CITY OF RIALTO CHAPTER 9 i
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Prepared by
City of Rialto
Environmental
Justice
SEPTEMBER 2024 DRAFT
Introduction
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INTRODUCTION
Generally, environmental justice is defined as the basic right of people to live, work, go to school, play, and pray in a healthy and clean environment. Low-income residents, communities of color, tribal nations, and immigrant communities have disproportionately experienced some of the greatest environmental burdens and related health problems throughout the history of the United States. Those in neighborhoods of lower income are more likely to be at a disadvantage when it comes to equal access to programs and places that make and keep us healthy. This disadvantage gave rise to the notion of environmental justice, which arose out of the social and environmental movements of the 1960s and 1970s based on the fact that polluting facilities were being located in neighborhoods that were mostly minority or low income.
Historically, low-income residents, communities of color, tribal nations, and immigrant communities have been located near freeways, dangerous intersections, and industrial uses, and this has had a direct and negative effect on the health of those communities. This inequity is the result of many factors, such as improper zoning and land use planning practices, discriminatory housing and lending practices, limited political and economic power, the prioritization of business interests over public health, and development patterns that tend to concentrate pollution and environmental hazards in certain communities. These factors often lead to communities having a less healthy environment, less access to healthy food and fully equipped parks, and unsanitary and unsafe housing conditions, with the balance of economic and environmental benefits based outside of these communities. Environmental justice seeks to remedy this imbalance based on the democratic values of fairness and equity. The purpose of the Environmental Justice (EJ) Element is to ensure that the City of Rialto is a safe and healthy place with opportunities for everyone and to focus on goals that will improve communities and reduce inequities.
Connection to Regulatory Requirements
EJ elements address six key environmental justice issues as outlined in Senate Bill (SB) 1000: community engagement, pollution exposure, access to public facilities, access to healthy food, safe and sanitary housing, and physical activity. Each of these issues has their own section with descriptions and analysis of how they exist in Rialto; the goals, policies and actions section relates back to these issues. This element provides analysis for four basic geographic areas: north of State Route (SR) 210, between SR-210 and Foothill Boulevard, between Foothill Boulevard and Interstate (I) 10, and south of I-10. As possible during policy implementation, the most specific local data will be used in place of these geographic areas.
Three other key components of SB 1000 include prioritizing disadvantaged communities, equitable development, and climate change. Each of these topics may be woven into the EJ element or other general plan elements to fit Rialto’s unique context. The prioritization of improvements and programs for disadvantaged communities is a key part of SB 1000 that will be addressed in the policy for each specific environmental justice issue. This is detailed more in the Disadvantaged Communities section, under Prioritizing Rialto’s Disadvantaged Communities. Aspects of equitable development are considered within the environmental justice issues and their associated policies and actions. Finally, climate change impacts will be partially covered in the EJ Element as it relates to air pollution; however, this topic is more comprehensively covered in the City of Rialto’s (City’s) Safety Element and Climate Adaptation Plan.
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Relation to Other Planning Documents
OTHER GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS
Like all other general plan elements, EJ element goals, policies, and actions must be consistent with all other goals, policies, and actions included in the general plan per Government Code Section 65300.5.
For example, an EJ element policy aimed to expand park access in underserved communities must be consistent with the allowable land uses identified in the land use element. This ensures that policies throughout the general plan do not contradict or otherwise conflict with EJ policies, and vice versa.
Topics addressed in the EJ element can be related to topics that are typically addressed in any of the other general plan elements including but not limited to safety, housing, transportation, public facilities, and land use.
CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN
The Climate Adaptation Plan (CAP) addresses air pollution exposure in vulnerable communities, which is one of the six required topics within an EJ element.
Policies in the CAP are designed to meet the needs of community members living in census tracts that are designated as disadvantaged and are the most vulnerable to air pollution hazards, such as those living within 500 feet of a designated truck route.
The CAP partially addresses the equitable use of public facilities, including parks, public transportation, active transportation corridors, and public facilities activated during hazard events. This is achieved through the CAP’s capability assessment and the policy recommendations by consistently evaluating the equity of services and prioritizing projects that benefit those most likely affected by climate change. The CAP , however, does not include a full equity and service analysis of all public facilities.
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN The Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and Safe Routes to School Plan are both important components of the City’s environmental justice strategy. These plans work in tandem to plan for improved active transportation corridors that benefit residents and students alike.
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Disadvantaged Communities
DEFINING RIALTO’S DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES
As defined in SB 1000, a disadvantaged community (DAC) is “an area identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code or a low- income area that is disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation.” CalEnviroScreen 4.0 is used to identify census tracts that are part of DACs. Any census tract that falls within the top 25% of CalEnviroScreen scores is considered to be disadvantaged. Based on this criterion, nearly every census tract in Rialto is, to some degree, considered to be disadvantaged. As shown in Exhibit 9.1, census tracts south of SR-210 tend to have lower environmental quality and worse health outcomes than tracts north of it.
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Exhibit 9.1. Disadvantaged Communities
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PRIORITIZING RIALTO’S DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES
EJ elements are intended to prioritize programs and investments in DACs to account for past issues and create conditions that meet community needs. However, a general prioritization of DACs is less effective in Rialto due to DACs spanning most of the city. If DACs are prioritized in this simple way, resources are still spread across the majority of Rialto and issues will not be addressed as directly as possible. To account for this, this EJ Element’s policies and actions will first prioritize DACs and then consider specific environmental justice issue area data points to focus efforts based on the related environmental justice issue. If the policy or action covers multiple environmental justice issues, it may only prioritize based on DACs.
Further, the environmental justice issue areas overlap with other existing General Plan elements, goals, and policies. This element builds on what the City is already doing to address these topics by cross- referencing and, where applicable, adding to other general plan goals and policies. In order to promote the tenets of environmental justice, wherever the following goals, policies, or actions appear to conflict with others within the General Plan, the goals, policies, and actions of the EJ Element, if viewed as stricter, shall prevail.
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Community Engagement Efforts for Development of the
Environmental Justice Element
Community input played an integral role in the development of the Environmental Justice Element.
Outreach was designed to be accessible, consistent, and inclusive, and comprised of three essential phases:
‒ Phase 1 focused on gathering high-level input on the vision for the City as it relates to the four element updates, including the Environmental Justice Element.
‒ Phase 2 built upon the feedback from Phase 1 and focused on developing and refining draft policies. ‒ Phase 3 centered on gathering input and reflections on the draft Elements in preparation for the final General Plan Update.
Throughout these phases, staff utilized a variety of outreach strategies and platforms to maximize community participation and ensure that the voices of Rialto residents, stakeholders, and business owners, and specifically the DACs and traditionally underrepresented communities were heard. Through a series of pop-up events, in-person workshops, virtual workshops, Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings, and an online survey, the community worked alongside staff to brainstorm, share their ideas, and participate in collaborative problem-solving activities and discussions. Each outreach event included bilingual (English-Spanish) materials and was staffed with Spanish-speaking staff and/ or Spanish interpreters to ensure that everyone had access to information and felt comfortable sharing feedback in either English or Spanish. Additionally, events were held throughout different times of the day so as to reduce the barriers to participation due to differing work or school hours.
Outreach events ranged from the traditional workshop setting to more flexible layouts, where stakeholders could either meet virtually (a more convenient option for some) or out where they were at different cultural or community events. The pop-up events served as an opportunity to reach individuals outside of the traditional public meeting setting, while the in-person and virtual workshops provided an opportunity for more in-depth feedback from members of the public who are specifically interested in the project. The CAC, an appointed group of ten stakeholders, were selected based on applications showcasing their unique position within the community. Members of the CAC were tasked with representing not only themselves, but also the communities they represent. Feedback from the CAC was pivotal as they served as a two-way conduit of information and ideas to bridge the broader community who may be less involved in local government and the actual planning process. In addition to these outlets, the City also developed an online survey to collect feedback which received 205 responses. In addition to social media posts, a website, and e-blasts (provided in both English and Spanish), City staff also sent postcards to all Rialto residences (over 30,000 households) within the City to inform them of the planning efforts underway and engage residents that prefer print materials over electronic materials and/ or may not have access to internet.
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In terms of the input received to inform the Environmental Justice Element, below is a list of themes heard throughout plan development:
TOPIC CONCERN/FEEDBACK
COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
Consistent and more engaging social media presence. Marquees or signage for upcoming events. Educational programs to learn about city government (e.g. Rialto Institute of Progress). Engage youth. Require language assistance, translation, organizational partnership, and cultural sensitivity on information provided to the public so that more community members are able to provide meaningful input in community planning.
Inconvenient meeting times and a lack of information on meeting times and locations are the largest barriers to attending public meetings.
POLLUTION
EXPOSURE
Freeway and warehouse traffic contributes to air pollution. Encourage alternative energy (“green”) infrastructure investment. More protected bike lanes, traffic calming or speed enforcement (on Pepper Ave.), parks, and crosswalks would encourage safe biking/walking.
Improve water quality. Stronger zoning protections for existing residents located near industrial or warehouse uses.
PUBLIC HEAL TH
AND PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
Additional biking, walking, and open space opportunities and acknowledged existing City facilities (e.g. Pacific Electric Trail and Bud Bender Park) as benefits to the community.
Additional bike lanes or sidewalks would entice more to regularly bike and walk. More parks, green spaces, community gardens, plazas, and outside gathering spaces.
ACCESS
TO PUBLIC
AMENITIES
Libraries are a great space for youth and to access computers.
