Water Debate Update

12 Jul 2012 1 Comment

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Currupt, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Mike Story, Protest, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, Uncategorized, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Rialto Now readers we have some news on the front lines of our water debate. Yes the city made a horrible decision to not place the American Water sell off on the November Ballot, it seems if these reports are true they are finally listening, but why now? Well Councilman Ed Palmer is running for re-election on a failed platform of being there for the community & calling the city on wasteful spending that lasted a little more than a year and died. Reports are that Councilman Ed Scott isn’t seeking another term as Councilman and is seeking the job of Mayor as current Mayor Vargas is ending her time as mayor. As well as Councilwoman Deborah Robertson is also taking another stab at Mayor but her seat on council isn’t up for grabs this go around.

So with Deborah Robertson was absent and the city decided to change its course on the outsource water agreement and the 2 possibilities are Veolia North American who currently works with our waste water systems and East Valley Water District (EVWD) that currently services the top portion of the city’s water services and has worked on removing perchlorate groundwater plume.

What is important now is to continue the pressure and make sure we know about any concession agreement from here on out, we are allowed to ask questions for clarity and that the City Council stops referring to any balloon payment from any other outside companies as Redevelopment money. I have had personal conversations with people inside the state controllers office that such money may fall into the states preview to take since all RDS’s departments are no to be eliminated. Call it what it is money the RUA has owed the general fund for years………….

Ed Scott said that the thing holding up our In & Out project was the state finishing up with old RDA projects. He later said he didn’t know why things were taking so long and blamed the City Staff for not keeping Council informed of time lines and issues.

Were looking for Honest hard-working people to fill Council seats, if the news is difficult give it to use straight and allow us the community to see where we can help make the hard choices for our community together. Also we need Council Members that let us know we are heard, listen to us and don’t bark at us when you don’t like what we say.

American Water is out as operator for Rialto

Jim Steinberg, Staff Writersbsun.com

Posted:   07/10/2012 10:33:57 PM PDT

The yearlong suspense over whether New Jersey-based American Water Works Co. Inc. will manage Rialto’s water and wastewater system is over – it will not.”My gosh this is wonderful. I hated those people (American Water). I don’t feel comfortable with a company on the Stock Exchange,” said Toni Volinski, a longtime Rialto resident, who has been opposed to the American Water deal from the get-go.

“We wouldn’t have a lot of control – and that frightened me,” she said.

The financial backer of the 30-year concession agreement that made American Water the manager of Rialto’s water and wastewater department has removed American Water as the operator, Peter Luchetti, authorized officer of Rialto Water Services LP, wrote Mike Story, Rialto’s city administrator.

Leading the list of potential replacement operators, Luchetti wrote, is Veolia North American, which has managed Rialto’s wastewater treatment plant for years and nearby West Valley Water District, which has been a long-time partner with Rialto in the cleanup effort for a large perchlorate groundwater plume.

At its June 26 meeting, the council voted 4-1 to approve a rate increase that would propel water and sewer rates 114.8 percent by 2016.

Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott, in an interview Tuesday, said he and councilman Ed Palmer, who led a subcommittee to evaluate water service alternatives for Rialto, had told Rialto Water Services that a substitute for American Water was needed.

Scott said a well-organized resistance to American Water necessitated the action to find another company to manage Rialto’s water operations.

Scott was referring to the campaigns organized by the the Utility Workers Union of America. “Replacement of American Water would be excellent news and a victory for Rialto ratepayers,” Mark Brooks, a union spokesman, said.

The Utility Workers Union has several contract issues with American Water across the country.

This is the Letter From Mark Brooks & Stop Rialto Water Rate Hikes.

Dear Rialto friends and neighbors:

I am writing to let you know about a potential huge victory for ratepayers in Rialto!

Although this may seem like a “good news/bad news” story, in our view Rialto citizens are on the verge of overturning the City Council’s very bad decision to contract out the City’s water system to for-profit American Water Company.

