WELCOME

Welcome to my Cathedral City Blog.

Simply put, the purpose of my Cathedral City Blog is to make information available to the community. During my nearly four years on the Council, I have always tried to insure that Cathedral City’s municipal government is as open and transparent as possible; democracy needs openness if it is to survive.

In succeeding posts, I’ll be making an effort to keep the community up-to-date on important local events and happenings, as well as offering commentary on them.

ABOUT ME
(Taken from my biography as published on the City's website, http://www.cathedralcity.gov)

Born and raised in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills, Councilmember Paul S. Marchand was a Coachella Valley visitor and resident for more than a decade prior to his election to the Cathedral City City Council in November, 2002.

Before election to the City Council, Paul was a consistent advocate for an inclusive community that respects all of its members. He has been a longtime community activist in Cathedral City, serving most recently (1999-2002) as President of the Palm Springs/Desert Communities Chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays).

In addition to serving Cathedral City's residents as a Councilmember, Paul has represented Cathedral City on the Board of Trustees of the Coachella Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District since April, 2001, and currently represents the City on the Human and Community Resources Committee of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), as well as on the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy Board. He also serves as CVAG’s representative to the Energy & Environment Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments.

Here at home, Paul was a key participant in the City's community revenue dialogue, in which Cathedral City residents from all walks of life came together to try to develop a workable strategy for securing vital revenue for financing needed municipal services. Earlier, Paul advocated in favor of, and helped mobilize support for, Cathedral City's first-in-the-Valley Domestic Partnership Ordinance. Paul has also served on the Palm Springs Desert Sun Diversity Advisory Committee and with the Palm Springs Human Rights Commission's Police Advisory Committee.

Among Paul’s significant legislative achievements on the Council are his Downtown Energy Savings Initiative, by which the City is realizing nearly $200,000 a year in direct and indirect savings on its energy costs, as well as using the clean, “green,” abundant and environmentally-friendly light of the sun to generate electricity for our City Hall, as well as Cathedral City’s “Matricula Consular” ordinance, which affords our public safety agencies an additional investigative and Homeland Security tool by permitting limited use of the Mexican consular identification card for identification. In the fall of 2005, Paul brought forward memorial resolutions honoring the late Simon Wiesenthal and the late Rosa Parks. Their unanimous adoption by Council put Cathedral City on record as the only Coachella Valley city to honor these great exemplars of the human spirit.

Prior to relocating permanently to Cathedral City, Paul was involved with the Bill of Rights Bicentennial Project and with the State Bar of California's Barristers' Hospice AIDS Project. While living in Los Angeles, he was also active in lay ministry in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Paul Marchand, a licensed attorney since 1989, received his law degree from the Valparaiso University School of Law, in Valparaiso, Indiana, and his Bachelors from Vanderbilt University, of Nashville, Tennessee. His offices are located in Cathedral City. Paul's parents and his aunt also call Cathedral City their hometown.

A NOTE CONCERNING COMMENTS

Please be aware that while I do appreciate feedback from the community, this blog will be moderated, and if comments are received that, in my view, transgress the bounds of decency or good taste, are defamatory, or are not germane to the mission and purpose of the blog, I do reserve the right to remove such postings