Richard W. Kite

Council Statements Regarding CV Link

In citing text from the meeting minutes, others' comment is not often included, and no ellipses are provided.

4 December 2013

The Trails Commission meeting minutes on 4 December 2013 reports further discussion of CV Link. Significantly, the first real opposition seems to come from the chairman, Jeffrey Morgan—though he may be only reporting what he understands from residents he knows.

• "Mr. [Greg] Trousdell [staff member] distributed a Desert Sun article regarding the CV link path and asked Mayor Kite if he had an update for the Commission.
  
  
• "Mayor [Richard W.] Kite stated that as of now they are just taking input. During the December 5, 2013 City Council study session, Mr. Tom Kirk with CVAG/CV Link would be discussing how CV Link would impact Rancho Mirage and where they believe CV Link would transition through or around the country clubs.
  
  
• "Mayor Kite stated it appeared at this time, much of the link would transition from the Whitewater Channel to city streets.
  
  
• "Chairman [Jeffrey] Morgan stated he felt there would be opposition to the CV Link if it does transition from the wash to street level.
  
  
• "Mayor Kite commented that the anticipated construction was to start in 2015." 

5 December 2013

The City Council met the day following the Trails Commission.

• "Mayor [Richard W.] Kite commented on the Study Session held earlier that dayregarding [sic] the CV Link Project being proposed by Coachella Valley Association of Governments ( CVAG). He stated the Study Session was primarily to talk about the Link and its impact on Rancho Mirage residents and what the City Council's concerns are with the route CV Link will take. He assured residents that the Council will provide updates on exactly what the CV Link is all about and how it will impact Rancho Mirage. He urged anyone with questions or comments to contact Council members or City staff."
  

Kite's comments indicate that opposition has been developing about the CV Link route and concern in Rancho Mirage that the city streets may be affected. His comments also indicate that CVAG planners are aware of the concerns.

7 May 2015

The City Council met in regular session.

• "12. Consideration of Prohibition of the Route of CV Link Over Any Portion of Highway 111 or Bob Hope Drive, in the City of Rancho Mirage
• "City Manager Randal Bynder stated that the City of Rancho Mirage, led by Mayor Hobart and Councilmember Kite ( CV Link Subcommittee), with the support of key staff members including Finance Director Isaiah Hagerman and Public Works Director Bruce Harry, have raised significant questions regarding the operation and maintenance ( 0&M) scheme of the CV Link project. Mr. Bynder added that the 0&M issue was addressed in detail in Mayor Hobart' s memo to the CVAG Executive Committee on April 27, 2015. The questions of long- term 0&M and how it will be funded and who will pay for it are ongoing and have not been resolved as far as the City of Rancho Mirage is concerned. Mr. Bynder noted that, if not for the important objections raised by Mayor Pro Tem Ted Weill at his CVAG Transportation Subcommittee on May 4, 2015, the Master Plan and the maintenance scheme may have been approved and potentially forced upon the City. Mr. Bynder further commented that 0&M is one important issue that must be resolved as part of the CV Link; however, the other issue is the physical location of the CV Link. 
• "Mr. Bynder indicated that this item would build upon the City Council' s decision at the April 16, 2015 meeting, which prohibited the CV Link from destroying the character of the Butler -Abrams Trail and to disallow the CV Link from disrupting the Rancho Mirage Library grounds and using the City' s land in displacing the very location of the Observatory project. Mr. Bynder requested that the City Council take this matter a step further and prohibit the route of the CV Link to extend along or across any portion of Highway 111 or Bob Hope Drive within the City of Rancho Mirage.
• "In response to a question from Councilmember Kite, Mayor Hobart clarified the length of the proposed restriction would be the boundaries of the City for both Highway 111 and Bob Hope Drive.
• "Councilmember Kite thanked Mayor Hobart for his thorough status report. He added that Rancho Mirage is different from other cities involved in this project and to try and put the CV Link along Highway 111 would be disastrous for residents and businesses. Councilmember Kite agreed that the City Council should continue to convey to CVAG the need to develop an alternative plan and to resolve the 0&M expense issues.
• "MOVED/ SECONDED BY HOBART/ KITE TO PROHIBIT THE ROUTE OF THE CV LINK TO EXTEND OVER ANY PORTION OF HIGHWAY 111 OR BOB HOPE DRIVE WITHIN THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE. MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0."
  

COMMMENTARY

4 June 2015

The City Council met in regular session.

• "Councilmember Kite noted that there was standing room only at the CVAG meeting and that the entire Rancho Mirage City Council was present to show its strong support for the Rancho Mirage position on this issue."

COMMMENTARY

18 June 2015

The City Council met in regular session.

