Category Archives: Open Government

City Of Our Dreams, Democarcy, Open Government, Public Policy

Candidate Fourms

April 14, 2026 admin Leave a comment

Candidate Fourms Riverside CA 2026

Open Government, Public Policy, Social Capital, UCR

UNA July 2025 Meeting Agenda

July 10, 2025 admin Leave a comment

Every 2nd Thursday 6:30 – 8:30

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions 5 min.

2. UCR Update RPD Update 15 min.

3. Council Updates 10 min.

4. Announcements –

On Monday July 14th the Riverside Board of Public Utilities will host a hearing on the City of Riverside’s water quality for the 2025 Public Health Goal Report as part of the regularly scheduled RPU Board Meeting. The general meeting will start at 6:30 pm and the hearing is item number 3. For more information see attachment. Please forward to all of interest.

Pete Wohlgemuth Board of Public Utilities Public Notice

GOT ANTS?

UCR has some help. The UCR Entomology Department is looking for houses with ants. Give Kathleen Campbell at call at the lab

951-827-5729

City Hall Insider: Engage, Speak, and Participate!

Have you ever wanted to speak at a city council meeting but felt uncertain about the process? Or perhaps you’ve wondered what it’s really like behind the scenes at a City Council Meeting? We have the perfect opportunity for you!

The First-Ever Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Riverside City Council

We’re excited to invite you to an exclusive, interactive experience designed specifically for community members who want to get more involved in local government. Whether you’re nervous about public speaking or simply curious about how our city operates, this tour is your chance to explore, learn, and practice in a completely pressure-free environment.

What You’ll Experience:

Interactive Tour & Behind-the-Scenes Access

Guided tour of the council chambers, where all the action happens
Demonstration of our translation booth and state-of-the-art AV equipment
Hands-on experience at the podium, where you can see the timer and get the council member’s perspective

Practical Public Speaking Guidance

Step-by-step walkthrough of speaker cards: we’ll show you what information is required versus what’s optional
Clear explanation of appropriate topics and language for public comment
Important insights about the process, including why council members cannot respond to questions during public comment periods

Technology & Process Demonstrations

Live demonstration of the voting board and what council members see before making decisions
Explanation of our queuing system designed to streamline meetings
Overview of the Zoom queue for virtual participants who can’t attend in person
Tutorial on finding and submitting electronic comments on agenda items

This is more than just a tour – it’s your opportunity to demystify the process, ask all your questions, and gain the confidence to make your voice heard in our community. We will be there every step of the way to ensure you feel comfortable and informed.

Who Should Attend:

First-time attendees who want to understand the process
Anyone who’s felt nervous about speaking at public meetings
Community members curious about how local government works
Residents who want to be more engaged in civic life
Everyone!

Space is limited to ensure everyone gets personalized attention and plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

To Reserve Your Spot:

Tuesday, July 22nd – 5:30 PM – Riverside City Council Chambers – RSVP LINK

P.S. Feel free to bring a friend – civic engagement is always better when shared with others who care about our community! Let’s make this the largest turnout for civic training our city has ever seen.

Brian Kerr – Vice Chair

Mission Grove Neighborhood Alliance

bkerr@missiongrovena.org

https://www.missiongrovena.org/

951-394-2526

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Open Government, Public Policy, Resoration Economy, Safety, Social Capital

Don’t Let Riverside Burn

February 2, 2025 admin 2 Comments

BURY RTRP
Time To ACT. Show up at City Hall
Feb 4 2025 6:15 Public Comment

Let your voice be heard at City Council this coming Tuesday February 4^th in the City Council Chamber next to City Hall. It is NOT on the agenda, but — come and speak out during public comment at 6:15 pm. Fill out a speaker card when you arrive. Just showing up will flex our civic muscle.

You DO NOT NEED TO SPEAK to support those who will speak! Wear a white or teal shirt and let the City know that residents want to be protected!

Email all councilmembers NOW and include the mayor and clerk, asking the Clerk to make your comment Public Record; emails are below.

This project began over 18 years ago and our Council has refused to consider today’s current conditions. We need a new connection into our city, but if it is with transmission lines, they need to be buried underground. These transmission lines will be placed in a high-fire/high-wind corridor where SCE frequently shuts our power off.

