CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
February 24, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Meg McWade, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS AMENDING THE AUTHORIZED STAFFING LEVELS AND THE FY 2024-25 OPERATING BUDGET TO SERVICE ILLEGAL DUMPING AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR STREET SWEEPING SIGNS RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council receive an update on the Illegal Dumping Abatement Program, the Street Sweeping Program, and Downtown Trash Enclosures and adopt the following resolutions:
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-31 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE AUTHORIZED STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-25 OPERATING BUDGET RELATED TO POSITIONS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND BY APPROPRIATING $138,970 FROM REFUSE OPERATIONS RESERVES (FUND 582) AND TRANSFERRING THIS TO THE REFUSE ADMINISTRATION FUND (145-2514-51012-00000) FOR TWO TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND DUMPING FEES, AND APPROPRIATING $265,000 (WHICH WILL BE TRANSFERRED FROM AN EXISTING APPROPRIATION IN THE REFUSE OPERATIONS FUND – FUND 582) TO THE REFUSE ADMINISTRATION FUND (145-2514-52285-00000) TO BETTER ALIGN ILLEGAL DUMPING ABATEMENT PROGRAM COSTS; and RESOLUTION NO. 2025-32 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-25 OPERATING BUDGET BY APPROPRIATING $36,982 FROM REFUSE ADMINISTRATION FUND RESERVES (FUND 145) TO CONTROLLABLE CONTRACTS (145-2520-52285-00000) FOR STREET SWEEPING SIGNS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report provides an update on 1) the Illegal Dumping Abatement Program including a resolution to provide funding for temporary personnel and operating costs, 2) the Street Sweeping Citywide posting including alternating side signage installation to enhance City cleanliness, and 3) an update on the downtown trash enclosures. Approval of this action will authorize the hiring of two Temporary Public Service Maintenance Worker IIs to assist with the removal of illegally dumped items from public right-of-way areas. Additionally, approval will allow for the purchase and installation of Citywide street sweeping signs to ensure uniformity across the City as part of the updated street sweeping program.
SB1439/GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLICABILITY:
☐ When this box is checked, it indicates the agenda item is subject to the Levine Act SB1439 requirements. Councilmembers are reminded to check their campaign contributions and determine whether they have received a campaign contribution of $500 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $500 or more made 1) by any person or entity who is identified in the agenda report as the applicant or proposer or 2) on behalf of the applicant or participant, including a parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity, or 3) by any person who has a financial interest in the agenda item requires a councilmember to comply with SB1439.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Illegal Dumping Abatement Program
To fund the Illegal Dumping Abatement Program costs and ensure the costs are tracked in the same fund and program, the following actions are included in the resolution:
Appropriate $138,970 from Refuse Operations Fund (Fund 582) reserves to the Refuse Administration Fund (Fund 145) to provide for the following costs:
Two temporary positions (up to 12 months) with funding through the remainder of the Fiscal Year in the amount of $68,970. Because of the recruitment process, it is anticipated the positions will be filled in March. Future year’s funding, if necessary, would be handled through the budget process.
Dumping Fees in the amount of $70,000 – for the per ton fees of disposed materials Transfer $265,000 from existing appropriations within the Refuse Operations Fund (Fund 582) to Refuse Administration Fund (Fund 145) to ensure costs for the Illegal Dumping Abatement program are tracked together. This amount covers the costs Athens charged to perform the service through October 2024 which were beyond the 50 pick-ups included in the contract. These costs were previously reflected in the Refuse Operations Fund (Fund 582).
There is sufficient fund balance in the Refuse Operations Reserves (Fund 582) to support the appropriation to cover these costs.
Street Sweeping Program and Signage Installation
To ensure an effective street sweeping operation, the entire City will have streets posted with the street sweeping schedule to enable parking enforcement. The staff hours for installation of signage are included in the approved operational budget. This resolution will appropriate the remaining balance of $36,082, of the $800,000 Athens was required to provide under the terms of the current contract for posting. Staff is using the funds to purchase necessary signs, posts, and materials to place Citywide signage.
