The August 2^nd, 2016 Town Hall meeting was held at Rosa Parks Elementary school. The purpose of the meeting is to update the community on the latest news from various departments and organizations, as well as give residents an opportunity to ask questions of the aforementioned groups.

Mayor Ike Bootsma opened the meeting by discussing past events, upcoming events, and upcoming projects taking place in the city. He stated that the construction on the 200 acre Goodman Commerce Center “…is one of the largest mixed-use developments in Southern California.” Amazon and the Volkswagen Group of America have both announced that they will be building a new Fulfillment Center and a training facility, respectively. The project is expected to employ over 4,000 people.

The Mayor then reflected on the recent Waste Clean Up event that took place at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. The event allowed residents to dispose of things such as electronics, mattresses, etc. with a total of 24.31 tons of waste being taken. Bootsma attributes a large amount of the success to the ERHS student football volunteers who braved the heat for hours, stating: “I really cannot give enough credit to our teenagers who do so much for our city.” The next Waste Clean Up event will take place on November 5^th at Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate.

Mayor Bootsma then moved to discussing the new Map for the district elections that was approved by the City Council. The change took place immediately “in preparation for the November 8^th, 2016 general municipal and special elections.” He then stated that the City Council nomination period is open and will conclude on Friday, August 12^th 2016. The period is only open to registered voters in District’s 1, 2, and 5.

Bootsma closed by mentioning the upcoming events in the community, such as JCSD’s Concerts in the Park, National Night Out, a Moonlight Cinema event, and answered some questions posed by residents. For more information on the upcoming events, see the City of Eastvale’s website.

Next, the Lieutenant Scott Forbes gave an update on behalf of the Eastvale Police Department. He started by thanking the volunteers that put in many hours to help keep the city safe. Next, he discussed the slight uptick of crime seen in the recent weeks, which is not unusual in the summer months, the department’s average response time, and the issue of mail theft in the city.

Rafael Gonzalez gave an update on JCSD and the Parks Department, stating that the Eastvale Community Park is now in phase 2 of development. Another representative from JCSD mentioned current and upcoming events, such as the Concert’s in the Park, the Moonlight Cinema on August 13^th, youth sports sign-ups, as well as a 5K and 10K on October 1^st. Alison Loukeh, a Conservation Coordinator from JCSD, said that the biggest water usage problem in Eastvale stems from water run offs in the streets. She stated that a landscape class will be offered on September 17^th, and that you can RSVP for it online.

Next, CNUSD Communications Director Evita Tapia Gonzalez stated that the school district is currently preparing to welcome back students for the 2016-2017 school year. She stated that the new STEM program is expected to fully open in either 2018 or 2019, and that a new elementary school is also coming to Eastvale in the next few years.

James Huffman and M. Visak from Animal Control presented information on the types of issues they have been taking care of, such as dogs returned to owners, citations issued, and animal cruelty investigations. Visak warned that the new developments surrounding Eastvale have pushed some wild coyotes into our neighborhoods, so extra caution should be taken to “keep your pets safe.” He mentioned that the Riverside County Department of Animal Services offers low cost vaccinations and licensing for pets.

Lastly, Eastvale City Manager Michele Nissen mentioned that the city is currently in the process of obtaining 2 grants that would help to fund school safety, as well as a Cops grant for law enforcement services