Brief recap of the July 2024 city council meeting.
Jayda and Maite, students at Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy, led the meeting in the pledge of allegiance.
Jayda and Maite were then recognized for their achievements in the Invention Convention nationwide competition (we're working on a blog and video idea to get the full story out, stay tuned).
There were two key items on the agenda that I want to share here
Item 3.3 was pushed to the front of the meeting out of consideration of those in attendance.
The area in question.
I'm going to get right into this topic from my perspective
In the two-year comprehensive process of updating the Wildomar General Plan this piece of the puzzle was the one that fell through the cracks.
When this initially hit the city council as part of a General Plan Update review in 2023, this area didn't come with any fanfare. It's long been designated to be LDR (Low Density Residential which is 2 homes per acre).
During six meetings with the General Plan Advisory Group the idea of changing the existing LDR to EDR (Estate Density Residential which is 1 home per 2 acres) wasn't brought up.
The first instance of this being brought was up when the Planning Commission was reviewing the General Plan Update progress to that point.
The crux of the matter is that 50 property owners on the west side of Grand Ave wanted to, essentially, reduce the value of the land on the east side to maintain the feel they've been accustomed to. Yes, that's my summation of it, and I gather it's shared by many who are up on this matter.
That was the concern of the property owners who had skin in the game. Seeing the number of potential homes their properties could develop reduced by 75% was jaw-dropping for them.
Wildomar Rap opinion time
To get a better feel of the situation, understand that on the northside of McVicar there is a new subdivision with about 108 homes on a fraction of the acreage of the land in question MDR (Medium Density Residential).
I asked for a ballpark figure of how many homes could be built based on LDR. The rough estimate was 120. Look at the image above again.
That includes the entire stretch of the land that is in a bold black outline.
In reality, there are very many environmental concerns on that land since it's so near the creek. It's very likely that when the properties are developed they could see that number reduced by 30% to half.
Two homes per acre, one home per half acre, is NOT anything akin to medium density, which is what the area is surrounded by on two sides. The third side isn't even residential.
Quick math means instead of a pie-in-the-sky number of houses at LDR being pegged at 120, reducing it to EDR would downgrade it to 30 homes.
A pretty easy request when your family hasn't owned it for forty and fifty years.
It was said in an email, and again during the meeting that it was 50 to 3 in favor, and that we should keep those numbers in mind, "It doesn't make sense to placate three owners."
I began my remarks by reminding us all that we're neighbors. Maybe not "next door" neighbors, but still neighbors nonetheless in our small community.
When it was time for me, Councilman Joseph Morabito, to speak I mentioned that was known as Argumentum ad Populum.
Very common, and very persuasive at times, but still a logical fallacy.
In my mind, the people on the westside had no standing. No more standing than a resident of Windsong Valley, or of someone living in The Farm. Opinions are important but carry very little weight if they don't come with standing.
I wondered how 50 property owners could get together to share their opinions without them going across the street (literally) and asking for the opinion of the 3 property owners that would actually be impacted by a change in the density.
Council discussion of Item 3.3
Mind you, for the most part, these people all know each other and have been neighbors since before Grand Avenue was even paved. How difficult would it have been to invite one of them over for some lemonade?
If Itchy and Scratchy can share some lemonade, so can people who live on opposite sides of Grand Ave in Wildomar, and let the other know what they have cooking.
I suggested that the idea up front was reasonable enough, and then compared it to Tres Lagos when those developers came to a city council meeting.
At that meeting, I spoke directly to the developers and said that though they had the power of the state in their hands, that the moment they visited the property in question they should have realized they couldn't build the project they had in mind (of course, in that case, they had dollar signs in their eyes and couldn't have cared less about the ramifications of their actions).
I brought the discussion back to Item 3.3 by saying they should have chatted with their neighbors about what they were thinking, and once learning that the idea wasn't supported the westsiders would have said, "Aw shucks, I guess we won't pursue this further."
