• City Council Meeting October 2025

It was a very light meeting this month. Still, there were a few nuggets to share.

TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING

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• See-Click-Fix App
• Palomar Road Improvements
• Shed Set Backs
• Shipping Containers

Meeting Recap

1.8 See Click Fix and CivicRec

These are two apps that will facilitate reporting issues around town (potholes, et al) and will be available in either the Google Play Store or the Apple Store. 

This isn't an official image.

If you're from SeeClickFix,

you're welcome, and feel free to use it gratis.

CivicRec is a recreational software that helps with facility rentals of all sorts. It'll streamline the current process that's in place and also offer a calendar of things happening throughout the year.

There was some initial confusion as to how the public would use the SeeClickFix app. At first, it seemed as if there'd need to be two different approaches to reporting matters in the city. 

One for code enforcement, and one for public works.

Thankfully, City Manager Chris Mann made it clear that there will only be one interface for residents once the rollout of this software is complete.

The timeline is within six months that these apps should be operational.

1.17 Budget Adjustment - Palomar St. Widening

This item was on the consent calendar (routine matter) but I asked for the item to be pulled to hear the staff report.

Cutting to the chase, there are no cost overruns and the project is on time (to be finished ). The reason for this item is that it straddled two different fiscal years, and there was more work added.

Gruwell will be getting some modifications to smooth out the curve that leads into Orange Street.

2.2 Development Code Amendment No. 2025-05A (Sheds & Accessory Dwelling Units)

The ADU portion of this was bringing Wildomar codes into compliance with new state codes. 

The setbacks are going from five feet to two feet for side and backyards. 

If you have a shed on the front portion of your property, they aren't allowed on the property line.

The last item I'm highlighting came during the City Manager's Report: Shipping Containers.

The current rule is that you are NOT allowed to have a shipping container on property that is smaller than five acres. 

I don't know how many five-acre parcels are in Wildomar, but I can tell you most that have shipping containers on them aren't anywhere near five acres. 

Usually, there isn't very much discussion on City Manager items, but this one went on for more than ten minutes with the creation of an ad hoc committee comprised of Dustin Nigg and Bridgette Moore to investigate the matter further. 

If the video link isn't working, try this link.

The video is cued up to the City Manager's Report

Since it's an ongoing matter, I'll save deep analysis for a later time, but I can say that I'm interested in taking a deeper look into this since so many are well out of compliance (having a shipping container on less than five acres), and I don't think it's fair to them to leave them in limbo.

If you have opinions one way or the other on shipping container ordinances, please email the subcommittee with them. 

You can send your emails to the city clerk (jmorales@wildomar.gov) and ask her to forward them to the subcommittee.

• Special City Council Meeting September 26, 2025

Congratulations, Chris, or should I say, "Mr. City Manager!"

The only item on the agenda was to ratify the new, four-year contract for Wildomar's 6th City Manager, Chris Mann. 

I look forward to working with him even more now that the "interim" restraints have been removed. Let's go get 'em!

There were two votes that were part of the process.

One in closed session, which was reported out as 5-0 to select Chris Mann to be the permanent City Manager.

Joseph Morabito and Chris Mann at the 2025 Temecula State of the City event.

The second vote was regarding the contract, it went 4-1, with Councilman Joseph Morabito (the guy writing this blog) voting not to approve.

My reasoning didn't change from my no vote back in April when Chris was hired on as Interim City Manager. 

To respect the process, and the law (the ever-looming Brown Act), I can't get into the particulars of how the contract was cobbled together (closed session restrictions), but I'll sum it up this way while being as nice as I possibly can be...

Five amateurs were dealing with a professional, and in my estimation, it's evident in the final product, i.e., the contract. 

Note to self, too many chefs ruin the stew, or is it supposed to be the "pudding"?
Key to the cartoon, Joseph Morabito is the odd man out on the left side. 

To be fair, the negotiating subcommittee of the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem, spent a lot of time during this process, and were able to change the first iterations of a contract from something that would have been rejected 5-0, to one that passed 4-1.

For many observers, when both sides of a negotiation don't get what they wanted at the outset, that signifies a good deal.

Key details of the contract:
• $281,000 with an automatic COLA based on CPI

• Four Year Deal

• 12 Month Severance, Paid Monthly (hopefully never needed)

• Automobile Allowance: Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) monthly

• Deferred Comp: The City shall annually contribute into the qualified 457 account in the City Manager’s name the maximum annual contribution, including any age-related and “catch up” provisions.