But first the bad news: 

Last week four members of the City Council decided not to place our referendum challenging the Concession Agreement for the water and wastewater system on the ballot for a public vote.*  A majority of the City Council – everyone EXCEPT Council Member Baca – made this absurd decision, even though the County and the City have both certified the fact that we submitted far more than enough signatures from Rialto voters to place this issue on the ballot.

We believe the City’s excuse for not placing this issue on the ballot – that we supposedly failed to attach the entire 1,600 page Concession Agreement to our voter petitions – is completely bogus.  There is nothing in California law that would require us to do this.  In addition, even if the City Council thought it had any grounds to refuse to place this issue on the ballot, the City is ignoring the long-standing California procedure that is required to ignore a valid referendum petition submitted by the voters.

We believe the four members of the City Council who made this decision are engaged in a desperate attempt to prevent Rialto voters from passing judgment on the proposed Concession Agreement.

And now for the good news:

We have received reports that the City may replace American Water as the proposed operator for Rialto’s water system under the Concession Agreement!

If the City indeed makes this decision, this will be a huge victory for Rialto ratepayers.  The City’s own reports have consistently shown that for-profit American Water’s participation in this deal is one of the important reasons for the proposed water rate hikes.

What’s more, we understand that neighboring West Valley Water District might be a “preferred” replacement to operate the City’s water system.

Although the UWUA has never taken any position on who should operate the City’s water system (other than the City itself), in our view this would be good news for Rialto.  West Valley is a neighboring public water system – rather than an out-of-state corporation like American Water – and already provides water services to roughly half the City of Rialto.   Moreover, we believe American Water has a demonstrated track record of hostility toward the rights of utility workers.

So what about the referendum petition?

Unfortunately, the City Council’s decision not to place the referendum on the ballot probably means that someone would have to incur considerable legal expenses to sue the City to overturn this misguided decision.  The UWUA is not in a position to incur these significant expenses at this time.

Even so, you should know that any Rialto voter who signed the petition against the City Council’s decision may have the right to sue.  Obviously this would be a big undertaking.  Moreover, we believe any Rialto voter or group interested in pursuing that fight should act immediately!  We may be able to refer any Rialto group or voter interested in pursuing this further to appropriate attorneys.

Celebrate the victory!

There can be no doubt that – if indeed he City reverses its decision to contract out Rialto’s water system to American Water – this victory will be a direct result of your many efforts over the past year to oppose the Council’s misguided decisions!

In our view, any decision to replace American Water as the operator of the Rialto water system would be a huge victory – for ratepayers and for workers.  As we have said many times before, any deal to contract out the City’s water system to American Water would be a bad deal for Rialto ratepayers.

Thank you for your many efforts in this struggle.  We will continue to keep you informed.

Sincerely,

Mark Brooks

Utility Workers Union of America/SOS Rialto Water

* Please note that Council Member Joe Baca, Jr. voted AGAINST the City Council’s decision not to place our referendum on the ballot.   To his credit, Council Member Baca has consistently opposed the Rialto Council’s misguided decisions concerning this entire issue.  In our view, Council Member Baca has shown real integrity throughout this debate over the future of Rialto’s public water system.

Support a local Entrepenure looking to help our youth

02 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, davidsMarketing, Fun, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, Joe Baca Jr, The Circle Vision Quest, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, youth

Hello everyone,

I come to you today with a great cause spear-headed by abig-hearted local woman named Cynthia Frazier who runs a project called Girls Got Geek. Her program helps our young people especially girls get into the field of app development and technology.

As anyone knows with today’s economy getting a project off the ground is more difficult than ever, even when the project is in a realm that is up and coming or hot. Giving our young people solid support in these news areas where the economy is growing is money well spent.

