SPECIAL REPORT: Hear from PS Council candidates

News Channel 3 sat down with five of the six council candidates in alphabetical order.

Meet David Brown: Kentucky native, small-business manager, the only Republican running for council.

“This city needs new changes, new ideas, new visions,” Brown said.

This is Brown’s first time running but he says working on the city’s human rights commission prepared him for public office. Here’s his vision for Palm Springs:

“To continue moving forward with redevelopment, attract more mom-and-pop type stores and work in support with our local businesses,” Brown said.

Among Brown’s concerns is whether the city misled residents about the Downtown Plan.

“There needs to be more transparency on the topic. There should have been a model placed in City Hall or the library so residents can see what their tax dollars are going to look like.”

Brown says the following should be the relationship between council members and developers:

“Strictly business. There shouldn’t be extra hidden benefits involved in that,” he said.

But Brown says he’ll reserve judgment on the current probe into possible city corruption.

“I don’t want to make any pre-judgments on things we don’t know for sure. The city has to move forward in a position motion,” Brown said.

Meet Jim King: retired business executive, self-proclaimed “Neighborhood Guy.”

“All neighborhoods need to be treated family. We need to relax sometime. We need to blend tourists with our relaxation,” King said.

The FBI raid of city hall in September shocked him and fueled his desire to run for council.

“Some things have occurred that shouldn’t have occurred. Developers are good and keep our economy going but we have to watch ourselves carefully,” King said.

Here are his thoughts on the evolving downtown revitalization plan:

“They need to bring the city back together and present the plan again, get everybody on board again,” King said.

King says the city also needs to take a step back and re-evaluate its redevelopment land sale process to make sure it’s following the law.

“Especially buying a piece of property for $500,000 and selling it under $200,000 to a developer. It looks bad,” King said.

King says his business expertise will add accountability to city council and its staff.

“Everybody needs to have an annual review. We need to see last year’s and everybody needs an annual review,” King said.

Meet Geoff Kors: government policy director, attorney, equal rights advocate.

“No one else has the legal and legislative expertise that’s so clear our council needs right now,” Kors said.

Kors says Palm Springs follows the lowest level of ethics laws required under the state and wants to make some major changes.

“One of my proposals is to expand the types of issues that create conflicts. Not just working for the entity, but if you work for a related entity, that’s a conflict” Kors said. “We need people to disclose their conflicts when they say they’re recused.”

If elected, Kors also wants to take a look at the Downtown Plan:

“Residents voted to put tax dollars based on assurances there would be businesses, services, retail and restaurants that residents can use. I want it to be open to everyone.”

Kors says the process for approving these kind of developments also needs to improve.

“The city should require developers to create a 3-D model to see where it fits with other buildings. I think we need hearings not in the middle of the work day but in the evening so people know what the plan is and can share their views,” he said.

Kors isn’t discouraged by the current FBI investigation.

“We need to let it play out, but it’s important that our city council reassure people and take the steps to change rules to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Meet Anna Nevenic: Registered nurse and community activist from the former Yugoslavia.

“As a nurse, you know I’m in charge of taking care of people and that’s the role of the government. Not just the developers but to take care of everyone,” she said.

Nevenic is also the only woman running for council.

“I’m the best qualified woman because I’ve been involved with every issue that affects us,” she said.

Here are her thoughts on allegations of conflict of interest at city hall:

“Everyone in City Hall was doing their own thing. Someone says I’m not voting because I have a conflict but they never tried to find out what that conflict is,” Nevenic said.

She believes the process of approving new developments needs an overhaul.

“Most of the decisions are being made without public involvement at all. You hear about it after the fact. In order to keep the city together you have to make the decisions together,” she said.

If elected, Nevenic says her focus wouldn’t just be on bringing in more hotels.

“I want to bring high tech industry here and leave space for that, not just building hotel after hotel and not knowing if we’re going to fill them up,” Nevenic said.

Meet J.R. Roberts: Palm Springs Planning Commissioner, former Sausalito mayor, entrepreneur.

“I kind of have the Master’s in civics that come with doing those jobs. So I bring not only a great experience from my background but I’ve been serving my city that I live in for the last 15 years,” Roberts said.

Here’s what Roberts thinks about the corruption investigation centered on city hall.

“It’s not easy to have your city raided by the FBI and the IRS. You have to really screw up. And it says to me we have problems we need to deal with,” he said.

Roberts says he’s got mixed feelings on the downtown plan and wants to put a cap on the height of future developments.

“Some of the buildings went directly to the city council, they hopped over the planning commission and were never approved by us,” Roberts said. “I’d like to see future buildings not go higher than three stories.”

The recent review of the city’s redevelopment land sales also sparked major concern for Roberts.

“I think those lands should have been put up for public sale. Those lands were undervalued and undersold considered what we paid.”

Roberts says what Palm Springs needs most is strategic planning for the future.

“I love the growth and the prosperity. But at the same time we can’t sell out our village character or this brand that people come from all over the world to see,” Roberts said.

The final candidate running for Palm Springs City Council is current council member Paul Lewin.

Lewin turned down the chance to be a part of this report.