ACCESS TO
HEAL THY FOOD
Healthy food is too expense and poses a challenge to maintaining a healthy diet.
Discourage future fast-food restaurants within the community, and attract more convenient healthier food opportunities, like cenadúrias, which are casual, mobile food eateries that provide traditional, home-style Mexican cuisine.
SAFE AND
SANITARY HOMES
Homebuyer assistance programs. Incentive programs in targeted areas. Code enforcement for longtime issue areas. Directory of local maintenance companies would help. More attention and resources given to homelessness. Home repairs (such as roof, window, mold) were the cause of most financial burden in Rialto households. The high cost of utilities (heating, gas, etc.) was identified as the primary source for safety and sanitary issues within neighborhoods.
Vector and pest control (mosquitos, ants, gophers, etc.) are issues within the City.
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Environmental
Justice Issues
in Rialto
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES IN RIALTO
Community Engagement
WHAT
Community engagement is the process of including community members in local decision making. Historically across the United States, various groups have been underrepresented in local decision- making processes due to a variety of social, economic, and political barriers to participation. These include but are not limited to barriers to voting, unequal political power, inaccessible locations and times for engagement events, and language barriers. These barriers create unequal power dynamics and can lead to direct, inherent, or indirect discrimination and exclusion.
As it relates to environmental justice, lack of engagement with members of DACs has often led to the adoption of planning, housing, transportation, and other policies that don’t address community desires and at times create negative social and environmental impacts.
For this reason, lack of meaningful and representative community engagement is an environmental justice issue. Making an effort to meaningfully involve underrepresented groups and members of DACs in local decision making helps to capture a representative picture of community wants and needs and ultimately can lead to better planning and community development.
WHEN
Community engagement opportunities should be incorporated throughout the development of all plans and projects, but the level and scope of engagement may vary based on the type of plan or project. Creating citywide plans, such as the General Plan or the Housing Element, requires much more community engagement than creating plans or projects that will cause more specific, localized changes, such as specific plans. Similarly, a major development, such as a distribution center or large housing complex, should involve more outreach to the surrounding communities than a smaller and less impactful project.
It is also important to ensure that engagement opportunities are available at times that maximize participation. In many working-class communities, this often means hosting outreach events outside of typical working hours or virtually. Whenever possible, it is also good practice to schedule multiple engagement opportunities that take place at different times of the day and week to give people with different schedules an opportunity to participate.
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WHERE
Historically, the City has provided engagement opportunities online and in-person in key public spaces like parks, the Civic Center, and at the farmers’ market. For example, the 6th Cycle Housing Element involved extensive online public outreach including a survey, interactive feedback map, and website, as well as in-person workshops, meetings, and events. By creating engagement opportunities in public spaces where people already gather and offering online opportunities to provide input, the City was able to engage more people including some who may not have been able to participate in a more traditional setting. Nonetheless, it is important to consider other barriers to participation such as poor internet service or access to public transportation to and from events.
WHO
Compared to San Bernardino County at large, Rialto’s population is generally younger and more racially and ethnically diverse. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, almost a third of Rialto residents are younger than 19 and nearly three-quarters of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino (see Exhibit 9.2 for an age breakdown and Exhibit 9.3 for race and ethnicity breakdowns). Moreover, Rialto has the largest average household size in the area. Considering these characteristics of the population, it is important to offer age-appropriate, family-oriented, and multilingual engagement opportunities to maximize participation and effectiveness.
Recently, the City has conducted extensive outreach among children and families for multiple planning efforts including the ATP , Safe Routes to School Program, the CAP , and the 6th Cycle Housing Element.
In creating each of these, the City distributed surveys, held public workshops, and hosted events at schools and family-friendly events in order to ensure that Rialto’s streets and housing stock are reflective of the needs of families and young people. These outreach methods were designed to be simple, easy to understand, and fun for children.
Similarly, the City has made targeted efforts to engage Spanish-speaking residents. Some notable efforts include translating outreach materials, including flyers, websites, and maps, into Spanish and hosting Spanish-only workshops and community meetings.
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Exhibit 9.2. Age Breakdown
Source: US Census Bureau. 2020. “ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2020.” Table S0101
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Exhibit 9.3. Race and Ethnicity Breakdown
Source: Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment California Environmental Protection Agency. 2021, October. “CalEnviroScreen
4.0 Data Dashboard.” https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6b863505f9454cea802f4be0b4b49d62/
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HOW
In 2022, the City developed a Community Engagement Framework with the help of the Institute for Local Government’s BOOST Program. This framework is a resource that City staff can use to understand how to meaningfully engage communities and determine which stakeholders to engage. It is based on the Spectrum of Public Participation (shown in Exhibit 9.4), which describes the different levels of community engagement. Lower levels of engagement, like informing and consulting, can be valuable to set up for deeper engagement later or to provide details and get confirmation on certain technical processes.
However, they provide less power and opportunity to influence decision making than higher levels like collaborating and empowering. The City aims to incorporate more high-level engagement by partnering with community-based organizations, hosting interactive public workshops targeting different groups and areas, and building relationships with stakeholders.
The Community Engagement Framework also summarizes current outreach efforts and provides recommendations for future outreach. Historically, the City has used engagement strategies such as distributing handouts and the Rialto Progress Magazine, hosting public meetings and informational booths at community events, and providing updates on social media and the local TV channel. The Community Services Department hosts or co-hosts approximately 21 events annually throughout the City that draw thousands of community members. To promote large-scale events, the City has also worked with local radio stations like 103.9 and Que Buena to reach more of the population. There have also been some efforts to involve and collaborate with community members and local organizations. For example, the City has worked with community-based organizations, the Rialto Unified School District, housing associations, and resident commissions. Based on the limitations and successes of past and present outreach, the BOOST Program has recommended that the City do the following to improve community engagement:
1. Tap into City Clerk’s network for outreach.
2. Utilize resident commissions to present information and involve members. Create ad hoc community advisory groups/committees.
3. Involve Teen Center for outreach.
4. Involve faith community by going to already scheduled meetings.
5. Work across departments to make booths at events more interactive and holistic. Booths can provide information about multiple ways community members can get involved with different City agencies and programs.
6. Develop kids’ activities as a part of each public outreach event (e.g., chalk on sidewalks for outdoor booths and coloring pages for indoor activity).
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Exhibit 9.4. Spectrum of Public Participation
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Pollution Exposure
WHAT
People are exposed every day to pollution in the environment, often from living near transportation corridors or industrial land uses that produce hazardous waste, such as car repair centers, gas stations, dry cleaners, manufacturing businesses, and recycling centers. Chemicals from these businesses can get into the soil, water, and air and affect nearby residents. Low-income residences are often in proximity to many polluting businesses, and higher-income areas often do not face the same level of pollution exposure.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air with chemical, physical, or biological particles that can cause health problems. It includes but is not limited to harmful gases like carbon monoxide, ozone, and volatile organic compounds; dust from agricultural activities; wildfire smoke; and fungal spores. Air pollution can be caused by human activities or can occur through natural processes. In Rialto, the main sources of air pollution are transportation and industrial land uses that produce pollutants like ozone and particulate matter, which can cause respiratory diseases like asthma and cardiovascular disease.
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials are substances that can cause death, serious illness, or hazard to human health or the environment when not properly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of. Many household substances are considered hazardous, including gasoline, refrigerants, paint, and some gardening supplies. Nearly all households and businesses have some amount of hazardous waste. Certain businesses and industries, such as gas stations, auto repair, dry cleaners, waste management facilities, and factories generate greater amounts of hazardous waste. In Rialto, the most significant sources of hazardous materials are industrial facilities and waste management facilities.
WHEN
Air Pollution
Air pollution in Rialto varies day to day based on pollution sources, temperature, and local wind patterns.
While sources of pollution are likely to decrease over time with improved technology and stricter regulations, climate change is projected to worsen air pollution over time in three ways. First, projected increases in temperature will result in the creation of additional ground-level ozone, as high temperatures are a key ingredient in ozone creation. Second, longer warm seasons can contribute to longer pollen seasons, which can increase allergies and asthma episodes. 1 Lastly, projected increases in the frequency
and intensity of wildfires contribute to smoke and particulate matter in the air. These competing factors have different time scales and certainties, making it difficult to predict their full impact. 1 Hall, A., N. Ber g, and K. Reich. 2018. Los Angeles Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. University of California, Los Angeles. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-007.
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Hazardous Materials
Incidents involving hazardous materials can happen at any time; however, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) regulates a wide range of hazardous materials to prevent incidents from occurring. When they do occur, the DTSC also identifies appropriate response measures to mitigate harmful effects on the environment and public health. First, incidents must be reported to and investigated by DTSC.
If special mitigation measures are required, the area where the incident occurred may be classified as a cleanup site. The duration of cleanup activities varies considerably, with timelines ranging from a few weeks to many years, depending on the types of hazardous materials and scale of the incident.
WHERE
To quickly view overall pollution burdens across Rialto, see Exhibit 9.5. This map shows a composite of pollution exposures.2
Air Pollution
Like much of the Inland Empire, Rialto experiences comparatively poor air quality. This is due in part to Rialto’s location in the San Bernardino Valley, where certain types of pollutants tend to settle until wind events circulate cleaner air. Many of these pollutants originate outside of Rialto but become concentrated in the area due to meteorological patterns. Still, some pollutants originate locally, especially from industrial uses, trucks, and vehicle travel. Air quality monitoring stations are present to the east and west of Rialto in San Bernardino and Fontana, meaning that understanding localized air pollution requires additional context about pollution sources.