So Mrs. Frazier is looking for support from her friends and the local community who want to help support youth looking to get into the Tech field using a popular new medium KICKSTARTER http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/199841400/girls-got-geek-hackathon

Mrs. Frazier has been all over the local area looking for support. Here are some links to her media:

Big shout out to Erin Hunt Brinker, Paul Amadeus Lane, and their cohort John for a lively discussion on girls finding their inner geek.  If you’d like to be a fly on the wall, check us out.  http://bit.ly/MqwGOe

Here is a link to the Rialto Record article. http://rialtorecord.com/current-edition/

 

If everyone on her Facebook Friends list http://www.facebook.com/cynthia.frazier would donate $2 would raise over $7 Thousand dollars. We must come together in large numbers and bring small resources together to make a big difference. I have met Mrs. Frazier and I believe she really wants to make her mark on girls and give them the ability to make a job out of tech.

Jamie Beck a Holistic Career Coach I know said that your job is 24% of your life, your head is 24% of your body. So if you are stuck in a job that you hate its like going through life hating your head, you would be miserable. We all have loves and talents the true way to have joy in your work is to work at something you love. Mrs. Frazier is doing just that for our youth and is looking for your help.

Councils Final Word on Petition Signatures

27 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Cancer, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Currupt, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Joe Baca Jr, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Protest, Ron Pharris, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, Taxes, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com

Hello everyone and good morning.

I am sorry I missed this meeting & that this council refuses to listen to the community. It seems that the only people they listen to are people who live outside of the city of Rialto as they did last night in reference to the Lytle Creek Development Project.

But that isn’t what were speaking on in this post, now its over the signatures collected in protest to the council’s decision to outsource our water to embattled American Water company.

The city attorney Jimmy Gutierrez (Mr I get DUI’s) he didn’t like the way the signatures were gathered and told the city clerk who informed council that they would not be putting the issue on the Ballot in November. It will never go before the people.

(The petitions, gathered by the Utility Workers Union of America, did not include a copy of the concession agreement, Rialto City Attorney Jimmy Gutierrez said in an interview.) From SBSUN.com

This council and Mayor do not care what you think or say unless forced to listen (IE the outsourcing the PD issue).

What is the disconnect with this council and listening to the residents. Ed Scott barks at residents from the dias like a junk yard dog (someone running for Mayor) Ed palmer just ignores you altogether, but at least Councilwoman Robertson will return a call as she did last night when I first got word of this horrible decision with the promise of another meeting in the next 2 weeks lets see if it happens.

Long Story short you have no say in the American Water Deal and we all will suffer for the next 30 Years because this city will never be able to afford to leave this contract ever.

We all must attend, watch council meetings and also call these people and make them finally listen to the people.

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City of Rialto approves water rate increases, denies petition

Posted:   06/27/2012 12:07:27 AM PDT

RIALTO – The Rialto City Council on Tuesday voted to end the contentious issue of a whooping rate increase by voting 4-1 for its approval.The issue, and a related agreement to outsource the city’s water and sewer operations to New Jersey-based American Water Works Co. Inc., have been a boiling point for many residents for over a year.

The council’s action will propel water and sewer rates 114.8 percent by 2016.

Because the city of Rialto hasn’t increased rates for years, many residents recognize that rates need to go up, but think the increase should be spread out over more years.

Only Councilman Joe Baca Jr. opposed the rate increase.

As part of the meeting, the council decided not to schedule a referendum during the Nov. 6 general election on that outsourcing agreement – even though the city was presented with more than enough valid signatures to make that happen.

The petitions, gathered by the Utility Workers Union of America, did not include a copy of the concession agreement, Rialto City Attorney Jimmy Gutierrez said in an interview.

Under a provision of the election code, which Gutierrez said was written to encompass city ordinances, a copy of the ordinance must accompany the petitions “so that people know what they are signing.”

In those situations where there are other documents, courts have ruled that they too must be included, he said.

“You got to give all the information to the public,” Gutierrez said.

With the petitions circulated by the union, a copy of the city council resolution on the concession agreement was the only document included, he said. “How’s the public going to know what it’s signing without a copy of the concession agreement,” he said.

When asked how a document spanning hundreds and hundreds of pages, as is the case of the concession agreement, could be part of a petition being passed from one person to the next, Gutierrez said, “yeah, but that’s what the law says.”

Later he said that at least a summary of the agreement should have been included along with the petitions.

Contacted late Tuesday night, Utility Workers spokesman Mark Brooks said that the union’s legal team would need to evaluate the city’s position.

