Pomona
A diverse working-class city in the Pomona Valley of eastern LA County, Pomona is home to the Fairplex and the LA County Fair, Cal Poly Pomona, and a historic downtown arts colony.
- Population 151,713
- Size band large
- Area 22.95 sq mi
- Government Council–Manager (charter)
- Council by-district
- Incorporated 1888
Coverage: 15 meetings · 169 substantive items · 2026-03-02 → 2026-11-02 · agenda source: Legistar
Pomona's council has been most active on two converging fronts: a large-scale push on housing and homelessness, and sustained investment in streets and utilities infrastructure. On housing, the council approved $2.35 million in grant funding to Volunteers of America to operate the Hope for Home Homeless Services Center (Sept. 14), accepted $1.1 million in LA County Measure A funds for homeless services (July 20), appropriated $321,031 for a Housing Stabilization budget amendment, and opened a public hearing on 16 prefabricated modular units for affordable permanent supportive housing — all within the summer 2026 window. The $70 million conduit financing approved in July for the Terramonte at Foothill Apartments project represents the largest single housing finance action and signals the city is actively leveraging its Housing Authority capacity to attract private affordable-housing development. A second reading of the zoning code amendment modifying objective design standards and ADU definitions (adopted June 15) and multiple lot-merger approvals for ADU conversions point to a deliberate effort to increase residential density through state-compatible land-use tools.
On the infrastructure side, contracts totaling over $5 million were awarded across street rehabilitation (District 2 & 3, $851,050), complete streets quick-build improvements on Park and Orange Grove Avenues ($295,375), sustainable transportation infrastructure for the East End Village ($254,340), and a $3.8 million multimodal agreement with SGVCOG. Traffic signal equipment purchases recurred across three separate meetings (May, July, September) totaling at least $470,000, and the council received a Pavement Management Program update in September — consistent with the city's annual SB-1 road-repair list submittal in May. Utility investment also ran through the period: Well No. 23 rehabilitation ($316,284), Booster Station 11 replacement Phase I ($312,031), and motor control center upgrades ($505,316) for electrical infrastructure.
Operationally, the council adopted a $8.26 million mid-year operating budget and staffing amendment in August, reflecting the city's effort to right-size departments after the FY 2026-27 budget was adopted in May. Pomona Choice Energy — the city's Community Choice Aggregation program — saw its Integrated Resource Plan adopted in July and a Power Source Disclosure attestation filed in September, marking incremental governance milestones for this maturing utility program. The citywide tree maintenance contract went through an unusual multi-step procurement that crossed three meeting cycles (July 6 award, July 20 re-award, September 14 direction on procurement irregularities), suggesting complications that remain unresolved.
(Synthesized from the 120 most recent items.)
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Key items (8)
- [26-1635] Authorize Grant Funding Award and Amendment to the Site Operator Agreement with Volunteers of America of Los Angeles (VOALA) to Operate the Hope for Home Homeless Services Center It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions: 1) Adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2026-101 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE SITE OPERATOR AGREEMENT WITH VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA OF LOS ANGELES (VOALA) AND AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2026-2027 OPERATING BUDGET INCREASING REVENUE ESTIMATES AND APPROPRIATIONS BY $1,526,837 2) Authorize the City Manager to amend the site operator agreement with VOALA to award $2,347,671 from July 1, 2026, until June 30, 2027, preventing a lapse in staffing and services; and, 3) Authorize the City Manager to execute all agreements, amendments, and any other documentation requested for acceptance of the award, distribution of the funding and operation of the Hope for — Pomona, 2026-09-14 · Largest homelessness funding action in the period — $2.35M to VOALA for the Hope for Home center, illustrating the scale of the city's ongoing homeless-services commitment
- [26-1487] Consideration of a resolution approving conduit financing for the Terramonte at Foothill Apartments Project It is recommended that the City Council conduct a public hearing under the requirements of the Tax and Equity Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to receive testimony and comments and, upon concluding the hearing, adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2026-77 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL FINANCE AUTHORITY QUALIFIED 501(C)(3) BONDS IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $70,000,000 FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING OR REFINANCING THE ACQUISITION, REHABILITATION, IMPROVEMENT AND EQUIPPING OF TERRAMONTE AT FOOTHILL AND CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO — Pomona, 2026-07-20 · $70M conduit financing for Terramonte affordable apartments is the single largest housing finance action and shows the city using its Housing Authority to leverage private affordable development
- [26-1634] A Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of a Resolution Approving a City-Initiated Project for Sixteen (16) Prefabricated Modular Units for the Development of Affordable Permanent Supportive Housing with On-Site and Off-Site Improvements Located At 2040 N. Garey Avenue Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions: 1) Conduct a public hearing and receive public testimony; and 2) Adopt the following resolution (Attachment No. 1): RESOLUTION NO. 2026-103 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CITY-INITATED SIXTEEN-UNIT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT LOCATED AT 2040 N. GAREY AVENUE (APN: 8362-002-904, -906) — Pomona, 2026-09-14 · Public hearing on 16 modular units for affordable permanent supportive housing represents an emerging strategy for adding deed-restricted units quickly
