City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everybody, and welcome to a meeting of the Ontario City Council. First order of business is a roll call, Madam City Clerk.

Thank you. The record will reflect all council members are present for tonight's meeting.

Okay, so before we move on, abiding by state law, obligated to ask if there's any possible conflicts of interest. Nope. Okay, so then... Let's begin with our Pledge of Allegiance tonight, led by Mayor Pro Temperata, and tonight's invocation will be Rabbi Stephen Epstein from Temple Shalom of Ontario.

Please join me in the pledge to our great flag. Ready, begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

This is a very special time for those of us of the Jewish faith. It is the beginning of the seventh month and the first 10 days are dedicated to a spiritual new year. And the reason why it's a spiritual new year is because we take stock of ourselves of who we are and how we could be better. Now, I know that we have the new year January 1st, but I've always thought, why don't we have another day of reflection when people could just put aside all their material worries and just focus on being better people, which I know is something that you council members do all the time as civil servants. So to that end, I'd like to recite a blessing if I may. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this wonderful new time. Thank you very much. Thank you for the honor. And bless you all, and God bless the job that you're all doing. And this microphone.

Thank you.

All right, that takes us to public comments. We have over 30 public comments tonight, which if you do the math, we would be here for almost two hours listening. I'm going to cut the time allowance to two minutes, and hopefully you'll get what you need to be said said, and then we can move on with the rest of the meeting. We want to hear everybody. Most of these cards are on the same issue, so... We can be repetitious if we like, but we're gonna cut them down. Your minutes will be two minutes. And you'll be alerted when you have one minute remaining. In accordance with state law, remarks during public comments are to be limited to subjects within council's jurisdiction. Remarks on other agenda items will be limited to those items. So if you filled out a blue card to speak during public comment, but you're actually gonna be talking about an item on the agenda, I won't stop you, but you won't be able to come up and talk about the agenda again. So all those wishing to speak, including council and staff, need to be recognized by the chair before speaking. That's me. Madam City Clerk, do we have any email public comments?

Yes, Mr. Mayor, and they have been printed, placed at the dais, and will be entered into the record.

Thank you. Any other? Any other communication other than that? OK, thank you. So let's get started with this stack. Our first speaker is Mr. Chris Robles.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, City Council. My name is Chris Robles and I'm here and I've already distributed to you. You should be getting this. This is the executive summary of the Ontario Public Integrity and Right to Know Act. I mentioned this last month and this is far more detailed and I would request As you start talking and discussing the ethical issues here in the city, that you look at this as a model. And quite honestly, this needs to be a model throughout the county. I actually spoke to the county about the very same thing. They're very weak on their ethics as well. And clearly, with the cloud that we have over both the county and the city and the airport, we really do, thank you for turning that up, we really do need something much more detailed than what has already previously been announced. With my last one minute, I want to also announce that the Ontario Future Alliance, Fair Ontario, and CCAEJ and many other groups are holding a community Ontario town hall meeting on Thursday evening. And it's the first of many that we will hold. And we want to hear from the public. We want people to come and tell us what's important to them. You can go to OntarioTownHall.com to sign up. And for more information, although I don't have the domain quite set up yet, but OntarioWriteToKnow.com if you want to get a copy of this. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lois Sicking.

Good evening. Flock cameras or AI-powered cameras used by law enforcement that are logging every license plate that passes by into a searchable database rather than just the vehicles that trip the camera because of speeding or running a red light. Due to this surveillance, our privacy is compromised. The Ontario Police Department operates nearly 130 automated license plate readers and other cameras from Flock. The city, in 2014, 12 years ago, the city developed policy around this technology. There has been no revision to this policy in the last 12 years. This implies that there has been no technology updates warranting revision to the 2014 procedures. Is this really the case? Ontario has granted access to this data to all police departments across California. A new bill, SB SB 1013 last month was introduced in the California State Senate and calls for a stricter regulation of flock cameras. SB 1013 will place stringent safeguards and crucial oversight to ensure that individual's privacy is protected under strict data retention limits, public transparency, and robust oversight. while ensuring law enforcement tools are used responsibly and ethically. Residents of Ontario, many residents of Ontario, believe we do not have to surrender our liberty or freedom in order to have public safety. We need to get the flock out of Ontario. Will the Ontario City Council support SB 1013? 12, 11, 10, hey, I'm waiting.

Well, we can't answer you.

Sure you can.

No. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Vanessa James?

You gotta write the first time it was James. Good evening, Ontario City Council. My name is Vanessa. I'm here today to ask the City Council to begin the process of creating a $1 million justice fund to support immigrant families impacted by federal immigration enforcement. Immigrant families are an important part of Ontario. They're our neighbors, our coworkers, small business owners, and community members. Yet when someone faces immigration proceedings, the cost of legal representation can put quality legal access out of reach. The Justice Fund could help provide legal representation and support for immigrant residents who otherwise may not be able to afford an attorney. It will also allow the city to partner with trusted local community organizations that have already done this work and understand the immigrant family's needs. This is an opportunity for Ontario to decide how it wants to support residents navigating an incredibly difficult and complicated legal system. I'm asking for the city council to draft a proposal for a $1 million justice fund to work with community organizations to determine how these resources could be used effectively and responsibly. Every Ontario resident should have a fair opportunity to understand their rights and access legal support when they need. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Daniela Ramos.

Good evening, everyone. As was said, my name is Daniela Ramos and I'm the youth organizer for the Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective. Our organization helps undocumented students gain professional development, community and advocacy skills in the San Bernardino and Riverside counties. I'm here to ask the city to stand with immigrant families by creating a $1 million justice fund for families who have been impacted by immigration enforcement. This justice fund would be used to help provide legal representation to those impacted. Immigrant families are the heart of the city. By creating a justice fund, the city stands with the families that contribute vastly to the culture and economy of Ontario. Many families have lost their primary financial providers, or better known as their fathers, siblings, cousins, and others to these cruel enforcements. It has left their first generation students with the task of offering what financial support they can provide to their families. Creating a justice fund would allow the young people of these impacted communities to contribute to their future and not have to worry so much about their basic needs during such a hard time. Immigrant youth are watching and will take notice of where the city council stands. Thank you for your time.

