Fellow Feature: Spotlight on Jurupa Valley

The WRCOG Public Service Fellowship is pleased to feature Michelle Holguin, Fellow for the City of Jurupa Valley, for her outstanding presentation at the City of Riverside’s Faith Summit earlier this month. The Faith Summit was a tri-city collaboration between Riverside, Corona, and Jurupa Valley as they attempt to address growing concerns with homelessness. Northwest Riverside County jurisdictions were recently awarded a BEYOND grant to help fund efforts aimed at addressing homelessness in their jurisdictions. At the event, Michelle provided an update to more than 200 non-profit, elected official, and faith-based leaders on how Jurupa Valley is working to combat this challenge. Michelle is a Master’s of Public Health candidate at California Baptist University and hopes to use her experience as a Fellow to further public health administration and policy in Riverside County after her Fellowship concludes in March 2018.

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How Technology is Helping Bring the Cost of Land Conservation Down

RCHCA and other conservation land managers continually work to control non-native weeds from displacing native Californian wildflowers and animals that depend on them for food, including the Stephen’s kangaroo rat (SKR). Currently, land managers depend on labor intensive walking surveys to identify new growth of weeds, which results in the weeds being well established and difficult to eradicate by the time they are detected.   Searching for a faster and less expensive method, RCHCA researched advances in technology and discovered the agricultural community is using remote sensing technology to increase crop yields. Using the same technology and an inexpensive drone, RCHCA can perform material classifications of weeds. RCHCA, in consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers, is now collecting this data for high priority weeds and initial results are promising. RCHCA’s drone can autonomously survey 500 acres per hour—the same amount of work that used to take a person an entire week!  RCHCA looks forward to finally having a means to identify and manage weeds before they become a significant problem to ensure valuable SKR habitat now and in the future, and substantially lower costs of land management.

Harry Sandoval using a drone for weed surveys.

Brian Shomo using classic surveying methods in RCHCA's conservation land.

Looking Forward: Where are Commuters Working?

Region-wide strategies for attracting and retaining quality businesses, preparing our workforce for in-demand jobs and keeping them local, and other economic development goals remain at the top of local government priority lists.  WRCOG is looking into conducting a commuting study that would examine travel patterns of residents commuting out of Riverside County to work in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties.  A key aspect of this study would evaluate the types of industries and specific businesses where these employees are leaving the region to work, who could then be targeted to relocate into Riverside County to reduce the amount of workers “exported” out to adjacent counties.  To tailor the study to the unique attributes of our region, the study would survey local businesses to find out what reasons they had for opening their doors here in Western Riverside County, and examine what tourism sectors are attracting employers, employees, and visitors to better strategize for the future.  Stay tuned for more info!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes Aren’t the Only Thing to be Excited About this Fall

We are one season closer to winter! It’s time to get excited for the Western Riverside Energy Partnership (WREP) 2017 Holiday LED Light Exchange. Over the past three years, WREP has distributed thousands of LED holiday string lights at community events and encouraged residents to save energy through various residential efficiency tips from SCE and SoCal Gas.  The following cities are confirmed to participate in the 2017 LED Holiday Light Exchange (dates below): Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, and Moreno Valley. There is still one spot available for another city to participate, contact us if interested!

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City of Temecula: I-15/SR-79 Interchange

In June 2017, the City of Temecula started construction on the I-15 / SR-79 Interchange Project, for which the TUMF Program will contribute $10 million in funding. The project will realign the southbound on- and off-ramps and widen the northbound on- and off-ramps. A new bridge will also be constructed over Temecula Parkway. The estimated cost of the construction phase is $24 million and is anticipated to be completed in December 2018.

Grant Writing Assistance Program

WRCOG has created a “bench” of consultants to provide grant writing assistance to member agencies on a first-come, first-served basis. Consultants will assist members with the grant application process only, not management of subsequent awards or actual project implementation. For this pilot, WRCOG will provide assistance with grant applications for the following programs: Active Transportation Program, Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program, Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, grants related to electric vehicle and alternative fuels, and other planning grant opportunities.

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Now there's a bus with faster service, a more modern look, and a whole new attitude. Say hello to RapidLink.

On August 28, 2017, the Riverside Transit Agency launched its express bus service between the Corona Transit Center and UC Riverside along Magnolia and University Avenues. The RapidLink Gold Line service has its own designated buses and bus stops and serves 14 locations including the Galleria at Tyler and the Riverside Plaza. During peak commuting hours, buses will depart every 15 minutes, and is expected to provide service up to 30 percent faster than other buses along the same route.

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Regional Streetlight Program

LED Lamps reduce costs, use less energy, and improve neighborhood watch. Eleven jurisdictions in Western Riverside County are working with WRCOG and Southern California Edison (SCE) to acquire 48,000 streetlights and retrofit them to energy efficient LEDs. Retrofitting these streetlights to LED will provide a better quality of light for residents within the subregion, and achieve some of the following utility, energy, and environmental savings:

California Legislature Passes Major PACE Consumer Protections

With bipartisan support, the California Legislature overwhelmingly approved two bills aimed at further improving consumer protections for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs, some of which WRCOG already employs through its residential and commercial PACE programs. SB 242 (Skinner) and AB 1284 (Dababneh) will be provide a more comprehensive consumer protection framework to help ensure positive outcomes for homeowners. These bills are now on Governor Jerry Brown's desk awaiting his signature. If chaptered, here’s a sneak peek at key changes to PACE that would go into effect as a result of SB 242 and AB 1284: Requires a recorded, live, confirmation of terms call between the PACE provider and property owner before they sign their assessment contract. Establishes an expanded “right to cancel” for a property owner using PACE, protecting them from being obligated to pay for a project without a viable means of financing. Prevents PACE providers from disclosing to contractors the amount of funds the property owner is eligible for under a PACE assessment. Standardizes the current underwriting standards in PACE, based on home equity and on-time mortgage and tax payment history, and requires that the most accurate Automated Valuation Models are used for establishing the value of the home.  Establishes new underwriting criteria, based on income verification and ability to pay, to determine if property owners can meet their annual PACE obligation.

