DHS City Manager: ‘No Evidence Of Criminal Behavior At Sea Mountain Inn’

Desert Hot Springs City Manager Rick Daniels released his findings in a three-page review of the Sea Mountain Inn in Desert Hot Springs.

His review was prompted by a News Channel 3 investigation. During our undercover report, an employee by the name of Samantha made it very clear that part of the Spa’s existence was a place for swinging couples to have sex.

In Daniels’ report, he writes, “There is no credible evidence available to me that the current owners of the SMI are violating the Sexually Oriented Business provision of the City of Desert Hot Springs Municipal Code.”

He goes on to say the City interprets the code allowing the spa to be exempt from some of the Sexual Encounter Establishment provisions. However Daniels insist sex spas are illegal in Desert Hot Springs.

City Councilman Russell Betts is against any sex spa operating in Desert Hot Springs. Betts says, “I don’t want to see some day when you Google search Desert Hot Springs and adult spas comes up. I’m not trying to be the moral police I’m coming from a marketing perspective.”

Betts tried to get the issue on a City Council agenda but couldn’t get the Mayor, another council member or the City Manager to agree with him.

The only thing that will be changing is the parking and noise at the Sea Mountain Inn and Spa. In the past two years police have been called out a total of 14 times. Ten times for noise, four other calls for intoxicated people and other reasons. Daniels admits, “They haven’t been good neighbors, 14 complaints occurred over a 2 years, 10 of which for noise. Although they would turn the volume down, everything would continue when the officer left, it is a drain on our police”

When it comes to the parking issues on the street and dirt parking lots, the City is requiring them to submit a parking plan to pave the empty lots. The owners of the Sea Mountain Inn will go before the Planning Commission to get it permitted.

As far as a change in code to prevent any of the activities described to us by the employee of Sea Mountain Inn, Daniels says nothing will change from the City’s position.