🏛 City Hall Weekly Update

Week of October 9, 2025
From Councilmember James Breitling

Hello Neighbors,

I want to take a moment to thank you for subscribing to receive my weekly Upland Updates. Keeping our community informed about current city matters is something I take seriously, and I truly appreciate your interest and engagement.

If you ever have suggestions, ideas, or topics you’d like to see included in future updates, please don’t hesitate to email me. I’m always looking for ways to make these updates more helpful and relevant to you.

Lastly, if you find the Upland Updates valuable, I’d be grateful if you shared them with your friends, family, and fellow Upland residents. They can easily sign up to receive the weekly updates by visiting www.theuplandupdate.com

Thank you again for staying connected and for being an active part of our community.

Warm regards,

James Breitling

City Council Member, District 2

City of Upland

I can be reached at (909)342-2523 or by email jbreitling@uplandca.gov

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Upland Animal Shelter- Second Hand Thrift Store has Moved!

📍 140 N. Mountain Avenue, Upland

Join them for our Grand Re-Opening & 10-Year Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, October 11 | 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Save a Lot, Save a Life

Celebrate a decade of giving back at the brand-new home of 2nd Chance Thrift Shop! Every purchase helps provide care, shelter, and adoption opportunities for animals at the Upland Animal Shelter who deserve their second chance.

You’ll find an ever-changing selection of treasures — including gently used home décor, garden goods, small furniture, artwork, clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, books, pet supplies, and more — all at unbeatable prices.

New items arrive daily, so there’s always something special waiting to be discovered!

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Shop Online

Visit eBay store:

👉 [2nd Chance Thrift Shop Online] (https://www.ebay.com/str/2ndchancethriftshoponline)

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Store Hours

Monday–Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

📞 (909) 920-6020

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Building Upland's Future Part 7: Proposed Organizational Structure
A smarter structure means faster projects, better communication, and more accountability

Economic Development Update Presentation CLICK TO VIEW

Watch Latest City Council Meeting CLICK TO VIEW

Administrative Services Department

Finance

• Marked National Finance & Accounting Appreciation Week and National Customer Service Week with staff recognition events (BBQ lunch and breakfast bar) to boost morale and service continuity.

• Munis test environment successfully refreshed (with IT) to support cleaner financial process testing.

Human Resources

• Recruitment & Hiring

  • Opened 2 recruitments: Facilities Technician; Park Ranger.

    • Welcomed 3 hires:

      • Jessica Gordon – Deputy Director of Public Works, Operations

      • Richard Gonzales – Deputy Director of Public Works, Utilities

        Natalie Goldberg – Police Cadet

    • Interviews held: Senior Traffic Engineer; Accounting Technician (testing & appraisal).

  • Risks & Claims; 1 claim received this week.

• Workforce Pipeline

  • HR and Public Works represented the City at the University of La Verne job fair.

Information Technology (IT)

The IT team continued its quiet but vital work to keep the City’s digital infrastructure dependable and secure:

• Restored full email functionality for the Housing mailbox in Development Services after a delivery failure.

• Inspected and verified conference-room audio/visual equipment at both City Hall and Public Works to ensure reliability during public meetings.

• Terminated four new Cat6 network lines and installed monitor arms for upgraded Public Works workstations, improving speed, ergonomics, and efficiency.

• Refreshed the Munis testing database for Finance to improve system stability.

• Installed a real-time monitoring screen in Police Dispatch so staff can view live camera feeds and alerts at a glance.

Development Services Department

Building & Safety

Between October 2 and October 8, the division completed 160 building inspections, issued 43 building permits, and plan-checked 26 sets of construction plans. These ranged from small home remodels to large commercial tenant improvements — each one reviewed for safety, energy efficiency, and compliance with state building codes.

Planning Division

Planning staff remained focused on both long-term projects and immediate business activity:

• Business Growth: Reviewed 12 zoning clearances for new Upland businesses.

