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and streamlined government has made a significant difference and will be a legacy lived out <br />across city operations for years to come. <br />A bittersweet goodbye to my friend and exemplary President of La Sierra University, Dr. Randal <br />Wisbey. You have set the bar high as an educator, a leader, and as a Riversider. We are grateful <br />to you and Deanna for your 34 years of service in higher education. Blessings to you and your <br />family as you continue to seek, and to know, and to serve God. <br />Welcome to Riverside, Alvord Unified School District Superintendent Allan Mucerino. We <br />appreciate your desire to connect and to collaborate on education for our city's youth, but also <br />toward creating a culture of lifelong learning for all. Once again, welcome to the Riverside <br />family, Superintendent Mucerino. <br />Elevating Riverside affects us all. Done appropriately and smartly, it benefits us all. So let's talk <br />about how we can elevate our city, as individuals, as families, as organizations, as a community. <br />We closed out 2018 strong and elevated Riverside for our neighbors without homes, thanks to <br />the leadership of The Grove Community Church pastors Tom Lance and Daniel Bishop and <br />incredible support from the broader faith -based and business community, including a large <br />donation from Rotary International. The first four houses built for Riverside's neighbors without <br />homes have new residents. These homes will change the lives of the families inside. But also, <br />the organizations and individuals that donated their time, talents and treasures have told us that <br />they have been impacted forever because of this project. This barn -raising effort is truly the <br />greatest example of unconditional love that I have witnessed as your mayor. <br />In terms of elevating this initiative, a heartfelt thank you to Tilden -Coil Constructors and Brian <br />Jaramillo for your leadership on this project. By donating the plans for these houses to the public, <br />you will ensure these designs will be reused by others to develop more of this efficient housing <br />model on undeveloped church property or elsewhere in the city. <br />Our city team came through in a significant way to support this pre -approved building plan and <br />the process for streamlined development of these houses. This will ultimately increase our city's <br />ability to create pathways to self-sufficiency for the least, the last, and the lost among us. <br />This is proof that Riverside will not be paralyzed by fear and ignore a segment of our <br />constituents who don't have an address. Instead, we will extend a hand to people in distress and <br />families in need. Difficult public policy issues will always be in front of us. However, if we <br />think creatively about our future now, we won't be forced to react to a crisis situation later. As <br />my company commander used to tell us in the Army, if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail. <br />Speaking to the value of preparation, our adept and innovative City Manager, Al Zelinka, is <br />laser -focused on preventing an eventual depletion of our financial reserves over the next 10 years <br />as a result of our pension obligations. His staff has recently provided the Budget Engagement <br />Commission and the City Council multiple options for addressing this national issue that also <br />hits close to home. Pension liabilities are not just affecting government. This pension tsunami is <br />threatening the financial solvency of organizations and corporations across the country. As a <br />Page 2 of 7 <br />