Unless it's you with the piece of crap car that you've been storing on a neighborhood street, the answer is a resounding: YES, there is an eyesore on my street that I'd like gone, how do I get the city to look at it?
If you're really lucky, you may have more than one classic like this on your street.
The city is currently transitioning to a See-Click-Fix type of phone app that will work for any type of issue/concern in town that you may have... illegally parked cars are but one of many options.
►What is See-Click-Fix?
It is a non-emergency communication platform that connects residents directly with city departments.
Instead of calling a general line and hoping you get the right person, the app uses your phone’s GPS and camera to route the issue exactly where it needs to go.
We've been hearing about this since Fall of last year, and the city is getting close to rolling it out (before the end of the fiscal year, which ends June 30th).
I'm just taking a wild guess at the possible name and artwork that will be attached. I can only hope it would be something awesome and memorable, like the Wildomar Wonder Button, fingers crossed!
►What They Typically Cover:
Public Works: Potholes, broken streetlights, sidewalk cracks, and fallen tree limbs.
Code Enforcement: Illegal dumping, overgrown weeds/tall grass, and graffiti.
Animal Control: Deceased animals on the road or stray reports.
Parking & Vehicles: It’s used for abandoned vehicles or cars illegally parked (blocking sidewalks, parked on lawns, or blocking fire hydrants).
Key Features of the App:
Photo Evidence: You can snap a photo of the offending car or pothole, which is automatically timestamped and geotagged.
Transparency: You can see a map of other reports in Wildomar. If your neighbor already reported that old truck on the corner, you’ll see it on the map and can "follow" the fix.
Status Updates: The app notifies you when a city staffer acknowledges the report and when the "ticket" is closed/resolved.
Many cities in our region use See-Click-Fix. I can't tell if San Clemente is just a new client of theirs, or if Lake Elsinore happens to have a lot of engaged residents.
I'm sure there will be a grand rollout when it's ready, complete with a unique name that suits Wildomar.
In the meantime, you still have the city website that you can use to report that old jalopy. I keep a shortcut to the exact page on my phone.
Both the computer and phone versions are similar enough. The following screenshots are from my phone.
From the city's website you hit:
There is then a warning that you're about to leave the warm embrace of the city's website. Not sure why that's necessary, but it's there.
When you see the red button, you know that you're nearly there.
There are several category options under "description" including: construction, graffiti, health & safety, homeless, other, trash & debris, vacant buildings, vehicles, and weeds.
Just to keep things anonymous and fun, let's use the future Walmart as the location.
Once you've selected the location, you can either add your contact info or hit "yes" to have it be an anonymous submission (that's what I do).
I'm looking forward to the Wildomar Wonder Button, or whatever moniker it's given. Which reminds me, I'll be asking how the name was chosen when the rollout occurs, whenever that happens to be.
Though it's a done deal on paper, and it would be a real head scratcher if Walmart actually were playing some form of a Jedi Mind Trick here, there was still more hedging than I would have imagined.
Go check out that part of the video; it was fun. lol
The Director noted that the city is working closely with the developer to ensure that if the project moves forward, once the wobbling stops, and the earth begins being moved, it's said to take about 18 months before they'd be open for business.
That will include Monte Vista being upgraded, including a signal on Monte Vista for one of their entrances.
Intersection Update: Palomar & Gruwell
There is light at the end of the tunnel for the Palomar Street and Gruwell Street intersection. Final paving is said to be in April, while Wildomar Elementary is on school break.
While utility hurdles have been a headache, the Public Works Director gave a firm update that construction is in the home stretch.
The goal is to have the intersection open to traffic this April. For those of you currently navigating the Como Street detour, hang in there just a little longer.
I asked that the city please water Como St during the detour. For those of you who aren't familiar with Como St (that section of it anyway), it's a dirt road that more resembles a motocross track, complete with whoopdeedoos (at least, that's what it feels like when driving a Honda Fit).
I also suggested that we consider applying some TLC (intentionally vague because I don't know the scope involved) for the "private" roads nearest the construction area once it's done.
There was some caution suggested that we don't want to set a precedent.
My reply was for us to count how many times we've inconvenienced a private street (which are nearly all substandard to begin with), and if it's something that happens infrequently (which "infrequently" is still an overstatement when juxtaposed with the facts), let's keep that in mind, and not leave the areas in question high and dry.
