2025-025
MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF CHINO HILLS
FEBRUARY 11, 2025
REGULAR MEETING
CONVENE MEETING AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Bennett called the Closed Session meeting to order 5:00 p.m. and requested City Clerk Balz to call roll.
PRESENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: CYNTHIA MORAN
ART BENNETT
BRIAN JOHSZ
RAY MARQUEZ
PETER ROGERS
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ALSO PRESENT: BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY, CITY MANAGER
MARK D. HENSLEY, CITY ATTORNEY
ELIZABETH CALCIANO, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY
CHERYL BALZ, CITY CLERK
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Bennett declared the meeting recessed at 5:00 p.m. for Closed Sessions. City Clerk Balz did not attend this portion of the meeting.
EXISTING LITIGATION
Conference with Legal Counsel pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1): Existing Litigation: City of Chino Hills v. Flaviano E. Dimaranan, Adelaida A. Dimaranan, Ligang Li, Chuan Wang, Sommai Patamakanthin, Ashfaq Kazi, Farhana Kazi, James Moon, Geonju Moon, Xiangyan Gao, Yiming Qiu - Case No. CIVSB 2215448
EXISTING LITIGATION
Conference with Legal Counsel pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1): Existing Litigation - City of Chino Hills v. Wai Min Liu, Yi Liu, W Liu & Y Liu Family Rev Liv Tr 11/12/20, Lonnie Weber, Robert Weber, Santos Lemus, and Does 1 through 30, inclusive - Case No. CIVSB 2302673
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-026 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
EXISTING LITIGATION
Conference with Legal Counsel pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1): Existing Litigation - City of Chino Hills v. Weiming Mo, Zhao Jun, and Does 1 through 30, inclusive - Case No. CIVSB 2312001
LIABILITY CLAIMS
Conference with Legal Counsel Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1) Existing Litigation:
a. Ashley Bautista, an incompetent, by and through her Guardian ad Litem, John Bautista v. City of Chino Hills, a public entity; and Does 1 to 50, inclusive - San Bernardino County Court Case No. CIVSB 2103831
b. Jie Zou, as Administrator of the Estate of Mingxiang Zou v. City of Chino Hills - San Bernardino County Superior Court Case No. CIVSB 2316320
c. Kimberly Nicole Carlton, an individual v. City of Chino Hills, a municipality; County of San Bernardino, a municipality; State of California, a government entity; James Ching Chang, an individual; and Does 1 through 50, inclusive - San Bernardino Superior Court Case No. CIVSB 2413692
d. Veronica Quinonez, an individual v. City of Chino Hills, a public entity; San Bernardino County, a public entity; State of California, a public entity; California Department of Transportation, a public entity; Joe Chen, an individual; Annie Chen, an individual; and Does 1 to 50, inclusive - San Bernardino Superior Court Case No.: CIVRS 2400968
e. Southern California Edison Company v. City of Chino Hills; and Does 1 through 50 inclusive - San Bernardino Superior Court Case No.: CIVRS 2402157
CLOSED SESSION RECESS
Mayor Bennett recessed the Closed Session at 5:32 p.m.
CONVENE MEETING AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Bennett called the regular meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and requested City Clerk Balz to call roll.
PRESENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: ART BENNETT
BRIAN JOHSZ
RAY MARQUEZ
CYNTHIA MORAN
PETER J. ROGERS
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-027 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
ALSO PRESENT: BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY, CITY MANAGER
MARK HENSLEY, CITY ATTORNEY
CHERYL BALZ, CITY CLERK
DANIEL BOBADILLA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
CHRISTA BUHAGIAR, FINANCE DIRECTOR
BRANDON FONACIER, COMMUNITY RELATIONS ANALYST II
NICOLE FREEMAN, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
WENDI GENSEL, DEPUTY CITY CLERK II
AL GIRARD, CHIEF OF POLICE, CHINO HILLS POLICE
DEPARTMENT
ROD HILL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
NICHOLAS LIGUORI, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTOR
JONATHAN MARSHALL, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
LYNNAE SISEMORE, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
DAVE WILLIAMS, FIRE CHIEF, CHINO VALLEY FIRE DISTRICT
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG [01:31]
Led by resident Ronnie Guyer.
