In July 2024 the City Council, after months of study and public input, including a report from the Resident Study Committee of Cathedral City residents, acted to refer a tax question to the voters (Measure W) which was ultimately approved by the voters in November. 74% of Cathedral City voters said yes to improved and more efficient emergency medical service, more funding for paving neighborhood streets and yes to joining the Desert Recreation District so that Cathedral City residents can enjoy the broad array of parks and recreation opportunities offered by the DRD. Since the passage of Measure W, the City Council and staff have been working to deliver on the promises made.
Neighborhood Street Improvements
Measure W will provide an additional $1 million per year dedicated to improving neighborhood streets. As part of the upcoming budget review and adoption process, staff will present the City Council with multi-year plans for improvements to neighborhood streets. Staff in the Public Works department are currently working on three sets of street improvement plans:
- Measure W funded improvements which will focus on neighborhood streets
- SB 1 funded improvements using funds provided through Cathedral City’s share of state gas tax funds
- Maintenance of Effort funded improvements. To receive state SB1 funds the City must provide a local match, which in our case mostly comes from the city’s general fund.
Desert Recreation District Annexation
Measure W will also provide funding of $1 million per year for improved parks maintenance and the introduction of recreation programming which was previously not provided in Cathedral City. These services will be provided by the Desert Recreation District and Cathedral City will annex into the district meaning that residents of Cathedral City will be able to take advantage of parks and recreation programming through the DRD anywhere DRD serves in the Coachella Valley. The City Council and the Desert Recreation District board each approved the services and tax sharing agreements needed to make this all happen during their respective meetings on February 12, 2025.
Next steps will include the public annexation process through the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). Services provided to Cathedral City residents by the DRD will include maintenance of Esperanza, Ocotillo, Panorama, Century and Dennis Keat soccer parks, recreation programming in Cathedral City parks and other local facilities, operation of the CCHS pool in the summer swim season, parks attendants to monitor and handle issues in the parks and access to DRD events and programs throughout the DRD service area. The agreements will allow all these benefits to begin by July 1, 2025.
Improved Fire Paramedic and Ambulance Service
Measure W will also fund the acquisition and staffing of a fourth ambulance, maintaining emergency medical response times even as calls for service are increasing. Six new firefighter/paramedic positions will be funded to staff the fourth ambulance 24 hours a day seven days a week. Fire department and Human Resources department personnel are currently working on the recruitment, testing and hiring of the personnel required to staff the ambulance with a goal of having them onboard a few weeks prior to July 1 so that they can be trained and in place for the additional ambulance to go into service on that date. The police department will also be hiring two additional emergency medical dispatchers in support of the emergency services. Police handles all dispatch for both the police and fire departments.
Community Recreation Center
Measure W will also provide funding for the development of a community recreation center and ultimately its operation. The first step toward development of the recreation center will be the selection of a firm to assist with evaluating possible locations for either a newly constructed facility or an adaptive reuse of an existing building. A competitive process will be conducted to select a firm and their study will include community input, review by the DRD and other possible users of the facility. A request for proposals is under development right now and will be open for proposals from interested firms by next month.
