Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Bernardino public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
47 issues with high priority
Camping ordinance on public streets and parks
The council adopted the camping ordinance restricting encampments on streets and parks; one written commenter objected that it criminalizes poverty.
Calles dañadas y mantenimiento de calles
The city has 557 miles of streets averaging a condition score of 51 (benchmark is 65), and the new three-year plan only fixes about 66 miles. Council members from multiple wards said their worst streets were missing from the map and there's no money for years two and three.
Boston Dynamics Public Safety Robot Purchase
The county gave the police department $100,000 for a Robotic Police K9 that officials say keeps officers out of dangerous situations. Some later speakers opposed tactical and surveillance technology.
Surplus Land Disposition Framework
The city owns about 13 acres near the Hope Campus bought with ARPA money, and the council wants a study or consultant to figure out whether it should become affordable or permanent supportive housing — with a developer-focused workshop planned for spring.
Speicher Park Ballfields Contingency Increase
A proposed $1.3 million boost to the contingency budget for the Speicher Park ballfields, bringing it to about $2.04 million, signals rising project costs for a Ward 2 park.
Elected officials' compensation
A new pay plan for top city staff includes a 3.5% cost-of-living increase — and a contested $29,000 raise for the police chief. It passed over one no vote.
Homelessness services and nonprofit contracting accountability
The council added $86,880 to the Navigation Center modular contract, approved a new interim housing provider with $400,000 in state encampment funding, and reported 222 people served in October — but the facility's opening slipped to early-to-mid 2027.
Shandin Hills Golf Course management and audit
A Phase I review found untraceable fund transfers and missed finance-staff interviews; the council approved both the procedures contract and the expanded audit while Knaus pressed for accountability over roughly $120,000 in untraceable transfers.
Meyers Creek flooding and sedimentation
Verdemont-area flooding and sediment problems persist; fixes cost $25 million (storm drain) or $64.1 million (debris basin and channel), with county partnership and grant potential for the larger option.
Pedestrian safety at Highland Avenue intersection
Family and friends of 15-year-old Raylen Ayala, killed September 1 at Highland and Guthrie, urged the city to run a rigorous 24-hour traffic and pedestrian count with peak-window analysis before another life is lost.
Privacy and neighborhood impacts of three-story multifamily development
The city had to update its local rules to match new state laws on backyard granny flats and garage conversions, sparking major resident and council pushback over lost parking, increased density, and a lack of local enforcement against illegal building.
Feldheym Central Library improvement project
A $10.2 million renovation of the Feldheym Library moved forward with an $8.3 million construction contract — ADA upgrades, backup power, HVAC, security. Most is state grant money, but the council had to find $3.8 million locally and chose the Measure S fund balance over cutting other park and street projects.
Future of the animal shelter facility and contract cities
The city is terminating its off-site shelter lease with Casa Ramona while the Waterman Avenue shelter faces a month-long access restriction starting February 9. A resident praised the mayor's shelter visit and begged the council to plan sustainable, humane shelter operations.
Homeless drop-off notification and vacant property ordinances
The Redlands Boulevard facility's operator did extensive unpermitted construction and ran recuperative care without authorization. The commission moved to schedule a revocation hearing after the applicant missed repeated permit-resubmittal deadlines.
Independent financial process assessment
Councilmembers Knaus, Ortiz, and Shorett renewed calls for a forensic audit of city finances; staff will bring back within 60 days what type of audit is appropriate and which firms could perform it.
Vacant and abandoned building registration
Councilmember Knaus's proposal would require registration of vacant properties, mandatory maintenance, and progressive fees to fight blight.
Arts and downtown revitalization funding
A blunt debate broke out over whether anything is actually happening downtown. Veteran commissioners said twelve years of "it takes time" hasn't produced visible results, noting the fire at the old Woolworth building, while staff countered that the general plan, housing element and downtown specific plan are now all in place and it's time to execute.
Homeless transport notification ordinance
Cities and nonprofits would have to file a 24-hour notice form before dropping homeless individuals in San Bernardino, with fines — possibly per person, per day. Councilmembers want teeth in enforcement.
Shelter operator local-priority rules
The city wants shelters to reserve beds for San Bernardino residents, report outcomes, and meet safety standards — but councilmembers stressed that without a named enforcement position, rules are just paper.
Treasure Ortiz v. City of San Bernardino litigation
Councilmember Ortiz is suing the city in federal court, and the city is paying outside attorneys to defend itself. Nearly every public speaker called on the council to settle the case, saying legal costs are draining money from services residents actually need. The litigation has become a flashpoint for broader complaints about accountability and public trust.
68-home PRD subdivision in Ward 2
Century Communities wants to turn about 5.8 acres of commercially-designated land near N. Miramonte Drive and N. Little Mountain Road into 68 two-story homes. Changing the land's designation from commercial to residential would bring new housing — and new neighbors and traffic — to Ward 2.
Akoma Unity Center lease dispute
The youth development organization at the Anne Shirrells Community Center faces lease expiration, and dozens of students, parents, and community leaders showed up to support renewal. The council voted to start lease renewal negotiations, keeping the West Side's main youth program in place.
Charter school campus in a residential neighborhood
A new Springs Charter Schools campus for up to 420 TK-through-eighth-grade students will open at the former church site on Sierra Way, bringing an educational option to a neighborhood zone. Neighbors raised traffic on Sierra Way and access to a long-used back-gate easement, and the commission pressed the applicant on fencing and landscaping commitments.
