[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6646642,"mediaKeyId","2622560-46244021f4908d0a1880f5be8cfe1b14","parentId",2622560,"title","City attorney reviews Brown Act and conflict‑of‑interest rules in Moreno Valley study session","audioSeconds",774,"startMs",2762000,"endMs",3536000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2622560-46244021f4908d0a1880f5be8cfe1b14&start=2762&end=3536","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2622560-46244021f4908d0a1880f5be8cfe1b14/thumbnail_2762000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6646642/Moreno-Valley/Riverside-County/California/City-attorney-reviews-Brown-Act-and-conflictofinterest-rules-in-Moreno-Valley-study-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6646642-303cbd36df72a2e1b2e1fc038fcb7c47/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170561&Signature=h9OaGXH4FzMaIEtn9zgyBCdgUZtZ0IJ9AoqSt6xq7c-CArIVAUtMiwAH22PxIeV10NpdRKDD36CwkSl9F11ZoeBlyApUQLV5P2ySzzpRm9Z2Nd3aZL-5Ztg9VC7TzU2B738v9qBkdNSWRrBFMqcQMrftqFZiuoY~z05T7S5sGRvSynvVzlX~k9FKi0jpCDX6knmtEPaWWpqapsLxFsrLifg3TdLW8sYrtBuEcYXc7l6kRx6Ctn6D5clmZIyWugW4NMZdQLxSyVTb8P66o9g61zepNmgmxZ6uMMI0bHvDNUkNdOyygOe4uEfsos5I~b~ULDEQQPl0IPpvepoT9RnZpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Moreno Valley, CA","date","2025-02-12T10:58:05.223Z","article","City Attorney Steven Quintanilla gave Moreno Valley City Council members a compliance refresher on the Brown Act and local conflict‑of‑interest rules during a study session on Feb. 11, outlining key open‑meeting requirements, recusal duties and financial disclosure obligations.

Quintanilla told the council that the Brown Act is a state law that guarantees the public’s right to open meetings and requires posted agendas, public notice and that deliberations and votes occur in public. He reviewed how the law applies to city legislative bodies, standing committees and ad hoc subcommittees, and warned that a gathering of a majority to hear, discuss or act on city business may trigger Brown Act requirements even if attendees do not exchange words.

Quintanilla covered common exemptions and pitfalls: individual one‑on‑one contacts, serial meetings (repeated one‑on‑one contacts used to convey a majority’s views), attendance at public community meetings and allowable conference remarks. He singled out social media, advising caution about liking other members’ posts or using emojis because those actions can be treated as expressions of opinion under the law as currently interpreted; he recommended council members include a personal‑page disclaimer and avoid using an official title on personal pages until higher courts clarify the issue.

On conflict of interest, Quintanilla reviewed the Political Reform Act, the role of the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), Government Code section 1090 (interests in contracts) and campaign‑contribution rules discussed in the presentation. He summarized disclosure duties for Form 700 filers (annual statements and timely amendments for changed circumstances), the $630 annual gift reporting threshold the clerk cited during the session, and the requirement to publicly disclose and recuse from matters with specified financial connections. He said the FPPC issues advisory opinions and that obtaining an FPPC advisory letter in advance (based on full facts) can provide civil‑prosecution immunity in narrow circumstances.

Quintanilla also described special rules the city enforces: the requirement to avoid discussing matters ex parte that are before the council, restrictions on accepting certain transportation/travel payments from for‑profit transportation companies, and the severe consequences of violating Government Code section 1090 (including contract voiding, disgorgement and other penalties). He addressed a state law discussed in the session that limits councilmembers’ participation when an applicant or participant has made significant recent campaign contributions; the presentation noted the increased contribution threshold that took effect at the start of the year and described the reporting and cure options Quintanilla recommended.

Council members thanked the city attorney for the refresher and raised no formal questions that changed council procedure; Quintanilla encouraged members to consult the FPPC or the city attorney on fact‑specific situations and to “trust your gut” and ask follow‑up questions when a conflict or Brown Act concern arises.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session February 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Moreno Valley City Attorney Steven Quintanilla gave a study‑session briefing on the Brown Act, conflict‑of‑interest law, disclosure obligations and public‑comment rules on Feb. 11, emphasizing open‑meeting requirements, gift and campaign‑contribution rules and the limits on councilmembers' ex parte contacts.","taxTitle","Moreno Valley, Riverside County, California","taxId",3981,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6646647,"Eastern Municipal Water District details multimillion-dollar projects, contingency steps for power outages and wildfire response",2512,228000,2740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2622560-46244021f4908d0a1880f5be8cfe1b14&start=228&end=2740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2622560-46244021f4908d0a1880f5be8cfe1b14/thumbnail_228000.jpg","/articles/6646647/Moreno-Valley/Riverside-County/California/Eastern-Municipal-Water-District-details-multimillion-dollar-projects-contingency-steps-for-power-outages-and-wildfire-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6646647-a25f462828161581c1979e59ff8b91db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170561&Signature=XwRNv7Um8Hr8DFYCjGQb~vntuAISCiwFFAmjaaDhBqyl9tHcr88nHZ07qgHfH7ycECNE89QnFos89HOOAa~3WmSCSmhG1sFgqrEB57IPYSruPN3j81Mz8Kd3un8HorL-iYTipSdnE20jzP1kmYPmSmoVoO2VpTJzvVqQ8NeofLrU7wE-XxCQk-0FeijaC-dKgxSjwphR~JT~j-D9WuHol~jsNvabjcnQP3EanaOXGay83KeNIclA0ors23hhT~RPwtvipoZ3twJ7-oVja~BqzhYuIOFBIlMy0~kVgPcYEUu4Fgk-7LnX8kd5dPK8EpHWStJ~NNQmdqXjwenaMxgX7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eastern Municipal Water District officials told the Moreno Valley City Council on Feb. 11 that the agency is executing a multi-year capital program in the city and described operational steps taken during recent public-safety power shutoffs and wildfire responses.