The first year is an additional $20,000 (low estimate on my end) and once he reaches age 50 (in two years) an additional $7500 per year is paid by the city.

Link to full contract if you'd like to take a look at it.

Wildomar Rap opinion time

I can almost hear it now, "Hey Joseph, why are you speaking out of both sides of your mouth here?"

"How can you congratulate the new City Manager and at the same time vote against the contract?"

Easy, two different things can exist at the same time. 

Obviously, I'm out of step with the other four-fifths of the council on this. 

In my view, the contract is too rich for Wildomar. I saw that back in April, and my opinion didn't change over the Summer.

One argument, a pretty solid one if you're of that mindset, is that a city should hire someone for City Manager who will bring many years of experience, which generally comes with a high dollar payout. 

My argument has long been that Wildomar can't compete with larger cities, and it's folly to attempt to. Wildomar can prosper while staying in our own lane. The City of Wildomar is a good place, strike that, a GREAT place to work. 

If a prospective employee's career path leans more heavily in the direction of top compensation in their field, that's perfectly fine, but they'd be walking down the wrong lane if they're expecting Wildomar's name to be at the bottom of the check.

If what they value is a slower, more personal pace —the kind our small city offers compared to the 100,000-population-club cities, then Wildomar would be the spot in SWRivCo where they should look.

A N A L O G Y    T I M E

Here's Joseph about to wade into dangerous waters. 

No, not by talking about verboten negotiation details, I already said that wasn't going to happen... but even worse... POLITICS. 

Instead of a baseball analogy, I'm going to use examples from the current crop of national political figures. 

We know that there are young up-and-comers in both major political parties, no matter how much you may hate one or both of the options, (stick with me a sec).

In this analogy, I'm going to use JD Vance, or, if you prefer, Pete Buttigieg (don't get bogged down here, lol). 

These are considered to be talented people at the younger end of their political careers. For many, the two stand out as all-stars, with many suggesting them for the highest office in the land, though others argue they’re still in the formative years of proving themselves.

I would have preferred we go in that direction, an up-and-comer, because it comes at less of a price tag and at least the same level of work and dedication, as (in my estimation) the candidate would be doubly motivated to show their selection was the right one.

Try this on for size

Imagine if we had snagged Chris Mann for his first City Manager job back in 2019, instead of Canyon Lake, we'd have been getting the up-and-comer, which I believe such commodities still exist, and with the lower price tag I've been pointing to.

He's living proof of such... right?

► If AI can be trusted as a source

Chris Mann's first annual salary as Canyon Lake city manager, starting March 1, 2019, was $165,000. 

This was confirmed by the Canyon Lake City Council's approval of his first raise on April 1, 2020, which brought his salary to $165,000

Salary: In May 2022, following a performance evaluation, his annual salary was increased to $200,000. At the time, he was noted as the lowest-paid city manager in Riverside County.

But we're here now, and I'm confident that Wildomar will do well under his tutelage. My lingering reservations were never about his abilities, just the weight of the contract.

Joseph Morabito, the lone ‘no’ vote on the contract, volunteered to swap the nameplate from ‘Interim City Manager’ to ‘City Manager’ and was the first to offer a handshake, symbolizing unity despite his earlier dissent.

Yes, speaking in the third person is lame, but sometimes it just seems to fit better. 

Final note:

I caution you to NOT miscontrue the basic points above. 

I do not think Wildomar should seek to underpay city employees, just for us to recognize our limitations and work within that rubric. If, by chance, you missed that point, I apologize for any ambiguity. 

• Special City Council Meeting September 24, 2025

"City Council provided direction and reached an agreement with the interim city manager for a permanent employment agreement"

After a four hour closed session meeting, the Wildomar City Council came to an agreement to sign Chris Mann to a four year contract. 

It will be finalized at a special meeting at 4pm, Friday the 26th.

Look for the contract in the agenda packet, which should be released before the end of the day of September 25th. 

The bullet points include a salary of $281,000 for four years with 12 months of severance. 

City Attorney Thomas Jex reads the report from the closed session.

Below is the report from the meeting. No votes were taken just an agreement was reached by the council as a body.

"The City Council met in closed session with respect to the items on the closed session agenda, and the City Council Provided direction and reached an agreement with the interim city manager for a permanent employment agreement. 

