Civil Municipal View Feb2023

particularly in our downtown area,” he asserts. This downtown project will be significant to the city, and is a large undertaking, as Daniel Porras, Assistant City Manager conveys, “We are actually taking in a lot of different consultants, a lot of different grant funds, and even university students to help us with the design and with the concept to move forward.” Valued partnerships and collaboration are essential for the operation of a city, and Desert Hot Springs is no exception. “We enjoy building relationships on a regional level with partners because we know at the end of the day that that’s going to benefit us,” relays Smith. “Some examples of that would be the Greater Coachella Valley chamber of Congress, Visit Greater Palm Springs, Coachella Valley Association of Governments, and Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, which are all organizations that we work closely with.” He also mentions the importance of the partnership between the city and utility providers, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas, and Mission Springs Water District, especially in regard to the planning of developable land within the city, and the need to ensure that utilities will be available in a timely way. Another valued relationship is with Riverside County, which has built an excellent library in the city and is in the process of bringing affordable housing. “We have a very good relationship with the county supervisor,” says Smith. “So, anything that we need on a regional level, we have a good opportunity to reach out and have those issues addressed.” On the infrastructure side, Desert Hot Springs has been focused on roads and sidewalks, including both safety and beautification enhancements and upgrades on all of the