City Council will consider reallocating $100,000 for emergency food assistance due to federal shutdown impacts, review a Downtown valet parking pilot, and consider partnership with a South Korean EV company seeking to open in Riverside.
A dramatic sunset paints the sky above Riverside's Downtown Metro Station as commuters' cars fill the parking lot. (James Chung) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Monday Gazette: November 3, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday! Today is National Women Support Women Day, a perfect time to celebrate the women who lift others up in our community. Here at The Gazette, we see this spirit daily: neighbors organizing meal trains, business owners mentoring newcomers, coaches empowering young athletes.
It's the ideal day to nominate a woman for our Neighbor of the Week feature. Who in your life exemplifies this spirit of support? The friend who always shows up, the colleague who shares opportunities, the neighbor who strengthens our community through kindness? Simply reply to this email or let us know at newsroom@raincrossgazette.com!
City Council will consider reallocating $100,000 for emergency food assistance due to federal shutdown impacts, review a Downtown valet parking pilot, and consider partnership with a South Korean EV company seeking to open in Riverside.
Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worth your attention in the 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, Nov. 4, in afternoon sessions at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (agenda).
Council will also review a proposal to launch a six-month valet parking pilot program Downtown. Under the proposal, a vendor would operate the service on weekends, charging customers $20 per vehicle during regular operations and $30 during special events. The trial program would run from January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026.
City staff project the pilot program would cost $334,597 to operate while generating an estimated $144,000 in revenue, resulting in a projected loss of $190,597. The revenue estimate assumes an average of 100 vehicles per weekend day at $20 per vehicle. Staff indicate available funds in the Parking Fund would cover the anticipated shortfall during the pilot period, with revenue expected to increase as Downtown businesses promote the service to customers.
The valet service would provide uniformed attendants on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with specific hours yet to be determined.
Finally, Council will also consider waving standard public notice requirements, at the request of Councilmembers Mill, Robillard, and Hemenway, to consider a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Chaevi Co., Ltd., a South Korean electric vehicle charging company, that would establish a framework for the company to open its first U.S. office in Riverside by January 2026 and potentially develop a headquarters or manufacturing facility that the City projects could create at least 100 jobs.
Governmental Processes Committee
The Governmental Processes Committee (Councilmembers Falcone, Perry, and Conder) meets on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 9:00 a.m. (agenda) for a review of the City's governance framework for boards and commissions that would establish baseline operating standards across all 16 advisory bodies while addressing ongoing volunteer attendance challenges that recently cut the Budget Engagement Commission membership in half.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission meets on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 9:00 a.m. (agenda) to consider appeals and conditional use permits for two outdoor storage facilities that would serve a recreational vehicle business on Indiana Avenue and expand an aerospace manufacturing campus on 12th Street, both requiring screening walls and landscaping to separate industrial operations from nearby residential and commercial properties.
Board of Ethics
The Board of Ethics meets on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6:00 p.m. (agenda) to conduct three separate hearings on complaints filed by cannabis businesses against Councilmembers Mill, Perry, and Robillard. Each councilmember faces allegations of violating city ethics rules by knowingly assisting another official in breaking ethics codes and engaging in prohibited private contact about quasi-judicial matters.
The complaints, originally filed in August 2025, stem from actions related to cannabis business licensing. In September, the Board determined all three complaints had sufficient evidence to proceed to formal hearings. During preliminary review, the Board narrowed the complaints, determining that evidence showed potential violations of two specific ethics code sections.
Mayor Lock Dawson on leading the Big City Mayors coalition and bringing state resources home.
If you've ever wondered how Riverside makes its voice heard in Sacramento, the answer is simple: we show up, we speak up, and we fight for results. As your Mayor, I take that responsibility seriously, because the policies debated at the State Capitol have real impacts on our neighborhoods, our families, and our future, so our presence there is essential.
Mayors have a unique responsibility; we are the closest to the people. When issues like housing, homelessness, and economic opportunity affect our residents, it's our job to fight for solutions. I've always believed that Riverside is strongest when our voice is heard where decisions are made.
That's one reason I serve as Chair of Big City Mayors, a bipartisan coalition of California's 13 largest cities. I'm leading mayors from San Diego to San Francisco championing priorities we all share: building more housing, addressing homelessness with urgency and compassion, and making sure California remains a hub for innovation and quality jobs. Part of that work involves advocating for bills in Sacramento that directly impact our residents and shape the discourse of how state funds are allocated.
Poly Girls Flag to play for CIF Division 4 Championship.
Katherine Lounsbury lets one fly in early-season game vs Valley View. (Ken Crawford)
Congratulations to local girls volleyball and flag football teams on strong playoff runs. Poly's flag football team will play for the Division 4 championship Saturday, Nov. 8 at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange. Also, Poly junior Jace Deledonne won the Division 1-2 boys sweepstakes race at the Mt. SAC Invitational with a time of 14:42.7 that briefly stood as the meet record. Deledonne holds the Poly school record for the three-mile run.
The college basketball season tips off Monday with the renewal of the Crosstown Showdown between CBU and UC Riverside. The women's game marks the first meeting between the programs since 2021 and the first time CBU has hosted UCR since 2020. Both programs are in transition, with CBU playing its final season in the WAC before joining UCR in the Big West Conference next year. The Lancers are coming off their historic first NCAA Tournament appearance, while the Highlanders under new coach Gus Argenal finished 18-14 last season and earned a WNIT berth. The rivalry will intensify when both schools become conference opponents in 2026-27.
Nine Riverside Career and Technical Education students received inaugural Tom Hunt Memorial Scholarships totaling $9,000 to support their pursuits in automotive repair, health sciences, and HVAC fields.
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