Palm Desert council backs new commercial compliance program along El Paseo, Highway 111

Palm Desert City Council members voiced support for a new commercial compliance program during a study session Thursday, as staff outlined that roughly 800 of the city’s approximately 4,600 businesses lack a required business license.

Senior Code Compliance Officers Paul Villanueva and Jesus Centeno presented the data and more information on the commercial compliance program. They said the businesses already in the city’s system but had not followed through on fees or documentation, rather than being unaware of the requirement.

Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto commended Villanueva and Centeno for their work engaging directly with businesses and residents.

“Most people just don’t know,” Pradetto said. “They don’t read the municipal code. They don’t know what the expectations are, and they need some education.”

The program stems from the addition of a dedicated code compliance officer position this fiscal year. Previously, commercial code enforcement was folded into the broader workload of code compliance officers and prioritized based on observed conditions, service requests and the severity of potential violations.

The new position allows staff to conduct regular inspections of commercial properties, engage directly with business and property representatives, and address potential violations before they escalate.

The program is built around three principles: education, partnership and compliance. It emphasizes education, outreach and voluntary compliance while maintaining what the report calls fair and consistent enforcement when necessary.

Focus areas include business license compliance, zoning compliance, the city’s Zero Blight Program, entertainment site plan compliance and coordination on commercial fire inspections, according to the report.

Councilmember Jan Harnik praised the program’s approach.

“I really appreciate that this is based on education and collaboration and kind of building a partnership where we’re working together, and it’s about esthetics and about safety,” Harnik said.

Implementation will proceed in phases, beginning with the El Paseo and Highway 111 corridor, followed by the Monterey and Cook Street corridors in north Palm Desert, and later the Washington corridor and central Cook Street area.

Council members raised questions about entertainment permitting for live music at commercial establishments and asked staff to consider addressing interior window lighting, such as illuminated signage, which is not currently covered under the program. Staff said updates to the lighting ordinance are being incorporated into the city’s Unified Development Code and will be enforceable once that process is complete.

Staff said there is no cost associated with implementing the program using current staffing.