WRITTEN
PUBLIC
COMMENT
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
JUNE 6, 2023
1 From: Claudia Snyder <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2023 8:03 AM
To: City Clerk Mail; Monika Radeva
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; Jon McMillen Subject: Written Comments- Claudia Snyder, on behalf of a Group of Highland Palms Homeowners - Special Residential Events Permits Program
** EXTERNAL: This message originated outside of the City of La Quinta. Please use proper judgement and caution when opening attachments, clicking links or responding to requests for information. ** La Quinta’s Special Residential Events Permits Program:
Program Unsuccessful Given City and Applicant Non-Compliance with Code and Rules
In 2016, the Mayor championed the Special Residential Events initiative on the premise that “regulation” was key to a balance between homeowner property rights and the right to peaceful and quiet enjoyment of our homes. Fast forward to 2023 and the result is that those of us who value our quality of life have been continuously aggrieved since the program’s inception in 2016.
We have been burdened with the laborious task of policing the program and, in doing so, have seen our progressive transformation into reluctant activists and vocal adversaries of what we deem to be a corrupt Mayor and City Manager. We have become targets of permit applicants who will do whatever is necessary to protect their business interests - including, but not limited to, the regular use of Code Enforcement resources to harass and intimidate neighbors who oppose their activities. We have lost jobs to be able to focus on defending ourselves against allegations of violence and home break-ins; to focus on documenting violations and program failings. We have fallen victim to the utter despair and sense of hopelessness that ensues after every communication with City Manager McMillan during which he gaslights us and attempts to cover-up obvious Code violations at the Dupont Estate. We have had to contemplate the sale of our homes… Some of us have actually listed our homes only to find that potential buyers will not agree to purchase in the vicinity of a neighbor who throws large commercial events at their residence across the street. Some of us have been hospitalized for illnesses caused by the severe stress… and for suicide attempts given that, at our lowest point, we have felt trapped and unable to find a way out of the nightmare that La Quinta’s Special Residential Events program and its lack of compliance and enforcement have created.
In our efforts to document the various infractions associated with the Dupont Estate’s Special Residential Events activities for the current year, we have discovered that neither the City nor applicant homeowners of the Dupont Estate have ever complied with the Code and rules of the program dating back to its inception in 2016.
To summarize the overall findings of forthcoming analysis replete with evidence, we have found that La Quinta’s Special Residential Events permits process has not been adhered to beyond the issuance of the Conditional Approval, which provides the terms and conditions that an applicant is required to fulfill prior to the Planning Dept’s issuance of a “green light” for a given event.
Whether the City’s negligence is the result of ineptitude or a more sinister cover-up, the result is the same… Given our experience with 1 of 2 and the City's most prolific applicant of program permits, we remain steadfast and unequivocal in our belief that, under the current Administration, La Quinta’s Special Residential Events program does not work: if we abide strictly by the Code, the Dupont Estate’s violation-ridden events equate to a neighborhood nuisance.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 6, 2023 - WRITTEN COMMENTS BY RESIDENT CLAUDIA SNYDER, ON BEHALF OF GROUP OF HIGHLAND PALMS HOMEOWNERS; MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS 2 To be fair, in keeping with the need to balance homeowner property rights and the right to quiet enjoyment, we have to add that we do believe that the program could work - but only under an Administration in which corruption and Selective Enforcement are not an issue.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the group of Highland Palms neighbors who find themselves at the front line of this war, does not believe that the solution consists of "amending" the Code for Special Residential Events.
Instead, in order to maintain the integrity of and confidence in the program and afford it a chance at success under the current Administration, we believe it is imperative to implement independent oversight that ensures strict compliance with and unbiased enforcement. Otherwise, the issues associated with “the fox guarding the hen house” will persist... and, until there is justice, this war will not end.
I’ll conclude by stating that those of us at the front line of this war have not been invited to participate in any discussions, but hereby make ourselves fully available to the City.
