Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696591042433.pdf (United States)
City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A APPENDIX A.

IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY Purpose The Policy Plan primarily contains long-term principles, goals, and policies for achieving Ontario’s Vision through nine elements: land use, housing, parks and recreation, environmental resources, community economics, safety, mobility, community design, and social resources.
Through these nine elements, the City addresses all the topics required by state law and some additional topics that are important to our community.

The City added the topics of environmental justice and climate adaptation and resiliency to the Policy Plan in accordance with state law (introduced through Senate Bills 1000 and 379, respectively).
The City has opted to address these topics throughout multiple elements of the Policy Plan to ensure the topics are presented alongside the multitude of issues and topics that affect our residents and resources.

The City will begin to implement the updated Policy Plan immediately upon adoption, working within the municipal organization, with residents and other community stakeholders, and other agencies and service entities.
A number of actions will be started immediately following the Policy Plan’s adoption, with some completed and/or replaced by new actions in as little as a few months.

As state law currently limits the frequency of updating the Policy Plan to four update cycles per year, the City opts to maintain a separate Implementation Plan so that it can update its list of short-term activities on an as-needed basis without affecting the City’s Policy Plan update cycle.
However, state law requires that the implementation actions related to environmental justice and climate adaptation and resiliency be incorporated into the City’s Policy Plan.

Accordingly, this appendix contains those actions from the Implementation Plan that must also be part of the Policy Plan.

The Implementation Plan reflects new activities that the City should conduct in order to implement the new aspects of the updated Policy Plan.
The Implementation Plan does not include actions that the City already undertakes based on regulations, programs, or procedures that are already in place.

As the majority of updates to the Policy Plan relate to the topics of environmental justice and climate adaptation and resiliency, the majority of the Implementation Plan also reflects actions related to these two topics.
Updates Future updates to the Implementation Plan will gradually incorporate and identify new activities related to other topics of the Policy Plan, based on changes in socioeconomic conditions, the physical environment, and other factors.

Changes to actions listed in the Implementation Plan related to environmental justice or climate adaptation and resiliency will also trigger an update to this appendix, which should be processed during the City’s next appropriate Policy Plan update cycle.
Adopted August 16, 2022 A-1 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A Structure The following actions are presented based on the most directly relevant element and goal.

For example, Action LU-2.1 is the first action related to Goal 2 of the Land Use Element.

It should be noted that actions may also relate to more than one element and may help implement more than one goal and/or policy.
After each action, in parentheses, are indicators that identify whether the action relates to environmental justice (EJ) or climate adaptation and resiliency (CAR).

Actions related to environmental justice are distributed throughout all elements of the Policy Plan, with additional indicators in parentheses to identify the subtopic enumerated in state law.
Environmental justice indicators: • Reduce exposure to pollution (EP) • Promotion of public facilities (PF) • Promotion of food access (FA) • Promotion of safe and sanitary housing (H) • Promotion of physical activity (PA) • Promotion of civil engagement (CE) All of the climate adaptation and resiliency actions are associated with are associated with the Safety Element.
Some actions related to climate adaptation and resiliency may address environmental justice topics and help those who are disadvantaged, but are not identified as environmental justice actions.

For example, S-9.3 Weatherization Program, seeks to expand funding resources to conduct weatherization and structural retrofits that will increase community resilience.
This action can help create safe and sanitary housing for those who are disadvantaged, but the action is not targeted toward improving an existing environmental justice problem or prioritized for those who live in environmental justice areas.

Actions Land Use Element LU-2.1 Development standards.
Review existing development and design standards and update as necessary to provide appropriate mitigation or buffers between existing uses, with a focus on additional buffering when new uses could negatively impact environmental justice areas.

(EJ: EP) Housing Element (Note that actions listed as programs in the Housing Element, full text available in the Housing Element Technical Report): Program 6 Neighborhood Stabilization.
Implements the City’s Neighborhood Preservation Strategy Plan, which identifies revitalization strategies in key neighborhoods in northwest Ontario.

(EJ: H) Adopted August 16, 2022 A-2 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A Program 11 Ontario Ranch.

Encourages development of affordable housing in future developments in Ontario Ranch, the high resource area in the city.

(EJ: H, PF) Program 23 Public Housing.


