Preliminary budget goals for Wildomar in fiscal year 2024-2025 suggested for the Wildomar City Council

Tony Ault Staff Writer

The Wildomar City Council met Wednesday, Jan. 18, and heard a report by Adam Jantz, senior administrative analyst, who provided a Proposed Preliminary Goals for the city in 2024-2025 that included a survey of the residents’ desires.

Jantz explained the goals would be further examined and prioritized by the staff before being presented later to the Council. Currently, the staff has begun work on the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget due for approval by the Council on or before June 30.

Jantz said the staff has reached out to a number of residents for their ideas of what the future goals for the city might look like in those years. He said the majority of the responses pointed to improving the roads in the city, followed by public safety improvements. Some of the public priorities suggested the city road improvements might include spending budget money on roads that include pavement management, capital infrastructure projects, road and traffic safety and traffic enforcement.

Lineberger said the evening’s theme of “Donors are the Past, Present and Future of VCP Cares” was the best way to show gratitude for continued support as well as reminding everyone that the generosity cannot stop with current donors. He said some of the local middle and high schools have held food drives, which has been a tremendous help and teaches young people the importance of kindness to others. But because many of the pantry’s current donors are 60 and older, he said there is a gap of about two generations that are not of the same mindset as those on each end of the current donor pool.

He admits to not knowing what the solution is for this problem that will be faced by all nonprofits in a few more years as older donors move away and pass on. He hopes to find a way that all local churches can band together to support area nonprofits by asking their congregations to contribute to a second tithing. He said if it even helps VCP and other groups get volunteers or word-of-mouth exposure, it will be a godsend.

“Money is tight but if we have faith, God blesses and gives back so they too can get blessed,” Lineberger said. “Maybe each month all the area’s churches could choose to

In improving public safety, the responding residents said the city needs to add another traffic enforcement officer, an accident investigation deputy, a community services officer, increase public education and engagement and provide new construction inspections within two days.

Those goals were generally agreed with by the Council but City Manager Daniel York warned that in the near future, “We are definitely facing headwinds in the nation’s status. We are projecting this in the past year. We are pulling back in the departments…and we have been very, very careful with our spending this past year and we have actually built a reserve.” He pointed out the city has invested over $20 million to address long term investments down the road.

“We are definitely in a healthy state, but we want to maintain this.” share what a particular nonprofit does to help the community and members can decide if and how they want to donate to each one.”

He saw the goals as lofty, but he called on the Council to prioritize them for the staff in the future and they will determine what is the most feasible. “It’s lofty, but it needs to be realistic,” York concluded.

About 50 of the 250 invitees that were able to attend the event at the donated space of Golden Era Golf Course’s banquet room were treated to a catered dinner by Hemet’s family-owned La Fogata Mexican Restaurant.

From individuals who drop off canned goods to local business partnerships, Lineberger is grateful for any and all assistance. Introducing Dondi Silvas, president of the Soboba Foundation, he said, “We refer to them as the Soboba Family, not the Soboba Foundation. They have been helping us out for more than 10 years.” Valley Community Pantry has been able to grow over the years through grant funding from many sources and support from businesses and other local nonprofits, including the Soboba Foundation.

“It’s unfortunate that the number of those in need continues to increase but we are thankful that our donors have stepped up to help us try and meet the demands,” Lineberger said.

Donors have different reasons for contributing. Some are former volunteers who saw the community’s needs firsthand and how VCP was there to serve them.

Earlier in the evening, Jason Farag, Public Works Department engineer, gave an update on the current city road projects. He began by saying many, if not most, of the road projects were delayed and some still are because of the recent heavy rains in California.

Delayed road projects

“There has been none or little progress because of the rain in Bundy Canyon,” Farag said. He said the installed traffic signals at Monte Vista and Sellers roads are not ready to be energized by Southern California Edison, but the final surface paving was delayed on Bundy Canyon.

Cherry Street and Canyon Ranch Road will be closed until sometime next month, but alternate access routes are open and available for the work in that community. The final paving on Palomar and Clinton Keith in the city is underway and should also be completed in February.

Beazer Homes area utility pole relocations have been delayed by the rains near Grand Avenue and some other work in the community, with scheduling still undetermined. But most model homes

Another said that in his job as a firefighter, he was in and out of thousands of homes and saw how many struggled for basic necessities. One mentioned that rather than giving handouts directly to the homeless, it is better to donate to VCP and share their location with those in need.

Gregg Hillis said he got involved partly to honor his father Rev. Roger Hillis, who helped start the original Community Pantry in 1965. When Gregg returned to the San Jacinto Valley in 1979, he got involved because he knew how absolutely necessary it was, having grown up around it.

