Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B 2026-001
MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF CHINO HILLS
CIVIC CENTER, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
14000 CITY CENTER DRIVE, CHINO HILLS, CALIFORNIA
JANUARY 13, 2026
REGULAR MEETING
CONVENE MEETING AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Johsz called the Closed Session meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. and requested Assistant City Clerk Sisemore to call roll.
PRESENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BRIAN JOHSZ
RAY MARQUEZ
ART BENNETT
CYNTHIA MORAN
PETER J. ROGERS
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ALSO PRESENT: BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY, CITY MANAGER
MARK HENSLEY, CITY ATTORNEY
ELIZABETH CALCIANO, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY
LYNNAE SISEMORE, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
DANIEL BOBADILLA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Johsz declared the meeting recessed at 4:30 p.m. for Closed Session. Assistant City Clerk Sisemore did not attend this portion of the meeting.
REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATIONS
Conference with Legal Counsel pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8 Real Property Negotiations for price and payment terms for lease of Big League Dreams, 16333 Fairfield Ranch Road, Chino Hills, CA; Larry Reynolds, Big League Dreams Chino Hills, LLC, Negotiating Party and Benjamin Montgomery, City Manager, City's Negotiator
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-002
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION
Conference with Legal Counsel pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) - Exposure to Litigation (one case)
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT OR APPOINTMENT
Public Employee Recruitment or Appointment pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b) Position: City Manager
CLOSED SESSION RECESS
Mayor Johsz recessed the Closed Session at 5:52 p.m.
CONVENE MEETING AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Johsz called the regular meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and requested Assistant City Clerk Sisemore to call roll.
PRESENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BRIAN JOHSZ
RAY MARQUEZ
ART BENNETT
CYNTHIA MORAN
PETER J. ROGERS
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ALSO PRESENT: BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY, CITY MANAGER
ELIZABETH CALCIANO, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY
LYNNAE SISEMORE, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
DANIEL BOBADILLA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
CHRISTA BUHAGIAR, FINANCE DIRECTOR
JESSICA CONTRERAS, DEPUTY CITY CLERK II
BRANDON FONACIER, COMMUNITY RELATIONS ANALYST II
NICOLE FREEMAN, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
WENDI GENSEL, DEPUTY CITY CLERK II
AL GIRARD, POLICE CHIEF, CHINO HILLS POLICE
DEPARTMENT
ROD HILL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
NICHOLAS LIGUORI, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTOR
JONATHAN MARSHALL, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DAVE WILLIAMS, FIRE CHIEF, CHINO VALLEY FIRE DISTRICT
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG [00:21]
Led by Mayor Johsz.
INVOCATION [00:43]
Led by Chaplain Butch Garcia, Chino Valley Fire District.
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-003
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
PRESENTATIONS
HOLIDAY HOME DECORATING CONTEST WINNERS [01:56]
Mayor Johsz presented $50.00 Roscoe's Famous Deli gift cards to the winners of the City's Annual 2026 Holiday Home Decorating Contest in addition to a yard sign that can be displayed during the holiday season. He also presented certificates of recognition on behalf of the City, Congresswomen Kim and Torres, Senator Seyarto, Assemblymember Chen, and County Supervisor Hagman to the winners in the following categories:
Merry & Bright - The Ostronic Family
Holiday Spirit - The Cassara Family
Best Theme - The Castellanos Family (not present)
PROCLAMATION - NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY [05:47] Mayor Johsz presented a Proclamation proclaiming January 11 , 2026, as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day to Police Chief Girard.
