J
ty CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE
Meeting Location:
SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE CITY COUNCIL,
LIBRARY AND OBSERVATORY BOARD,
HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD,
AND THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTING
THE REDEVELOPMENT SUCCESSOR AGENCY
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2023 -1:00 P.M.
RANCHO MIRAGE CITY HALL -COUNCIL CHAMBER
69-825 HIGHWAY 111, RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA
MINUTES
City of Rancho Mirage
City Hall -Council Chamber
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
CALL TO ORDER -1 :01 P.M.
a) Flag Salute: Led by Council Member Lynn Mallotto.
b) Roll Call: Mallotto, Marker, Weill, Downs -All Present.
Mayor Downs explained that the procedure for the meeting would be as follows: public comments taken, ground rules provided, opportunity for applicants to ask questions regarding the process, City Council comments, statements from applicants, and adjournment. He added that the issue would be included on the December 7, 2023, regular Council meeting agenda, at which time an appointment may be made. If there was a tie vote at that meeting, the matter would be moved forward to future meeting agendas until an appointm ent was made.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Isi ah Harris, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in support of appointing a new council member.
He expressed concern that the prospective counci l member would have an advantage if they ran in the next e lection and suggested appointing someone who would not run for election .
He a lso recommended that Mayor Pro Tern Weill not run on a slate with the appointed council member in the upcoming e lection, as that would provide an additional benefit. 12/05/2023 Special City Counci l Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 3
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Brad Anderson, Rancho Mirage resident , expressed concern about the format of the interviews being conducted and the lack of a candidate list or copies of applications being made available.
Zachary Daniel Stone, Palm Springs resident , spoke of a lack of information regarding the candidates and mentioned that he had no way to know how long the interviews would take .
ACTION CALENDAR
1. Interview Rancho Mirage City Council Applicants.
Mayor Downs explained the ground rules , noting each applicant would have five (5) minutes to state their case, it would not be an interactive interview, and Council Members would have an opportunity to ask questions following each applicant statement. He asked if any of the applicants had questions regarding the interview process; no questions were asked. The Mayor added that he would draw applicant names out of a bowl at random to determine the order of interviews.
Mayor Pro Tern Weill commented that serving on the Council included much more than just showing up to two meetings per month and explained the many other responsibilities involved .
He stressed the importance of attending the many City and outside agency commission and committee meetings and advised applicants to be mindful of the time commitment associated with serving on the Council.
Council Member Mallotto commented that there was a great deal of talent in the Valley and thanked the applicants for their desire to give back to the community. She suggested that those not selected should consider applying for a City board or commission.
Council Member Marker thanked everyone for attending the meeting. She expressed appreciation for the applicants and wished them well.
Mayor Downs clarified that the interviews were an opportunity for applicants to explain why Council should select them for such a significant position. He noted that the Council read their written declarations, but the interviews provided a chance to observe their ability in person .
He added that the candidate selected would need to begin attending Council meetings on the first and third Thursdays of each month and be prepared to make significant, occasionally challenging, decisions that would affect the City of Rancho Mirage.
The below-listed applicants were called on and interviewed in the following order:
1) Michael Stern (not present)
2) Warren Crawford
3) Danyell Meade
4) Shari Stewart
5) Brad Anderson (withdrew application)
6) Michael O'Keefe
7) David Grey
8) Marcia Stein
9) Christopher Clinton Conway (not present)
10) Guido Portante
11) Andrew Dick (withdrew application / not present)
12/05/2023 Special City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 3
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Mayor Downs thanked the applicants for participating.
Mayor Pro Tern Weill commented that listening to the candidates made him proud of the residents of Rancho Mirage and thanked everyone for participating.
Council Member Marker thanked the applicants for being present and stepping up to the plate .
Council Member Mallotto commented that Rancho Mirage residents were the beneficiaries of very thoughtful and measured decisions; any one of the applicants could easily be part of the future of those decisions . She thanked the applicants for making time for the application/interview process.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to consider , the meeting of the City Council, Library and Observatory Board, Housing Authority Board, and the City Council representing the Redevelopment Successor Agency was adjourned at 2:38 P.M.
Date Approved by City Council: 12/21/2023
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Kristie Ramos , City Clerk
12/05/2023 Special City Council Meeting Minutes
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