For City Council Meeting July 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Eric Vail, City Attorney
FROM: Yazdan Emrani, P.E., Director of Public Works
Title
Request City Council to Approve Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 1714 to Amend Multiple Sections of the Municipal Code to provide the Public Works Director with the same Authority as the City Engineer.
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Ordinance, “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIALTO AMENDING MISCELLANEOUS SECTIONS IN THE RIALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WITH THE SAME AUTHORITY AS THE CITY ENGINEER”; and
BACKGROUND:
In order to facilitate conducting City business, providing the Public Works Director with the same authority as the City Engineer will increase the City’s flexibility in completing City projects.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
On June 23, 2026, the City Council considered the attached proposed ordinance for first reading. The ordinance updated and added many sections of the code to allow for the public works director to have the same authority as the city engineer. The Council considered the ordinance and approved first reading, with the following language change: in all instances where the city engineer’s authority is extended to the public works director where the director must be a civil engineer, the proposed language was updated from “provided they are a registered Professional Engineer in California,” to “provided they are a California-licensed Professional Engineer (Civil),” to clarify the specific engineering license required.
A clean version of the proposed ordinance with the updated language is included as Attachment 1.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The City of Rialto General Plan establishes various guiding principles, goals and objectives through which the City looks to improve the community and protect the quality of life for our residents. This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3 in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the Ordinance and approved it as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact:
The proposed action will not affect the Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact:
The proposed action will not affect the Capital Improvement Budget.
Licensing:
A business license application and payment of a business license tax are not required for this action.
ATTACHMENT:
Ordinance No. 1714