Category Archives: Economic Development

RTRP Update

Hi Power Transmission TowerMost Current Talking Points

Coalition of Riverside City Council & Norco to underground High Transmission Lines Norco will spend approximately $300,000 to $500,000 in this effort.

Edison is engaging in a full-court, behind the scenes press distributing misinformation. Facts:

  • Project will not cost a “billion dollars”
  • Project is not shovel ready
  • The project regardless of above or below ground will be spread out over every rate payer in the state – either way will cost approximately $1.00 additional per year. (Cal Strategies: Steve Larson & Hope Christman/CPUC)
  • We will be petitioning for the entire length of line: under river, Norco, County, La Sierra (we are correcting the press release)
  • No Riverside residents’ rates will go up more then a dollar per year due to this project
  • Norco has hired the same attorney and consultant who undergrounded Jurupa Valley and Chino Hills
  • Undergrounding in the EIR was deemed the superior way to go but it was not explored.
  • In the short term undergrounding disturbs the area but in the long term is better for the environment
  • When high transmission lines go up, it impedes the ability for helicopters to drop water on fires – that is exactly what saved Norco during the two large fires on our SW and SE quadrant – without those helicopters Norco would have been in trouble.
  • The center of Norco is rated highest for fire danger.
  • The river bottom is an urban forest – the EIR downplays the vegetation
  • The City of Riverside invested in new helicopters that may not be able to function effectively with smoke obscuring the transmission lines.
  • The EIR was completed prior to the devastating Paradise Fire, Norco’s two major fires and Lahaina.
  • The Santa Ana winds reach a higher wind speed then the hurricane winds that caused the Lahaina fire.
  • Hope Christman, our areas CPUC Rep is creating a fact sheet with additional information

We need a strong response from elected who carry more weight with the CPUC: we need specifically targeted letters to both electeds and CPUC. In the next few days we will be releasing talking points.  Below are elected officials to contact and status of their support and our ask: please be respectful.

We Are Just Getting Started Sign

 

 

 

 

 

Senator Alex Padilla (310) 231-4494 https://www.padilla.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/

Is looking for a way to fund the undergrounding – send letters to encourage.

Congressman Ken Calvert Office (951) 277-0042
https://calvert.house.gov/zip_authentication?form=/contact/email-me

He is in full support and is currently working on figuring out the status of the re-alignment of the high transmission lines through the Hidden Valley Nature Preserve. We need a full-support letter.

Congressman Mark Takano (951) 222-0203 https://takano.house.gov/contact/email-me

Is in full support, is working with Calvert to underground. Need letters of encouragement and strong support letter.

Senator Richard Roth Office (951) 680-6750
https://sd31.senate.ca.gov/send-e-mail

Says he is supporting and has sent a rep to all RTRP meetings.  Need a stronger letter that excludes the time restriction and claim of no support should rates go up (this is a false narrative being pushed by Edison)

Senator Kelly Seyarto Office (951) 280-1260
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=SD32&inframe=N

Fully in support and onboard: Letters of support and ask to continue are appropriate.

Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes Office (951) 371-6860
https://a58.asmdc.org/contact-me
Fully supports and is on board – but, as in the case of Senator Roth, we need a stronger letter of absolute support.

Assemblymember Bill Essayli Phone (951) 369-6644
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD63&inframe=N
Fully on board and helped bring Riverside and Norco councils together.

First District County Board Supervisor Kevin Jeffries Office (951) 955-1010 district1@rivco.org

Kevin Jeffries told me he was on board and then pulled out stating the process has gone on too long and expressed concerns incorrectly about costs.  He seems to believe Edison and the ask is to fully support the fact that Riverside and Norco have formed and alliance and Norco is spending big bucks to do the right thing – he needs to get on board.

Second District County Board Supervisor Karen Spiegel
district2@rivco.org Office (951) 955-1020

She is supportive and was going to agendize for a vote but it seems Edison is strong arming the Supervisors to stay quiet. Need letters encouraging her to support and agendize issue.  It will not look good if it is agendized and only she votes yes – those voting no will not look so good.

Third District County Board Supervisor Chuck Washington
district3@rivco.org
Office (951) 955-1030

Has stated to me he supports undergrounding – election year, send letters to encourage full support.

