This Week in City Hall: October 20, 2025

When Peace Flags Flew: How Mount Rubidoux Honored U.S.-Canada Friendship in 1927

For 17 years, Frank Miller hosted Armistice Day services atop Mount Rubidoux, raising flags from nations around the world. In 1927, Canada took center stage in a ceremony featuring bagpipes, doves and a tribute to cross-border friendship that endures today.

City Council will establish the voter-approved Office of the Inspector General with expanded oversight authority, consider meeting rule changes including Mayor scheduling authority, and review extending the tobacco retail permit moratorium through 2026.

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, Oct. 21, with afternoon sessions at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes:

Establishing an independent Office of the Inspector General following voter approval that will replace the City's Internal Audit Division with expanded oversight responsibilities, including ethics complaint management and authority to request outside legal counsel if approved by City Council.
Considering proposed revisions to City Council meeting rules that adjust the summer meeting schedule to eliminate September meetings, grant the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem authority to change meeting times, require explanations when consent calendar items are pulled for discussion, expand presiding officer discretion to limit public comment duration based on agenda length or speaker numbers, and more.
Adopting the State's updated 2025 building and fire codes.
Considering an extension of last month's 45-day moratorium on new tobacco retail permits through September 2026, which police requested after documenting illegal sales of cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms, and narcotics.
Amending City zoning rules to comply with state housing laws by removing local restrictions on two-unit developments and lot splits that don't apply to other single-family homes, while maintaining exemptions for all historic properties and cultural resources.
Reviewing zoning code corrections that implement state-mandated hydrogen fuel station rules, restrict scrap metal recyclers to address copper theft, and reduce permit requirements for various business types.
Establishing a Building Plan Check Self-Certification Program that allows licensed architects and engineers to certify their own plans meet code requirements, reducing permit issuance from 10-25 days to 1-3 days for eligible projects.

Commission on Aging

The Commission on Aging meets on Monday, Oct. 20, at 4:00 p.m. (agenda) for regular business.

Park and Recreation Commission

The Park and Recreation Commission meets on Monday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. (agenda) to present the 2025 Robert M. Artz Advocate Award to Adrian Dell & Carmen Roberts.

Museum of Riverside Board

The Museum of Riverside Board meets on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. (agenda) to formally accept a few new items into its collection.

Community Police Review Commission

The Community Police Review Commission meets on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 5:30 p.m. (agenda) for the continued review of an Officer-Involved Death case and to review RPD's 2025 Racial Identity Profiling Data.

Economic Development Committee

The Economic Development Committee (Councilmembers Robillard, Cervantes, and Hemenway) meets on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. (agenda) to review three economic development initiatives including the City's recent foreign investment trade mission to Japan and South Korea to recruit international businesses and the launch of the RISE business retention program that provides on-site support to local companies.