Citywide, Rialto falls within the top 10% for ozone pollution relative to the State of California, meaning that ozone pollution is worse in Rialto than in most other places in California. 3 This is due to a variety
of factors including Rialto’s geographic location, warm and sunny climate, and proximity to large urban areas that generate a lot of air pollutants.
Other major pollutants like particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5) and diesel particulate matter tend to be more concentrated in the southern and northwestern areas of Rialto, where warehouses and heavy industrial uses are located, and along major freeways like I-10 and SR-210. Rialto generally experiences higher than average levels of PM2.5 compared to the State of California as a whole, with certain areas experiencing more PM2.5 than 90% of California.
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials can potentially be found anywhere as a result of improper disposal or storage, but sites with large concentrations of hazardous materials are catalogued by EnviroStor. EnviroStor is a data management program operated by the DTSC that is used to monitor, investigate, permit, and clean up sites with known contaminants.
2 OEHHA (Calif ornia Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment). 2022a. “Pollution Indicators. ” Accessed February 16, 2022. https://oehha.ca.gov/ calenviroscreen/pollution-indicators.
3 OEHHA. 2022b . “CalEnviroScreen 4.0. ” Accessed February 16, 2022. https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen.
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Rialto contains 20 EnviroStor sites with hazardous materials that require cleanup. Of these EnviroStor sites, 17 are within areas identified as DACs in CalEnviroScreen 4.0, or areas disproportionately impacted by multiple sources of pollution. These sites are located throughout Rialto, but there is a slightly higher concentration of them in the southern and central areas of Rialto where industrial uses are located.
Active hazardous waste cleanup sites can be seen in
Exhibit 9.6.
Geotracker is another database that contains records for sites that have potential to impact groundwater.
There are 23 active Geotracker sites in Rialto and several others nearby in the City of Colton. These sites are heavily concentrated in the two industrial areas immediately south of I-10 and north of the former Rialto Airport (see
Exhibit 9.7).
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Exhibit 9.5. Pollution Exposure
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Exhibit 9.6. EnviroStor Cleanup Sites
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Figure7. Geotracker Cleanup Sites
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WHO
Air Pollution
People with existing health conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, are more sensitive to air pollution. These health conditions are also caused by exposure to air pollution. This means that living in areas with poor air quality can cause generational cycles of health concerns. The majority of census tracts in Rialto fall into the top 20% for asthma-related emergency room admissions, indicating that Rialto residents are more likely to experience asthma-related complications than most other Californians.
Similarly, the majority of census tracts in Rialto fall into the top 10% for cardiovascular disease–related emergency room admissions. Because Rialto residents are more likely than most other Californians to experience these preexisting conditions, preexisting conditions are an important consideration in Rialto with regards to air quality.
People who spend more time outdoors are often exposed to polluted air at higher rates. This may include young children, people who work outdoors, and people who travel to work without a car. Both Rialto and San Bernardino County have a higher population of young children when compared to the entire state (75th percentile). Therefore, young children may be a population of special concern, but active commuters and outdoor workers likely are not. See Table 9-1 for data on health indicators and air
pollution.
Table 9-1. Health Indicators Related to Air Pollution
Health Indicator
Location
City of Rialto San Bernardino County
Asthma1 7.13 6.58
Cardiovascular Disease2 1.31 1.16
Young Children3 7.37% 7.33%
Outdoor Workers4 6.58% 6.15%
Active Commuters5 2.09% 3.09%
Source: Public Health Alliance. 2022. “The California Healthy Places Index.” https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/.
Color Code Compared to the State:
■ Quartile 1 = Least Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 2 = Somewhat Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 3 = Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 4 = Most Vulnerable Note: The table is colored to provide an understanding of the rate of vulnerabilities to air pollution and does not indicate that certain traits are overall “good” or “bad.”
1 Ra te of emergency room visits for asthma per 100,000 visits 2 Ra te of emergency room visits for heart attacks per 100,000 visits 3 P ercent of residents under 5 years old
4 P ercent of workers who work outdoors
5 P ercent of workers who commute to work by transit, walking, or cycling CITY OF RIALTO CHAPTER 9 9-22
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Hazardous Materials
Although it is not good for anyone to be exposed to hazardous waste near their place of residence, people more vulnerable to toxic chemicals include infants and children. Infants and children have a greater pound-for-pound exposure and less ability to detoxify and excrete these chemical toxins.
Additionally, older adults and those with preexisting conditions might be more vulnerable to toxic chemicals due to compromised immune systems.
4 Most census tracts in Rialto have considerably more
young children than most tracts in California. However, there are no census tracts with comparatively high numbers of older adults (65+).
HOW
Air Pollution
Rialto is a part of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which develops and adopts an air quality management plan every 3 years in compliance with Federal and State clean air standards.
Primarily, air quality management plans provide municipalities in the region with policy and program options to improve local and regional air quality. Additionally, the Rialto General Plan and ATP include a variety of goals and policies aimed to reduce local emissions and improve air quality. These include strategies that will reduce transportation emissions by reducing vehicle miles traveled, minimize industrial emissions, and ensure that residential areas and other sensitive land uses are protected from industrial impacts and truck routes.
Hazardous Materials
For each EnviroStor cleanup site identified by the DTSC, an investigation and corresponding enforcement actions are completed in order to prevent public health impacts. Enforcement actions vary based upon the type of toxic substances on site, environmental context, future land uses, and severity of the contamination. In any case, the DTSC monitors the site and prohibits activities and uses that may have adverse impacts on the health of both current and future community members.
Public Health and Physical Activity
The places where people live can affect their health and levels of physical activity. In a healthy community, everyone has access to healthy food, parks, and safe streets; however, low-income communities often have fewer of these healthy resources and have higher rates of chronic diseases and lower lifespans as a result.
5 As shown in Table 9-2, Rialto scores in the lowest 25% for coronary heart disease and diabetes in comparison to all California census tracts. 4 U .S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2020. “Exposure Assessment Tools by Lifestages and Populations - Highly Exposed or Other Susceptible Population Groups. ” April 29, 2020. Accessed August 19, 2020. https://www.epa.gov/expobox/exposure-assessment-tools-lifestages-andpopulations-highly-exposed-or-other-susceptible. 5 McC ullough, M., D. Feskanich, M. Stampfer, E. Giovannucci, E. Rimm, F. Hu, D. Spiegelman, D. Hunter, G. Colditz, and W. Willett. 2002. “Diet Quality and Major Chronic Disease Risk in Men and Women: Moving toward Improved Dietary Guidance. ” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 76 (6): 1261–1271.
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Table 9-2. Health Outcomes
Health Indicator
Location
City of Rialto San Bernardino County
Coronary Heart Disease1 4.92% 5.32%
Diabetes2 12.3% 11.7%
Obesity3 37.2% 34.8%
Source: Public Health Alliance. 2023. “The California Healthy Places Index.” https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/.
Color Code Compared to the State:
■ Quartile 1 = Least Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 2 = Somewhat Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 3 = Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 4 = Most Vulnerable Note:
1 P ercent of adults diagnosed with angina or coronary heart disease 2 P ercent of adults diagnosed with diabetes (other than during pregnancy) 3 P ercent of adults with obesity
WALKING OR BIKING
WHAT
Walking and biking around a community offer affordable and healthy ways to get around. Walking and biking also reduce air pollution, traffic, and wear and tear on local roads. Providing safe places to walk and bike is important in a healthy community, especially if community members walk or bike as part of their regular commute to school or work.
WHEN
People can choose to walk or bike to a destination or for recreation at any point in the day. In general, some of the more dangerous times to walk or bike are on weekdays during dusk and dawn, as visibility is reduced and more cars are on the road due to commuting. In Rialto from 2016 to 2020, the most common time range for bicycle and pedestrian crashes with cars is between 6 and 9 PM, with nearly 25% of all crashes occurring during that time range. Over that span of 5 years there were 202 reported crashes involving pedestrians or bike riders in Rialto (not including collisions occurring on a state highway).6 WHERE
Generally, central neighborhoods in Rialto, including Downtown, are more walkable than other neighborhoods. In fact, the Downtown area received a walkability score of 17 from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, which is significantly higher than both State and San Bernardino County averages and puts the area in the 96th percentile for the metric. Areas north of SR-210 and south of I-10 are less walkable than the areas between the two highways, due to their lower densities and lack of common destinations. Overall, the most walkable areas of Rialto tend to be in DACs, but there is still room for improvement in many areas.
6 T ransportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS), Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, University of California, Berkeley. 2023. “SWITRS Query & Map. ” https://tims.berkeley.edu/tools
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WHO
Walking and biking can feel or be more unsafe for certain individuals than others. Older adults and people with physical disabilities may be less able to cross an intersection during the time allotted by a stop light. People who are less-frequent bikers may be less comfortable navigating more-trafficked areas of town. However, people who regularly bike or walk to work or other regular errands are most at risk because they are on the street the most. Overall, Rialto has a moderate rate of pedestrian injuries (see
Table 9-3). These injuries are much more common in the central areas of Rialto, all of which are DACs. These areas tend to be more walkable, but do not have a significantly higher percentage of active commuters than the less walkable areas of Rialto.
Table 9-3. Pedestrian Safety
Health Indicator
Location
City of Rialto San Bernardino County
Pedestrian Injuries1 0.000067 0.000059
Active Commuters2 2.09% 3.09%
Walkability Score3 12.5 11
Source: Public Health Alliance. 2022. “The California Healthy Places Index.” https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/.