• Continued coordination with Claremont McKenna College on construction of the Roberts Sports Park at Foothill & Monte Vista.

• Worked closely with the Business License Inspector to identify and bring short-term rentals into compliance with the City’s STR Ordinance.

• Met with developers of the proposed Buffalo Grove Specific Plan (the former Buffalo Inn site) to review design revisions and site layout.

• Partnered with Upland Police Department to ensure public-safety and barrier standards for upcoming downtown events.

Land Development, Transportation & Economic Development

• Completion of plan check for the 16th Street & San Antonio Avenue traffic signal improvement project.

• Receipt of 60% design plans and cost estimates for the REAP 2.0 Transportation Improvement Project.

• Issuance of an encroachment permit for patio expansion at Kings Brewing Co., supporting downtown revitalization.

• Final project review meeting held with KTUA to close out the Upland Mobility Master Plan.

• Coordination underway for public frontage improvements at Upland Village Center.

• Ongoing project check-ins with Claremont McKenna College development teams.

• Support to PGA Engineers on fire lane and no-parking zone design near SCE infrastructure.

• Collaboration with SoCalGas on a blanket pavement repair permit spanning 25 sites citywide.

• Integration of the Sunset Ridge Affordable Housing Development into the Turnkey Turf Removal Program, securing $117,000 in grant funding for sustainable landscape conversions.

Economic Development

Economic Development staff remained deeply engaged with our business community:

This team continues to coordinate the many moving parts that connect private development to public infrastructure:

• Conducted field inspections for Downtown Commercial Rehabilitation Program improvements at JD Allison’s and Patra Dining, verifying installation of patio fencing and lighting funded through City grants.

• Completed Housing Quality Standards inspections for all 24 Foothill Family Shelter units, ensuring safe and compliant living conditions.

• Attended the San Bernardino County City Partners Roundtable, the Historic Downtown Upland Board meeting, and the Chamber of Commerce Advocacy in Action Forum to align Upland’s economic and community priorities.

• Finalized preparations for the Day of the Dead Festival on November 1 — a joint effort with Historic Downtown Upland to showcase local businesses and celebrate culture.

Police Department

The Upland Police Department continued its dedicated work to protect our community through enforcement, prevention, and investigation. The department handled multiple major incidents this past week:

• October 2: Special Investigations and SWAT served a warrant at a local trailer park for criminal threats involving a firearm; suspect detained and additional felony evidence under review.

• October 3: Officers responded to a robbery at an ice-cream shop; the suspect assaulted the victim and was arrested for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.

• Sober 4: Parolee arrested for vehicle theft after taking his mother’s car without permission; vehicle recovered nearby.

• Sober 7: Officers assisted a resident in crisis with a knife; they de-escalated and transported the individual for mental-health evaluation.

• October 7: Responded to a late-night disturbance; female suspect arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conducts

• October 8: Detectives coordinated with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit to identify a Texas-based robbery crew involved in “follow-home” burglaries; shared intel to aid regional arrests.

• October 8: Assisted Chino PD in recovering a stolen tractor-trailer and cargo; property returned to owners.

• October 8: Investigated a road-rage incident involving a firearm; suspect identified as a convicted felon.

• October 9: School Resource Officers identified and arrested a suspect in a school sexual battery case.

• Traffic Enforcement: Targeted patrols on Benson Avenue resulted in 12 speeding citations and multiple driver warnings.

• Code Enforcement – September: 76 cases opened, 142 closed; 116 illegal signs and 20 shopping carts removed; 126 Notices of Violation; 243 inspections.

• September: 76 cases open, 142 closed: 116 illegal signs and 20 shotting carts removed

• Quality-of-Life Operations: Joint effort with Chino and Ontario PDs resulted in three arrests for narcotics and paraphernalia violations.

  Our police teams continue to show exceptional professionalism, proactive enforcement, and compassion during mental-health and quality-of-life incidents.