The union submitted 6,379 signatures and of those, 1,545 were declared invalid during a certification process conducted by the county Elections Bureau. That left 4,834 valid signatures – well above the amount needed to put the issue before voters.

During the council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott said that work is underway with city staff to modify the concession agreement in a way that will be “to everybody’s liking.”

He provided no details.

After the vote, resident Frank Gonzalez said, “I don’t agree with the results (of the Proposition 218 vote) but the citizens had a chance…I would like to work with you, even though I don’t agree with you.”

City Council’s vote on the rate increase was delayed to await the results of a Proposition 218 protest vote where a majority of the ratepayers – plus one – must file a written objection to the action.

The final tally for the water rate increase protest vote was 4,345, where 5,701 were required to block it. The sewer rate increases were opposed by 6,883, where 10,387 were needed to block it, Gutierrez said.

Councilman Ed Palmer accused the union’s Prop 218 campaign of producing many invalid and fraudulent votes.

“Thank goodness the vote wasn’t close, because the union would have forced us to physically account for very vote, a process that would have cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said.

Palmer noted that his own signature was forged and sent into the city clerk’s office as a protest vote.

The Utility Workers union has several contract issues with American Water across the country and has opposed the company’s business expansion into Rialto.

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20947976/city-rialto-approves-water-rate-increases-denies-petition#ixzz1z0aeFlVg

Update and comentary on prop 218 count

18 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Cancer, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, Joe Baca Jr, June Hayes, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Protest, RDA, Sheet Metal Workers Union, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, The Circle Vision Quest, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com

Let me preface this article with a little piece of info. When your asking someone to invest in your company or idea you give a portion or percentage over to them for a certain dollar amount.
City Council and Staff along with the RUA valued the water and waste water at 30 million dollars of which they are cashing out in total. American Water is valuing the water and waste water systems at 130 million dollars, with a 3 million dollar reduction each year we honor the contract. So when the contract is so bad we just can’t stomach their lack of service and customer service people working in call centers in India we have to pay them at their valuation. So a city with no money as it is we will be stuck with this crappy bad deal. The city has already begun to sell your services down the drain. Street sweepers that under sold a contract to get the work to come back later for more money. Graffiti removal services where the owner actually said who cares if the tags stay up another day or two if it saves the city money.
Remove these people this november and send a message that we demand to be heard and represented.
RIALTO – A big question surrounding Rialto’s controversial 30-year contract with American Water Works Co. Inc. will be answered Tuesday.That’s when officials from the City Clerk’s office will count Proposition 218 protest ballots starting at 1 p.m.

Proposition 218 requires cities to have a vote of potentially affected residents when a rate hike is proposed.

In the case of Rialto’s proposed water rate hikes, a large number of ballots came into the city within the last 30 minutes of the deadline on June 12, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott said Friday.

That prompted the City Council to defer a vote on the final procedure to institute a series of rate hikes that would mean a 114.5-percent increase in water and wastewater

A wheel line irrigation system operates in an agriculture area near the offices of Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Hinkley. (Gabriel Luis Acosta/Staff Photographer)

rates by 2016.

The rate hikes are part of a plan to outsource the management of Rialto’s water and wastewater systems to American Water.

The matter will be taken up again at a City Council meeting on June 26.

While the vote tally could end the deal, that result is unlikely, election observers say, as more than half of the Rialto property owners and renters who are ratepayers – plus one – would have filed a protest.

But there’s another issue looming that could derail the water agreement and rate hikes.

On May 12, members of the Utility Workers of America turned in petitions with more than 6,400 signatures seeking to put the council’s water rate decisions to a vote, which could be held in November or at another time selected by the council.

Only about 3,800 signatures are needed to take the council’s action to voters.

The city hired the county’s elections office to validate the signatures.

Scott said he has not heard the result, but that too would come out on the council meeting of June 26.

Not only do signatures need to be valid, but the process to collect the signatures needs to be valid, Scott said.

