The board of directors of the Joslyn Center is working on updated bylaws and taking steps to address community calls for greater transparency, according to an update delivered at a recent Palm Desert City Council meeting.
Councilmember Karina Quintanilla, who attended a recent Joslyn board meeting, told her colleagues the board is making progress on governance matters and responding to requests raised by members last fall.
“They’ve got some great things moving along,” Quintanilla said. “They’re working on bylaws and progressing to meet the community’s requests for transparency.”
Quintanilla also said the board is also developing ideas to expand programming, including exploring ways to incorporate animal services alongside its senior services mission.
The update follows concerns raised at an October 2025 City Council meeting, when a group of Joslyn Center members questioned the Cove Community Senior Association’s governance after the board removed the center’s executive director.
Speakers at that meeting said they were unable to obtain information about the director’s dismissal and were asked to leave when pressing for answers. Some also cited reports that security had been hired for meetings, saying the situation had eroded trust in leadership. Several members said they planned to circulate a petition of no confidence.
Among the requests voiced at the October meeting were advance public notice of board meetings, designated opportunities for members to speak, the addition of active center members as voting board members, residency requirements for board members within the three cities that help fund the center, and member participation in any future executive director hiring process.
Residents also asked the City Council to review the association’s structure and oversight and to clarify how public funds may be used, with some speakers emphasizing that city funding should support programs rather than legal expenses.
City officials, however, said Tuesday that their authority over the organization is limited.
While the city provides funding to the Joslyn Center through the Cove Communities Service Commission, the center operates as an independent nonprofit with its own governing board, according to a city spokesperson. The City Council and city manager do not have authority over the board’s governance decisions.
Following the October meeting, the spokesperson said City Manager Chris Escobedo met with concerned residents to hear their perspectives and explain the city’s oversight role.
“The city takes community concerns seriously while also recognizing the Center’s independent structure,” the spokesperson said.