But no, the first time the eastside property owners learned of this was well after it got past the first hurdle at the Planning Commission.
I originally heard about there being an issue through an email from a resident on the eastside just a few months ago.
One of the platforms I ran on in 2018 was Property Owner's Rights. What is more American than owning property and being able to develop it? (obviously, the caveat to that is developing the land according to the existing rules)
No need for me to beat this to death. The vote went 4-1 in favor of keeping the current land use to LDR and not changing it to EDR.
I'll add a link to the video where you can watch it in real time. The dozen or so public speakers and the discussion of the city council.
It's really easy to find the item in the video. Depending on your device, after clicking the link, find the table of contents and click on Item 3.3.
Last item I'm going to go over was on the City Manager's Report
I was pleasantly surprised that a fence/wall surrounding the Riverside County Flood Control property on the corner of Monte Vista and Bundy Canyon was revisited.
The area in red is the location in question.
Last month I was the lone dissenting vote when it came to paying about half a million dollars to upgrade a chainlink fence to a block pilaster and wrought iron.
If we were to do that, then the maintenance of the fence/wall would fall back onto the city. Which can be costly if you have much experience with wrought iron.
Nothing was settled, but I was glad to see that might just go back to being a fence with slats in it as is currently the case on the northside of Bundy Canyon across the street from this site.
It's been a while since Wildomar Rap covered a city council meeting, so let's just hit the basics and see what happens.
TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING
Election update
Restriping Wildomar Trail right turn only to the freeway
Agreement for law enforcement services FY 2024-25 through FY 2026-27
Meeting Recap
City Clerk Update
Highlights from this item include news of all the past agendas and videos city council meetings will be online on the city's website by August 1st.
Also the announcement of the coming election for districts 2 and 4.
Districts 4 and 2 will be up for grabs this year.
If you're interested in running for a seat on the Wildomar City Council, and you are a registered voter in either districts 2 or 4, filing will begin in about six weeks.
If you're in one of the other three districts, you'll have to wait until 2026 when they are up.
Item 2.1 is a yearly update regarding Delinquent Trash Service Charges.
In short, it's a law that you MUST have trash service. I remember finding that odd, and a little irksome when I first heard about it ten years ago.
It's a health and safety issue for the entire community.
Imagine the one neighbor who says he'll take his own trash to the dump... but doesn't. Or does, once or twice a year. As the garbage piles up on his side of the fence, it becomes a haven for all types of vermin.
There are currently 683 out of about 9,957 residential accounts out of compliance for a total of $330,000. That's about 4%.
Wildomar Rap opinion time
Often times this is due to a renter who doesn't pay and the landlord gets tagged for the payment. If you're a landlord, pay the bill yourself and just make it part of the monthly rent payment; problem solved.
3.1 Resolution Authorizing Issuance of Special Tax bonds, Series 2024 for
Community Facilities District No. 2022-3 (Verano)
These bonds will be paid for over thirty years by the seventy-plus new homeowners in the development of Monte Vista called Verano.
Screenshot from the meeting video
I asked, "How “on the hook” is the city of Wildomar?"
"Absolutely no risk to the city on this," was the answer from Administrative Services Director, Heidi Schrader.
• • •
3.2 Amendment to Personnel Rules
This was a routine item where the city was making sure our workplace rules were in compliance with the state, and to approve a 3% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for staff.
Graphic from the staff report
As it happens, the official rate of inflation for our area was determined to be 4.3%.
The curveball came from Councilman Dustin Nigg when he wanted to go beyond the staff recommendation of 3% and completely match the 4.3%.
There was a bit of discussion, and Councilman Joseph Morabito (me), I made it clear that I wouldn't be in favor of that change.
Recognizing that I was about to be playing the role of one, Ebeneezer Scrooge, I said, "I wouldn't be in favor of that, you can put the kick me sign on me if you want."
We ended up passing the 3% COLA as was in the staff report.
Wildomar Rap opinion time
I'm all for paying the city employees a proper and competitive wage, and that includes a COLA as agreed to.
