2022 05 09 CC Minutes Special Meeting - Joint 3 Cities re IID
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 1 of 3 MAY 9, 2022
SPECIAL MEETING – JOINT WITH CITIES OF INDIO AND COACHELLA
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
CITY COUNCILS OF
LA QUINTA, INDIO and COACHELLA
MINUTES
MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022
CALL TO ORDER
A special meeting of the La Quinta City Council was called to order at 3:08
p.m. by Mayor Evans.
This meeting provided teleconferencing accessibility pursuant to Executive
Orders N-60-20 and N-08-21 executed by the Governor of California, and
subsequently Assembly Bill 361 (AB 361, 2021), enacted in response to the
state of emergency relating to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and
enabling teleconferencing accommodations by suspending or waiving specified
provisions in the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.).
PRESENT: La Quinta Councilmembers John Peña, Robert Radi, Steve
Sanchez, Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Fitzpatrick, and Mayor Linda Evans
ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: La Quinta City Manager Jon McMillen, City Attorney William
H. Ihrke, City Clerk Monika Radeva, Acting Deputy City Clerk Laurie McGinley
CITY OF INDIO:
Councilmembers Elaine Holmes, Glenn Miller, Lupe Ramos-Amith, Mayor Pro
Tem Oscar Ortiz, Mayor Waymond Fermon, City Manager Bryan Montgomery,
City Attorney Roxanne Diaz, and City Clerk Sabdi Sanchez
CITY OF COACHELLA:
Councilmembers Megan Beaman Jacinto, Denise Delgado, Neftali Galarza,
Mayor Pro Tem Josephine Gonzalez, Mayor Steve Hernandez, City Manager
Gabriel Martin, City Attorney Carlos Campos, and City Clerk Andrea Carranza
IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT (IID):
IID Director JB Hamby, General Manager Henry Martinez, and Associate
General Counsel Jamie Asbury
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 2 of 3 MAY 9, 2022
SPECIAL MEETING – JOINT WITH CITIES OF INDIO AND COACHELLA
RIVERSIDE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and Chief Operating Officer Juan Perez
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Evans led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA – Confirmed
STUDY SESSION
1. DISCUSS ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND
FINANCING MECHANISMS FOR THE COACHELLA VALLEY CITIES
WITHIN THE IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT SERVICE
TERRITORY
La Quinta City Manager McMillen and Indio City Manager Montgomery
presented the staff report, which is on file in the Clerk’s Office.
Officials discussed the degree to which Riverside County staff is engaged in
discussions; mapping of existing and potential substations on County land;
understanding the totality of the upgrades needed to produce the projected
540 megawatt capacity output in 10 years including substations, transmission
lines and generation plants; identifying funding from each city, rate-payers
and IID, and funding mechanisms such as bonds and developer impact fees;
short-term means to add some capacity to existing substations; the role of a
financing authority; resolving ownership of system upgrades; possibility of
cities pre-ordering equipment due to supply chain delays of two to three years;
expectation that cities and the unincorporated county area would address the
need and cost of substations within their jurisdictions, and IID would
thereafter maintain the entire Coachella Valley-wide system; the pros and
cons of utilizing mini/micro grids that are installed, owned and maintained by
either a city or a developer; viability of a public/private funding solution;
excess capacity needed in place in order for cities to attract developers;
conveying to existing residents/rate-payers the current critical situation, and
the benefits of upgrades to them in the future; importance of taking
immediate steps to address short-term needs, and begin taking concrete steps
to reach long-term goals; estimated percentage of a city’s investment that
would be paid by developers, and percentage that would be paid by rate
increases; the mutual benefits in jobs and quality of life to neighboring cities
when each city grows, improves and develops – acknowledgement that cities
are codependent with connected destinies; the type and duration of bond
issues for the upgrades; how historic low IID energy rates have lead to this
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Page 3 of 3 MAY 9, 2022
SPECIAL MEETING – JOINT WITH CITIES OF INDIO AND COACHELLA
crucial moment when action is essential; timing and details of how a Joint
Powers Agreement (JPA) would work among the cities; the current IID process
for reviewing requests for new service; La Quinta’s specific equipment need
for future growth, and currently overloaded transformers; Mayors and City
Managers from each city on the IID Energy Consumers’ Advisory Committee
(ECAC) will continue to work on this, and welcome all interested
Councilmembers and residents to attend; use of IID’s Rate Stabilization Fund;
the cost, impacts, and value of undergrounding utilities; caution to insure a
city does not overbuild capacity resulting in unused/unreimbursed
capacity/cost paid by residents; pressures for growth in the Coachella Valley
are not expected to cease; the need for Riverside County staff to engage in
discussions; foresight needed now by residents and leaders for future growth
and quality of life; next steps for cities to examine their needs, resources and
desire to participate in this regional project, and to hold meetings to obtain
feedback from their residents; setting the next joint meeting for June 2022
once collective staff has gathered additional information; suggestion to include
in the discussion, the areas of Salton City, Desert Shores and Bombay Beach,
which are outside the Coachella Valley/ Imperial County; and gratitude by
Councilmembers to the City Managers, ECAC Committee Members and IID,
and statements of support for the plan they developed and for continued swift
progress.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA – None
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, a motion was made by La Quinta
Councilmember Radi and seconded by a show of hands of all attending Mayors
and Councilmembers to adjourn at 4:40 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
City of La Quinta, California