Fourth District County Board Supervisor V. Manuel Perez
district4@rivco.orgOffice (951) 955-1040

Do not know him – send letters to support

Fifth District County Board Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez
district5@rivco.orgOffice (951) 955-1050

Told me he supports Norco’s position. Send letters to encourage unqualified support.

Riverside City Council

There appears to be a deadline of September 30 – we are working really hard to have our petition in and to have the funding or a chunk in place.  Steve and Chuck have done a wonderful job but holding that majority together seems to be tough. Particularly given that staff is little help.  Please write each and thank them for support and encourage to do the right thing.

Erin Edwards

Has opposed vocally the coalition – letters encouraging her to support.

Mayor Lock Dawson

On board – thank you.

Clarissa Cervantes

Strongly n board – thank and encourage                                           

Ronaldo Fierro

Strongly on board – say thank you

Chuck Conder

Organized the coalition – say thank you

Gaby Plascencia

Opposes at times – encourage support

Jim Perry

Opposes at times – encourage support

Steve Hemenway

Strongly on board and helping to organize

Entergy Louisiana Proposes $5B Grid Resilience Plan with 10 Potential Microgrids

Louisiana Power Lines Downed by Storm Damage

A scale version of this would be very doable within RPU’s service territory. Louisiana officials are smart in that they recognize the benefits of deploying hybrid sources of generation, which buys you resiliency, flexibility and adaptability.

And again, the big win is…. we would OWN the sources of generation!

Read the story here.

Save California Solar

Save Solar California Logo

Hi Friends,

I signed this petition to Governor Newsom to keep rooftop solar growing in California. Will you consider signing it too?

https://www.savecaliforniasolar.org/sign-petition

Utilities are lobbying the state to make it harder and more expensive for people to get solar. They are trying to gut net metering, which lets solar users share their extra solar energy with the neighbors for a bill credit.

Even though we have Riverside Public Utilities, we can be doing so much more to lower our energy costs and raise our comfort level. Expanding city rooftop solar should maximize coverage to reduce our collective costs.

We need to make it easier for people to get rooftop solar so they can control over their energy bills and keep the power on. Will you consider signing and forwarding to others?

A Message From New City Manager Al Zelinka

Al Zelinka, Riverside City Manager
Al Zelinka, Riverside City Manager

  Dear City Team Colleagues,

Good afternoon. I am writing to convey gratitude to you, as well as to convey some information.

First, thank you. Thank you for the service you provide every day to the Riverside community and to your colleagues across the City organization. Thank you, too, for your patience and support of your City management team as we have endeavored this past month to transition, adjust and get settled while striving to problem solve, add value, and serve. The City Manager’s Office is close to having its “sea legs” and will hit our stride together with you by August. I am grateful to you for who you are and what you do each day.

Second, I want to share an update on the reorganization of the City Manager’s Office, make you aware of opportunities that are becoming available within our organization, remind you of the 5-by-5 dimensions of my role as your City Manager, and to remind you of the Acting City Manager schedule for July.

Reorganization

As you know, the City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 19th, to reinstate the classification and salary range for the position of Deputy City Manager. As I previously reported to you, I have asked Carlie Myers and Moises Lopez to fill these two posts. (Please congratulate both of them when you see them.) They report directly to Assistant City Managers Lea Deesing and Rafael Guzman, respectively, to ensure we provide a high level of customer service to the Mayor and City Council, the public and one another. Further, Valerie Castro, Sarah Varela, Kristina Clabaugh, and Donna Finch are incredibly talented and gifted colleagues who provide the City Management Team with the wherewithal to perform at our very best. They are passionate about public service, consummate professionals, and wonderful people. I am very proud of this whole team and know they are dedicated to working with you to do the most public good.

On a practical level, with this new organization of the City Manager’s Office, the following changes to department leadership and agenda report review are now effective.