Respectfully,
Claudia Snyder, on behalf of a Group of Highland Palms Neighbors CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 6, 2023 - WRITTEN COMMENTS BY RESIDENT CLAUDIA SNYDER, ON BEHALF OF GROUP OF HIGHLAND PALMS HOMEOWNERS; MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS 1 From: Matthew Snyder <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2023 9:33 AM
To: City Clerk Mail
Subject: Written Comments - Matthew Snyder of Highland Palms — Special Residential Events ** EXTERNAL: This message originated outside of the City of La Quinta. Please use proper judgement and caution when opening attachments, clicking links or responding to requests for information. ** I am compelled to publicly address the City's response to our request regarding the action to be taken for the unlicensed private security guards who worked the Dupont Estate’s Mayoral Fundraiser and Celebrity Wedding events last Fall.
For members of the public who are not aware, Item 12 of Conditional Approval for a Special Residential Events Permit application requires that "security personnel… be easily identifiable to the public by the provision of uniformed personnel [and that] all designated private security personnel must be licensed by the State of California and possess a valid private security license." In a speech to City Council on March 7th, we explained that neither of the Daniels’ security guards have been licensed since at least 2019. This information is instantly verifiable via the Dept of Consumer Affairs' license lookup tool.
Per Code Enforcement's report on the matter, "an email was sent to Mrs. Daniels inquiring about the Security company utilized for [both] event[s]. Mrs. Daniels was asked to provide any documents related to the security company for these two events and whether she confirmed that the company was licensed as required in the Conditions of Approval..."
In Code Enforcement’s email to the City Clerk dated 04/04/2023, Code Enforcement further explains that "Mrs.
Daniels [confirmed] that she [had] security onsite but that it was not her usual security, and she did not confirm whether the personnel were licensed by the State of California. Mrs. Daniels stated that she did not understand that confirming the correct licensing was her responsibility." Furthermore, in his report, the Code Enforcement Supervisor states that there was no further action to be taken by Code Compliance and that he "discussed with Mrs. Daniels that in the future she should request that her security company provide their credentials and that she maintains those credentials for her records in case the information is requested by City staff or Police."
At this point, it remains unclear to us whether or not a citation was issued for this violation. As we await your response, we would like to call to your attention and refute Mrs. Daniels' statements regarding her security personnel:
First and foremost, it is a UNTRUE that Marvin Melgar and Andrew Collins are not Mrs. Daniels’ usual security guards:
We have pictures and video to prove this;
Per her email dated March 2, 2017 - which is attached to every Special Residential Events Permit application dating back to 2016- including the current year’s permit, Mrs. Daniels unambiguously states "... our property Manager, Marvin Melgar and his staff will be on hand to monitor." Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 6, 2023 - WRITTEN COMMENTS BY RESIDENT MATTHEW SNYDER
MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS
2 In addition to being Mrs. Daniels’ property manager and "private security guard", Marvin Melgar was also a witness for the 1st Amendment to the Last Will and Testament of the late Hendriks for which the Daniels are currently being sued. This Financial Elder Abuse lawsuit is a matter of public record and, therefore, not slander. The only reason I share this information is to demonstrate that Mrs.
Daniels is quite familiar with Mr. Melgar.
As to her second “private security guard”, Andrew Collins, he too goes back with the Daniels and, as a matter of fact, currently resides with the Daniels at the so-called Dupont Estate.
Second, it is irrelevant that "Mrs. Daniels... did not understand that confirming the correct licensing was her responsibility." This is an unambiguous requirement per each of the Conditional Approvals issued to Mrs.
Daniels by the Planning dept. dating back to 2016.
Thus, we are effectively discussing violations and citations for each of the past years starting in 2016 for failure to comply with a Conditional Approval term that requires licensed security personnel.
We look forward to the City’s response and appropriate action for the violations. ‐‐
Sent from Gmail Mobile
CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 6, 2023 - WRITTEN COMMENTS BY RESIDENT MATTHEW SNYDER
MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS