Council approves "Love Yucaipa and Calimesa" event permit; debate centers on $200 fee waiver

The Yucaipa City Council on Feb. 10 approved a special event permit application for "Love Yucaipa and Calimesa," a citywide day of service proposed for May 3 organized by Grace Point Fellowship and a coalition of local churches.

City staff described the application and recommended approval with a waiver of the standard $200 special event permit fee. Organizers said the event would launch at the Yucaipa Performing Arts Center (YPAC) with music, brief remarks and maps sending volunteers to service projects across Yucaipa and neighboring Calimesa. Staff said the proposal included three city projects already identified for volunteers and that the applicant had set up a website at loveyucaipa.com for volunteer signups.

Pastor Randy Walling, who spoke for the collaborative of faith leaders, said participating churches and volunteer teams plan projects ranging from trash cleanup and park work to helping shut‑ins and visiting care facilities. He said the YPAC offered a centrally located kickoff venue near businesses that could support the event.

Council debate focused on the requested waiver of the $200 permit fee. One council member voiced concern about waiving fees in a year when the city is working to deliver a balanced budget, saying the city must be careful about setting a precedent for waiving fees. Organizers replied that they would be willing to raise the fee from donations if it was required and that multiple local businesses and congregations were prepared to assist.

Council member Justin Bieber offered to pay the $200 fee from his council stipend if the council declined a waiver. After a motion and second, the council approved the special event permit and the fee waiver; one member explicitly voted against the waiver even while endorsing the event itself.

Staff and organizers said the event would set up at 6 a.m. and run from 8 to 9:30 a.m., with cleanup to follow, and that volunteers could sign up at loveyucaipa.com. Organizers said the community‑service model aimed to reduce city labor on some tasks by mobilizing volunteers.

The council also suggested that if the event becomes annual, organizers consider applying for grants or sponsorships to help cover costs. Council members and staff recommended exploring existing city grant cycles and program sponsorships as a long‑term funding approach for recurring events.

The council vote approved the permit and the waiver; the transcript records a majority vote in favor and notes at least one dissent on the fee waiver, but the roll call names for each vote were not recorded in the public excerpt.