City Manager Report - October 2020

Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat

The City of Beaumont and Beaumont Cherry Valley Recreation and Parks District will host a Drive-thru Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 31, 2020 from 5 pm to 8 pm.

The free event will take place at Noble Creek Regional Park, located at 390 W. Oak Valley Parkway.

Event Rules

Wear a mask while receiving candy from volunteers.
Stay in your vehicle at all times.
Drive a a slow/safe speed.
Do not stop along the trail for long periods of time.
Watch for people, signs, etc. while driving in the event area.

The entrance to the event is at the top of the Noble Creek Park near the BCVRPD District Office. To assist with traffic, we encourage you to make 'right in' and right out' turns when entering and exiting the event. Please see map below.

The recent Apple and El Dorado fires have left significant burn scars in the mountains north of Beaumont and the pass area. The regions downhill from a burn scar are particularly at risk from debris flows and flooding, including the northern areas of Beaumont.

Storm Ready Checklist:

Review local flood and evacuation maps
Register with Alert RivCo
Check to see if you have flood insurance
Check BeaumontCa.gov for upcoming public info meetings

Evacuation Zones and Maps

Riverside County Emergency Management Department (EMD) utilizes zones to alert residents of emergencies and to conduct evacuations. By knowing your zone, you will be able to quickly react when evacuations are called for. Some of the areas most affected have limited evacuation routes, so it’s important to plan ahead of time so that you can evacuate safely.

View Evacuation Maps

Emergency Alerts - AlertRivCo

Alert RivCo is used to alert Riverside County and Beaumont residents of urgent actions to take during disasters. Pay attention to these warnings to determine what you need to do and where to go. If you do not evacuate when evacuations are called for you could be isolated and trapped without help for several days.

Sign-up for RivCo Alerts

During evacuation warnings and orders, you should leave immediately and seek shelter outside all evacuation zones. If you are told to evacuate but you stay, you are risking your life. If you do not evacuate when evacuations are called for you could be isolated and trapped without help for several days. Plan ahead, be prepared, and let’s work together to keep our community safe

Flood Insurance

DID YOU KNOW...Most homeowners insurance does not cover floods or flows from natural disasters. Act now. Most flood insurance policies take up to 30 days to go into effect.

To find out more information about how to prepare for a flood event or other information, resources and emergency alert notifications go to BeaumontCA.gov/StormReady

Community Meetings

On Tuesday, October 27, the City of Beaumont and Riverside County Emergency Management Department (EMD) hosted two community meetings to discuss the threat of floods following the Apple and El Dorado Fires.

The informational meetings were the first in a series of events aimed at educating residents on the risks associated with flooding. Beaumont and EMD staff will discuss areas of concern, evacuation maps, preventative measures, and emergency alerts.

Watch the meeting

RivCo Fire Slides

RivCo Flood Control Slides

Beaumont Approves Mid-Year Street Enhancement Program

On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, the Beaumont City Council awarded a contract to begin construction of the 2020 Mid-Year Street Enhancement Project.

The project will consist of slurry seal, asphalt overlay, and asphalt rubber aggregate membrane (ARAM) treatment to approximately 36 lane miles. Construction will be divided into five areas located throughout the downtown area of Beaumont.

Read on...

2020 Municipal and Consolidated General Election

Beaumont Voter Assistance Centers

Beaumont Civic Center | 550 E. 6th Street
Albert A. Chatigny Sr. Community Recreation Center | 1310 Oak Valley Parkway
Noble Creek Community Center | 390 Oak Valley Parkway

Voting Hours

October 31 - November 2, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and

Election Day - November 3, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm

DID YOU KNOW: Voters can sign up to receive automatic notifications by text (SMS), email, or voice message about the status of their ballot, from when it is mailed until it is processed and counted by elections officials. Sign up today: https://WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov

Beaumont Transit Free Fare Program

Beaumont Transit has returned to a modified full-service schedule! In addition to several route modifications, the following public health protocols will be in place:

Face masks are required for all riders.
Load from the rear doors only.
Please stay at least 6 feet back from the driver.
Seats will be closed to ensure social distancing.
Limit 10 riders per bus.

Free Fare Promotion

To encourage ridership, Beaumont Transit will be offering FREE FARES through December 2020.

All Beaumont routes, including commuter links, are eligible for free fares. The free fare promotion is made possible through a grant from the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) funded through the State of California and administered by California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) in coordination with Air Resource Board (ARB) and State Controller’s Office (SCO) in an effort reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Something Big is Coming…

Be on the lookout, Beaumont Transit has a fresh new look coming soon!

Help Shape the Future of Beaumont - Join a Committee or Board!

The City of Beaumont is seeking to fill numerous vacancies on the Board of Administrative Appeals, Economic Development Committee and Finance & Audit Committee, and Planning Commission.

