Diamond Bar council approves consent items, CDBG allocations, fiscal audit and acquisition of Pony League property

Diamond Bar — At its Jan. 21 meeting the City Council approved several formal actions including the consent calendar, the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding plan for fiscal year 2025–26, the annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal 2023–24 and a real-property transfer and facility-use agreement to acquire the Diamond Bar Pony League ball fields.

The votes put on record the council’s decisions to proceed with planned program allocations, accept the city’s audited financial statements and begin a process to bring a long-serving youth-sports property into city ownership and long-term planning.

Why it matters: the CDBG allocations determine federal-assisted funding for senior services, curb-ramp accessibility improvements and the home-improvement loan program in the coming year. The accepted financial audit affirms the city’s year-end accounting and fund balances. Acquiring the Pony League parcel — a roughly 10.23-acre site donated to the community in 1969 — secures a large, flat site at no land cost but will require immediate maintenance work and long-term funding decisions for a potential 13-acre community park.

Votes at a glance: - Consent calendar: Approved. Motion by Councilmember Chao; second by Councilmember Liu. Vote: Chao — Yes; Lu — Yes; Loh — Yes; Mayor Pro Tem Tai — Yes; Mayor Tang — Yes. Items included approval of minutes, the check register, the treasurer’s statement, Resolution No. 2025-01 (participation in year 5 of the County’s permanent local housing allocation program) and consultant-service agreements for an electronic-billboard environmental review and document imaging services.

- CDBG allocations (Resolution No. 2025-2): Adopted. Motion by Councilmember Liu; second by Mayor Pro Tem Tai. Vote: Chao — Yes; Lu — Yes; Loh — Yes; Mayor Pro Tem Tai — Yes; Mayor Tang — Yes. Staff recommended and council approved an estimated allocation of $354,533 composed of an estimated annual allocation ($277,306) plus available prior-year funds: $41,555 for senior programming (public services cap), $145,000 for area curb-ramp improvements (construction), and $167,978 for the Home Improvement loan program.

- Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (FY 2023–24): Received and filed. Motion by Councilmember Chao; second by Councilmember Liu. Vote: Chao — Yes; Lu — Yes; Loh — Yes; Mayor Pro Tem Tai — Yes; Mayor Tang — Yes. The city’s external auditor (LSL) issued an unmodified opinion; staff reported that unrestricted net position increased and the city ended the year with no material weaknesses in internal controls.

- Real property transfer and facility-use agreement (Diamond Bar Pony League property, 22601 Sunset Crossing Road): Approved. Motion moved and seconded (recorded votes: Chao — Yes; Lu — Yes; Loh — Yes; Mayor Pro Tem Tai — Yes; Mayor Tang — Yes). The agreements authorize a no-cost transfer of roughly 10.23 acres and a facility-use agreement that gives Pony priority access during its organized seasons while preserving public-park status. Staff warned the council that immediate site work is necessary to restore playability — estimated at $750,000 to $1,000,000 — and that a comprehensive redevelopment combining the city’s adjacent 2.8-acre parcel could cost up to $20,000,000 depending on amenities.

Council discussion and next steps: council members praised staff work to negotiate the Pony transfer and directed staff to begin the short-term safety and maintenance work while pursuing a design and funding plan for long-term park development. Staff said the short-term repairs would focus on grading/field repairs, removal of unsafe outbuildings, irrigation and tree/landscape work; those improvements would allow limited use while the city develops a full design and financing plan. Any future redevelopment will include public outreach through the city’s parks and planning processes.

The formal approvals were recorded by City Clerk Santana; staff will return with contracting steps, public-input schedules and funding options should council direct them to proceed with design and construction planning.