POSITION LETTERS (Attachment 3)
As of January 21, 2025
Attachment 3 includes City of Chino position letters on legislation and regulations submitted since the prior report. The attached letters were submitted on behalf of the City during this reporting period.
EUNICE M. ULLOA CURTIS BURTON
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
KAREN C. COMSTOCK DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO
December 12, 2024
The Honorable Assembly Member Phillip Chen
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0059
Subject: Request for Audit of the California Institution for Men by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
I am writing to formally request that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) conduct a comprehensive audit of the California Institution for Men (CIM). This audit is essential to address persistent concerns regarding operational inefficiencies, staff safety, and the deteriorating state of the facility.
In November 2008, Inspector General David Shaw audited CIM, providing findings and recommendations. A consulting group, Vanderweil Facilities Advisors (VFA), concluded that CIM would require condemnation by 2014 unless proper funding were allocated to maintain and improve its infrastructure. At the time, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) allocated approximately $4 million annually for maintenance and repairs. VFA estimated that $28 million annually would be required to maintain CIM's infrastructure at a minimal level to prevent further degradation. The $28 million would not improve conditions but merely sustain the facility's already poor state.
Using the Facility Condition Index (FCI), VFA rated CIM's infrastructure. In 2009, CIM's FCI stood at
0.409, indicating poor condition. Without necessary funding, VFA projected the FCI to exceed 0.6 by 2014, at which point replacement—not repair— would be required. Despite these warnings, adequate funding has not been provided, and CIM's infrastructure continues to deteriorate more than 15 years later.
Recent discussions of budget cuts have exacerbated security concerns. Proposals to eliminate several positions within California State Prisons included the removal of CDCR guards from main gates, raising serious safety risks. This change would allow unrestricted access to the prison grounds, including one of CIM's most vulnerable areas-the facility armory. Removing gate security from a facility that houses some of the state's most dangerous criminals is alarming and compromises public safety. 13220 Central Avenue, Chino, California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
The Honorable Phillip Chen
December 12, 2024, p.2
CIM has a long history of security challenges. In 1983, Kevin Cooper escaped through a fence and subsequently committed multiple murders. More recently, in 2018, Michael Garrett escaped due to a defective fence that had remained unrepaired for over a decade. The escape exposed flaws in CIM's response protocols. Garrett was eventually apprehended nearly 100 miles away in Encinitas.
The prison's aging infrastructure and limited security features have also posed ongoing risks to public safety. CIM has experienced numerous riots, the most severe occurring in August 2009, involving over 1,300 inmates. The riot resulted in extensive damage to housing units, fires, and over 200 inmate injuries, though no inmates escaped, and staff remained unharmed. This incident further demonstrated CIM's difficulties in maintaining order and safety in an under-resourced facility.
IM was built in 1941 to relieve overcrowding in other state prisons and serve as the nation's first minimum-security facility, focusing on rehabilitation. However, it now houses 46 condemned inmates transferred due to safety concerns at San Quentin State Prison. CIM was never intended to house condemned inmates and lacks the appropriate infrastructure for this purpose.
In 2017, Assembly Member Freddie Rodriguez introduced Assembly Bill 2028, which aimed to require regular security audits and develop plans to address identified deficiencies. Governor Brown vetoed the bill, citing the ongoing security audits conducted by the Office of Audits and Court Compliance.
However, these audits have not sufficiently addressed the significant security issues at CIM. In a letter to Acting Secretary Diaz, Assembly Member Rodriguez documented his firsthand observations of the prison's deteriorating infrastructure, security deficiencies, unnavigable roads, and failing plumbing, all of which pose health and safety risks to inmates and staff.
Given these ongoing safety, operational, and infrastructure challenges, | urge JLAC to thoroughly audit the California Institution for Men. A comprehensive review will provide transparency, identify critical areas for improvement, and ensure that CIM can operate safely and effectively to protect the community and those within the facility.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if further information is required.
Sincerely,
витлот. illa
Eunice Ulloa
Mayor
CC: Chino City Council Members
EUNICE M. ULLOA CURTIS BURTON
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
KAREN C. COMSTOCK DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO
December 19, 2024
The Honorable Michelle Rodriguez
Assembly District 53
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0053
Subject: Request for Audit of the California Institution for Men by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
Dear Assembly Member Rodriguez,
I write on behalf of the City of Chino to formally request that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) conduct a comprehensive audit of the California Institution for Men (CIM). This audit is essential to address persistent concerns regarding operational inefficiencies, staff safety, and the deteriorating state of the facility.
In November 2008, Inspector General David Shaw audited CIM, providing findings and recommendations. A consulting group, Vanderweil Facilities Advisors (VFA), concluded that CIM would require condemnation by 2014 unless proper funding was allocated to maintain and improve its infrastructure. At the time, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR allocated approximately $4 million annually for maintenance and repairs. VFA estimated that $28 million annually would be required to maintain CIM's infrastructure at a minimal level to prevent further degradation. The $28 million would not improve conditions but merely sustain the facility's already poor state.
Using the Facility Condition Index (FCI), VFA rated CIM's infrastructure. In 2009, CIM's FCI stood at
0.409, indicating poor condition. Without necessary funding, VFA projected the FCI to exceed 0.6 by 2014, at which point replacement —not repair —would be required. Despite these warnings, adequate funding has not been provided, and CIM's infrastructure continues to deteriorate more than 15 years later.
Recent discussions of budget cuts have exacerbated security concerns. Proposals to eliminate several positions within California State Prisons included the removal of CDCR guards from main gates, raising serious safety risks. This change would allow unrestricted access to the prison grounds, including one 13220 Central Avenue, Chino, California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
The Honorable Michelle Rodriguez
December 19, 2024, p. 2
of CIM's most vulnerable areas—the facility armory. Removing gate security from a facility that houses some of the state's most dangerous criminals is alarming and compromises public safety.