Applications are available online at BeaumontCa.gov and must be received by Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. to be considered for appointment. The Beaumont City Council will conduct a review of applicants at the regularly scheduled meeting of Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Questions regarding the application may be directed to the Deputy City Clerk at (951) 572-3196.

Chief's Corner

Beaumont Police Dispatch now using RapidSOS System

The Dispatch Center at the Beaumont Police Department Is now using RapidSOS, a system that provides potentially life-saving GPS-based location information to dispatchers after a community member has placed a call to 911.

During a time of crisis or emergency it is not uncommon for residents to be unable to give the emergency dispatcher their exact location. Callers may be unable to communicate or be unfamiliar with the city. Having the ability to give assistance as quickly and efficiently as possible requires an accurate location.

The current 911-system in California provides the location of callers based on the latitude and longitude of nearby cell towers in the area the person is calling from. Receiving this information can be slow and at times unreliable when dispatchers need exact locations. The RapidSOS system uses enhanced methods to utilize the GPS location directly from the caller’s wireless device rather than relying solely on cell towers. The device-based information increases location accuracy and the speed with which the dispatcher can locate the caller.

When RapidSOS is utilized, information from the Emergency Location Service in both Android and iPhone devices is provided to the dispatcher through the RapidSOS Portal. The caller’s location is shown on a map, along with a possible radius of where the caller might be. As the caller stays connected to 911, the location of the device continuously updates the RapidSOS system. If the caller is moving, the dispatcher can see the direction the device is heading so help can be sent quickly and efficiently.

As a possible example: Beaumont Police received a call from a juvenile who was being followed on her way to school. The child did not know the name of the street she was on, but as the dispatcher kept her on the line the location of the child’s phone continued to update in RapidSOS. Help was sent to the area without the caller ever being able to tell the dispatcher what street she was on.

Dispatchers are trained to confirm with callers where they are calling from. In instances where the location is unknown, or they are unable to provide this information, RapidSOS is a resource the Beaumont Police Department now have to better serve its community during emergencies.

The City of Beaumont has partnered with Riverside County Office on Aging and Family Service Association (FSA) to provide free meals to seniors in the Beaumont community.

The program will be held every Thursday from 10am to 12pm. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, meals will be served to-go on a first come, first served basis. Participants will receive five nutritious frozen meals, bread, milk and fruit.

The program is open to all in-need seniors over the age of 60. The CRC is located at 1310 Oak Valley Parkway. For more information, please contact Beaumont Parks and Recreation at (951) 769-8524.

Facebook Contests!

Beaumont Parks and Recreation ALWAYS has a fun virtual activity or contest taking place on our NEW Facebook Page. Be sure to follow @BMTparks and join in the fun!

Lego Build Winner Hezekiah and his dream playground made entirely of LEGOS!

Berenice took first place in our Halloween Bake-Off with her Mickey Mouse cake!

Playgrounds Now Open!

Please be sure to follow all posted rules when using playgrounds.

COVID-19 Updates

Riverside County officials: It’s up to all of us to return to red.

Get tested.

Riverside County officials remind residents that returning swiftly to the red tier of the state’s reopening framework is based on the actions that all of us take – including getting tested.

Returning to red tier so that more businesses can return indoors as quickly as possible means that all residents must remain vigilant and get tested. Getting tested is a critical step to early intervention that slows the spread to others.

Read on...

Guidance for Private Gatherings

All gatherings pose a higher risk of transmission and spread of COVID-19 when people mix from different households and communities. The likelihood of transmission and spread increases with laughing, singing, loud talking and difficulty maintaining physical distance. Limiting attendance at gatherings is a way to reduce the risk of spread as it lowers the number of different people who are interacting.

View CDPH Guidance for Private Gatherings

Funding & Assistance Programs

The Beaumont City Council has approved a $100,000 Household Assistance Grant Program to aid residents who have experienced significant economic impacts and hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant program targets residents of Beaumont who have experienced reductions in income, furloughs, or layoffs due to State and County health orders. Qualified households may be eligible to receive a one-time grant in the amount ranging from $500 for single-member households to $1,500 for households with two or more members.

Household Assistance Grant Criteria:

Must be a permanent resident of the City of Beaumont who has resided in the City since January 1, 2020.
Must be able to demonstrate income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic from no earlier than March 1, 2020.
Household members for whom income is to be considered must be at least 18 years of age.
Combined household income cannot exceed $52,000 - 80% of the adjusted median income for Riverside County.

Household Assistance Grant application period opens Monday, November 2, and closes at 5 pm on Monday, November 16. Grants are awarded on a non-competitive basis. A drawing for funds will take place should qualifying applications exceed available funds. For more information and to apply, please visit BeaumontCA.gov.