials were sworn in at the start of the meeting before the nominations and votes for council leadership. A staff member briefed the council on customary appointment procedures and said state law requires the council to consider mayor and mayor pro tem appointments when new councilmembers are sworn in.
The appointment drew public comment. Thomas Ingram said the council had changed the expectations after the election and objected to what he called moving the “goalposts” after votes were cast: “Had this been announced before the election, fine ... but I feel the council hasn't done this the right way, knowing before the election that she could have won ... That's when something should have been done.”
A staff member (Munoz) responded during the discussion, saying in part, “state law basically requires the council to consider the appointment of mayor, mayor pro tem, at the election where the results are declared and the new council members are sworn in … the council has had a tradition here of kind of following its own process for that appointment, but it has not always been followed.”
Following nominations from council members, the council held roll-call votes. The council approved the consent calendar by a 5-0 vote and later approved the appointment of Bilderink as mayor and Mintz as mayor pro tem, each by a 5-0 vote. The meeting record shows the votes as approved 5-0; the roll-call responses recorded in the transcript are reflected in the official minutes.
The council also honored outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Joel A. Klink with remarks and recognitions during the meeting. The council announced no regular meeting on Dec. 24, 2024; the next regular meeting was set for Jan. 14, 2025.
Votes at a glance: - Consent calendar: Motion to accept the consent calendar as written — approved 5-0. - Appointment of mayor: Motion to appoint Steve Bilderink as mayor — approved 5-0. - Appointment of mayor pro tem: Motion to select Daniel L. Mintz as mayor pro tem — approved 5-0.
The council wrapped up with a short recess and procedural items for the incoming term.
