CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
May 19, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Meg McWade, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: ESTABLISHMENT OF UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS NO. 1 AND 2 TO ENABLE SCE TO PERFORM AN UNDERGROUNDING PROJECT RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Conduct a Public Hearing to receive comments and testimony regarding the establishment of Underground Utility District No. 1 along Lexington Avenue from Park Avenue to Garey Avenue; and After receiving public comment and testimony, close the Public Hearing and adopt the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-62 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, ESTABISHING AN UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1 Conduct a Public Hearing to receive comments and testimony regarding the establishment of Underground Utility District No. 2 along Park Avenue from Franklin Avenue to Lexington Avenue; and After receiving public comment and testimony, close the Public Hearing and adopt the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-63 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, ESTABISHING AN UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Approval of these resolutions will allow the City to establish the appropriate Underground Utility Districts (UUD) enabling SCE to utilize the City’s allocation of Rule20A funds, approximately $7.4M, to underground the overhead utility lines in the area. The proposed UUD1 is along Lexington (from Park to Garey). If funds allow for additional undergrounding, UUD2 is along Park Avenue (from Franklin to Lexington). Should it be determined that it is not feasible to underground the utilities in UUD2, Staff will come back to Council to dissolve the District. SCE handles all of the design and construction of undergrounding the utilities at no cost to the City. The resolutions must be passed by June for the City to be able to utilize the credits.
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:
There is no Fiscal Impact associated with the actions other than any staff time spent coordinating with SCE. The City has amassed $7,415,021 in “Rule 20A” work credits through SCE which must be spent. SCE will handle all of the design and construction.
PUBLIC NOTICING REQUIREMENTS:
A notice of a public hearing was published on May 9, 2025, in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and mailed to all affected residents (Attachment No. 5).
DISCUSSION:
Until 2023 when program changes went into effect, SCE had established an annual allocation of “work credits” for the purpose of undergrounding utility lines. These work credits were allocated to cities and counties annually until 2024 when the program ended with a requirement to establish a underground utility districts for Rule 20A projects by June 2025.
To underground utility lines under this program, the governing body in which the lines are located must perform the following:
Determine after consultation with SCE and after holding a public hearing on the subject, that such undergrounding is in the general public interest for the following reasons, at least one of which must be met:
Such undergrounding will avoid or eliminate an unusually heavy concentration of overhead lines. This is defined as poles that serve circuits in addition to a single primary and secondary circuit.
The street, road, or right-of-way services as a major thoroughfare for the general public and carries a heavy volume of pedestrian, bicycle, rail, vehicular, orother traffic. Heavy traffic volume means a minimum of 5,000 average trips per day among all personal and public transportation forms collectively.
Wheelchair access is limited or impeded by existing above ground electric and/or telecommunications infrastructure including pad-mounted facilities on sidewalks or in other areas in the pedestrian right-of-way that is otherwise not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The street, road, or right-of-way adjoins or passes through a civic area or public recreation area or an area of significant scenic, cultural, and/or historic interest to the general public; or The street, or road, or right-of-way is considered an arterial street or major collector as defined by the California Department of Transportation’s California Road System functional classification system.
Ensure the undergrounding extends for a minimum distance of one block or 600 feet, whichever is the lesser.
Adopt an ordinance and/or resolution creating an underground district in the area of the existing overhead lines and where the new underground lines will be located. The new district must require that:
All existing overhead communication and electric distribution lines in such district shall be removed.
Each property served from the electric/communication overhead lines shall have installed, in accordance with the utility company’s rules for underground service, all electrical/communication line changes on the premises necessary to receive service from underground facilities as soon as it is available, and Utility companies are authorized to discontinue and remove their overhead service by mutually agreed date.
Adoption of Resolution No. 2025-62 (Attachment No. 1) will result in the City of Pomona (City) establishing Underground Utility District No. 1 in order to utilize $7,415,021 in work credits that were set aside by Southern California Edison. The proposed location for District No. 1 is along Lexington Avenue from Park Avenue to Garey Avenue (Attachment No. 2 - Exhibit A) and is considered the primary location. Approval of Resolution 2025-63 (Attachment No. 3) will result in the City establishing Underground Utility District No. 2 which is considered to be secondary if funding allows. SCE is still determining the feasibility of whether there are enough credits to also establish a second Underground Utility District No. 2 on Park Avenue from Franklin Avenue to Lexington Avenue (Attachment No. 4 – Exhibit B).
The proposed locations for each District meet the requirement for 1a “Such undergrounding will avoid or eliminate an unusually heavy concentration of overhead lines. This is defined as poles that serve circuits in addition to a single primary and secondary circuit”. Additionally, it is adjacent to a school; therefore, it passes near a civic area. The City looked at several areas with SCE and determined that the heavy concentrations of overhead lines and the proximity of the school made this site (Lexington Avenue from Park Avenue to Garey Avenue) a good candidate.
SCE will perform all of the work from design to completion. Work shall be performed and completed within a three-year period. Work will include the undergrounding of powerlines and building the infrastructure and power vaults and include all laterals that feed to homes. The Primary area is considered to be Underground Utility District No. 1 - Lexington from Park to Garey, and if funding allows, work credits will also be allocated to Underground Utility District No. 2 – Park Avenue from Franklin to Lexington, in order to provide for the undergrounding of the utility lines along that area. However, if it is not feasible to move forward with District 2, Staff will return at a later date to dissolve the District.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES & GOALS:
This item supports the 2021-22 City Council Priority 1: Fiscal and Operational Responsibility – Goal C: Obtain additional grant funding and other revenues to help achieve City goals.
Prepared by:
Shandy Dittman
Public Works Fiscal and Project Manager
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution No. 2025-62
Attachment No. 2 – Exhibit A
Attachment No. 3 – Resolution No. 2025-63
Attachment No. 4 – Exhibit B
Attachment No. 5 – Notice of Public Hearing
Approval of the FY 2025-26 Submittal Projects List for RMRA/SB-1