Volume 42 | October 16 -  20, 2017
Moreno Valley Deploys HQ2 Strike Team to Amazon Headquarters
On Wednesday, October 19th Moreno Valley deployed its “HQ2 Strike Team” for a surprise operation at Amazon Corporate Headquarters in Seattle, Washington.  

Their primary mission: Ensure that Amazon takes special notice of Moreno Valley’s enticing bid and bring the company’s new Corporate Headquarters to our community.

The HQ2 Strike Team delivered a “special edition” of the Washington Post newspaper with exciting news: “Moreno Valley, CA wins Amazon HQ2 project in epic battle of cities.” The Strike Team carefully acquired, then captured its target audience. 

Amazon staff members did a double-take; they had just received a newspaper published by Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos seemingly from the future. This one-of-a-kind approach newspaper generated exciting conversations between Amazon staff and City reps. But the Strike Team had another objective. This band of economic development warriors were in Seattle to gather important intel regarding Amazon culture and what the company’s employees are looking for in a new home.

Word spread throughout Amazon’s Day 1 campus; Moreno Valley’s enthusiastic presence was inescapable. This week’s deployment was just part of Moreno Valley’s multi-media proposal to Amazon. 

Now that Moreno Valley is officially a contender for Amazon’s second headquarters, the City is ready to publicly unveil its unique approach to this proposal. Most cities were expected to submit the typical line of marketing material. But Moreno Valley is not “most cities,” not by a longshot.

Building our proposal upon The Washington Post reflected the newspaper’s corporate tie to Amazon, allowing us to present information in each “section” of the newspaper.  

For example:
  • What’s it like to live in SoCal? Check out the Lifestyle section, of course.
  • Where’s the perfect site in Moreno Valley for the new Amazon campus? It’s all right there…in the Real Estate section. At your fingertips is an ideal site location within a state-of-the-art development concept.

Amazon is a tech company, so the City’s Media team created a custom Alexa Skill for the Amazon Echo device (Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show). Echo users can simply say “Alexa, launch Moreno Valley” and sit back while Alexa guides you on a journey through Moreno Valley. This breakthrough achievement illustrates Moreno Valley’s forward thinking nature and the City’s commitment to Amazon. The Moreno Valley Alexa Skill is available in the Alexa Skills Store and a video explaining the Skill is available on the City’s YouTube Channel.

Moreno Valley’s HQ2 Strike team also produced a series of videos featuring local business testimonials. Amazon will hear, first hand, about Moreno Valley’s thriving economic development climate, and how the City truly “moves at the speed of business.” The HQ2 Strike Team also presented a video highlighting the proposed project site. These videos are available on the City’s YouTube Channel.
City of Moreno Valley Grateful for Governor’s Veto
Moreno Valley leaders this week expressed gratitude for Governor Jerry Brown’s veto of Assembly Bill 890 which would have imposed far sweeping and negative effects on growing cities across California.
 
AB 890 Would Have Significantly Restricted Local Control Over Land Use Decisions.
 
The legislation would have allowed “downzoning” of commercial/industrial property, for uses as limited as “Open Space,” without any future opportunities for cities or local voters to re-zone those parcels for more productive uses.
 
 
“Defeating this bill required a great deal of time and energy which should have instead been focused on creating jobs in Moreno Valley,” said Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Baca who was the only local elected official who testified in opposition to AB 890 as it moved through the legislative process in Sacramento. “Had AB 890 become law, it would have created an Economic Drought - - as jobs would have evaporated from communities across California. I sincerely hope that our Assembly Member (Medina) will now channel his legislative efforts to promote development that brings jobs to our shared constituents in the 61st Assembly District. Local residents deserve to know that their Assembly Member is primarily interested in creating a prosperous future for families across Moreno Valley. It’s time to focus on the needs of local residents, rather than outside groups who take extreme measures to deny job opportunities to Moreno Valley residents,” she said. “I look forward to working with Assembly Member Medina to bring educational opportunities and workforce development to prepare our residents for jobs of the future.”
 
As Inland Southern California’s economic hub, Moreno Valley leads the region in job growth. The City enjoys unparalleled growth in its industrial, commercial, medical and residential sectors reflecting the City Council’s commitment to moving at the speed of business. With Economic Development as the top priority in the Momentum MoVal strategic plan, the City remains highly successful in meeting the community’s current and emerging needs by expanding the local economy through new business opportunities, job creation, strategic partnerships and workforce development.

For more information on Moreno Valley’s award winning economic development programs, visit morenovalleybusiness.com.
Moreno Valley Animal Shelter Hosts Halloween Pet Adoption Event
Help find a loving cat or dog a forever home at the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter's Halloween Pet Adoption event.
 
This adoption event will be held on Friday, October 27th from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 28th from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter, 14041 Elsworth Street.
 
Halloween Pet Adoption Event fees:
  • $50 Dogs/puppies
  • $15 Cats/kittens
 
The fees for pet adoption includes spay or neuter surgery, vaccines, and a HomeAgain Microchip.
 
Pets adopted that have not been altered will stay for surgery and be available to go home in the afternoon of the day surgery is scheduled.

For more information about the Halloween pet adoption event visit www.moval.org or view the flyer.
Residents Encouraged to Report Street Light Outages to City
With Halloween around the corner, the City is using social media tools to ask for help in making sure the street lights are working.
 
While out on your evening stroll, please take note of non-working street lights and report to them to us at 951.413.3480. 
 
All we’ll need is the address nearest the street light or its pole number. For SCE street lights, the pole number is located on a metal strip on the pole (just above eye level) and is 7-digits long, and ends with the letter “E”. The pole number for Moreno Valley Utility street lights is located at the base of the pole, is 3-4 digits long, and usually ends with “MV” or “MVU”. 

Requests can also be submitted using the City’s mobile App, the online form at www.moval.org/sf or email to specialdistricts@moval.org
Upon request, this news release will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in this meeting should direct such requests to Guy Pegan, ADA Coordinator, at 951.413.3120 at least 72 hours before the meeting. The 72-hour notification will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.