My point during the meeting (which begins at the 1:28:00 mark of the video) was that the suggestion of going above the 3% would have needed to be on the agenda, and not just a suggestion on the fly.
I'm willing to listen to the merits of the issue and discuss the pros and cons. I'm very unlikely to ever approve something involving taxpayer's money without fully deliberating it.
We've all been living through these inflationary times. This COLA isn't the only way that a city employee can get a bump in their pay. There are also pay increases tied to performance (like any other job) and promotion.
3.4 Fencing Options for Bundy Canyon Rd. and Monte Vista Dr. at the future
Riverside County Flood Control Lateral C Basin
In short, there will be a flood control basin at the corner of Bundy Canyon and Monte Vista. Flood control would pay for, and be responsible for maintenance of the fence if we were to opt for chain link.
The cost difference wasn't the primary force getting me to vote no, but it was right up there.
The city has the option to upgrade to a Wrought Iron Fence with 8' Pilasters. The additional money would be about half a million dollars, and then the maintenance would transfer to the city.
Here is what the wall will look like, less the trees.
This was approved 4-1 with me voting against it.
In my experience, wrought iron fences look really good... for a really short amount of time. They generally look like garbage within ten years. Even if maintenance is performed religiously, it still deteriorates, and it's not as if maintenance is cheap for a public entity like a city.
The flood control basin is outlined in red. Curiously enough, there's a chainlink fence with green plastic inserts the entire stretch where the yellow line is.
So, though I was very much in favor of the upgraded fence when I first heard about it, I couldn't support paying half a million dollars for this upgrade knowing it would come with increased yearly costs to maintain, and most likely the cost of replacement in 15 to 30 years.
Look for construction to begin around the end of the year, and last for a year (for the entire basin project, including the fence).
• • •
3.5 5-Year Capital Improvement Program
There was a lot of information in this item. I invite you to watch the video at the link below. What I'd like to share here is information on Wildomar Trail heading east approaching the southbound onramp.
Here's to hoping that Caltrans responds sooner rather than later.
The stripping is horrible
There is room to make a dedicated right-turn-only lane, but working with Caltrans is always a lengthy process.
Mayor Bridgette Moore asked staff to provide updated information on it.
"It’s in the budget and working with Caltrans. Hoping to have it completed by the end of the fiscal year."
Then I asked for clarification since "the end of the fiscal year" is a year away (June 30, 2025). Staff assured us that they were pushing Caltrans to get to this as quickly as possible.
• • •
3.6 Agreement for Law Enforcement Services FY 2024-25 through FY 2026-27
SUMMARY:
The Agreement provides Municipal Police protection through the Riverside County Sheriff's
Office.
DISCUSSION:
The Agreement provides 60.5 patrol hours daily. The Agreement dedicates one Traffic
Motorcycle team, two Community Patrol Officers, and two Community Service Officers.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This agreement commits the City to three fiscal years of policing services. The estimated
impact over this period across all funds is $20,465,111. For FY2024-25 the total cost estimate
for police services is $6,492,175.
Statistics can only be compiled on REPORTED crimes. If it's not called in, it doesn't get included. If you see something, do your part and report it.
Here's a link to the slides from Captain Rayls's presentation. A lot of good information can be gotten if you're interested.
Last bit of business on this item. There was one public comment (see video below). We cherish our First Amendment rights as Americans, and that is doubly so at local government public meetings.
Say whatever you'd like. It's your right.
If you're delivering a public comment on non-agenda items, then the range is wide open, and the city council is forbidden from responding... the Brown Act prevents it.
However, when it's an item on the agenda, the rules of engagement are different, and in this instance, the speaker asked for our thoughts as she concluded her remarks.
In brief, she is one of those "defund the police" types. As mentioned a moment ago, the beauty of free speech is that it protects poorly thought-out ideas, and people are entitled to espouse nearly anything they want.