All right, thank you. And I want to remind everybody that we have a policy that at 7 o'clock we begin the meeting for the business part. And if we haven't finished public comment, we have to suspend it until the end of the meeting and then come back to it. So it's already 20 till. Nicola LaLama.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Nick Laulama. I'm here, I'm a proud resident of Ontario, and I'm here to represent the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, which serves immigrant families across the region. I'm here today to call for the beginning of the draft that will eventually create for a $1 million justice fund for immigrant families who have been impacted by federal immigration enforcement. Immigrants are no strangers to our community. They are our family, our neighbors, our friends, our students, our coworkers, and our fellow community members. They own businesses, work essential jobs, pay taxes and contribute to the growth and strength of our city. Immigrants choose to live in Ontario because they believe it was the best place for opportunity for them to raise a family and also for them to feel protected by their leaders. However, the city has not made a commitment to protecting the rights of its immigrant communities, even though they make up a significant portion of the city's population and contribute to its economy, culture and diversity. Ontario could set itself apart in its leadership and commitment to the well-being of its residents regardless of immigration status. By creating the justice fund that helps provide legal representation for families, many of our neighbors that are at risk being separated by their families. A legal defense fund would help ensure that everyone gets a fair chance in court. And by collaborating with local community based organizations who have trust of the immigrant community. Creating a legal fund is not just about policy, it is upholding the values of dignity, fairness, and inclusion that makes Ontario so strong. A welcoming Ontario is a safer, more prosperous, and more united place to live. By creating the million dollar justice fund, the council is investing in a future where every resident, regardless of where they were born, deserves to stay in the city they call home. Thank you.

All right, thank you. Did I already call Jeffrey Munoz? Okay. Now, Jeffrey.

Good evening, Ontario City Council. My name is Jeffrey Emmanuel Munoz. I am an organizer with the Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective. We support immigrant youth in San Bernardino and Riverside County. I'm here today to call on the city to begin drafting and eventually establish a $1 million justice fund for immigrant families who have been impacted by federal immigration enforcement in our city. The city of Ontario thrives because of the hard work, entrepreneurship, and diversity of its immigrant communities. Immigrant workers power the labor that our economy thrives off in this city. Immigrant students attend our schools every day. Indeed, so many of us are surrounded by countless immigrant community members every single day in the city of Ontario. And yet the city has not made a commitment to protect the rights of its immigrant community members. even though they make up such a significant portion of the population and contribute to its economy, culture, and diversity. We want the city of Ontario to be a leader in the state of California but also in the nation by ensuring that the dignity and justice of these families is defended and creating a justice fund that helps provide legal representation for immigrants would ensure that many of our neighbors who are now at risk of being separated from their family simply because they cannot afford an attorney are able to have their fair day in court. There's nothing more American than being offered the protections of the Constitution. And we're asking Ontario City Council to make the only moral decision and establish the $1 million Justice Fund. Thank you.

All right, our next speaker is Benjamin Wood.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, city staff, and beloved community. I'm a son of Ontario Hawthorne, Vina Dinks, Chafee, and this community really made me who I am. I learned Spanish on the streets, hanging out with paleteros, defending the rights of street vendors, and that has shaped who I am as a person. I've been working in nonprofit immigration legal services for 11 years this year, and I'm now the legal director at IC4IJ. We go to Adelanto every week. We talk to people from Ontario and other neighboring cities who have been, their families have been torn apart by people who are taking them off the streets. People have no access to proper immigration legal services. A million dollars can go really quick on immigration lawyers and private practice. Who can make it stretch is the nonprofits. We have the staff, we have the capacity, we have the training, we have the dedication and the skills to stretch your dollar We're asking you to join the jurisdictions all across the Southland that have set aside a small portion of their budget to invest in family unity for their immigrant communities. We have a lot to deal with. Ethics, land use, warehouses, agriculture, our privacy being evaded. Our budgets are moral documents and they allow us to state very clearly to our constituents what our values are. We're asking you now to please stand with the immigrant community of Ontario and create a justice fund.

Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Marissa Ragasa.

Hello to the board and the community. My name is Marissa Ragaza, district representative from the office of Senator Susan Rubio. I'm here to introduce myself to the board and community as well as provide some legislative updates. If you need anything related to Ontario or relate to the Senator, I would be your person. I'm the assigned community liaison to Ontario and the Senator. For some legislative updates, Senator Rubio's SB 1195 tied house expectations was signed by the governor. This bill supports select venues and generating more revenue by loosening alcohol licensing rules. Senator Rubio made sure Ontario Convention Center was included in that bill. In addition, SB 1276 was also signed by Governor Newsom as part of a larger bill package for protecting children. This bill makes it a crime to watch a live stream of child sexual exploitation content along with confirming it is illegal to create and consume AI generated altered child sexual exploitation content. That is it, thank you very much.

All right, thank you. Pastor Ted Burnett.

Two minutes, wow. So I was watching Channel 3, the Ontario channel the other day, and a fantastic video showing all the wonderful things that are being done in Ontario. And by the way, you guys look great on camera. And I was inspired by the great things being built in Ontario. And I was gung-ho. until reality set in and I had to be reminded that the quality of life that you speak about didn't include my District 4. While the video shows South Ontario, Anza, Munoz, and all the community center and upgrades, I realized that we in District 4 don't have a community center. And my happiness turned to anger. But what saved me was the fact that those 13 acres on 6th and Amador, and the hope that one day we can take part in that video, and that one day that video will include the community center in District 4. And we in District 4 have a saying and our motto, no taxation without representation. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ashley Ayala.

Good evening, Mayor and members of the Council. I am Ashley Yala with the Office of Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez, and I really appreciate the time here tonight with you guys. I just wanted to make this quick. I just wanted to present this event that our office is hosting called Pink with Purpose, which is a women's health and resource fair on the 17th of October from 11 AM. We will be providing free mammograms, health screenings, and resource boosts, as well as free food to the community here in Ontario and throughout our district. It'll be at the Anthony Munoz Park. And here's our flyer if anyone is interested.

Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Tina Silva.

Good evening, Mayor, Council. I want to begin by acknowledging that we are on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Tongva people. We honor their history, their communities, and their continued presence in this region. Immigration enforcement is not some distant issue. It's happening in our neighborhoods. Just yesterday, a man was taken at Forth and Baker. Another family woke up without a husband, father, brother, or son. For more than a year, we or I have stood at this microphone asking the council to establish an immigrant compassion fund. For more than a year, we have brought you stories of families being torn apart. So I have one simple question. When are you going to act? How many more families need to be disrupted before this becomes important enough for you to put on an agenda? Let's be honest about priorities. Some candidates and elected officials have hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting in campaign accounts while people in our community are facing the very real consequences of immigration enforcement. If our community is important enough to ask for votes, it should be important enough to stand with when families are in crisis. And while we're talking about accountability, it's time for Ontario to have a public conversation about campaign contribution limits and term limits. Residents deserve to know that their government is accountable to them, not to the people who can write the biggest checks or build the biggest campaign accounts. We need action. Put the Immigrant Compassion Fund on the agenda, put campaign contribution limits and term limits on the agenda, and then let the public have this discussion. It's about what you do when your community is standing in front of you asking for help. You ask our community for our votes. We are asking you for action. Thank you.

