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Board approves emergency resolution to clear vacant former adult‑school site after repeated trespassing and safety concerns
Summary
Trustees authorized an emergency, no‑bid procurement under CUPCCAA to inspect, secure and remediate a vacant former adult‑education/Park West site after repeated transient encampments and fires; the item passed 5–0 with county notification to follow.
Pomona Unified trustees on May 7 approved an emergency resolution authorizing the district to contract without a full public advertising process to inspect, secure and clean up a vacant property that formerly housed district adult‑education and Park West facilities.
Superintendent Darren Knowles told the board the site has become a public‑safety concern because of repeated transient encampments, instances of fires and difficulty keeping unauthorized persons off the property; the district is seeking an expedited contractor selection process to test for environmental hazards and to perform perimeter security and remediation.
Why it matters: The resolution allows the district to use the California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA) fast‑track procurement process rather than a standard competitive bid timeline, enabling quicker abatement and security work on a property identified as surplus and increasingly hazardous.
"This is the old adult school facility. We're asking the board tonight to approve this emergency resolution," Knowles said, describing work that will include hazardous‑material surveys (asbestos/lead), demolition of a front building and portable classrooms and further remediation of five remaining buildings. He said the district has been coordinating with the Pomona Police Department and the fire department.
District construction staff explained the CUPCCAA process to the board and noted state thresholds. "The CUPCCAA process ... allows us to fast track certain types of projects within a dollar limit," said district construction staff (Mr. Mesa). He told the board the current statewide threshold for CUPCCAA work is $220,000 and that projects must still be submitted to the county for oversight when the district invokes an emergency procurement.
The board approved the emergency resolution by voice vote (5–0). The motion was made by Board Member Jimenez and seconded by Dr. Perlman. Mr. Mesa noted the process requires submission to the county and that pre‑registered contractors will be invited to walk the site and submit proposals under the emergency procurement authority.
Ending note: The district will proceed with hazard surveys, perimeter security and remediation work and will publish the selected contractor and project details after the county review and completion of the emergency procurement steps.
