Local & Community
Coachella Holds First Public Council Meeting in Over a Month Tonight

UPDATE: Coachella City officials tell us this morning that they do not have any confirmation on Mayor Hernandez's attendance tonight.
Coachella's city council meets publicly tonight for the first time since December 10th. A January 14th meeting was initially scheduled but cancelled, with the city instead holding a closed-door session the following day.
On tonight's agenda: Mayor Steven Hernandez's appointments to council subcommittees and outside agencies, including the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.
Whether Hernandez will appear remains unclear. His last public council appearance was in November, shortly after his arrest on charges including perjury and conflict of interest. He did attend the non-public January 15th meeting, which addressed the selection of a new city manager following Bill Pattinson's retirement announcement.
NBC Palm Springs has reached out this morning to the city for clarification on the mayor's attendance. They tell us at this time that they do not know.
Tonight's meeting begins with a closed session at 5 p.m., followed by an open session at 6 p.m.
UPDATED AT: January 28, 2026 at 11:26 AM
By: NBC Palm Springs
January 28, 2026