Commits to expanding the use of Housing Choice Vouchers (aka Section 8 Vouchers) in high and moderate resource areas.

(EJ: H, PF) Program 24 Homeownership Program.

Provide resources in multiple languages to reduce language barriers.

(EJ: H, CE) Program 27 Fair Housing Implementation.

Provide resources in multiple languages to reduce language barriers.

(EJ: H, CE) Parks and Recreation Element PR-1.1 Recreation and Parks Master Plan.
Implement recommendations as outlined in the 2021 Master Plan, with a priority on addressing the needs in environmental justice areas.

This includes recommendations such as new and/or expanded facilities, new and expanded programs and services, community and agency partnerships, and fee structures.

(EJ: PF, PA) Environmental Resources Element ER-4.1 ER-4.2 ER-4.3 Citywide and regional air quality planning.
Review existing and monitor the development of new air monitoring and emissions reduction plans prepared by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Gather and evaluate measures and strategies in such plans for their applicability to and feasibility for Ontario.

(EJ: EP) Citywide emissions monitoring.


Coordinate with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to monitor existing air measurements and recommend new air measurements and locations, with a specific focus on evaluating new measurements and locations in environmental justice areas.

Coordinate with SCAQMD to provide monitoring information online to the public, including historical data and an explanation of trends, thresholds, and ongoing monitoring results.
(EJ: EP) Community air quality planning.

Engage with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and local stakeholders to evaluate the next steps in pursuing a priority community designation and/or community air protection program incentives for eligible environmental justice areas of the city, with focus on areas with unique needs and highest pollution burden as identified in the latest available CalEnviroScreen tool.
If such a designation or incentives are not awarded or available, seek grant funds for activities such as local air quality monitoring.

Also, explore ways to initiate data collection efforts for a community emissions reduction and/or community air monitoring plan, including the identification of information needed (new or updated), potential data sources and needed resources, and strategies to engage residents and collect information.
(EJ: EP) Adopted August 16, 2022 A-3 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A ER-4.4 ER-4.5 ER-4.6 ER-4.7 Health risk assessments.

Draft and adopt ordinance to implement new requirements (Policy ER-4.9) for health risk assessments when considering specific uses near existing sensitive receptors.

(EJ: EP) Trucks and cargo handling equipment.


Evaluate and implement strategies to reduce emissions associated with truck idling and cargo handling equipment near areas with existing and planned sensitive receptors, with a priority placed on facilities that have not yet finalized building permits and for those facilities in or adjacent to environmental justice areas.

(EJ: EP) Healthy indoor options.


Explore options to incentivize or require the provision of indoor recreation space, particularly in environmental justice areas that experience high levels of exposure to air pollution.

(EJ: PA, PF, EP) Proactive engagement.

Collaborate with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and local stakeholders in environmental justice areas experiencing local air pollutions issues to outline objectives and strategies for monitoring air pollution.
Augment existing outreach programs to improve public awareness of state, regional and local agencies’ roles, and resources to identify, monitor, and address air quality and other environmental hazards in the community.

(EJ: CE, EP) Community Economics Element CE-1.1 Small Business Assistance.
Collaborate with the County Economic Development Agency and California District of the Small Business Administration to expand and promote resources and assistance for small businesses, with a specific focus on those in environmental justice areas.

(EJ: PF) Safety Element S-1.1 S-2.1 S-2.2 S-2.3 Seismic Retrofits.

Identify potential funding sources to facilitate seismic retrofits in environmental justice areas and for low-income households.

(CAR, EJ: H) Entitlement and Permitting.


Update the City’s entitlement and permitting process to require hydrological studies that assess the 100-year and 500-year flood zones to assess the impact that the new development will have on the flooding potential of existing development down-gradient.

Additionally update the entitlement and permitting process to require mapping for 200-year floodplains.

(CAR) Floodplain Mapping.


Seek grant funds to map the 200-year floodplain in Ontario outside of the entitlement process.

(CAR) Public Outreach.

Augment the City’s public outreach efforts to disseminate information on flooding, flood control on private property, floodplains, and flood preparedness to the community through the City website, social media, and at City offices.
(CAR) Adopted August 16, 2022 A-4 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A S-2.4 S-2.5 S-2.6 S-3.1 S-3.2 S-4.1 S-8.1 S-8.2 Floodproofing Existing Buildings.