Australia, Paradise, Maui, now the Eaton and Palisades fires. It’s not if, but when. This is an area where we have had many fires this past season…overhead lines are a DISASTER waiting to happen to Riverside!

Insure our future resiliency and maybe get affordable insurance for our homes. Bury the RTRP. Tell everyone. Spread the word. We deserve better from our public servants. Let them know. See you Tuesday.

Councilmembers emails:

Ward 1 pfalcone@riversideca.gov

Ward 2 ccervantes@riversideca.gov Supports Underground

Ward 3 srobillard@riversideca.gov

Ward 4 cconder@riversideca.gov Supports Underground

Ward 5 smill@riversideca.gov

Ward 6 jperry@riversideca.gov

Ward 7 shemenway@riversideca.gov Supports Underground

Mayor 2Mayor@Riversideca.gov Has not stated a position

Clerk City_clerk@riversideca.gov

Environment, Health, Open Government

UNA January 2025 Meeting Agenda

January 7, 2025 admin Leave a comment

Every 2nd Thursday 6:30 – 8:30

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions 5 min.

2. UCR Update 5 min.

3. Announcements 5 min.

4. Erin Edwards – Blue Zones 20 min.

5. Fortino Morales – Sustainability 20 min.

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Open Government, Public Policy, Safety, Social Capital

General Plan Update – An Opportunity To Weigh In

September 20, 2024 admin 1 Comment

City of Riverside General Plan Update & Climate Action Adaptation Plan

General Plan Advisory Committee Interest Form

Click the link above to sign up. Read below to review the questions.

Question Title

The City of Riverside is forming a General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) to help craft a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan and a new Climate Action Adaptation Plan (CAAP). The GPAC will consist of a diverse group of Riversiders convened to provide input, feedback, and recommendations to City staff, the technical consultant team, the Planning Commission, and ultimately the City Council on key components of the General Plan.

The GPAC will help inform and articulate the community’s vision for future growth in the City including identifying opportunity areas, refining the City’s land use plans and circulation networks, and developing objectives the City will pursue related to conservation, infrastructure, parks, education, economic development and so much more. Another primary responsibility of the GPAC is to develop the draft goals and policies to implement the vision which will guide the City’s decision-making process up to 2050.

The core function of the GPAC is to represent the interests and values of Riverside community members. The GPAC is tasked with acting as a conduit for community concerns, opinions, attitudes, values, interests, and expectations. GPAC members will be selected to represent a broad range of sectors, interests, institutions and geographies of the City; however, irrespective of their individual viewpoints or preferences, GPAC members seek the benefit of the entire community in their recommendations and work to build consensus between divergent viewpoints for the betterment of Riverside.

Throughout the process the GPAC may be asked to review public input and amplify voices of the community through collaborative discussion. In this role, they will serve as project ambassadors to the community, creating greater community trust and ownership of the General Plan. GPAC ambassadors will help educate the public on the project, create awareness about upcoming events, and obtain additional community input to be shared during GPAC meetings.

To express interest in joining the GPAC, please complete this interest form no later than Friday, September 20th, 2024 at 5 PM. All interested parties will be notified of the committee selections in October. Interested parties who are not selected to serve on the GPAC are encouraged to participate by attending community events, contributing feedback, and sharing the word about opportunities to engage.

If you are experiencing any technical issues completing the form, please contact the Project Team at Info@Riverside2050.com or text 844-289-8614.

Question Title

* 1. What is your full name?

First:

Last:

Organization:

Question Title

* 2. What is your address? (Business or Residential)

Street:

Suite/Unit/Apt:

City:

State:

Zip code:

Ward:

Question Title

* 3. What is your phone number?

Home/Cell phone:

Business phone:

Question Title

* 4. What is your email address?

Question Title

* 5. How many years have you lived in the City of Riverside?

Question Title

* 6. Do you currently hold any paid office or employment with the City of Riverside, including but not limited to contracted services?

Yes

If “Yes”, please specify

Question Title

* 7. GPAC members will be asked to liaise with and represent the priorities, concerns and interests of the broader community, industry or non-profit groups with which they are connected. Please select any of the following General Plan Update areas of interest below that best relates to your subject matter expertise. Multiple selections are allowed.

