UPDATE: Will Hernandez Attend Special Meeting?

UPDATE: Mayor Steven Hernandez showed up at Thursday afternoon’s special session, albeit late

Coachella City Council Scheduled to Meet in Special Session Today

COACHELLA — The City Council is scheduled to meet in special session today, Thursday, Nov. 20, for the purpose of evaluating the city manager’s performance. It is arguably one of the most important meetings of the year.

Whether indicted Mayor Steven Hernandez will attend remains a question.

He did not return our request for comment. City administrators had not heard grom either way by midday Thursday.  They report not seeing him in City Hall since his arrest.

Hernandez did not attend the last City Council meeting on Nov. 12, Hernandez said he was not feeling well.

Based on the agenda, much, if not all, of the special meeting will be in closed session to evaluate the city manager and appoint a city manager.

In January, the council voted 4-1 to hire Bill Pattison — a long-time city official who retired in late 2020 — as its acting city manager on an interim basis.

Councilmember Stephanie Virgen dissented reportedly based on concerns she heard from city employees.

The vacancy for the position emerged in January when the City Council, on a 3-2 vote, placed City Manager Gabriel Martin on paid leave, in short, the City Council decided to fire him once a settlement is reached.

Hernandez, 42, was arrested in October after a grand jury indicted him on one felony count of conflict of interest, four felony counts of perjury, and four misdemeanor counts of conflict of interest. Hernandez, who is a Riverside County employee and works chief of staff for Supervisor V. Manuel Perez has been placed on paid administrative leave

Meantime, members of the City Council have asked to have a censure of the beleaguered Mayor Steven Hernandez added to the agenda of the next meeting agenda, which will be in December.