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 a report delivered at the last 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 from the community.
"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."
The update comes months after a group of Joslyn Center members appeared before the Council in October 2025 to raise concerns about the Cove Community Senior Association's governance following the board's removal of the center's executive director.
At that meeting, speakers described unsuccessful attempts to obtain information about the director's firing and said they were asked to leave when they pressed the board for answers. Rumors that the board had hired security for meetings further alarmed members, many of whom said the situation had eroded trust in leadership, with some announcing plans to circulate a petition of no confidence.
One member told councilmembers and staff that seniors were informed the city manager said the Cove board "had no way, no say in how the money allocated to the center is spent," raising concerns about financial oversight.
One member who spoke at the October meeting called for advance notice of board meetings and opportunities for members to speak. She urged that two active Joslyn Center members be added as voting board members and that current board members be required to live within the three cities that help fund the center. She also requested that active center members be included in any hiring committee should a new director be brought on.
The group had asked the council to review the structure and oversight of the senior association, confirm rules on how city funds may be used, and consider adding member representation to the board, with several speakers emphasizing that public funds should support programs — not legal expenses.
Quintanilla said the board is now developing ideas to expand its programming, including efforts to incorporate animal services alongside its senior services mission.