In a presentation to the council, Joe Moad, general manager of Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), said the agency serves about 682 square miles and roughly one million people, and this year marks the district’s 75th anniversary. EMWD reported an annual operating budget of $619,000,000 and said it plans about $785,000,000 in capital investments across its service area over the next five years, supported by local, regional, state and federal funding.

Moad emphasized EMWD’s diversified supply portfolio, saying about half of the district’s water is imported via the Metropolitan Water District and about one-third is recycled water; brackish desalination supplies about 10 percent of demand and serves roughly 30,000 households. On wastewater, EMWD said the system has treatment capacity near 77 million gallons per day and is currently operating around 50 million gallons per day. The district said it sold more than 27,000 acre-feet of recycled water last year.

The presentation shifted to construction activity within Moreno Valley. Shonstone, EMWD senior director of engineering, described the Paris North Groundwater Contamination Prevention and Remediation Program as EMWD’s largest current project and said the district received $62,000,000 through the state’s Proposition 1 process for that effort. He said the Paris North work includes multiple well sites (including Wells 65 and 66 along Paris Boulevard and Wells 208 and 209 at city-owned locations), a centralized treatment facility on Paris Boulevard, monitoring wells across the basin, and a multi‑phase pipeline program. Construction timing cited in the presentation included an approximately 30-month duration for the major Paris North site and completion of many monitoring wells by the coming summer.

Other city projects described included a Kitchen and Iris sewer replacement (about 3,500 linear feet of 24-inch sewer, with EMWD projecting completion and final paving in the month following the presentation), a joint pavement restoration coordination with the city along Alessandro Boulevard, the East Moreno Valley sewer connection and SR-60 tunneling work beneath the freeway, and longer-term pipelines such as the Cactus 2 feeder (phase 2) with an anticipated construction start in late 2027 and delivery in 2029–early 2030.

EMWD also described storage and reliability improvements, including a proposed Judson tank (about 2,200,000 gallons) and multiple pressure-zone improvements and booster station replacements. For several projects EMWD provided estimated construction durations (examples: Judson tank grading and construction 24–30 months; replacement booster station roughly 20 months; Covey transmission pipeline about 15 months).

On reliability and emergency ops, Moad reviewed measures EMWD took during regional public-safety power shutoffs (PSPS) and wildfire events: topping off tanks ahead of PSPS events, deploying 24 portable generators and leveraging permanent on-site generators at many facilities, operating pump stations and maintaining system pressure during the most recent January event, and performing hydrant spot checks and weed abatement around facilities in high‑risk areas. He described coordination with Riverside County fire and noted that county fire crews and helicopters have used EMWD lakes and reservoirs (Lake Skinner, Lake Perris, Diamond Valley Lake) for aerial firefighting.

Council members raised coordination and community‑impact questions. One councilmember asked EMWD to improve coordination of construction timing with the city’s pavement program; EMWD acknowledged the concern and said it would continue to coordinate schedules and public outreach. Another councilmember expressed concern about the district’s capacity to deliver many projects in parallel, and EMWD responded that it uses multiple contractors, has expanded inspection and public-affairs staffing, and that some projects are structured so paving and final restoration occur in stages to reduce prolonged impacts.

EMWD staff said the district maintains public-affairs contacts for each project and urged residents to use the project signage contact numbers when problems are observed. EMWD staff also reported they will continue spot inspections and have inspectors assigned to projects to address housekeeping concerns at the end of work days.

The presentation concluded without council action; presenters invited follow-up questions and said they would continue coordination with city staff on schedules, traffic control and community notifications.","Eastern Municipal Water District told the Moreno Valley City Council on Feb. 11 that it is investing in major water, recycled-water and sewer projects across the city, funded in part by a $62 million Prop 1 grant for the Paris North cleanup, and described operational steps it used during recent public-safety power shutoffs and wildfire events.","actionData","errors"]

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City attorney reviews Brown Act and conflict‑of‑interest rules in Moreno Valley study session

Eastern Municipal Water District details multimillion-dollar projects, contingency steps for power outages and wildfire response