INVOCATION [02:02]
Led by Chaplain Ted Wong, Chino Valley Fire District.
PRESENTATIONS
RECOGNITION - CHINO HILLS JUNIOR ALL-AMERICAN CHEERLEADERS [04:49] Mayor Bennett and the Chino Hills Junior All-American Cheer Coaches presented Certificates of Recognition from the City, County Supervisor Hagman, Congresswoman Kim, and Senator Seyarto to the Chino Hills Junior All-American Junior Micro, Junior Pee Wee, and Pee Wee Cheerleaders for placing in the 2024 Southern California Junior All American Football and Cheer Competition.
President Marcus Whitney thanked the Council for the recognition and presented the Mayor and City Council with a Superbowl Championship ring. Ayala Bulldogs Cheer Coordinator Desiree Whitney introduced cheer coaches Julianna, Destiny, Aubrey and Kathy who all commended their cheer squads for their accomplishments throughout the year.
PROCLAMATION - BLACK HISTORY MONTH [20:57]
Mayor Bennett presented a Proclamation proclaiming February, as Black History Month, to representatives of local High Schools Black Student Unions: Jade Steward and Sidney Adams of Chino Hills High School and Glori Ciccarelli (parent) and Jason Wiley, Student Advisor of Ayala High School
Ms. Adams and Ms. Stewart thanked the Council for the recognition and stated that they are honored to celebrate their heritage.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-028 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
Ms. Ciccarelli and Mr. Wiley thanked the Council for the recognition and stated that they continue to advocate for a meaningful change on their campus. Principal Diana Yarboi thanked the Council on behalf of the Chino Valley Unified School District schools and for always remembering the students.
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER REPORT [27:03]
Public Information Officer (PIO) Freeman announced the following information:
• WILDFIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMUNITY MEETING
o Residents are invited to a community meeting addressing wildfire preparedness and emergency response on Monday, February 24th at 7:00 pm at Western Hills Country Club
o The meeting will cover how Chino Valley Fire, Chino Hills Police, and the City of Chino Hills work together to protect the community during emergencies, and lessons learned from the nearby wildfires in Los Angeles and recent power outages.
o Agencies will provide a short presentation on preparedness and response, wildfire fighting considerations, evacuations, and notifications, followed by a Q&A session.
• CARBON CANYON RD. COMMUTER ALERT
o Caltrans is performing tree trimming along Carbon Canyon Road o Work takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. through Thursday daily o Commuters should expect delays in a flagging operation from Canyon Hills Road to just north of Feldspar Drive
Caltrans has advised that work will continue throughout February and March and more information will be shared as the dates approach
• RECREATION NEWS
o The new Spring “In the Hills” recreation brochure was mailed to households last week and is available online
o The brochure includes information on city news and spring events and classes
o Recreation for most events begins this week like the Adult Easter Egg Scramble on April 11th and the McCoy Family Campout event on May 17th
• PRESIDENTS DAY CLOSURES
o City facilities and the Library will be closed for Presidents Day on Monday, February 17th. Trash service is not affected
ANNOUNCEMENTS TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION [28:32]
There was no reportable action taken in Closed Session.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - AGENDIZED ITEMS [28:40]
There were no public comments.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-029 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
CONFLICT OF INTEREST / LEVINE ACT ANNOUNCEMENTS [29:17] There were no conflict-of-interest or Levine Act announcements to record.
CITY DEPARTMENT BUSINESS
CONSENT CALENDAR [29:26]
Mayor Bennett announced the Consent Calendar items and asked the Council if there were any items to pull.
Council Member Marquez pulled Consent Calendar Item No. 11, pertaining to the Payment Register.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Johsz and seconded by Council Member Rogers to approve the following Consent Calendar Items:
MINUTES
The City Council approved the January 28, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes, as presented.
CITY OFFICIAL TRAVEL EXPENSE AND REIMBURSEMENT REPORT
The City Council received and filed City Officials' Travel Expense and Reimbursement Report regarding trainings and/or meetings reimbursed by City, pursuant to Government Code Sections 53232.2 and 53232.3 and City Official Travel Expense and Reimbursement Policy Section 2.2.5 for period of January 28 through February 10, 2025, as outlined in the written staff report, on file in the City Clerk's office.
MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT
The City Council received and filed the Monthly Financial Report for month ended December 31, 2024.
MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENT NO. MCA-0003-2024 - ACCESSORY DWELLING
UNITS - ORDINANCE ADOPTED
The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 417 entitled: “An Ordinance of the City of Chino Hills, Amending Title 16 of the Chino Hills Municipal Code to Update Accessory Dwelling Unit Regulations and Finding the Proposed Municipal Code Amendment Exempt From Review Under the California Environmental Quality Act” for second reading (Introduced on January 28, 2025).
SECOND QUARTER BUDGET REVIEW
The City Council appropriated $1,593,726 from various funds for the Second Quarter Budget Review as outlined in the written staff report on file in the City Clerk's office.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-030 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
AGREEMENT AMENDMENTS - ON-CALL AND EMERGENCY REPAIR SERVICES -
WATER AND SEWER SYTSTEMS
The City Council (1) appropriated $200,000 from the Sewer Utility Fund and $400,000 from the Water Utility Fund; (2) authorized the execution of Amendment No. 2 to
Agreement No. A2022-156 with Doty Bros Equipment Company, increasing the annual not-to-exceed amount from $200,000 to $400,000 for On-Call and Emergency Repair Services, including Water and Sewer Systems; (3) authorized the execution of Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. A2022-157 with W. A. Rasic Construction Company, Inc., increasing the annual not-to-exceed amount from $200,000 to $400,000 for On-Call and Emergency Repair Services, including Water and Sewer Systems; and (4) authorized the execution of Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. A2022-158 with TE Roberts, Inc., increasing the annual not-to-exceed amount from $200,000 to $400,000 for On-Call and Emergency Repair Services, including Water and Sewer Systems.
Motion carried by electronic vote as follows:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BENNETT, JOHSZ, MARQUEZ, MORAN, ROGERS
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION [29:48]
PAYMENT REGISTER
Council Member Marquez pulled this item for discussion to discuss the three invoices that cost $220,000 for tree trimming and asked if the City is on track with the annual budget being $900,000 for these services.
Public Works Director Bobadilla responded that payments to West Coast Arborist for tree trimming maintenance services are on track and added that we spent a bit more in December, of that, about $150,000 were used for a special project to assess, trim and remove some trees on Grand Avenue and added that we are on track with our alotted budget. Lastly, the average is about $75,000 per month depending on the work orders that are submitted and the season.
Council Member Marquez spoke about the 40,000 trees in the City and about trimming them sooner and asked if the Council needs to revisit at a future meeting, having the trees trimmed every five years. Public Works Director Bobadilla responded that the General Fund is subsidizing quite a bit of the L&Ls and it is something that should be looked at to find additional funding for maintenance services.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-031 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
Following discussion, a motion was made Council Member Marquez and seconded by Council Member Rogers to ratify payments over $25,000 totaling $9,043,962.97 for the month ended December 31, 2024, as presented.
Motion carried by electronic vote as follows:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BENNETT, JOHSZ, MARQUEZ, MORAN, ROGERS
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
PUBLIC COMMENTS - NON-AGENDIZED [32:29]
Curtis Smith, resident, previously provided photos to Council Members which were distributed on the dais regarding power outages in Carbon Canyon and stated that he put in a request for a solar permit to the Building and Safety Department and still has not received a response.
Selena, expressed her concerns about seeing an Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) vehicle in the City of Chino Hills and voiced her opinions on the matter.
Jim Gallagher, resident, addressed his concerns with the new public meeting guidelines.
Sarah Ramos-Evinger, resident and Fire Safe Council Liaison, thanked the Council for their constant support and for being great members that represent the community.
SAFETY UPDATES [38:09]
Fire: Fire Chief Williams stated that there will be significant weather changes over the week and urged everyone to be cognizant of the upcoming weather conditions.
Mayor Bennett recognized Chino Valley Fire District Board members in attendance, Sarah Ramos-Evinger and Mike Kreeger.
Police: Police Chief Girard spoke on recent incidents of distraction thefts in the City that occurred near banks and shopping areas.
