Palm Springs and Agua Caliente councils hold joint meeting

Exciting projects were presented Thursday afternoon during a rare joint meeting between the Palm Springs City Council and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Tribal representatives discussed the building of a tribal court, set to open off Tahquitz Canyon Way in October. They said it will cover cases such as civil jurisdiction and social and family services.

Leaders also discussed the Native American curriculum being utilized at Palm Springs Unified School District and spreading to Desert Sands Unified.

There was also discussion on the long-delayed College of the Desert West Valley Campus, with the current plan for classes to start in January 2027.

Both councils said they look forward to future growth.

"It's exciting to see how all these projects intersect with each certainly with focus on education," said Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein.

"There is no shortage of exciting things coming up here in the community. It's exciting to see the projects that the tribe and city are doing. i appreciate you mayor for hosting this meeting," Agua Caliente Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich.

The last time the city council and tribe held a joint meeting was back in 2018.