All right. Our next speaker is Marty McBride.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. Here I am again. I want to tell a little story about the town that I used to live in. Our town was a small town, much smaller than the city of Ontario. But our council and our city staff that we all knew and worked with on a daily basis, really went above and beyond, in my opinion, in terms of fostering confidence and trust in city government. And one of the things that they did that really impacted that effort in a positive way was that they would hold quarterly budget meetings open to the public, open to residents. They were dedicated meetings where residents could go and see a presentation by city staff with a quarterly comparison of the original approved budget to where the city was presently at that time, at the end of that quarter. It would include any adjustments to the budget and explanations of why those adjustments were being made, particularly if there were unexpected overages in spending that had not been anticipated at the time the original budget was approved. It did two things. It held the city accountable for every penny of taxpayer money that they were receiving, and it allowed the residents to be active participants in their government because they were allowed to ask questions, they were allowed to submit recommendations, ideas, thoughts, And it really helped foster a sense of trust in city government and community involvement and engagement. Anybody who didn't go, they caught up with it on the televised version. There were no secrets. It was transparency in a big way. Thank you.

All right, our next speaker is Tommy Mush again.

Two minutes to start off with. I came to City Hall yesterday to pull your 460s. There's so much energy here right now, which is great during public comment, but where's everybody during the week? City Hall is dead. There's nothing happening here. It's dead as a doornail. And you can do whatever you want. So I'd like to point out. that over at the engineering counter, there's Dodger paraphernalia everywhere. The whole thing's polluted with Dodgers stuff. L.A. Dodgers, L.A. Dodgers. Stop endorsing some conglomerate that doesn't give a fat rat's butt about anybody. I mean, look at the stadium, for goodness' sake. It's displaced all those people. So stop endorsing the Dodgers in the city. Oh, it's ridiculous. At the engineering, tell that lady to take all that stuff down. And then the other thing is... Over at the arena, for that first building that's going up, you have over 80 studio units in one building for the apartments. Then you have one, two, and three bedroom apartments. But when you add up those one, two, and three bedroom apartments, it don't even come close to a fraction of what the studios are. You're building too much stuff, you're jamming more people in that this area does not need, but you're obsessed with developing. And the other thing is, where's my universally accessible playground equipment? A good example is in East LA, Union Pacific Avenue, South Bondi Beach Place. And Chino Avenue, rolling around in circles. Then we failed to mention, Mr. Mayor, that's why you gave me a smirk last time when I told you to contract out for a private company for rubbish hauling. Over there at 22 East Philadelphia, you're putting in a new MRF station over there. You're selling off the six acres you forgot to mention. Then the public notices of the Daily Bulletin that day on September 1st, it's got your public thing showing that you guys want to build a MRF station over there and move the city yards over there and close down your soccer park. So there's that, you forgot that. Oh, and then the Arco station you're tearing down on Euclid for what, parking? No, you gotta turn it over to somebody to build more apartments.

Our next speaker is Randy Beckendam.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. I missed the last meeting and I kind of regret because I heard later that Councilman Baumann floated the idea of perhaps we have enough warehouses. So I want to commend you on those sentiments. And it seems like a moratorium on warehouses at this juncture would be a really good idea. It would give all of us a chance to catch our breath. And by the way, I live in District 3. They're building warehouses across from our farm. Once the elections are done and we know who our new District 3 council member is, we would have time to have town hall meetings and let the residents say what we would like in District 3. Let's put a moratorium on warehouses on the agenda and let's see what the people want.

Our next speaker is Brad Newman.

Hello, friends. My name is Brad Newman. I am the former city auditor for the City of Ontario in beautiful Southern California. Now, you should have this cease and desist notice, right, Ruben Duran, because you violated my time to speak. You had to address Mr. Mayor to interrupt me when it was my time to speak. So you have been served with this, and if you need me to send it through the mail, let me know. The other thing that happened is Scott Ochoa attacked me and my credibility. Scott, you know that... I submitted this statement of fact to Police Chief Mike Lorenz, asking him to correct anything that's inaccurate in the statement of facts. I've given Police Chief Rudy an opportunity to respond to this as well, in case Police Chief Rudy wants to demonstrate that we have an ethical police department. I was ordered to stand down there while the police investigated whistleblower case number 44, but there's no evidence that the police actually were ever contacted. Scott said that I had due process because police chief Mike Lorenz acted as a Skelly's hearing officer. His police departments, their actions and inactions are directly relevant to the city's allegations against me. He was a structurally conflicted person. It's a structural conflict of interest. for him to have to make a decision that's based on the actions and inactions of his officers. Mayor, one of the examples I was giving you to show the unethical management we have here, this is a document that Fire Chief Gerken refused to force the city to produce. Fire Chief Gherkin didn't decide my hearing in daylight, not with justice in mind. He prevented me from accessing this document. Jordan Billwalk gave me a copy of whistleblower case number 44 on the 30th of November. Mayor, Public Records has not produced one document showing that the Ontario Police Department ever performed any investigation into this.

All right, thank you, Brad. Okay, as I had announced earlier, it's past 7 o'clock. We're going to take up the rest of public comments. We have 15 more public comments. That's why we cut it down to two minutes. So we've got 15 more. So we're going to go ahead and move into the rest of the agenda and come back to public comments just before council comments. So if you would allow me, do you have any agenda review, Mr. City Manager? All right, so we're going to move on to consent calendar, and all matters listed under consent calendar will be enacted by one motion unless a council member pulls an item. And we do have a few speakers, a couple of speakers to consent calendar. And once again, you'll be given two minutes to speak. Whoa. Sorry about that, folks. I usually turn this thing to stun. Sorry about that. I'm gonna put it on silent too. Okay, so I'm gonna move into consent calendar with, were you gonna try to say something there? No, okay, okay. So we do have a couple of blue cards for consent calendar. And I'll move forward with Mr. Robles.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So I'm here to speak on item 14 and 16. So on item 14, the council's being asked to add nearly $28 million in authority for consultant contracts to plan and manage roads and utilities in Ontario Ranch. One new contract is worth $7.5 million and was awarded without competition. The same item includes a resolution mentioning up to $500 million in possible future financing for city capital projects. And that resolution does not borrow the money tonight, but the residents deserve to know what it covers. With public concern about pay-to-play hanging over City Hall, these lucrative contracts demand full disclosure. Show us how the firms were selected, what each will do, what the entire project will cost, and which funds will pay for it. I'm asking for transparency, not accusing anyone in particular or any firm of wrongdoing. But transparency is what we've been missing, and I am woefully low on time here. So on item 16, the city staff reports a reimbursement capped at $450,000. But another paragraph says $495,000, and then the proposed resolution says $450,000. So I think you need to get that clarified before you vote on this. The developer's responsible for drainage work on lot B. This is over by the arena. But we need to know which work benefits the public and why taxpayers would pay 60% of the eligible cost and who will maintain the system afterwards. This may be good, but once again, there's no report, there's no information, there's no transparency. Thank you.

