Learning Institute for Flight Technology aims to prepare students for high-paying careers as demand for pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers soars.
Storm clouds gather over Belvedere Heights following recent rainfall. (Gracie Muniz) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Monday Gazette: December 8, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday!
Yesterday, I launched our year-end membership campaign with a goal of 253 new supporters. 21 of you have already joined—thank you. That's 8% of our goal in just one day. Thank you!
Today, I want to show you what quality journalism actually costs—and what happens when I try to do too many jobs at once.
Last month, I broke the news that Riverside's iconic Mission Inn was rumored for sale. The story exploded—hundreds of thousands of views, shares across social media, conversations across the city. It was everywhere. Even though I didn't get it all right, it was exactly the kind of story that matters to Riverside.
Some people said I rushed the story out for attention. The opposite was true: it took me over 30 hours to report, write, fact-check (clearly not well enough!), and then issue corrections when I made critical errors in the initial reporting. It was a bit of a fiasco.
Thirty hours. On one story. And even then, I didn't get it right.
I'm not complaining—I signed up for this. But while I was working on that story, advertisers waited for responses and other story tips sat in my inbox. I wasn't doing the things that make the rest of our newsroom sustainable.
Here's how I've designed The Raincross Gazette to work in the long run:
Quality journalism builds an engaged audience
That engaged audience attracts advertisers and supporters
That revenue gets reinvested into better journalism
Each component feeds the next—a flywheel that gets stronger with each turn.
Right now, I'm responsible for spinning that entire wheel. And that's the problem.
This is why 253 new supporters matter–why recurring support matters. It's what makes properly staffing a newsroom possible—what makes the flywheel actually work.
Council will consider a local shopping rewards program and review modifying subdivision restrictions to permit state-required lot splits; the Land Use Committee will review tobacco regulations that could phase out existing shops.
Welcome to our weekly digest of public meetings and agenda items worth your attention for this coming week. This guide is part of our mission to provide everyday Riversiders like you with the information to speak up on the issues you care about.
City Council
City Council will meet in closed and open sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in afternoon sessions at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and an evening session at 6:15 p.m. (agenda).
The agenda includes:
Considering a one-year pilot rewards program that provides residents with cash-back incentives for shopping at qualifying local businesses, funded with $50,000 in City money, Bludot Technologies projects could generate over $2.4 million in local economic activity over five years based on similar California programs.
Considering modifying a 38-year-old subdivision restriction that completely bars further splitting of 11 hillside estate lots to permit subdivision only when explicitly required by state housing law, allowing property owners to comply with SB-9 requirements for two-unit developments or lot splits without seeking additional city approvals.
The Land Use Committee (Councilmembers Mill, Falcone, and Cervantes) meets on Monday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m. (agenda) to review tobacco retail regulations that could maintain the status quo, establish distance requirements from youth-serving locations like schools and parks, require discretionary permits for case-by-case review, or prohibit new tobacco retail permits while phasing out existing businesses over 18 months.
The committee review follows a September moratorium after police documented illegal drug sales at smoke shops, including seized contraband from 13 locations. Of 226 tobacco retail locations citywide, 20 operate without valid permits—13 of which are smoke shops—with the moratorium extended through August 2026 to allow the committee to develop comprehensive regulations addressing public health and safety concerns.
The committee will also review progress on developing the "Repurpose Riverside" adaptive reuse ordinance that would streamline conversion of vacant commercial buildings into housing by reducing parking requirements, waiving density limits, and providing building code flexibility, modeled after Los Angeles' 1999 program that created over 12,000 downtown housing units, with Planning Commission review expected in early 2026 and City Council review targeted for spring.
The Finance Committee (Councilmembers Hemenway, Robillard, and Falcone) meets on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m. (agenda) to review the City's annual risk management report which shows insurance costs increased 7% this year to $9.3 million—part of a 164% surge over five years—as insurers nationwide raise rates due to multimillion-dollar jury awards and climate risks.
The Airport Commission meets on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 3 p.m. (agenda) to review the airport's operational and financial status for December 2025, which reports a 6.4% decline in aircraft operations compared to last year, completion of major taxiway repairs, and progress on rebranding the facility to "Riverside Airport" through federal name change processes and a comprehensive master planning effort.
City Hall Tours Inspire Next Generation of Civic Leaders
Councilmember Falcone's "50 for 50 Challenge" brings students behind the scenes to spark interest in local government.
Councilmember Philip Falcone answers questions from Notre Dame High School students in the City Council chambers during a "50 for 50 Challenge" tour on Dec. 1. (Erik Chen)
High schoolers explored Riverside City Hall's traffic center and rooftop helipad as part of Councilmember Falcone's "50 for 50" initiative to inspire civic engagement.
Why it matters: If you're a student, teacher, or youth group leader in Riverside, you can book a free behind-the-scenes City Hall tour to see how local government actually works — from security cameras monitoring downtown to the helicopter landing pad.
What's happening: Notre Dame High School ASB members toured City Hall Dec. 1, seeing operations that shape their daily lives in ways most residents never witness.
The big picture: Falcone launched the challenge two months ago to combat growing youth disconnect from civic life. The goal: 50 youth tours in 12 months to mark City Hall's 50th anniversary.
What they're seeing:
Live traffic operations center monitoring downtown streets
Rooftop helipad with panoramic city views
Behind-the-scenes government functions
Between the lines: Falcone's pushing back on a common deterrent — the assumption that local government mirrors toxic national politics. "Working for the city and making your community better is not politics," he said.
Yes, but: The impact goes beyond a single visit. Falcone regularly meets Riverside residents who toured City Hall as youth in the '80s and '90s — and credit it with inspiring their career paths.
The bottom line: "I never fully grasped what City Hall did for our city until after the tour," said junior Ventura Renteria. "Now I realize its importance."
What's next: More tours are scheduled through 2025. Youth groups can contact Councilmember Falcone's office to book.
See something? Say something. Your tips and ideas are what fuel The Raincross Gazette. If you know of something newsworthy happening in our city, please share it with us.