Police Chief Girard accepted the proclamation on behalf of the men and women of the Chino Hills Police Department and recognized the Council's continued effort to raise public awareness of Human Trafficking. He stated if anyone witnesses or suspects human trafficking to report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373- 7888, anonymously at www.wetip.com, or call 911 for immediate law enforcement PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER REPORT [08:39]
Public Information Officer (PIO) Freeman announced the following information:
• LOW-INCOME RATE ASSISTANCE (LIRA) FOR WATER CUSTOMERS o Remind community of City's Low-Income Rate Assistance program available to residents and qualifying applicants can receive a $10 discount on their monthly water meter charge for one year o Applications are available year-round at the Utility Billing counter and online at www.chinohills.org/LIRA
• TRASH SERVICES REMINDERS
o Holiday tree recycling is underway, and residents can place their trees out at the curb on their designated collection day through this Friday o Waste Management is updating some residential trash collection routes with changes beginning the week of February 2nd
o Less than 25 percent of addresses are affected, and affected residents have been notified directly by Waste Management if their service day is changing
o Residents can also visit Waste Management's local Chino Hills website to use an interactive map under the helpful resources section to see if they're affected
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-004
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
• CITY & RECREATION NEWS
o City Facilities and the Library will be closed on Monday, January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, trash service is not affected.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION [09:49]
City Attorney Hensley announced that no reportable action was taken and that Council would recess into Closed Session following the adjournment of the meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - AGENDIZED ITEMS [10:05]
There were no public comments.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST / LEVINE ACT ANNOUNCEMENTS [10:31] There were no conflict-of-interest or Levine Act announcements to record.
CITY DEPARTMENT BUSINESS
CONSENT CALENDAR [10:37]
Mayor Johsz announced the Consent Calendar items and asked the Council if there were any items to pull.
No items were pulled. However, Vice Mayor Marquez commented on Item No. 10, regarding the Monthly Financial and Fund Balance reports. He noted that the fund balance was $58 million and is projected to decrease to $38 million and asked about the reason for the reduction. Finance Director Buhagiar explained that property tax revenue, which makes up a significant portion of the General Fund revenue, is received annually in December and April, causing the temporary decrease. Lastly, Vice Mayor Marquez commended the Police Department's contract that is currently in place, stating that it is well worth the cost of their services.
A motion was made by Council Member Rogers and seconded by Vice Mayor Marquez to approve the Consent Calendar Items.
MINUTES
The City Council approved the December 9, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes, as presented.
PAYMENT REGISTER
The City Council ratified payments over $25,000 totaling $8,540,438.83 for the month ended November 30, 2025, as presented.
MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT
The City Council received and filed the Monthly Financial Report for the month ended November 30, 2025, as presented.
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-005
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS - ORDINANCE ADOPTED
The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 429 regarding accessory dwelling unit regulations entitled: 'An Ordinance of the City of Chino Hills, Amending Sections
16.02.220 and 16.10.140 (Accessory Dwelling Units) of the Chino Hills Municipal Code and Finding That the Ordinance is Exempt From Review Under the California Environmental Quality Act." for second reading (introduced December 9, 2025)
Motion carried by electronic vote as follows:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: JOHSZ, MARQUEZ, BENNETT, MORAN, ROGERS
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
DISCUSSION CALENDAR
CITY HALL FIRE STATE OF EMERGENCY REVIEW - UPDATE NO. 9 [12:04] City Manager Montgomery briefed the City Council on staff report, which is on file in the City Clerk's Office. He stated that work was delayed due to the recent holiday closure and that he anticipates that by the next meeting there will be complete bids to present to the Council related to the reconstruction of all public counters damaged by water. He added that the City remains on track regarding increased costs to be recovered through the City's insurance, which has been estimated at $4.5 million since the start of the project. Now that the City has more detailed information about the scope of work required and has held preliminary discussions with staff, he believes that this estimate may change. He reported that the City has currently paid approximately $3.45 million, with about$219,000 reimbursed to date. Staff set aside a portion of the budget for direct costs unrelated to the fire that have been incurred by the City. Overall, the financial figures remain consistent with those presented at the December Council meeting.
Following the presentation, a motion was made by Vice Mayor Marquez and seconded by Council Member Moran to (1) review and file the update to the City Hall Fire emergency declaration in accordance with Public Construction Code 22050 and continue to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute all necessary agreements related to the repair and restoration of City Hall under Chino Hills Municipal Code 2.08.065.A.1 on an emergency basis; and (2) determine by four-fifths vote, there is a need to continue the City Manager's authority under Public Construction
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-006
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
Code 22050 to repair City Hall and procure the necessary equipment, services and supplies for these purposes, without giving notice for bids to let contracts, due to the continued existence of the local emergency caused by the City Hall fire and flooding.
