Long-awaited plans for the Indio Grand Marketplace took a giant step forward recently.
The Indio City Council discussed one of the last pieces of the puzzle, a tentative parcel map for behind the mall, at its October 19th meeting.
Councilman Glenn Miller said the puzzle took years to complete because one parcel was still being utilized. The goal was to combine the parcels as one in a larger footprint of the mall itself.
“That was approved so now they can move forward with all the design,” Miller said in an interview.
As the city continually works to attract new businesses, plans for a new mall are considered “a big step forward,” which comes after more than 25 or 30 years of discussion, he said.
Also at the meeting, the council considered its “safe and sane fireworks” ordinance, which uses a lottery system to allow nonprofits like schools and churches to raise funds through firework sales around July 4th.
According to Miller, the funds generated can be as much as approximately $7,000 from a single fireworks booth.
“We are one of the few cities that continues to allow them, and the reason we continue to allow them is because of nonprofits…,” he said.
While safe and sane fireworks are not considered as much of a problem as illegal fireworks, “we have a lot of pushback from people,” Miller said of those opposed to this type of fundraiser.
Lastly, the council discussed how inflation has caused an over 8% jump in fees being assessed to new projects coming into the city, The fees, which vary according to project scope, are levied in conjunction with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG).
“There are mitigation fees for every project. It goes to fix the roads and bridges,” Miller said.
With large-scale projects like Disney, these transportation uniformity mitigation fees could mean millions of dollars, he said. Previously, the typical increase had been 2-3 % annually or based on the Consumer Price Index, a key inflation indicator, according to Miller.
According to the city website, meetings are held twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays. The City Council Chamber is open to the public and meetings are conducted in person and remotely through Zoom. The public may view the meetings via Livestream on the city’s website, Facebook Live or YouTube, or participate in the meetings through Zoom.
Miller is an Indio City council member and a well-known community leader and businessman who has called the desert home for more than 30 years. In addition to councilmember, he is also the district director for California State Senator Melissa Melendez for the 28th Senate District, his website said.