Red light camera trial begins
Motorists whose traffic violations of running red lights at the
intersection of Ramon Road and Date Palm are caught on red light cameras
will now receive tickets in the mail.
March 1 signaled the end of a 30-day warning period and the beginning of
a one-year trial (with citations) to determine if the cameras improve
traffic safety, reducing collisions and injury, said Police Chief Stan
Henry. With the red light cameras, tickets are issued only for running a red
light. State law does not permit the issuance of tickets for going though a
yellow light.
The Police Department is not expected to make money from this trial
program. The city receives only about 10% of a $351 red-light-violation
citation whose amount is set by state law. The $35 per ticket then goes to
the company hired to install the program, American Traffic Solutions (ATS),
to help recoup up an front cost of $80,000 for camera equipment, strobe
lights, computers, wiring and poles.
Ramon and Date Palm is the city’s most dangerous and highly traveled
intersection, a study by ATS showed prior to implementation of the red light
camera trial program. 70,000 vehicles cross the intersection each day
during peak season.
City’s hires HR manager
Sylvia “Sly” Zelnys reports to work Monday as the city’s Human Resources
Manager. She brings over 25 years experience as a personnel manager and
consultant for public and private sector employers. She specializes in
organizational design and development, performance management, job
classification and compensation, and employee and labor relations.
She served as Assistant Human Resources Director at the University of
Oregon, Labor Relations Manager for the Oregon Department of Human Services,
Human Resources Manager of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
and the Director of Human Resources for Washington County, Oregon.
Zelnys received the Palm Springs Human Rights Commission Award of
Recognition for Promoting Universal Human Rights “Close to Home” and the
Professionals in Human Resources Association District 18 “HR Excellence
Award” for Lifetime Achievement.
Hazmat training completed
The Fire Department has completed the annual hazardous materials training
required of all suppression personnel. OSHA mandates eight to 16 hours of
hazmat training each year so fire personnel can adequately and safely
respond to various types of situations where hazardous materials are present
or may be suspected.
Not a beauty yet, but …
Thanks to the efforts of Fire Department Division Chief Mike Hatfield and
Code Enforcement Officer Sandra Martinez, work has started on clean up of
the old Shell station at the northeast corner of East Palm Canyon and Date
Palm. The windows have been boarded up and the weeds have been pulled. The
Bureau of Indian Affairs assisted in the efforts to improve the appearance
of the structure that has been vacant and in a state of disrepair for
several years. Bids are being solicited for removal of the large sign on the
property.
Buddy Greco’s sets opening date
Buddy Greco’s dinner club holds its grand opening Wednesday, March 22.
The proprietors, noted jazz pianist Greco and his wife, singer Lezlie Ander,
will open the martini bar each day at 4, followed by two dinner shows
nightly. Of the performers who entertained at the Nightcap Party following
the Frank Sinatra Tournament Gala, the Greco-Ander duo brought the house
down.
General law vs. charter: do you know difference?
City employees interested in the difference between a General Law City
(that’s us) and a Charter City or want to know more about Roberts’ Rules of
Order and Parliamentary Procedures might want to attend a Focused Education
seminar March 24 at the Spa Hotel. It is sponsored by the Southern
California City Clerks Association. Attorneys Steve Quintanilla and Kendall
Berkey of the GDQ law firm, which serves Cathedral City, will talk about
General Law and Charter Cities. Cathedral City City Clerk Pat Hammers will
address Roberts’ Rules of Order. Deadline to register is March 10. See
Hammers for information.
Get ‘em coming and going
Next time you’re in the Palm Springs International Airport, look at the
west wall by the gift shop and you’ll see Cathedral City’s new backlit
display. The same ad layout, touting dining, shopping and entertainment, is
featured in the March issue of Alaska Airlines’ inflight magazine. Lynn
Mallotto worked on both efforts.
Ready for next standing ovation
The Cathedral City High School Royal Jazz Band will play Friday night
(March 3) in Town Square as part of the Friday Night Concert Series. The
17-piece performance-level band, led by conductor Greg Whitmore, received a
resounding ovation at the standing-room-only concert sponsored by the Public
Arts Commission last Friday night.
Planning Commission okays design of Wal-Mart redo
As a result of the Planning Commission’s approval of the design this
week, all planning entitlements have been granted to the new owners of the
former Wal-Mart for the building’s transformation into a multi-tenant retail
complex. The next step is for them to submit construction plans to the
building department and they have already met with Permit Coordinator Diane
Sawa about this.
Meetings next week
Soccer parents and residents in the area of the James Workman Middle
School are expected to attend a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, about
the proposed Cathedral City Soccer Park. To be held at the Workman School,
it will actually be a joint meeting of the City Council and Park and
Recreation Commission, as well as take the place of the previously scheduled
Neighborhood Meeting on March 21
At the regular City Council meeting the following night, March 8, a
proposed sign program for the downtown will be presented, in an effort to
provide more exposure to businesses not visible from the main streets. The
plan, which incorporates ideas submitted by Tri-Millennium has been reviewed
by the Architectural Advisory Committee. The March 8 agenda also includes a
timeline for revisions to the city-wide sign ordinance.
Weekly
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