Tuesday Gazette: June 30, 2026

Hello Riverside, and happy birthday to me! I'm 44 years old today. Two weeks ago I asked for a strange birthday present: 44 new supporters before today. I wasn't sure it would happen, asking people to pay for something I give away for free is a bit counterintuitive.

As I write this, we're at 41.

Three to go.

After everything I've told you these two weeks about why free to read doesn't mean free to make, and about strangers who are neighbors, this goal (and the long-term sustainability of this newsroom) comes down to three people reading this right now who've been meaning to, and just haven't yet.

If that's you, I'd be honored if you'd join the 737 other Riversiders who don't just subscribe to the Gazette, they support it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend today at the beach with my family!

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GOVERNMENT

Council Approves New City Fee Schedule, Adds Contamination Charge

The annual update adds new fees for public records, refuse contamination and late fire inspections, and is projected to generate $862,000 in additional revenue.

Most city user fees rise 5.7% starting this budget year, covering everything from building permits to fire inspections — while several new fees debut for the first time.

Why it matters: You'll pay more for city services ranging from dog licenses to recreation programs. The increase affects residents and businesses that use specific city services, not general taxpayers.

Driving the news: Council voted unanimously June 23 to adopt the annual fee schedule update, citing two years of inflation that outpaced city costs without a corresponding fee adjustment.

• Deputy Finance Director Sergio Aguilar called it a "catch-up" intended to maintain cost-recovery levels, not replace the city's comprehensive fee studies.

What's new: Several fees are added or restructured this cycle.

• A new $49 contamination fee hits recycling and organics bins after three documented violations, tied to California's Senate Bill 1383 organic waste requirements. Residents receive a warning letter after the first incident and a cart tag after the second before any charge applies.
• Fire inspection late payments now carry escalating penalties — 20% after 30 days, 40% after 60, 60% after 90.

Yes, but: Councilmember Sean Mill questioned whether fines are the right tool for recycling compliance. Public Works staff said the fee targets behavioral change, not revenue. Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes confirmed scholarship assistance through the Riverside Foundation remains available for residents affected by recreation fee increases.

The backstory: The proposed 2026–27 budget assumes $862,000 in new revenue from the adjustment. Aguilar warned that rejecting it would require identifying other ways to close the city's budget gap.

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GOVERNMENT

Council Approves Transit-Oriented Development Plan for Downtown Metrolink Area

The Transit Oriented Development Action Plan sets a path for housing, jobs and investment around the 4066 Vine St. station but stops short of approving construction or rezoning.

Council approved a framework to spur housing and jobs around the Downtown Metrolink Station, the city's most underused transit asset.

Why it matters: The station area has sat largely unchanged since 1991 — before Metrolink existed. This plan is meant to clear the path for housing, jobs, and better bike and pedestrian access to the station.

Driving the news: Council approved the Transit Oriented Development Action Plan June 23 on its consent calendar, meeting a requirement under the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) 2.0 grant program.

• The planning effort was funded through the Western Riverside Council of Governments and the Southern California Association of Governments.

The backstory: The station at 4066 Vine St. has faced repeated setbacks. The Riverside County Transportation Commission terminated an expansion project in March 2023 after historic preservation groups objected to demolition of the nearby FMC Building.

What's next: The plan itself doesn't rezone land, approve construction, or commit city funding — but city staff say it will shape the ongoing General Plan update and future grant applications. Implementation work continues through future planning efforts.

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COMMUNITY

Riverside's Chief Innovation Officer Explores AI's Promise and Peril

George Khalil's presentation at the Main Library asked the community to lean into the conversation about artificial intelligence rather than away from it.

The room was silent. Audience members held their breath as the Chief Innovation Officer of the city of Riverside, George Khalil, discussed the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) and forecasted the road ahead. A quick scan of the room revealed immense curiosity in the eyes of some and subtle fear in the eyes of others, reflecting society's current divide on the issue. However, the message was undeniably clear: these are the conversations we must be having to better understand what lies ahead.

It seems as though the one headline news broadcasts cannot get enough of is AI, and justifiably so. The exponential rise of this new technology has already transformed our lives on both an individual and global scale. In fact, according to Stanford University's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, AI is poised to become "the most transformative technology of the 21st century."

With an emerging technology spreading into nearly every corner of society, countless questions arise: What will the future look like? How will we be affected? Most importantly, where are we even going?

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This Week in Riverside

Today

• Illusions by Allen at SPC Jesus S. Duran Eastside Library at Lincoln Park
• Multiplication Madness (MM) at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Reading Comprehension Group at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Reading Foundational Skills (RFS) at My Learning Studio ($196)
• Summer Seed Exchange at the Marcy Library at Marcy Library
• Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway

Tomorrow

• FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• RCCD/UCR Residential Scholars Information Session at Riverside City College
• Transportation Board at Riverside City Hall
• Writing Skills at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Writing Skills- 8th+ at My Learning Studio ($42)
• Riverside Off-Road & Jeep Nights at D'Elia's Grinders

Save the Date

• July 3: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• July 4: Fourth of July Water Fun and Fireworks at First United Methodist Church of Riverside (free- $5)
• July 4: Front Row Fireworks - Celebrating America 250at Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery (free- $10)
• July 5: Patriotic Tours at Riverside Heritage House
• July 11: The Stars and Pipes Forever at First United Methodist Church of Riverside
• July 13: River Camp with IE Kids Outdoors at Martha McLean Park ($235)
• July 20: Camp Riverside with IE Kids Outdoors at California State Citrus Heritage Park ($200)

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