As requested by Indio residents, the Jackson Tennis Courts will be getting a long-awaited upgrade as part of the city’s ongoing $10 million capital improvement project.
This was one of several actions the Indio City Council took on Jan. 18 to advance quality-of-life improvements for the community.
“The Jackson Tennis Courts are going to be redone, and that’s important because they haven't been done in many years, and residents came to us and asked if we could get those replaced and updated and resurfaced and we said yes,” Councilman Glenn Miller told Coachella Valley Times. “This was another piece of what’s important to the community,” he said.
Councilmember Glenn Miller
| Indio.org
Additionally, the council purchased property as part of a plan to gain “strategic pieces” around the College of the Desert and the new City Hall, according to Miller. Yet another plan progressed with the council's vote to enter a contract to replace more streetlights with LED lights, with this particular section costing $450,000.
“Our plan is to change all of the street lights into LEDs, not only for better lighting for our communities, but also for the savings in energy and light pollution in the sky,” Miller said. “We want to make sure we continue with that.”
The council is also proceeding with the repair and resurfacing of pavement for the Daley Ranch area for another $580,000 and new handicapped-accessible curbs and gutters for walking areas to include the Sundance neighborhood.
“We’re putting in sidewalks anywhere that needs them,” Miller said, estimating the latest work at $560,000.
In other matters, the council issued a proclamation honoring the Martin Luther King, Jr., Commission in Coachella Valley, which hosts an event at the Christ Community Church in memory of the late civil rights leader.
“We wanted to make sure we recognize Martin Luther King for his accomplishments and what he's been able to do in his lifetime to change a lot of views of a lot of people,” Miller said.
Looking ahead, the council is considering the need for housing as both rentals and first-time purchases, tying in with development plans for Rubidoux and Monroe Streets.
“So a portion of it would be able to be purchased by people for their first-time homes, and then at the same time, there will be three areas that can be rented in that subsequent land,” Miller said.
Housing is a key issue also because of ongoing homelessness in Riverside County. As the county recently participated in the annual homeless count, the council is keeping its eye on homelessness and any long-term solutions it may want to support.
In final comments, Miller invited residents to enjoy the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival on tap for Friday, Feb. 17, to Saturday, Feb. 26, with music, attractions and food.
"It's a great opportunity to bring residents of the Coachella Valley out to enjoy some family time," he said.
Indio council meetings are held twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays in the Council Chamber, 150 Civic Center Mall. Last month, the Jan. 4 meeting was cancelled, and members instead met on Jan. 18.
The City Council Chamber is open to the public and city council meetings are conducted both in person and remotely through Zoom. The many options for the public to view the meetings from the comfort of their homes include a livestream on the city’s website, Facebook Live, YouTube and Zoom.
Besides serving on the Indio City Council, Miller has lived in the area for more than 30 years, gaining a reputation as a community leader and businessman. He also served as the district director for Melissa Melendez (R), former California state senator from the 28th District.