Category Archives: Open Government

Don’t Let Riverside Burn

BURY RTRP
Time To ACT.   Show up at City Hall
Feb 4 2025 6:15 Public Comment
Don't Let Riverside Burn

Let your voice be heard at City Council this coming Tuesday February 4th 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

UNA January 2025 Meeting Agenda

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.

 

 

UNA October 2024 Meeting Agenda

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 Public Works Nathan Mustafah             30 min

3. Watkins Dr Clean Up This Saturday                  5 min

Sign Up Here

4. Council Updates                                                          10 min

5.Announcements                                                              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

General Plan Update – An Opportunity To Weigh In

General Plan Advisory Committee Interest Form

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

Question Title

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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.

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* 1. What is your full name?

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

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* 3. What is your phone number?

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* 4. What is your email address?

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

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

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* 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.

– 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.

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* 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.

 

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* 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)

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* 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.

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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.

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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.

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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

 

 

UNA September 2024 Meeting Agenda

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

 

NBT Inspector General Ballot Rebuttal Denied

Neighbors Better Together Group LogoThe 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.

We Are Just Getting Started Sign

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”.

Are Your Rights To Accountability Being Constrained?

We often bemoan after the fact that our right to full participation in public policy has been curtailed. Here’s an  opportunity to voice your thoughts about that.

It’s about accountability

We are writing to alert you to a California bill that would weaken open-meetings protections by excusing officials who serve on a wide range of local government bodies from having to show up in person.

AB 817, a bill by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, would allow all public meetings conducted by certain government bodies to take place entirely virtually, even without an emergency or specific personal needs of a given member to do so, reducing face-to-face accountability. The bill would write into the Brown Act an unprecedented level of remoteness to public meetings, such as those held by a new police oversight commission in Vallejo, a controversial civilian elections committee in Shasta County, and a budget committee in San Diego, just to name a few examples.

Consider what an all-virtual government meeting means for community members who make their voices heard on issues using tried-and-true tactics like holding signs, wearing matching shirts or buttons, staging protests outside halls of power, or even holding eye contact with officials. And what it means for journalists who do the important work of keeping Californians informed: When public meetings go entirely online, how can a reporter approach an official to get comment or connect with community members who have views on issues being considered?

State law already allows for ample flexibility for appointed and elected officials to participate in public meetings remotely. The Brown Act has allowed it since the 1990s, so long as certain guardrails were in place, such as informing the public of the official’s location. Yet, state law doesn’t mandate virtual access and participation options for the public, except during limited circumstances. That’s wrong. And we have urged the Legislature to increase virtual options for the people.

But AB 817 doesn’t increase public access. It offers an unfair trade off: Let officials avoid appearing in person in order for the public to have a right to a livestream.

We encourage any concerned Californian to raise your voice and let the Senate Committee on Local Government know you demand that public meetings be held in public places, where those who choose to perform public service are accessible to the communities they are serving.

Read our opposition letter. And tell the Senate Local Government Committee to vote no on AB 817. You can also write directly to the committee chair, Sen. María Elena Durazo, to tell her you oppose AB 817.

Thank you for your interest in our work.

Ginny LaRoe
Advocacy Director
First Amendment Coalition

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STEM HS EIR Public Meeting

Woman's upper body holding a microphone attached to a lecternIf you live in the University neighborhood and you care about neighborhood quality of life, then Tuesday, April 16th’s meeting 5:30-8:00 pm, at the Courtyard Marriott 1510 University Ave. is where you need to show up and speak your mind for the record.

Rich Davis has been actively following the STEM project. He along with other neighbors have reviewed the EIR and have pointed out significant deficiencies, that if left unchallenged, or unvoiced by us, will be at our future peril. Here’s what you need to know:

We need your bodies Tuesday Evening. We’d love your voice for the record if you are so inclined. It is your right to speak. You may also write a letter. If you do, here are some thoughts to consider and where to send your comments. Thank you Rich.

The nearly 2,000 page Environmental Impact Report  (EIR) has been reviewed by several community members. The EIR failed to give an accurate reporting on its findings and is misleading as to the negative impact this project will have on our community. Here are some of the problems in the report:

PARKING

  • 153 parking spaces are allocated:

    • 60 are reserved for staff.

    • 6 for ADA-compliant spaces.

    • 25 for electric vehicle charging.

    • This means only 62 spaces will be available for student parking, for a school that claims to be able to enroll 1,200 students.

  • There is no available parking on Linden, Blaine, Canyon Crest, Rustin, or the surrounding neighborhoods to  accommodate the additional spaces for students to park.

