Category Archives: Safety

Economic Development, Environment, Open Government, Safety, Social Capital

RTRP Update

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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

Safety, Transportation

Watkins Dr Bike Lane Parking

2 Comments
Here’s an update on Watkins Dr. UCR side parking. Nathan suggested a possible solution. I sent him video over July 4th, when little parking was evident.
The links are below in the email.
___________
Hi Nathan,
It was good of you to join us at June’s NBT (Neighbors Better Together) meeting. You mentioned we might be able to restripe and eliminate the parking by using some sort of barrier.
I noticed that there have been some preliminary layout
marks to move the lanes Eastward slightly. In light of the neighbors desire to fulfill on the Neighborhood Specific Plan, and the support for world class bike lanes, would it be prudent to discuss barrier options before the re-stripping is done? Can we get bike land stripping on both sides of Watkins?
If we can come up with a plan over the next few weeks, we should be able to have the project ready for the start of the Fall Quarter. That would be the least disruptive time for this project to be reintroduced.
I took some video of each side of the street when the students were away for the before the 4th of July weekend.  Both are under two minutes. You might want to lower the audio to eliminate the wind noise. I had my arm outside holding the phone.
It’s a little fast but once you pass UCR’s Corp. Yard entrance, you start to see the vegetation growing along the curb. This is where the broken glass and trash winds up and the street sweeper never gets to it.
I’m at your service should you have a need to discuss this. Thanks for coming up with a creative potential solution. The neighbors will be very pleased.
Health, Public Policy, Safety

Community Needs Assessment Survey

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Community Needs Assessment Survey

We are looking for many friends to help us share this community needs assessment survey with as many Riverside County residents as possible.

Community Needs Assessment Survey Flyer 2023This survey data is collected annually by Community Action Partnership and Inland SoCal United Way, and helps to drive priorities for CAP programs to align with community interests and needs. If you’re curious about what CAP does, check out their website: https://capriverside.org/

Surveys are intended for residents of Riverside County. You may choose to remain anonymous, or include contact information to be eligible for prizes. For questions, please ask Mark at the contact info below. Survey deadline: May 15th.

Please spend a few moments to take the survey and share with your friends and neighbors. Here are links to the flyers in English and Spanish.

 

 

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Health, Safety, Social Capital

Save the Date. Watkins Dr Included In Great American Clean Up

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Save the date!  Saturday May 7, 2022.

After way too many months of neglect, Watkins Dr., gateway to the University Neighborhood is about to get some TLC.
Along with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, the Friends of Riverside’s Hills, UNA neighbors and UCR students, we’re converging as part of a Citywide clean up event. Sign up here

Don’t forget to select your T-shirt size. Click Ward 2 and mention Watkins Dr in a box near the end of the form. Spread the word. It’s a big job. See you there.

EVENT DETAILS

MAY 7, 2022

9 – 11:30AM: Preassigned Citywide Cleanups

Prior to the event, all volunteers will receive site locations and instructions from KRCB.

11:30AM – 1PM: Report Form/Tool Return & Volunteer Lunch

Riverside City Hall – 3900 Main St. – Cross street: 9th St.

BECOME A TEAM LEADER!

Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful is recruiting individuals

to lead volunteers for the GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP!

Team Leader Duties:

Organize a team! Ask family, friends, and co-workers to volunteer with you

Register your group by

Wednesday, April 27th

Attend a Team Leader Meeting for

instructions, event t-shirts, and supplies

 

Team Leader Meetings:

Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce

3985 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92501

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022

11:30AM – 1PM (lunch included)

or

Wednesday, May 4th, 2022

11:30AM – 1PM (lunch included)
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED

Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful is recruiting individuals

to photograph the GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP event!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Questions? Contact Christina: 951.683.7100 Ext. 212 or celias@riverside-chamber.com

Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful ● 3985 University Ave. ● Riverside, CA 92501
Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful | 3985 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92501
Environment, Safety

Burros Update

1 Comment

We received the following response to our inquiry into jurisdiction and responsibility for the burros from Lt. Kyle Stephens.

Burros Crossing Watkins DriveGood morning Kevin and company,

Unfortunately the county does not currently have a program/policy In place to control the population.

In the past Department of Animal Services (DAS) has done spay/neuter on large herds, but as of right now due to lack of resources we don’t have any spay/neuter planned in the near future, although this is something that is continuously in discussion.

I attached a copy of Title 6.24.Title 6.24 Burros.  Title 6 is what is enforceable in Riverside County by DAS.

We currently work closely with Donkey Land and relocate large herds of burros as often as possible in higher traffic/problem areas.  Typically we do not relocate unless if we are getting an influx of calls from the public, law enforcement etc.

Again, this is generally a resource issue. When we relocate burros it takes anywhere from a half day to a couple days and requires us to take Officers from their regularly scheduled areas to complete depending on the size of the herd and the area we are attempting to capture them in.

