Dear Neighbors

Happy May and Happy Mothers' Day! Here's a photo of me with my mom and daughter at the 61st Assembly District's Women of Distinction Awards last month. See all the awardees here. 

There are many updates to share this month. I am sending City Manager, Al Zelinka, all the best as he joins the City of Huntington Beach as their City Manager. Keep reading for details on a potential Wildlands Public Safety and Engagement Team, Measure C, the 2022/2024 Budget process, implementation of the Northside Specific Plan, the first glance at our Plan to Reduce Homelessness, and Inclusionary Housing. Get excited for Pride Month and sign up for Riverside Pride's first-ever Glow Walk For Love, happening on June 18th. 

The City is always changing and growing as we rise to meet the challenges and opportunities before us. I remain honored to serve you, and I look forward to seeing you out and about in our community. 

P.S. there are many opportunities for engagement this month. Join me out in the community at any of the following meetings:

• Northside Improvement Association: Springbrook Clubhouse, May 9th at 6:30 
• Neighbors of the Wood Streets: Trinity Lutheran Church, May 12th from 6:30-8 PM
• Downtown Area Neighborhood Alliance: Riverside Center for Spiritual Living, May 16th at 7 PM
• Northside Specific Plan Community Meeting: Wednesday, May 18th, Ruth Lewis Community Center, 6-7:30 PM
• Historic Wood Streets Association: May 21st, 9 AM. Contact Judy Mahoney for the location. 
• Northside Specific Plan Community Meeting: Wednesday, May 25th, Virtual Community Meeting, 6-7:30 PM

Thanks to your input at the Budget Engagement and City Council meetings this spring, City Council voted on May 3rd to include funding for a comprehensive plan to address the humanitarian crisis in the river bottom in the 2022-2024 budget. 

Here's what that looks like:

• A first-of-its-kind Wildlands Public Safety & Engagement Team: Building on the successful model of the city's existing PSET teams, the wildlands teams pair 8 additional homeless outreach workers with police and fire professionals. These teams will provide 20 hour coverage of the river bottom 7 days/week. They will have the appropriate equipment to work in a wildlands environment. Outreach to those experiencing homelessness has already begun: helping people fill out housing applications and surrounding them with the services they need to be able to leave a hazardous fire zone. Read more here.
• More capacity in the Office of Homeless Solutions: Hiring two more staff members in this critical office allows the city to provide more case management, outreach, and rental assistance for those exiting the river bottom. 
• An expansion of the Urban Public Safety & Engagement Teams: 5 additional code enforcement officers, 6 additional outreach workers, and 4 additional police officers will expand our ability to provide outreach across the city. 

Incorporating the community's feedback from the March/April meetings, City staff is putting the finishing touches on the first official draft of Riverside's Plan to Reduce Homelessness. It will be presented to the Housing and Homelessness Committee, chaired by Councilmember Edwards on May 23rd at 3:30 PM. Tune into the meeting virtually or join us in person to be the first to hear the updated plan. Check here to read the plan as soon as it publishes. 

• Performance assessment and financial expenditures review of Office of City Attorney, City Clerk's Office, and Public Library Department, City Council, May 10th (afternoon)
• Santa Ana River Working Group Update, City Council, May 10th (afternoon)
• Self-generation Public Hearing, City Council, May 10th (3 PM)
• Riverside Transmission and reliability Project update, City Council, May 10th (evening)

• Public Works Department overview and employee recognition, City Council, May 17th (afternoon)
• Agreement with SiFi Networks Riverside for Citywide Fiber Optic Network, City Council, May 17th (afternoon)
• Proposed Budget hearing, City Council, May 17th (afternoon)
• 5-Year Plan to Reduce Homelessness Update + Inclusionary Housing Policy, Housing and Homelessness Committee, May 23rd, 3:30 PM
• Military Wall of Honor Rededication Ceremony in front of City Hall on Tenth Street, City Council, May 24th, 4 PM

*For meeting information, videos, agendas, and e-comment submissions, visit us here.