Mayor Pougnet meets with Mayor-elect Moon

It was a meeting of the mayors in Palm Springs Friday, both current and future.

Embattled Mayor Steve Pougnet and recently elected Robert Moon met for a lengthy lunch.

The mayor has not spoken to any local media since the scandal at City Hall.

After the meeting both men let us in on the luncheon discussion.

“You have to listen. This is a job where you have to listen to folks all the time. Palm Springs is a busy city right now and there’s lots of people with different ideas,” Pougnet said.

Mayor-elect Moon said right now he’s in the listening stage until he takes over the reigns of government.

“Being the mayor is a very complicated thing and he’s had 12 years on city government four on City Council, eight as mayor. I have zero experience,” Moon said.

Pougnet did not want to discuss the raid at City Hall or the conflict of interest allegations against him.

Instead he looks back on his eight years as mayor fondly and said there’s not much he would have done differently.

“We brought life back to Palm Springs and I’m most proud of that and it’s all good,” Pougnet said.

Once his term is over he said he plans to move to Colorado full time with his family.

But he said he won’t be gone for long.

“We already have a trip planned back here for March and plan on retiring here in about 10 years when the kids are in college. So yeah, I’ll be around,” Pougnet said.

Now the mayor-elect said he has some big shoes to fill.

“I respect what he’s done, I respect his experience and knowledge and I told him I’m going to have him on speed dial if I have questions on procedures and processes I’m going to call him,” Moon said.

Pougnet said he’s confident Moon will be able to continue the positive growth for Palm Springs.

“It’s been a wonderful eight years and four years on the city council and I know when I come back with my family we’ll see the continued changes,” Pougnet said.