- [26-1543] Award Construction Contract to Gentry Brothers, Inc. in the Amount of $851,050 for “Street Rehabilitation - District 2 & 3” - Phase I, Federal Project No. STPL - 5070(044), FD428 CIP Project Fund | CC2590 CIP | Project No. 67935 to Include all the Base Bids and Additive Alternate Items It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions: 1) Award a construction contract to the lowest responsive bid from Gentry Brothers, Inc. for “Street Rehabilitation - Districts 2 & 3” - Phase I, Federal Project No. STPL-5070(044), FD428, CIP Project Fund | CC2590 CIP | Project No. 67935 to include all Base Bid and Additive Alternate items in the total amount of $851,050; 2) Find that the project referenced above is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301(c) and that the proposed project will not have a significant effect on the environment; and 3) Authorize the City Manager to execute the construction contract an — Pomona, 2026-08-03 · $851K street rehab contract for Districts 2 & 3, the largest direct infrastructure construction award in the period, part of a sustained multi-project street investment pattern
- [26-1417] Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Memorandum of Agreement between the City of Pomona, California and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments for the “East San Gabriel Valley Sustainable Multimodal Improvements Project” It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions: 1) Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the City of Pomona and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) for the East San Gabriel Valley Sustainable Multimodal Improvements Project (SMIP) for Capital Improvement Project (CIP), “Transit Improvement Program - Gold Line,” FD428 CIP Project Fund | CC2590 CIP | Worktag: Project 68559 in the amount of $2,200,000 for a total agreement amount of $3,800,000; and 2) Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 and related documents, and any additional amendments, cooperative agreements, or related documents needed to complete this project within funding limits established in the FY 2026-27 CIP Budge — Pomona, 2026-08-03 · $3.8M multimodal improvements agreement with SGVCOG anchors the city's active-transportation investment strategy spanning multiple fiscal years
- [26-1483] Adoption of Resolutions Amending the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Operating Budget and Authorized Staffing Levels Changes It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolutions: RESOLUTION NO. 2026-89 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 OPERATING BUDGET BY DECREASING APPROPRIATIONS BY $3,721,607 AND DECREASING REVENUE ESTIMATES BY $8,263,800 AND AUTHORIZING CHANGES TO THE CITY’S AUTHORIZED STAFFING LEVELS RESOLUTION NO. 2026-90 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING APPENDIX A OF THE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT GROUP A & B EMPLOYEES TO ADD AND OR RECLASSIFY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS WITHIN FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, PUBLIC WORKS, AND WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS RESOLUTION NO. 2026-91 - A RESOULTION OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE CITYWIDE SALARY SCHEDULE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS TITLE 2, SECTIONS 570.5 AND TO ADD — Pomona, 2026-08-03 · $8.26M mid-year operating budget and staffing amendment signals significant workforce restructuring following the FY 2026-27 budget adoption
- [26-1569] City Council Direction Regarding the Procurement of Citywide Tree Maintenance and Emergency Response Services It is recommended that the City Council take one of the following actions: 1) Reject all proposals received in response to the City’s Request for Proposals (RFP #2026-17) for Citywide Tree Maintenance and Emergency Response Services and direct Staff to re-solicit the services; or 2) Award a two-year contract with three optional one-year extensions, subject to Council approval, to Mariposa Tree Management, Inc., at prices bid and terms within the RFP; and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement, including extra work, subject to review by the City Attorney. — Pomona, 2026-09-14 · Council direction on the tree maintenance procurement — after two prior award actions — reveals a contested procurement process that remains unresolved across three meetings
- [26-1524] Adopt a Resolution Approving the 2026 Integrated Resource Plan for Pomona Choice Energy Community Choice Aggregation Program It is recommended that the City Council take the following action: RESOLUTION NO. 2026-80 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE 2026 INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN FOR POMONA CHOICE ENERGY COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION PROGRAM — Pomona, 2026-07-20 · Adoption of Pomona Choice Energy's Integrated Resource Plan marks a governance milestone for the city's community choice energy program, which also filed a state power disclosure in September
Scorecard vs 6 cohort peers
Each topic is shown as this city's share of council attention (% of its substantive items) next to the median share of its peer cohort — so size doesn't distort the comparison. Dollars are shown per resident (a causal denominator) and suppressed where too few peers have extracted amounts.
| Topic | Attention share | Peer median | vs peers | $ / resident | Peer median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget & Finance | 35% | 29% | ▲ +7pp | $786.45 | $1275.81 |
| Streets & Infrastructure | 17% | 11% | ▲ +6pp | $138.27 | $383.78 |
| Governance & Administration | 13% | 25% | ▼ -12pp | — | $7.02 |
| Climate & Environment | 9% | 6% | ▲ +4pp | $16.32 | $192.04 |
| Public Safety | 8% | 6% | ▲ +1pp | $11.87 | $45.72 |
| Housing | 7% | 5% | ▲ +2pp | $505.25 | $26.31 |
| Permitting & Land Use | 6% | 9% | ▼ -2pp | — | $15.13 |
| Homelessness | 3% | 1% | ▲ +1pp | $30.27 | $101.29 |
| Economic Development | 2% | 5% | ▼ -3pp | $83.35 | $4.15 |
| Other | 0% | 1% | ▼ -1pp | — | $3.56 |
pp = percentage points of attention share. Peers: Glendale, Long Beach, Claremont, Redondo Beach, Culver City, Calabasas.
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Peer cohort comparable cities
Cities most comparable to Pomona by population, size, governance, and sub-region — the basis for fair comparison. Budget attributes are not loaded yet; cohort uses size, governance, and sub-region. With a small sample this is a soft grouping — the framework scales as cities are added.
Decisions worth knowing
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Flagged for review (1)
Recovered from PDF/scanned sources; titles not fully verified. Shown for transparency.
Learning from peer cities
Matches found from similar agenda wording across cities — useful starting points to investigate, not proof that one city copied another.
Where Pomona and peers overlap
Matters Pomona worked on that peer cities also took up.
Ideas from peer cities (not found here yet)
Matters peer cities acted on that we haven't found a comparable item for in Pomona.
Data gaps & notes (2)
- 2026-11-02 City Council / Housing Authority: Meeting comment: Cancelled per Resolution No. 97-16 that established the City policy to cancel City Council Meetings that fall on the Monday before an election.
- 208 items ingested; brief generated from the first 160 by recency for length.