Quality Inn Conversion The Quality Inn Motel Conversion Project, also known as University Terrace Homes has been awarded a $100 Million Grant. Next week the City Council votes to accept the award or refuse it.

Please show your support in one of the ways below.

We don’t need a reminder of the millions of dollars the City has spent building the housing and homeless team, studying the problem but building far too few stable housing units. This project does exactly that. It’s time we see some of the innovation we claim for ourselves.

As a reminder, Riverside Housing Development Corporation has been awarded the grant, and we are now preparing for the upcoming City Council vote to approve acceptance of the funds. Letters of support from community partners like you play an important role in demonstrating broad support for the project.

If you’re able, we would be grateful for your submission of a letter of support ahead of the City Council meeting on January 13^th, 2026. I’ve reattached the template for convenience, and please feel free to personalize it as you see fit.

Letters should be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office at City_Clerk@RiversideCA.Gov on or before the meeting scheduled for January 13th, 2026. Please feel free to copy our team (Councilmember: CCervantes@RiversideCA.Gov, Bill: WKester@RiversideCA.Gov, Mel: MBruns@RiversideCA.Gov) on that email.

If you would like to submit an e-comment for the item, please use the following link:

Fiscal Year 2024-2025 United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Action Plan Amendment to allocate $965,617.75 in Community Development Block Grant – Standard Agreement with California Department of Housing and Community Development and Riverside Housing Development Corporation for award of up to $21,074,820 of Homekey+ grant funds – Implementation and Cooperation Agreement with Riverside Housing Development Corporation for Homekey+ grant funds – Loan agreements with Riverside Housing Development Corporation to allocate Community Development Block Grant of $965,617.75, HOME Investment Partnerships Program of $1,000,000, and Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 3 and 4 of $7,569,272.25 for University Terrace Homes project – 1590 University Avenue (Housing and Human Services) (Ward 2) (15-minute presentation) – The City of Riverside, CA

Thank you again for your continued support and advocacy. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need additional information. Spread the word.

For additional information contact:

Melanie (Bruns) Lahay
she/her/hers
Legislative Field Representative
Council Member Clarissa Cervantes, Ward 2
Direct: 951-850-4962
Office: 951-826-5419
3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522
MBruns@RiversideCA.Gov

Book time with Bruns, Melanie

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, Public Policy, Safety

UNA June 2025 Meeting Agenda

April 10, 2025 admin 1 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. Announcements – Council Updates 10 min.

4. Q&A With Brian Siana RPU Board W2 45 min.

5. New Business/Old Business 10 min.

City Of Our Dreams, Economic Development, Public Policy, Safety, Social Capital

City Manager Joins UNA Feb 2025 Meeting

February 12, 2025 admin Leave a comment

Join City Manager Mike Futrell and Deputy Public Works Director Nathan Mustafa for a discussion about creating the neighborhood of our dreams. Add your input to the topic list:

University Neighborhood Feb 2025 Meeting Discussion Topics

Public Safety

Fire Protection
Wildfire maps
Homeowners Insurance is problematic in our neighborhood.
Status of the fire departments grant to expand awareness of fireproofing residences.
Mt. Vernon properties illegally clearing vegetation
Consider a city-wide ban on discing. Each time it generates more fuel after spring rains.
RTRP – Reconsideration to underground
Freshen the reflective paint stripes along Watkins Dr from the Freeway to Mt. Vernon.

UCR Lawsuits

Status of the City’s
UNA lost their suit over some of the same issues as the City.

Environmental

Donkeys as a public safety issue.
- Who in the City is accountable for this? Not a normal job posting.
- What is the status of regional collaboration to address the issue
- Where do the 311 calls get routed?
- How many donkey calls for service in the past five years?
Traffic Watkins Dr – 215 to Spruce
- Compare traffic data from UCR’s study showing the need for a lighted intersection at Watkins Dr and Big Springs Rd., to current trends based on camera data from Watkins Big Springs intersection since the lights were hooked up to traffic system.
- What is the quantity of cars per hour/day/week since camera data available. Some graphs would be helpful.
- How many days has the camera feed been live?
- How many big rigs are on camera since camera feed went live?

Watkins Dr parking hazard West side Watkins, Blaine to Valencia Hills Dr
- How often is Watkins Dr from Blane to Valencia hills drive maintained?
- How many times since parking was removed from the East Side of Watkins, has this stretch been maintained.
Street maintenance: how often is Watkins Dr South of Piccacho Drive to the 215-freeway scheduled for maintenance?
- When was the last time a work order was issued for anything along that section of Watkins Dr.
- How many over the past 5 years?
How many public works service calls for water or sewer line issues in our neighborhood?
- How many on Watkins Dr?

Placemaking Opportunities

Trails
- Possibility of paving terminus of Two Trees Rd for enhanced parking Two Trees Trailhead
- Parking along Marlborough for trail access behind Nordstrom warehouse
- Access to Sugar Loaf trail along Gage Canal South of Citrus
- Remove parking on Watkins Dr from Blane to Valencia Hills Dr and the neighborhood specific plan can take shape. This provides for dedicated bike lanes in both directions, plus trail connectivity options to the Gage Canal trail, Islander Park and campus. These could be class A lanes with barriers given the traffic volumes we have.
- Trail signage needed.
- Bridge, tunnel to reopen access to the Box Springs Reserve and trails.
  - This is an opportunity to attract State or County funding. The entire Metrolink line has a trail easement for the asking. This is alternative transportation funding and can be applied for. Especially since our trail plan includes Moreno Valley. The line goes to Perris and in plans beyond.
Blaine & Watkins train crossing medians add planters with succulents, natives
Islander Pool is underutilized. What is the annual operational budget for Islander Park?
- What has been the trend for the past five years?
Watkins Dr is the Gateway to the UNA. It leads to campus and points north. It deserves to be treated as such which means a budget to keep it looking attractive, and managed for fire along Coyote Hill, and beautified from Blaine to Spruce along a half mile of chain link fence. Surely we can do better as city of arts and innovation.