All right, thank you, Art. Next speaker is Brad Newman on item 14.

I also oppose item number 14. Again, as Chris mentioned, it's about $28 million that you guys are approving all in one consent calendar without any explanation. What especially concerned me was the moot PSA amendment number one. You're increasing their budget from $100,000 up to 10 million. Why stop there, Scott? Why stop at $10 million? Why not go $20 million, $100 million? Why stop at $10? We didn't get any competition. We didn't get a competitive bid for this. According to the report, they based that $10 million off of a five-page draft that didn't include any sort of sketches, drawings, or anything really concrete. If you actually think that this is the best bidder, let them compete. Last time I compared you guys to the Soviet Union, making terrible, terrible corrupt decisions, picking the economic winners and losers. If this is the best team, if this is the best bidder, let them prove it. In America, we protect ourselves with competition. The fact that you guys are so terrified of competition, to me, it makes me believe that this is a corrupt administration. When you behave like you're corrupt, Scott, we believe that you're corrupt. Why don't you pull this item, Scott? Double the amount. Put it up to $20 million. Nobody cares. You didn't show your work on this, did you? There's no evidence showing that that's the actual value. So, Portland Mayor, you need to actually make a competitive bid for this.

I'm going to wait until all of these comments are done.

Okay.

Our next speaker is Tommy Mush again.

I filled out the comment card for 13 and 14, so which one is this, 13 or 14?

14. 14. 14.

What's the subject matter on 14?

It's amendments to the design services agreement with a DURA group.

Is that for Edison and Grove Avenue, or is it for the other thing?

Grove Avenue.

Okay, so it's basically Grove and Edison, right? So you're building infrastructure in there. You want to run water lines? Everybody's got a well down there. And I see what you're doing. It's like between my house and the ranch. You've got Grove shut down again. Run the sewer line because it goes that way. You're obsessed with bringing in sewers. You're just as bad as Fontana was back in the day. We're going to put more sewers in. What do you need sewers for? Oh, that's right. You want to build more. Nobody wants that down there. All the landlords, for some reason, you don't want to have any agriculture in the South India. Bow down to the warehouses. You didn't grow up around there. I did. I saw all the... I went to school with the Dutch Mafia and Ontario Christian. Everybody had their... What are you laughing at? You hate agriculture. I know you look behind you and say business and agriculture and schools and churches, but you want to eliminate all the agriculture. Did you have a strawberry field around when you grew up? We did on South Magnolia. You want to consistently take over the water and build, build. All you want to do is you're along for the ride because it's the economic time to do it. All you want to do is build it. It makes me sick to my stomach. You're bowing down to more. We don't want that in that part of town, but you won't represent it. You're too busy getting your campaign contributions and you don't care. You're basically along for the ride. You get voted out, then you're gone. You have like Wapner. He was running for mayor. Takes that campaign, moves it over to us. run for the city council district. You guys have made millions of dollars. Come on, you've been up here for 30 years. 30, Bowman and Walker's playing on a plaque at Ontario Mills. Three decades, campaign contributions.

I was laughing at Dutch Mafia. I thought that was funny. Anyway, so that ends that. So I'll entertain a motion or conversation from the council.

Mr. Mayor?

Yes, Mr. Watkins.

I apologize. They didn't announce this earlier. Item number 16. I have a potential on conflict with maybe an interesting part of this item. So I'm going to show myself as an abstention on item number 16.

So we're going to pull item number 16 for a separate vote off of the agenda. of the consent calendar. But then Mr. City Manager, I think that you had an opportunity to respond to some of the comments that were made. If you like.

Mr. Mayor, if I may just deal with Council Member Wapner's stated conflict. Because this is a consent calendar item, sir, the law does not require you to leave the room nor have a separate vote. The city clerk can simply note your abstention for the record and you'll be in compliance with state law.

I'm sorry, I couldn't really hear you. I have no financial interest in this at all. There's an LLC that's on the agenda, and I might have received a contribution from one member of the LLC that's not listed.

Okay, so you're talking about a Levine Act disclosure. So the disclosure has been made. It will be noted for the record, and you're fine. Just you won't be recording a vote on that item.

No, just record during the vote on that. Just record me as an extension of that one particular item. Okay. So we don't need to pull the item out?

Not unless anyone on the council wants a separate vote. It's not necessary legally.

Okay, so I'll hear from the city manager.

