San Bernardino · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Bernardino public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
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.
Tax-Exempt Bonds for Community Action Partnership
The council cleared the way for up to $15 million in tax-exempt bond financing for the nonprofit Community Action Partnership's buildings — no city money involved, just a required TEFRA pass-through approval.
Adopting the SB Arts Collaborative arts and culture agenda
Arts Connection's director and a resident urged the commission to adopt the community-built arts and culture agenda as a framework to guide funding and priorities. The commission agreed to take it up as a discussion item next meeting.
Community workforce agreement
A proposed partnership between the city, building trades unions, and contractors for major city projects drew strong public support from labor and the building industry.