With all the new land that Fontana Annexed in the last seven years or so, quite a lot of it has been build upon. However they still are building some of the commercial expansions in the North end. Why, Sierra Ave, At the 210 has been really growing, with a Medical Center, a presumed Auto Mall. Lowe's Home Center, and the eventual Costco that will be build there along the freeway too. There is a whole commercial area still that is waiting for businesses to spring up at Citrus and the 210 Freeway in Fontana, they probably have been working on that as well.
Now Sierra Blvd @ the I-15 has started with some Gas Stations such as AM/PM and Jack in the Box, Shell, Chevron, and a couple more Fast Food joints, Del Taco, McDonalds! They all are up there too Fontana has a great deal of growing to do!! In fact they will exceed 200K population before we know it!!
It is great for the Inland Empire for this to happen. Good for Fontana!!
BSRancher
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Fontana's spending races with growth
KEEP UP: The council approves a $208.5 million budget, 17 percent larger than last year's.
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 21, 2006
By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise
fontana's 2006-07 BUDGET
$208.5 million between general fund, redevelopment agency and housing authority
67 new positions will be added to meet population growth, including nine police officers
FONTANA - In the year since City Council members last pored over Fontana's annual budget, they've moved toward annexation of about 3,000 acres, watched construction of 1,100 homes and broken ground on $100 million worth of parks, libraries and community centers.
But instead of taking a breath, council members spent Wednesday reviewing just how they're going to keep it up.
"This is a fantastic story," said Mayor Mark Nuaimi, moments before the council unanimously adopted the city's $208.5 million budget for 2006-07, "and I just think we're going to keep exceeding everyone's expectations."
The budget, which increased spending by 17 percent over last year's budget, strives to meet Fontana's rapid growth by adding 67 new city jobs -- including nine police officers -- building a county fire station and spending nearly $4 million to improve roads.
About $500,000 of that money will go toward improving routes the city will gain as part of its much-anticipated annexation, which will take in unincorporated areas around Fontana's borders.
The annexation application was completed by the city late last year, and awaits formal approval from the county's Local Agency Formation Commission. Once final, it will add 14,000 San Bernardino County residents and the sales-tax dollars from surrounding businesses.
But with the residents and businesses come the neglected roads. While Nuaimi applauded using $500,000 to rehabilitate newly annexed roads, he also urged staff to consider borrowing money to speed up the work. Throughout Fontana, officials have identified $30 million worth of repaving, and only $3.8 million of work is scheduled for this year.
"Once you let that fall behind," agreed Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren, "the catch-up is just unbearable."
This year's budget also will add several code-enforcement and public-works employees and seven police patrol officers, one sergeant and one corporal.
The growing police department, now at 194 sworn employees, will spend $60,000 this year for recruitment aimed at filling the positions that will be needed when Fontana eclipses 200,000 residents, expected later this decade.
Last year, however, the department only lost two officers to competing departments, compared to another neighboring department that lost 15, said Chief Larry Clark
"We didn't see anything like that in our organization," Clark said.
Reach Paul LaRocco at 909-806-3056 or plarocco@PE.com
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