  • The report falsely implies the majority of students will use buses (or ride bicycles, an even more ludicrous claim given that the student body is projected to be drawn evenly from across the entire RUSD), so additional student parking was not addressed in the report.

TRAFFIC

  • A traffic study was done on November 30, 2021 (a Tuesday) from noon-2pm. According to the study, an average of 760 vehicles traveled on Blaine and 332 cars on Canyon Crest in a one hour period in the middle of the day. As alarming as these numbers appear, this reporting was done during COVID lockdowns when students, including UCR students, were mostly doing online schooling and many people were still working from home. There appears to be no updated reporting since 2021 and no reference of potential traffic reduction due to COVID restrictions.

  • The data from the traffic study was collected between noon and 2:00pm, totally disregarding commuters from the surrounding neighborhoods using Blaine St. to reach or return from the freeway during the time school (and the workday) starts and ends.

  • The report mentions the construction of the new 1,600-student UCR dorm currently being built on the corner across from the proposed school site, but has no mention of the impact the dorm and school would have on traffic on Blaine/Canyon Crest.

  • The report lists the nearly 300-unit apartment complex being built next to Stater Bros. on Iowa, with housing for nearly 1,000 people within a half-mile of the school. However, the EIR fails to consider the impact this will have on the traffic at the corner of Iowa and Blaine.

  • It appears the entrance and exit into the school will be off of Canyon Crest for parent drop off/pick up, and parking just before lot 26. The proposal is to put a traffic light at this location. Canyon Crest is a one lane street going both directions with bike lanes and street parking. Anyone who has ever attempted to drop off or pick up a student knows that huge lines of cars queue up waiting to get to or from a school. The proposed school will be a commuter school, guaranteeing that this dropoff and pickup traffic will be even heavier, totally blocking Canyon Crest and impeding traffic on Blaine with an undoubtedly long line of cars and buses. This is not addressed in the report other than stating that students will take buses and other transportation like a bike.

  • The report states that 10 buses will drop off students at 8:00am, 10 buses will pick up part time students at 12:30pm, and 10 buses will pick up the remainder at 3:30pm. No mitigation is described for the  adverse air quality or impact to traffic of 30 bus trips to the school (in addition to the RTA buses running down Canyon Crest).

  • The nearly 250 high school students attending the current STEM Academy rarely use the buses provided, preferring parent pick up and drop off resulting in long lines on Watkins and traffic congestion on Mt. Vernon.

INTRAMURAL FIELDS

  • The report states the joint use agreement with UCR and the Riverside city government ends in 2027 with no discussion on the possibility of renewing this agreement. These fields are the only Park/Rec fields we have in our community that can accommodate a variety of uses, including lighting.

  • The report implies that the fields are rarely used by UCR students and the community, and therefore losing the fields will have no direct impact. It clearly states those wanting to play baseball, softball, or soccer can go to Highland Park, Islander Park, Patterson Park, and the Stratton Center. NONE of these facilities are equipped to accommodate these sports. The report even suggests that these intramural sport teams could simply pay to rent the facilities at North High, Highland Elementary, and/or University Heights Middle.

  • This intramural field is only one of two on the UCR campus for a student population approaching 30,000 and growing. The report doesn’t address the fact that 1,600 dorm students who will be living right across the street have the potential of increasing its usage.

COMMUNITY PUBLIC INPUT CONCERNS

  • The EIR must address comments made at public meetings and names are included in the EIR. Astonishingly, this EIR states that this project will have no substantial adverse impact on the community. Time and again the justification noted is found to be inaccurate, misleading and lacking critical information to render its conclusion.

It has been a couple of years since our community came together to strongly voice our objections to this project. We must continue to voice our objections by attending a special meeting:

Tuesday, April 16   5:30-8:00pm 

Courtyard Marriott  1510 University Ave.  

Those wanting to speak will be limited to 2-3 minutes. If you wish to be heard, it will be best to read a statement.

If unable to attend you can send a letter to Stephanie Tang1223 University Avenue Suite 240 Riverside, CA 92507 or submit online at CEQA@ucr.edu.

UNA April 2024 Meeting Agenda

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

1. Welcome – Introductions                                     10 min.

2. City Manager Mike Frutell        Q&A               60 min.

3. Announcements Updates:                                   20 min

UCR,  RUSD, Council, Planning Comm

Neighborhood  Resources

Follow Our Courts

US Covid Atlas

Riverside Neighborhood Partnership

Neighbors Better Together

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