Morning view from atop the Buena Vista Bridge, overlooking the iconic palm-lined Mission Inn Avenue. (Luke López)
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Monday Gazette: February 10, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday!
Today is national "All the News That's Fit to Print" day, honoring honest journalism and high-quality reporting. If you'd like to see more of that in Riverside, please consider becoming a paid member of The Gazette and help us get one step closer to hiring our next reporter to bring focused investigation to what's happening in City Hall.
GOVERNMENT
This Week in City Hall: February 3, 2025
City Council will meet Tuesday to receive $9.3 million in grants for street safety improvements and discuss potential updates to mobile home rent control rules.
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.
City Council
City Council will meet in closed and open sessions on Tuesday, Feb. 11, in an afternoon session at 1:00 p.m. There are no items for public discussion on the agenda.
Board of Library Trustees
The Board of Library Trustees meets on Monday, Feb. 10, at 5:00 p.m. to discuss an internship program, the Riverside Reads program, and an increased contract for digital media services.
Board of Public Utilities
The Board of Public Utilities meets on Monday, Feb. 10, at 6:00 p.m. and will discuss investing $1.6 million in a water infrastructure project to support a new Northside Agriculture Innovation Center.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee (Councilmembers Hemenway, Robillard, and Falcone) meets on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 3:00 p.m. for a report from the Budget Engagement Commission, a review of the Governor's state budget proposal, and a review of the City's self-insurance funds, where rising claims costs have created a $10.8 million shortfall.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission meets on Thu, Feb. 13, at 9:00 a.m. to review zoning code amendments that will establish stricter requirements for industrial development near sensitive areas and mandate green building practices for new warehouses throughout Riverside.
Mobility and Infrastructure Committee
The Mobility and Infrastructure Committee (Councilmembers Conder, Hemenway, and Perry) meets on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 1:00 p.m. to review a year-long pilot program that would offer 300 residents smaller trash bins at a 15% discount to test if this option could benefit both households and the City's waste management goals.
Airport Commission
The Airport Commission meets on Thu, Feb. 13, at 3:00 p.m. to review annual operations data showing record activity levels in 2024, with Riverside Municipal Airport ranking first among California contract towers while maintaining strong financial performance.
Budget Engagement Commission
The Budget Engagement Commission meets on Thu, Feb. 13, at 5:00 p.m. to review two fire safety investments totaling $1.4 million: a new incident management system to improve emergency response coordination and updated breathing equipment and protective gear to meet current safety standards.
Recycle From Home Marks a Year of Impact in Riverside
The doorstep recycling service has saved emissions, reduced waste, and put cash back in residents’ pockets.
(Courtesy of Recycle From Home Riverside)
Recycle From Home, Riverside's doorstep recycling service, has processed over 22,000 pounds of CRV recyclables since its June 2024 launch. The program has attracted more than 1,000 residents, putting money back in their pockets while making recycling more accessible.
Driving the news: In its first six months, Riverside residents completed over 900 pickups, with an average value of $21.53 per collection, redeeming nearly $18,700 in CRV funds.
The program has saved 11.25 tons of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to powering 13 households for a year.
Residents recycled:
4,913 lbs of aluminum
6,933 lbs of plastic PET bottles
9,664 lbs of glass bottles
Why it matters: As California's only authorized mobile recycling service, Recycle From Home offers a hassle-free way for residents to redeem CRV deposits without visiting a recycling center.
The big picture: The program's success is attributed to strong support from city leaders, including Derek Paulo, the service's product director and longtime Riverside resident.
What's next: With a strong first year in Riverside, Recycle From Home continues to grow, making recycling more convenient while helping the city reduce waste and emissions.
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