1 POSITION LETTERS (Attachment 3)
As of June 17, 2025
Attachment 3 includes City of Chino position letters on legislation and regulations submitted since the prior report. The attached letter(s) were submitted on behalf of the City during this reporting period.
May 29, 2025
The Honorable Governor Gavin Newsom
California State Capitol
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: EROSION OF LOCAL CONTROL OVER HOUSING AND LAND USE DECISIONS
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of the residents, businesses, and stakeholders of the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rialto, and Upland , we write to firmly oppose the relentless proliferation of state housing laws that have overridden local control without regard for State -certified housing plans, effectively sidelining the voices of our community and undermining years of responsible local planning.
Since the elimination of redevelopment agencies (RDAs) in 2012, the ability of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rialto, and Upland to retain local control over development has been chipped away year after year by a litany of housing bills designed to increase ministerial or by -right housing approval processes. While Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rialto, and Upland respect the pursuit of housing production amid a statewide crisis, the way forward is to work with cities to allow for growth in ways that make sense for their communities. Instead, cities have been virtually shut out of the process, and these new laws have diminished general plans, stripped away authority over local development, and left community members demanding answers from their local elected officials.
The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), a distribution of housing units assigned to every California city, is an impossible number to attain that will not lead to the level of increased housing growth that it intends. The rigorous process of getting a housing element approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has left cities vulnerable to draconian penalties such as loss of grant funding and the Builder’s Remedy. Most importantly, the laws are not providing affordable housin g as intended.
Local control continues to be undermined by a slew of new bills each year. These bills override general plans, ignore local zoning and land use plans, and steadily erode the ability of residents and their local representatives to shape the future of their communities. Despite our opposition — as well as that of the League of California Cities and other municipalities statewide — we have been inundated with legislation that further limits our ability to plan for growth responsibly. SB 423 (Weiner, 2024), whi ch significantly expanded ministerial approvals for affordable housing projects; SB 4 (Weiner, 2024), which requires a housing development project to be a “use by right” on land owned by an independent institution of higher education or a religious institution; and SB 9 (Atkins, 2021), which allows homeowners to subdivide their Hon. Gavin Newsom
May 29, 2025, p. 2
lots and add up to two duplexes in most single-family neighborhoods, are just a small example of how the new laws diminish local control.
This year, many onerous bills have been introduced that will impose additional state housing dictates on issues of critical local significance. One such example, SB 79 (Wiener), defies cities’ general plans and grants transit agencies unlimited land use au thority on property they own or on which they have a permanent easement, regardless of the distance from a transit stop. Transit agencies would have the power to determine all aspects of development, including height, density, and design, without regard to local zoning or planning regulations.
And yet, housing prices are still spiraling out of control. It is imperative that we raise the question of how the state plans to evaluate these housing policies when the intended outcomes are currently not being achieved.
We have heard from our constituents, as well as local officials in neighboring cities, about the effects of these new housing laws. Our communities are suffering, and Sacramento has regrettably turned a blind eye to the effects these laws have had on cities across California.
The time to act is now. We ask that you meet with the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rialto, and Upland so we can work together on a sustainable, reasonable process that addresses this decades-in-the-making housing crisis while keeping cities in the conversation and allowing us to grow in ways that include local discretion and public engagement.
Sincerely,
Eunice Ulloa
Mayor
City of Chino
Art Bennett
Mayor
City of Chino Hills
Acquanetta Warren
Mayor
City of Fontana
Javier “John” Dutrey
Mayor
City of Montclair
Hon. Gavin Newsom
May 29, 2025, p. 3
Paul Leon
Mayor
City of Ontario
Joe Baca
Mayor
City of Rialto
Bill Velto
Mayor
City of Upland
CC: Senator Scott Weiner
League of California Cities
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
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
June 3, 2025
The Honorable Susan Rubio
California State Senate, District 22
1021 O St., Suite 8710
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 79 (Wiener), as amended May 29, 2025 - Transit-Oriented Development – OPPOSE
Dear Senator Rubio,
The City of Chino urges you to vote NO on SB 79 (Wiener), which would disregard state -certified housing elements and provide land use authority to transit agencies without requiring developers to build housing, let alone affordable housing.
SB 79 doubles down on the recent trend of the state overriding its own mandated local housing elements. This latest overreaching effort forces cities in urban transit counties defined as “a county with more than 15 rail stations” to approve transit-oriented development projects near specified transit stops — up to seven stories high and a density of 120 homes per acre — without regard to the community's needs, environmental review, or public input. Similarly, cities in non -urban transit counties near specific transit stops would need to approve development projects by right, up to five stories high, with a density of 80 homes per acre.