CITY MANAGER UPDATE [40:50]
City Manager Montgomery had nothing to report but asked for Mr. Smith’s information to have staff contact him.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-032 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
COUNCIL REPORTS [41:04]
Vice Mayor Johsz
• OMNITRANS BOARD
Vice Mayor Johsz attended the Omnitrans Board meeting and said there was an employee recognition for years of service and employees of the year and closed session for labor negotiations.
Council Member Marquez
• SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY BOARD
o BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Council Member Marquez attended the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority Board meeting and spoke about his participation with the Transit Mobility Team at the San Bernardino County Transit Center for Transit and Equity Day where they provided free rides on the bus and trains. He stated that at the Board meeting they approved Legal Service Amendment No. 4, received an update on Metrolink Services from Redlands to LA Union Station and stated that they cut back service due to track capacity. He attended the Measure I workshop and they discussed continuation of the one-half cent sales tax and added that the sales tax has funded billions of dollars in projects throughout the County.
He stated the Executive Director ad hoc Committee discussed a vacancy, job description, qualifications and education requirements.
Council Member Moran
• CHINO INSTITUTION FOR MEN AND WOMEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES Council Member Moran attended the Chino Institution for Men (CIM) and Women Advisory Committees and requested that the City extend an invitation to the City Commissioners to tour CIM with Council Member Moran. She stated there is a new Interim Warden for CIM, Eric Mejia.
Lastly, she stated there have been 101 new inmates added since the last meeting attended.
Council Member Rogers
• CHINO BASIN DESALTER AUTHORITY BOARD
Council Member Rogers attended the Chino Basin Desalter Authority Board meeting and said they met last week regarding finances and staffing.
COUNCIL COMMENTS [45:07]
Rogers: Council Member Rogers announced the Wildfire and Emergency Response Community Meeting on February 24th at the Western Hills Country Club. The meeting will focus on experiences over the last month and what can be done to make it a seamless process for the future.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-033 REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2025
Marquez: Council Member Marquez attended the State of the City for the City of Riverside. He attended with Vice Mayor Johsz the Transportation ad hoc Committee to discuss truck routes, Pine Ave and Euclid Ave and concerns about what the City of Chino is doing about these issues and suggested that they include the City of Chino at the next meeting to talk about these topics. He attended the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Executive meeting, and the committee discussed Assembly Bill 226 and received state and federal legislative updates. He attended SCAG’s Joint Policy committee meeting, and the committee was provided with updates on the numerous fires in Los Angeles County, six in total, over 45,000 acres burned, the Palisade and Eaton fire damage, process for rebuilding, prefab housing, and problems with gaps in rebuilding. He attended the SCAG Regional Council meeting and the Council adopted the 2025 Draft Regional Transportation Safety Targets and advised that if you have Eucalyptus and Palm trees in the City, to incorporate a Mitigation Plan.
Johsz: Vice Mayor Johsz participated in Transit and Equity Day and learned that the busiest use of public transportation in the City is by high school students. He added that if you are in Kindergarten through 12th grade, you can ride on fixed bus routes for free with your student ID and if you want to ride on Omniride, it is $4.00 but if you present your student ID it is discounted to $2.00.
Bennett: Mayor Bennett attended the Inland Empire Caucus 21st Annual Legislative Breakfast and Anthesis was recognized for all that they do.
Mayor Bennett invited Ron Kunzi of the 55+ Club Veterans Group to speak about Chuck Haeflinger. Mr. Kunzi stated that Mr. Haeflinger’s funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 6th at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m.
ADJOURN IN MEMORIAM [53:83]
Mayor Bennett adjourned the meeting at 6:55 p.m. in memory of Chino Hills resident Charles “Chuck” Haeflinger who passed away on February 3, 2025, at the age of 77.
Respectfully submitted,
CHERYL BALZ, CITY CLERK
APPROVED: February 25, 2025
Docusign Envelope ID: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00
Certificate Of Completion
Envelope Id: 8AD22D35-9EA1-400C-9BED-25EDCA428E00 Status: Completed Subject: Complete with Docusign: 02-11-2025 CC Minutes.pdf Source Envelope:
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Status: Original
2/26/2025 8:38:17 AM
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Cheryl Balz
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City Clerk
City of Chino Hills
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