The Board of Public Utilities backed a working group's six-project spending plan, though some members questioned whether city-facility investments would deliver enough direct benefit to customers.
A beautiful day unfolds at Sunnyside Drive and De Anza Avenue, where palm trees reach toward a cloud-filled sky. (Jonathan Steele) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Thursday Gazette: May 14, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Thursday! Looking for a reason to get out of the house this weekend? On Saturday, the Old Riverside Foundation opens five private homes — built between 1924 and 1955 — for its 33rd annual Vintage Home Tour. This year's theme, "Age is a Work of Art," ties the tour to America's 250th birthday, using three decades of local architecture to tell a piece of the national story.
Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 day-of at the Peter J. Weber House (1510 University Ave.). The self-guided tour runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A free Restoration Faire & Vintage Mercantile runs alongside it, no ticket needed.
Riverside Billed Water Ratepayers Illegally for Years, Judge Rules
Phase two of Simpson v. City of Riverside puts at least $46 million in potential refunds on the table, with a final judgment expected within weeks.
A Superior Court judge ruled Riverside must refund water ratepayers overcharged through an unconstitutional general fund transfer — with a common fund of at least $46 million at stake.
Why it matters: If you've paid a Riverside water bill in the past four years, you may be owed a refund. The city cannot limit relief to future bill credits, the judge ruled, meaning former customers are covered too.
Catch up quick: Since at least 1968, Riverside has transferred 11.5% of water revenue into its general fund. A phase one ruling in August 2023 found that practice violates Proposition 218, which bars cities from charging ratepayers more than the actual cost of water service.
Driving the news: On April 20, Superior Court Judge Harold Hopp ruled plaintiffs are entitled to a refund remedy and discussed a common fund of at least $46 million, though a four-year look-back period may limit the total. A final judgment is expected within weeks.
Hopp also granted attorneys' fees from the common fund — a signal the court views refunds as likely.
The big picture: This is the second time Riverside has lost this fight. In 2020, a judge ruled an identical transfer from the electric utility violated state law; the city settled for $24 million. A 2021 ballot measure meant to protect the transfer was later thrown out by the same judge now presiding over the water case.
What's next: The city told the Gazette on April 27 it plans to appeal. A final judgment is expected in the coming weeks.
After Delays, Hayet Albi Found Their Spot on Market Street
The Levantine bakery and cooperative sibling to Slow Bloom Coffee Roasters has found a home in the former Beignet Spot on Market Street.
The entrance to 4019 Market St. Downtown, the building where Levantine bakery Hayet Albi and Slow Bloom Coffee Roasters plan to open. (File photo/Raincross Gazette)
After more than a year of collapsed deals and unresponsive landlords, Hayet Albi has secured a home at 4019 Market St., sharing space with Slow Bloom Coffee Roasters.
Why it matters: Downtown is getting one of the Inland Empire's few food and beverage worker cooperatives — plus a rare evening dining option on the Market Street corridor, with a full dinner menu and natural wine program.
Catch up quick: Hayet Albi and Slow Bloom had planned to open together near 10th and Market. That deal collapsed after the landlord died; a second negotiation dragged on for nearly a year before falling through. The former Beignet Spot space came together faster, with an enthusiastic landlord and a nearly identical layout to what they'd originally envisioned.
Driving the news: Founder Nizar Aridi, a Lebanese-American baker who had been operating out of a rented commercial kitchen in Upland, said finding landlords willing to lease to a cooperative proved harder than expected.
"Their listing agents were like, yeah, we showed this building all the time, but the management doesn't respond to us," Aridi said of out-of-state investment firms that own other downtown properties.
What to expect: Morning service runs 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with brunch. Evenings — preliminarily 5 to 10 p.m. — add a full dinner menu and natural wine. Levantine ingredients like mastic, labneh, and za'atar arrive inside familiar Western pastry shapes as an entry point.
RPU Board Advances $34M Plan for Solar, Battery and Efficiency Programs
The Board of Public Utilities backed a working group's six-project spending plan, though some members questioned whether city-facility investments would deliver enough direct benefit to customers.
Riverside Public Utilities' Board of Public Utilities forwarded a $34 million package of energy-efficiency and resiliency projects to City Council, funded from reserve charges ratepayers have already paid.
Why it matters: Riverside utility customers have been paying into a public benefits charge reserve for years — this plan determines how that money gets spent, with programs targeting home battery storage, low-income assistance, and community emergency centers.
Driving the news: A community working group that met four times between July 2025 and January 2026 recommended six projects. The board approved the report with one no vote Monday.
By the numbers: Proposed spending breakdown:
$12M — solar, battery storage, and efficiency upgrades at community and emergency centers
$9M — residential battery storage or solar-plus-storage neighborhood pilot
$5M — residential energy storage rebates
$5M — resiliency upgrades at the utility and city emergency operations centers
$2M — low-income and mobile-home customer program expansions
$1M — university research grants
Yes, but: One board member flagged that nearly half the money goes to city facilities rather than directly to customers.
"We need to make real clear what the benefit is to customers broadly," Board Member Tom Evans said.
What's next: City Council must still approve the plan. Individual programs return for separate approval before any spending begins. The final amount available may be lower than $34 million depending on year-end program performance.
City Adds First Electric Buses to Paratransit Fleet
The Micro Bird G5 purchases replace two aging vehicles and qualify for state and utility rebates that offset the cost.
A Riverside Connect bus in service. The City Council approved the purchase of two electric buses for the paratransit fleet. (Riverside Connect)
The City Council approved a $753,124 purchase of two electric buses for Riverside Connect, adding the paratransit program's first zero-emission vehicles.
Why it matters: If you or someone you know relies on Riverside Connect for medical appointments or daily trips, the new buses replace two aging vehicles in the 34-bus fleet — with newer, cleaner rides that support long-term service reliability.
By the numbers: Riverside Connect logged an average of 350 rides a day in fiscal year 2024–25, covering more than 437,000 miles.
Driving the news: The two Micro Bird G5 buses were purchased from A-Z Bus Sales Inc. of Colton. The net cost drops below the sticker price through two incentives:
A $15,037-per-vehicle point-of-sale discount through the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP)
A rebate from Riverside Public Utilities covering the remaining qualified purchase price
The big picture: California's Innovative Clean Transit rule requires small transit agencies to begin phasing in zero-emission bus purchases this year, with all-zero-emission purchases required by 2029. Tuesday's vote puts Riverside ahead of that curve.
What's next: The purchase qualifies for support from the city's Electric Public Transit Program, which set aside $1 million for zero-emission bus rebates in fiscal 2025–26.
Martin Luther King High School junior Carleigh Rios will see her original one-act play performed by professional actors at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on June 7 after winning a $500 scholarship in the Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival.
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