Fontana council awards $11 million contract for Etiwanda-Slover intersection, accepts $500,000 homelessness grant

The Fontana City Council on Aug. 11 awarded an $11,000,774 construction contract to improve the intersection of Etiwanda Avenue and Slover Avenue/Airport Drive.

The award to CT&T Concrete Paving Inc. was Item J (file 26-1157) on a 12-item consent calendar. Minutes of the meeting, posted with the council's Sept. 8 agenda, record a 5-0 vote on the calendar.

The council also authorized a 10% contingency of $1,100,077.40.

The intersection project

The Engineering Department staff report describes the work as a joint effort between Fontana and Ontario, with Fontana as the lead agency under a 2018 cooperative agreement.

The scope includes changes to the Union Pacific at-grade rail crossing on Slover Avenue near the intersection, according to the report.

Seven bids were opened July 23, ranging from $11,000,774 to $15,247,239.53. The engineer's estimate was $13.5 million.

The report puts the total fiscal impact at $12,100,851.40. Ontario is to pay back 27.65% of what construction costs, to a maximum of $3.3 million, from its Measure I funds when the project is complete.

Homelessness funding

Item F (26-1167) accepted $500,000 in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Round 5 funding from the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care.

The Housing Department staff report says the money will pay for help finding housing, outreach to landlords, move-in and rent assistance, security deposits and services to keep people housed.

The city also plans a partnership with River's Edge Ranch, which the report describes as operating a three-phase recovery program, to provide employment-readiness services and vocational training.

Item I (26-1152) awarded Geocon West Inc. a $218,348 task order. The work is geotechnical engineering for the West End Regional Navigation Center.

The staff report says the project would convert an industrial building at 11109 Jasmine St. into a center estimated to house up to 200 chronically homeless people in dormitory-style quarters, with individual units for people needing less intensive care. Geocon West submitted the only proposal.

Other consent items

Item G (26-0973) ended a solar power purchase agreement with Fontana Solar Project 2019 LLC for one parcel and authorized a termination payment of $490,019.

Item E (26-1166) approved a $200,000 purchase order with Lakeshore Learning for supplies at Fontana Expanded Learning Program school sites.

The calendar included second readings of three ordinances. Ordinance Nos. 1994 and 1995 amend the Arboretum Specific Plan and its development agreement. Ordinance No. 1996 adds gas station and drive-through uses as conditionally permitted in Planning Area 4 of the Ventana at Duncan Canyon Specific Plan.

The minutes say Mayor Pro Tem Peter Garcia abstained on the two Arboretum ordinances. Council Member Jesse Sandoval voted no on Ordinance No. 1996 and abstained on the prior meeting's minutes.

One speaker during public comment asked that the Ventana ordinance be considered separately. It remained on the consent calendar.

City Manager Matt Ballantyne announced that the council's second August meeting was canceled.