Community-based organization: Civil Rights – Social equity, environmental justice, economic and cultural empowerment, development, advocacy, or other work supporting the civil rights of a protected or vulnerable group.

Community-based organization: Disabled Community – Support services, advocacy, engagement, and other experience working with disabled or differently abled community members.

Community-based organization: Environment & Sustainability – Management and preservation of natural resources.

Community-based organization: Faith-based – Engagement related to the needs, interests, and challenges of faith-based communities in Riverside.

Community-based organization: Healthcare – Needs and challenges related to overall wellness, physical activity, and access to health resources in Riverside.

Community-based organization: Historic Preservation – Buildings, sites, and objects that are significant to the history and culture of Riverside.

Community-based organization: Housing & Homelessness – Engagement and advocacy related to the needs, interests, and challenges of those who are housing burdened or unhoused in Riverside.

Community-based organization: Local Businesses – Local and small business needs, interests, challenges, and opportunities.

Community-based organization: Seniors – Engagement, development, advocacy, empowerment, or other services related to older populations.

Community-based organization: Youth – Youth engagement, development, advocacy, empowerment, or other services related to any age group, outside of a formal school setting.

Education: Higher Education – Student engagement, development, advocacy, facilities management, or other services oriented to students at college or university grade levels.

Education: K-12 – Student engagement, development, advocacy, facilities management, or other services oriented to youth in grade levels K-12.

Additionally, please provide any relevant supporting details in the text box below. Please include the project/program name, client or partner names, specific contributions, dates of experience.

– Academic or Professional Research and Instruction related to best practices, industry trends, and policy developments.

– Professional Experience as a consultant, agency employee, or non-profit organization, with direct experience related to General Plan subject matter and/or matters specific to the City of Riverside and its stakeholders.

– Experience Serving in an Advisory Role on a committee, commission, board, or forms of advisory groups, especially those that advised government agencies.

Please use this example as guidance on the level of detail to include in your responses:

From 2018-2021 I served on an advisory committee that was tasked with advising the City of Imagination on best practices for community outreach and environmental justice. In my role, I reviewed presentations related to potential environmental justice programs and provided recommendations that helped the City to develop a policy avoiding housing displacement resulting from park expansion. I also served as an outreach ambassador by leading a phone outreach campaign, sending newsletters, and social media content to promote public engagement opportunities.

Question Title

* 8. Please rank the preferences of the following stakeholder groups you want to serve from the top group as your highest preference and the bottom group as your lowest preference.

Question Title

* 9. Do you have prior experience serving on a General Plan Advisory Committee or similar appointed committee, commission task force or other ad-hoc body? (Not required to serve on the Committee)

Yes

If “Yes”, please specify city and years

Question Title

* 10. Please briefly describe why you wish to serve the City of Riverside as a member of the GPAC. Include any special qualifications, community relationships and insights that you think will add value to the GPAC and General Plan update process.

The following questions are all optional and are not required qualifications to serve on the GPAC.

Question Title

11. If you have current or prior civic experience in the City of Riverside, please describe the experience in the text box below. Please include the organization name, your role, and years of membership. Multiple experiences can be included.

Question Title

12. If you have any educational background relevant to the General Plan Update areas of interest, please describe your background in the text box below. Please include the institution name, your area of study, and degree earned. Multiple educational backgrounds can be included.

Question Title

13. If you have owned or currently own a business in Riverside, please describe your business in the text box below. Please include the business name, nature of the business, and the years of operation. Multiple businesses can be included.

By pressing Done, I certify that all statements made on this application are true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I also certify that I commit to fulfill my obligations as member of the GPAC including, but not limited to:

Represent the broad concerns and priorities of the sector or Ward they represent
Act as an ambassador between the project team and their networks
Promote the long-term success of the plan and the City
Commit to attending all meetings
Commit to obtain feedback from networks/sectors and convey to Committee

Economic Development, Open Government, Public Policy, Social Capital

UNA September 2024 Meeting Agenda

September 8, 2024 admin Leave a comment

Every 2nd Thursday 6:30 – 8:30

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

1. Welcome – Introductions 5 min.

2. City Clerk Donesia Gause, MMC Q&A 40 min.

3. City Innovation & Technology

Chief Q&A 40 min.