On item number 14, this is a series of professional service contracts. Your microphone. This is a series of a series of professional service contracts for utilities, for inspection services, engineering, and for traffic and transportation that all relate to Ontario Ranch. So as everybody knows that the area that is now Ontario Ranch was annexed in the late 90s and into the early 2000s into the city with a master plan community in mind. uh the east side of the ranch is probably about 70 developed and the time has come to begin focusing on phase two which is the area on the west side of the flood control channel and the plan that is contemplated here is for the city to design and begin to develop the infrastructure that would basically mirror what you see on the east side on the west side. Effectively, a set of backbone investments in infrastructure, namely what is today Edison Road would be a continuation of Ontario Ranch Road, moving from along east and west, and then on the north-south axis on Grove that would go from the southern city limits, or at least Eucalyptus because south of Eucalyptus has been improved, up to Riverside and really onward up to the 60 freeway that would facilitate the development of housing that that project that housing development program as well as the other land uses that are contemplated in the land use plan have been discussed at length. were featured in the Ontario plan, the general plan update as recently as this past June with a tremendous amount of outreach up to and including compliance with AB 78 dealing with truck traffics and the rerouting of truck routes. And this is the next step in that planning and development process. The funding source for these items, as you know, is the development impact fee accounts. Those fees are paid by developers as they develop what is right now the east side phase one of Ontario Ranch, and this would continue on to the second phase, the west side of Ontario Ranch. In terms of the bidding, with professional services contracts in particular, as you know because you see it on agendas from time to time, the city qualifies professional service firms. And those firms are then able to bid on projects in a more expedited manner versus doing a full blown RFP where the city does have latitude for professional services versus a more traditional public works project. But rest assured that the bidding process was executed with the firms that are pre-qualified and are on what we call the bench for all of our technical engineering departments, both in OMUC and in Public Works. So to the extent that there was competition, it really is interesting to hear from somebody who purports to be a person with insight into the way that a city works, who just does not understand that this process has been in place, is in place, and is working effectively and as designed with respect to the the selection and bidding of these types of projects and contracts for service. With respect to Mr. Robles' comment about item 16, there is a staff report. It is on the agenda. It is on the website. This is a participation between the city and the developer that is executing the capital city project around the arena. This is for the storm water retention that is there in the roadway that comes up north of Concourse to the front of the Toyota Arena. Being able to expedite this project and move forward because the developer is already on site, already mobilized, and is able to move forward in a way that our engineering department, as they looked at what the costs were and determined that if the cost that is being put forward meets an engineer's estimate, that they could move forward here again expeditiously in a manner that allows for the continuation of the momentum that is being generated by the delivery of the first phase, which should be complete, at least the residential units complete by the end of this year, if not the first quarter, early in the first quarter of 2027, the commencement of the second phase, which is immediately to the south of the first phase, and then moving over to a third phase that is on the parking lots that are immediately south of Toyota Arena. This project eliminates a critical path piece of infrastructure that will allow for that development to continue seamlessly and not have to waste any of the momentum that's been generated heretofore. So the recommendation is to move forward with our development partner and ask the council to approve this reimbursement agreement.

Okay, so that being said, I'll entertain a motion or discussion from Council.

I'll make a motion to approve.

Motion to approve by Mayor Pro Tem. Second by Mr. Bowman. Electronic vote. All right, thank you. That takes us to public hearings. Madam City Clerk.

Thank you. This is a public hearing to consider adoption of the consolidated annual performance and evaluation report for fiscal years 2025-26. Notice of public hearing has been given. Affidavits of compliance are on file and we have no written communications.

and let the record reflect if there's any written comments. No, ma'am. Any blue cards? I see some for 18, but I don't see some for 17. So Madam City Clerk, do we have any pink cards? No. Okay. So then we're gonna go to, I'd like to proceed as appropriate then close the public hearing and I'd like to have a motion. I have a first and a second, and could we now place our votes? If you're waiting for Paul, that's, yeah.

The record will reflect that he is out of the chamber for this vote.

Okay. Okay, then that takes us to item number 18. Madam City Clerk.

Thank you. This is to authorize the agreement for ground ambulance services with consolidated fire agencies in the city of Ontario. There are no written communications.

So at this time, I will let the record reflect any written communications for which there are none. And then I will like to call upon Fire Chief Mike Gerken to give us a brief overview of the program.

Thank you. So Mr. Mayor, who's stepped out, Madam Mayor Pro Tem, members of City Council, I just want to say I'm pleased to be here tonight to talk to you and to give you a brief update about a pretty significant milestone for the City of Ontario, the community at large, the Ontario Fire Department, and the County of San Bernardino. So hopefully on our way into City Hall today, our attendees were able to take a look outside at the Two ambulances were out there. And these are new ambulances that are going to go into service beginning October 1st as part of our ambulance transport program launch. And this is part of CONFIRE EMS. And CONFIRE is a JPA that's comprised of 11 fire agencies within San Bernardino County. And that JPA, the CONFIRE, was awarded the ambulance contract for the entire county of San Bernardino. And the reason this is such a significant moment for us is that this move to or from the incumbent ambulance transport provider to Confire EMS will actually be the single or the largest single ambulance provider transition in our nation's history. And what this means is that there's gonna be a public-private partnership now between the fire department, public agencies, and a private partner, which is gonna be Priority Ambulance. And this is gonna allow greater system efficiency and resiliency within the system that we haven't seen prior. For the Ontario Fire Department specifically, we're gonna be placing two ambulances into service, ALS ambulances. They'll be in service each day. These two ambulances will be medic ambulance 136 out of station six and medic ambulance 137 out of station seven. And the impact of this new transport provider will be seen in multiple ways. First and most importantly is a better service delivery for our community. We're gonna see improved ambulance response times and the revenues that are gonna be acquired through this transport program in the county will be reinvested back into the EMS system to make improvements throughout the whole system. Also, we'll see further improved transparency in the system. For the first time, we'll actually have visibility into how many actual ambulances are in our city at any given time, and that's something we haven't had before with our incumbent ambulance transport provider. Lastly, we also are going to have additional accountability for the ambulance transport services. So now we'll be able to see as we, these response times, if there's any issues, especially here in our community, all the fire chiefs have a seat at the table now and we'll be able to make sure that we can make any changes to improve the system. Most importantly, I just want to speak to what this looks like here for the City of Ontario and our residents. So our residents will continue to call 911 as they have before. as they do today. And the Ontario Fire Department, our fire engines, our ALS fire engines will continue to respond out to the call, as they do currently with our paramedics. But your ambulance transporting, your transporting ambulance actually may be an Ontario ambulance now, or it might be a priority ambulance that is going to be transporting. And so what you will see for sure is improved ambulance response times, which is going to lead to better service delivery. And so lastly, I'd like to say this truly exciting time for all of us in EMS here in the County of San Bernardino. And I just want to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to speak on this today.

Chief, does anybody else would like to comment on this?

Yes, Mr. Bowman. My pleasure to support this and move it and I think there's a tremendous amount of applaud and thanks should be giving to our chief and the department and all of the professionals that have come together to make this happen. It's really an historic moment for the City of Ontario and thank you sir.

Okay and before we get to um the vote we do have a speaker Mr. Chris Robles.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I really appreciate the chief's explanation of this, which was primarily why I wanted to come up and speak to it. And I made comments earlier and they were responded to. So let me in the context of this item, explain why I wanted to speak on this item. It's the lack of information posting things as a link on the agenda is the least minimal that can be done for clarity and transparency. What we just saw right now is exactly what I'm talking about, a full-on transparent explanation that the community can understand. And even in this context, this is the first time I've heard of this. I'm not opposed to it at all. It sounds like a great program. JTPAs are usually pretty good. But this is the first we've heard of it. The community needs to be part of these conversations to know what's going on. That's why we're doing our own town halls, ontariotownhall.com. That's why we're doing this, so that people, we want to hear from them first. And we want to give the information that we've been, most of us who attend these meetings, learn so that we can provide it to the community. It is not happening. It's not happening. So I hope that more of this is done in the future. I also hope that the presentations, the very few, I can put them on my hand for the last two years, are done first before public comments. So the public doesn't come up and speak on something without knowing anything about it, which happened to me last time when we were discussing the new Porto's because I had no idea that that's what the item was. There was nothing in the record about that, so thank you.