Color Code Compared to the State:
■ Quartile 1 = Least Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 2 = Somewhat Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 3 = Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 4 = Most Vulnerable Note:
1 Annual aver age rate of severe and fatal pedestrian injuries per 100,000 population 2 P ercent of employees who commute to work by biking or walking 3 This sc ore considers intersection density, proximity to transit, and employment/housing mix
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HOW
In recent years, significant steps have been taken to improve active transportation options throughout Rialto. In January 2020, the City completed its ATP , which identifies problem areas and outlines specific projects that the City plans to implement. Many of these projects are already in progress and include improvements to bikes lanes, sidewalks, crossings, transit stops, accessibility, and overall network connectivity. They rely on proven strategies and infrastructure treatments that help make walking and biking safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable, which will lead to better health outcomes for residents. In addition to the ATP , the City developed a Safe Routes to School Plan, which works in tandem with the ATP to promote walking and biking trips among elementary and middle school students. It does this by providing education, incentives, programs, and safety improvements including additional crossing guards. Rialto has also developed an electric bike share program. 18 bike hubs are dispersed across the City with 100 electric pedal-assist bikes. This program also includes discounted memberships for students and low-income residents.
PARKS AND OPEN SPACE
WHAT
Parks are important gathering spaces for safe and healthy recreation, which is an important aspect to preventing chronic disease.7 Parks provide places for children and adults to be active. Parks, and the trees inside them, can clean the air and cool down hot days. 7 Sher er, P .M. 2006. “The Benefits of Parks: Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space. ” Trust for Public Land. http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/parks_ for_people_Jul2005.pdf.
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WHEN
Most Rialto City parks are open 6 AM to 10 PM. Exceptions to this rule include Roger Birdsall Park (open 8 AM to 8 PM Tuesday through Sunday, and 6 AM to 10 PM on Monday), and Joe Sampson Park (open 6 AM to 8 PM daily). Rental times for different amenities can vary.
WHERE
Rialto maintains 10 public parks of varying sizes and with different amenities. The area between I-10 and Foothill Boulevard includes Rialto City Park, Bud Bender Park, Margaret Todd Park, Andreson Park, and Joe Sampson Park. Rialto City Park is one of the largest parks in Rialto and is directly adjacent to the Racquet and Fitness Center, Tom Sawyer Pool, and Senior Center. The remaining parks in this area have various amenities including baseball fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, and green spaces. The area between Foothill Boulevard and SR-210 includes Flores Park, Etiwanda Park, and Frisbie Park, which include soccer fields, a dog park, a skate park, workout equipment, and other amenities. The two remaining parks, Alec Ferguson Park and Roger Birdsall Park, are located north of SR-210 and include a variety of sports facilities, greens spaces, and a skatepark.
One public amenity related to parks is tree canopy. Cities with more expansive tree canopies are better protected from various hazards like air pollution, extreme heat, and flooding. California Department of Public Health conducted a study in 2011 that determined Rialto’s percent of land with tree canopy (weighted by number of people per acre) to be 3.68% citywide. This rate was similar to San Bernardino County, but nearly half the rate for California as a whole. 8 WHO
Despite this great variety of park locations and amenities, the amount and size of Rialto’s parks is below average. A common metric that is used to measure how communities are doing related to park space is park acreage per 1,000 residents. The Department of Parks and Recreation recommends 3 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, and in Rialto there are approximately 1.3 acres of park space per 1000 residents (
Table 9-4).9 Moreover, only 43.3% of residents live within a half-mile walking distance of a park, as shown in Table 9-5. This means that more than half of the population likely has to walk longer distances, drive, or take public transit to get to a park.
As shown in Table 9-5, access to parks and park acres per 1,000 residents varies in different areas of Rialto. Generally, the neighborhoods north of SR-210 have the best access to parks, while those between SR-210 and Foothill Boulevard have less access. The area south of I-10 has the least access to parks in Rialto but is predominantly industrial, has very few dwelling units, and is not compatible with parks and open space. DACs tend to have less access than non-DACs, as demonstrated in Exhibit 9.8.
8 Calif ornia Department of Public Health. 2011. “Tree Canopy Coverage. ” https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/Pages/HCI-Search.aspx 9 Sant ana, A., Flegal C. 2021. “Advancing Park Equity in California. ” www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/pl_brief_ca-parks-equity.pdf CITY OF RIALTO CHAPTER 9 9-27
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Table 9-5. Park Access and Amenities
Health Indicator
Location
Citywide North of
SR-210
Between
SR-210 and
Foothill Blvd
Between
Foothill Blvd
and I-10
South of
I-10
Dwelling units within 0.25
mile of a park1 14.6% 19.3% 13.2% 18.2% 0%
Dwelling units within 0.5
mile of a park
2 43.3% 58.6% 42.3% 49.8% 0%
Dwelling units within 1
mile of a park
3 84.3% 97.4% 93.2% 94.4% 48%
Park acreage per 1000
people
4 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.2 0
Sources: CoreLogic. 2023. “Parcel Reference Data.” https://www.corelogic.com/data-solutions/property-data-solutions/ California Protected Areas Database. 2021. “Parks and Open Spaces.” https://www.calands.org/ 1 P ercent of dwelling units within a quarter mile of a park 2 P ercent of dwelling units within a half mile of a park 3 P ercent of dwelling units within a mile of a park
4 P ark acres per 1,000 people
HOW
The City’s Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element outlines many strategies to expand park acreage and access throughout Rialto while integrating parks into the City’s expanding active transportation network. Goals 2-24 through 2-27 aim to make better use of underutilized public spaces including the Lytle Creek area, establish a Parks and Recreation Master Plan for Rialto, and increase park acreage to 3.0 acres per 1,000 residents over time. Strategies include converting underutilized sites into parks, creating more passive parks and trails wherever feasible, and increasing open space requirements for new developments. In recent years, the City has made significant investments in the local parks like Frisbie Park and Joe Sampson Park. Andreson Park is scheduled to have an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant walking track installed and fitness equipment replaced. The City is also aware of future improvements needed and is considering replacing grass sports fields with turf as a way to save water, decrease maintenance, and provide more time for use of these fields.
The City also works with organizations and agencies in the area through facility use agreements, contract classes, and other collaboration. For example, the City has an off-hours agreement with Rialto Unified School District regarding gyms and sports fields. Additionally, the City’s Youth Sports Division collaborates with youth sports leagues to provide sports at Rialto’s public parks. Rialto is a very active community and even with the upgrades to parks, the demand is still significant.
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Exhibit 9.8. Park Access
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Access to Public Facilities
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WHAT
People’s ability to get from their home to destinations such as work, a grocery store, or a laundry service is essential for day-to-day life. Without access to a car, active transportation and public transportation are the only options. Low-income households are less likely to have access to a reliable car. Therefore, access to public transportation is an environmental justice issue.
WHEN
While Rialto is served by six Omnitrans bus routes, the frequency of service is limited. As of 2024, five out of Rialto’s six routes have services every hour. Route 14 has services every 20 minutes during peak hours and weekends and every 30 minutes during non-peak hours. However, there are planned service improvements for several routes including 15-minute headways for Route 14, 30-minute service for Routes 15 and 19, and 50-minute service for Route 312. While infrequent service is an inconvenience to transit users at any time of day, it is especially an issue during peak commute times when transit riders may need more frequent and dependable service. For that reason, there are planned service improvements during peak hours for two routes including 30-minute peak hour service for Route 10, and 30-minute peak hour service south of Baseline Road for Route 22.
WHERE
Rialto’s six Omnitrans bus routes mainly run along arterial roads. Routes 10, 14, 15, and 19 run east–west along Baseline Road, Foothill Boulevard, Merrill Avenue, and San Bernardino Avenue, respectively.10 Route 22 runs north–south along Riverside Avenue and makes several stops in neighborhoods north of SR-210, while Route 312 initially runs north–south along Linden Avenue and then east–west along Renaissance Parkway, Easton Street, and Highland Avenue. Together, these six routes cover most residential and commercial areas of Rialto, including most DACs. However, no bus routes serve the area south of San Bernardino Avenue, which is also a DAC. There are very few housing units in this area because it is mostly zoned for industrial and commercial uses and it is served by OmniRide—a reservable microtransit service with flexible routes and fixed fares that serves several communities in San Bernardino County that do not have normal bus services. For these reasons, transit may not be needed in the area.
While transit lines are distributed throughout most of Rialto, they are not always easily accessible. As shown in
Exhibit 9.9, significant areas of Rialto are not within a quarter-mile walking distance of a transit stop, including many residential areas. People living in or traveling to these areas may find using existing transit options inconvenient due to the journey to and from bus stops, a concept also known as first/last mile. 10 OmniT rans. n.d. “Routes & Schedules. ” Accessed February 16, 2022. https://omnitrans.org/plan-a-trip/routes-schedules/.
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Exhibit 9.9. Public Transportation Access
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WHO
Rialto’s DACs have similar levels of access to all forms of public transportation as non-DACs. One exception is the area south of I-10 where there are no transit lines. However, this is a predominantly industrial area with very few housing units.
In general, residents of the DACs in Rialto have less access to cars than non-DAC residents. This is especially true in census tracts near Downtown Rialto, all of which are DACs. Three of these tracts fall within the bottom 20% for car access, indicating that households there are significantly less likely to have a car than most households in California. Other DACs, however, have similar levels of car access to non- DACs. For example, DACs north of SR-210 fall within the top 25%, indicating that car access is not a major issue in those areas.
