Building a Better Riverside Through Facts, Transparency, and Civic Engagement “The strength of a community is measured not by how loudly its leaders speak, but by how informed and engaged its citizens become.” For more than a decade, I have written about issues affecting Riverside—from ethics and transparency to public safety, homelessness, economic development, infrastructure, […]
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Riverside Doesn’t Need Another Press Conference. It Needs Leadership. Last week Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson once again stood before cameras urging Sacramento to restore funding for California’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program. The message was predictable. The State needs to send Riverside more money. But after six years of HHAP funding, billions of […]
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Economic Development Is Important. Reckless Economic Development Is Not. The recent social media comment defended Riverside’s decision to provide nearly $5 million in incentives to South Korean EV charging company Chaevi: “Solid decision by City and Council. Chaevi is investing millions in Riverside. Is another company bringing jobs, tax revenue and economic growth? We should […]
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This is a post from years past Now I get it – we love our holidays and months. It is fun and spend the day honoring your Father Figures today. My concern over “days and months” is to me I see so many of these “events” becoming a substitute for real change, simply checking the […]
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Note: I will be including the City Council video clips with this blog so residents can review the public comments, Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson’s remarks, Councilmember Sean Mill’s response, and the Council debate on the new City Attorney contract for themselves. Riverside’s Mayor and City Council appear to have discovered a new governing strategy: blame […]
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Mayor, Councilmembers, and City staff: My name is Keith Nelson. I submitted a long written public comment documenting the record of misconduct, boundary failures, conflicts, and violations involving City Manager Mike Futrell and the City Manager’s Office. This Council has had this problem in front of it for far too long. The issue is not […]
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Mayor and Council, I oppose approving this City Attorney contract as written. This is not about the individual candidate. This is about whether this Council is protecting the taxpayers of Riverside. The agreement calls this an at-will employment agreement, but when you read the actual terms, it is not true at-will employment in any practical […]
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Public Comment — Oppose Waiving the Sunshine Ordinance Mayor, Councilmembers: I am asking you to vote no on waiving the Sunshine Ordinance for the proposed City Attorney employment agreement. The staff report says this waiver is needed because the City is entering the 2026/27 fiscal year, has had an Interim City Attorney since October 2024, […]
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I previously promised readers of knelsonvsi.com that I would follow up on my prior blogs regarding Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell, Susan Freeman, the City Council’s failure to act, and the growing public-records trail showing a serious breakdown in leadership at City Hall. That follow-up has taken longer than expected. Part of the delay is […]
Another Charter Officer. Another Secret Process. Another Expensive Contract. When Will Riverside Learn?
UPDATE: ITEM MOVED TO THE DISCUSSION CALENDAR Update — July 28, 2026: After the agenda was published and concerns were raised regarding the placement of this consequential Charter Officer appointment on the Consent Calendar, Item 38 was moved to the Discussion Calendar. That is the proper procedural correction. Hiring an Interim City Manager at a […]
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