• "12. Oppose the alternative CV Link route alignment along Gerald Ford Drive within the City of Rancho Mirage.
• "Councilmember Kite asked Mayor Hobart where the City stands as far as outstanding proposed alignments.
• "Mayor Hobart responded that there are currently no approved routes through the City of Rancho Mirage. CVAG suggested Gerald Ford Drive for environmental impact purposes. Mayor Hobart said that he proposed two routes on behalf of the City of Rancho Mirage, which he will elaborate on later in the meeting.
• "MOVED/ SECONDED BY HOBART/ WEILL TO PROHIBIT THE PROPOSED CV LINK ALIGNMENT ALONG DATE PALM DRIVE, GERALD FORD DRIVE, AND MONTEREY AVENUE, PURSUANT TO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0.
• "Councilmember Kite asked how the Executive Committee reacted to the two alternative route options suggested by Mayor Hobart.
• "Mayor Hobart responded that the Executive Committee passed them both, but has not taken any formal action."
  

COMMMENTARY

3 September 2015

The City Council met in regular session.

• "8. CV Link Update.
• "Councilmember Kite said he received calls from a number of residents regarding a recent news article indicating that Cathedral City was attempting to move forward with their portion of the CV Link.
• "Mayor Hobart stated that the Cathedral City item was included on the CVAG Transportation Committee agenda with little notice. Cathedral City representatives claim that it is necessary to move forward with their piece of the project because two State grant awards transferred to CVAG will expire in the near future. 

COMMMENTARY

17 September 2015

The City Council met in regular session.

• "9. CV Link Update.
• "MOVED/ SECONDED BY HOBART/ SMOTRICH  TO ADOPT THE POSITION
  STATEMENT. MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0.
• "Councilmember Kite asked if the adopted position will be presented to the Executive Committee on September 28th, to which Mayor Hobart responded that it will.
• "Mayor Hobart reported that he spoke earlier in the day at a City of Indian Wells Special City Council Meeting regarding the CV Link. CVAG Executive Director Tom Kirk also made a presentation. Mayor Hobart said he made it clear that Rancho Mirage is resolute in the intention to not allow any of the routes already rejected.
• "MAYOR' S MEMORANDUM
• "DATE: September 15, 2015
• "TO: Members of the City Council
• "FROM: G. Dana Hobart, Mayor
• "SUBJECT: Proposed Statement of City of Rancho Mirage's Position on CV Link Alignment to Present to the CVAG Executive Committee
• "SPECIFIC REQUEST OR RECOMMENDATION:
• "That the City Council review and consider the following position statement regarding the alignment of CV Link.
• "PROPOSED STATEMENT
• "No portion of any CV Link route, path, road, trail, and/or other alignment into, upon, or otherwise within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Rancho Mirage shall be permitted without the proponent(s) of any such route, path, road, trail, and/or other alignment first obtaining approval from the City Council together with a signed Agreement in writing with the City of Rancho Mirage. This requirement applies to any route, path, road, trail, and/or other alignment regardless of the entity proposing it -- CVAG, CV Link, RCTC, Riverside County or any other private or public organization.
• "The requirement of prior City Council approval applies to any and all proposed routes, paths, roads, trails, and/or other alignments, whether or not they were previously proposed by CVAG, CV Link, RCTC, Riverside County or any other private or public organization.
• "City Council approval will require the parties to agree to several conditions including without limitation, environmental, economic and otherwise.
• "For example, Rancho Mirage must agree to the formula that sets economic responsibility on the City respecting the long and short term operations and maintenance expense. Another condition requires agreement of the owner of the land adjacent to the eastern portion of Ramon Road approving the CV Link intrusion and design adjacent to said owner' s property lines.
• "The City of Rancho Mirage has offered and does hereby continue to offer to favorably consider Ramon Road from the vicinity of Bob Hope Drive to Da Vall Drive as a possible route within the City to enable CV Link to connect with Palm Desert and Cathedral City. (We note that CVAG has not indicated an interest in Dinah Shore Drive, the Mid-Valley Parkway.)
• "The Executive Director of CVAG has recently informed Rancho Mirage that the September 28, 2015, meeting of the CVAG Executive Committee will consider authorizing environmental impact studies on one or more routes, paths, roads, trails, and/or other alignments within the City that were previously rej ected by the Rancho Mirage City Council. The City of Rancho Mirage strongly opposes the wasteful spending of taxpayer funds by performing unnecessary environmental impact studies on potential CV Link routes, paths, roads., trails, and/or other alignments which, by direction of the Rancho Mirage City Council, are not available. Therefore, the offer making Ramon Road available for CV Link shall automatically be nullified and withdrawn if the CVAG Executive Committee votes in favor of an environmental impact study pertaining to any portion of a Rancho Mirage route, path, road, trail, and/or other alignment including Highway 111 which were previously rejected as potential routes by the Rancho Mirage City Council."
  

COMMMENTARY

15 October 2015

The City Council met in regular session.

• "12. Consideration of Resolutions, Ordinance and Ballot Measures to Protect the City of Rancho Mirage's Local Control of its Streets and Traffic and to Allow Rancho Mirage Residents to Voice their Opinions on Substantive Issues Pertaining to CVAG's Proposed CV Link Project and it's Cost to the Taxpayers.

