FAQs

Your feedback can be submitted via the online discussion forums, quick polls, forms, and surveys relevant to each of the projects currently open for consultation.

To participate for the first time, simply:

• Sign up to the site by clicking on the Sign-Up button on the right 
• Choose a user name and password
• You will receive an email to validate your email address
• Return to the website and click the 'Sign In' button

Note: your comments will appear under your username and you can comment anonymously through a username of your choice.

By signing up you will be able to participate in the online discussions and make full use of the interactive features of this site. You'll also receive regular updates on how your feedback is helping the City of Palm Desert make some big decisions. You can unsubscribe from email updates at any time.

Yes. Your privacy is absolutely protected and the City of Palm Desert will only use your email to contact you with updates and to invite you to participate in consultations. Your email address will not be distributed to any third party or used for any other purpose. We ask for demographic information as part of your registration for internal use only, to make sure we are reaching out to all populations of our city effectively.  

All public comments or questions on the site are moderated twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for inappropriate language, comments that disrespect other participants or are significantly off-topic. 

Moderation is carried out by Bang the Table, the hosting company for this website, and is independent of the City of Palm Desert. The moderators do not edit or alter any comments and will only remove comments deemed to be significantly off-topic, offensive, or malicious. In this case, the comment will be removed from the site immediately and the person who posted the comment will be advised by email.

Engage Palm Desert provides an exciting new way for the city to engage with our local community online. This online engagement hub will be used to complement, not replace, more traditional face-to-face engagement events.

You may also provide feedback directly to the "Who's Listening" contact listed on each project page if you are more comfortable sharing that way.

We ask you to register to the website for a few reasons:

• It promotes civil discourse rather than anonymous citical commentary that does not reflect the diversity of views in our community.
• It leads to the more thoughtful and engaging community conversation. 
• It makes it easier to update you about any news or major changes.

The City of Palm Desert recognizes that community engagement is a better way of doing business, which can lead to better outcomes for the community and the organization. Traditional community outreach usually involves attending town hall-style meetings or providing written testimony, which can often be time-consuming and inconvenient. 

The city wanted to add a community engagement approach that is innovative, open, and inclusive. We know that many members of our community are online, and so in addition to all our usual methods for engaging, Engage Palm Desert is all about making it easier for you to connect at a time and place of your choice.  

• It is a quick, safe and convenient way to have your say on a range of issues, topics, and opportunities.
• It is a great way to keep up to date and contribute your views on issues affecting your community.
• You can see what other community members think about an issue or topic, respond with your own views and engage in a discussion.
• You don't have to attend community meetings at a set place and time, you can contribute at a time and place that suits you.
• It allows for a range of different people, with different views to discuss matters that impact our community.
• You can also find out more about other engagement activities and ways you can have your say.