All right, so it's now time to entertain a motion. We have a motion by Mr. Bowman. Second. Second by Mayor Pro Temporata. So we'll go ahead and we'll take the vote. Item passes 5-0. That takes us to staff matters. Mr. City Manager.

Yes, sir. I would only note that at a previous meeting where the council discussed Measure H, you had members of the Auto Dealers Association come forward and express some concerns. They did make a presentation to staff regarding a program that they believe would alleviate some of the concern that they had. And I just want to report to you because it's come up from individual council members as to what was being done or could anything be done with them that in fact we are making progress with them. And I would hope that we would be in a position to bring a program to you for consideration as your first meeting in October.

All right. Thank you. So that Looks like it takes us back to public comment. So thank you for being patient. So our next speaker is Elsa Hernandez. Remember you have two minutes. Is Elsa still here? Can you give me just a second? Make sure you get somebody with this one. Communicate with them how it works so that we don't find ourselves in that delay. Thank you. Okay, I'm sorry. Your time isn't going.

Good evening, Mayor and council members. My name is Elsa Hernandez and I am here representing the Inland Coalition for American Justice. I coordinated community hotline where community members called to report eye sightings and arrests. Through this work, I connect directly with impacted families, including Ontario residents who have been affected by these actions. I'm here today to speak in support of creating a $1 million justice fund for immigrant families here in Ontario. Ontario has been highly impacted by immigration enforcement. Ontario residents have their loved ones detained, in other words, the provider of the family. Many of these families are struggling to find and afford legal representation. Families are trying to support their loved ones while also taking care of their children, paying rent, going to work, and keeping their families together. We get calls from the detention center, the provider worried about their family asking themselves who will provide and help and support them. For many families, the cost of an attorney is simply out of reach. A legal defense fund would help ensure that everyone feels supported and first chance in court. Creating a legal fund is more than a policy, it's about dignity, fairness, and inclusion. A welcome in Ontario is a safer, stronger, and more united place to live. By creating a $1 million justice fund, the Council is helping make sure that every resident, no matter where they were born, has a fair chance to stay in the city they call home. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Lucia Maldonado. And just to speed up this process of people getting in here, the next speaker will be Russell Wadigee. And be ready, come on up to the front.

Oh, good evening. You were in front. My time started already. Yeah. Good evening elected officials, fellow residents, constituents, and friends. My name is Lucia, I'm a resident of Ontario. And I'm here to ask for support as well to create a legal fund to help our immigrant community. Per the 2024 census, there's 185,289 residents, of which 85% are US citizens. The median age is 33, and 68.61 of these is the Latino population, which equates to 123,855 residents. I'm also here to ask for term limits, to ask to get the flock out, to also ask for limits to campaign contributions and no more warehouses. So we would like to put a moratorium on warehouses. I would also ask that you guys are transparent when it comes to budget because that's something that's always done in the dark and anything that's done in the dark comes to light. I'm also in opposition of Measure H. I believe you guys already took enough of our funds and you don't need anymore. What you need is to learn how to budget, just like every single resident does in this community. And just as a reminder, we are the backbone of our city. We're the working force and hopefully you guys will be elected out.

Okay, next speaker is Come up to the podium.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor, City Council. My name is Russell Howdigy. I'm wearing two caps tonight. I am a resident of Ontario, California, and I am a staff attorney with the San Bernardino Community Service Center. We are a legal service provider for immigrants here in Riverside and San Bernardino County. I'm here speaking on behalf of the $1 million justice fund that's been mentioned already. Where I live, immigrants are my neighbors. I see them in the park where I run. I share a laundromat with them. When I get my car washed, they wash my car. When I go eat, they cook the food that I eat. And they are the fabric of this city. I think I mentioned this before. My father had a gardening business for many years, and his workers were immigrants. And they took care of all these yards here in Ontario. So I think the best thing to do is to honor their work and to honor their presence in our community is to have a justice fund. I do represent immigrants in removal proceedings before an immigration court. There is no public defender system in immigration courts. They must look to non-profits like ours for representation. And during these times, it is especially difficult. to represent immigrants in the immigration court. So I just would plead with you to consider the $1 million justice fund. It would go a long way to help our neighbors who we share life with, life and community here within Ontario, California. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Next speaker is Michael Rios, followed by Roxana Bautista.

Good evening, Council. First, I just wanted to thank Mr. Bowman for the last meeting when you brought up the moratorium on warehouses. I deeply appreciate that. I hope that's something we can continue to move forward with, and I hope that's discussed amongst the Council and city leadership. Also, again, Mr. Leon, you brought up campaign contributions and term limits in the past. I really hope that that discussion is had in the public and we move forward with that. So I just want to thank both of you for both of those items that you've brought up in the past and I hope those discussions continue. After that, the... compassion fund that's being brought up, the Immigrant Compassion Fund. Bringing morality and ethics and stuff like that to this council doesn't often work. So I bring the economic side of it. It's regularly been studied and researched that there is a three to four percent impact on local economies when there are ICE raids, especially to the specific entities, the specific businesses where the raids happened. Those entities see even deeper cuts to their you know, to their bottom line and the money that they make. So just bringing forward, you know, the fact that the city will stand by their residents and do the right thing by the residents might actually counter that economic impact on the businesses in our city. I know we're looking for the city staff is looking for a half percent increase that three to 4%. If we can just drop that a little bit, we don't need to have percent anymore on the sales tax. So yeah, just take that into account. Yeah. Appreciate it. Thanks.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Roxana Bautista followed by Alec Aragon.

Hello, my name is Roxana Bautista, 29 years, resident of Ontario, associate of marriage and family therapy. I want to ask that Alan Wapner resign his position of the council. I would like to request that there be campaign contribution limits for city council members. In addition to that, I would like to request a warehouse moratorium, dispose of all flock cameras, and You know, it's been one year of traumatizing the Latino community in Ontario and throwing them in detention camps. It hasn't lowered gas, food and other prices of other goods. So I think we need to change the plan and really listen to the folks that are asking for the one million fund that would help with legal fees. Heck, that could even help with therapy to deal with the trauma. So if you are human and you have hearts, you know what to do.