  Public Works Department

  Engineering & Capital Projects

  • 11th Street Flashing Beacon & Alley Improvements: Conduit installation and new concrete gutter poured to improve drainage; alley paving scheduled for Friday, October 10.

  • Foothill Boulevard Rehabilitation (Benson to Redding): Water pipeline materials approved; signal, landscape, and concrete submittals under review; traffic-control plans refined for major intersections; construction now scheduled for late October.

  • Foothill SCE Rule 20A Undergrounding: Crews continuing lateral conduits and business tie-overs.

  • Generator Installations: Water Plant 2 generator installed and wired; Water Plant 6 trenching complete with delivery expected mid-November.

  • Police Department 2nd-Floor Expansion: Final Notice of Completion prepared for City Council acceptance on October 13.

  • SCADA Upgrade: Contractor finalizing long-lead equipment orders for telemetry and communications infrastructure.

• Operations

  Crews overlaid a large section of deteriorated asphalt in the Arrow Highway alley and ramped a raised sidewalk at Campus and Trail View Court to improve accessibility.
  The City also received two federal grants to purchase our first electric backhoes — introducing clean equipment to the fleet and reducing fuel costs.

  Utilities

  Average daily water production was 16.5 million gallons, with 12.5 million from groundwater and 4 million from imported sources. The San Antonio Water Treatment Plant remains offline for seasonal maintenance.

  
  Crews completed an emergency reservoir roof repair, replacing damaged sections and passing safety inspection.
  

  Finally, 126 residents safely disposed of hazardous materials at the City’s HHW facility — a quiet but important contribution to environmental protection.

  Recreation & Community Services

  Upland’s Recreation team kept our parks and community spaces active and welcoming:

  • Reservations: 6 park and 3 facility reservations processed.

  • Turkey Trot: 303 participants registered and counting!

  • Kids in the Kitchen – Saturday: 28 children will learn basic kitchen skills, cook their own dinner, and enjoy games and a movie.

  • Monster Mash-Up Movie Night – Friday, October 10 (Magnolia Park): Family-friendly Halloween fun starts at 5 p.m. with crafts, trivia, and games followed by a 7 p.m. showing of Hotel Transylvania. Food vendors include Davo’s Tacos, Lily’s Lil Donut O’s, and the Mag Rec Snack Shack.

    Gibson Senior Center Events:

    • Health & Wellness Fair: Over 300 attendees and 30 vendors offered health resources and free vaccinations (flu, shingles, COVID, pneumonia).

    • Witch’s Brew Halloween Dinner & Dance: Thursday, October 16 (5 – 7:30 p.m.) – Dinner, music, costumes, and prizes. Tickets still available at (909) 981-4501.

    • Gobbler Give-A-Way Thanksgiving Meals: Partnering with senior housing providers to deliver holiday meals to residents in need. Residents can “Take a Feather” to donate food items or adopt a senior to sponsor a full meal. Contact Toni at (909) 981-4501.

• City Manager’s Office

• The City Manager and Assistant City Manager attended the Annual Cal Cities Conference, participating in policy panels on municipal finance, housing mandates, and infrastructure funding.
  

• Public information outreach i

  included social media posts on Public Works projects, the SBC Fire Department Open House, Library programs, and community events like Scary-A-Faire and the Friends of Upland Animal Shelter 10-Year Anniversary.
  

• The City Clerk administered the loyalty oath to three new employees and hosted multi-department meetings to update the City’s records retention schedule, ensuring compliance and better public access to records.
  

• Staff also attended the Secretary of State’s Voter Resources Webinar to prepare for the 2026 election cycle.

  Every department plays a part in keeping Upland safe, beautiful, and well-run. From engineers designing smarter roads to officers keeping our neighborhoods secure and recreation staff creating family moments — it all adds up.

  Thank you to every employee, volunteer, and resident who contributes to our shared success.

  Until next week — stay safe, stay involved, and stay proud to call Upland home.

  Councilmember James Breitling
  District 2, City of Upland

UPLAND ANIMAL SHELTER