CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: DONATION OF ORIGINAL MORRIS KIGHT MEMORIAL PLAQUE AND LGBTQ+ SERVICE MEMBER MARKER TO THE LGBTQ+ HISTORY &
ARCHIVES OF THE DESERT
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: David McAbee, Director of Public Works
SUMMARY:
City staff recommend donating two original 2002 commemorative markers — honoring LGBTQ+ veterans killed in action and civil rights pioneer Morris Kight — to the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert. The markers were retained in City storage after duplicates were installed at Frances Stevens Park in 2025, and donation ensures their continued preservation at no cost to the City.
RECOMMENDATION:
1) Waive the surplus requirements of Section 7.08.02(5) of the Palm Springs Municipal Code and approve the donation of the original Morris Kight Memorial Plaque and LGBTQ+ Service Member Marker to the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert, a California non-profit corporation; and 2) Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute any documents necessary to complete the donation.
BUSINESS PRINCIPAL DISCLOSURE:
LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert is a California non-profit corporation. As such, it has no “owners”. According to the corporation’s website, the Board of Directors are David L. Gray, Julie Warren, Evan Gray, Bob Machado, Jimmy Boegle, Thomas E.
Brown, PhD, Ron deHarte, Brad Fuhr, Mark Lechter, Lex Ortega, David Powell, Magi Raible, Ronni Sanlo, and William vanHemert.
BACKGROUND:
In 2002, as part of that year’s Pride events, the organization Gay Liberation for the 21st Century placed two commemorative markers at Sunrise Park: a marker honoring gay,
City Council Staff Report
September 9, 2026 -- Page 2
Donation of Historic Markers
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender veterans killed in action, and a plaque dedicated to Morris Kight, a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ civil rights pioneer, in recognition of his role in securing installation of the nation’s first LGBT Veterans Memorial at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City.
Over the following two decades, the markers received little public attention and their visibility declined. In 2025, the City initiated a project to relocate the commemorative markers to a more prominent and accessible location. On June 5, 2025, the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission voted to accept new duplicate markers into the City’s collection for installation at Frances Stevens Park, which includes the Palm Canyon Theater. A Japanese oleander tree, of the same variety originally dedicated at Sunrise Park, was also planted alongside the new markers (Attachment B).
The City held a rededication ceremony on November 24, 2025, welcoming the memorials into the City’s art and commemorative collection.
With duplicate markers now permanently installed and dedicated at Frances Stevens Park, the original 2002 markers removed from Sunrise Park are surplus to the City’s needs and have been retained in City storage. Staff recommend donating the original markers to the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert, an organization dedicated to preserving and exhibiting materials documenting LGBTQ+ history in the Coachella Valley, to ensure their continued preservation and availability for public and historical research purposes.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert is a non-profit organization formed to collect, preserve, archive and share the LGBTQ+ history of the Coachella Valley to the LGBTQ+ community, the general public, researchers, and the world. As such, it is well positioned to preserve and interpret the original markers as historical artifacts documenting the origin of LGBTQ+ veteran commemoration efforts in the Coachella Valley. Retaining the original markers in City storage indefinitely provides no public benefit, while donation to the Archives ensures they remain accessible to researchers and the community.
The donation involves the disposition of tangible personal property no longer needed for a City purpose. The markers are surplus to the City’s needs following the 2025 relocation and rededication of the commemorative content to Frances Stevens Park, and their donation will not affect the markers now on public display. As custom-fabricated commemorative plaques, the original markers have no functional or operational use to any other City department; their value is exclusively historical and commemorative.
Pursuant to Section 7.08.02(6)(g) of the Municipal Code, surplus property may be donated to a nonprofit organization or other public entity following a determination by the City Council that the donation serves a public purpose. The donation of the original City Council Staff Report
September 9, 2026 -- Page 3
Donation of Historic Markers
markers to the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert serves a public purpose by ensuring the preservation and continued public accessibility of materials documenting LGBTQ+ history in the Coachella Valley.
The Archives has submitted a formal letter of gift acceptance, dated August 13, 2026, agreeing to accept the two original markers into its permanent collection upon completion of the donation (Attachment A). A Deed of Gift form accompanying the letter will be executed by the City upon Council approval of the donation.
Therefore, staff recommends approval of the donation of the original markers to the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a “Project” does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. The donation of the surplus commemorative markers is an administrative action that will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment; therefore, no further environmental review is required.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Infrastructure and Facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the City associated with this action.
REVIEWED BY:
Assistant Director of Public Works: Daniel Martinez
Director of Public Works: David McAbee
Procurement and Contracting Manager: Tabitha Richards
Assistant City Manager: Teresa Gallavan
City Manager: Scott Stiles
City Council Staff Report
September 9, 2026 -- Page 4
Donation of Historic Markers
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Letter of Gift Acceptance from the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert B. Photographs of Original and Relocated Markers