Roadwork: Bundy Canyon
Don't forget that the section of Bundy Canyon west of the freeway is also slated for a much-needed resurfacing.
This project is separate from the widening further east and is strictly aimed at fixing the deteriorating pavement to give us a smoother ride through that corridor.
Initially, it'll go from Angels Lane to Mission Trail. The part to the east of Angels Lane, to the freeway, will be the second part of the project. The portion nearest the overpass may need to be done at night to comply with Caltrans guidelines.
Some of the roughest surfaces out there, but soon it'll be a thing of the past.
This was originally slated to be completed by the end of the fiscal year (July 1), but we were told to anticipate the first part being complete before May.
Wildomar Trail Road Widening Saga
The Public Works team is currently in the "hopeful" stage regarding the potential widening of Wildomar Trail at the freeway. The city is actively lobbying for a collaborative widening project that would improve the flow of traffic near the I-15 interchange.
We've been asking about this since Kaiser opened its doors. Now you know why the Bundy west resurfacing isn't waiting around for Caltrans's approvals before doing the parts we have complete control over.
A rare daytime view when no cars are backed up at the stop sign heading east.
I asked the Public Works Director to let us know when he hears back from Caltrans, whether it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down. It's a state agency, and often, there is no rhyme or reason when it comes to their actions.
The big takeaways from the February city council meeting are: Walmart is coming and Bundy Canyon is slated for rehab from Mission Trail to the Freeway, and then parts east of the previous Phase I road realignment.
Walmart
This has been one of the longest, most interminable courtships since Ross and Rachel—complete with breakups, reconciliations, and extension after extension... and like Rachel, who almost left for Paris, Walmart is finally getting off the plane and staying in Wildomar.
At the 28-minute mark of the video, Councilwoman Bridgette Moore asked Community Development Director Robert Flores if there was an update on Walmart.
The answer was that Walmart is actively pursuing its permits and that, "We just received the final version of their grading plans [...] they're looking to begin grading in the next few weeks."
It's looking like those two will finally be tying the knot.
Based on Walmart's normal construction models, the doors will open a year after you see grading. Which prompted me to say that, based on my math, if they begin grading in the next few months, they'll be open by Summer of 2027, and we'll finally be able to buy underwear in town.
But even more important than that is the anticipated tax revenues that will be coming to the city. The original guestimate back in 2008 was that a Walmart would bring in $600K per year.
Now, let's add in all the inflation over the last 20 years, and the additional penny sales tax that the residents voted in favor of back in 2018 (Measure AA), and I think it would be safe to guess the total will be somewhere around $2,000,000 per year.
Bundy Canyon Road Rehab
Councilwoman Moore, sitting in the leadoff spot for comments, asked, "When will Bundy Canyon, from the freeway to Mission Trail, start?"
It was a very long answer, but the takeaway is that the project is anticipated to be done before the end of this fiscal year.
Which, if that's accurate, means before July 1st.
The meeting ran for a bit more than two hours. There are other things too, of course, but that's the end of this blog.
Cue up the meeting and take a look at the full meeting experience.
This blog is going to be highlights from my notes of the meeting... if you ever want to chat about what transpired at a city council meeting, let's set something up. jmorabito@wildomar.gov
TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING
Public Works Update
Permitting Software
Historic Downtown
Raising Taxes
Meeting Recap
Public Comments of note:
Andy Morris of EVMWD spoke about the bids for the Septic to Sewer project in Sedco, which came in lower than expected, and that frees up some funding for additional participants who may now be interested.
If you're in the area of the project and didn't opt in already, please contact EVMWD as soon as possible to see if you can be included.
This was a longish and somewhat dry presentation, but one that I appreciated, being that it was in the open part of the council meeting.
In years past, this was usually part of the city manager review process, which is a closed session thing. To get the full information on the seven bullet points above, please check out the video of the meeting.
I had a couple of comments on the list above.
Historic Downtown
Call me old fashioned, but I like using real terms for things. If you're building something new, it's not historic... unless, maybe, it's supposed to be a replica of something that's being updated, not being created out of whole cloth.
If you're not certain, item 2 (historic old town specific plan) is the general area where Wildomar Elementary School is.
Though I like the idea of having a themed commercial development in that area, I suggested we consider different terminology than "historic" since it's counterintuitive.
