Meet New Palm Springs City Manager Justin Clifton

His first day at Palm Springs City Hall was Monday, April 5, so PSILOVEYOU sits down with Clifton to learn more about him and his goals

PSILOVEYOU: Why did you choose to come to Palm Springs, and what is it about our city that drew you here?

JUSTIN CLIFTON: My wife and I visited Palm Springs before I decided to apply for the position. The first thing we noticed was the many charming restaurants, niche markets, beautiful desert landscape, and quality architecture. But as we looked deeper, we also found a diverse, open, and engaged community. We encountered friendly people everywhere we went. And we could feel a sense of community pride and spirit that was infectious. People we met would freely gush about the high quality of life and their love for Palm Springs. But what really sealed the deal for me was getting to know the City Council and becoming familiar with the challenges and opportunities facing Palm Springs now and into the future. I watched Council meetings where citizens engaged actively. I saw a Council deeply committed to build an even brighter future, and a talented City team dedicated to help make it happen. Long before the selection process was over, my wife and I felt strongly we were meant to be in Palm Springs. And now I’m just so grateful to be here.

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your background in government and city management?

I served as city manager in Sedona for six years. Some of my accomplishments include spearheading the creation of a master transportation plan, including road projects, bike/pedestrian improvements, the creation of a mass transit program, developing Sedona’s first-ever economic development, affordable housing, and sustainability programs, and partnering with the chamber of commerce and tourism bureau to pioneer a sustainable tourism plan. I also expanded the development of a national, awardwinning resident engagement program. Prior to Sedona, I served for two and a half years as the city manager of Delta, Colorado, and as the town manager of Bayfield, Colorado for five years. I graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, where I earned a master’s in political science and public policy from the University of Colorado in Denver.

When I think about my own life, I benefitted immeasurably from good public schools, community parks and facilities, social programs, job opportunities, and countless other things that are the product of community-building. As I advanced through college, I also found a passion for big questions about what is right, fair, and just, and how institutions of government can have such a huge impact on people’s lives. And it all came together when I took my first position working in local government. My love of public service has only grown over the years. I find this work to be dynamic, challenging, and deeply meaningful.

Like in many cities across the nation, residents, businesses, and tourism in Palm Springs have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you foresee the road to recovery?

I believe the city has taken significant steps when it comes to paving a path to economic recovery. So much of what we are doing now is fostering partnerships with agencies and organizations in order to put programs in place now so we can help those struggling to get back on their feet. Here’s just some of what has been implemented in Palm Springs so far:

The Mayor’s COVID-19 Task Force of community leaders was created to address public health and economic impacts, and to establish protections and guidelines for residents and businesses during COVID so they can stay safe and healthy.

The City spent almost $48,000 on K-rails for local restaurants, allowing them to expand onto Palm Canyon Drive at no cost.

A new $1 million Small Business Financial

Aid Program was instituted, which awards $10,000, zero% forgivable loans to struggling businesses that stay open at least six months.

City Council approved an eviction moratorium to help local businesses impacted by the pandemic.

A new $500,000 Rental Assistance

Program for Palm Springs households whose income does not exceed 80% of the median income in Riverside

County was established. The program provides one-time rental assistance of up to $3,500 per household to cover two or three months of rent. In addition, the city is diligently working to bring more affordable housing projects to

Palm Springs.

We partnered with the County of

Riverside to fund COVID-19 testing and a new vaccination site to the Palm Springs

Convention Center.

We partnered with FIND Food Bank of the Coachella Valley for free mobile pantry food distributions twice monthly

at the Palm Springs Convention Center and the James O. Jessie

Desert Highland Unity Center.

We initiated “Let’s Go Palm Springs,” a partnership with the

Bureau of Tourism and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce for a take-out restaurant program that provides a $10 off coupon on any order of $30 or more. The Chamber accepts the coupons redeemed by participating restaurants, then reimburses them weekly.

We granted an administrative extension of business licenses so that any business that closed in 2020 can have the same license extended by the same number of months at the time of renewal.

We initiated the deferral of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase on the city’s comprehensive fee schedule. This is the second year we’ve held city fees at 2019 levels.

We charged the Bureau of Tourism with developing a “shop local” marketing initiative called “We are Palm Springs.”

We worked with tourism partners to bring new routes and airlines to Palm Springs International Airport—most notably

Southwest Airlines—and invested a total of $30 million in a new ticketing wing and outbound baggage system. Finally, the city partnered with P.S. Resorts, a consortium of large hoteliers, to bring back the wildly popular Forever Marilyn sculpture to downtown this April—a move that is expected to be a huge economic tourism driver for the city. All of these programs and initiatives are part of the strategy to get Palm Springs back to where it once was. And there is still much more coming.

Other than COVID recovery, what are some of your initial goals for the city, and what are you most excited about?

My first goal is to listen and learn from the countless people who have loved Palm Springs much longer than I have. From there, I can better collaborate with the community and City Council and staff to identify top priorities. Some priorities, such as hastening the recovery from the pandemic and ensuring our visitor-based economy is thriving, will be shortterm goals. Other priorities, such as diversifying the economy to be more resilient, and expanding opportunities for current and future residents, will be long-term goals. But whatever the goals and priorities, residents of Palm Springs should expect that the city team will be focused, inclusive, strategic, and willing to demonstrate excellence every day in everything we do.

Finally, what are you and your family looking forward to the most about living in beautiful Palm Springs?

Top on the list for my kids is finally having a swimming pool! We all love the outdoors and will do plenty of hiking, biking, and fun excursions around Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. We also love that Palm Springs gives us great access to all Southern California has to offer. We look forward to tram rides up to Idyllwild, local farmers markets, and the return of VillageFest, where we can mingle with residents and visitors. We found a lovely home with enough space for our big dog, Loki, and look forward to getting to know our neighbors. Palm Springs is now our community and our home. We look forward to loving and nurturing everything that makes it special.

Lani Garfield