Table 9-6 provides data on citywide access to transportation.
Table 9-6. Transportation Access
Health Indicator
Location
Citywide North of
SR-210
Between
SR-210 and
Foothill Blvd
Between
Foothill Blvd
and I-10
South of
I-10
Dwelling units within
Walking Distance of a
Transit Stop
1 73.3% 76.7% 63.3% 67.3% N/A
Dwelling units within
Biking Distance of a
Transit Stop
2 99.3% 97.9% 99.3% 99.9% N/A
Sources: CoreLogic, 2023. “Parcel Reference Data.” Transitland, 2021. “Public Transit Stops.” 1 P ercent of dwelling units within a quarter mile of a transit stop 2 P ercent of dwelling units within a half mile of a transit stop 3 South of I-10 is ser ved by OmniRide which includes flexible pickup locations and limits the need to bike or walk to a transit stop.
HOW
Within the City’s Circulation Element are policies that address public transportation. Goal 4-6: Provide for all residents and businesses to have equal access to reliable and convenient public transit services, includes six policies aimed at expanding and improving public transit routes, infrastructure, accessibility, and alternatives to fixed-route bus service. Additionally, the City recently completed its ATP , which, when implemented, will not only improve walking and biking conditions, but will also improve public transit stops and help solve the first/last mile problem. Most of these policies will have positive impacts on DACs throughout Rialto.
OmniTrans, Rialto’s public transit provider, also offers several programs that benefit individuals who may not have other transportation options. OmniAccess is a service available for people with a qualifying disability that prevents them from using regular fixed bus routes. 11 This service allows reservations or
recurring trips to locations up to three-quarters of a mile from existing bus routes. Another on-demand 11 OmniT rans. 2023. “OmniAccess & ADA Services. ” https://omnitrans.org/services/access-ada/ CITY OF RIALTO CHAPTER 9 9-32
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service offered is OmniRide Bloomington, which covers a portion of Rialto and is open to the general public.12 There are also free bus fares offered for students and discounted bus fares for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.13
Other programs for older adults or people with disabilities are available.14 For example, travel training is a program that gives people one-on-one time to learn the information and skills to ride the bus.
Reimbursement programs are also available for qualified individuals who need volunteer drivers, Ubers, or taxis for trips such as medical appointments, work, grocery shopping, and more.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES
WHAT
Libraries and community centers provide important community amenities that improve quality of life.
Amenities such as community events, Wi-Fi, educational opportunities, air conditioning, technology, and recreation might all be offered in these public spaces.
WHERE
Rialto has two libraries, a community center, a fitness center, and a senior center (see Exhibit 9.10). The Carter Public Library is located in north Rialto on the Wilmer Amina Carter High School campus. It is the only community facility north of the SR-210. The Rialto Library and Rialto Community Center are located near Downtown Rialto on or near the Civic Center campus. The Grace Vargas Senior Center and Rialto Racquet and Fitness Center are located just north of I-10 and adjacent to Rialto City Park. All these community facilities are located in DACs and are within a quarter-mile walking distance of a public transit line. However, there are no community facilities in the neighborhoods between Foothill Boulevard and SR-210. Additionally, there are no community facilities south of I-10 as they are incompatible with the heavy industrial uses in the area.
12 OmniT rans. 2023. “OmniRide: Your On-Demand Ride in Bloomington, Chino/Chino Hills & Upland. ” https://omnitrans.org/promotions/omniride/ 13 OmniT rans. 2023. “Fares & Passes. ” https://omnitrans.org/buy-a-pass/fares/ 14 OmniT rans. 2023. “Mobility Services. ” https://omnitrans.org/services/ms/
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Exhibit 9.10. Community Facilities Access
CITY OF RIALTO CHAPTER 9 9-34
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WHEN
Hours for the different public facilities in Rialto vary, and facility-specific websites should be referenced.
Several are not open on weekends, and the Carter Branch Library has very specific hours so as to not interfere with school.
WHO
Access to community facilities is important for all residents at some point because they provide opportunities, resources, and spaces for learning, recreating, and socializing. They can be especially valuable to young children and older adults, who have unique social and developmental needs, and low-income residents because they provide plenty of free resources that they may not be able to access elsewhere. Therefore, it is important to ensure that areas with greater amounts of children, older adults, and low-income households have convenient access to public facilities.
In Rialto, community facilities are more accessible to residents because they are spread throughout the city and along public transit routes. Furthermore, facilities are more accessible to the groups mentioned above because most facilities are located in DACs and areas with higher proportions of children. 15 That
being said, the number of facilities is limited, which is why the percentage of people able to access community facilities easily by biking or walking is low (see Table 9-7).
Table 9-7. Community Facilities Access
Health Indicator
Location
Citywide North of
SR-210
Between
SR-210 and
Foothill
Blvd
Between
Foothill
Blvd and
I-10
South of
I-10
Dwelling units within Walking
Distance of a Community Facility1 1.76% 3.54% 0% 3.34% 0% Dwelling units within Biking
Distance of a Community Facility
2 9.34% 15.99% 1.23% 18.19% 0%
Source: CoreLogic. 2023. “Parcel Reference Data.” https://www.corelogic.com/data-solutions/property-data-solutions/ 1 P ercent of dwelling units within a quarter mile of a community facility 2 P ercent of dwelling units within a half mile of a community facility HOW
The City’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department organizes and runs the public facilities described above. Equity is considered as a part of all Community Services programming; ensuring that everyone in the community has access to the same opportunities is an important part of their work. The City considers spatial equity when spending on community services programming and infrastructure throughout Rialto. Financial equity is also considered by incentivizing participation of low-income 15 Public He alth Alliance. 2022. “The California Healthy Places Index. ” https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/.
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residents in programs and offerings when possible. For example, financial scholarships are offered for department hosted activities and classes to youth whose families cannot afford to register their kids for programs because of challenging financial situations.
The Grace Vargas Senior Center provides a well-rounded, informative, enjoyable, and relevant variety of services for Rialto’s senior community. Offerings include exercise classes, senior socials, workshops, special events, daily nutritious lunch, a food assistance program, and access to many other organizations for their specific needs. The City actively works to provide a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
The City also runs an afterschool teen program that offers social and educational programs for at- risk or low-income youth. These services include tutoring, homework assistance, sports and exercise, enrichment activities, field trips, gardening, workshops, presentations, and much more. All activities are free of charge and the staff are devoted to making every day a positive experience for the youth.
Many of the City’s public facilities are centered around exercise and physical activity. Rialto Progress Magazine promotes facility offerings such as youth and adult sports programming, competitive swim, dance, self-defense classes, adult aerobic classes, and adult sports activities. This magazine is mailed to all residents and businesses in Rialto, reaching the population of 104,000. The City plans, coordinates, administers, and promotes activities and programs that encourage exercise and an active lifestyle for all. The Youth and Adults Sports Division runs year-round basketball and volleyball leagues and clinics.
The City provides a wide range of water sports and a fitness facility full of cardio, strength, and resistance equipment at the Fitness and Aquatic Center. Special events, senior services, and afterschool programs are used to create activities and programs that encourage participants to be physically active. These services and programs can include sports, exercise classes, dances, competitions, and a variety of other educational, recreational, and social activities.
The Rialto General Plan also establishes several goals and polices aimed at expanding and improving public facilities and services and ensuring that they are accessible and meet the needs of all community members. Goals 3-11 through 3-16 are all focused on improving existing facilities and recreational programs and working with community organizations and other jurisdictions to provide more programs and services.
FACILITIES FOR THOSE WITHOUT SHELTER
According to the 6th Cycle Housing Element, there are about 115 people experiencing homelessness in Rialto. Currently, there are no designated shelters within Rialto’s boundaries and the City works with San Bernardino County and community-based organizations to provide facilities and services for these individuals. This means that homeless shelters and supportive services are less accessible throughout Rialto, which represents a major environmental justice issue. However, Housing Programs 2l, 2M, 2J, and 5E all aim to create transitional housing units for people experiencing homelessness and establishing low-barrier navigation centers.
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Access to Healthy Food
WHAT
Healthy food is essential for all people but it can be hard to access and afford for some community members. Having access to affordable healthy food can encourage a healthier diet, lower the risk of chronic disease, and reduce food insecurity.16 Studies have shown that people who live near grocery stores have better health outcomes.17 For community members without a car, being able to walk or bike to a grocery store or other source of healthy food is imperative. Another aspect of healthy food access is having culturally appropriate food available where food is sold. If community members are not able to find ingredients required for certain cultural dishes, many will settle for what is affordable or convenient, which may not be a healthy option.
WHERE
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas, 48.3% of Rialto is well- served by grocery stores.
18 This means that nearly half of Rialto residents live within a half-mile walking distance of a supermarket. However, some areas have greater access than others as demonstrated in Exhibit 9.11. All census tracts between SR-210 and I-10 fall into the 90th percentile for supermarket access, with two tracts achieving 100% access. This means that most of Rialto’s DACs have relatively convenient access to healthy food options. Tracts north of SR-210, however, have significantly lower levels of access. All tracts in this area fall into the bottom 25% for supermarket access, with several tracts having no grocery stores within a half mile.