Joe Baca Jr., who was the lone dissenter in the rate hike vote, said most Rialto residents understand that rates need to increase to pay for water system upgrades, just not so rapidly.

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Graffiti Removal, How important is it to you?

07 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Crime, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, http://www.guardianwatch.com/, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Keith Kahn, Lazy, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Protest, Public Safety, Rialto Police Department, SWAT, The Circle Vision Quest, Tom Ammiano, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

When I first moved back to Rialto I noticed how much graffiti was all over the place it was like little LA.

We rented for one year then made the decision to purchase our first home in Rialto, the graffiti was out of control.

We banded together with Lt Burkholder, Lt Crispin & Cpl Muir to get the graffiti under control. I personally held GPC the graffiti removal contractor to a hard-line of removing the graffiti ASAP. I helped GPC & the city of Rialto over obstacles such as private property right of ways and businesses that were no longer cleaning graffiti on their back walls because of retaliation against their maintenance employees. Councilman Ed Palmer and I developed a way to get property owners and leasing companies to keep their leasing signs free of graffiti.

And things were looking better……………………….. Until Now!!!!!

The city has decided to change contractors beginning last month May 2012 to save $3 a stop. Now everyone has heard the saying you get what you pay for, and we are getting just that cheaper service that has more excuses than results.

Larry De Corona the Owner of Superior Property Mainence ( http://www.4superior.com/ ) came out to the Area 1 Command Meeting stating that nothing will change but better faster services at a lower price. He tried to tell us his company can’t take care of our drainage Areas or Washes ( which is wrong ) and that they were brining in a new camera program, knowledgeable staff ect. None of his statements have shown to be true.

So I wonder why I have been calling and seeing graffiti up for days and days, poor painting, tags still showing through ect. Then I remembered something Mr. De Corona said at the meeting they are the largest graffiti removal program in LA County. Ah ha this is why who hasn’t driven around LA County and been blinded by graffiti.

Larry Decrona Owner & Managing partner in aquisition and Property Managment

Larry De Corona (pictured above) called me yesterday very upset that I am asking his company to remove the graffiti in a timely fashion. He said that they are working within the confines of the contract and that I couldn’t use his statements at the Area Command Meeting as gold. He told me that in April GPC billed the city $8K for the month of April, Superior billed the city $6K for May. This isn’t because they are so much cheaper it’s because they are slower to respond and GPC work some Saturdays in April Superior doesnt.

Mr. De Corona said something that speaks to where he is coming from a property management back ground that showed his lack of knowledge of this city or the War we wage her on Hoodlums. He said “Whats the difference if the graffiti stays up a few more days if it saves the city money”. Really did you just say that. Graffiti is a hoodlums way of saying he owns your neighborhood, street or city, and everyday it’s up there is another day to influence our teens, intimidate our communities and enrage community members.

I spoke with Tim Sullivan from public works and he told me that Superior is new and he is keeping close account of the complaints and looking at Superior’s response times and quality of work. We want to keep this from becoming a problem.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rid-Rialto-of-Graffitti/216882198324244 – We have a Facebook Page you can visit and post your problem areas with graffiti or just email them to rialtonw@aol.com and we will post for you.

Ferguson Park the Multi Million Dollar park that wont be stripped until the July Grand Opening was hit hard and it took Superior 3 days to remove this graffiti, so people’s questions on safety at our parks is still an issue and thanks to Superior the community is wondering if the new park is even worth visiting.

I have called the graffiti hotline numerous times to find MAJOR, MASSIVE tags up for days and even weeks.

The graffiti Hotline number is 909-820-2670 put this in your cell phone and call on every tag.

If you have questions, complaints or concerns please call 909-820-2602 and ask for Tim Sullivan.

Coffee With the Chief, Taste of Rialto and More………….

07 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Crime, davidsMarketing, Family, Flores Park, Fun, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, http://www.guardianwatch.com/, IE Gourmet Food Trucks, Joe Baca Jr, Mike Story, Rialto Police Department, Rialto Rotary, Run Watcha Brung, Target, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, youth

Coffee with the Police Chief

June 12th from 8:00 to 9:00 am – A meet and greet with the Rialto Police Chief and staff!  This will be a recurring event happening every 2nd Tuesday at Coffee Nutzz (119 E. Foothill Blvd.).  Come out and learn more about your Police Deparment!

