City Council will consider approving new rules and speed limits for several roadways this week, the Museum of Riverside has special upcoming events and the annual report on cases of officer-involved deaths and citizen complaints will be reviewed.
On Tuesday, City Council will review the outside counsel (lawyers) expenditure report for October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. During that period Riverside spent $553,639 on outside counsel, according to the report. Of those funds, $89,141 went to lawyers from the Burke Williams & Sorensen for the Friends of Riverside Airport v. City of Riverside case and $160,262 to the Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith for the Friends of Riverside Airport v. Department of the Army case.
Item 20: No Parking Zone on Section of Watkins Drive
The council will consider establishing a daily no-parking zone between 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the west side of Watkins Drive from Blaine Street to Valencia Hill Drive. This section of Watkins Drive borders the Northeastern border of the University of California, Riverside campus.
Item 21: Parking restrictions for section of Watkins Drive
The council will look to establish a 30-minute parking at all times zone on a section of Market Street between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. Currently, there is a 90-minute and timed no-stopping zone on that section of the roadway. City Council will consider removing that regulation by establishing the new rule.
Item 23: Changing Speed Limit for Three Sections of Road
City Council will look to establish or revise speed limits for three Riverside roads. The first would establish a 35-mph speed limit for Cactus Avenue from Crystal View Terrace to Dauchy Avenue. The second would set a 35-mph speed limit on Fremont Street from Central Avenue to Mountain View Avenue. The third would revise the speed limit for University Drive (not to be confused with University Avenue) from 15-mph to 20-mph.
Museum of Riverside Board
Item 6: Upcoming exhibitions and programs
On Wednesday, the board will receive a presentation on upcoming exhibitions and programs. See a list of upcoming events below:
Nights with the Museum: Every first Friday of the month, local experts speak on national history and topics at the Back to the Grind coffee house.
First Sundays: Every first Sunday of the month, the museum hosts children’s programming on the steps of the main museum building.
Self-guided Civil Rights tour: On April 9, the museum will help coordinate self-guided tours of several civil rights sites in Riverside. The tour will detail the museum’s “In/VISIBLE, Un/HEARD: Riverside’s Civil Rights Stories” series.
Mission Inn Avenue performance: On April 23, the museum will host an original dance performance along Mission Inn Avenue. The performance is a part of the “Invisible, Unheard: Riverside’s Civil Rights Stories” series.
Insect Fair: On April 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the museum will host an insect fair at the new Main Library in Downtown Riverside.
Community Police Review Commission
Item 3: Annual Community Police Review Commission Report
On Wednesday, the commission will receive and look to approve the 2021 Community Police Review Commission Annual Report. The commission’s primary role is to conduct an independent review of officer-involved deaths and citizen complaints. The report aims to review each of the 46 cases the commission previously reviewed in 2021.
Of the 46 complaints, the commission found 25 to be unfounded. Eight of the cases were marked as sustained, five as frivolous, and two as exonerated. The report defines sustained as “when the investigation discloses sufficient evidence to establish that the act occurred and that it constituted misconduct.”
The report also compares the commission’s results to that of the Riverside Police Department. While the commission found that eight of the cases were sustained, the RPD only found five.
Economic Development, Placemaking, and Branding/Marketing Commission
Item 3: Artist in Residence Program
On Thursday, the commission will look to approve an increase of $75,000 for the pilot Artist in Residence Program. The program would fund three artists who would each receive $20,000 to complete two public art projects. An additional $15,000 would be used to supply paint and lifts. The commission will also consider changing the name of the Emerging Artist Grant to the Public Art Riverside (PAR) Grant.
Item 4: Review of proposed city code related to cannabis sales and growth
The commission is to review proposed amendments to the Riverside Municipal Code regarding cannabis retail uses, microbusinesses and distribution. It will also review the potential ballot measure that would look to establish a business tax on cannabis sales.
Jonathan Linden is a freelance reporter covering politics for The Raincross Gazette. Jonathan graduated from Biola University with a B.A in journalism and also reports for 91.9 KVCR in San Bernardino.
City Council set to consider a 23-unit affordable housing project in La Sierra, a 24-station electric vehicle charging hub at the Riverside Airport, and the $2.4 million purchase of electric trucks for its fleet.
City Council does not meet this week. Potentially stricter rules for industrial development near neighborhoods and a review of the City’s homelessness outreach and cleanup spending are on committee and commission agendas this week.