CIM has a long history of security challenges. In 1983, Kevin Cooper escaped through a fence and subsequently committed multiple murders. More recently, in 2018, Michael Garrett escaped due to a defective fence that had remained unrepaired for over a decade. The escape exposed flaws in CIM's response protocols. Garrett was eventually apprehended nearly 100 miles away in Encinitas.
The prison's aging infrastructure and limited security features have also posed ongoing risks to public safety. CIM has experienced numerous riots, the most severe occurring in August 2009, involving over 1,300 inmates. The riot resulted in extensive damage to housing units, fires, and over 200 inmate injuries, though no inmates escaped, and staff remained unharmed. This incident further demonstrated CIM's difficulties maintaining order and safety in an under-resourced facility.
CIM was built in 1941 to relieve overcrowding in other state prisons and serve as the nation's first minimum-security facility, focusing on rehabilitation. However, it now houses 46 condemned inmates transferred due to safety concerns at San Quentin State Prison. CIM was never intended to house condemned inmates and lacks the appropriate infrastructure for this purpose.
In 2017, Assembly Member Freddie Rodriguez introduced Assembly Bill 2028, which aimed to require regular security audits and develop plans to address identified deficiencies. Governor Brown vetoed the bill, citing the ongoing security audits conducted by the Office of Audits and Court Compliance.
However, these audits have not sufficiently addressed the significant security issues at CIM. In a letter to Acting Secretary Diaz, Assembly Member Rodriguez documented his firsthand observations of the prison's deteriorating infrastructure, security deficiencies, unnavigable roads, and failing plumbing, all of which pose health and safety risks to inmates and staff.
Given these ongoing safety, operational, and infrastructure challenges, we respectfully ask that you urge JLAC to conduct a thorough audit of the California Institution for Men. A comprehensive review will provide transparency, identify critical areas for improvement, and ensure that CIM can operate safely and effectively to protect the community and those within the facility.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if further information is required.
Sincerely,
Витит. Мек
Eunice Ulloa
Mayor
CC: Chino City Council Members
EUNICE M. ULLOA KAREN C. COMSTOCK
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
CURTIS BURTON DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO
January 7, 2025
Vanessa Delgado, Chair
South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board 21865 Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
RE: OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED RULES 1111 AND 1121
Dear Chair Delgado and Members of the Governing Board,
The City of Chino has recently become aware of two proposed rules being advanced by South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) staff for your consideration. On behalf of our City, its residents, businesses, and property owners, we write to express our strong opposition to Proposed Amended Rules (PARs) 1111 and 1121, which would establish zero-Nox emissions limits for residential and commercial space heating and residential water heating.
While we appreciate the SCAQMD's commitment to improving air quality in our region, the proposed amendments present significant concerns for our community, including economic hardships, technological feasibility challenges, environmental trade-offs, and lack of adequate public engagement.
These proposed rules would ban the use of natural gas-powered furnaces and water heaters in new construction, taking effect in 2026, further elevating construction costs and housing prices, thereby putting homeownership even further out of reach for many Southern Californians.
These rules would phase out existing natural gas furnaces and water heaters in existing single-family homes, multi-family housing, and businesses in 2027. We have significant concerns regarding the scale of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and other requirements necessary to comply with retrofits of existing commercial buildings, single-family homes, and multifamily residential properties, as well as the dramatic cost implications to thousands of families who call Chino home. Rules 1111 and 1121 would impose $20-plus billion in costs to consumers while providing minimal measurable air quality benefits for the four-county SCAQMD service area.
We believe that if the Governing Board adopts Rules 1111 and 1121, the high costs of compliance will force the owners of older multifamily properties to sell or redevelop their properties, subsequently resulting in a dramatic reduction in the availability of affordable housing in our City and across the region.
13220 Central Avenue, Chino, California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
Vanessa Delgado
SCAQMD
January 7, 2025, p.2
Our City Council shares your commitment to clean air and water and other quality-of-life benefits that draw and retain the residents and business owners who live here. However, the current versions of PAR 1111 and 1121 will have significant, lasting consequences that negatively impact jobs, increase the cost of living in our region, and strain an already overburdened electric grid. Transitioning to all-electric water heaters and furnaces translates into increased demand on an electric grid that has not proven capable of consistently meeting existing demand. Water heaters and furnaces are essential to any house, apartment, or business. Millions of new electric water heaters and furnaces would draw power from the grid and raise the risk of power brownouts or outages. Removing natural gas from the energy options available to our residents and businesses for space and water heating is impractical, unsustainable, and puts our region at an economic disadvantage.
There has been limited public outreach and education surrounding these proposed rules. Despite multiple workshops, most of the region's residents, businesses, and property owners - those most directly affected - remain unaware of the proposed rules and their vast implications throughout the SCAQMD area. The magnitude of the far-reaching impacts of the proposed rules requires a robust and thorough outreach and education effort, stakeholder engagement, and the development of more balanced and cost-effective proposals.
We urge the SCAQMD Governing Board to delay consideration/adoption of PAR 1111/1121, currently scheduled for February 7, 2025, to allow District staff to better inform the millions of Southern California residents of these proposed rules and their costs, which are estimated to range from $3,000 to $21,500 per unit when electric panel upgrades are required. There are many unanswered questions regarding cost, equity, technology and infrastructure challenges, and the substantial gap between the actual costs of compliance and limited potential incentives that need to be addressed. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Busic Whi
Eunice Ulloa
Mayor
CC: Chino City Council Members