CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
March 3, 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 RESOLUTION NO. 25-32 AMENDING THE FY 2024-25 OPERATING BUDGET TO APPROPRIATE $36,982 FOR STREET SWEEPING SIGNS AND UPDATE ON DOWNTOWN TRASH ENCLOSURES RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council receive an update on the Street Sweeping Program and Downtown Trash Enclosures and adopt the following:
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 the Street Sweeping Citywide posting and an update on the downtown trash enclosures. Approval of this action will authorize the final $36,982 of the $800,000 Athens contribution 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:
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 of the street sweeping signage funding was spent, and in July 2024, $550,000 from the Refuse Adminsiatioin Fund (F145) 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
Actuals Spent in FY 23/24
($213,018)
Appropriated in July 2024 for FY 24/25
($550,000
Remaining Balance to Appropriate
$36,982
Trash Enclosures
The downtown trash enclosures are being reviewed. Should new/replacement enclosures be required, the costs range from $60,000 to $100,000 per enclosure. There is no identified funding source at this time for the replacements. Staff will be working with Athens to determine if there is an operational solution that would minimize the need for enclosure construction.
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 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 February 24, 2025, City Council received an update on the Illegal Dumping Abatement Program and authorized two temporary employees and dumping fees to provide temporary in-house Illegal Dumping Abatement Services. The updates on the Street Sweeping Program (and related resolution) and Downtown Trash Enclosures were continued to the March 3, 2025 City Council Meeting.
DISCUSSION:
The report below provides an update on Street Sweeping Signage and Downtown Trash Enclosures 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 (Draft shown in Attachment 2), which were received 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. Attachment 3 shows the current posting process with bagged and backwards signs until the program commences. 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 and potential addition of new enclosures. Based on recent bid costs, the enclosures are fairly 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 City contribution to the businesses 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 2025-32
Attachment No. 2 – Draft Map with Sample of Street Sweeping Split Schedule Attachment No. 3 – Street Sweeping Sign Update - Current Posting Samples Adoption of Resolution Appropriating Funds for Street Sweeping and Providing an Update on Downtown Trash Enclosures