Out-of-State Travel Needs Full City Council OK

Out-of-State Travel Needs Full City Council Approval in Palm Desert

PALM DESERT — The recent questions regarding Mayor Karina Quintanilla’s request to travel to Las Vegas for a conference weren’t pulled out of thin air. Councilors were simply following their own policy. This City Council’s out-of-state travel policy first came under scrutiny on March 9, 2023, when then-Mayor Pro Tem Karina Quintanilla submitted a request to attend the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) in New York City.

Before deciding, the City Council requested a subcommittee consisting of Councilmembers Harnik and Kathleen Kelly review the travel policy for best practices related to elected official’s travel. On March 31, 2023, the subcommittee met and determined that no policy changes were necessary, according to City Clerk Aanthony Mejia.

Instead, the subcommittee recommended that when a councilmember would like to attend a new out-of-state conference, the member should submit an Out of State Travel Request Form for consideration by the full City Council.

“The purpose of the form is to enhance public transparency and to provide the City Council with supporting information on the proposed conferences/events and the benefits to the city,” Mejia told Uken Report.

On April 13, 2023, the City Council approved the use of an Out-of-State Travel Request Form.

On May 25, 2023, the City Council reconsidered Quintanilla’s request to attend the NALEO Conference and approved.

March 9, 2023: Staff Report – Initial Request to attend NALEO Conference: https://pub-palmdesert.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?documentid=636

April 13, 2023: Staff Report – Approve use of an Out-of-State Travel Request Form: https://pub-palmdesert.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?documentid=6273

May 25, 2023: Staff Report – Approval of NALEO Conference: https://pub-palmdesert.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?documentid=6301

As of this writing, Quintanilla is in Las Vegas at another NALEO Conference.

This is not the end of the story.