All right, Alec Aragon followed by Javier Gomez.

Good evening, members of the Ontario City Council. I'm speaking tonight to ask the City Council to move forward with the Fair Ontario Public Integrity and Right to Know Act and establish stronger permanent transparency, disclosure, and ethic rules for city government. I want to make one thing clear. These public comments are a show to make the City Council's decisions look democratic and to legitimize their decisions to the public. While the air of legitimacy is maintained in the manipulated public opinion through omission and secrecy, it is easy to realize that this is a facade when you look at the end result of their actions, as cities stood out to the likes of Amazon, UPS, FedEx, et cetera. While Ontario appears to be strong in terms of commerce and providing local jobs with these warehouse jobs, in reality, it is a source of exploitation of labor and extraction of the city's resources in the benefit of the few who profit from this unequal exchange. Warehouses may bring in jobs, but they don't provide stable, high-paying careers for most people. You're essentially a lifelong slave to people like Bezos. I don't think that a vision of Ontario most residents have for their children, the future generation, is like this. But apparently, the city council thinks a town of ethnic minorities are well-suited for warehouse jobs and not much else. I support this measure because residents have the right to know exactly what influences the decisions made by the city council. Strong transparency makes it easier to prevent another Wapner situation. I also support reforms such as establishing a stronger independent ethics oversight. Lack of transparency is what the city desires and we must crush this. We also need greater transparency to major contracts, development agreements, and public land transactions. Public land should be for the benefit of the many, not for the corrupt few. Thank you for your time.

All right, thank you. Javier Gomez followed by Luz Maria Hernandez.

Good evening. I'm a proud resident of Ontario. Ontario has become a home. I met my wife here. I met my community, met my paletero, all the community, which is family to me. So I come here representing my immigrant community and asking for you to support in drafting the creation of the $1 million Justice Fund for immigrant families who have are impacted by the situation that we're in. We know that immigrants make a big part of the city, of the hardworking people that they are. So I plead to you, as many people have done today, to support immigrants. So thank you for your time.

Thank you. Luz Maria Hernandez, followed by Maricela Contreras.

Hola, buenas noches. Mi nombre es Luz Maria Hernandez y soy residente de aquí de la Ciudad de Ontario. Hello, my name is Luz Maria and I'm a resident of Ontario. Y hoy vengo a pedirle al concilio que ponga una moratoria de bodegas para la Ciudad de Ontario.

And I'm here to ask the council to impose a moratorium of warehouses within the City of Ontario.

Nuestra comunidad ahora cuenta con más de 600 bodegas.

We now have over 600 warehouses within the city.

Y casi 95,000 truques que transitan al día. And over 95 million trucks that travel through the city daily. Esto aumenta la contaminación, el tráfico y daños a las calles. This adds an increase to pollution and traffic within the city. Antes de aprobar más bodegas, la ciudad de Ontario Before approving any more warehouses, the city really needs to do more studies.

And additional studies that look at direct environmental impacts to the environment and the community at large.

And look for solutions to protect the community. And by establishing a moratorium, it's a perfect opportunity to do so. I'm also here to support a justice fund for immigrants.

That's it. Thank you very much for your time.

All right, thank you. Maricela Contreras, followed by Ana Gonzalez.

Good evening, Council. My name is Maricela Contreras, and I'm a resident of Ontario. I'm here to advocate for a moratorium of any industrial zone properties. Un recordatorio de nuestros ancestros. El aire es nuestro aliento. Y el agua, nuestra sangre. La tierra, nuestro cuerpo.

A reminder from our ancestors that the air that we breathe and the water is our blood and the earth is our body.

Por eso estamos aquí. Queremos largas vidas para nuestras familias y futuras familias.

And I'm here tonight to advocate for residents' longer lives for myself and my families and future generations.

Please listen to us. We deserve to live in a city that is healthy for all.

Thank you so much for your time and let's plant more trees for better quality within the city.

Thank you. Ana Gonzalez followed by Joaquin Castillejos.

All right, good evening, Ontario City Council Mayor Ana Gonzalez, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, and a member of the Ontario Future Alliance. And also here on behalf of over 200 CCAJ members residing in the city of Ontario, we are here to continue our advocacy for clean air and better quality of life for all Ontario residents and beyond. First, I want to thank you for your leadership in entertaining a much overdue warehouse moratorium. This is a critical step. We urge the council ensure that the study initiated under this moratorium is comprehensive and examines the full scope of warehouse impacts in our community. including public health impacts, including respiratory illness rates and cumulative pollution burdens, noise and light pollution, air and soil contamination, and land use balance. The quality and sustainability of jobs created, including whether these positions provide family supporting wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. THESE FINDINGS MUST BE DOCUMENTED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD SO THAT INFORMED TRANSPARENT POLICY DECISIONS CAN FOLLOW. SECOND, WE ARE HERE TO REMIND THIS COUNCIL OF THE TREASURE YOU HOLD IN SOUTH ONTARIO, THE PROP 70 LAND. TO SOME, THIS LAND MAY APPEAR TO BE A COLLECTION OF AGING, POLLUTING DAIRY OPERATIONS, BUT TO US, TO THE RESIDENTS AND FARMERS OF THE CITY, IT REPRESENTS SOME OF THE LAST REMAINING FERTILE LAND in our region that can be used for regenerative farming to grow fresh food and achieve food sovereignty and that Ontario residents have access to nutritious food. We are a region in crisis. Our communities shoulder disproportionate cumulative impacts from industrial development, freight movement, and pollution. We are here in solidarity also with our immigrant communities and families and with the Inland Coalition of Immigrant Justice. We ask that this comment be entered into the administrative record and that the council formally consider a comprehensive health and environmental impact study as part of a moratorium and establishment of conservation easements on Prop 70 land. Thank you.

All right. Well done. Joaquin Castillejos followed by Jennifer Ayala.