Most alarmingly, SB 79 defies cities’ general plans and provides transit agencies unlimited land use authority on property they own or have a permanent easement, regardless of the distance from a transit stop. Transit agencies would have the power to deter mine all aspects of the development , including height, density, and design, without regard to local zoning or planning. This broad new authority applies to both residential and commercial development. Transit agencies could develop 100% commercial projects — even at transit stops — and not provide a single new home, while simultaneously arguing that more housing must be constructed around transit stops.
SB 79 will not spur much -needed housing construction in a manner that supports local flexibility, decision-making, and community input. State -driven ministerial or by -right housing approval processes fail to recognize the extensive public engagement associated with developing and adopting zoning ordinances and housing elements. California will never produce the number of homes needed with an increasingly state-driven, by-right housing approval process.
SB 79 (Weiner), as amended May 29, 2025
June 3, 2025, p.2
What we really need is a sustainable state investment that matches the scale of this decades -in-the- making crisis. For these reasons, the City of Chino strongly opposes SB 79 and urges you to vote NO on this bill.
Sincerely,
Linda Reich
City Manager
cc: The Honorable Scott Weiner
Laura Varela, League of California Cities, [email protected] League of California Cities, [email protected]
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
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
June 10, 2025
The Honorable John Harabedian
Chair, Joint Legislative Audit Committee
California State Assembly, District 41
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0041
Via Fax: (916) 319-2141
RE: May 30, 2025 Joint Legislative Audit Committee Tour of California Institution for Men
Dear Assembly Member Harabedian,
We write to thank you and Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez for arranging the tour of the California Institution for Men. We found the tour to be informative and productive. The California Institution for Men has been an integral part of Chino’s history and continues to be an essential part of our community. We appreciate the opportunity to visit the site in person and learn more about its operations.
As we discussed during the tour, our goal is to advocate for state resources to ensure CIM’s facilities meet the needs of its programs and the safety and well -being of CIM staff, our residents, and the surrounding community. While we found the information provided helpful, the tour reinforced our concerns about the condition of the facility and the security of the site. We appreciate your interest in CIM and look forward to continuing to engage with you and Assembly Member Rodriguez on the proposed audit.
We appreciate your interest and that of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee in this important issue.
Best regards,
Eunice Ulloa
Mayor
Marc Lucio
Council Member
cc: City Manager Linda Reich
Police Chief Kevin Mensen
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
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
June 10, 2025
The Honorable Michelle Rodriguez
California State Assembly, District 53
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0053
RE: May 30, 2025 Joint Legislative Audit Committee Tour of California Institution for Men
Dear Assembly Member Rodriguez,
We write to thank you and Assembly Member Harabedian for arranging the tour of the California Institution for Men. We found the tour to be informative and productive. The California Institution for Men has been an integral part of Chino’s history and continues to be an essential part of our community. We appreciate the opportunity to visit the site in person and learn more about its operations.
As we discussed during the tour, our goal is to advocate for state resources to ensure CIM’s facilities meet the needs of its programs and the safety and well -being of CIM staff, our residents, and the surrounding community. While we found the information provided helpful, the tour reinforced our concerns about the condition of the facility and the security of the site. We appreciate your interest in CIM and look forward to continuing to engage with you and Assembly Member Harabedian on the proposed audit.
Please thank your staff for making the tour arrangements and for their open-door policy with our City.
Best regards,
Eunice Ulloa
Mayor
Marc Lucio
Council Member
cc: City Manager Linda Reich
Police Chief Kevin Mensen
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
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
June 10, 2025
Warden Eric Mejia
California Institution for Men
14901 Central Ave
Chino, CA 91710
RE: May 30, 2025, Visit to CIM
Dear Warden Mejia,
I am writing to thank you for the tour of your facilities provided to Assembly Members Michelle Rodriguez and John Harabedian and City of Chino representatives on May 30. The California Institution for Men has been an integral part of Chino’s history and continues to be an essential part of our community. We appreciate you allowing us to visit and learn more about your programs and operations.
As I stated during the tour, our goal is to advocate for state resources to ensure CIM’s facilities meet the needs of your programs and the safety and well -being of your staff , our residents, and the surrounding community. We look forward to working with you on these efforts.
Please extend our appreciation to Public Information Officer Lt. Ignacio Vera, Sergeant Casey Parker, Sergeant Ramon Paredes , and CDCR Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs Sarah Larson for their hospitality and assistance in preparation for and throughout the tour.
Sincerely,
Linda Reich
City Manager
cc: Chief Kevin Mensen