Tag Archives: Eastval City Council

Commissions: Citizens Shaping the Future of Eastvale

Eastvale City Manager Michele Nissen

Eastvale City Manager Michele Nissen

By Michele Nissen, City Manager

In order to create the type of City that residents want to live in, the Eastvale City Council has appointed two citizen commissions to provide input and recommendations to the City Council.  These citizens lend their time, talent and expertise to the City Council.

The Planning Commission is a five-member commission composed of residents appointed by the City Council. The commission advises the City Council on land use and development issues, taking input and making recommendations on the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Design Standards and related matters.   As you see new construction around town, rest assured that the Planning Commission has reviewed the plans submitted after October 1, 2010 to ensure that the proposed projects are in the best interest of the City.

The City of Eastvale has a substantial group of public safety professionals living in the City.  The Public Safety Commission, also composed of a five-member commission, was created to utilize the rich talent pool of experienced citizens to provide recommendations on Public Safety issues such as:

  • Traffic issues
  • Neighborhood Watch
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Crime Prevention

These issues affect the quality of life in Eastvale. Having a group of professionals assist the City Council and staff in providing recommendations for improvements in public safety benefits everyone. The Public Safety Commission functions as an advisory board.

We highly recommend residents to get involved if you are concerned about the future growth of the community and public safety. Both Commissions and the City Council take resident concerns very seriously. Concerns can be heard during Public Comment or can be submitted to the City Clerk at MDonohue@eastvaleca.gov. The Planning Commission meetings are the third Wednesdays of the month and the Public Safety Commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Both meetings are held at Rosa Parks Elementary School at 6:00 p.m.  (13830 Whispering Hills Drive, Eastvale, CA 92880)

Recently, the City announced the online availability of the audio recordings for the Planning and Public Safety Commission meetings on the City of Eastvale website (www.EastvaleCA.gov). Meeting recordings are uploaded to the City website within 24 hours after the completion of the meeting. The recordings are then live for thirty (30) days after which they are archived and available through a Public Records Request.

The City’s e-notification system is a great way to stay informed and get involved!  Sign up on the City’s website today: www.EastvaleCA.gov.

Should you have any questions or comments, City Hall may be reached at Hall (951) 361-0900. City Hall office hours are Monday-Thursday from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm, closed every Friday.

The Planning Department: Creating A Beautiful City From The Dirt Up!

By Michele Nissen, City Manager

The Eastvale Planning Department is often the first stop at City Hall for businesses or individuals who are proposing to build a new development, open a business, or expand an existing business. Working closely with other City departments, the Planning Department works to implement the City Council’s direction regarding the type and quality of development in Eastvale. It is the Planning Department’s responsibility to ensure that the City is built in a way that maintains and enhances the quality of life that Eastvale residents’ value.

Planning provides staff support to the City Council and Planning Commission, and coordinates the environmental analysis of proposed public and private projects.  Planning ensures that the City remains up-to-date with regard to state and federal mandates for planning and environmental analysis, zoning, land use, and works with the City Attorney to keep abreast of changes in laws and regulations that affect the City’s planning operations.

Planning also works closely with the development community and the public, helping to shepherd projects through the approval process. Planners are available at City Hall to answer questions and meet with the public. Due to the busy schedule at City Hall, appointments are recommended. If a customer comes into City Hall and a planner is not available in person, there is a “Virtual Planner” available for a face to face experience through FaceTime on an iPad at the front counter.

The City of Eastvale utilizes contract staff of Michael Baker International to provide planning services. In addition to a core team of Eastvale planners, Michael Baker Int. brings the expertise of more than one hundred other professionals skilled in a broad range of specialized areas including engineering consulting, systems integration, intelligence solutions, security management, and housing to fiscal analysis.

Should you have any questions or comments, City Hall may be reached at Hall (951) 361-0900. City Hall office hours are Monday-Thursday from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm, closed every Friday.  City Hall encourages all residents and visitors to register for e-notification on the City’s website: www.EastvaleCA.gov to stay abreast of the latest news and more.

 

City Council Recap

By Emily Aguilar

The Eastvale council welcomed April with a plethora of important topics pouring before them, so they didn’t waste any time at their April 13 meeting and went straight into discussion. The first meeting began smoothly by recognizing April as National Donate Life Month, which encourages people to become organ donors.