A Taste Of Rialto

You’re invited to join us for the 8th Annual Taste of Rialto on Thursday, June 7th from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in Downtown Rialto.  The Rialto Chamber of Commerce, City of Rialto, and State Farm Insurance are sponsoring the  “Taste of Rialto.”  This event will highlight over a dozen of Rialto’s finest restaurants and will include wine and beer tasting from several participating wineries and breweries in the region.  A wide variety of foods including African, American, BBQ, Cajun, Chinese, Mexican and International cuisine will be free for the tasting!  The event will be held at the Downtown Park on the northeast corner of Rialto Avenue and Riverside and will include entertainment.  Tickets for the event are $25.00 and are available from the Rialto Chamber of Commerce (909) 875-5364 and at the event.  There will also be a Cruise Night on Friday, June 8th from 7:00 – 10:00 pm. See you there!

Run What You Brung Car Show

Come join us for the annual Run Whatcha Brung car show. This event takes place Saturday, June 9th,  from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in Downtown Rialto. Free admission to spectators.

2012 National Night Out

National Night Out is a nation-wide program co-sponsored by Target in where neighborhood watch groups come together one night a year with Target representatives, police, fire, school and city officials, to celebrate the concerted effort in fighting crime throughout the year. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 from 5:00 – 8:30 pm.

National Night Out is a wonderful opportunity for our community to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention, and neighborhood camaraderie. It represents the kind of spirit, energy, and determination that is helping make our neighborhoods safer places throughout the year. It is a night to celebrate safety and crime prevention success and to expand and strengthen our commitment throughout the year.

The Rialto Police Department and its personnel are proud to host such a great event and we would like to say a special “Thank You” to all of our citizens for their willingness to work with us to make this a better and safer Rialto.

Neighborhood Watch has helped reduce crime in San Bernardino neighborhood

03 Jun 2012 2 Comments

by rialto-now in Budget, Burglury, Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, Crime, Currupt, Joe Baca Jr, Mayor Pat Morris, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Public Safety, San Bernardino PD, San Bernardino Police, Shootings, youth

Looking at the examples of how this program works in other communities is a good way to see the value in supporting these programs. Local businesses can offer all types of things to help bring the stragglers out of their houses and into their various community meetings. Elected officials attending these meetings regularly & integrating other agencies that work with yours to the meetings and programs helps show people in the community all the resources available to them. this type of knowledge is power.
Below is a great example of how a bad community can be turned around with the right type of effort.
SAN BERNARDINO – When Tim Callaghan moved into his Conejo Drive apartment nearly three years ago, some of his neighbors were halfway house tenants, suspected drug dealers and prostitutes, he said.Those neighbors are gone now, and crime has dropped in his neighborhood.What’s the source of the dramatic change?

Neighborhood Watch, he said.

“If you want the homicides to drop, if you want the break-ins to drop, you have to give the police a little help,” he said.

It’s a program that has been around since the early 1970s, and focuses on bringing together residents and law enforcement to prevent crime and improve communities. But not everyone is sold on it, some don’t trust law enforcement and others are discouraged to join due to language barriers.

Callaghan, 46, a sales associate at Games for Fun, says he often runs into people who are dubious that the program works.

“A lot of people have this black cloud image, that if they call, nothing’s going to get done,” he said.

His group began with three members, who worked together to observe and write down suspicious and criminal activity in the area.

They talked to the city about cleaning up a pile of house rubble left behind from the Old Fire at the end of the street. They reported a dangerous hole in a bridge over Cross Street.

Callaghan took it a step further by installing surveillance cameras in the area and installing burglary alarms in his apartment. He also attended San Bernardino Police Department’s community police academy – a seven-week course that teaches residents about the department.

Police came in, made arrests, served search warrants and cleared residents out of homes where criminal activity was taking place.

