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 closed and open sessions on Tuesday, July 28, in an afternoon session 3 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes:
- Reviewing a proposal to remove historic Structure of Merit protections from two Orange Street properties and adjust the Prospect Place Historic District boundary (item 5).
- Considering a zoning change for about 7 acres near Mission Inn Avenue and Commerce Street from business and manufacturing use to mixed use (item 11).
- Considering an amendment to extend a homeless services agreement with Mercy House through December 2026 and increase funding by $836,089.35 for a 23-bed shelter program (item 15).
- Considering an agreement with Riverside University Health System to establish a team dedicated to evaluating child abuse cases countywide (item 19).
- Reviewing a list of road repair projects for the 2026-27 budget year funded through a state transportation program, spanning multiple wards (item 23).
- Considering an agreement to appoint a retired official as interim City Manager starting July 31, 2026, at an hourly rate of $195.05 (item 38).
- Reviewing an update on the City's paving program, including a list of street repaving projects planned for the 2026-27 budget year (item 39).
- Reviewing the City's third-quarter financial results and considering related budget adjustments, including changes to Measure Z spending (item 40).
- Considering approval of up to $5 million in bonds for a special taxing district in the Bridle Ridge area to fund infrastructure improvements (item 41).
Housing and Homelessness Committee
The Housing and Homelessness Committee meets on Monday, July 27, at 3:30 p.m. (agenda) to review new state housing laws that could require Riverside to allow more units on single-family lots (item 2); to decide whether to reapply for a state program that has brought the city millions in housing funding before it expires in 2027 (item 3); and to review an update on the city's 401 affordable housing units currently being built or planned (item 4).
Board of Public Utilities
The Board of Public Utilities meets on Monday, July 27, at 6:30 p.m. (agenda) to consider a $5 million residential rebate program offering up to $10,000 toward home battery energy storage systems installed on or after July 1, 2026 (item 8),and to review an ordinance amendment that would update city rules to comply with a state law phasing out potable water use for irrigating decorative turf on commercial, institutional, and homeowners' association properties starting in 2027 (item 10).