Verdemont Heights 105-lot housing development
The council settled whether a Bay Area environmental group's appeal could stop a 105-home subdivision. The unanimous denial means the project's environmental review stands and homes can move toward construction.
Neighborhood services: street sweeping, lighting, and code enforcement
Councilmembers Figueroa and Ortiz pressed to revive the citywide street sweeping program with signage and enforcement, but staff estimated ~$1M+ annual costs for parking enforcement staff — a hurdle with 150 positions already frozen.
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.
Mobile Street Medicine and Opioid Treatment Services
The city locked in a $600,000 street medicine contract with Healthcare In Action to satisfy the ACLU settlement — but balked at buying the provider a ~$180,000 van it would keep. The vehicle terms go back to negotiation, and one council member objected to harm-reduction supplies being distributed under the city's name.
Solid Waste Rate Increases
Trash rates are rising for the first phase since SB 1383 implementation, with the typical residential customer paying $31.41 instead of $27.75 monthly starting August 1. Most of the jump is the state-mandated organics program, and residents can offset costs with a senior discount or smaller 35-gallon cans. Future years get automatic CPI increases capped at 5%.
Arden Guthrie Site Development
After roughly two decades vacant, the city-owned 17-acre Highland Avenue site may finally redevelop. The council picked Panorama Properties — over a competing bid from Schneider Commercial — for exclusive negotiations, with a grocery-anchored retail center among the concepts. Community outreach and the freeway off-ramp problem remain key challenges.
Nicholson Park Reopening
Nicholson Park is 98% done with a punch list being worked out. A grand opening/ribbon cutting is being planned for late May or mid-June with state stakeholders invited.
Cannabis dispensary at 1792 W. Highland Avenue
A dispensary relocation to 1602 W. Highland Ave drew fierce opposition from Ward 6 residents worried about proximity to churches, a hospital and senior housing. The council split the decision, approving the ownership change but delaying the location.
DOJ Model Cities Initiative grant application
The controversial federal grant application was pulled from the agenda after dozens of speakers warned it could entangle city police with ICE. Several speakers urged the city never to bring it back; a few supported it for public safety funding.
McDonald's reconsideration on Baseline
After three denials, the Council finally approved the fast-food drive-thru in a transit-overlay zone. Opponents cited health, walkability, and process concerns; supporters said it activates a vacant, blighted corner and brings jobs.
Cannabis dispensary relocation to 1602 W. Highland Avenue
Dozens of West Side residents demanded the Council rescind the June 17 approval of the dispensary, citing proximity to a church, library, and school district facility. The City Manager explained the city's website had an outdated ordinance and the approval was technically compliant.
Fireworks social host and cost recovery ordinance
A new ordinance would make property owners, tenants and even knowing spectators liable for illegal fireworks, with cumulative fines and city cost recovery — and police drones would document violations before July 4.
University Hills development and hang-glider access
A long-delayed 327-home project on 404 acres near Cal State San Bernardino was continued to June so the council can resolve coordination with the university and address fault, wildlife and hang-gliding safety concerns.
Petition to rename Seccombe Lake
A petition to rename Seccombe Lake — reportedly to Ignacio Lopez — is being verified with the City Clerk. Mark Westwood presented historical research on Mayor William Seccombe, and the commission agreed to a 20-minute history presentation next month before voting. Any renaming eventually goes to the Parks & Rec Commission and then the City Council.
Short-term rental ban vs. regulation
The city must choose between regulating short-term rentals (MC-1660) or banning them in residential zones (MC-1661). The hearing was pushed to February 18 because key documents were missing from the public packet, giving residents two more weeks to weigh in.
Seccom Lake renovation project delays and management
The council accepted $5 million in state funds for the Seccombe Lake Park rehabilitation and added $377,790 to the park's design contract — a major investment in a Ward 1 park.
Petition to rename Seccom Lake Park
A proposal to rename Seccombe Lake Park for civil rights activist Ignacio Lopez drew unanimous public opposition from history advocates and the Seccombe family. Speakers argue the lake's history doesn't support the rename, and the commission must review the request under city policy before it goes to the Parks Commission and ultimately the City Council. No decision was made; the item is expected in June.
Foothill Boulevard subdivision conditions (138 homes)
A previously approved 138-house project on W. Foothill Boulevard could see its conditions revised, including changes to street improvements along Foothill and Macy Streets. Residents along the corridor may see changes to planned road work.
Downtown specific plan, Carousel Mall and City Hall renewal
Mayor Tran and Councilmember Flores pushed to move the $248,000 City Hall rehab project off the deferral list so it becomes a shelf-ready project for state and federal funding requests.
Smart Technology Building Acquisition
The city proposed buying a building at 793 N. 'E' Street for about $3.67 million from the General Fund. What the city plans to do with the property matters for Ward 1 taxpayers.
Tenant protections and rental conditions
Several speakers and a neighborhood association raised rent control, affordable housing, and homelessness, warning that any resident could lose housing and calling for local jobs so workers don't commute to Los Angeles.
Preservation of the historic Azteca Theater
Commissioners want to explore whether the privately owned Azteca Theatre can be recognized as a historic Route 66 landmark, and what the city's process for such designations looks like.
Citywide Park Master Plan
The parks master plan will go to the City Council for adoption on May 6, with the consultant presenting. It will serve as the department's framework for future projects.
Flock Surveillance Camera Contract
Roughly a dozen speakers blasted the city's surveillance camera expansion, saying it violates privacy and doesn't make them safer, and demanded the council cancel contracts and invest in residents instead. Feelings were still raw from Monday's special meeting on a related amendment.