Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon is focusing on the future. During his State of the City address Tuesday, he never said anything about developers John Wessman and Richard Meaney or mentioned words like corruption charges. He is a mayor focused on good change.
“The Rowan is not a black cloud anymore,” says Moon.
Should the city consider ripping-up contracts regarding the Kimpton? Is the development tainted? What if Pougnet is found guilty? Will that change the course for the new downtown? He answered the questions following his speech at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
"No one has been found guilty of anything yet,” says Moon. “But once this is all finished, we’ll have to look at all these contracts and see what the impact was of what happened. We don’t know what happened.”
STORY: Palm Springs Corruption Case Moved to Indio, Pougnet Faces Additional Charge
“When [the district attorney] announced the indictments against Pougnet and Wessman and Meaney, he said, ‘Some of these contracts may have to be undone,’” says KMIR political analyst Hank Plante. “And that sent shudders through a lot of people.”
Some big topics of discussion Tuesday night: a proposed sales tax increase (voters will decide on that in November) and tourism.
“One of the issues we’ve been working and one we will massage is vacation rentals,” says Councilman J.R. Roberts.
STORY: Palm Springs City Council Adopts Revised Vacation Rental Ordinance
During his speech, Mayor Moon said 7-million tourists visited Palm Springs last year. He credits large events for bringing tourism money to the city. He says millennials are who the city should be focusing on. He says they come to town, spend money and tell their friends.
A moment of silence and remembrance stared the evening when Mayor Moon dedicated his speech to fallen Palm Springs officers Vega and Zerebny.
“That was one of the hardest days of my entire life,” says Moon. He says it was important to pay respect to the lives lost.
With musical guests to begin and end the state of the city address, the mayor wants residents to be happy about being a part of the growing city as the city council faces an election in November.
“It’s a new era,” says Moon. “A new entering of the 21st Century.”