City workers cleaned up the burned-down house and fixed the hole in the bridge.

The number of crimes occurring in the neighborhood has dropped from 21 in the first quarter of 2011 to 12 in the same period this year, according to police statistics.

When residents around him saw the progress, his group grew from three members to 15.

“He stepped up, got a few people, who got a few more people and now it’s just rolling,” said San Bernardino police Lt. Paul Williams.

But the process hasn’t been without some challenges.

An elderly couple living on Conejo, who are members of the group, reported suspicious activity to police several months ago. That call resulted in police arresting several people, Callaghan said.

The same night, someone busted the front windows of the couple’s home. Another window was broken three weeks later. Callaghan and his neighbors worked together to replace the windows and report the crimes to police.

The vandalism stopped after they contacted officers.

San Bernardino Police Chief Robert Handy said he began holding regular meetings with Neighborhood Watch leaders when he started with the department. Police use those meetings to teach residents how to improve their neighborhoods, report illegal dumping, code enforcement issues and other matters.

“The more residents get involved, the more improvements the residents can make and we can make,” Handy said. “We’re much stronger together than we are separate.”

For information on how to start a Neighborhood Watch group in San Bernardino, call Diane Holmes at the Police Department, 909-388-4918. Reach Melissa via email or call her at 909-386-3878.

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20769946/neighborhood-watch-has-helped-reduce-crime-san-bernardino?source=most_viewed#ixzz1wkVi4ePF

Rialto’s Annual Car Show

23 May 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, davidsMarketing, Flores Park, Holidays, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, IE Gourmet Food Trucks, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Keith Kahn, Nieghborhood Watch, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, Rialto Rotary, Run Watcha Brung, SWAT, The Circle Vision Quest, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, youth

Every June Rialto gets to show off our local cars, interest has been dropping a little bit but it’s still a cool little show.

I miss the days where it was a 2 day event which consisted of show and shine with burn out contest at the airport Friday night. Then Saturday it’s the full show with vendors and open header contests.

The show used to fill up Riverside Ave from Foothill to the very bottom of down town, now it just barely fills in the down town borders.

Even in its current shape it’s still a great show I have many fond memories at the show and once I get a job I don’t have to work weekends I will be able to share it again with my daughter.

Below are the details:

Run Whatcha Brung Car Show XIX – Saturday, June 9, 2012 Downtown Rialto, California

7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Classic cars, food and vendor booths, live entertainment.  Files below are for viewing, printing and/or download:
• Vehicle Exhibitor Entry Form (JPG)

• Vendor Application Instructions (PDF)

• Food Vendor Application and City of Rialto Permit (PDF)

• Non-Food Vendor/Auto Related Application and City of Rialto Permit (PDF)

Update on the American Water Petitions and Prop 218 Protest Letters

21 May 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Cancer, Centurion Security Patrol, City of Rialto, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Grace Vargas, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, RDA, Sheet Metal Workers Union, Target, Terra Vista Shopping Center, The Circle Vision Quest, Uncategorized, Water, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Dear friends and neighbors:

As you know, we are fighting the American Water privatization deal in Rialto in two different ways:  first, the petition we recently filed to require the City to place the American Water contract up for a vote of the people; and second, the Prop 218 process for Rialto property owners to block the rate hikes the City is trying to impose in order to pay for this misguided scheme.

I am writing to alert you to developments on both fronts.

Concerning the voter petition, the San Bernardino Sun reported today that the City has forwarded our petitions to the County of San Bernardino to certify whether we have submitted enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot.  The County says that process will take about two weeks.

We expect the County to confirm that we have submitted more than enough votes to place this critical decision before the voters of Rialto.  You can read the Sun’s article at the following link:

http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20648408/county-elections-staff-verifying-signatures-rialto-petition-vote

Concerning the Prop 218 process, we mailed protest cards today to all Rialto property owners.  These cards provide property owners with a convenient way to tell the City that the people of Rialto reject these unfair rate hikes.  We also included a postage-prepaid envelope to make it easy for impacted property owners to return the protest cards.