16 McC ullough et al. 2002.
17 P olicyLink. 2018. “The Grocery Gap. ” https://healthyplacesindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/policy_link_grocery_gap.pdf. 18 U SDA. 2022, December 15. “Food Access Research Atlas. ” https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/
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Exhibit 9.11. Food Access
CITY OF RIALTO CHAPTER 9 9-38
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WHO
Those most in need of nearby grocery stores include low-income residents and households without access to a car. The majority of low-income residents and households without access to a car are located in the DACs between SR-210 and I-10. Because this area has the highest level of access to grocery stores in Rialto, many DAC residents in Rialto have convenient access to healthy foods even without a car.
However, residents of north of SR-210 may have more difficulty getting to grocery stores because there are relatively few in the area and not all homes are within walking distance of them. Overall, supermarket access in Rialto is average compared to the State and better than San Bernardino County as a whole (see Table 9-8).
Table 9-8. Food Access
Health Indicator
Location1
City of Rialto San Bernardino County
Supermarket Access2 49.3% 36%
Source: Public Health Alliance 2022. “The California Healthy Places Index.” https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/ Color Code Compared to the State:
■ Quartile 1 = Least Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 2 = Somewhat Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 3 = Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 4 = Most Vulnerable Notes:
1 Due t o data availability, supermarket access is only displayed at citywide and countywide levels. 2 P ercent of urban population residing less than a half mile from a supermarket/large grocery store HOW
The City has taken a variety of approaches to addressing food inaccessibility and insecurity including promoting community gardens, the Rialto Farmers’ Market, and a variety of community and faith-based organizations that provide food to those in need. Much of this progress has been made as part of Healthy Rialto, a program developed by City Clerk Barbara McGee with strong community support. This program initiated the Rialto Farmers’ Market and continues to operate it weekly. The farmers’ market accepts EBT and has a market match program funded by the Ecology Center Market Match grant. In fact, many of Healthy Rialto’s offerings are in partnership with the County, State agencies, or private entities. For example, bus tokens are given out every second Wednesday for seniors and veterans. This transportation assistance is another way that the City assists with improving access to healthy food and other destinations in the area. Healthy Rialto has also developed and organized events such as Health Fairs and Earth to Table day to promote healthy nutrition. Furthermore, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and IHelpIE Senior Services, free nutrition classes have been held monthly at the farmers’ market to teach people how to cook and eat healthier meals. While Healthy Rialto has been successful with partnerships and outside funding over the years, further grant writing efforts by the City will be especially important to continue to provide such a variety of offerings.
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Safe and Sanitary Homes
WHAT
Safe and sanitary homes are important to the daily quality of life that is experienced by individuals.
Oftentimes due to the high cost of housing, tradeoffs are made related to the size, quality, maintenance, facilities, and use of utilities within homes. Some common safety and sanitary concerns within homes are described below.
Low-income residents are more likely to live in structures built before building standards regulating lead paint, asbestos, and other hazards were adopted. Living in these older homes without removal of such toxins can have significant health impacts. Many low-income communities have a higher proportion of old housing stock and are thus disproportionately exposed to these health threats. Older housing stock might also have poor ventilation, leading to uncomfortable indoor temperatures and excessive moisture, which can lead to mold. Other indoor housing conditions that can be common in older and less-expensive housing include pests and vermin. Finally, overcrowding, which often is a result of a lack of affordable housing, is a serious issue that impacts safe and sanitary homes. According to the World Health Organization, overcrowding poses health risks by creating unsanitary conditions that can contribute to the spread of disease.
19 WHEN
While unsafe and unsanitary conditions can be an issue in any home, they are far more likely to become an issue as homes age. Generally, housing over 30 years old is considered aging housing and will likely require more substantial maintenance, updates, and repairs than housing under 30 years old. Moreover, older housing may have been constructed under old building codes that have since been revised to promote healthier conditions. In Rialto, nearly four out of five housing units are older than 30 years.
Therefore, it is important to continue to monitor the quality of housing stock in coming years.
Overcrowding typically becomes an issue when there is a lack of affordable housing suited to larger households. When this is the case, larger low-income households are often forced to live in smaller housing units than they need or share a home with additional people. Overcrowding has been identified as a prominent housing issue in Rialto, where 15.1% of households are overcrowded.
WHERE
Because most of Rialto’s housing stock is considered to be aging, safe and sanitary housing issues have the potential to affect much of Rialto in coming years. Currently, however, issues with deteriorating housing are not extensive and have not been found to disproportionately affect certain areas or populations. According to the 6th Cycle Housing Element, approximately 0.6% of Rialto’s housing stock, or 163 homes, are in need of substantial rehabilitation and the City aims to assist these homes with repairs and renovations via Housing Program 1A.
19 WHO (World He alth Organization). 2021. “What are the Health Risks Related to Overcrowding?” https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/emergencies/qa/ emergencies_qa9/en/#:~:text=For%20communities%2C%20inadequate%20shelter%20and,the%20population%20density%20is%20high.
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Overcrowding, on the other hand, is an issue in many parts of Rialto, but is most concentrated in the center of Rialto. All central census tracts fall in the bottom 25% of tracts statewide, meaning that they experience worse overcrowding than most other places in California. All of these tracts are also considered DACs according to CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Tracts north of SR-210, some of which are also DACs, do not experience as much overcrowding.
Exhibit 9.12 shows the varying levels of overcrowding
experienced across Rialto.
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Exhibit 9.12. Overcrowding
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WHO
Generally, unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions affect low-income households and overcrowded households because they often cannot afford higher-quality housing or to repair their current housing.
This is especially true for low-income households experiencing cost burden. A low income resident who is cost burdened spends 30% or more of their income on housing; those who spend 50% or more of their income on housing are severely cost burdened, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Rialto, 11.7% of low-income homeowners and 27.7% of low-income renters are severely cost burdened (see
Table 9-9). While these numbers are comparable to those of San Bernardino County, Rialto and the County experience more cost burden than many other Californians. While the homes of Rialto’s low-income residents may not need substantial repairs now, it is unlikely that their residents would be able to repair them in the future if cost burden remains high.
Table 9-9. Housing Indicators
Health Indicator
Location
City of Rialto San Bernardino County
Homeowners1 63.4% 59.8%
Low-Income Homeowner Severe Cost Burden2 11.7% 10.8%
Low-Income Renter Severe Cost Burden3 27.7% 27.2%
Overcrowding4 15.1% 8.8%
Habitability5 99.5% 99%
Source: Public Health Alliance. 2023. “The California Healthy Places Index.” https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/.
Color Code Compared to the State:
■ Quartile 1 = Least Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 2 = Somewhat Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 3 = Vulnerable, ■ Quartile 4 = Most Vulnerable Note:
1 P ercent of homeowners
2 P ercent of low-income homeowners who spend more than 50% of their income on housing 3 P ercent of low-income renters who spend more than 50% of their income on housing 4 P ercent of households with more than 1 occupant per room 5 P ercent of households with basic kitchen facilities and plumbing HOW
The City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element outlines various programs aimed to improve existing housing stock and improve housing availability, adequacy, and affordability throughout Rialto. Housing Programs 1A- 1G, specifically, identify strategies, actors, and funding sources to repair unsafe and unsanitary homes.
They do this by acquiring and renovating properties directly, providing incentives and resources to property owners to improve their housing units, enforcing building and health codes, and establishing special districts that help improve entire residential areas.
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Goals and Policies
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GOALS AND POLICIES
Goal 9–1: Monitor public health outcomes.
Policy 9–1.1: Annually monitor trends of the City’s health and wellness conditions and outcomes. Use Southern California Association of Governments and San Bernardino County Department of Public Health resources and the goals and policies in this EJ Element as guides for choosing indicators.
Policy 9–1.2: Identify health inequities on a regular basis and strive to facilitate a high quality of life for all residents, focusing efforts in the DACs and areas most impacted by specific environmental justice topics.
Goal 9–2: Create shaded and safe corridors between
transit stops and important community services,
including schools, cooling centers, job centers, and
residential areas where people depend on transit.
Policy 9–2.1: In a future update of the Safe Routes to School plan add urban greening components in DACs.
Policy 9–2.2: Prioritize Safe Routes to School implementation as outlined in the Climate Adaptation Plan.
Policy 9–2.3: Implement bikeway improvements in DACs, as outlined in the San Bernardino County non-motorized transportation plan and the City’s Active Transportation Plan, prioritizing those with shade improvements where the right-of-way allows. Add parklets with mature trees along routes where feasible.
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Goal 9–3: Establish and maintain a comprehensive
system of pedestrian trails and bicycle routes
that provide viable connections throughout the
City (Circulation Element Goal 4-8) and prioritize
implementation in DACs with limited walking and
biking infrastructure.
Policy 9–3.1: Identify opportunities to expand Class 1 bicycle trails in DACs, consistent with Circulation Element 4-8.1. When creating the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) annually consider needs in DACs proportionally with non-disadvantaged communities to ensure the CIP proportionally improves DACs.
Policy 9–3.2: Convert the Pacific Electric Railroad right-of-way to a bicycle or multi-use path prioritizing improvements in DACs, consistent with Circulation Element 4-8.2.
Policy 9–3.3: Connect school facilities, parks, and other activity nodes within residential neighborhoods with bicycle trails on neighborhood streets in DACs, consistent with Circulation Element 4-8.3 when creating the CIP annually to ensure the CIP proportionally improves DACs.
Policy 9–3.4: Identify opportunities for secure bicycle storage at public facilities such as parks, schools in transit stops consistent with, Circulation Element Policy 4-8.4, when creating the CIP annually to ensure the CIP proportionally improves DACs.