In Fiscal Year 2023-24, $213,018.02 of the street sweeping signage funding was spent, and in July 2024, $550,000 was appropriated for use in the FY 2024-25 Operating Budget for the purchase of signs, posts, and materials. The following chart reflects the amount remaining for appropriation:
Item
Amount
Athens Contribution in FY 23/24
$800,000.00
Actuals Spent in FY 23/24
($213,018.02)
Appropriated in July 2024 for FY 24/25
($550,000.00)
Remaining Balance to Appropriate
$36,981.92
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On December 5, 2022, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 4323, awarding an exclusive Franchise Agreement to Arakelian Enterprises, Inc. DBA Athens Services (Athens) for residential and commercial solid waste, recyclable materials, organic collection services, and street sweeping.
On March 20, 2023, a resolution was adopted to amend the FY 2022-23 Operating Budget by appropriating $50,000 from the Franchise Fee Funded Programs Fund Reserves for Dumping Fees and retroactively award a 5-month contract to Athens Services, Inc. (Athens) for an amount not to exceed $207,944, of which $116,760 was for supplemental bulky item pick-up services and $91,184 for supplemental illegal dumping abatement services.
On July 15, 2024, a resolution was adopted to amend the FY 2024-25 Operating Budget by appropriating $550,000 from the Refuse Administration Fund Reserves for the purchase and installation of Citywide street sweeping signs.
On November 18, 2024, as part of the First Quarter Budget report, an appropriation of $265,000 was approved in Fund 582 – to provide for Athens invoices related to Illegal Dumping Abatement through October 2024.
DISCUSSION:
The report below provides an update on the following topics: Illegal Dumping Abatement Program, Street Sweeping Signage, and Downtown Trash Enclosures Illegal Dumping Abatement Program
Prior to outsourcing to Athens Services (Athens), the City’s Solid Waste team was predominantly responsible for the collection of illegally dumped materials in public rights-of-way, such as alleys, parkways, sidewalks, and streets. Certain areas, known as “hot spots,” were monitored regularly, and illegally dumped materials were removed from those areas every two working days. Other illegal dumping materials were reported and then scheduled for removal. The number of illegal dumping work orders was approximately 200 per month or 2,400 per year.
Under the City’s current contract, Athens is responsible for collecting up to fifty (50) illegally dumped items per year. However, this frequency is insufficient to address the volume of illegal dumping in the City. Through October 2024, the City was utilizing Athens to provide the services. It was determined to bring the program in-house using City crews for a brief period of time while contract negotiations with Athens regarding several items including illegal dumping are underway. Due to the timeframe to final negotiations, the existing staffing levels are not sufficient to provide the level of service our community expects and establishment of a crew is necessary.
The two proposed Temporary Public Service Maintenance Worker IIs will be assigned to collect abandoned waste and items reported to the City. These employees will remove illegally dumped materials in the public right-of-way areas, including alleys, parkways, and sidewalks. These materials may include appliances, furniture, abandoned tires, oil, concrete, and asphalt. The temporary staff will also be responsible for loading and transporting the refuse materials to the disposal site or transfer station. The proposed work schedule for the temporary employees is Monday through Thursday, from 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While the hiring process is underway, the City will continue to utilize overtime to address the illegally dumped items.
While there is a large illegal dumping issue, it is possible that some of it could be resolved with the assistance of residents and business using the bulky item service available to solid waste account holders rather than silently placing items on the curb. Each single family resident account has up to six free scheduled pick-ups during the year. The City plans to increase public awareness of the bulky item pick-up program through social media as well as inclusion of this information in the Athens newsletter. As noted, the City is in discussions with Athens regarding several contractual items including the need for increased frequency related to illegal dumping. Should the City resolve this issue, the need for an ongoing in-house program would potentially change.
