2025-047
MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL /
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
CITY OF CHINO HILLS
MARCH 11, 2025
REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
CONVENE MEETING AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Bennett called the regular meeting of the City Council 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
PRESENT: PARKS AND RECREATION: GREG HIGGINS
COMMISSIONERS SAMANTHA JAMES-PEREZ
ROBERT GAVELA
JENNIFER HOLTKAMP
AL JACKSON
ABESNT: PARKS AND RECREATION: NONE
COMMISSIONERS
ALSO PRESENT: BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY, CITY MANAGER
ELIZABETH CALCIANO, ASSISTANT 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
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-048 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG [01:31]
Led by Chino Hills resident Joann Genis.
INVOCATION [01:50]
Led by Chaplain Keith Roby, Chino Valley Fire District.
PRESENTATIONS
CITY TILE - MARIA INGRASSIA [02:46]
Mayor Bennett presented a City Tile on behalf of the City and Certificates of Recognition on behalf of the City, Congresswomen Kim, Assemblymember Chen, Senator Seyarto, and County Supervisor Hagman to Maria Ingrassia for her years of service from September 10, 2001 to March 25, 2025.
Ms. Ingrassia thanked the Council for the recognition and said that it was an honor to help residents and to be a part of the incredible team with the city.
PROCLAMATION - WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH [08:36]
Mayor Bennett presented a Proclamation proclaiming March, as Women’s History Month, to Claire Schlotterbeck, Conservationist, who has been instrumental in the formation and preservation of the Chino Hills State Park.
Ms. Schlotterbeck thanked the Council for the recognition and stated that it was an honor to protect the Chino Hills State Park and applauded Chino Hills’ contribution to conservation efforts.
PRESENTATION - BRIGHTLINE WEST PROJECT [12:05]
Asha Jones, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, provided a short video and PowerPoint presentation, about the high-speed passenger rail system from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, which are on file in the City Clerk’s Office. She provided a history of Brightline Florida, the benefits of the Brightline West (BLW) project, its partnership with Metrolink for synchronized schedules/transfers with a single ticket, express and weekend trains, and how the BLW Station will be built adjacent to the Metrolink Station. .
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER REPORT [37:17]
Public Information Officer (PIO) Freeman announced the following information:
• STUDENT PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPLICATIONS DUE APRIL 4th
o High School Juniors and Seniors are invited to apply for the Student Member position on the Parks and Recreation Commission
o The Commission meets monthly to discuss topics related to parks, trails, community events, and more
o Applications are available online and are due by Friday, April 4th
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-049 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
• ENGLISH ROAD CLOSURE MARCH 17 - 28, 2025
o A portion of English Road will be closed March 17th through 28th to allow crews to work safely across English Creek as part of the English Road Recycled Water Line Project
o There will be no pedestrian or vehicle access to this portion of the road or access to the McCoy Loop during these dates
o Community members are encouraged to do a modified version of the McCoy Loop trail starting from the Community Center or Community Park or enjoy one of the City’s many other trails during these dates
• VELLANO PARK PARKING LOT CLOSURE
o The parking lot at Vellano Park will be closed on March 18th, March 19th, and Wednesday, March 26th to complete additional repairs needed to the recent resurfacing work
o All park amenities will remain open during this time, and parking will be available along Aviano Lane
PUBLIC COMMENTS - AGENDIZED ITEMS [38:29]
There were no public comments.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST / LEVINE ACT ANNOUNCEMENTS [39:28] There were no conflict-of-interest or Levine Act announcements to record.
CITY DEPARTMENT BUSINESS
CONSENT CALENDAR [39:39]
Mayor Bennett announced the Consent Calendar items and asked the Council if there were any items to pull.
Hearing none, a motion was made by Council Member Rogers and seconded by Vice Mayor Johsz to approve the following Consent Calendar Items:
MINUTES
The City Council approved the February 25, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes, as presented.
PAYMENT REGISTER
The City Council ratified payments over $25,000 totaling $7,246,511.04 for the month ended January 31, 2025, as presented.
MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT
The City Council received and filed the Monthly Financial Report for month ended January 31, 2025, as presented.
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-050 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS - BUTTERFIELD RANCH ROAD PAVEMENT
REHABILITATION - RESOLUTION ADOPTED
The City Council (1) adopted Resolution No. 2025R-007 of the City of Chino Hills, Approving the Design and Plans for Construction of the Butterfield Ranch Road Pavement Rehabilitation Project Pursuant to Government Code Section § 830.6 encompassing Butterfield Ranch Road between Soquel Canyon Parkway to Pine Avenue; (2) authorized staff to solicit bids for construction; and (3) determined the project to be exempt from review under California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, as amended, Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq. (“CEQA”) pursuant to Section 15301 of CEQA Guidelines.
