Council Presses for Safer Bike Detour, Oversight on $47.3M Ramon Road Project

Palm Springs City Council spent much of its Oct. 28 meeting on how to build the $47.3M Ramon Road widening without endangering cyclists or losing control of costs. Members pushed for a Sarah Street bike detour and a $4M check-in on $8M in change-order authority. They also said goodbye to City Manager Scott Stiles and swore in interim successor Jim Vanderpool, as a council focused on line-item accountability faces big projects and new leadership at the same time.

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• $47.3M Ramon Road contract draws calls for a safer CV Link detour and a $4M change-order check-in
• Jim Vanderpool sworn in as interim city manager at $156.24 an hour as Scott Stiles retires
• $135M convention center plan holds its budget and targets construction around September 2027
• Council demands itemized costs before approving a $302,188 bridge outreach contract
• Hotel incentive subsidy reports accepted and a fix for remodel projects introduced

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Ramon Road Bridge: Detour Fight, Spending Guardrails

The basics: Two items came off the consent calendar. The first, item 1M, adds an all-way stop at East Sunny Dunes Road and Lawrence Crossley Road and updates prima facie speed limits, the default legal limits set by ordinance. Both support the CV Link detour during construction. The second, item 1N, awards a $47.3M construction contract to Ortiz Enterprises, along with an NAI Consulting task order and a cultural monitoring contract.

Why it matters: The project has been in the works for nearly two decades and draws on Measure A funds. Its two-year bridge build will disrupt a major corridor and reroute a key cycling path.

Where things stand: Joel Montalvo of city staff said the regional agency CVAG designed the detour and ran the stop sign and speed limit studies. Several members preferred another route. "I do think Sarah is a much safer route," said Councilmember Ron deHarte, District 3.

Montalvo pushed back. "Sarah Street is out of the city's purview," he said, adding that construction would affect that street anyway. Mayor Pro Tem David H. Ready, District 5, wants leaders from both cities and CVAG in one room: "I would ask the city manager to ask for a meeting with himself, city manager of Cathedral City, and Tom Kirk, the executive director of CVAG."

The other side: Councilmember Grace Elena Garner, District 1, urged CVAG to keep studying alternatives but did not want to stall. "I just want to say that I support moving forward with the plan that we have," she said. Mayor Naomi Soto asked residents to hold both priorities at once: "I can't underscore enough to the community how much both things can be important at the same time." Police Chief Kyle Stern warned that using officers to direct traffic for long stretches "just may not be tenable or realistic."

Change orders under the microscope: A change order is a modification to a signed contract. Change-order authority lets staff approve those modifications without returning to council. Ready proposed a lower ceiling, saying it "gives us an accountability mechanism." Interim City Manager Jim Vanderpool agreed with the concern. "I certainly support the concept of a contingency, but I'm not sure how I feel about an $8 million change order authority," he said. Montalvo warned that a smaller contingency means more trips back to council and a higher risk of delays, then offered a compromise: "I'm okay with coming back at 4 million if we hit the 4 million mark."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein, District 2, moved item 1M, Soto seconded, and the ordinance title was read. A motion was floated to keep the $8M authority with a staff report back at $4M. Final tallies on both items were not confirmed. Cyclists, Cathedral City neighbors and police staffing face the most immediate effects.

What's next: Ready asked the city manager to convene Cathedral City and CVAG on the Sarah Street option.

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Stiles Exits, Vanderpool Steps In

Why it matters: City Hall's top administrator changes on Nov. 1, in the middle of the convention center and Ramon Road projects. The search for a permanent city manager remains open.

Where things stand: Soto opened with a video and proclamation for Stiles. It credited him with Tropical Storm Hilary recovery, the Navigation Center, the Plaza Theater, budget and pension work, and the $135M convention center plan. Hospitality voices praised his responsiveness, including Dean Levine of the Arenas District and Palm Springs Hospitality Association and Peggy Trott of PS Resorts. Trott pledged support for Vanderpool.

Stiles stayed neutral on whether the city should switch from a rotating mayor to a directly elected one. "From my standpoint, it doesn't make a difference to me," said City Manager Scott Stiles.

Deal terms: Vanderpool is a former city manager of Anaheim and Buena Park. He serves at will for $156.24 an hour. Under rules set by CalPERS, the state pension system, his work is capped at 960 hours and he receives no other benefits. No one spoke during public comment on the appointment. He was sworn in, though the vote tally was not confirmed. Four days into the job, Vanderpool said "your staff is top notch."