Policy 9–3.5: Require major developments to include bicycle storage facilities, including bicycle racks and lockers (Circulation Element Policy 4-8.5).
Policy 9–3.6: Coordinate recreational trail plans with neighboring cities and San Bernardino County to ensure linkage of local trails across jurisdictional boundaries and with regional trail systems (Circulation Element Policy 4-8.6).
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Policy 9–3.7: Link new open space and park sites in reclaimed mining areas with bicycle trails integrated into the City’s recreational trails system (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-25.1). Consider sources of air pollution when siting the bicycle trails, including truck routes, freeways, and industrial uses.
Goal 9–4: Increase Safe and Comfortable Walking
and Wheelchair Mobility
Policy 9–4.1: Require that new development projects incorporate design features that encourage ridesharing, transit use, park and ride facilities, and bicycle and pedestrian circulation (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-36.2).
Policy 9–4.2: Identify sidewalk improvements in DACs consistent with Circulation Element Policy 4-9.1 when creating the CIP annually to ensure the CIP proportionally improves DACs.
Policy 9–4.3: Require sidewalks and parkways on all streets in new development (Circulation Element Policy 4-9.2).
Policy 9–4.4: Seek to maintain ADA compliant pedestrian access in the event of any temporary or permanent street closures consistent with Circulation Element Policy 4-9.5.
Policy 9–4.5: Encourage new development to provide ADA compliant pedestrian paths through projects, with outlets to adjacent collectors, secondaries, and arterial roadways consistent with Circulation Element Policy 4-9.6.
Policy 9–4.6: Require ADA compliance on all new or modified handicap ramps (Circulation Element Policy 4-9.7).
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Policy 9–4.7: Require pedestrian accessibility to adjacent uses with paseos, gates, pedestrian walkways, crossings, and sidewalks (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-21.6). Ensure designs include adequate protection from extreme heat for these routes through the use of trees, benches, water bottle filling stations with pet fountains, and shade structures along the route.
Policy 9–4.8: Require the use of attractive street furniture (benches, trash receptacles, planters, bicycle racks) in highly visible areas such as along Foothill Boulevard to communicate the City’s identity and pride, consistent with Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-13.1. Ensure the placement of this street furniture meets ADA compliance for pathway width.
Goal 9–5: Reduce air pollution impacts in DACs.
Policy 9–5.1: Connect low-income households to programs that offer large financial incentives to provide low-emission vehicles, as they become available. Information on these emerging programs could be delivered to the public via a city public notification system, social media platforms, community events, or through community organizational networks.
Policy 9–5.2: Locate new development and their access points in such a way that traffic is not encouraged to utilize local residential streets for access to the development and its parking (Circulation Element Policy 4-2.1).
Policy 9–5.3: Designate and enforce truck routes, for use by commercial trucking as part of the project approval process consistent with Circulation Element Policy 4-10.1 and clearly outline measures to mitigate impacts on DAC communities.
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Policy 9–5.4: Establish permitted routes through the City for use by trucks picking up or hauling mined materials, and require suitable load containment devices on all trucks hauling mined materials (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-33.3).
Policy 9–5.5: Apply conditions of approval to any industrial or warehouse use to minimize the public health impact of that use.
Build on existing City and Regional Agency efforts to create a menu of mitigation options including but not limited to building and parking orientation, vegetation and sound buffers, truck route compliance enforcement, zero emission trucks and charging stations, solar panel installation, and air filtration systems.
Policy 9–5.6: Require that new residential subdivisions adjacent to secondary or major highways be oriented inward and provided with buffers to reduce exposure to traffic, noise, and air pollution (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-22.8).
Policy 9–5.7: Encourage developments to incorporate meandering greenbelts into subdivision projects, particularly along trails, collector streets, secondary streets, and major highways, protected environmental areas, or other special features. Bicycle and pedestrian trails should be connected with similar features in neighboring projects so that upon completion newer neighborhoods will be linked at the pedestrian level. (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-22.6).
Policy 9–5.8: Require the provision of landscape buffers, walls, additional setbacks, and landscaped parking lots as buffers between commercial and/or industrial uses with residential land uses (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-22.1).
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Goal 9–6: Proactively address hazardous waste
and water pollution concerns where possible, and
aggressively pursue actions that correct spills and
contamination when it occurs.
Policy 9–6.1: Consistent with Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-8.2, pursue all appropriate methods, including litigation, site monitoring, and follow-up mediation implementation so that all responsible parties compensate for the cleanup of perchlorate contamination. Aggressively pursue all funding sources available to employ the latest technology in water cleanup.
Policy 9–6.2: Shut down any drinking water wells that have perchlorate contamination, and install wellhead treatments to reduce perchlorate to non-detection levels (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-8.3).
Policy 9–6.3: Advocate regular evaluation of the entire water supply and distribution system to ensure its continued adequacy, reliability, and safety (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-8.4).
Policy 9–6.4: Apply methodologies and assign responsibility to protect the quality of groundwater from pollution by landfills and industrial uses (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-29.5).
Policy 9–6.5: Reduce future groundwater pollution by implementing green street strategies to support a sustainable approach to stormwater, drainage, groundwater recharge, landscaping, and incorporating green streets standard and guidelines in all right-of-way and streetscape improvements where feasible.
Policy 9–6.6: Create a hub on the City website for household hazardous waste educational resources and information on safe disposal options.
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Policy 9–6.7: Provide public education to encourage local consumers to choose the cleanest paints and other non-pollutant consumer products (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-38.3).
Policy 9–6.8: Reduce spreading of high nitrate fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals in City landscaping that can contaminate groundwater; encourage the public to reduce the use of chemicals in maintenance of landscaping (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-29.8).
Policy 9–6.9: Focus the establishment of new industries using, manufacturing, transporting, or storing hazardous or toxic materials or wastes within the Agua Mansa Industrial Corridor Area (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-9.3).
Policy 9–6.10: Work with the County of San Bernardino to limit expansion of the sanitary landfills on Bohnert Avenue (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-9.4).
Policy 9–6.11: Require new development and significant
redevelopment proposals to incorporate sufficient design and operational controls to prevent release of noxious odors beyond the limits of the development site (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-36.4).
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Goal 9–7: Prioritize urban greening in areas with
limited parks and high pollution exposure.
Policy 9–7.1: Establish a Master Plan for Parks and Recreation that achieves a public park ratio of 3.0 acres per 1,000 residents, evenly distributes park facilities throughout the community, and contains strategies for funding facilities and maintenance (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-28.1). Within this plan, consider the 30x30 initiative, particularly related to wildlife corridors and protection of biodiversity in City open spaces.
Policy 9–7.2: Consistent with Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-18.1, require the planting of street trees, prioritizing California Native trees, along public streets and inclusion of trees and landscaping for private developments to improve airshed, minimize urban heat island effect, and lessen the impacts of high winds. Prioritize public street tree plantings along public streets in DACs with higher levels of air pollution and less tree canopy.
Policy 9–7.3: Develop a free residential yard tree program that distributes 500 trees a year to Rialto residents. Prioritize homes in DACs.
Work with a certified arborist to determine trees that should be included in this program based on resilience to hazards like fire and drought.
Policy 9–7.4: Identify locations, community partners, and funding opportunities to create pocket parks within urbanized areas for public and/or private use (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-27.3). Consider incentives for privately- owned and maintained public open spaces.
Policy 9–7.5: Plan for and designate adequate funding to maintain new and existing parks and facilities (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-28.2). Consider spatial equity when designating funding.
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Policy 9–7.6: Work with the Rialto Unified School District to further discussions on potential joint-use outdoor facilities in areas where parks are not within walking or biking distance of residential areas.
These discussions should focus on barriers or congruency issues that exist such as vandalism, wear and tear, or maintenance and how those issues could be mitigated.
Policy 9–7.7: Consistent with Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-3.2, explore redevelopment opportunities for those areas being used for landfill purposes or other legacy industrial uses which are no longer operational, such as the airport. Plan for adequate open space and recreation amenities as appropriate for each site.
Policy 9–7.8: Provide and maintain street trees and parkway landscaping within the public right-of-way for developed properties within Rialto. Require private development to do the same as per City design regulations (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-11.2).
Policy 9–7.9: Evaluate opportunities for and, where appropriate, provide planted median strips, parkway planting, and turning pockets on Riverside Avenue throughout the City, and extend the landscape median wherever possible (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-12.3).
Policy 9–7.10: Consistent with Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-25.2, landscape the areas surrounding the Cactus Basin recreation fields, water reservoirs, and publicly owned facilities to increase opportunities for low-intensity, passive recreation open spaces or temporary uses such as food vending, public art, or public gathering.
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Goal 9–8: Provide for all residents and businesses to
have equal access to reliable and convenient public
transit services (Circulation Element Goal 4-6).
Policy 9–8.1: Require major developments to include bus turnouts, bus shelters, and other transit facilities as appropriate (Circulation Element Policy 4-6.3).
Policy 9–8.2: Encourage accessible, flexible, and efficient public transit to all major activity areas in the Inland Empire (Circulation Element Policy 4-6.4).
Policy 9–8.3: Encourage clean, lighted, and convenient bus shelters and transit stops that are within walking distance of major activity areas and residential neighborhoods and along arterial roadways (Circulation Element Policy 4-6.5).
Policy 9–8.4: Provide reliable and convenient paratransit services and other transportation service for individuals with disabilities and seniors who are unable to use fixed-route transportation systems (Circulation Element Policy 4-6.6).