Department

CMO/ACM

Legistar Agenda Report Reviewer

Community & Economic Development

Rafael Guzman

Donna Finch

Finance

Lea Deesing

Donna Finch

Fire

Lea Deesing

Donna Finch

General Services

Rafael Guzman

Donna Finch

Human Resources

Rafael Guzman

Donna Finch

Innovation & Technology

Lea Deesing

Donna Finch

Library

Lea Deesing

Donna Finch

Museum

Lea Deesing

Donna Finch

Parks, Recreation & Community Services

Rafael Guzman

Donna Finch

Police

Lea Deesing

Donna Finch

Public Utilities

Al Zelinka

Carlie Myers

Public Works

Rafael Guzman

Donna Finch

CMO – Office of Homeless Solutions

Rafael Guzman

Moises Lopez

CMO – Office of Organizational Performance & Auditing

Al Zelinka

Carlie Myers

CMO – Office of Communications

Al Zelinka

Carlie Myers

Also, with the elevation of Lea Deesing to the role of Assistant City Manager, Chris Tilden is filling the role of Interim Chief Innovation Officer, and George Khalil is the Interim Deputy CIO. David Welch is our Interim Director of Community & Economic Development, filling the shoes vacated by Rafael Guzman when he became Assistant City Manager. Chris Christopoulos is Interim Deputy Director of Community & Economic Development. Please congratulate Chris, George, David and Chris when you see them. Many thanks to everyone for stepping in and showing leadership in their respective roles. 

Books By Al Zelinka

 

Opportunities

Because of these changes, and because of movement that already has occurred in various jobs, we have opened, or soon will open candidate searches for the following positions: Chief Innovation Officer, Community & Economic Development Director, Library Director, Public Utilities General Manager and Principal Management Analyst. Please encourage those you know – both within and outside of City Hall – to apply.

5 by 5

I have been sharing publicly 5 attributes of Riverside that I appreciate most and that provide me with the confidence needed to serve alongside you on this journey to accomplish important things for the benefit of the public:

·         Leadership: Our elected leaders care about this community and strive to represent the diverse viewpoints of Riverside in their decision-making and interaction with each of us. Likewise, City departments care about this community and deliver services, solve problems and open doors to Riverside’s promise every day.

·         Community: Riverside as a diverse community is complete with hard working residents who are largely proud of living here and who want to do better for themselves and their families. It is a place with innumerable points of pride in the built and natural environments. It is also a place with heritage that people cherish and question, and build upon for the future.

·         Partnership: Riverside is a community with unlimited potential and networks of social strength that can accomplish anything – think about the Cheech and CARB. While people in Riverside may not always agree, they – by and large – stay at the table with one another with an eye to realizing the good for Riverside.

·         Mindset. It is inspiring to be part of a City where so many residents and businesses do things together and for one another. This community admits mistakes, learns from them, and becomes better as a result; likewise, this community celebrates is successes and its assets. The Riverside community, while not perfect, has a collective mindset that is largely outward facing and wanting to do good.

·         Elevating the Conversation. The questions of “what can be?” and “what if?” are at the root of Riverside. Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote that includes “Great minds talk about ideas….” well represents what is most natural to this community. While there will always be aspects of criticism and negativity, Riverside is entrepreneurial and can-do by nature.

In addition to the 5 attributes of Riverside, I have also been sharing publicly 5 areas of focus our whole City Team and the community need to advance to ensure a promising future for Riverside – these areas are not “wants”, they are “needs” and we need to draw from the above attributes to advance them together:

·         Riverside and the Region. We need to: 1) Advocate for the Inland Empire’s Equitable Share of Scarce Public Resources and Do Our Part to Uplift the Capacity of the Region’s Non-Profit Ecosystem to Secure Its Share of Philanthropic Resources; and, 2) Do Our Part to Grow Riverside’s Local Economy and Work in Partnership to Facilitate Opportunities for Improved Quality of Life for All.

·         The Riverside Brand. We need to: 1) Tell the Riverside Story Better than Ever to Heighten Riverside’s Brand throughout the World; and, 2) Communicate and Engage More Effectively than Ever with Riverside Residents and Businesses.

·         Resilient Riverside. We need to: 1) Elevate the Entire Community’s Preparedness for Natural and Human Caused Conditions and Events; and, 2) Ensure the Financial Health of the City and Stretch Measure Z Dollars for Maximum Public Benefit Locally.