Then Erin Sasse, the Regional Public Affairs manager for the League of California Cities, presented an update on legislative actions taking place in Sacramento. Some of the bills Sasse mentioned include: SB-876, which deals with homelessness issues; AB-2501, which deals with condesity bonuses; AB2526, which limits parking; AB 2220, which states that cities with a population over 100,000 are required to participate in district elections; and AB 2614, which deals with operations of medical marijuana facilities.

Continuing with the topic of bills, Glenda Chavez gave a brief description about AB 1826. The bill, which was signed in October 2014, requires businesses that generate 8 cubic yards of organic waste to establish an organic recycling program by April 1. The state believes that the program will divert approximately 30 million tons of waste. This will help reduce climate change and preserve environmental resources. By January 2017, the state also requires businesses that generate 4 cubic yards of waste every week to create waste management programs. Also, by January 2019, the same would be required for business and multifamily properties that generate 4 cubic yards of organic waste per week. This is applicable to Eastvale because Waste Management will work to enforce the bill’s provisions on local businesses.

Breaking away from the serious discussion about bills and laws, Julia Sung delivered her student liaison report by providing some impressive details about Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS). Since there were so many ERHS seniors who were accepted into UCs, chair woman Janet Napolitano was scheduled to visit ERHS on April 14 in order to inform students about the UC system and encourage Juniors to apply to UCs next year.

Another interesting event occurring at ERHS is the new tradition they want to begin with this year’s graduating class: from here on out, the school wants to create a mural of the graduating seniors. The idea is still under development, but the school is eager to start the tradition. Sung also announced that May 13 will mark River Heights and Eastvale Elementary’s 10-year anniversary.

Although ERHS students may be excelling academically, a series of residents expressed their annoyance and concern of the students’ their poor traffic etiquette. During the public commentary, the residents stated that many ERHS students park their vehicles in local neighborhoods instead of the school parking lot. In addition, some students were leaving trash in the front lawns of their homes. The council stated that they would look into the situation.

Next, the council motioned all items on the consent calendar. Then, before the council discussed the proposed changes in the Goodman Commerce Center, they went into a closed meeting that lasted over an hour. When they came back, they were ready to discuss the topic.

At the moment, Goodman Birtcher has constructed one of two buildings that are set to take place at the Goodman Commerce Center. At the same time, road construction on Hamner, Bellgrave, and Cantu-Galleanu were set to take place on the week of April 18. But Goodman Birtcher wants to occupy the building before major road changes and other installations are created, so a series of changes have been proposed. Planning Director Norris presented these recommended changes, which included the proposal to install a generator for six months and letting construction take place inside the building regardless of the scheduled work hours.

Before the decision, resident Caroline Martinez asked the council not to motion the changes because she was worried that the changes would cause noise and traffic disruptions. But Norris responded that construction would be regulated so it would not cause any problems around residents.

After taking into consideration that sales tax would not come off the changes and that the commerce center will overall boost employment in the city, the council decided to approve the changes.

The council moved on to the business items, where they discussed another pressing topic. After Bill Link’s retirement last month, the council had to figure out how they would like to fill the vacant position. According to AB 952, if a council member resigns before it is time to elect or re-elect their position, the city council has to fill the vacant seat until the next election. The question presented at the city council meeting was how the council would fill the vacant seat: by special election or by appointing someone to temporarily fill the vacancy. If the council were to hold a special election, the fiscal impact would cost them $66,000. Ultimately, the council decided to appoint a council member who would fill Link’s position until the November 2016 election.

Continuing with the meeting items, the council proposed no action on appointing someone to fill the vacancy in city committee groups. However, the council did motion the approval to sign a contract with Teaman, Ramirez & Smith Inc. for professional auditing services, and they also approved a funding agreement for the BEYOND framework fund program, as well as authorizing City Manager Nissen to sign the documents necessary for funding.

To conclude the evening, Bootsma stated that he would be attending the next State of the City Meeting and both Rush and Lorimore stated that they would continue their involvement in the Riverside Transmit Meetings.

The second council meeting was held on April 27, which began with proclaiming May 5th as the National Day of Prayer in Eastvale. The day is supposed to bring people together and create unification through “the power of prayer.”

After the proclamation, the Eastvale Community Foundation update included that the military banner program is still looking for more people to register for a military banner. Also mentioned was that the Community Foundation would be providing scholarships for ERHS students. City Manager, Michele Nissen, added that the scholarships, which are CDBG-funded, do include qualifications. These qualifications will soon be published on the city website.

