Menifee City officials and residents marked the opening of Freedom Bridge at a ribbon-cutting, calling the new span a long-awaited connection that will serve thousands of daily commuters and honor veterans. Speakers noted the project dates back to about 2013 and ties into a larger capital program.

Menifee City held a ribbon-cutting for the Paloma Wash Pedestrian Bridge, a 172-foot, 298,000-pound structure that city officials say will improve walkability and link Central Park with nearby retail along Hahn Road.

Acting Mayor Bob Carwin said Menifee’s $17 million Bradley Road Bridge is fully funded after a $5 million federal allocation and is on schedule for an October opening, adding walking and biking trails to reduce flooding and improve access.

City staff told the Menifee City Council that maintaining a 75 PCI will require roughly $53 million over five years (about $10.6M/year), including $31.5 million for reconstruction and $21.5 million for preventive maintenance; council accepted the report and directed staff to return with budget recommendations.

Menifee’s economic development manager reported on a quarterly strategy focused on business attraction, retention, job creation and revenue, cited $2.2 billion in local sales-tax leakage and 384 new businesses, and presented Commencal as this quarter’s business spotlight.

Consultant Urban3 presented a land‑use financial analysis to the Menifee City Council and Planning Commission showing denser, mixed‑use buildings produce substantially higher tax revenue per acre than large-footprint retail; officials discussed zoning, parking strategies and community education as next steps.

The Menifee City Council denied an appeal and approved the Menifee 27 residential subdivision 4-0, adding a condition requiring pedestrian and vehicular access to the adjacent commercial parcel; appellant SAFER had urged a full EIR citing biological, air-quality and greenhouse-gas concerns.