Riverside City Council's upcoming elected officials set their standpoint on the anticipated plans for the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project at the candidate forum on Jan. 21.
The forum was held at the La Sierra Senior Center where 10 candidates across all three Wards were present.
The forum was the second in a series of three neighborhood forums organized by Mission Grove Neighborhood Alliance and Residents for Responsible Representation. The first forum on Jan. 15 at Orange Terrace Community Center focused on Ward 4 and featured discussions on the Quality Inn conversion project and community engagement.
The project will create a 10-mile, 220-kilovolt transmission line providing Riverside with a second connection to California's power grid through a partnership with Southern California Edison. The approved plan includes four miles of underground transmission lines and six miles of overhead construction using towers up to 180 feet tall. Construction began in 2025 and is expected to be completed by late 2028.
The city council has voted to build the transmission lines above ground initiating the debate over whether the power lines should instead be placed underground. However, candidates disagreed with the council and favored underground transmission lines.
The push for underground transmission lines is driven by the desire to reduce fires and prioritize safety of residents and business as Riverside is prone to high winds. Yet concerns remain about the cost of underground transmission lines.
"Here's the bottom line, even if it does cost more money, the safety of our community is worth that money," Luis Hernandez, a candidate in Ward 6 said.
Barry Dawes, a candidate in Ward 6 argued that the transmission lines should be underground since utilities such as sewers, cables and gas lines have already been installed.
Gracie Torres, a candidate in Ward 2, acknowledged the project's necessity but emphasized public safety concerns.
"The RTRP is necessary and when we hear this all the time, it's necessary for good paying jobs for a reliable grid, for public safety and so that we can meet the city's energy needs," Torres said. "But the reality is that wildfires are increasing and they're becoming more dangerous, especially along the Santa Ana riverbed. So I have and continue to fully support undergrounding the transmission lines."
In Ward 2 Dan Florez said it's worth investing extra funds into underground construction as it can help prevent homes being destroyed by fires.
"The fire danger is far too much of a hazard for us to gamble with that," Florez said.
Other topics were discussed such as a variety of questions from the public. The public was eager to hear how the candidates would have voted on the Quality Inn conversion project that would have funded homeless housing on University Ave.
There was a split between support and opposition regarding the conversion project. Candidates who said they would have voted no explained that their decision was based on lack of clarity about who the shelter would serve. Others also expressed concern that the proposed location was too close to local high schools and the University of California Riverside.
"We need this type of housing, it was a great project and concept," Torres said. "But nobody took the time to talk to the members of the east side community, for that reason I would vote no."
In Ward 6, Barry Dawes, Luis Hernandez and William Smith said they would have supported the conversion project. In Ward 4, Rich Vandenberg and Jessica Qattawi said they would have supported it.
"If you listen to that report that night and the questions that the city council members asked, it was clear that it was structured and there were rules in place," Hernandez said.
The next topic discussed was whether the inspector general position– the official in charge of overseeing city finances– should be appointed or elected. Candidates shared their opinion about the position.
"I would prefer that it was an elected position not an appointed position," said Vandenberg. " The appointment is not true oversight, the elected is."
Some candidates did not have a preference but emphasized that the person must have accountability and must be ensured as a professional position.
Finally the last questions focused on community cleanup efforts aimed at housing the unhoused and removing drug dealers off city streets.
The candidates vouched for providing support services to the unhoused. A majority of the candidates prioritized creating relationships with people experiencing homelessness.
"We have to acknowledge that this is not happening in a one size fits all," Torres said. "We need to work regionally to address this."
The candidates closed the forum by giving their final comments. The next forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11 at John W. North High School, from 6-8 p.m.
By Marissa Perez
Correction Tues. Jan. 27, 11:25 a.m. In a previous version of this story, it was incorrectly stated that only Barry Dawes, Luis Hernandez, William Smith and Rich Vandenberg said they would have supported the project. Jessica Qattawi, a candidate in Ward 4, also stated she would have supported the conversion project.
Correction Fri. Jan. 23, 7:32 a.m. In a previous version of this story, a quote about community safety and underground transmission costs was incorrectly attributed to Oz Puerta. The quote "Here's the bottom line, even if it does cost more money, the safety of our community is worth that money" was said by Luis Hernandez, a candidate in Ward 6.