Under Proposition 218, if a majority of impacted property owners file protests with the City, the City cannot impose these rate hikes!

If you are property owner in Rialto – or a renter who is responsible for paying the water or sewer bill – we encourage you to return the protest card as soon as you receive it.  If you receive a mailing from SOS Rialto Water, please open it immediately; sign the enclosed protest card; and return it to us in the postage-prepaid envelope.

We will deliver every protest card we receive to the City Clerk’s office before the June 12 deadline.

Please remember – Rialto property owners can block these unfair rate hikes, but only if a sufficient number of protests are filed with the City by June 12.  Please return your protest card to SOS Rialto Water immediately.

Thank you again for your support in blocking these unfair rate hikes.

Sincerely,

Mark Brooks

SOS Rialto Water and Utility Workers Union of America

In and Out from SB Suns Perspective

20 May 2012 1 Comment

by rialto-now in Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, Centurion Security Patrol, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Grace Vargas, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davids-Marketing/156816741049580, In & Out, Inland Empire, Joe Baca Jr, Mike Story, Uncategorized, www.babyelepnatbooks.com, www.careervisionbyjamie.com, youth

Its so funny when I brought this item to council attention they said it was stalled because the State may still have an intrest in the site now its because they are giving away 2 million dollers?

Somone needs to make up thier minds and tell us really why its so stalled? All of these council members needs to be removed so we can make some real progress here.

Demise of redevelopment agencies throws a wrench into Rialto’s plans to lure an In-N-Out

Posted:   05/13/2012 01:52:33 PM PDT

RIALTO – The demise of more than 400 city redevelopment agencies statewide on Feb. 1 – including Rialto’s – has pushed projects such as a new In-N-Out restaurant all the way back to the negotiating table.Many area redevelopment officials have said that redevelopment funding and rules governing their operations were key tools to eliminating blight and attracting new development.

But now in a post-RDA California, brokers, a developer and the individual restaurants are talking to a new Rialto partner. Similar actions, to be sure, are unfolding up and down the state.

Contract terms painstakingly worked out with the Rialto Redevelopment Agency are now meaningless.

Incentives legally available to a redevelopment agency can’t be offered by the new partner in the transaction – the city of Rialto, said Robb Steel, who ran the city Redevelopment Agency and is now assistant to the city administrator and development services director.

Timing of the dissolution of redevelopment agencies has meant that “the bulk of the big expenses are in front of us,” Steel said late last week in a telephone interview about the restaurants.

The city’s tab for the improvements needed to get the three restaurant pads ready for construction is likely to be between $1.7 million and $2 million, Steel said.

At last week’s City Council meeting, council members made it clear that the general fund should be used to front the expenditures necessary to make

the restaurants happen.

“The city does not have the same (economic development) tools as the Redevelopment Agency, Steel said.

For example, the now dead RDA deal with In-N-Out contained provisions for property-tax and sales-tax rebates, tools not available to a city, Steel said.

On the bright side, it might mean that in a deal with the city, In-N-Out can pay less in wages for the construction of the new restaurant, Steel said.

Under the new rules, negotiations have begun anew with the In-N-Out hamburger restaurant chain and Miguel’s Jr.

The city is also looking for a third restaurant for what would be the largest on the site of former Rialto Fire Station 202, which has moved about two blocks south and officially opened Saturday.

With the demise of redevelopment agencies, “cities are going to have to work more diligently and creatively to attract development,” said Councilman Joe Baca Jr.

In-N-Out and the other restaurants, he said, “will do a lot for the community” and “the return will exceed the investment” over time.

Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott said the status of the In-N-Out “is the No.1 thing the community talks to me about.”

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Scott asked the city’s staff to work hard and expeditiously to get these deals accomplished.

Steel said that the In-N-Out could open in 2013.

In-N-Out officials could not be reached for comment last week.

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20615477/demise-redevelopment-agencies-throws-wrench-into-rialtos-plans-lure-an-n-out?IADID=Search-www.sbsun.com-www.sbsun.com#ixzz1v40NiP5I

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