Seek grant funds to encourage property owners in 200-year (when mapped) or 500-year flood zones to floodproof existing structures.

(CAR) Open space in 200-year floodplains.

Coordinate with developers to encourage passive recreation or parkland in 200-year floodplains or floodways (when mapped).

(CAR) Green and Natural Infrastructure.


Coordinate with developers to incorporate the use of existing (or restoration of) natural features and ecosystem processes and low impact development techniques to increase permeable surfaces and promote sustainable management of open space and parks.
This may include, but is not limited to, aquatic or terrestrial vegetated open space, systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes, and other engineered systems, to provide clean water, conserve ecosystem values and functions, promote drainage, and provide a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife.

(CAR) Firefighting services and water supply.


Collaborate with regional water providers and surrounding fire protection agencies to ensure adequate water supply, equipment, and personnel for firefighting in the region given future projections regarding prolonged drought and the potential increase in the number and severity of wildfires in the surrounding area (in line with automatic and mutual aid agreements).

(CAR) Public Outreach.


Coordinate with network providers to ensure that residents and visitors, especially those in environmental justice communities, have access to emergency notifications.

Information should be provided in multiple languages and formats appropriate for people with access and functional needs.

(CAR, EJ: CE) Vibration studies.


Update development regulations to require vibration-sensitive uses in areas within 200 feet of rail to evaluate for indoor vibration levels and mitigate any exceedances of the Federal Transit Administration vibration- annoyance criteria.

(EJ: H) Evacuation Assessment Plan.


Prior to or concurrently with the update of the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, conduct an evacuation time assessment to comply with state law (enacted through Assembly Bill 747), accounting for natural and human- generated hazards, existing and proposed traffic evacuation volumes at buildout.

(CAR) Evacuation Routes.


Review and update, as necessary, standards so that new development has at least two egress/ingress options, key signage that is visible to emergency responders during extreme weather events, signage that identifies evacuation routes, and adequate water supply for structural suppression.

(CAR) Adopted August 16, 2022 A-5 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A S-8.3 S-8.4 S-8.5 S-8.6 S-8.7 S-8.8 S-9.1 S-9.2 S-9.3 Evacuation assistance program.
Coordinate with Omnitrans, Metrolink, and other transit providers to develop an evacuation assistance program for those with little mobility and those without a vehicle.

(CAR) Extreme Heat Response Plan.

Develop an extreme heat response plan that includes establishment of community cooling centers and temperature triggers for when they will open, weatherization of City buildings, and cooling strategies for persons engaged in outdoor work and persons experiencing homelessness.
(CAR) Resilience Hub and Cooling Centers.

Establish a network of equitably located resilience hubs and cooling centers throughout the City.

Ensure that such facilities are located outside of areas at risk of hazards (to the extent possible), offer refuge from extreme heat and poor air quality, and are equipped with renewable energy generation, backup power, and backup water supplies.

Such facilities should be in easily accessible locations and be available to all community members.
(CAR) Cooling Transit Areas.

Coordinate with Omnitrans, Metrolink, and Amtrak to increase shading and heat-mitigating materials on pedestrian walkways, outdoor waiting areas, and transit stops/stations.

(CAR) Critical Facilities.

Review procedures and update as necessary, to ensure that future critical facilitates are located outside of hazards zones.
If not feasible, ensure new critical facilities are designed to remain functional during hazardous events and identify funding sources to harden and improve existing facilities to remain functional during hazardous events.

(CAR) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).


Increase participation in CERT through program by expanding promotion efforts and course offerings, encouraging CERT participation for City employees, and exploring partnerships (e.g., partner with school districts to offer CERT training to high school students).

(CAR) Energy independence.

Coordinate with developers to encourage the integration of battery storage systems that can provide backup electrical service during temporary power outages.
(CAR) Renewable Energy.

Renovate existing city-owned assets and design future city facilities to incorporate renewable energy generation systems, battery storage systems, and energy-efficient design and features, as feasible.

(CAR) Weatherization Program.

