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Council approves contracts for Ontario Grand Park Phase 1; councilmember recuses from arborist awards
Summary
The council approved a multi-part contract package for Ontario Grand Park Phase 1, including a construction contract with Clark Construction and a sole-source arborist contract for inventory and tree planting; one councilmember recused from items tied to West Coast Arborist and the B/C motion passed with four votes and one recusal.
The Ontario City Council approved contracts to begin construction of Phase 1 of the Ontario Grand Park and took a separate, recorded recusal on items tied to the city’s sole-source arborist work.
City manager presented the project vision for the 370-acre Ontario Grand Park master plan and described the Phase 1 area of about 130 acres. The presentation listed major features including large passive turf areas, a farm hub, Market Alley for community events, trails and overlooks, and a main amphitheater with roughly 5,000 seats. Staff said Phase 1a could start construction in January 2026 and be ready by the following fall, with the full master plan built over many years; staff also stated an overall project cost estimate of roughly $125,000,000 (funding through ongoing development-related deposits was described).
The council split the contractual approvals into multiple motions. The council approved the award to Clark Construction (item 10A). For the tree-inventory and planting work, staff recommended a sole-source contract to West Coast Arborist because the company maintains a GPS-based proprietary tree inventory; that element would cover about 4,500 trees. A councilmember disclosed a campaign contribution from West Coast Arborist and asked to be recorded as recused from items 10B and 10C; the city attorney explained the recusal and suggested separate votes to make the record clear. The council recorded a recusal and later took the votes on B and C with four votes and one recusal; staff recorded the item as passing.
Councilmembers praised the project as a long-awaited community amenity during remarks following the action. Staff did not announce a construction contract start date beyond the January 2026 estimate for beginning Phase 1 construction, and the council did not amend funding sources during the meeting.
The city will proceed with contract execution for the approved items and return with typical project reporting and construction oversight items as work begins.
