The Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) honored the City of Moreno Valley with three awards during the 11th annual Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Award Ceremony on Thursday, November 2.
The Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet awards honor agencies that have developed innovative ways to avoid bureaucratic red tape for the betterment of local economies and communities. This year, the City of Moreno Valley received awards in Sustainability & Green Development, Business Retention & Expansion, and Public-Private Partnerships.
“These prestigious awards acknowledge the hard work and relentless dedication of our city staff, volunteers, and strategic partners,” says Mayor Ulises Cabrera. “These awards prove Moreno Valley continues to be a true leader in innovation, responsible development, and results-driven care for our community.”
The City received the Sustainability & Green Development Award for its innovative Streetlight Retrofit Program. Moreno Valley took part in a multi-city program designed to retrofit city streetlights with energy-efficient LED lights, retrofitting nearly 12,000 streetlights, generating up to $250,000 in annual cost savings and a 50 percent reduction in energy consumption.
Moreno Valley’s Business & Employment Resource Center (BERC) received the highest recognition possible in the Business Retention & Expansion category. The BERC continued its outstanding efforts in providing employment-related services to Moreno Valley residents. The BERC features exemplary programs specifically designed to give residents the assistance needed to overcome job placement challenges and connect them with helpful resources and support.
The City received a third award in the Public-Private Partnership category for the high-profile expansion of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. Beset with typical red tape navigation issues and further complicated by the challenges imposed by COVID-19, the City’s development team partnered with Kaiser to successfully bring the project to fruition. The expansion aims to bring more than 4,000 high-quality jobs to Moreno Valley.
The Inland Empire Economic Partnership is a collaboration of business and government leaders invested in making Riverside and San Bernardino County a great place to live, work, and invest. IEEP focuses on building and strengthening diverse communities and addressing current deficits in human capital, transportation infrastructure, educational attainment, environment quality, and political influence.