This week at City Hall

City Council again until next Tuesday, September 21, here are some notable city board meeting items being heard this week:

Charter Review Committee

Item 5: Proposed Charter Amendment to Give Mayor Veto Power

On Wednesday, the Committee will be reviewing a proposed charter amendment that would formally give the Mayor of Riverside veto power against “any formal action taken by vote of the City Council including any ordinance or resolution, except an ordinance proposed by initiative petition.”

This comes over three years after a veto by Former Mayor Rusty Bailey was highly contested, with Councilmembers at the time, including Mike Soubirous. Soubirous and others believed that the city charter didn’t give the mayor veto power over City Council pay decisions.

A lawsuit was then filed, which Former Mayor Baily would win just before leaving office. Before the lawsuit, there was no clear, concise verbiage in the charter that gave the mayor the ability to veto, and this amendment would formally give the mayor ability to do so.

Land Use, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee

Item 2: Board Considering Options for Changes to City Regulations Regarding Mobile Food Trucks

Yesterday afternoon, the Committee re-reviewed the proposed ordinance on Mobile Food Trucks in the city. The ordinance change was heard on July ____, but was then tabled by the City council for 60-days. It’s being prepared to be reconsidered for later this month.

Currently, the city limits food trucks to only selling pre-packaged food, with no onboard cooking or food preparation allowed. If the Committee passes the ordinance revision and then council, it would regulate where mobile vendors can park, ban the use of any chair or tables outside the vehicle, and many sanitary measures.

Board of Library Trustees

Item 7: Riverside’s Public Library Aims to Launch “Literacy Legacy” Campaign to Raise Funds for Library

If passed, the campaign’s goal would be to raise $10 million of funds for the Riverside Public Library Foundation. One way the library system would raise funds would be for public members to be able to have library rooms, areas, book stacks, or entire locations named after themselves or their company.

Currently, the city’s library foundation has received verbal commitment from donors for two specific locations: $250,000 for the Carnegie Room and $750,000 for the Innovation Center.

The library foundation expects the campaign to launch in late Fall/Early Winter of 2021.