A lion lounging on its rock and a pair of gorillas holding court — just two of the characters Bob Sirotnik met on a recent family trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo. Traveling somewhere memorable this season? Send us your vacation photos and what you got up to.
Monday Gazette: July 20, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday! It was a hot one out there this weekend, and if you found any shade, a pool, or a spot with good air conditioning, we hope you took full advantage. For some, that meant slow mornings and staying indoors until the sun eased up. For others, it was early walks before the heat kicked in or just an excuse to stay in pajamas a little longer. However you spent it, we hope you got some real rest in before the week picks back up. Let's ease into Monday together.
Advertisement (Become an advertiser)
GOVERNMENT
This Week in City Hall: July 20, 2026
City Council meets twice on Inspector General recruitment, museum board reviews collection additions, police review panel considers extending stop-data probe.
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 two special meeting sessions: one on Monday, July 20, at 9 a.m. (agenda) and another on Tuesday, July 21, at 9 a.m. (agenda) in a continued special meeting to discuss the recruitment process for a City Inspector General in closed session (item 2).
Park and Recreation Commission
The Park and Recreation Commission meets on Monday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. (agenda) to recognize Park and Recreation Month with a department presentation and staff recognition (item 2).
Museum of Riverside Board
The Museum of Riverside Board meets on Wednesday, July 22, at 3 p.m. (agenda) to review recommendations to add various archival and historic items to its collections, (items 6 and 7), add twenty-six avian study skins and one mammalian skin (item 8), and recommend to City Council the removal of two Brewer's blackbirds, one Costa's hummingbird, and a collection of animal bones from the permanent collection (item 10).
Community Police Review Commission
The Community Police Review Commission meets on Wednesday, July 22, at 5:30 p.m. (agenda) to consider a three-month extension of the commission's ad hoc committee reviewing police stop data under the state's Racial and Identity Profiling Act, after the committee acknowledged it had not yet met with the Riverside Police Department or finished required ride-alongs before proposing recommendations (item 5).
Read and share the complete story...
Advertisement (Become an advertiser)
HOUSING
City Council Clears Path for Office-to-Housing Conversions
New ordinance eases zoning and building rules for converting vacant offices and commercial buildings into housing.
Riverside will let developers convert vacant offices and commercial buildings into housing without special approval.
Why it matters: If you've watched empty office buildings sit downtown, expect more to become housing — part of the city's push to close a massive state-mandated housing gap.
Driving the news: Council approved the adaptive reuse ordinance Tuesday on its consent calendar, without discussion, easing zoning and building rules for housing conversions.
- Members added protections in June requiring Historic Preservation staff review before designated or eligible historic buildings can be altered or demolished.
By the numbers: Riverside has permitted just 19.6% of the 18,458 new homes the state says it must plan for between 2021 and 2029.
- No very-low-income housing has been permitted since 2021, per a March Gazette report.
What's included: Qualifying buildings — commercial, office and certain industrial, at least 15 years old — can convert without discretionary approval in most cases.
- Incentives include no added parking requirements, higher density allowances, and no minimum unit size.
The bottom line: The ordinance builds a lasting framework city officials hope makes future office-to-housing conversions easier and cheaper.
Read and share the complete story...
Advertisement (Become an advertiser)
COMMUNITY
Riverside OKs $4.3M Contract for Gage Canal Trail's First Phase
After years of delays, the city has secured funding and a contractor for the historic canal corridor's transformation into a trail.
The Gage Canal is becoming a two-mile trail connecting Riverside neighborhoods to UC Riverside, after years of delay.
Why it matters: If you live near Box Springs Mountain Reserve or bike to UCR, you'll gain a new car-free route — once a construction date is set.
Driving the news: Council voted Tuesday to award a $4.3 million construction contract for the trail's first phase to Rancho Cucamonga-based H L Hitchcock Construction Inc.
- The bid was the "lowest responsive and responsible bid," according to the staff report.
By the numbers:
- $4.3 million contract, plus a 10% contingency, brings total authority to about $4.73 million
- $2.93 million comes from a state Urban Greening grant; $1.4 million comes from a state Recreational Trails grant
- $75,000 a year is the city's estimate for ongoing maintenance once the trail is built
The backstory: Council first pursued funding in 2019. Bids came in over budget in 2023, forcing a rebid before the state finalized the grant agreement in April 2026.
What's next: City staff haven't announced a construction start date or detailed a possible second phase.
Read and share the complete story...
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
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- Animal Kids Camp - Summer Sessions at Mary S. Roberts pet Adoption Center ($240)
- Camp Riverside with IE Kids Outdoors at California State Citrus Heritage Park ($200)
- Health Coverage Assistance at Martin Luther King Building
- Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
- Park and Recreation Commission at Riverside City Hall
Tomorrow
- The Art of Reading & Writing at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Reading Comprehension Group at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Study Skills- Test Taking at My Learning Studio ($57.00)
- Summer Seed Exchange at Marcy Library
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at the Hideaway at The Hideaway
Save the Date
- July 22: Camp Riverside with IE Kids Outdoors at California State Citrus Heritage Park ($200)
- July 22: FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
- July 23: Archiving IE Black History: Stories and Maps that Bring the Past to Life at Riverside Main Library (Community Room)
- July 24: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- July 27: Sip with a Scientist at Bar Ni Modo
- October 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
🗓️ See More Events 📝 Submit Your Event
📸 Submit a photo to be featured in our newsletters and social media accounts.
🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.