Pougnet defends mayorship at council meeting

“You don’t have to like the consulting, I get it. The people who have sent me e-mails about it, that’s fine,” said Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet at Wednesday’s city council.

For the first time in public, the mayor directly addressed recent allegations of a conflict of interest between him and private developer Richard Meaney.

Pougnet said he will push back on the firestorm of questions about their business relationship and recent city affairs.

“My schedule’s being made public tomorrow for the last three years. Any of you want to come up and see how many meetings I’ve had, when I’m here, come and get it. It will be available to you,” Pougnet announced.

He publicly admitted he should not have cast a vote on a recent land sale to Meaney, a parcel in north Palm Springs called “Casa del Camino.” But he said he recused himself on other votes that gave contracts to the developer, who employed the mayor as a consultant.

“The innuendos that they’re all connected are ridiculous. I made a mistake on the one that I’m fessing up to,” Pougnet said.

The mayor added that he believes recent published reports have a political agenda behind them.

“There is no doubt there is a link between candidates seeking office and the Desert Sun. I’m a big boy, I can take it.”

Immediately after his heated speech, the mayor stepped out of the chambers as Mayor Pro Tem Paul Lewin, who some expect to run for mayor, called for an independent investigation of the city’s business incentive programs and recent land sales.

“We’ll learn something,” Lewin said. “And if we made a mistake, we’ll own up to it.”

Robert Moon, the only candidate to officially announce a bid for the mayor’s office, says that’s not good enough.

“I think it’s disingenuous. I really feel that it’s not right for the city council to hire attorneys or hires accountants and be the people who pays them,” Moon said.

Some residents called instead for the Riverside County District Attorney’s office or a Grand Jury to conduct that investigation, and examine whether the city followed state laws on conflicts of interest.

“Section 1090 says even if they recuse themselves on these votes, the rest of the city council must also deny the requests because of that conflict of interest. They do not do that,” said Robert Stone, who lives next door to the Casa del Camino parcel.

Later the council voted to rescind the sale of that land; Pougnet and Councilman Rick Hutcheson abstained from the vote.