Dear Neighbors, We kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration at City Hall, and October is shaping up to be fast-paced and action-packed. We're finalizing our Homelessness Action Plan, the Civil Rights Institute is opening, and we're discussing next steps for the Museum of Riverside. Read on to learn about public meetings, community clean ups, and Halloween events. Also, scroll all the way down for a brand new section of this newsletter: Resources! Check out podcasts, articles, videos, and tools that I'm exploring.  The only thing spooky about this Halloween season would be missing out on all the ways to engage in your community,

Spotlight on Homelessness & Housing

• City Council will discuss the final draft of Riverside's Homelessness Action Plan on October 11th in the evening. Guided by community input, this plan was written by you and your neighbors. Read the plan here. 
•  The Planning Commission will hold a workshop on Inclusionary Housing on October 13th at 9 AM. View the report here. And jump to the Resources section of this newsletter to nerd-out on this topic. 
• Celebrate 70+ units of affordable housing at Mission Heritage Plaza and welcome the Inland Civil Rights Institute at the block party you don't want to miss! Get your tickets here to join us at 5:30 PM October 22nd to kick off the festivities with an opening ceremony. 
• Did you know Riverside has nearly 700 units of affordable housing in the pipeline? Check out the full list, and tune into monthly Housing and Homelessness meetings for regular updates on these projects.

Next Steps for the Museum of Riverside

Since temporarily closing in 2017, the Museum of Riverside is still exploring the possibilities for renovation and expansion. On October 4th, City Council will consider a $2,546,544 agreement with Perkins Eastman Architects for the design the next phase of improvements for the Museum. Take a look at Perkins' past work to get a glimpse of their historic renovation portfolio.  As Riverside continues to grow, so does our investment in arts and culture: in 2015 alone, our arts economy produced upwards of $25 million in revenue. Read more about the museum's plans and the proposed contract in the report.

Where to find Councilmember Edwards
and Paloma in October

Ward 1 is ready to party for National Night Out on October 4th. Join in at any of these locations:

• Fairmount Park Golf Course, 2681 Dexter Dr. @ 4:00 PM
• 4364 Brentwood Ave. @ 5:00 PM
• 3465 Ramona Dr. @ 5:30 PM
• 4169 Beatty Drive @ 6:00 PM
• 1560 Massachusetts Ave. @ 6:30 PM

Following the Land Use Committee’s direction, the City is hosting community meetings on warehouses and industrial uses in Riverside. Join the community on October 6^th at 5:30 PM at the Cesar Chavez Center, or at 6:30 PM on October 26^th for a virtual meeting.

There are 3 opportunities to help beautify Ward 1 this month:

• October 1st: Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful is hosting a Santa Ana River Clean up. Register here.
• October 8th: Love Riverside is hosting a clean up in Downtown. Visit this page to learn out how you can join.
• October 15th: The Mayor's Beautify Riverside initiative comes to Downtown. Contact the Mayor's office to learn more.

Come for the Councilmember, stay for the maps! Join Councilmember Edwards at Reid Park on October 12th at 5:30 for Office Hours followed by Ward 1's redistricting meeting at 6:30 at the Ruth Lewis Community Center where we'll get a sneak peek of proposed maps. Learn more here. 

We're here to listen: join Parking Staff and me at the Main Library on October 20th from 5:30-7PM to discuss Downtown parking rates. Your voice can be heard even if you can't attend the meeting. Take our parking survey here and explore the details of our Parking Fund at the same time. And stay tuned for another meeting in January. 

Final vote on ordinance prohibiting camping in wildlands (consent calendar), City Council, October 4th (afternoon) Agreement with Architects for Museum of Riverside expansion, City Council, October 4th (afternoon) Redistricting process update, Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee, October 5th  Homelessness Action Plan, City Council, October 11th Inclusionary Housing Workshop, Planning Commission, October 13th  Introduction 2022 California Building Standards Code Triennial update (consent), City Council, October 18th *For meeting information, videos, agendas, and e-comment submissions, visit us here.

Resources

Here's What Councilmember Edwards is watching, reading, and learning this month:

• Front yard pancake parties? Roving music nights? Listen to this Bottom-Up Revolution podcast interview, Planting Street Trees and Neighborhood Connections. 
• This video explains why the details of an Inclusionary Housing policy really matter. And this article from Shelterforce.org offers secrets to Inclusionary Housing success. 
• Explore this map to see what other cities across the nation have implemented Inclusionary Housing policies.
• Read this report, Aqui Estamos: A Data Profile on Latinos in the Inland Empire, released by the UCR Center for Social Innovation, the Inland Empire Community Foundation, and IECF's Cielo Fund. 
• Riverside County will be part of the first cohort to rollout the State's CARE Court. Check out these FAQs. 
• Looking for a creative way to use summer garden produce? Check out (literally) this book at the Riverside Public Library. Councilmember Edwards recommends the Summer Tian.