Motion carried by electronic vote as follows:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BENNETT, JOHSZ, MARQUEZ, MORAN, ROGERS
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
DISCUSSION CALENDAR [40:02]
City Clerk Balz conducted a verbal roll call of the Parks and Recreation Commissioners, and announced that all members were present as noted on page 1 of these minutes.
JOINT ITEM WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION - PINEHURST
PARK COMMUNITY CENTER AND SPLASH PAD PROJECT
City Manager Montgomery briefed the City Council on the staff report, which is on file in the City Clerk’s Office. He stated that in June of 2024, the project was publicly discussed, and a baseline budget was established. Since that time, representatives from the City Manager’s office, the City, Public Works Department and Community Services along with partners at RJM Design Group have been working to develop a full proposal for Council to consider. Both City Council and Parks and Recreation Commissioners are in attendance to provide comments on the design and perspective on the way the project is moving forward. He added that the only action required is Council’s direction to continue with the development of the project. He noted that there is sufficient budget allocated and he is not looking at reallocation of dollars. He concluded that it is a Joint Meeting of the bodies because it is within the purview of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and it allows the opportunity for both bodies to provide input.
Larry Ryan, RJM Design Group, presented a video and PowerPoint presentation of the proposed Pinehurst Park Community Center and Splash Pad Project, which is on file in the City Clerk’s Office. He spoke about the integration of the splash pad to the community center, the staging/waiting areas, the inclusion of a water exploration zone to enable continued usage during closed months and noted that the design looks like a park with a water feature in it as opposed to a pool area.
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-051 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
Erica Carvalho, Design Principal at Asulon Architecture and Design, continued with the PowerPoint presentation and spoke about the design elements of the community center and splash pad that ensures a view of both entrances equally. She spoke about the programming of the building to include the splash pad, storage, showers, and restrooms which are attached to the community building. She noted that there is no direct access from the splash pad area to the community building. Lastly, she discussed the classroom layout and flexible spaces which incorporate areas for seating and to find community.
A lengthy discussion ensued with City Council, Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Mr. Ryan, and Ms. Carvalho, and City staff about restroom amenities, access points, solar panels, parking spaces, bicycle racks, flag poles, electrical vehicle parking spaces with charging stations, access control, intrusion alarms, camera systems, recycled water for splash pad and filtration systems, shade elements, hours of operation for splash pad all year around or several months out of the year with staff presence, soak area size versus water exploration area, concrete surface of splash pad, inclusion of bike repair station, lifespan of durability of material chosen for splash pad depending on its use, ongoing maintenance to be in compliance with State and local health inspection, traffic flow of neighboring communities, and fencing of the splash pad area for the proposed Community Center and splash pad.
Community Services Director Marshall discussed the proposed staff plans, and budget.
He stated that the approximate yearly cost for the Community Services Department would be $400,000 to staff the building and $258,000 for the Public Works Department to provide janitorial, building maintenance, and utilities.
City Manager Montgomery stated that this project’s estimated cost is $20,000,000. He noted that the staff report breaks down the costs of each area, design, project management and contingency’s that may arise for this project. He said funding was received by County Supervisor Hagman American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and donations from the Community Foundation so Chino Hills will not have to fully fund this project.
Discussion ensued on the need for amenities on the south side of town, the incorporation of functional public art, recreational uses, and income brought in from Community Center and McCoy Equestrian Center, and additional vehicular access.
Following further discussion, a motion was made by Council Member Rogers and
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-052 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
seconded by Council Member Marquez to approve continuation of the design review process of the Pinehurst Park Community Center and Splash Pad Project.
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 [01:41:53]
Joann Genis, resident, spoke about Proposition 36 and her personal story regarding her son’s homelessness, and asked that the timeframe for public comments on non- agendized items be extended.
Suzette Dang, representing Supervisor Hagman’s office, announced the upcoming document shredding event on Saturday, March 29th from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Shoppe’s Overflow Parking Lot located at 13920 City Center Drive, Chino Hills and reminded and asked that if interested, pre-register through the County’s website.
Nikole Bresciani, President and CEO of Inland Valley Human Society, announced a few events: Bark after Dark an adoption event from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with free adoptions and added that all dog and puppy adoption fees are waived for the week; Kitten Shower on March 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 500 Humane Way, Pomona; March 20th Humane Heroes Reading Program for kids 13 and under from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and Good Mobile, a Mobile Spay and Neuter Unit coming to the community in June.
SAFETY UPDATES [01:46:51]
Fire: Fire Chief Williams announced the Chino Valley Fire District’s Open House event that usually takes place in October but will be held on May 3rd and it is expected to have a robust attendance turnout. He stated that some Board Members and staff attended President Trump’s address in Washington D.C. and added it is a testament of the leadership of the Board and commitment to the community.
Police: Police Chief Girard spoke on recent investigations where residents have been victims of theft by false pretenses regarding personal bank accounts. Residents should be suspicious of requests that claims time is of an essence and call the police prior to taking any action.