Street Sweeping Program and Signage Installation
Street sweeping services are currently provided by Athens as part of the broader recent exclusive Solid Waste Franchise Agreement. All streets are swept twice a month, except for the downtown business area, where streets are swept more frequently. Not all City streets have signs to notify residents of the scheduled day and time for street sweeping. One of the goals of the new street sweeping program within the contract was to enhance cleanliness of our City and ensure cars are off the street during street sweeping hours by posting the entire City with signs indicating the street sweeping schedule.
The posting – funded predominantly by an $800,000 contribution from Athens as required in the contract – requires all cars to be removed from the street to enable the street sweeper to sweep along the curb. The new contract was activated and posting of the City began in May of 2024. The posting was for the standard street sweeping schedule to minimize changes to residents and businesses. However, as the signs were being placed, many residents and civic leaders expressed concerns about the impacts of keeping the current street sweeping schedule. It became clear that this approach could cause issues for residents, particularly with neighborhoods where parking is limited, making it difficult for people to park within a reasonable distance from their homes.
Based on the concerns, the City and Athens paused installation of street signs. During this time, some of the signs were installed backward, and this was done because the exact routes had not yet been finalized. Despite the potential confusion, some of these signs were potentially relevant and correct as we took a step back to explore alternate routes to provide a split schedule on most streets. As an example of a split schedule, the north side of the street would be posted for the first Monday from 8 am to 12 pm to ensure the cars were cleared, and the south side of the street would be posted for the second Monday from 8 am to 12 pm. To provide for this alternate sweeping days, the entire street sweeping operation needed to be modified.
The street by street review was a collaborative effort and took several months to complete. In December 2024, Athens submitted revised maps with alternate sweeping routes, which were approved by City staff. In January 2025, the City began posting the revised street sweeping schedule and temporarily covering (placing bags over) the new street signs to avoid confusion as many residents will have a new schedule upon activation. Once the program is fully active, the bags will be removed, and any signs that were placed backward that are still relevant will be turned around to display the correct, updated route information. Until further notice, residents are advised to follow the current street sweeping schedule.
As the City prepares to officially launch the new street sweeping schedule, we will be notifying the community through various communication channels such as social media, bill inserts, and other methods. There will be an initial implementation period and warnings provided as our community becomes accustomed to the new program. After a specified period, ticketing will occur. The posted signs include a reference to the Pomona Municipal Code which enables the City to tow cars; however, this will be utilized only after repeated violations. The City’s goal is to have clean streets; it is not to ticket cars and collect parking revenue. We look forward to cooperation from our residents and businesses to increase the cleanliness of our City by moving cars on the scheduled day as we fully implement the new street sweeping program. Residents and businesses can refer to the City’s website for up-to-date information as the program is implemented.
As part of this action, the remaining $36,982 of the $800,000 contribution from Athens Services will be appropriated for the purchase of additional street sweeping signs, posts, and materials. This funding will allow for the completion of the sign installation process, ensuring that all streets are properly posted with the correct street sweeping schedule.
Downtown Trash Enclosures
With changing solid waste regulations such as mandatory recycling and organic waste requirements, there is a need to implement changes to all customers for these State Mandates. The downtown area presented unique challenges due to existing enclosures and potential space restrictions to accommodate the required increased recycling, particularly of organic waste. To effectuate the changes, a review of enclosures and cart options was performed. This review resulted in suggestions for replacement of the existing enclosures which could be quite costly with expenses ranging from $60,000 to over $100,000. These costs would need to be funded by the users of the system or by contribution to the business from essentially general fund-type revenues. There are service options which may lessen the immediate need for enclosure replacement while ensuring compliance, and staff is currently reviewing these options with Athens. An update will be provided as the discussions progress.
Prepared by:
Christine Valerio, Management Analyst
Lindsay McElwain, Senior Management Analyst
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution 2025-31
Attachment No. 2 – Resolution 2025-32
Adoption of Resolutions Amending Authorized Staffing for Illegal Dumping and Appropriating Funds for Street Sweeping