An active board of directors and about 30 volunteers in any given month help the pantry fulfill its mission of “giving hope, helping families and blessing lives.” Current board members are President Tim Taggett Jr., Vice President Liz Dubruille, Treasurer/ CFO Michelle Seman, Secretary Jan Manietta, Glen Brock, Dan Cortese, Kathy Jensen-Robinson, Tamara Martin McMahon and George Schaefer.

Cortese joined the board about four years ago with hopes of engaging donors and volunteers of all ages through use of social media postings and his marketing skills. He had heard about the pantry and its good work from fellow Rotary Club member and Hemet Police Department Captain Glen Brock. Cortese said the service organization already had a good partnership with VCP and he was interested in improving their visibility in the community.

“I’m driven by the ability to help,” Cortese said. “If there is some way I can enhance what’s going on or if I can influence others, I’m happy to help get the word out.” are done.

Although the friendly cartoonish grocery bag mascots of “Sunny & Share” were created before his time, Cortese uses many different ways to let the public know how they can get involved. Lineberger said the popular mascots were adopted about five years ago in a campaign that enlisted the community’s help in voting on the best character renditions and names to use.

To be able to receive any assistance from VCP, individuals need to apply in person. Operations Manager Lindy Boland is the person who works directly with clients to get them certified. Food is always available but rental and utility assistance funds do not always exist to meet the demands of nearly 100 requests per month.

The Baxter Village community has seen Wildomar Trail work delayed by the rain and flooding as well. KB Home Verano models are open but other street work is delayed by the flooding at Monte Vista Road.

New street signs

The Council discussed the branding of the city on all of their street signs and on traffic signal mast arms. Some of the signs are fading and need to be replaced.

The newer design favored by the Council was keeping the Edwardian letter W or script W in a circle the same, but eliminating the more complicated color brand. They determined the current individual Wildomar Trails signs with a western theme will basically remain the same. Most of the older street signs will be replaced with the newer brands in time.

A termination of the city’s agreement with Western Community Energy to initially lower the cost of electricity bills for most residents was made at the meeting after the council learned WCE became bankrupt. The WCE said it could purchase power from Southern California Edison and be able to send it to residential homes at a lower wholesale cost, if enough cities and their residents joined in. Many neighboring cities joined with the customers benefiting for a time until WCE went bankrupt.

The Council learned those customers that joined the WCE will now have to return to SCE at a reconnection cost. The city considered helping to pay those costs, but learned it could not and unfortunately, the cost would have to be borne by those residents returning to SCE.

The city also learned that it would not have to share the WCE’s bankruptcy costs under the initial agreement.

Mayor Joseph Morabito recalled that when the WCE proposal was first made to Wildomar residents he was not in favor of it, and read a statement about his view that was critical of it when it was made in 2018. He said then he was concerned about any reconnection fees it might cost residents if they dropped out of the WCE.

Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com.

Much depends on whether grants or other funding sources come through. Lineberger said Boland’s role is not one he could do as it can tax the emotions when those seeking rental assistance have to be turned away.

“To see our seniors struggle in this country is sickening and to see our veterans suffer is also a crime,” Lineberger said. “There is nothing harder than to have to tell these wonderful people no when they come in seeking our help.”

Boland began as a volunteer at the nonprofit more than five years ago. Being forced onto public assistance to support her four children after her husband was incarcerated, she was required to do community service in exchange for financial assistance. It wasn’t long before she was hired.

“I was really good with the clients,” Boland said. “I guess I know that everybody needs help at one time or another; some are just one paycheck away from being in a situation where they need us.”

The biggest change she has seen in the past five years has been the increase in requests from senior citizens on a fixed income. Every January, all clients must be recertified regardless of how long they have been with the program, which has kept Boland and others very busy since the start of the year.

She said certified families receive food once a month while seniors can pick up food twice a month. She said everyone receives meat, produce, deli, dairy and bread. The most sought-after items are cereal, canned tuna, canned beans and boxed macaroni and cheese. However, all unexpired food is welcome. Boland said quite a few clients return as volunteers, some of them having been served as children and remembering how much it meant to their family’s survival.

Volunteers are always accepted to work during the hours of Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. Food donations are also accepted during those hours at 191 S. Columbia St. in Hemet, behind Trinity Lutheran Church. Monetary donations can be made at the website or by mail to Valley Community Pantry, P.O. Box 763, Hemet, CA 92546.

For more information, www. VCPcares.org or 951-929-1101 Jim Lineberger can be reached directly at 951-816-5443 or director@vcpcares.org

Ken’s Corner

We have been hard at work brainstorming ideas and formulating what new ADDITIONAL marketing avenues we will be implementing for this year. All of this in addition to what we currently do and also what Compass includes for your benefit. We love this question: What sets you apart from other realtors? Give us an opportunity and we will gladly show you! Your satisfaction is our number one goal.

AT YOUR SERVICE! – Ken