Motion carried by electronic vote as follows:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: JOHSZ, MARQUEZ, BENNETT, MORAN, ROGERS
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE
PUBLIC COMMENTS - NON-AGENDIZED [14:32]
There were no public comments.
SAFETY UPDATES [14:54]
Fire: Fire Chief Williams attended a meeting at Fire Station No. 68 to observe the progress of the ongoing construction and stated that the project is on track to be completed by the end of 2026, or likely the beginning of the following year. Lastly, he addressed ambulance services, noting that a ruling provided by the Appellate Court that was found in favor of the Chino Valley Fire District (CVFD) to reverse the injunction, with the potential for the matter to proceed to the State Supreme Court. He stated that this brings CVFD one step closer to providing ambulance transport services.
Police: Police Chief Girard spoke about theft by fraud and false pretenses. He highlighted a recent case involving a homebuyer who received an email from an individual posing as an agent from the buyer's escrow company. The imposter instructed the buyer to wire $500,000 immediately into an account, which was later determined to be fraudulent. To help educate residents and reduce fraudulent incidents, he announced that the Chino Hills Police Department is hosting a free "Senior Safety:
Fraud and Scam Prevention" workshop on January 21st from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Chino Hills Community Center.
Vice Mayor Marquez noted that there have been issues in the past with copper wire thefts and asked whether another incident had recently occurred in the Carriage Hills area. Police Chief Girard responded that the incident was attempted copper wire theft.
He stated that there have been approximately six copper wire thefts since July, two of which resulted in apprehensions. The most recent incident occurred the night before last; the suspects intended to steal copper wire but instead stole fiber-optic cable, which has little resale value.
CITY MANAGER UPDATE [18:55]
City Manager Montgomery had nothing to report.
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-007
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
COUNCIL REPORTS [19:03]
Council Member Rogers
• TRES HERMANOS CONSERVATION JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY BOARD Council Member Rogers attended the Tres Hermanos Conservation Joint Powers Authority Board meeting and stated that the Board approved a lease agreement for cattle grazing and discussed the home on the property to possibly be used for office space.
• CHINO BASIN DESALTER AUTHORITY BOARD
Council Member Rogers attended the Chino Basin Desalter Authority Board meeting and stated the Board approved contracts for various projects and elected officers for the upcoming calendar year. He stated that he was re-elected as Chair for a third year in a row, as well as being elected to the Finance Committee.
COUNCIL COMMENTS [20:52]
Moran: Council Member Moran wished everyone a Happy New Year! Rogers: Council Member Rogers congratulated City Manager Montgomery on his retirement announcement and thanked him for his service.
Bennett: Council Member Bennett congratulated City Manager Montgomery on his retirement announcement and thanked him for his service. He stated that he hoped that everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Marquez: Vice Mayor Marquez congratulated City Manager Montgomery on his retirement announcement. He also thanked staff who accompanied him to several meetings, including a site tour of the Sleepy Hollow Community Building and a meeting with the Ontario Homeless Program, which operates three hotels said to be converted into homeless shelters. He noted that the program assists with connecting homeless individuals to services, including treatment options or placement in shelters, and may also assist with enforcement when necessary. Vice Mayor Marquez met with homeowner associations within the Carbon Canyon area, specifically Summit Ranch, regarding a 12-hour road closure that led to an HOA meeting in Carbon Canyon. During that meeting, ten concerns were raised, which are scheduled to be discussed in 30 days at the next HOA meeting with City staff to be in attendance. He also discussed the increased activity along the Eucalyptus Trail and inquired about its recent popularity.
