Chino Hills votes to join ARC joint powers authority for animal services, 4-1
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Summary
After extended public comment and presentations by competing providers, the Chino Hills City Council voted 4-1 to pursue membership in the ARC joint powers authority for future animal care and control services, with a planned transition tied to a permanent ARC facility expected in mid-2027.
The Chino Hills City Council voted 4-1 on April 1 to pursue membership in ARC, a new joint powers authority formed by nearby jurisdictions to provide animal care and control services. Council members approved staff's recommendation to join ARC when the city's current contract with Inland Valley Humane Society and SPCA (IVHS) expires and the permanent ARC facility opens, a timeline staff set for mid-2027.
The vote followed a staff presentation and lengthy public comment from IVHS leaders, ARC representatives and residents. Assistant City Manager Hill told the council the city had asked for follow-up information after a March meeting about reporting, communications, rates, wildlife response, and ARC's proposed voting structure. Hill said staff confirmed with the city attorney that a council member serving on a contract provider's board with full voting rights would trigger Brown Act and Public Records Act obligations for that board.
IVHS President and CEO Nicole Preziani told the council she and the organization valued their 32-year partnership with Chino Hills and urged the city to continue contracting with IVHS. "We appreciate the city council carrying over this item from March to allow further discussion and dialogue about service delivery," Preziani said. IVHS speakers stressed their in-house veterinary capacity, medical center and programs such as trap-neuter-return (TNR) and wildlife relocation.
ARC's deputy city manager for Ontario, Jordan Bilwak, and ARC Executive Director Clint Thacker said ARC was formed to expand regional capacity and bring a permanent facility closer to the west end of the county. Bilwak described membership in ARC as ownership rather than a standard vendor contract: "This is ownership," he said, adding that ownership would include a proportionate share of capital and operating responsibility. ARC representatives also said they plan a TNR program, will contract with local veterinarians while permanent on-site capacity is established, and are developing wildlife procedures for rattlesnakes and injured coyotes.
Council members and public speakers raised practical concerns: whether ARC's temporary facility would provide sufficient medical and TNR services, how vehicle and service coverage would work across a multi-city service area, and how capital and operating costs compare. Staff presented numbers provided in the meeting record: IVHS projected annual operating costs in the range of the mid-$800,000s for the coming years; ARC projected about $900,000 in operating costs "prior to revenues" beginning in 2027, and staff estimated annualized capital costs for the permanent facility (carried by Ontario during construction) at approximately $687,500 over 12 years. The report also said ARC currently projects a roughly 15% ownership stake for Chino Hills if the city joins.
Council discussion noted shared benefits of a JPA (pooled resources, shared dispatch and back-office services) and shared liabilities (capital obligations and long-term ownership responsibilities). Councilmember questions also addressed voting shares on special matters; staff said special matters (budget, bonds, executive director hiring, eminent domain, indebtedness) require both a majority of voting shares and approval by at least two member agencies.
After deliberation the council approved the staff recommendation to join ARC when the permanent facility is ready. The motion passed 4-1; the record notes one council member, identified in the meeting as "Joe," voted no. The council directed staff to finalize terms with ARC and continue communications with IVHS during the transition period.
Why it matters: the decision changes who provides field response, shelter intake and animal services for Chino Hills over the long term, ties the city to a multiagency ownership structure and commits the city to share capital and operating responsibility once the permanent ARC facility opens.
The city will continue to receive animal services from IVHS under the existing contract until the ARC facility is completed and the city formally transitions to ARC membership, staff said.
