A quick check-in on what's happened so far this week at City Hall and what's still ahead.
New Interim City Manager
At Tuesday's City Council meeting, council members approved the appointment of Tom Hatch as interim city manager, following former manager Mike Futrell's voluntary departure last month. Hatch brings more than 36 years of experience and has previously served as interim city manager for Orange, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Ana, and Placentia.
Also at Tuesday's Meeting
Road Funding (SB-1 Gas Tax)- The council adopted a resolution allocating the city's roughly $9 million in FY 2026–27 SB-1 gas tax funds to road projects, covering:
- Columbia Avenue (215 Freeway bridge to Chicago)
- University Avenue (Mt. Rubidoux to Pine; Market to Lime)
- Chicago Avenue (Alessandro to Central)
- Adams Street (California to Arlington)
- Tyler Street (Magnolia to the 91 Freeway westbound ramps)
- La Sierra Avenue (Cypress to Arlington)
- Several residential streets in La Sierra: Fairfield Court, Darien Court, Cypress Avenue, Palm Terrace Lane, Golden Avenue, Anaheim Street, Reid Court, and Knoefler Drive
Timeline: Pre-construction begins this September; construction runs June–November 2027.
Annual Paving Budget- Approved a $26 million road work budget for FY 2026–27.
- Boosted by Measure A sales tax funds after Measure Z revenue fell $3.2 million short amid the city's broader budget shortfall
- Citywide pavement condition has slipped slightly — about 21% of streets now rated "poor" or "very poor"
Land Use Actions- Two separate approvals:
- Rezoning of the 7.03-acre former Riverside Scrap Iron & Metal brownfield site to enable a 300-unit multi-family residential development, incorporating the historic Barley Mills Building for resident amenities.
- Historic district removal — two parcels at 4472 and 4480 Orange St. were removed from the Prospect Place Historic District after it was found their original historic structures had been demolished.
Homeless Shelter Funding- Approved an $836,089 increase to the agreement with Mercy House Living Centers, extending funding through December 31, 2026 for the Bridge Housing Program (a 23-bed non-congregate shelter at 2881 Hulen Place).
- Funded via HHAP Round 4 grant money
- Maintains 24-hour staffing, case management, and housing navigation services
- A new competitive bidding process for the program's future operator will run in 2027
- Results so far: 315 people served; 109 (~35%) moved into permanent housing — a rate staff say beats typical regional shelter benchmarks
Also This Week
New Energy Storage Rebate Program- The Board of Public Utilities approved a new Energy Storage Rebate Program for residential customers on Monday, funded by a $5 million supplemental appropriation from the Electric Public Benefits Fund's Public Benefits Cash Reserves.
- General residential customers: $500 per kWh of storage capacity, up to $10,000
- Low-income customers (SHARE program): $850 per kWh of storage capacity, up to $17,000
- Developed with input from a Public Benefits Charge Community Working Group (formed 2025)
- Participants must be on a time-of-use electric rate
- Rebates apply retroactively to installations dating back to July 1, 2026
- First of six initiatives totaling $34 million approved earlier this year to spend down accumulated Public Benefits Charge reserves on storage, solar, and efficiency programs
Other Notes
- The Housing and Homelessness Committee's Monday meeting was canceled.
What to Watch
The council received a presentation on the City's third-quarter financial results — more on that to come.
