The City of Indian Wells is proud to have received the John S. Todd Award from the California Contract Cities Association (CCCA) in recognition of the City’s Cove Communities partnership model with the cities of Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert.
The CCCA John S. Todd Award was presented at its Annual Municipal Seminar on Friday, May 16. This prestigious designation is given annually to a member city that exemplifies the contract cities model, in which a municipality outsources one or more of its core public services. Indian Wells outsources law enforcement, fire protection, recreational opportunities and more, to maintain essential services without the burdensome cost of establishing independent services.
Together with the cities of Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert, Indian Wells founded the Cove Communities Fire Commission in 1981 to coordinate regional fire protection and medical emergency services while remaining fiscally responsible. As the cities grew, so did their ability to expand emergency services. In 2005, the Cove Communities shifted to maintain a broader regional focus and began contracting for fire services individually. With this change, the Commission was renamed the Cove Communities Services Commission.
Today, this Cove Communities partnership offers residents of all three cities access to opportunities and facilities that would otherwise be unavailable to each municipality. Currently, the Commission actively works to improve the quality of life for residents through the Joslyn Center, the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, the YMCA of the Desert and other shared facilities and resources that nurture residents’ mental, social, emotional and physical well-being throughout every stage of life.
Indian Wells is honored to receive the John S. Todd Award and looks forward to continuing our partnership with Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert for many years to come.