It wasn't a surprise to hear her say the following:
"I am glad that we are not adding more police to our budget, that we're staying the same. I'm content with that. I do want to remind folks that safer communities are the ones that offer more services, more resources, not the ones that are policed more.
Police officers respond to crime, they don't prevent crime. And also that the statistics that you saw [in the presentation] are national [...] across the country, not just in Wildomar.
So it seems like crime in general is declining.
And, um, my final question for the council is, "How do you feel about being policed by a Sheriff's department, Riverside County Sheriff's Department, that is led by a racist Sheriff who's constantly being investigated for corruption and violation of civil rights? [...] There are probes, there are investigations, there was a Sheriff's [deputy] involved shooting that ended in a fatality in Corona this week. ”
—Rosalba Valdovinos
She had asked for our reply, and I was happy to oblige.
"I 100% repudiate your assessment of our Sheriff, he's not a racist. I get it, you're entitled to your opinion, but that is not shared by me, and probably not anyone up here (the rest of the city council)."
See the full exchange in the video below.
Here is a story about the incident that she mentioned in her comment.
A Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a woman in Corona while authorities claim she and a man were attacking him and the man was reaching for his gun early Tuesday morning.
The woman, whose identity was not released, was shot at about 1:10 a.m. in the 1000 block of West 6th Street in Corona, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
A deputy was in pursuit of “subjects [that] took off running” as he tried to talk to them, and as the deputy turned a corner, a man “lunged at him, and a fight ensued,” officials said. The deputy’s identity was also not released.
“While the deputy was engaged in a struggle with the male suspect, a female began assaulting the deputy, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred,” the release added. “The female suspect was struck by gunfire. The deputy continued to fight off the male suspect, who was attempting to take his firearm, until good Samaritans arrived and assisted in detaining the male suspect.”
A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson declined to say “why the deputy wanted to speak to the people or provide more details on how the good Samaritans assisted,” The Press-Enterprise reported.
Sheriff’s officials said the woman was pronounced dead at a local hospital, though they did not detail if the deputy shot the woman intentionally, if she was struck inadvertently or if the gun was fired by mistake.
The deputy sustained moderate injuries, while the man was minorly injured.
The deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave as the state Department of Justice investigates the shooting.
At the city council meetings, and on official city time, we strive for decorum from top to bottom. Thing is, this blog is on my time and I'll respond to her from this forum.
I first met Rosalba in October of 2023. The first thing after "hello" was that she was disappointed that I had closed the previous city council meeting with a moment of silence in remembrance of those who had been killed on October 7th.
My closing comments at the October, 2024 city council meeting that she took issue with.
I’d like to close tonight’s meeting with a moment of silence and reflection in honor of the victims of the recent terrorist attack that took place in Israel. The unspeakable acts of depravity that were perpetrated upon living, breathing people like you and me, should outrage every person on this earth, no matter their opinions about the bigger struggles in the region.
I met and spoke with her for over an hour, and she was only interested in things that are going on outside of Wildomar.
She has emailed me very many times to date, and each email has become less and less cordial in her attempts to get the council to weigh into international politics, and pass a resolution demanding a cease-fire in that war.
We've all gently told her that we, as a city, will NOT be weighing in on this matter. As we do our best to stay out of other things that are outside of our purview.
She's cited other cities that have taken such stands.
Great, in my opinion, they are betraying their voters by getting mixed up in issues that aren't pertinent to their elected duties, and often at a high cost in staff hours as they have to sit through six-hour meetings of people that travel from outside the area to grandstand on something the council has ZERO control over.
As for her claims about RSO and Sheriff Chad Bianco it's your right to hate whoever you want to. You don't even need to base your hate on facts, feelings are enough.
Regarding the recent story out of Corona, anyone who pays even the least amount of attention would know that after an officer-involved shooting, there are "probes" and "investigations" as there should be.
Imagine being so agenda-driven as to draw nefarious conclusions based on everyday protocol.
As you've probably heard before, you can have your own opinion but you can't have your own facts. If you want to slander someone I know, expect a response.
