Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Bernardino public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
4 issues in business jobs
New Revenue from Industrial and Logistics Sector
The council greenlit a feasibility study on making the logistics industry pay its fair share for streets and community services — with a warning not to tax businesses out of town.
Permitting timelines and business-friendly processes
Councilmembers Ortiz and Flores criticized the tangled permitting process; the City Manager argued a physical one-stop counter alone won't fix it — what's needed is an streamlined, coordinated entitlement process across fire, public works, and building departments.
Downtown Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID)
Downtown property owners — some of them the same people speaking at meetings for years — rallied for a PBID that would tax themselves roughly $300,000 a year for cleaning, security and improvements. The council heard the feasibility results but postponed any decision, tying it to a broader downtown revitalization discussion in September.
Wolden engineering services contract performance
Councilmembers froze a $700,000 engineering contract for six months, demanding data on how fast Wolden turns around plan reviews — the city fears it's losing developers to faster cities.