CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
April 20, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Beverly Johnson, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: Introduction and FIRST READING of A PROPOSED UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING WAIVER OF CITY PURCHASING AND BIDDING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOMELESS PROJECTS RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following uncodified ordinance:
ORDINANCE NO. 4367 – AN UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, CONCERNING TWO-YEAR TEMPORARY WAIVER OF THE CITY’S PURCHASING AND BIDDING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOMELESS PROJECTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The City of Pomona has taken many actions to combat homelessness and the crisis of housing supply using local, state and federal funding. From time-to-time the City is presented with additional funding opportunities to pursue additional projects to serve the unhoused. The City often must take immediate action to take advantage of the opportunities and complying with the City’s purchasing bidding requirements may cause the City to lose funding. This ordinance allows the waiver of purchasing and bidding requirements for a period of two years. Proposed Ordinance 4367 (Attachment 1) will authorize staff to request Council approval of the bidding requirements on a case-by-case basis. The Ordinance is uncodified, meaning it will not be in the City Code, and it will sunset after two years.
FISCAL IMPACT: NONE
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION: The City has taken numerous actions to accept funding for homeless projects and has approved various City projects over the years.
DISCUSSION:
The City must create multiple pathways to address the complex and growing homelessness crisis. Like many California cities, Pomona has a continuing need for affordable, permanent housing, along with shelters and interim housing to be developed quickly to better transition people off the streets. The City’s goal to provide additional housing and projects to support the unhoused is supported by local, state, and federal funding. Sometimes opportunities arise with critical deadlines. To ensure the best chance of receiving funds and meeting deadlines, staff propose that the City Council adopt an ordinance that would waive the City’s purchasing and bidding requirements, as set forth in the Pomona City Code. The waiver will apply only on a case-by-case basis, with City Council approval, for projects under consideration for a waiver. Lastly, the proposed Ordinance will be uncodified and will sunset after two years.
Details of Proposed Ordinance
The proposed Ordinance would render Division 5 of Article VII of Chapter 2 of the Pomona City Code inapplicable to homeless projects for a period of two years.
Division 5 contains purchasing and bidding requirements for public works projects which involve the construction or maintenance of City-owned construction projects. The proposed Ordinance will allow the City Council to approve a waiver of the requirements after a proposed homeless project is presented to the City Council for consideration.
Prepared by:
Beverly Jonson,
Neighborhood Services Director
ATTACHMENT:
1. Attachment– Ordinance No. 4367
Adoption of Ordinance No. 4367