Policy 9–8.5: Promote activity centers and transit-oriented development projects around the Rialto Metrolink Station and in Downtown (Circulation Element Policy 4-7.3).
Policy 9–8.6: Expand residential uses and residential serving uses in Downtown and adjacent to the Metrolink Station consistent with, Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-2.2.
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Goal 9–9: Expand access and foster a welcoming
environment for all at public facilities and events in
Rialto.
Policy 9–9.1: Sponsor diversity and culture-oriented community festivals to encourage understanding of other cultures and bridge cultural boundaries (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-15.1).
Policy 9–9.2: Provide programs that will increase awareness of ethnic and cultural identification and expression (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-15.2).
Policy 9–9.3: Actively promote programs and services that foster an inclusive, multi-generational, and economically and ethnically diverse city (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-15.3).
Policy 9–9.4: Encourage improved public understanding of the unique needs and capabilities of members of special populations such as the disabled, the elderly, the non-English speaking, and the low-income (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-15.4).
Policy 9–9.5: Provide a comprehensive senior program that meets basic needs such as nutrition and healthcare, and provides supportive services such as volunteer opportunities, education, outreach, legal advice, advocacy, and case management (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-16.1).
Policy 9–9.6: Continue to operate the Rialto Senior Center to provide for a variety of social services, clubs and organizations, classes, and daily activities (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-16.2).
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Policy 9–9.7: Continue the innovative partnership with the San Bernardino County Library and Friends of the Rialto Library to improve the quality of library services in Rialto (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-13.1). Work with Friends of the Rialto Library and offer City communication resources and support for recruitment to generate input from more constituents.
Policy 9–9.8: Allocate resources for the maintenance and operations of City facilities; explore alternative funding options for maintenance and operational costs of new facilities (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-11.1). When annually developing the CIP budget and operational budget, ensure that they proportionately serve DACs.
Policy 9–9.9: Locate community facilities equitably so that they are accessible to all members of the community and serve populations of the greatest needs by removing physical, financial, and language barriers (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-11.4). When siting new facilities, prioritize sites spread spatially across the City’s residential areas and located within ¼ mile of a public transit stop. Ensure facility types adequately serve residents of DACs.
Policy 9–9.10: Consistent with Housing Element Policy 2.4, Address the housing needs of special populations and extremely low-income households through emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing, and single room occupancy units. During planning for these resources, encourage on-site consolidated services and 24/7 availability.
Policy 9–9.11: Link economic development tools and incentives with the processes of community facilities district formation to improve public infrastructure and provide maintenance, improvements, and additional public facilities, consistent with Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policies 3-4.2 and 3-7.1.
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Policy 9–9.12: Require sufficient impact fees on new planned development to assure timely construction of public facilities and provision of expanded City services (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-7.3).
Policy 9–9.13: Require that land be set aside for community parks and other public facilities as appropriate for any large planned development (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-7.4). Consider the goal of 3 park acres per 1,000 residents and the spatial extent of existing parks and public facilities.
Goal 9–10: Expand access to healthy food
Policy 9–10.1: Continue to provide opportunities for community gardens in the City of Rialto (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-11.3). Support the use of public and private vacant lots and school yards for community gardens, as feasible or appropriate.
Policy 9–10.2: Coordinate with regional partners and local organizations to develop a database of food assistance programs.
Publicize this database of programs using the city publications, Healthy Rialto flyers, and online communication tools.
Policy 9–10.3: Continue to support Healthy Rialto programming and pursuit of grants as it relates to the farmer’s market, nutritional programming, and other public health efforts.
Policy 9–10.4: Pursue grant funding to expand the reach of the farmer’s market and community garden. Potential options include but are not limited to cost-reduction programs for low-income residents, expanded or alternative timing of services, or delivery programs for people unable to attend at the current standing time.
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Policy 9–10.5: Develop a clear path of rules and regulations that allow for temporary food vendors that celebrate diverse cultures (such as cenadúrias) in public spaces. The rules and regulations should allow vending to operate safely in the community while maintaining public access and health.
Goal 9–11: Encourage physical activity
Policy 9–11.1: Continue to encourage design concepts that inhibit and discourage criminal behavior, such as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) techniques (Safety Element Policy 5-10.3). Incorporate this into new design and renovations or improvements to play areas, parks, sports facilities, streets and sidewalks, plazas, and urban pocket parks.
Policy 9–11.2: Evaluate recreational and park programs, facilities and services to ensure they meet evolving community needs. Programs and services should remain accessible and relevant to today’s residents, responding to unique cultural, historic, and social needs, as well as changing demographics and income levels.
Goal 9–12: Improve methods for consistent,
meaningful and proactive public engagement
Policy 9–12.1: Continue to build partnerships with appropriate organizations (e.g., community-based, faith-based, advocacy, school, and service) that have existing relationships and trust with community members in Rialto.
Policy 9–12.2: Incentivize families to participate in engagement events, booths, or workshops when possible. Examples include providing activities for children as part of the engagement materials, or co- locating events in places that offer childcare.
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Policy 9–12.3: Require education materials, engagement materials, and public meetings to be offered in both English and Spanish, and continue to develop and document city successes and best practices to engage people with limited English proficiency. Depending on the size and scope of the project, consider translation services for additional languages. Regularly reassess this policy based on migration patterns in the City and emerging services and technologies that may allow for expanded translation abilities.
Policy 9–12.4: Consistent with Economic Development,
Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-15.5, require advertising and publicizing services and programs use a centralized information and referral system that is accessible to persons of all language backgrounds, ages, income levels, and abilities.
Policy 9–12.5: Encourage the participation of environmental groups, the business community, civic groups, special interest groups, and the general public in the formulation and implementation of programs that effectively reduce air pollution (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-38.2). Consider joining the regional climate collaborative for broader partnerships or programs.
Policy 9–12.6: Encourage residents to be involved in civic activity by educating them on City organization and processes by reestablishing the Rialto Institute of Progress.
Policy 9–12.7: Consider cultural sensitivity training for City staff, and develop language for inclusion in Requests for Proposals to encourage consultants engaging the public on behalf of the City to have cultural sensitivity training.
Policy 9–12.8: Promote City campaigns and events using existing marquees around the City.
Policy 9–12.9: Continually reassess the accessibility of public meetings and encourage the adoption of technology that improves access and engagement.
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Goal 9–13: Promote improvements and rehabilitation
of unsafe housing in DACs, while actively preventing
displacement.
Policy 9–13.1: Consider ways to support property owners in the rehabilitation of their properties, especially those with affordable units in the DACs, to meet current building standards in tandem with affirmatively furthering fair housing policies.
Policy 9–13.2: Use the proceeds of the Housing Set-aside Funds to assist low-income households and senior households with housing maintenance and major improvements, and to develop new affordable housing stock (Economic Development, Redevelopment, and Infrastructure Element Policy 3-5.1). Pursue grants or other funding methods such as the development of a revolving loan program for funding if the Housing Set-aside Funds meet the demand.
Policy 9–13.3: Consistent with Housing Element Policy 1.6, promote focused code enforcement and rehabilitation efforts to reverse the decline of transitioning neighborhoods with a focus on multi-family rental complexes. Upon the first known instance of home maintenance related violations, supply homeowners with information about available resources.
Policy 9–13.4: Support the development of rental units with three or more bedrooms to provide affordable housing that adequately accommodates larger families, thereby reducing overcrowding and overpayment (Housing Element Policy 3.4).
Policy 9–13.5: Encourage the construction of apartment complexes with strong on-site management to ensure that housing is well maintained (Housing Element Policy 3.5).
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Policy 9–13.6: Consistent with Housing Element Policy 1.1, develop and/or pursue funding options for low-income homeowners that promote the rehabilitation of residential structures that are substandard, have fallen into disrepair, have inoperable kitchen or bathroom facilities, or have suffered damage from mold, asbestos, lead, pests, or rodents, such as rotating loans or grant programs.
Policy 9–13.7: Promote the maintenance of existing sound quality housing through preventative, rather than remedial, maintenance (Housing Element Policy 1.2). Provide resources on preventative home maintenance such as educational programming, pursuing partnerships and programs with local trade schools, or promotion of available funding options for low-income homeowners.
Policy 9–13.8: Consistent with Housing Element Policy 1.3, encourage neighborhood and local involvement in addressing housing and neighborhood maintenance and improvement by supporting
community-based organizations in messaging and promotion of volunteer opportunities.
Policy 9–13.9: Encourage property maintenance by requiring new development to submit precise plans of design to maintain landscape areas that incorporate property maintenance standards from the City’s property maintenance ordinance (Land Use, Community Design, Open Space, and Conservation Element Policy 2-20.2).
Policy 9–13.10: Pursue funding to create a City Lead Paint Program to increase awareness and education around lead paint, and encourage safe practices related to lead paint abatement.
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Goal 9–14: Fair housing options for all
Policy 9–14.1: Continue to enforce fair housing laws prohibiting arbitrary discrimination in the building, financing, selling, or renting of housing based on race, religion, family status, national origin, disability, or other protected class (Housing Element Policy 5.1).
Policy 9–14.2: Ensure that residents are aware of their rights and responsibilities regarding fair housing (Housing Element Policy 5.2).
Policy 9–14.3: Continue to cooperate with the Inland Mediation Board to enforce fair housing laws and provide fair housing education services (Housing Element Policy 5.3). Emphasize tenant rights within the outreach materials so that renters are not penalized for reporting dwelling units that do not meet health and safety standards. Effort should be made to translate materials into the languages of the communities.