I do know this has been brought to the attention of the County Board of Supervisors and also is at the state level, sitting on someone’s desk at the moment.  This is a long process but I believe they are currently working on a solution.  If I get any updates I will relay the information to you all.

I apologize for the late response.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

Regards,
Lt. Kyle Stephens

Environment, Safety

Wild Burros In The Neighborhood

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DonkeyLand Smiling BurroSince no one seems to know who is accountable for the growing dangers to burro and driver alike, here’s a link to the State Wildlife Department.

WIR — Submit a Wildlife Incident Report

You can register yourself for an account and then you can report sightings.

Be warned, the drop down menu does not include “burros”. You will have to select “other” and write in the species.

Sort of an indication we’re going to need State or Federal help to solve this issue.

We’re working on a Wild Burro Workshop for next year. Surrounding cities, and State officials are being invited to attend.

Stay tuned.

City Of Our Dreams, Gardening, Parks, Safety, Social Capital

Mt. Vernon Median Make Over Phase 1

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RIP December 2018

Apparently someone took exception to our community self-guerrilla gardening action. Maybe they didn’t like the plants we chose?

From this:

UNA Love Riverside Day 2018 Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To This:

 

 

 

 

 

To Now:

UNA LoveRiverside Day Project Destroyed

 

 

 

 

 

One theory being circulated is that RCTC is planning to do a major landscape upgrade along the portion of the line through the neighborhood, investing the resources healthy communities deserve and that should have been part of the project originally.

Neighbors and UCR students also deserve to have access to their trails and the Box Springs Mountains Preserve again.

No one is buying a safety issue regarding visibility. We have state of the art Quiet Zones. No reason we shouldn’t have the state of neighborhood art when it comes to our landscaping preferences.

Especially when it’s crowd sourced FREE, and a whole lot better that what we got from RCTC and the Ghost Train.  See Average Ridership Numbers Below 2018.

Weekday Sat Sun

91/Perris Valley Line 2,995 899 608

 

Original Post Below:

Love Riverside 2018 brings another instant green space in the neighborhood.

University Neighborhood gardeners are not deterred by a little rain. They’ve been know to exclaim, “hell yes, let’s plant something!”

So we did. Thanks to all the volunteers who proved once again, many hands make short work.

Here’s Before:

Here’s After. Check it out.

Environment, Health, Public Policy, Safety

Noise Technology Monitor For Local Ordinances

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Noise Aware Monitoring System

Just when you’re  becoming resigned and cynical that nothing can be done to monitor and perhaps moderate neighborhood noise disturbances, NoiseAware may have a solution. Born from experience from both sides of noise complaints, this smart home app is ideal for property owners and managers to better monitor their assets.

It’s also a helpful tool for renters wary of violating local noise ordinances. You can now self-monitor to avoid those nasty and unnecessary fines.

Sounds like a useful tool to consider. For more information visit: https://noiseaware.io/buy/noise-monitoring-system

 

Safety, UCR

Screaming Sirens Serenading Neighbors Thursday March 30th.

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Emergency Sirens
The Penetrator

UCR to Test Emergency Siren – This Thursday

<https://universityriverside.nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=46245616>

This Thursday, March 30th, UCR will be testing and calibrating its emergency siren located at the bell tower intermittently between 9:00 am and 12:00 noon.

During this time you will hear multiple tones periodically from the Bell Tower. These will be loud steady sirens and “whoop-whoop” sounds that vary in intensity and type, some with verbal instructions. There is no action to take during this time.

This test is one of the last steps to fully implement an integrated notification system to alert campus students, staff, faculty and neighbors in the event of an emergency. The system will include the siren, text messages, email, reverse phone calls, web updates, and KUCR radio.

A survey is available for you to provide your comments, questions, or concerns about the tests at http://campusstatus.ucr.edu<http://campusstatus.ucr.edu/>. For more information, please contact emergency@ucr.edu<mailto:emergency@ucr.edu> or951.827.4255

City Of Our Dreams, Safety, Transportation

Quiet Zone Update

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Jessica Gordon with the City of Riverside provided this update.

Quiet Zone SignService along the Perris Valley Line (PVL)  began on June 6th, but there are still a few steps that need to take place before a quiet zone can officially be established.  This includes execution of a maintenance agreement between the City and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) – which is going to be presented to the City Council for consideration on June 21st.  Other steps include verification of all installed improvements, and updating CalTrans’ crossing inventory system.

The Perris Valley Line includes seven crossings within the City – four of which (Mt. Vernon Avenue, Blaine Street, Spruce Street and Marlborough Avenue) are part of the PVL Quiet Zone project.  Current projections indicate that this Quiet Zone should be in effect this Fall.

I hope this answers your question.  Please let me know if you have more questions.