• • •
The hope is to recap the meetings now that I don't have the added duties of mayor this year. This one went waaaay long, sorry about that. I'll try to tighten it up next time. lol
Here is a link to the video. It's interactive and you can navigate to each item from a table of contents on the right of the screen, or use the play bar to advance to a specific time in the video.
Brief recap of the recent community meeting regarding the recently acquired 20-acre parkland that is south and east of Anne Sullivan Preschool.
IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE WILDOMAR CITY COUNCIL, THE BROWN ACT DEMANDS YOU CLICK OUT NOW. SORRY, IT'S THE LAW.
I don't know how to say this without sounding corny, so I'll just risk coming off as a cornball anyway. (lol)
Last night's meeting made me very proud to be a member of this community.
It had pertinent and thorough information from the presenters, important and compelling questions from the participants, passion and compassion from the attendees, along with good decorum overall... people let people speak, even without the aid of a microphone, and staff listened and took notes.
There was hardly any shushing at all 😄
To sum it up, I saw a lot of respect for the process and the individuals that make up our community of Wildomar.
Thank you to the lovely and gracious staff of Anne Sullivan Preschool for their kindness and hospitality in hosting this important and timely community meeting.
I streamed the meeting online from my city council Facebook page. (links below)
There was a hitch when I thought that it wasn't recording sound and I switched phones. That created a gap of about a minute between the two segments of video... which lasted for a total of two hours. It's amazing that my phone still had 24% at the end of it.
As the elected representative of this area, I had two key takeaways
First, the proposed park entrance off Gierson needs to begin where it's currently a dead end, not at the end of a new turnaround as was seen in the concept drawings. Meaning, that's where the gate needs to be located.
It would be a problem waiting to happen to push the end of Gierson without a gate that can be locked when the park is closed.
We can't create a beautiful new park and also create an after-hours hangout and the same time. This is an easy problem to nip in the bud.
Another concern that I heard was regarding the entrance(s).
In case anyone was wondering, those who live on Gierson, that were in attendance, are PRO park, they're just passionate about doing it right the first time.
Their concerns are potentially having but one entrance for a park that's sure to be popular in a city of 37,000, not to mention those from other parts of the region that would like a mini-version of the Santa Rosa Plateau to enjoy.
The most expedient way to open the park would be to start with the entrance off of Gierson, but, out of fairness for all (the nearby neighbors, and people from other parts of the city), both entrances need to come online at the same time.
We can be creative if need be, I have confidence in our staff to figure this out.
There were many good points made about issues regarding this and other future parks throughout the city. The thing we need to remember is that parks cost a lot of money to create. Even basic, passive parks, like the one we're speaking of here.
Wildomar has had two completely-designed parks already approved that have been waiting for funding for many years now.
One is a 27-acre park near Ronald Reagan Elementary, and the other is an 11-acre park near David A Brown Middle School.
The vacant property to the south of DABMS
The vacant property to the south of DABMS
link to a page on the city website with further information about the 11-acre sportspark. LINK
The vacant property that wraps around RRE
link to a page on the city website with further information about the 11-acreLINK
Below are the links to the live stream videos.
I apologize if you don't have Facebook, but that was the only way I knew to be able to livestream the meeting.
Last thing, how to pay for it?
Toward the end of the meeting, it was suggested to review item 3.2 from the December 2023 city council meeting to see various ways to fund the parks, in whole or in part.
Here's a link to the item from the December 2023 meeting going over different options to fund the parks. If this issue is important to you, even if that means you're against it, please take the time to get the information firsthand by watching it.
I'm still learning how to embed the new video format that the city has, so please follow the link... it's really easy.
Once you're on the page scroll to item 3.2 City of Wildomar New Parks Improvement Optionsand click it.
There will be a parks subcommittee meeting and a city council meeting where this will be discussed and further shaped. It's not too late for you to send in your views, either pro or con, to the city.
