Wildomar to purchase two parcels for a new park or civic building

Tony Ault Staff Writer

The Wildomar City Council authorized the purchase of two undeveloped portions of land from the Anne Sullivan School adjacent to a flood control channel located near 21776 Palomar Street, that will be a proposed site of a future park and/or civic building.

The Anne Sullivan School property currently has a school and private residences for members of the Cafh religious order. The city plans to purchase a 25,511 square foot portion of the Anne Sullivan School property, referred to as the “Vacant Parcel,” along with another parcel across a flood channel separating the two pieces of land called the “Vacant Sliver.” The parcels are connected via two bridges, one for vehicles and the other for pedestrians. The Vacant Parcel is the proposed site of a park or civic building while the Vacant Sliver is the proposed site for a possible small parking lot for the park or civic building. The proposal presented to the council at the June 14 meeting determined that the parcels, with a purchase price of $2,104,000, would be easily accessible to the residents of Wildomar.

As part of its efforts to study and further consider such potential developments on the Vacant Parcel and Vacant Sliver, the city plans to seek approval from Riverside County Flood Control District to construct a third, new pedestrian bridge to allow pedestrians to access the Vacant Parcel from the proposed parking lot on the Vacant Sliver. It was also found that the parcel, if used for the intended purpose, would be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.

Before making a unanimous approval to allow City Manager Daniel York to make the purchase on behalf of the city, with Council Member Dustin Nigg absent, the present council members expressed their pleasure to approve the purchase and the work of the city staff in locating the parcels. The decision to make the purchase was important enough to move it up on the agenda for the council decision.

A CR&R Environmental Services spokesman appeared before the council to explain the firm’s current status in collecting trash in the city and informing the commercial businesses using the service that their fees will not go up in the near future until some of their pickup delays are resolved. He noted that the firm, along with many other service providers, are having difficulty in recruiting qualified drivers, even at $80,000 per year, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. He also said the company has replaced many of its older trash trucks with newer ones that won’t leak, but others have been on backorder that are due to arrive soon. He urged residents who have pickup or pay problems to call his office for resolutions.

Wildomar has franchise agreements with both CR&R and Waste Management to pick up refuse in the city with both being subject to California’s newest ruling on organic waste disposal which is reportedly now being reviewed in Sacramento for deficiencies.

The council heard from Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District that more than 500 residents in the Sedco Hills area of Wildomar have signed on for a planned septic to sewer conversion in the area that will be installed at no cost to them in the next few years. As a result of the number of signups (74%) EVMWD will be receiving grants from state agencies to build the lines. The spokesman said there are still some signups available. Residents can call 951-200-4136 for details.

In a report by Adam Jantz from the Administrative Services Department, the council was asked to approve the fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 budgeted revenues and expenses and schedule of authorized positions during those fiscal years..

He said the proposed revenues for the city’s operating expenses for the fiscal year 2023-2024 are at $16,474,500 and for FY 20242025 seen at $16,717,500 just slightly higher with a downturn in some revenue streams expected in the next few years. The General Fund budget is proposed for 2023-2024 at $3,409,675 and $3,481,975 in FY 2024-2025 giving the fire and police a 2.5% increase. The budget would add five full time staffers by 2024 and three in 2025 that would be needed as the city grows.

Measure AA funding (1-cent sales tax) will add $3,200,000 in pavement repairs, two code enforcement officers and new road maintenance vehicles. He noted that out of 250 resident surveys, their desire was mostly for street and road repairs which the city is trying to meet.

Wildomar’s Capital Improvement Program, which is separate from the General Fund budget, is anticipated to be $30,148,800 for FY 2023-2024 and $55,024,000 for 2024-2025 with much funding coming from a number of grants and shared costs from the county, state, federal government agencies and developers. (TUMP, DIF, etc.)

Looking ahead, in FY 20232024, Jantz identified seven major CIP projects. They include: continuing road rehabilitation and slurry seal; Palomar Street widening (Phase 2); cemetery improvements (Phase 1); an Interim Field Operation Center; a 20-acre passive park opening; Clinton Keith Road widening and Bundy Canyon Road Improvements (Segment 2).

Jantz pointed out the accomplishments made in FY 2022-2023 included: the Bundy Canyon storm drain; a Road Safety Plan, the Palomar/Clinton Keith sidewalk, trails and bike lanes; Sellers Road/ Bundy Cyn. traffic signal; Monte Vista/Bundy Cyn. traffic signal; and the yet to be accepted Bundy Cyn. Road Widening project (Phase 1). He said the city is working with the developers on the completion of the Bundy Cyn. Phase 1 widening with some deficiencies identified.

The council adopted a bingo Ordinance Amendment with its wording compliant with the state codes on games of bingo. It previously followed the original Riverside County ordinances that were never changed in the city. An Elks Club representative expressed his club’s hope it would not change their nonprofit bingo games that offer many donations to city and nonprofit groups in the community. The council praised the Elks for their many contributions to other nonprofits. Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com.