Desert Hot Springs City Council appoints new council member

The Desert Hot Springs City Council appointed a council member to fill the vacant seat.

Tuesday night, after interviewing 21 candidates, councilmembers unanimously approved Robert Griffith as the newest Desert Hot Springs councilmember.

Griffith will fill the seat left vacant by Anayeli Zavala, who will resign from her seat effective July 2, 2019. Griffith will complete Zavala’s term of office which ends in December 2020. Griffith told councilmembers during the interview process he plans on running for reelection.

According to city documents, Griffith has been a resident of Desert Hot Springs for 7 years and is the president of the Hoteliers’ Association of Desert Hot Springs. Griffith also serves as the commissioner of the city’s planning commission, a position he will step down from to serve on the city council.