City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARDS: ALL
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: STATE OF CALIFORNIA, OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION 2025 CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,500 TO PROVIDE CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD TRAINING - SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ISSUE:
Accept a State of California, Office of Historic Preservation 2025 Certified Local Government Grant in the amount of $10,500 to be used to provide training to the Cultural Heritage Board.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Accept the State of California, Office of Historic Preservation 2025 Certified Local Government Grant in the amount of $10,500 to provide Cultural Heritage Board training; With at least five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record and increase revenue in the amount of the award and appropriate an equal amount in expenditures in the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, 2025 CLG Grant revenue and expenditure accounts; and Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Office of Historic Preservation grant award including making minor, non-substantive changes, and to sign all documents and instruments necessary to complete the transaction, including, but not limited to agreements, payment requests and so on, which may be necessary to complete grant funded activities.
BACKGROUND:
In 1995, the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) recognized the quality of the City’s historic preservation program by designating Riverside as a Certified Local Government (CLG). One of the main benefits of becoming a CLG is that the City is eligible for annual competitive grant awards for projects relating to certain historic preservation criteria. Since being granted CLG status, the City has received approximately $337,800 in State CLG grants.
On May 19, 2026, the Community & Economic Development Department (CEDD), received notice from OHP that they would be providing a non-competitive grant to all interested CLGs that are in good standing. The grant was to be used to support the local government’s historic preservation program. On July 23, 2026, the City received notice that OHP awarded a $10,500 grant (Attachment 1).
DISCUSSION:
OHP provided direction that grants may be used to generally support local historic preservation programs, such as for staff time managing the program, staff and/or commissioner development and for projects and programs related to climate change and its impacts on cultural resources or to tell the stories of under-represented communities are strongly encouraged.
The CEDD will use the grant funds to conduct training workshops for the Cultural Heritage Board (CHB), including but not limited to the Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, applying designation criteria and evaluating historic resources, identifying character-defining features, and the contributors and non-contributors to the Historic Districts. Training of this type was last completed in 2021. The membership of the board has changed since that time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is an increase in revenue and expenditure of $10,500. Upon Council approval an increase in revenue in the amount of the grant award, and an appropriation in the same amount will be recorded in the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, 2025 CLG Grant revenue account number 9357100-334100 and expenditure account number 9357100-440210.
All staffing and incidental printing costs incurred by Community & Economic Development Department Planning Division will be absorbed by the Division’s operating budget.
Prepared by: Scott Watson, Historic Preservation Officer Reviewed by: Miranda Evans, Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director
Approved by: Thomas R. Hatch, Interim City Manager
Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachment:
CLG Grant Award letter
Women of Riverside Historic Context CLG Grant ● Page 2