Then, the Public Safety Commission Update included a report on the events of their last meeting, where residents discussed the topic of the CCTV program. This program involves setting up cameras in neighborhoods.

Before moving on, Michele Nissen introduced the council to the City’s newest Code Enforcement Officer, Vanessa Lopez, who has over 10 years of experience in Code Enforcement. Nissen also mentioned that she started as a police explorer at the age of 13. She has implemented several cleanup programs in the cities she has worked for, and at the moment, she is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Next, the student liaison update was presented by Julia Sung. Sung announced the Relay for Life Event on Saturday, April 30 at River Heights Intermediate. She also announced that ERHS choir teacher, Mrs. Mendoza, will be retiring this year and that her final event with ERHS will take place on May 13. May 19 will also be Senior Award Night, where “very important guests” will arrive. Lastly, June 1 will be the ERHS graduation date.

Moving forward with the meeting, item 8.1 was taken off the agenda. Therefore, the council first focused on the recommendation to approve Parcel Map No. 36487. The plan will include 205 acres that will be used to build two one-million square feet of logistic facilities, and the second phase will focus on the construction of a hospital, park, and retail center. The council motioned the approval. The next two items were also approved: an agreement with Minigar & Associates Inc. to work on a truck route study and the City renewing their contract with Calfire.

The last discussion was about the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDF) that is threatening litigation because the city’s current at-large voting system violates California’s Voting Act Rights. In response, the city was presented with the possibility of establishing a by-district election system for the final item of the night. This recommendation presented two possibilities: the city could either be divided into 5 single-member districts, where each council member will serve and represent those districts; or the council could choose to divide the city into 4 districts, where a Mayor, who was elected at large, could serve for a 2-4 year term. Criteria for this division require the districts to be divided equally, with no more than a 10% deviation between districts, and the districts should be large based on the location where the council member resides. The districts will have to be redrawn every 10 years. At a minimum, this will cost $35,000 – 40,000. The council decided to divide the district into 5 sections. Read more about this decision in the article on page 1.

The meeting concluded after the city staff shared a few events they were looking forward to in the upcoming weeks.

Eastvale’s General Municipal Election: Candidate Feedback-Part II

BY K.P. SANDER

Eastvale – With the General Municipal Election just around the corner, citizens are beginning to formulate decisions about who they will be voting for. Three seats are open on the City Council, with only two of the five incumbents seeking reelection. Council members Kelly Howell and Jeff DeGrandpre have resigned within the last year, and Councilman Richard Welch will not run for a second term.

When voters cast their ballots on Tues., Nov. 4, they will select from a field of nine candidates: Ramon E. Aguilar, Steven Daniel Aguilar, Richard Duran, Anwer Khan, William Link (Incumbent, Council Member), Clinton Lorimore, Cesar Morales, Adam Rush (Incumbent, Mayor Pro-Tem), and Brandon Matthew Villalpando.

City Council members are elected at-large for a four year term. Council members serve “staggered” terms, meaning that either two or three seats are open for election every two years. Council members receive a $400 per month stipend as compensation for their service.

To qualify, candidates must reside and be registered to vote within the jurisdiction at the time nomination papers are issued. More specifically, they must be at least 18 years old; a U.S. citizen; a resident of the City of Eastvale; registered to vote in the City of Eastvale; and must not be on parole or serving time for a felony conviction. All candidates have met these requirements.

The Eastvale News asked each of these candidates the same two questions in an effort to provide some information toward voting research.

Q1: What do you feel are the two most important issues facing the City of Eastvale?

Q2: What do you plan to focus on if you are elected as a council member for the City of Eastvale?

 

 

Last week, you received the information from Ramon E. Aguilar, and Steven D. Aguilar. Here, now, we offer up feedback from candidates Richard Duran, and Anwer Khan.

 

Richard Duran

Richard Duran

Richard Duran: As a retired Law Enforcement Officer with 32 years experience, one of my priorities is public safety within the City of Eastvale. I will continue to work with the Riverside Sheriff’s Department and Cal Fire to establish on-going dialog for traffic safety, neighborhood watch programs, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and bike safety for the residents and children of Eastvale. I will continue to work to obtain a Riverside Sheriff’s Department sub-station within the City of Eastvale. I will work hard to attract new businesses such as restaurants, clothing stores, hotels, as well as jobs for our residents within the city. I will meet with small business owners who currently run their small business out of their homes, and encourage them to establish a storefront providing their goods and services for our residents. I will to continue to work with the surrounding cities of Corona, Norco, Ontario, Chino and Jurupa Valley city governments on infrastructure growth surrounding Eastvale. Several of the important issues are traffic safety, freeway traffic, businesses, schools, parks and sports programs for our children.

