Dear Neighbors, 

We've moved into the State's Orange Tier, and we're planning for fiscal year 2021/2022 (Remember-- our budget is our value statement, so keep reading to hear how you can have your voice heard.)

This month, learn about how RCC is putting Riverside on the map by addressing a nursing shortage. Watch a video with a big announcement from The Cheech, learn about the latest housing & homelessness updates, listen to a reading of Super Fly Guy, apply for a Small Sparks Grant, and meet your five newest Ward 1 commissioners.

Also, Schedule your COVID test here and vaccination appointments here. 

Stay safe and healthy,

Bring your questions to this month's virtual office hours on May 6th from 6:30-7:30. We will spend the first half hour discussing a new housing development in Ward 1. 

Dial +1 669 900 6833 to tune in via phone. 

Venga a nuestra visita virtual el 6 de mayo para aprender sobre las temas importantes que vienen, incluyendo un nuevo proyecto de vivienda en el Distrito 1. Llame al número +1 669 900 6833 para participar en la junta si no puede usar Zoom.

The 2021/2022 annual budget is here! 

City Departments presented at the budget workshop on April 19th. You provided your input: addressing housing needs & homelessness, piloting a park ranger program, and investing in our public works department. 

We have hard decisions to make for our future. But fiscal responsibility does not have to come at the expense of innovation. We have an opportunity to spend our money intentionally through priority-based budgeting. Tell me what you think about this year's budget before our next budget workshop on May 18th, and keep your eye out for when it gets published on May 6th. 

Committed to addressing your concerns about housing and homelessness, I created a guide to the ongoing and prospective endeavors to address homelessness in Ward 1.

As the chair of the Council's Housing and Homelessness Committee, I recently led discussions on: 

• Riverside University Health System Behavioral Health homelessness programs, which led the City Council to write a letter to the County in support of implementing Laura's Law;
• The gaps in the City's tools to address homelessness;
• Housing trusts (1:03:40) and land trusts (2:17). Thank you to the panelists from across the state who shared best practices. 

Find future Housing and Homelessness Committee meetings here.
Stay tuned for a river bottom update at the regular May Meeting. 

Speaking of the river bottom: bollards to prevent unauthorized vehicles from accessing the bike trail have been installed! This is a small step in the right direction while we plan for a targeted outreach plan and census of homeless individuals in the river bottom.

To learn about additional opportunities for park improvements, tune into the May 11th City Council meeting to hear about the River-side Gateway Project 

Good news for anyone who has been stuck in traffic at the railroad tracks on Third Street: Plans for a railroad bridge (called a "Grade Separation") on Third Street are in the works. Read more here about our plan to make this busy location safer (and quieter!) for pedestrians, motorists, and trains. 

• Housing Element Update, Housing and Homelessness Committee, May 3rd, 3 PM
• Presentation on Regional Workforce Development programs, services, and future regional workforce projections, City Council, May 4th (afternoon)
• Revisions to Environmental Stewardship Goals and 2025 Strategic Plan, City Council, May 4th (evening) 
• Riverside Santa Ana Gateway project update, City Council, May 11th (evening)
• Drainage Plan Project - Implementation on Cost Reimbursement Program for Northside Specific Plan Area development, City Council, TBD
• FY 2021-2022 Proposed Budget, City Council, May 18th (afternoon)

Aging: Jane DuBois, an East-coast native, moved to Riverside in 2018 to share her life with her partner, Susan. She's served the Inland Empire as an oncology chaplain, and previously taught as a professor of chaplain services. She has an MS in counseling and a Master of Divinity in pastoral ministry. Jane looks forward to enhancing the well-being of Riverside's elderly.

Museum: Sharon Tennell's experience ranges from social service in the private sector to corporate training and product management at the Capital Group. She is passionate about using historic preservation to tell Riverside's story as a center for diversity and inclusion. She received her Associate's Degree in Communications and her BA in Ethnic Studies and Criminal Justice.

Thank you for participating in Earth Month 2021. This month, I got to read Super Fly Guy with my daughter, Ramona, at the New Main Library to celebrate the Insect Fair. Listen to the story here. 

And click here to watch a video about making Earth Month every month! 

In April, I safely gathered with the Mayor, Riverside Art Museum employees & board members, architects, and Cheech Marin himself to make a video announcement of the opening date of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture, & Industry.  Watch the video here.

The Small Sparks Grant Program is back! The grant offers financial assistance for beautification projects or to develop service-based projects that are citizen-led and that enhance the neighborhood. Email Neighbor@riversideCA.gov to learn more or click here to apply today. Funding is limited, the deadline to apply for this one-time, federally funded program is May 14, 2021.

RCC recently received a $1 million grant for its nursing program. The grant will support partnerships between RCC and CBU to fast-track students' paths to graduation with a nursing degree--all while keeping their financial support from the City College. 

As we emerge from the pandemic, RCC looks forward to doubling the size of incoming nursing cohorts. Whether it be administrative roles or hands-on careers in medicine, this opportunity will make medical career pathways more accessible to students.