Ward 1 - June Update

City of Riverside, California sent this bulletin at 06/02/2023 03:34 PM PDT

Councilmember Edwards and other regional leaders at the Aspire Groundbreaking on Fairmount and 3rd

Dear neighbors,

It's budget time! Keep reading to see how you can engage in discussions on the City's biennial budget and water and electric rates.

The countdown to the groundbreaking for the Northside Innovation Agricultural Center begins, and Reid Park gets a spotlight at the Parks Commission this month. Take a look at the Explore Magazine and see what our award-winning Parks and Recreation team is offering this summer.

The Aspire (32 units of housing for former foster youth, in partnership with RCCD) broke ground in April, and more housing units are on the way. Mark your calendar for the Mulberry Villages grand opening on June 23rd at 10 AM, and celebrate Pride Month with TruEvolution's grand opening of Project Legacy on June 30th at 6 PM. I look forward to seeing you this month.

Sincerely,

Councilmember Edwards and her partner, Liz, at UCR Pride Prom 2023

Happy Pride Month!

From, Councilmember Edwards and her partner, Liz (pictured at UCR Pride Prom 2023)

Number Crunch During Budget Season

Councilmember Edwards' favorite time of year is here: Budget Season. Riverside has a $14 million surplus, and your city is ready to put these dollars to work for you.

Proposed additions to the budget include:

A $700k to address vandalism in parks;
A $1.3 million towards deferred park maintenance;
8 full time employees to keep our libraries open 2 more hours a day PLUS expand to Sundays;
$725,000 for city-wide events;
$500,000 towards median maintenance, traffic control and storm drain maintenance;
$200,000 towards the Museum of Riverside's Heritage House improvements;
$130,000 towards the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center;
and, $3.6 million toward the sewer fund to address rising costs for biosolids and chemicals, and adding a senior engineer to help with backlog of capital projects.

Read the full budget here, or get a briefing through the report. Mark your calendar for a public hearing on this item on June 27th.

Rooted: The Future of Innovation in the Northside

Councilmember Edwards and Council Assistant Montes at Northside Ag. Innovation Center Site

Riverside just celebrated a win for the future of farming in the Northside. Through a Council-approved agreement with Northside Solar Inc., the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center will be home to solar powered greenhouses that will prepare our city to grow food in the face of extreme climate events. Take it from City staff member Joyce Jong (at 26:40 in this video): studies project that future water shortages will permanently phase out agricultural land use in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties by 2040. This technology is more than just innovative; it is a lifeline that will help farmers continue growing food locally and making it accessible to those who need it most. Get the full scoop in the presentation here.

Go to the Park

Councilmember Edwards at the Recreation Expo

Check out the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting on June 21st at the Parks and Recreation Commission at 6:30 PM to learn about opportunities for improvement at Reid Park. Keep your eye out for the agenda and other details here.

No matter your favorite park, a summer of play in Riverside awaits you. The summer concert series kicks off at Fairmount Park in June or July (keep scrolling for the flyer.) And take a look at the Explore Magazine to learn more about all the programs, camps, and classes offered this summer.

The photos on the right show Councilmember Edwards and her daughter at the Recreation Expo in April.