·         Self-Reliant Riverside. We need to: 1) Align and Leverage the City’s Utilities to Maximize Local Resource Recovery and Renewable Energy Production; and, 2) Realize a Second Connection to the Electrical Grid and Prepare for Our Electric-Based, Information-Driven Future.

·         Riverside Serves. We need to: 1) Demonstrate Continual Improvement to the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Providing Public Services; and, 2) Improve the Volunteerism Infrastructure in Riverside to Benefit All of Riverside.

Building upon the above 5 attributes and 5 areas of focus, I am confident our City Team will continue to excel in providing a responsive, engaged and innovative local government to the residents and business community of Riverside.

In closing, I am looking forward to our journey together and what our team will do to advance public good in the years ahead. I am proud of the services you and our 2,500 colleagues deliver every day – you make a difference.  And, I am here for you – if you have an idea, a question, a suggestion or a comment, please let me know – we are each other’s greatest resources.

Thank you,

Al

Al Zelinka, FAICP, CMSM

City of Riverside

Office of the City Manager

Direct: (951) 826-5771

RiversideCA.gov

Community Development Block Grant Public Meetings

Check out the link for the meeting dates in each ward.  Wed Oct. 14th is the first meeting.

This is a check off the public participation box. It’s also our chance to ask about projects different communities want funded. Make your input known. There are numerous local food, recreation, environmental and social development projects worthy of consideration.

Community Development Block Grant Public Meetings

Measure Z Community Meetings

Flushing Tax Revenue AwayThis is the only resident sponsored forum being held on this measure.
It’s Wednesday, Oct. 12. Here’s the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/647196535457109/

Still time to ask questions at these upcoming meetings:

Measure Z Community Meetings

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1704542663142984/

The No On Measure Z Facebook page plus Dan Bernstein’s Video.

It’s a teachable moment and a good place to start asking questions at the upcoming meetings.

UCR Physical Master Plan Study Is Complete

UCR CampusAfter receiving feedback from approx. 450 individuals, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, a final report has been compiles to provide guidance regarding UC Riverside’s space needs, transportation, sustainability, safety, and aesthetics.

Below you will find a link to UCR Today’s feature article on the Physical Master Plan Study, as well as a link to the study’s website on UCR’s Capital Asset Strategies page and a link to the study itself.

UCR Today: Look Online for UCR’s Future Design<http://atu.cr/1NPX993>

Capital Asset Strategies – Physical Master Plan Study<http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/>

Physical Master Plan Study – Full Report PDF<http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/ucriverside_pms_full_report_05242016.pdf>

Also attached is a PDF of the Physical Master Plan Study presentation made at the Steering Committee meeting on May 18th.

Please note that we also have posted summaries of each chapter of the Physical Master Plan Study to the study website, at the URL below.

http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/report.html

A PDF of these combined summaries also is attached for your ease of future reference.

A list of frequently asked questions and responses also is posted to the study website, at the URL below.

http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/faq2.html

A PDF of these FAQs also is attached for your ease of future reference.

UCR Family Student Housing Complex to Be Closed in Summer 2017

Budget Presentation to the Community

You are invited to attend a 2 year budget presentation to the community for May 5, 2016 at 6pm at the St. Andrew’s Orthodox Church on Canyon Crest Drive.

Budget BlocksPlease share the following information with your neighbors and neighborhood groups.

Presenter of 2 year budget:       Adam Raymond

Where:  St. Andrew’s Orthodox Church

                                                                                                                                               4700 Canyon Crest Drive

Riverside, CA  92507

When:     Thursday May 5, 2016       6:30pm – 9:00pm

 

No Farms No Food

Think Global But Act Local.
Support the Riverside Food Systems Alliance

Take the No Farms No Food bumper sticker Challenge!

No Farms No Food LogoForward this email to 10 friends and encourage them to order their free No Farms No Food bumper sticker to display their support of family farmers and saving farmland.

After you’ve sent your 10 emails, post to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram about your free bumper sticker using the #NoFarmsNoFood hashtag. Tag us so we can like your status!

With your help, we can spread the No Farms No Food message and American Farmland Trust’s mission to protect farmland, promote sound farming practices, and keep farmers on the land.

Sincerely,

Susan Sink

Susan Sink
VP Development & External Relations

No Farms No Food | American Farmland Trust

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