Reminds me of the "Miracle Mile" designation that a past city manager used to describe Clinton Keith from Albertsons to The Hive. Something that was grating to most people who actually live in Wildomar.
Permitting Software was mentioned as a goal
I seemed to be the only council member who was even curious about the costs associated with new software.
The cost to buy in was ballparked at "between $200k and $300K" with a yearly licensing fee that wasn't guessed at.
If you watch the video of the meeting, you'll see that my concern was about any additional costs being passed onto the person pulling a permit.
Raising Taxes?
The idea of revenue increases through tax increases was touched on at the 51:00 mark of the meeting the high costs of public safety were brought up by the city manager.
"We have to grow economically. We can do that by raising taxes, we can also do that by bringing in responsible business growth."
My response to the suggestion went this way,"I know that you were just mentioning as ways that cities can get revenue, but my 'Spidey senses' went up at even the suggestion of raising taxes. It's always good to bring in additional revenues by bringing in additional businesses, but changing the [tax] rate to bring in additional taxes would be a hard sell for me, much less the residents."
No other members of the council commented on the issue.
Walmart Update
The city manager mentioned that Walmart was moving forward (their final EOT expires before the end of March), but still wasn't ready to say they're going to build yet.
I'm not in the inner circle of Walmart's expansion team, nor part of the furthest outer circle either, but I can't see why they would be monkeying around with the city, at this eleventh hour, if they weren't intent on using their approved plans
Notes On Business Registration
We're moving in the direction of less regulation and less burden on businesses. Our "registration" was already a lesser burden than cities that use the "business license" method.
The goal will be to make this more of a voluntary arrangement. If you want (need) a business license (many businesses need them for their landlords, banks, or insurance companies), then come down and get one. Check with the city if you're unclear where your business may stand when it comes to city business registration.
Public Works Updates
Bundy Canyon road improvement has been on the books since before cityhood in 2008. In short, once we became a city, the county said, "Here, this is now your problem... good luck!"
I've been on city council for seven years now, and I'm glad that phase one is in the books, but I predict that it'll be a very long time before Segment 3 is funded.
Back to Segment 2 (begins where Phase 1 ends (about 1,400-1,600 feet east of Oak Canyon Drive) and extends eastward to just before Harvest Way), I anticipate it beginning before the end of the year, and the construction window for that will be two years. The good news is that the major Clinton Keith road widening will not be going on concurrently with the Bundy Canyon, which had long been anticipated.
Also, there are plans to keep rehab the road surface on Bundy Canyon, all the way from Mission Trail to Menifee. Menifee is said to be looking at Scott Road, which is in their city.
Additional Lane Wildomar Trail/I15
No word from Caltrans about the Wildomar Trail widening at the freeway. Councilwoman Bridgette Moore and I are always asking staff about this.
Future Agenda Items
Though it's a drop in the bucket, I suggested we discuss the idea of crediting the businesses in the Palomar Road work zone for their cost for business registration.
•
There were lots of other things in this meeting. It lasted nearly three hours. Below is a link to the YouTube video if you'd like to take a look.
The on-again off-again courtship of Walmart and Wildomar is now to the point of sh** or get off the pot.
Walmart got approvals back in 2015, and each time that their time limit was being reached, they applied for an EOT (Extension of Time).
These guys make cats jealous.
EOTs can't go on indefinitely, and Walmart is just a few months from the last EOT expiring, March '26, I believe it is.
A brief history of Walmart and Wildomar
Had Walmart not been on the books back when cityhood was put on the ballot, and the anticipated sales tax revenue it would bring in, LAFCO (Local Agency Formation COmission) wouldn't have approved the petitions of WIN (Wildomar Incorporate Now) and it would never have made it to the ballot back in 2008.
Back in 2015 I reported on Walmart's official approvals from the planning commission and then the city council.
VIDEO TO 2015 MEETING BELOW
Then the project was hit with a lawsuit, and amazingly enough, it wasn't brought by any of that era's Wildomar haters. Instead, it was by someone who would follow Walmart around and look to slow their roll whenever possible.
Eventually, that gambit ran out of legal steam, and Walmart got the green light from the courts to move forward with its approved project on Bundy, east of the freeway.
However (there always seems to be a 'however'), by the time the legal hurdles had been cleared, as it was shared with me, their business model had morphed due to Amazon's increase in market share.