Expand funding resources through partnerships and grant programs for to conduct weatherization and structural retrofits that will increase community resilience.
(CAR) low-income households and businesses Adopted August 16, 2022 A-6 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A Mobility Element M-2.1 M-3.1 M-4.1 Priority Improvements.

Refine the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and implementation recommendations of the Active Transportation Master Plan (ATMP) to elevate the priority of improvements proposed in (or serving) environmental justice areas.
Continue to identify additional improvements that should be added to complete networks, remove barriers, and create buffers for pedestrians and bicyclists along truck routes, with priority given to those in environmental justice areas.

(EJ: PF, PA) Expanded Bus and Light Rail Service.


Coordinate with Omnitrans and Metrolink to implement and update the agencies’ strategic plans and long range transportation plans to prioritize improvements in and expansion of service in Ontario’s environmental justice areas.

In the next update of these plans, encourage each agency to increase the weighting of environmental justice factors in the prioritization of improvements and service expansion.
(EJ: PF) Clean Energy Plan for Trucks and Cargo Handling Equipment.

Develop and implement a plan to evaluate the future needs of clean fueling/recharging and electrified truck parking and onsite cargo handling equipment.

Promote the creation of centralized truck parking areas that provide clean energy refueling stations and other support facilities while ensuring adjacent residential neighborhoods are not negatively impacted by trucking activities.
Target locations that serve both the northern and southern industrial parts of the city, and coordinate to provide truck parking and charging areas in neighboring jurisdictions that serve regional truck travel.

Require proposed truck-intensive uses to provide robust onsite clean energy fueling and/or electric charging stations for trucks and onsite cargo handling equipment.
For existing and proposed uses, to contribute toward centralized parking solutions (for larger facilities, which will overlap with their compliance with the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Indirect Source Rule).

(EJ: EP) Community Design Element CD-2.1 CD-2.2 Objective Development and Design Standards.

Prepare objective development and design standards to help streamline the approval and production of new housing, while creating a more walkable, vibrant, and unified community.
(EJ: H) Transit Stops.

Coordinate with Omnitrans to implement and update the agency’s Bus Stop Safety Improvement Plan, prioritizing improvements in Ontario’s environmental justice areas.

In the next update, encourage Omnitrans to increase the weighting of environmental justice factors in the evaluation, identification, and prioritization of improvements.

(EJ: PF, PA) CD-2.3 Bus Rapid Transit.


Coordinate with Omnitrans on street cross section designs for BRT corridors to influence street designs to maximize walkability and bicycle access/safety of the transit riders.

(EJ: PF) Adopted August 16, 2022 A-7 City of Ontario Policy Plan Appendix A Social Resources Element SR-1.1 SR-1.2 SR. 1.3 SR-1.4 SR-1.5 Healthy Ontario.
Continue to pursue programs, incentives, grants, and partnerships to fund and conduct the activities and achieve the objectives of the Healthy Ontario Initiative, including those on prevention and wellness, healthcare access and utilization, education and lifelong learning, and safe and complete neighborhoods.

Augment the initiative to prioritize activities and objectives to address neighborhoods in environmental justice areas.

(EJ: FA, PF, PA) Collaboration.


Develop active, strategic partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit entities, such as the Community Healthy Improvement Association of Ontario (CHIA) and Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), to improve health outcomes by leveraging capacity, resources, and programs around mutually beneficial initiatives that promote health, equity, and civil engagement for residents, with a priority on those living in environmental justice area areas.
(EJ: CE, PA) Resident Satisfaction Survey.

Augment the City’s resident satisfaction survey (conducted in English and Spanish) to address issues related to community health, pollution, parks, community engagement, and community services, with focused outreach for environment justice concerns and priority areas.

Report findings of survey through the City’s various media platforms and utilize input to update the Implementation Plan and Policy Plan, as necessary.

(EJ: PA, PF) Community Centers.


Continue to implement the City’s 2021 Recreation and Parks Master Plan and emphasize the creation of new community centers in environmental justice areas where residents are more than one-half mile from an existing community center.

(EJ: PF) Expanded Representation.


Expand representation of residents concerned about environmental justice issues by extending invitations to such residents/groups (focused especially on those who also live in environmental justice areas within the City) to participate in civic government activities.

(EJ: CE) Adopted August 16, 2022 A-8