Also departing: Fire Chief Paul Alvarado is retiring after 35 years. He cited four-person staffing on all engines and trucks, new engines, the planned downtown Fire Station 1 and the city's first wildfire mitigation plan.

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Convention Center Holds the $135M Line

Why it matters: Bernstein called it "the largest single project our city has ever undertaken by what I can fathom right now," and it is tied to tourism, the city's top revenue source.

Where things stand: Montalvo broke the preliminary budget into five parts:
- About $26M for soft costs
- $9M for infrastructure
- $38M for renovation
- $37M for an east expansion
- $25M for a district connector

The city is using a construction manager at risk (CMAR) model, in which a builder joins during design and commits to a price. "Our directive is not to exceed that budget, stay within the budget," Montalvo said.

The schedule: Schematic design is due by the end of November. Full design is expected by summer 2027, with construction starting around September 2027.

The money question: Bernstein noted the city still has to secure the funding. "We haven't actually just set aside the $135 million. We have to go out and get some of it," he said. Ready asked about phasing. Staff said financing would follow the phasing plan and that an underwriter is already in place.

What's next: Public meetings are set for Nov. 10 and Dec. 17. Bernstein asked that the architect's Nov. 10 presentation go to the stakeholder working group first, and Montalvo agreed to work on it.

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Council Wants Receipts on Consultant Work

Why it matters: The council signaled that it now expects task-level detail on every consultant contract.

Where things stand: Item 1I is a $302,188 task order with NAI Consulting for outreach and administration on the East Palm Canyon Drive Bridge. Ready singled out a $140,000 outreach subcontract and asked "how will we be able to hold them accountable for what they do." Montalvo said the work is billed hourly under an on-call agreement with rates on file and that invoices are reviewed.

DeHarte said that was not enough. "What I needed to have confidence in what was presented, I needed that breakdown today, not on the next project," he said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Montalvo agreed to send the details and later pledged, "I will not bring another staff report forward that doesn't have that breakdown." The motion carried; the tally was not stated.

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Hotel Incentives: Transparency and a Fix for Remodels

The basics: State law (Government Code 53083) requires a public hearing and report before a city grants economic development subsidies. The city's program rebates transient occupancy tax (TOT), the tax paid on hotel stays.

Where things stand: Council accepted subsidy reports for three hotel owners or operators. No one spoke during public comment. Business District Administrator Dean Gruble said participating hotels must pay prevailing wage and take part in the convention center room program. "Yes, that is in the covenant agreement online that they have to initial," he said.

Bernstein wants to keep incentives for hotels that commit rooms to conventions and to market the program more widely. "We look at how we promote this program more online, because it's a great program," he said. DeHarte asked staff to include those answers in future staff reports. The motion, credited to Bernstein and Garner, carried with no tally stated.

The ordinance fix: Seth Maritz of the City Attorney's Office said the amendment to Section 5.27.020 confirms that remodel and rehabilitation projects qualify, not just new construction. The rebate begins at final certificate of occupancy. The ordinance, credited to Bernstein and deHarte, was introduced on first reading. Bernstein asked Vanderpool to contact the owners of the Historic Racquet Club about the program.

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• Housing site restored: Council approved GPA-2025-0002, which returns a vacant 1.34-acre parcel at North Sunrise Way and East Amado Road to medium-density residential use. The change allows 16 condominiums and reverses a 2025 change that conflicted with the Section 14 Specific Plan.
• Old Las Palmas undergrounding delayed: Hearings 2A and 2B were pulled on the City Attorney's advice. Supporters asked for a quick reschedule, while Matthew Busquette said his section already paid for undergrounding.
• $90,000 traffic safety grant: A state Office of Traffic Safety grant for selective enforcement passed on consent. Garner said DUIs, speeding and right-of-way violations are the top crash causes.
• Tramway ridership dips 6%: Paid riders totaled 557,348. The Tramway served 3,924 students, admitted nearly 2,400 military members and first responders free, and added Michael McCullough as an authority representative.
• LGBTQ quality-of-life study: The study found 43% of Palm Springs respondents reported anxiety or depression, about 1 in 3 are rent burdened, and 14% can't afford needed care. A follow-up session is set for Nov. 19 in Thermal.

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Looking ahead: The community survey on how Palm Springs selects its mayor closes Oct. 31 at engagepalmsprings.com. The working group meets in mid-November, and the issue returns to council Nov. 23 and Dec. 16. The Nov. 23 agenda also previews an In-N-Out architectural review and an animal shelter agreement. Garner asked for a council letter supporting a wildlife crossing on State Highway 62.