So, the project was put into mothballs. Which has long been regarded as a linchpin for development in that part of town. It's been suggested that once Walmart goes in, other development will follow in behind it.
Through the years, as each deadline for their project approached, they would file for an EOT. Makes sense considering that they'd invested a fair amount of time and money to get it approved, and it's only a pittance to get an extension.
But as stated at the top of this blog, EOTs can't go on forever and we're now in the final few months before action must begin.
I was looking for a graphic from the recent State of the City event where Walmart was mentioned as part of future development, albeit not carved in stone.
I couldn't find the city-made graphic I had in mind, so I'll make one that is an incredible simulation (lol).
Mickey Dee's and Starbucks are already built, waiting to be finalized on the inside. Will Walmart finally make its long anticipated groundbreaking before its project deadline comes and goes?
In addition to the legal hurdles that Walmart had to get past, they had also been conditioned to do considerable amounts of infrastructure improvements on Bundy Canyon.
Lo and behold, those are all complete now, so that burden has been lifted off their bank account's shoulders —assuming they proceed, that is... lucky them.
Hey, look, I found the city image I mentioned before. This was part of the 2025 Wildomar State of the City video.
Wildomar Rap opinion time
Walmart has been a hot button issue for many, for a very long time, when the topic arises.
Several Wildomar longtimers have never wanted any growth in Wildomar, I've heard them loud and clear over the years.
REMINDER This project, if they actually follow through, is ALREADY approved.
A Walmart in town will make shopping convenient for all the Wildomar residents who shop at Walmart. Then there are the projected tax revenues that will come to the city.
If memory serves, I recall hearing that a sum of about $600,000 would have come to the city in 2008 from Walmart.
On the cusp of 2026, that doesn't sound like much, but now factor in inflation, and the additional Measure A sales tax, and that figure can't be lower than $2M today.
For those who dislike development, I don't know what to tell you, that's always been the way of the world, especially in the USA.
For those who understand the benefits to the community that come with commercial development, this could be the tipping point in watching Wildomar's historically woeful budget issues recede further back into history.
From my standpoint, as a member of the City Council, I will be watching any new revenues that come in like a hawk.
The new revenues will need to be used for the benefit of the community, not the benefit of staffing at City Hall... which I'm confident that is a shared consensus by the council, and the city manager.
If Walmart doesn't come, at least this endless danse macabre will finally be over (I think).
Below is a video I made after the January 2015 Planning Commission meeting. It's the full presentation.
Here's a link to more of the same meeting; this one is regarding public comments.
Lynne Mayes holds the proclamation that was presented by Mayor Ashlee DePhillippo, his son is holding flowers. Behind her is the old street sign with the Mayes family name on it.
TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING
Public Works Update
Robert Flores goes from interim to permanent Community Development Director
Graffiti Trailer
Additional Part Time Code Enforcement Officer
Fence Around Flood Control Basin (Bundy Canyon and Monte Vista)
Meeting Recap
There was a lot of good information in the Public Works update.
• The Palomar Road widening is two months behind schedule. Look for it to be finished in February of 2026. Part of the delay is a gas line that needs to be moved on Gruwell.
• Wildomar Trail/I-15 restriping is inching closer to the finish line. Working with Caltrans can be painstakingly slow.
So you know, the issue is that the road isn't currently wide enough to restripe the lanes with Caltrans's minimum requirements. It's about a foot short to accommodate restriping that would create an additional westbound lane from Margaret Lane to the freeway.
The city has submitted plans to Caltrans with widening in mind, but Caltrans keeps returning them with "comments" about the design (anything short of a yes is problematic in my book).
There was no date given as to when Caltrans would approve the design. During the question period I asked, "We know Caltrans is going to dictate the tempo of this, but do our plans look like they're going to eventually pass muster with them?"
I understand why staff has to be guarded in their answers, but the answer I got didn't leave me feeling overly confident that this matter will be resolved anytime soon. Take a listen to the video and draw your own conclusions.
part of the presentation
• Bundy Canyon and Clinton Keith widening
For those who may not know, both of these projects have been in the works for years and years.
We got past phase I of Bundy Canyon a couple of years ago, and after the kinks were ironed out (literally), it's a good improvement. Phase II will be from where construction left off to The Farm Road.
