City Council will consider an ordinance to an ordinance to deter copper wire theft, review progress on State-mandated housing goals, and consider increasing construction fees to reduce so they are paid for by users of the services.
Morning walk up Mount Rubidoux. (Jennifer O'Farrell)
Monday Gazette: March 10, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday!
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GOVERNMENT
This Week in City Hall: March 10, 2025
City Council will consider an ordinance to an ordinance to deter copper wire theft, review progress on State-mandated housing goals, and consider increasing construction fees to reduce so they are paid for by users of the services.
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, Mar. 11, in afternoon sessions at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes:
Formally reviewing the annual progress report that measures the City's success in implementing its General Plan goals for State-mandated housing development targets and city improvement projects before the legally required submission to state agencies.
The Land Use Committee (Councilmembers Mill, Falcone, and Cervantes) meets on Monday, Mar. 10, at 9:00 a.m. (agenda) to consider options for creating a retail sign design handbook with the goal of improving the quality of commercial signage throughout the City.
Board of Library Trustees
The Board of Library Trustees meets on Monday, Mar. 10, at 5:00 p.m. (agenda) for regular business.
Mayor's Nominating and Screening Committee
The Mayor's Nominating and Screening Committee (Councilmembers Falcone, Perry, and Conder) meets on Tuesday, Mar. 11, at 11:30 a.m. (agenda) to select a nominee for Riverside's 2024 City Spirit Award, an annual recognition established in 1995 to honor community members who demonstrate extraordinary citizenship and enhance the City's quality of life.
The Airport Commission (Councilmembers Conder, Hemenway, and Perry) meets on Thursday, Mar. 13, at 3:00 p.m.(agenda) for regular business.
Budget Engagement Commission
The Budget Engagement Commission meets on Thursday, Mar. 13, at 5:00 p.m. (agenda) to discuss a recommendation reducing the membership of the Commission so that meetings don't have to be canceled when less than nine volunteer commissioners are in attendance.
Riverside School's Veteran Project Grows From Single Classroom to Community Pillar
King High's annual event, started by a single teacher, honors veterans and bridges generations.
Walter Parks and his new friends (Left to Right): Estella Naegle, James Jacops, Sairusi Kaiwaidau, and Elizabeth Cannell. (Ken Crawford)
A classroom assignment at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside has grown into one of the nation's largest veteran tribute programs. The annual event, now in its 22nd year, brings together 200 veterans, 600 students, and the entire community to preserve veterans' stories and foster intergenerational understanding.
Driving the news: The program challenges stereotypes about young people's readiness to inherit the world, as students demonstrate their commitment to learning from veterans' experiences.
Korean War veteran Walter Parks praised the students, saying, "Those kids are sharp. They are going to do great things."
Why it matters: The project provides a platform for veterans to share their pride in and love for the country, while students gain firsthand knowledge about history, sacrifice, and service.
Junior James Jacops said, "It means the world to me to hear all of their stories... I feel it lets me learn from their life, and I can almost build myself from it."
The big picture: King Remembers has evolved into a community institution, growing each year and continuing to build bridges between generations.
What's next: As the program expands, it reinforces trust that the next generation will be ready to carry the torch of remembrance and service.
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