Use this email and ask that it also be forwarded to the subcommittee members.
wildomarpw@cityofwildomar.org
If you'd like to chat about city matters, let's set something up. Email is the best way to begin.
A great story that's worth sharing with the community. It involves volunteers (both local and regional), community spirit, and butterflies!
I've been low on time recently, so I asked Bridgette Moore if she'd send over some photos and do a brief write-up so that the story can be shared with the community.
The idea came from when you and I met with the Butterfly ladies last year.
I kept that in the back of my mind.
Fast forward, Sandra Tordoff (she used to work at Wildomar Chamber) invited me to a Lunch and Learn at Pacific Mobile Structures on 8/23/23.
I spoke about the Wildomar Beautification Volunteers and the importance of volunteering and giving back.
Here's a look at the mid-point of the project.
On 9/28/23, Sandra contacted me and explained that Pacific Mobile Structures has a program where they pay their employees 8 hours a year to volunteer and their volunteer day was Tuesday, 11/7/23 and she asked if we had a project.
I remember seeing a planter area in the Elks Lodge parking lot that only had weeds and WBV had cleaned it a few times already.
So, I asked the Elks Lodge if we could we put a Monarch Butterfly Garden in that area and they agreed. We only have about 30 days to plan this project.
I met Margaret Meyncke and Caren Hanson at the Elks Lodge and they got me in touch with Landscape Architect Laurie Levine. Laurie has previously done work with Wildomar.
Laurie donated her time, designed a garden, and gave us a plant list. We contacted Curby’s Nursery and then Dan, Richard and I picked up the plants on 11/4/23.
WBV had work days prior to the 11/7 planting to prep the area.
On 11/7, about 25 employees from Pacific Mobile Structures planted plants, laid irrigation lines, and placed mulch into the garden.
The garden will take till about summer to grow and then it will attract caterpillars.
Laurie mentioned that the caterpillars will eat the leaves so don’t be alarmed if the plant looks dead.
It will survive the hot summer months.
The plants are small compared to the smiles of the volunteers, but before we know it, this area will be alive with plants and butterflies.
Wildomar Rap opinion time
I look forward to seeing how this turns out. Which gets me to thinking... I have some yard areas that could use this type of attention. I don't need volunteers, but a plan to go get some local plants that can withstand our Summers even if I forget to water them for all of July.
On Saturday, September 16th, Wildomar saw 120 volunteers gather at the Elks Lodge to participate in this year's National Clean Up Day.
Some of the happy faces.
Then after some delicious Montague Brothers coffee, and Pam's Donuts, they went into the heart of City Council District 1, Represented by Carlos Marquez, and proceeded to pull out 110 bags of trash and debris, which filled up two donated roll-offs by CR&R, which weighed in at over 3.5 tons over about three hours time.
This group of eight volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints really put in a lot of work, for many hours.
Impressive before and after shots. This is the north side of Sedco Blvd.
Before and after of the median on Sedco Blvd.
I'd like to take a moment to give credit where credit is due. Wildomar's longest-standing champion, Bridgette Moore. The average resident doesn't know why our city has less trash in it, including graffiti and illegal signs, and though it's a team effort to be sure, without a bonafide leader none of this could be possible.
Bridgette Moore as she's addressing the volunteers.
She has such amazing grit and determination about her, she is the very definition of what an old-school Wildomarian (Wildomartini in my dictionary) is all about. Only when she decides to hang up her spurs will some in the community recognize the unfillable shoes she leaves for a rookie to try and fill.
This was about two hours into the clean-up event. She wasn't at the Elks Lodge looking over paperwork, she was out working, and it's never easy work. Whether it be litter pick up, or tackling tumbleweeds.
Ok, enough gilding the lily, but seriously, Wildomar is such a different place than it would have been had she not seen a need and tackled it head-on more than twenty years ago. Thank you for all you've done, and all you continue to do!
Here are a few more photos to round out this blog.
Gotta love the new paint for this trailer.
This trailer can carry anything.
The volunteers pulled a lot of large items off the streets.
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