Indio City Council moves into closed session over litigation and 18.76‑acre property negotiations

The Indio City Council adjourned to closed session on Dec. 17 to discuss anticipated litigation, existing litigation and real‑property negotiations, the meeting agenda shows.

An unidentified speaker (S2) read three closed‑session items aloud before the council moved into closed session: anticipated litigation under Government Code section 54956.9 (number of cases: one); a real‑property negotiation under Government Code section 54956.8 concerning approximately 18.76 acres of city‑owned parcels behind the former Indio Fashion Mall (APNs 614‑650‑001 through 614‑650‑006); and existing litigation identified as Zenda Estate LLC v. Polo Club Maintenance Association, Riverside Superior Court, case number CVPS2407985. The speaker said the real‑property discussion would cover "price and terms of payment."

The closed‑session notice named the negotiating parties for the property matter as the City of Indio, Brian H. Montgomery (city manager), and HCL Indio Land Development LLC. No public votes or council decisions were recorded in the public portion of the transcript; the public portion concluded when the council "rolled into closed session."

Before the closed session, the speaker opened the time for public comment on items not on the agenda and said there was a line of people wishing to speak; the transcript does not include the content of any public comments. The roll call in the public portion recorded Council member Miller, Council member Ortiz and Mayor Holmes as present; Council member Wetrone and the mayor pro tem were noted as absent.

The agenda references specific state statutes to authorize closed‑session discussion (Government Code sections 54956.8 and 54956.9). The transcript does not record any substantive debate, motions or votes in open session on the matters listed; any direction, offers or outcomes of the closed session are not included in the provided public transcript.