4. Council Updates

5.Announcements Updates: 5 min

General Plan Advisory Committee Interest Form

Neighbors Better Together Ballot Rebuttal

Sign the Change.org Petition to

RTRP Underground or Above Ground Survey .

Neighborhood Resources

Neighbors Better Together

Do It Yourself Wildfire Protection

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

City Of Our Dreams, Democarcy, Ethics, Living Among Giants, Open Government, Public Policy, Social Capital

NBT Inspector General Ballot Rebuttal Denied

September 8, 2024 admin 2 Comments

The united voices of neighborhood groups across the city NBT, Neighbors Better Together wrote a rebuttal to the current ballot language.

The reason this is even on a ballot is because several Charter Review committees have advocated for this over the years. Council adopted the Review Committee’s recommendation, but not as they recommended.

The Charter Review Committee recommended the position be an elected one instead of appointed. The reasons for that are obvious.

Here is what you won’t see on the ballot:

Vote “No” on Measure L.

After years of discussing and researching the subject, and at the demands of longtime City watchdogs for greater accountability and transparency, in 2022 Riverside’s appointed Charter Review Committee recommended the creation of an elected (by the public) Inspector General position, with almost exactly the same powers to investigate fraud, waste and abuse as the appointed (by our City Council) position before you today.

Sadly the 2022 City Council, who had made the appointments to the Committee, instead chose to bring before the electorate an appointed position; not unlike Measure E in 2012, which was to create an appointed City Auditor position with once again, almost identical powers. Measure E was soundly defeated by voters then, like Measure L should be now.

Why? An appointed Inspector General is not as independent nor directly accountable to the people, rendering their function not just useless, but dangerous in our opinion. It would provide the illusion of legitimacy, scarcely more effective than the current, and often criticized, practice of having internal auditors that work for our City Manager. The temptation to whitewash embarrassing, and potentially politically damaging audit findings, would be overwhelming. Current personalities aside, the fox would be in essence guarding the henhouse. We deserve better.

Voting “No” on Measure L will allow time for the advocates of an elected Inspector General position to work with the new Council members, installed this year (Falcone, Robillard, Mill), who we think better understand the importance of independent investigation, to bring you a much better ballot measure in early 2026. We believe they are not afraid of oversight, see the benefits of the public’s ongoing faith in efficient and honest City government, and know that an elected position will ultimately provide a better return on investment for taxpayers.

Please vote “No”.

University Neighborhood

Category Archives: Open Government

Candidate Fourms

City Hall Insider: Engage, Speak, and Participate!

The First-Ever Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Riverside City Council

What You’ll Experience:

Who Should Attend:

P.S. Feel free to bring a friend – civic engagement is always better when shared with others who care about our community! Let’s make this the largest turnout for civic training our city has ever seen.

UNA January 2025 Meeting Agenda

City of Riverside General Plan Update & Climate Action Adaptation Plan

Question Title

Question Title

* 1. What is your full name?

Question Title

* 2. What is your address? (Business or Residential)

Question Title

* 3. What is your phone number?

Question Title

* 4. What is your email address?

Question Title

* 5. How many years have you lived in the City of Riverside?

Question Title

* 6. Do you currently hold any paid office or employment with the City of Riverside, including but not limited to contracted services?

Question Title

Question Title

* 8. Please rank the preferences of the following stakeholder groups you want to serve from the top group as your highest preference and the bottom group as your lowest preference.

* 9. Do you have prior experience serving on a General Plan Advisory Committee or similar appointed committee, commission task force or other ad-hoc body? (Not required to serve on the Committee)

* 10. Please briefly describe why you wish to serve the City of Riverside as a member of the GPAC. Include any special qualifications, community relationships and insights that you think will add value to the GPAC and General Plan update process.

11. If you have current or prior civic experience in the City of Riverside, please describe the experience in the text box below. Please include the organization name, your role, and years of membership. Multiple experiences can be included.

12. If you have any educational background relevant to the General Plan Update areas of interest, please describe your background in the text box below. Please include the institution name, your area of study, and degree earned. Multiple educational backgrounds can be included.

13. If you have owned or currently own a business in Riverside, please describe your business in the text box below. Please include the business name, nature of the business, and the years of operation. Multiple businesses can be included.

A Neighborhood Of Our Dreams