Phase III (from The Farm Road to the city line with Menifee) is being planned, but I don't see it on the visible horizon yet.
Neither project has been sent out to bid yet. Cutting to the chase, I'd be very surprised if there is any actual construction before we get to 2027.
Robert Flores takes the job of Community Development Director. He oversees many areas, including the Planning Department and Code Enforcement.
I've had the chance to work with him for many months now, already well-versed in Wildomar. Hopefully, he's not reading this (don't want his head to overinflate lol), but I've heard great things from many people outside of the city apparatus when it comes to working with him.
Even as an interim, I saw him at city park events. Not something I remember too many times from others in the past.
New Graffiti Trailer
I look forward to hearing reports as to how often this gets put into action.
Additional Part-Time Code Enforcement Officer
There was a bit of discussion about when to add this new position, but it got the green light to fill now.
Part of the discussion was regarding the idea of having a workshop where we can dig deeper into what areas of code enforcement should be dealing with.
Fence or not to Fence
Last year we voted 4-1 (Morabito, no) to spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars on a decorative fence around the new flood basin at Bundy Canyon and Monte Vista.
Thankfully, the next month we reversed that.
It came back to the agenda because it needed to be finalized that we were not going to spend money on it.
Here's a link to a blog dealing with it from July of 2024
I learned of his passing shortly after it happened. I reached out to his widow, Lynne, and offered her my condolences.
I told her, "Though my initial instinct would be to write a tribute to Kenny in my blog, I have no interest in using his passing as a reason to get clicks, or, more importantly, cause any level of grief to you."
She was appreciative of my words.
Now that this was part of a city council meeting, I'll add some reflections here.
I first became acquainted with Kenny through his comments/writings at The Patch in mid-2013, and right from the start, we seemed to be on opposite sides of the argument... no matter what it was.
If you search his name and Wildomar Rap, there must be at least 50, if not 100, times his name comes back.
We usually would go round and round, with him on one side and me on the other, but in reality, if you can picture a football field, he was on one forty yard line and I was on the other.
Both really being in the center, just a bit to one side or the other, neither holding extreme views.
I can remember when I was running for city council in 2018 and the city still didn't livestream the meetings (I had taken it upon myself to videotape the meetings and then upload them to YouTube for the public).
Kenny told the council that he wouldn't do any more public comments until they started to livestream.
I remember writing in this blog that he had miscalculated, that he should have gone in the other direction... threaten to speak on each and every item, with borrowed time, until they agreed to livestream the meetings.
Sometime around July of that year I went up to him after a city council meeting and asked him to break his self imposed moratorium on not offering public comments.
I drew this back in 2018.
Fast forward to last year, and I remember getting a little choked up when seeing him at a park event, obviously in the middle of a battle that would eventually take his life.
He was at the park anyway. I went up to him and chatted. It was a pleasant exchange, but within a month, he and I were back at it on social media, as if it was still 2015. lol
On Saturday, November 8, 2025, the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) received information regarding a city of Wildomar public official receiving threats of a criminal nature. The SET deputies immediately assumed the case, and during the investigation, the suspect Cody Salazar, a 38-year-old resident of Murrieta, was positively identified as the individual making the threats.
On November 9, 2025, the SET deputies located and arrested Salazar without incident. Salazar was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for making criminal threats to a public official.
This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details will be released. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Deputy Noel at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at (951) 245-3300.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office takes a zero-tolerance approach to threats against public officials and any member of the public. These types of incidents will receive our full attention, and all investigative steps will be taken to identify and hold accountable individuals who think this type of behavior is acceptable.
As a reminder, "Community Policing" involves partnerships between law enforcement and community members. Business owners and residents are encouraged to report criminal activity directly to law enforcement by calling Sheriff's Dispatch at (951) 776-1099 or 911 in an emergency.
Wildomar Rap opinion time
Quick reminder: the people elected to Wildomar's city council are just regular people in the neighborhood. We're literally your nextdoor neighbor.
We've volunteered to represent the community. It's a privilege and an honor to serve, and it's not as if the residents have to be cheerleaders, you don't have to like us at all... but don't threaten our safety.
I'd like to get deep into details, but this is an ongoing investigation, and therefore, I won't.
I will say that this kind of uncalled for action is one of several reasons why many people choose to stay out of politics, even at the local level, including little ol' Wildomar.
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