Which will be on a regular meeting City Council agenda on September 26th at 4 p.m. So this meeting will adjourn to a regular adjourned meeting of September 26th 2025 at 4 p.m That concludes the report."

If the video isn't showing above, use this link.

• City Council Meeting September 2025

This meeting had a very light agenda.  

TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING

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• Introduction of Captain Boydd
• Update on Flock Cameras
• City Manager Discusses Tres Lagos Concerns
• Mayor Closes Meeting in Charlie Kirk's Honor

At the top of the meeting was a recognition of US Constitution Week, by Daughters of the American Revolution.

Meeting Recap

Captain Mark Boydd, 26 years as part of RSO.

Now Wildomar's "Chief" of Police, though his rank of Captain remains, and our law enforcement is through the Sheriff's Department, not a police department.

Here's a slide from the Flock Camera update. I'll provide a link to the five-slide presentation here. LINK

Look at the stolen vehicle numbers in this graph (red font). They've gone down year after year since the cameras were installed. Is it a coincidence or are the cameras a deterrent? Something the department is tracking.

1.7 Rejection of Blackseries RV, Inc. Government Act Claim

I've been going to city council meetings since 2013, and this is the first time I remember seeing such a thing on an agenda.

There were two public comments on the item, but other than that, there isn't anything to report beyond what you see here. 

From the agenda: 
DISCUSSION: Under the Act, most actions seeking money or damages against a public entity, or a public employee acting within the scope of employment in California, must be preceded by a proper administrative claim (Gov. Code, § 905 et seq.) Here, the Claimant filed the Claim with the City alleging that the City improperly converted Claimant’s property (i.e., trailers and forklifts), estimated in the Claim to be valued at approximately $3.78 million.

1.8 Consultation Services for Preparation of a Strategic Plan 

Review and comment on a proposed RFP for a strategic plan consultant

This was just to approve a Request For Proposal, but I have serious reservations about going forward with engaging a consultant for these purposes. 

To me, this is one of those "wants" over "needs" moments... and at the cost of an estimated $100,000 I can't imagine why we make such a move at this juncture in Wildomar's history.

Maybe if my three-year-old grandson moves to Wildomar and runs for city council, at that time, maybe such an idea would be worth funding.

Link to 30 page report

1.7 Ordinance Amending

This was helping streamline the process of park rental issues. An example before the amendments was that the city council had to approve things that are better handled at the staff level. 

There was also language amended when it came to parking (leaving cars) at the park. For some reason, the previous language allowed for 144 hours before a car would be cited or towed. Now there are zero hours that a car can be left overnight without prior consent.

3.2 Health Benefit Allotment

In short, as you probably deal with in your own lives, every year the cost of healthcare goes up at rates that typically outpace inflation (that's its own discussion for another day). This is an effort to simplify the yearly process while bringing in some cost savings at the same time.

This will still allow for employees to be fully covered and include options for spouses and dependents. 

The idea behind offering a cash-in-lieu option is to disincentivize employees from double-dipping if they're already receiving coverage elsewhere (from their spouse). 

So then the question would be, "Do we want to cover the employees or not?" and since the answer is "Yes", instead of having to go through this every year, knowing there's going to be [costs] outpacing inflation, it makes sense to come up with this [idea].

  —Joseph Morabito, September 10, 2025

City Manager Report

"On the topic of Tres Lagos, we hear you..."

Please watch the comments from Interim City Manager Chris Mann regarding Tres Lagos.  

Here's a link if you can't see the video in the blog.

Future Agenda Items

I asked that we look into anti-loitering ordinances to address the bus stop in front of Tres Lagos. 

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The meeting was closed with a few words by Mayor Ashlee DePhillippo regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

► Mayor Ashlee DePhillippo

Coming into this meeting, these meetings today, I had a lot on my mind, and as many of us today, we're coming into preparing for tonight, learned of the shocking and tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

This is not political. 

Soon after the announcement of his death, I heard a chorus of definitive bipartisan denouncements of his assassination and the assassination of political violence of any kind. 

We would like to join that chorus and emphatically stand against the political violence of all kinds. 

We must always protect and preserve ours and others' First Amendment rights, including the right to political speech, which Mr. Kirk dedicated his life to and perhaps ironically lost his life exercising. 

