By Staff

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA- As announced on Tuesday during the city council meeting, the Coachella Valley Boys and Girls Club will be taking over the Desert Hot Springs Facilities at Wardman Park and will be operating free of charge.

The Desert Hot Springs City Council voted 5/0 on this item, with plenty of discussion from both Chief Pat Williams and City Manager Rick Daniels. “We probably lost a generation of kids in this community in the last decade as they have turned to a life of crime, rather than the life that the Boys and Girls Club can help them turn around. I view this as a crime prevention program,” Daniels stated during his comments.

Mayor Pro Tem Scott Matas, a member of the DHSBGC during his youth, commented, “It’s bursting at the seams.” His wishes are that the same facilities he grew up with at the park continue into the new location, which will be part of the proposed Desert Hot Springs Civic Center. The new location will also feature an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Once the move is complete, the city is expected to pay the CVBGC $250,000 per year in operating costs.