SAVE THE DATE! November 15, 2017 Organics Recycling Lunch & Learn

California’s next recycling frontier is organics. We've arrived here after a long history of evolving State law, which most recently established a goal of reaching 75% diversion of materials from landfills by 2020. CalRecycle estimates the state will have to move about 22 million more tons of organics and other green waste materials from disposal to a recycling process each year to reach this goal. That’s a lot of trash. Recycling organic food scraps and green waste from commercial businesses and households is a critical piece of achieving the state’s targets. To help communities prepare for these challenges WRCOG is hosting a Solid Waste Lunch & Learn on November 15, 2017: Organics Today, Cleaner Earth Tomorrow . Attendees will gain information on how businesses, educators, government agencies and even local residents are already finding success in keeping organics from being dumped in landfills. Event Details When: Wednesday, November 15, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Where: Wildomar Council Chambers, 23873 Clinton Keith Rd, Wildomar, CA 92595 Cost: Free to attend! RSVP: By November 1 to Dolores Badillo, (951) 955-8306, dbadillo@wrcog.us Hans Kernkamp, Director of the Riverside County Waste Management Department, will be the keynote speaker. Included in the lineup of panelists is Jeff Kurtz, General Manager of the Promenade Mall in Temecula. The regional mall established a food waste program, which is saving the mall money on their trash bill and setting a positive example for businesses in terms of protecting the environment.   In other environmental news, WRCOG was at O’Reilly Auto Parts on September 9 in Riverside and residents exchanged 65 used oil filters for new, free filters and recycled over 175 gallons of oil!

Executive Director's Column

We hear time and time again homelessness knows no geographical boundaries and has no political affiliation. And it is true, homelessness exists in every state in the nation, however, it is endemic to California. It is no coincidence; California is home to some of the nation’s most expensive cities to live in. The underlying issues behind homelessness are multifaceted and complex; they include substance addiction, job loss, mental health disorders, affordable housing shortages, and early release of lower-level criminal offenders.   Although these issues have increased the magnitude of homelessness in California, one underlying issue often overlooked is the notion of “deinstitutionalization” and the effect it had in the years immediately following implementation and even now. The term “deinstitutionalization” refers to the federal policy shift that occurred from 1955 through 1994 that effectively decreased the number of patients obtaining treatment within mental health facilities. According to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) , based on a 1997 study, in 1955 there were 37,211 patients in public mental hospitals in California, compared to just 9,814 in 1994—a decrease of 89% despite exponential growth that saw the state’s population increase by roughly 18.4 million people during that same period. The closing of public psychiatric institutions and the release of patients was rooted in the belief that mentally ill patients deserve the “greatest degree of freedom, self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and integrity of body, mind, and spirit for the individual, while he or she participates in treatment or receives services,” according to President Jimmy Carter’s Commission on Mental Health. As with many public policies, however, this shift had serious implications for communities throughout California, leading to the discharge of mentally ill patients without providing the medical and restorative attention each patient needed to live comfortably in their communities post-release. Without these resources, many ended up incarcerated with mandatory criminal sentences for breaking laws by committing lewd acts, disturbing the peace, and drug possession, as reported in the PBS article. Fast forward to today; the latest recession—and periods of high unemployment, inflation, and ballooning housing costs that came with it— have further exacerbated the issue. In Riverside county this year, the number of homeless individuals is on the rise for the first time since 2011, according to point-in-time counts. Agencies in Western Riverside County have banded together to address the issue collaboratively, again recognizing this challenge knows no jurisdictional limitations. The County of Riverside and City of Riverside have been leaders on this effort, and recently momentum is growing behind the exploration of innovative solutions such as “housing first” models, coalition-building, and partnerships with the faith-based community. Many of WRCOG's member jurisdictions are adopting a Regional Homelessness Statement of Principles that was approved by the Executive Committee in early 2017. The Principles acknowledge ten key areas that the collective “we” must work on to spur meaningful change. In summary these ten principles are: 1.   Standardize ordinances 2.   Connect local homeless population to resources 3.   Balance the provision of services across the County 4.   Advertise local resources for the homeless population 5.   Launch “Responsible Compassion” region-wide educational campaign 6.   Participate in Riverside County Homeless Point in Time Count 7.   Utilize the Coordinated Entry System (CES) 8.   Identify quality, affordable housing opportunities 9.   Work towards permanent and diverse funding stream 10. Engage faith-based and non-profit organizations The County of Riverside Department of Social Services administers homeless services as part of a network of other resources to support homeless individuals. WRCOG's BEYOND local assistance program awarded over $230,000 to member jurisdictions' efforts to address homelessness. Broadly, these funds are supporting the Southwest Riverside County Regional Homeless Alliance and the Western Riverside Homeless Collaborative—two multi-faceted partnerships dedicated to collaborating resources and exploring ways to implement the ten principles mentioned above. While it’s too early to measure success of these targeted efforts, the momentum behind a coordinated, regional approach to homelessness is promising, especially as the strong linkages to economic development, public health, and environmental sustainability become increasingly apparent. WRCOG will continue to keep our members and community updated as we work to help the subregion foster creative ways to tackle the pervasive challenge of homelessness.

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