Our hearts go out to all who loved Mr. Kirk, to those who witnessed this tragedy, and the pain and suffering that they will endure having witnessed it.

And we close this meeting in his honor.

• City Council Meeting August 2025

 Biggest takeaway: Additional gas stations and car washes no longer permitted in Wildomar.

  TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING

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• Alexis Perez and Johnny Santos Recognized For Their Acts of Heroism
• No More Gas Stations or Car Washes in Wildomar
• New Top Lieutenant For Wildomar
• Seed Library at the Library
• City Council Meetings to Be Livestreamed on YouTube
• Restriping of Widomar Trail at the Freeway Inches Closer

Meeting Recap

Honoring residents Alexis Perez and Johnny Santos for their quick actions in helping at the scene of a traffic collision and putting out fires.

Photo courtesy of Cory Gorham

Agenda item 2.1 was passed 4-0 to disallow any new gas stations or car washes anywhere in the city, and limit any new storage facilities to industrial zoned areas. 

If it's not already obvious, the barn is Wildomar, the horses are gas stations and car washes, and the farmers are the city council. Joseph Morabito is the little guy near the pony. 😂

Note that several already approved, but unbuilt, gas stations and car washes are in the pipeline. 

There is a new "Beyond Gas" that is in the grading phase of development on Clinton Keith at Elizabeth Lane. 

The same group had put a pre-application in for a second location on Clinton Keith, at the empty corner on Palomar. 

Also, safely out of the barn, are FIVE more car washes, which, if my count is accurate, come with two more gas stations.

For more details, please watch the video. The link will be at the bottom of the blog. Just click on Item 2.1, and you'll be directed to that portion of the meeting.

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Lieutenant Dave Clark is making way for Lieutenant Jeff Reese

I was looking for some pictures to share, but couldn't find any except for the back of their heads from the video of the meeting. lol, not happening.

Jeff Reese has spent many years in our area. He was assigned to the Lake Elsinore Station back in 2017 when he was a new sergeant.  He also oversaw the SET team in Wildomar for about two years.

Dave Clark will still be in the area as he's now assigned to Lake Elsinore.

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Seed Library at the Library

I know that this could easily be overlooked, but what a great asset to the community. Unless you're a farmer looking to plant 50 tomato plants or 20 zucchini plants, you'll end up with a lot of leftover seeds if you buy a package of seeds. 

This gives you a chance to buy a package of seeds and then share them with the community, or, just go to the library to see if you can score some free seeds.

There will be many other types of seeds besides vegetable seeds.

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Wildomar to f.i.n.a.l.l.y. get a free YouTube channel

I was lobbying to have Facebook Livestream also included, but the consensus was to just use YouTube at this point in time. 

I anticipate that the September city council meeting will be on YouTube.

I'd been pushing for this since before being elected to the city council. Finally, the excuses for why we were avoiding the world's largest video platform were vanquished! 

Thank you, Mr. Interim City Manager. 😁

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Saving the best for last: Public Works Update

I've included a standalone video (hosted on Wildomar Rap's YouTube channel). I suggest that you play it and listen to the nearly twenty minutes of updates and five plus minutes of questions and comments so that you can get a detailed update of what's happening in our city.

For those of you who prefer bullet points of key projects, here goes: 

• Wildomar Trail restriping at the freeway is still on track, but the timeline is said to be 6 to 8 months. I asked if that meant it should be done before next Summer, and the answer was 'yes'.

• Safe left turn from Shell on Bundy at the Sellers traffic signal.

• Palomar widening from Wildomar Trail to north of Gruwell is on schedule and should be completed before the end of the year. Though there will be lane closures from time to time. Plan ahead, and take a different route when that's happening.

• The work at the corner of Monte Vista and Bundy Canyon by Riverside County Flood Control should be finished by the end of the year (November was mentioned). 

The street hasn't been repaired yet, though it's now open. 

• Traffic signal improvements 

Other matters from the meeting

2.3 Adoption of Revised Fire Safety and Prevention Fee Schedule

3.2 Addition of Fire Safety Specialist Position 

Wildomar Rap opinion time

I'm sure that these previous two items are very important, even though up to this point in time, mankind has survived just fine without such constant incursions from the State into every facet of our lives. 

Just remember, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction... which generally comes in the form of higher costs for everyone.

There was much more at the meeting, so please cue up the video and take a look.

Click this link to access the official video of the meeting.