My focus is on the residents of Eastvale, and it is important to establish monthly neighborhood meetings allowing us to hear from the residents their needs and expectations of City government. I look forward to meeting all of you, and getting to work for the good of Eastvale.

eastvale_city_council_candidate_anwer-khanAnwer Khan: The two most important issues facing Eastvale are its impending budgetary problems and its projected inability to satisfy its public safety needs. These problems are largely interrelated. At a recent city council meeting, it was projected that by 2018, the city would not be able to provide its current level of services and maintain a balanced budget. The gravity of the situation becomes even more clear when one considers the growing need for services, law enforcement, and fire coverage created by the addition of 995 houses in the city through projects approved by the county prior to Eastvale’s incorporation. Currently, of the estimated 37,574 working-age residents of Eastvale, only about 478 actually work in the city. As 98.73% of working-age residents are not present in the city for substantial portions of the day, they are not shopping in Eastvale. This means that the city is losing out on much needed sales tax revenue on which the city relies to fund services. In fact, it is the absence of offices and workers in the city during the day that has kept many sit-down restaurants from opening within the city. In order to meet the increasing demands posed by Eastvale’s growth, the city must expand its sources of sales tax revenue. Efforts must be made to market directly to businesses and increase Eastvale’s “visibility” to attract them to Eastvale, particularly in light of the city’s ideal location and the fact that its percentage of highly educated persons is higher than that of the county and the state. Local entrepreneurs with home-based businesses should also be assisted in growing their businesses into brick and mortar locations within the city. A recent permit study indicated that there were over 1,000 home business permits issued in Eastvale. However, to draw businesses and to aid home businesses seeking to transition, office space must be developed soon since the city is already 90-95% built out. While the Leal Specific Plan includes office space in its list of land uses, that project may be multiple years away from breaking-ground. The city must press construction of the Eastvale Business Park and fast-track any permits or city inspections related to such projects without circumventing any city codes, laws, or regulations. This will have the double effect of creating jobs in Eastvale and providing a population within the city during the day that will drive sales tax revenue and, thereby, ensure funding for police and fire protection at the recommended levels. Beyond attempting to press the development of business space, working to draw businesses, and seeking to zone land for future schools, I will focus (1) on making the city’s government more responsive to its citizens and (2) on reforming the city’s government to reduce the opportunities for wrong-doing. There are many reasons people are unable to attend city council meetings. Some people work. Others have family commitments. Simply because they are unable to attend, their voices are not heard and decisions are made by the city council without their input. Similarly, a resident must search the city website for the meeting’s minutes to know what was decided. Together, this means that issues are often raised and resolved without residents being informed. I would like to expand the city’s social media presence to provide a direct link to a meeting’s agenda and to allow for online public comments on agenda items. The comments from those who have identified themselves as residents of Eastvale would then be read by the Public Information Officer or a delegate during the meeting. After each meeting, a brief summary of the highlights would be posted to the social media site. Later, when the meeting minutes are available, the link for the minutes would be posted. On some occasions, online surveys, for which residents would actually have to register, could be used to decide certain projects such as how an undeveloped space in a park should be used. In terms of reforming city government, I would begin by seeking term limits for members of the city council. In addition, I would seek to reform the city’s commission system which currently involves commissioners being appointed solely through the nomination and vote of the city council. This process lends itself to potential abuse by council members seeking to appointment their friends or people they have promised positions to. Instead, I would support a system that requires applications for any commission seat, with certain identifying information of the applicants redacted, to be vetted by the city manager, city attorney, and sitting members of the relevant commission. The applications of the top candidates, with certain information still redacted, would then be forwarded to the city council for selection of the commissioner through a vote. While problems in such a system would still be possible, it would be less prone to abuse and would make it more likely that an individual is selected based on his or her merits. The city should undertake these measures to prevent wrong-doing by future members of the city council who may be acting in their own interests rather than that of the city. For more information, please visit:  www.EastvaleUnited.com and www.facebook.com/AnwerKhanEastvale.