Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worthy of your attention in the next 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.
Housing and Homelessness Committee
The Housing and Homelessness Committee meets Monday, November 27, at 3:30 p.m. (agenda) for an update and discussion about the City's infill housing development strategies (infill development is the building of new housing on unused or underused land in parts of town already built up) and updates from the Housing Authority on the different new housing projects in various stages of development.
Board of Public Utilities
The RPU Board meets Monday, November 27, at 6:30 p.m. (agenda), with no items listed for public discussion.
City Council
City Council will meet in closed and open sessions on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, in an afternoon session at 3:00 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. (agenda).
During the afternoon session, Council will:
- Consider permitting the construction of a 3,154 sqft single-family residence and a 971 sqft accessory dwelling unit on a 2.47-acre lot in a residential conservation zone that backs up against the Box Springs Mountain Reserve.
- Consider a Fire Department proposal of new fees for hazardous materials storage.
- Consider a $2.5 million agreement with New Zealand-based Ohmio, Inc., to locate their international headquarters and autonomous electric shuttle manufacturing facility in Riverside.
- Adding a ballot measure in the March 5, 2024 election that reads: "Shall the City of Riverside adopt an ordinance establishing a tax on all cannabis businesses at a maximum rate of 10% of the gross receipts of each business, potentially generating $2 million or more dollars in revenues annually for unrestricted general revenue purposes, until repealed by voters?"
During the evening session, Council will:
- Likely approve a $12 million funding agreement with the Riverside County Transportation Commission for the "Third Street Grade Separation" project, which will create a railway underpass on Third St. between Vine and Commerce Streets.
Economic Development, Placemaking, and Branding/ Marketing Committee
The Economic Development, Placemaking, and Branding/ Marketing Committee meets on Thursday, November 30, at 3:00 p.m. (agenda) to consider supporting a Blue Zones project in the City of Riverside. According to a City report, if the City sponsors 1% of the program for $208,300, it will activate a 50% matching grant valued at $10,400,000 to move the project into the fundraising stage to become a Blue Zone-certified City.