Vice Mayor Johsz inquired about hidden cameras in town. Police Chief Girard spoke about a camouflage camera and battery pack that was found at a residence and suspected they were more than likely used by burglary suspects to track the coming and going of residents.
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-053 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
CITY MANAGER UPDATE [01:52:16]
City Manager Montgomery had nothing to report.
COUNCIL REPORTS [01:52:22]
Vice Mayor Johsz
• OMNITRANS BOARD
Vice Mayor Johsz attended the Omnitrans Board meeting and said the Board received an update on federal funding with the new administration and have hired the same lobbying firm as the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to keep a uniform voice advocating for San Bernardino County and discussed labor negotiations in Closed Session.
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 stated the Board received the Dr. Robert Zalosh Hydrogen Safety Excellence Award from the Center for Hydrogen Safety for the Zero Emission Multiple Unit Project (ZEMU) project; approved removal of call boxes along the Interstate 40 corridor and the final Environmental Impact Report for Ontario International Airport Connector Project. Lastly, following the meeting, he attended the ad hoc Committee where they discussed the selection of an Executive Director and hope to announce their choice at the next April Board meeting.
COUNCIL COMMENTS [01:54:21]
Moran: Council Member Moran attended the St. Paddy’s Day event hosted by the Chino Valley Fire Foundation. She congratulated staff on hosting the Student Government Day event. She stated that the City should investigate E-bikes/bike access lanes on City streets and invest in bike transportation since it is taking off and requested it be agendized for a future meeting. Council Member Marquez stated that Southern California Association of Governments - Go Human Program is available where funds can be applied for.
Public Works Bobadilla spoke about recently receiving grant funds for green bike lanes totaling $350,000. Once funds are received, they will begin design and start implementing green striping throughout the City.
Rogers: Council Member Rogers attended: Literacy Day at Hidden Trails Elementary School; Canyon Hills and Chino Hills Little League’s opening day; and the St. Paddy’s Day event hosted by the Chino Valley Fire Foundation.
Marquez: Council Member Marquez attended the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Legislation Communication Committee and stated the Committee received updates on State and Federal Legislative platforms that align with Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2025-054 REGULAR / SPECIAL JOINT MEETING MARCH 11, 2025
the City. He attended the SCAG Executive Administration Committee where they announced the General Assembly will be held on May 1st through 2nd and he is tasked with fundraising and has surpassed the amount needed to be raised. He attended the SCAG Transportation Committee, and the Committee approved Federal Fiscal Year 2026-27 and 2027-28 Surface Transportation Block Grants (STBG) that are programs for grants for congestion, mitigation, air quality improvement programs and Executive Director will be initiating the call for projects. He attended the SCAG Regional Council, and the Board approved the 2025-26 draft comprehensive budget and approved STBG and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Grants. He attended the Transportation ad hoc Committee and thanked Chino Hills and Chino staff where they discussed moving forward with projects. He spoke about graffiti throughout the City and let residents know it takes one phone call to the City to go out to remove. He spoke about tennis courts and classes taking place on them that shouldn’t be and asked if staff can investigate doing something about that. He complimented the pickle ball courts.
He attended the Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL) Conference and was a moderator on lessons learned on a fire. Lastly, he was interviewed by a group called Coalition for Our Future who want to make improvements on the I-15 interstate.
Johsz: Vice Mayor Johsz thanked staff for participating in Student Government Day event. He attended the St. Paddy’s Day event hosted by the Chino Valley Fire Foundation and the Active Adults Casino Night. Lastly, he spoke about the BAPS graffiti issue and stated that it is nice to have a community who can stand up for the City.
Bennett: Mayor Bennett expressed his happiness in being in a well functioned City and thanked everyone for their public comments. He asked Aarav H. Desai from Boy Scout Troop 220 to come to the podium to introduce himself.
Aarav H. Desai of Boy Scout Troop 220, introduced himself and said he was in attendance to interview Mayor Art Bennett following the meeting to obtain the communications badge.
ADJOURN IN MEMORIAM AND IN HOPE [02:05:25]
Mayor Bennett adjourned the meeting at 8:05 p.m. with deep gratitude, respect, and appreciation for the brave individuals who serve and have served in the Armed Forces.
Their selfless contributions protect us all. May we as a community continue to support and honor them.
Respectfully submitted,
CHERYL BALZ, CITY CLERK
APPROVED: March 25, 2025
Docusign Envelope ID: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333
Certificate Of Completion
Envelope Id: 872A0D15-99EE-4975-9884-DDFA6AC28333 Status: Completed Subject: Complete with Docusign: 03-11-2025 CC Minutes.pdf Source Envelope:
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Status: Original
3/25/2025 6:57:47 PM
Holder: Jessica Contreras
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Cheryl Balz
[email protected]
City Clerk
City of Chino Hills
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Jessica Contreras
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Deputy City Clerk II
Chino Hills
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