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Desert Hot Springs Council adopts abatement-appeal fee, updates Little League registration and rejects Furby Pool bids
Summary
On Feb. 4, 2025 the Desert Hot Springs City Council unanimously adopted a $795.74 abatement-cost-report appeal fee, approved a revised Little League fee schedule ($75/$95/$125 with payment plans) and rejected construction bids for the John H. Furby Aquatic Center, directing a redesign and a $10,000 increase to the design contract.
The Desert Hot Springs City Council on Feb. 4 voted unanimously to adopt several administrative measures affecting code enforcement, youth sports and a delayed pool renovation.
Council adopted a resolution establishing an abatement cost-report appeal fee of $795.74 to allow individuals or entities to file appeals after a code abatement. Staff told the council the proposal recovers 100% of typical processing costs; the staff report notes two appeals are processed on average and estimates annual revenues of about $1,759.48. Staff also flagged a typo in the fiscal-impact section of the written report and corrected it at the meeting.
Recreation staff presented the Little League fee proposal after recounting the league’s 2022 management problems and the city’s interim oversight. The volunteer advisory body recommended a fee schedule that staff endorsed: $75 for early registration, $95 after the first month and $125 for late registration, with flexible payment arrangements available for families who need them. Staff said a full-cost study would have implied a registration fee far higher than these amounts; the council approved the recommended schedule unanimously.
On a separate item the council rejected all bids for construction of the John H. Furby Aquatic Center improvements. Staff reported that the lowest bidder, USA Construction, was deemed nonresponsive and remaining bids exceeded the project budget. Council directed staff to redesign the project to include both pool work and a splash pad and authorized increasing the professional-services agreement with the design firm by $10,000 (from $84,000 to a not-to-exceed $94,000) to cover the redesign. Council members noted the project remains a high priority despite the expected delay.
All three measures passed by unanimous voice vote with the five council members present voting yes. The council opened and closed public hearings on the abatement fee and the Little League fees with no members of the public offering testimony on those items.