Good evening, council, staff, and community. My name is Joaquin Castillejos. I'm with the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, also a member of the Ontario Futures Alliance and of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice. I'm here today first to ask the council to put a warehouse moratorium on the agenda and vote in favor of it. This city already has enough warehouses. As I said before, over 600 warehouses, 95,000 truck trips, which amounts to immense impacts to the community and to the health of children, families, et cetera, high levels of asthma, respiratory disease, heart disease. And this all has solutions, some solutions such as mitigations to the air quality, more green spaces, more air monitoring, air filters for the community, more agricultural spaces. But the community needs to do a full study on that and to do that we need a moratorium and we need it as soon as possible. We're already way past due for that. Our communities have been carrying these burdens for years and it's time for the council to take action on that and show the community that people come first, not profits. Especially when it comes to the land in this city, we need to prioritize the community when it comes to agricultural lands and preserving that for the future generations we need to also think about the community not the profits these agricultural lands are important for the future generations of a prop 70 land and trading it over or using loopholes to uh, and for industrial land is unacceptable and we need to stop that now and preserve these lands and use them as green spaces to continue to clean our air. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Jennifer the Ayala followed by Maria Galvan.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the council. My name is Jennifer De Tejada. I've been an Ontario resident for 23 years. I first learned about environmental justice in a classroom at Ontario High School. I learned how decisions where we build and where pollution is located can affect the health and quality of life of the people that live nearby. And that's why I'm asking the city to consider a temporary pause on new warehouse development. I understand the arguments of warehouses can bring jobs and economic activity. But when we look across the Inland Empire, we see empty warehouses. And with automation taking over, we have to really ask, is warehousing really the long term solution for our communities? Is it the long term solution for Ontario High School, Ontario? A temporary pause would give Ontario time to study these impacts and decide where warehouses belong and what protections residents need. It would also give residents a meaningful opportunity to be involved through neighborhood workshops, especially in communities most affected. But a pause could give a clear pathway for that. And I'm asking the city to establish a public timeline for community workshops, staff reports, and eventually consider of permanent standards that address warehouse locations, buffers, truck routes, and operating conditions and enforcement. Thank you.

All right, thank you. Get Scott teed up. Maria Galvan.

Hello, everybody. My name is Maria Galvan. I live in Ontario and my Children attended the, um, the JP joint union high school district. Uh, thank you for what you're doing, uh, and to support all these organizations. And, uh, I like to mention ice out of Ontario. I AGREE WITH THE MILLION DOLLAR IMMIGRANT FUND. I AGREE WITH THE MORATORIUM ON HOUSING. AND ALSO TO PROTECT PROP 70, PROPOSITION 70. Yes, I would like to request to put a temporary warehouse moratorium on a public agenda, adopt a legally supported 45-day pause, and set a deadline for stronger permanent rules. Why a pause now? A temporary pause gives Ontario time to decide where warehouses belong and what protections residents need before more projects are approved. What should the pause cover? Cover new warehouses, distribution centers, truck terminals, and major expansions or changes that would increase truck activity? What should Ontario study? Publish a map and list of proposed warehouse projects so residents can see what is in the pipeline, what happens after the pause. Set a public schedule for staff reports, neighborhood workshops, and a council vote on permanent standards. I would like to ask a question. Which warehouse projects are pending, where are they, and how many additional truck trips are expected? Give the public, am I done? You're done. Okay, thank you for your time. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Thank you very much. That ends the public comments portion, as you see. Thank you all for waiting and being patient with us and getting it done in order. That takes us to council matters. I'll start all the way to my left.

Mr. Mayor.

Wait, wait, no, I'm sorry. No, no, no. We got one more. We have someone on the phone.

Yes, Mr. Mayor. My apologies for the interruption. We do have one caller on the line. Mr. Rafferty, you are now live in the meeting.

Hello. My name is Scott Rafferty. I'm Chris Roble's attorney. And listening to this evening's meeting, so much of it is the legacy of Chris's six-year fight for district elections. You're finally responding to your constituents' concern about warehouses. You're listening to them express interest in campaign finance and term limits. These are dramatic change and a great success for the city. And you have an extraordinary map. So I just want to focus on why you continue to have this crusade against the CBRA. This is a majority Latino city. And you've gone out and hired a journeyman attorney who seems to have a desire to just destroy the law and make it so that these cases can never be brought. You had a settlement which she publicized. Since that time, I have spent five times as much in responding to all of your appeals. You took one after the appeal. We made a generous settlement offer. You kept filing appeals. You filed four more. You went to the Supreme Court and you're back in the Court of Appeals and You can spend all this money, but it's not being spent well. And it's not the place of a majority Latino city to take on somebody else's crusade to make it impossible to bring CBRE cases anywhere in the jurisdictions that still need reform. So I hope you'll reconsider the whole stance you've taken in this. It's a colossal waste of taxpayer money. and it needs to end. Uh, and you need to come to a resolution of this, uh, because you had an extraordinary map that was prepared for you. And I think you should respect that. And, uh, right.

Uh, thank you. Thank you. I guess. Okay. So, uh, that ends the public comment portion of our meeting and I'll move all the way to my left with Mr. Watner for council matters. Ms. Prada.

Coming up will be the Ontario Heritage Cemetery Tour where they look up five distinguished individuals at the cemetery. They talk to their history about the people. They dress up in the period clothing. So tickets are on sale at Logan's Candies. And so please support the Ontario Heritage. Thank you.

The car show.

Oh, well.

You weren't going to mention that? No, that's okay. Somebody else can do it. Ms. Macias?

Mr.

Bowman? No. Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The only comment is we have a Route 66 car show this weekend. I hope you guys can make it. We're expecting a lot of people and yeah, looking forward to seeing everyone there. Thank you.

Mr. Bowman. I think a lot's been said here tonight and I think the messages are clear. I want to thank the chief one more time. You know, this is a, a huge accomplishment that he and his colleagues throughout the valley have accomplished. It's historic, it's life-saving, and a tremendous amount of applaud and thank you needs to go to the fire chief, his crew, and what a wonderful job they're doing. Thank you.

I want to impress upon people to make it to one of the greatest events in the city and the region, our car show coming up, and you'll all have a great lot of fun. Also, the great comments from the public. Don't think that we don't hear you. We do. In this setting, without it being agendized, we can't really talk about it. A lot of things are gonna come forward from the many, many recommendations that we heard tonight. So with all of that being said, we thank you for participating in our meeting. Our next regularly scheduled meeting will be October 6th, 2026. Oh, I want to, by the way, with council consensus, I'd like to adjourn in honor of William Rojas. Five years ago, William passed away. He's the son of our dear friend from the Hispanic Chamber, Mr. Luis Rojas. who I think is here. There he is. Hi, Luis. We're very sorry about the loss of your son. Those of us who have lost family members, we know how hard that is. So we thank you, and we'd like to adjourn. Anybody have a naysay on that? Seeing none, we're going to adjourn tonight in honor of your son, William. Thank you. God bless you all for being here.

Collective efforts pay off.