City Manager Montgomery responded that a social media influencer had highlighted the beauty of the area, contributing to the increased visitation. He added that staff have conducted outreach efforts to encourage residents and visitors to remain on designated trails and to avoid private property. Vice Mayor Marquez attended a Fire Safe Council meeting and requested that Assistant City Manager Hill address parking concerns on Cannon Lane, which were raised by residents due to narrow road conditions. Assistant City Manager Hill responded that the issue was reviewed in coordination with the Public Works Traffic Safety Committee. The Committee consulted with the Fire Department,
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1131D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-008
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
which determined that allowing street parking on Cannon Lane would impede fire truck access. As a result, the Traffic Safety Committee recommended that no street parking be permitted. Residents were notified of the parking restrictions by letter from the Traffic Safety Committee and Code Enforcement. Vice Mayor Marquez inquired about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and asked for clarification on the maximum allowed per property. Community Development Director Liguori confirmed that a homeowner may have up to two ADUs per single-family residential property: one regular ADU and one junior ADU. He also asked about Senate Bill 9 requirements. Community Development Director Liguori explained that Senate Bill 9 allows for an administrative lot split, enabling an existing parcel to be divided into two lots, each potentially accommodating an additional dwelling unit, provided development standards are met.
He added that the lot split cannot require the demolition or destruction of an existing home. Vice Mayor Marquez asked whether up to four units could be developed per parcel, and Director Liguori responded that this could be possible if all applicable development standards are satisfied. Lastly, Vice Mayor Marquez announced his appointment as Chair of the Airport Commission Committee.
Johsz: Mayor Johsz congratulated City Manager Montgomery on his retirement announcement and thanked him for his service. He also spoke about the recent popularity of the Eucalyptus Trail and asked that residents and visitors refrain from feeding the cows or other animals that do not belong to them.
ADJOURN IN MEMORIAM AND IN HOPE: [28:27]
Mayor Johsz adjourned the meeting at 6:29 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.
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
Following, Mayor Johsz declaring the meeting adjourned, Council recessed at 6:29 p.m. for Closed Session. Assistant City Clerk Sisemore did not attend this portion of the meeting.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT OR APPOINTMENT
Public Employee Recruitment or Appointment pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b) Position: City Manager
CLOSED SESSION RECESS
Mayor Johsz recessed the Closed Session at 7:04 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION
There was no reportable action.
Docusign Envelope ID:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1B1D8343EC9B CHINO HILLS CITY COUNCIL 2026-009
REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 13, 2026
ADJOURN
Mayor Johsz adjourned t ggting at 7:04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, _ _=
/(S Signed by: ` .
8315D9625C754B1...
LYNNAE SISEMORE, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
APPROVED: January 27, 2026
a docusign.
Certificate Of Completion
Envelope Id:34F4D683-5635-4953-9F79-1B1D8343EC9B Status:Completed Subject:01-13-2026 CC Minutes.pdf
Source Envelope:
Document Pages:9 Signatures: 1 Envelope Originator:
Certificate Pages: 1 Initials:0 Jessica Contreras AutoNav: Enabled Stamps: 1 [email protected] Envelopeld Stamping: Enabled IP Address:69.63.82.50 Time Zone: (UTC-08:00)Pacific Time(US&
Canada)
Record Tracking
Status:Original Holder:Jessica Contreras Location: DocuSign 1/27/2026 6:49:40 PM [email protected] Signer Events Signature Timestamp
Lynnae Sisemore Signed by: Sent: 1/27/2026 6:51:05 PM [email protected] � Viewed: 1/28/2026 8:29:35 AM Assistant City Clerk 3315D9525c754B1... Signed: 1/28/2026 8:32:23 AM City of Chino Hills
Security Level: Email,Account Authentication 4<1
(None)
Signature Adoption: Uploaded Signature Image
Using IP Address:69.63.82.50
Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure:
Not Offered via Docusign
In Person Signer Events Signature Timestamp
Editor Delivery Events Status Timestamp Agent Delivery Events Status Timestamp
Intermediary Delivery Events Status Timestamp Certified Delivery Events Status Timestamp Carbon Copy Events Status Timestamp
Witness Events Signature Timestamp
Notary Events Signature Timestamp
Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps
Envelope Sent Hashed/Encrypted 1/27/2026 6:51:05 PM Certified Delivered Security Checked 1/28/2026 8:29:35 AM Signing Complete Security Checked 1/28/2026 8:32:23 AM Completed Security Checked 1/28/2026 8:32:23 AM Payment Events Status Timestamps