Monday Gazette: August 3, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday! This week, we are thinking about the teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and counselors who keep our schools running. With back to school just around the corner, it felt like the right week to send a shout out to all the families and educators getting ready for a new year. Whether you're shopping for supplies, prepping a classroom, or just bracing for earlier mornings, we're thinking of you. Know a super special educator or school worker? Nominate them as our next Neighbor of the Week.
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GOVERNMENT
This Week in City Hall: August 3, 2026
A citizen panel that could reshape the city charter, a new ranking system for traffic signal requests, and an annual checkup on the city's ethics code.
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.
Governmental Processes Committee
The Governmental Processes Committee (Councilmembers Falcone, Perry, and Conder) meets on Wednesday, August 5, at 9 a.m. (agenda) to review the process for forming a Charter Review Committee — a citizen panel required every eight years to recommend potential charter amendments — with the City Council needing to decide how members will be appointed ahead of a possible March 2028 ballot measure (item 2), and reviewing amendmentsadopted last year to the City Council's meeting rules — including revised meeting schedules, new time limits for council debate and updated public comment procedures (item 3).
Transportation Board
The Transportation Board meets on Wednesday, August 5, at 5:30 p.m. (agenda) to review an updated ranking systemused to evaluate requests for new traffic signals at unsignalized intersections, which the city says will guide future planning but does not itself authorize construction of any signals.
Board of Ethics
The Board of Ethics meets on Thursday, August 6, at 6 p.m. (agenda) to review the annual assessment of the City's Code of Ethics and Conduct, including a rule barring officials from endorsing products or services for compensation, ahead of recommendations being forwarded to the City Council's Governmental Processes Committee.
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FROM THE MAYOR'S DESK
Opinion: What We're Really Doing About Homelessness
Housing alone won't solve homelessness. It takes safety, partnerships, prevention and investment, the city's four-part approach.
Why can’t we “solve” homelessness?
The answer is not as simple as many people think. While we are building more homes, solving homelessness requires more than just housing, it requires helping people move from crisis to stability, breaking the cycle and preventing it before it starts.
In February of this year I addressed common misconceptions regarding homelessness and explained the legal, financial and systemic constraints our cities face in addressing this challenge. While we have some limitations, we can also be creative when coming up with solutions. Our approach rests on four principles: safety, partnerships, prevention and investment in solutions that work.
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CITY HALL
Utility Board Approves $5 Million Battery Storage Rebate Plan
Rebate would offer up to $10,000 per household, with a higher tier for low-income customers, pending City Council approval.
Homeowners could get up to $10,000 to install home battery storage under a new city rebate program.
Why it matters: If you pair batteries with rooftop solar — or install one on its own — you could get $500 per kilowatt-hour back, or $850 if you qualify through the SHARE low-income program.
What's new: The Board of Public Utilities unanimously recommended the $5 million program Monday, sending it to City Council for final approval.
- Rebates run $500 per kilowatt-hour, up to $10,000 per project, or $850 per kilowatt-hour, up to $17,000, for SHARE-qualified customers.
By the numbers: Staff estimated battery storage delivers about $465 per kilowatt-hour in value over 10 years, based on avoided energy and infrastructure costs.
- The proposed rebate is set slightly higher, at $500 per kilowatt-hour.
Yes, but: The $10,000 per-project cap could limit the program to roughly 500 participants, and board members questioned how fast the $5 million could run out.
- Assistant General Manager Tracy Sato said any funding shift would come with advance notice to the board.
What's next: If City Council approves, Riverside Public Utilities plans to start marketing the program immediately and adjust rebates as battery costs decline.
- The rebate would also apply retroactively to qualifying systems installed since July 1, 2026.
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Noteworthy
Cool Centers activate at City facilities when temperatures reach 97°F or higher, offering water and snacks, while City pools provide another way to beat the heat; residents are also urged to watch for heat exhaustion and heat stroke symptoms like dizziness, heavy sweating and confusion, and to call 911 if symptoms worsen.
This Week in Riverside
Today
- FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
Tomorrow
- ScotSurplus Sale at Corporation Yard
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
Save the Date
- August 5: FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- August 7: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- August 8: Casino Night with CARE at Riverside Airport Cafe ($50)
- August 8: FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- August 8: FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- August 10: FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- September 9: Beginning Square Dance Lessons with Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center
- October 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
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🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.