1. "A. Adopt Resolution No. 2015- 107, that: ( a) prohibits neighborhood electric vehicles in certain areas and on certain streets within the jurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage; ( b) prohibits a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Plan from including any area within the iurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage unless the area is approved first by an ordinance of the City of Rancho Mirage; and ( c) prohibits any portion of CV Link or similar pathway from including any area within the jurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage:
2. "B. Introduce Ordinance No. 1099, 1st Reading, that: ( a) prohibits neighborhood electric vehicles in certain areas and on certain streets within the iurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage: ( b) prohibits a Neiqhborhood Electric Vehicle Plan from including any area within the
3. iurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage unless the area is approved first by an ordinance of the City of Rancho Mirage; and ( c) prohibits any portion of CV Link or similar pathway from including any area within the jurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage:
4. "C. Adopt Resolution No. 2015- 108, that calls and notices the holding of an advisory election on the same date of the City's General Municipal Election, set for April 12, 2016, for the purpose of submitting to the City's qualified voters five advisory measures concerning the proposed CV Link proiect, which is a paved pathway proposed by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments ( CVAG) that will be approximately 50 miles long, accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and neighborhood vehicles that can travel up to 25 miles per hour;
5. "D. Adopt Resolution No. 2015- 109, placing a measure on the ballot of the City's General Municipal Election asking the voters: " Shall the voters of Rancho Mirage require that any amendment or repeal of Ordinance No. 1099 that prohibits Neighborhood Electric Vehicles ( NEVs) in certain areas and on certain streets within the iurisdiction of the City of Rancho Mirage require prior voter approval?"; and
6. "E. Designate the Mayor or his designee or designees on the Rancho Mirage City Council to prepare the Arguments in " Favor" of Measure 6 and the Arguments " Against Approval" of Advisory Measures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, on behalf of the Rancho Mirage City Council.

• "Mayor Hobart noted slight language modifications made to the proposed ordinance and resolutions following agenda distribution.
• "City Attorney Quintanilla explained NEV regulations and read the ballot measures, including revisions.
• "City Manager Bynder presented the staff report.
• "City Attorney Quintanilla clarified that NEVs and LSEVs are identically defined in all applicable codes. Golf carts are defined differently and will not be allowed on CV Link. He said that an NEV Transportation Plan cannot be permitted in any City unless approved by the City Council of the jurisdiction. In addition, the California Vehicle Code allows City's to adopt an ordinance or resolution prohibiting the use of NEVs on any street or area in the City. He stated that, per the CA Elections Code, those allowed to submit arguments include City Council or any member of the City Council authorized by the City Council, individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measures, any bonafide association of citizens, or any combination of voters or associations. The Council may submit an argument either in favor or against a measure. However, they may not submit both an argument in favor and against a specific measure.
• "Councilmember Kite asked if Council should consider adding Butler Abrams Trail to Advisory Measure 5.
• "Michael Fontana said that on a personal level he had no objection to adding Butler Abrams Trail to Measure 5.
• "MOVED/SECONDED BY HOBART/WEILL TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2015- 107, PROHIBITING LOW -SPEED VEHICLES AND NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN CERTAIN AREAS AND ON CERTAIN STREETS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE, AND REVISING THE LIST OF PROHIBITED STREETS BY STRIKING RAMON ROAD AND ADDING MAGNESIA FALLS DRIVE AND JOSHUA ROAD. MOTION CARRIED 5/0.
• "MOVED/SECONDED BY HOBART/WEILL TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NO. 1099, 1ST READING, PROHIBITING LOW -SPEED VEHICLES AND NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN CERTAIN AREAS AND ON CERTAIN STREETS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE, AND REVISING THE LIST OF PROHIBITED STREETS BY STRIKING RAMON ROAD AND ADDING MAGNESIA FALLS DRIVE AND JOSHUA ROAD. MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0.
• "MOVED/SECONDED BY HOBART/SMOTRICH TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2015- 108, CALLING AND NOTICING THE HOLDING OF AN ADVISORY ELECTION ON THE SAME DATE OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING THE VOTERS OF RANCHO MIRAGE TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS ON CERTAIN SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES PERTAINING TO CV LINK, INCLUDING STATED LANGUAGE MODIFICATIONS AND THE ADDITION OF BUTLER ABRAMS TRAIL TO ADVISORY MEASURE 5. MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0.
• "MOVED/SECONDED BY HOBART/TOWNSEND TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2015-109, PLACING A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION ASKING THE VOTERS: " SHALL THE VOTERS OF RANCHO MIRAGE REQUIRE THAT ANY AMENDMENT OR REPEAL OF ORDINANCE NO. 1099 THAT PROHIBITS NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLES (NEVs) IN CERTAIN AREAS AND ON CERTAIN STREETS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE REQUIRE PRIOR VOTER APPROVAL?" MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0.
• "MOVED/SECONDED BY HOBART/SMOTRICH TO DESIGNATE THE MAYOR OR HIS DESIGNEE OR DESIGNEES ON THE RANCHO MIRAGE CITY COUNCIL TO PREPARE THE ARGUMENTS IN " FAVOR" OF MEASURE 6 AND THE ARGUMENTS " AGAINST APPROVAL" OF ADVISORY MEASURES 1, 2, 3, 4 AND 5, ON BEHALF OF THE RANCHO MIRAGE CITY COUNCIL. MOTION CARRIED 5/ 0."
  

COMMMENTARY