About the Palm Desert City Council

The City Council is comprised of five members elected to four-year terms. Council members are elected from two districts formed in 2019. One Council member is elected from a downtown district and four others from a larger surrounding district.

Council members are charged with representing the public and governing according to the City's Charter. This includes enacting ordinances, establishing policies, and maintaining intergovernmental relations. The City Council also oversees the affairs of the City's former Redevelopment Agency, as well as its Financing, Housing, and Parking authorities.

Members of the public are welcome at all City Council meetings. Regular council meetings are held the second and fourth Thursdays of every month. Meetings convene in the Council Chamber at City Hall beginning at 3:00 p.m. for closed session and at 4 p.m. for regular session and public hearings.

For information about assistive listening devices or other disability-related accommodations for City Council meetings, please contact the City Clerk's Office. Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance by calling (760) 346-0611 or in writing to the attention of the City Clerk, City of Palm Desert, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260-2578.

Residents and others who would like to watch Palm Desert City Council meetings in the comfort of their home or at other remote locations have two convenient ways to do so. Online viewers can watch live broadcasts of City Council meetings on the City’s website beginning at 4 p.m. on City Council meeting days, typically the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

An added feature of watching the meetings online is new software that gives viewers access to an archived library of public meeting videos. Staff reports and other supporting documents for each agenda item are available during live streaming and for archived meetings on the Council Meeting Information Center page.

Transition to Five Single Member Districts

In early 2024, the City Council adopted a new map to transition from two districts to five single-member districts. This transition will occur over the next two election cycles. In the November 2024 election, representatives will be elected to serve Districts 1, 2, and 3. The transition will be completed with the November 2026 election, when representatives will be elected to serve Districts 4 and 5. Until the transition is complete, the current Council members continue to serve under the two-district system until the completion of their terms.

Contact Us

For more information on the City Council, please contact us.

Current City Council Members
(Elected under the 2019 Two-District System)

Karina Quintanilla, Mayor
Member of the City Council since 2020
Current term: December 2024
District 1
Contact Mayor Quintanilla

Jan Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem
Member of the City Council since 2010
Current term: December 2026
District 2
Contact Mayor Pro Tem Harnik

Gina Nestande, Council Member
Member of the City Council since 2016
Current term: December 2024
District 2
Contact Council Member Nestande

Evan Trubee, Council Member
Member of the City Council since 2022
Current term: December 2026
District 2
Contact Council Member Trubee

Kathleen Kelly, Council Member 
Member of the City Council since 2016
Current term: November 2024
District 2
Contact Council Member Kelly

City Council members are elected officers identified in Government Code Section 87200 and file Statements of Economic Interests (Form 700s) with the City Clerk's Office.  Copies of the Statements of Economic Interests filed by the above elected officers may be obtained by visiting the offices of the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) or the City Clerk. 

Physical address of the FPPC is 1102 Q Street, Suite 3000, Sacramento, California 95811. City Clerk's Office is located at 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260.  The Statements of Economic Interests for some State and Local Government Agency elected officers may be available in electronic format on FPPC's website at: http://www.fppc.ca.gov.