Calimesa Insider

With the continuation of the Oak Valley North public hearing coming a couple of weeks, the City has been getting a steady stream of feedback on the project. However, there is a theme that possibly speaks to the misunderstanding of the entitlement process, so the City Manager speaks to some of these examples and lays out the process for a project such as this one. He also talks about the purpose of...

This week, City Manager Will Kolbow reviews his activity for the month of August to give you a flavor of what a city manager does on a day-to-day basis. He also provides a quick update about activity on County Line Road and a concerning development regarding the Banning DMV office.

Fire Chief Tim O'Connell is the guest on this week's episode, where we discuss the inherent fire risks associated with living in a community like Calimesa, what the City has control over when it comes to homeowners' insurance rates and policy availability (and what we don't), what the City does to reduce fire risk, and ways homeowners can help the cause. We also recap Monday's...

This week, our City Manager discusses the City's successful senior meal program and the journey of Assembly Bill 2410, sponsored by Assemblyman Greg Wallis, with regard to grab-and-go senior meals. He also discusses the upcoming City Council meeting, including the reason why the hearing on Oak Valley North will be continued (meaning delayed) until September 23.

In this week's episode, the City Manager discuss City staffing levels and how they compare to neighboring cities. He talks about how lean the City's budget is and how Calimesa has to do a lot of the same things that other cities do, but with a fraction of the staff. Links mentioned during the podcast: City Council Public Safety Workshop (April 29, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX6...

This week, City Manager Kolbow talks about a voter initiative in a Northern California city that will, if passed, likely lead to precedent-setting litigation involving state housing mandates and the voter initiatives. This includes a conversation about several other cities that are facing or have faced similar dilemmas where the will of the voters and state mandates are at odds when it comes to ho...

In the final episode of our four-part special, Will discusses what economic development is, one of the most common misperceptions about economic development, what one popular retailer looks for in a potential site, and how land use decisions and economic development influence one another. We also wrap up the series and how all of these realities come together to influence almost all decisions that...

In part three of our four-part series of the realities in which Calimesa, and California cities in general, operates, we discuss the City's General Plan and zoning ordinance, the various considerations that go into land use decisions, how staff formulates its recommendations, and how changing laws and market forces have shifted how we look at land use decisions. Calimesa General Plan: https://...

This week, we present the second episode in our four-part series on the regulatory and economic realities of local governments in California. This episode focuses in on the history of land use, how different movements have shaped land use policies and restrictions, and a court case that led to a significant piece of legislation that is an integral part of large scale development. Land Use Workshop...

This month, Calimesa Insider is presenting a 4-part special that will explore some of the economic and regulatory realities that cities up and down California are facing, and how those realities influence decisions. In this first part, we explore three decisions that have occurred over the past 45 years that have greatly impacted the revenues and costs of local governments.

City Engineer Mike Thornton is the guest this week on the podcast, speaking about what functions the Engineering Division does for the City and gives updates on some major projects, including various projects along County Line Road, the Singleton Road missing on and off ramps, pavement management, and Calimesa Creek.

City Manager Will Kolbow is joined by soon-to-be retired Riverside County Sheriff's Captain Evan Petersen. Captain Petersen served as the Calimesa Police Chief over the past year and made some great changes that will leave us better than he found us. Captain Petersen tells about how he found a career in law enforcement, some interesting moments in his career, the changes he implemented at the...

The Cherry Valley Blvd. interchange had traffic signals installed and activated about 6 months ago, but is that all that is happening? Fortunately, the answer is no. City Manager Will Kolbow talks about what steps have been taken so far in the project to upgrade the interchange, and where we are going. He also gives a preview of this coming Monday's City Council meeting.

This week, the City Manager talks about the Interstate 10 truck climbing lane project taking place between Live Oak Canyon Rd./Oak Glen Rd. and County Line Road as well as the City budget...but from a different approach. He talks about the taxes you pay at different levels of government, the services provided at each level, and the cost of doing business. It gets to the heart of some of the bigges...

This week, City Manager Kolbow talks about transportation funding in Calimesa, with a focus on the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) program. The latest nexus study is out for public review, so we explain what TUMF is, how it is divvied up, and what it is used for. Below are links to participate in the TUMF Nexus Study process: Link to WRCOG's Studies & Documents page, containin...

On this week's episode, City Manager Will Kolbow gets into the status of the County Line Road project, including background on the project, why roundabouts were selected for the project, why 5th and County Line Road took so long to open, and what is still remaining on the project. He also recaps the most recent City Council meeting and provides an overview of the upcoming Scoping Meeting regar...

Calimesa Insider is back, and we are moving to a weekly program. Shorter episodes, recapping the week at the city and a look ahead at the next week. This week, we take a look at what is happening at Oak Valley Town Center and why work has stopped.

Happy 2024! The Calimesa Insider podcast is back and on this episode City Manager Kolbow talks about how City Council meetings work, the laws and policies that govern Council meetings, and describes how the public can effectively participate in the public process. It's a long episode because there is so much to go over, but we think it will be worth your time and, as a result, your time spent...

In this special episode of Calimesa Insider, we are (mostly) recording on location at the 2023 Calimesa State of the City, which had a much different look than years past. We brought the community together to celebrate our town and its accomplishments. In this episode, City Manager Will Kolbow is joined by Councilmembers Jeff Cervantez and Linda Molina, as well as Calimesa Chamber of Commerce Pres...

This month, City Manager Will Kolbow sits down with Fire Chief Tim O'Connell and former City Manager Bonnie Johnson to discuss the City's Fire Department. Bonnie shares with us how her professional background prepared her for the heaviest lift of her professional career: starting a fire department from the ground up. She shares why the City went in the direction of forming its own departme...

By popular demand, City Manager Will Kolbow is joined by Riverside County Sheriff's Department Captain Evan Petersen to talk about sheriff services in the City of Calimesa. In this conversation, we got to know Captain Petersen, what is included in the City's sheriff contract, the role of the City's Problem Oriented Policing deputy, how technology has both helped and hindered police wor...

With the recent approval of the City's Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, City Manager Will Kolbow took the opportunity to speak with Finance Director Celeste Reid. She covers what the day-to-day operations of the City's Finance Department look like. Will and Celeste also have a discussion about the creation of the budget, as well as City's annual audit and what that entails. In addition, Wil...

Welcome to the premier episode of Calimesa Insider! Here is what on this month's episode: What Calimesa Insider will be all about A little bit of background on our City Manager Some history of Calimesa General Law vs. Charter Council-Manager form of government The role of the City Manager Next month, Finance Director Celeste Reid will join City Manager Will Kolbow to discuss the City's Fin...