Fontana City Council: What planet do they live on?

Fontana City Council on Wednesday (Sept. 22) discussed, as usual, the "joys" of redevelopment and the "wonders" it brings the city. The Duncan Canyon Interchange/Overpass project, the most recent "crown jewel" in the making? Or is it really, as city council candidate Carlos Bravo stated, a "bridge to nowhere?" Or a wonderful way to bring more traffic congestion to an already untenable situation? Or more low-wage jobs to the area? Speaking of the joys of redevelopment, Rock Honda will be vacating its Sierra Avenue site for one along the "Miracle Mile," that stretch of the city along the 210 Freeway on the north end. Anyone up for a pool on how long the Sierra Avenue site, near the main gateway into Fontana, will sit empty? Will that empty lot be as "beneficial" to the city's core as the long-empty, former Sunrise Ford car lot, which also relocated to a redevelopment zone?
Or maybe mayoral candidate Bobbi Jo Chavarria asks the real question: How can a city redevelop an area that was never developed in the first place?

I guess that also begs the question: I thought the whole point of redevelopment was to attract business from other cities, not move them out of the city's traditional core areas. How does redevelopment stem blight in this instance?

Another irony at the Wednesday meeting: The city cannot be bothered to support residents of the unincorporated area near the Speedway in their quest to squelch an application to increase the allowable noise level of a dragstrip that residents contend was illegal in the first place(not our jurisdiction, former Mayor Nuaimi stated previously). However, the council voted to support a project to help another county resident with a "flooding" issue. As usual, no details were given about the person being helped. Friend? Relative? Political contributer? Developer buddy? Many in the community would love to be privy to how the council decides such things. After all, this is their city. too.

Fontana to consider mandatory spay/neuter for Pit Bulls, mixes

Fontana may join other cities in the Inland Empire in mandating the spay or neuter of pit bulls and pit bull mixes in the city.

A feasibility study will be completed and is a response to several high-profile pit bull attacks on children in Fontana, including the Feb. 1 mauling of three children by a pack of pit bulls and a pit bull mix who escaped their owner's yard.

In that case, siblings ages 5, 6 and 7, were injured. The 5-year old, Destiny Colon, survived massive injuries that included a punctured lung and broken rib cage. Her sister required more than 300 stitches.

The city has a huge pet population that is sometimes out of control, said Fontana Police Capt. Bob Ramsey.

Ramsey reported on the issue in a workshop Sept. 22 attended by Fontana city councilmembers and city staff.

"The vast majority of fatal attacks are by unaltered pit bulls," Ramsey said. Out of 172 attacks in Fontana, 91 were attributed to pit bulls and pit bull mixes. Chained dogs are responsible for 25% of attacks, single dogs for 68% of attacks, multiple dogs, 32%, and roaming dogs, 17%, Ramsey said. Pit bulls are the number one breed euthanized at the shelter.

The proposal to mandate spay and neutering could go a long way in helping because altered dogs typically aren't aggressive, although they still can be stimulated into aggression. But it won't solve the problem of pet overpopulation.

"One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years," Ramsey said.

The city Animal Services Department provides seven-day a week coverage on a $958,000 annual budget.

Between July 1, 2009 and July 1, 2010, 6,317 dogs were impounded by Animal Services, Ramsey said.