Desert Hot Springs Council approves spa revitalization incentive program, housing-needs plan

The Desert Hot Springs City Council approved a spa revitalization incentive program at its meeting Tuesday. Councilmembers also unanimously voted to adopt a resolution approving the city's draft housing element. 

The spa revitalization incentive program will temporarily waive the city’s 12% transient occupancy tax for qualifying spas, according to a city staff report. It is part of the city’s larger goals to revive its spa industry and increase tourism.

Councilmember Gary Gardner said spas are what built Desert Hot Springs and bringing them back is vital for the city's long-term benefit. He added that he's concerned that a significant amount of the city's revenue comes from cannabis. 

"I don't know what the city would do if cannabis collapsed. I hope it doesn't. I don't think it will," Gardner said. "But I want to have a more stable and a more long-term revenue source to back up cannabis, and the only way we're going to do that is to bring back to life the components of the city that built it in the first place, which is our hot-water spas."  

Read the rest of the story on the Desert Sun’s website here.