City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to welcome everybody to a meeting of the Ontario City Council. And first order of business, Madam City Clerk, is a roll call.

Thank you, Mayor Leon. The record will reflect all council members are present for this meeting.

Okay. So before we move on, I need to ask if anybody has any possible conflicts of interest. No, Then we will go to a closed session. Are there any people here wishing to speak to the closed session matters? Okay. So then I'll call on our city attorney to announce the closed session.

Thank you, mister mayor. Good afternoon, members of the council. You've got five items on your closed session agenda today. The first is a piece of existing litigation heard under government code section five four nine five six point nine subsection d one. The name of that case is Nicole Brown versus City of Ontario et al.

The last four items are all real property negotiation items under the authority of government code section five four nine five six point eight. The first is at the address 932 To 936 East Holt Boulevard. The city's negotiator is mister Ochoa or his designee. The negotiating party on the other side is PS Southern California One LLC. Second project is property is at 1201 East Holt Boulevard.

Again, mister Ochoa is your designated negotiator. Negotiating party on the other side is Crossroads Ontario LLC. Next is twelve seventeen to twelve twenty seven East Holt Boulevard. Twelve seventeen Holt LLC is the negotiating party on the other side. Mister Ocho is your designated negotiator. And finally, the property at 2630 East Inland Empire Boulevard. Negotiating party is IKEA Property Inc. Mr. Ochoa is your designated negotiator. All of those items relate to price in terms of payment as allowed into the Brown Act. Thank you Mr. Mayor.

Okay. So we'll recess to closed session for consideration of listed matters. We'll return at approximately 06:30. Thank you for attending. Good evening everybody and welcome to a meeting of the Ontario City Council.

It's good to see everybody here. I've already covered the closed session, so we'll, our city, you already announced it. Let's do this later. So we're gonna have our Pledge of Allegiance led by council member Parotta and our invocation will be led by pastor Gressford Thomas from the Ontario Seventh Day Adventist Church. You ready after Debbie?

Ready to begin. Yeah. Had I seen you down there, I'd had you lead. I I didn't know. I should have let you lead. Okay. Anyway, so we have the invocation.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, creator of all, we pause at the beginning of this meeting to acknowledge our need for wisdom beyond ourselves. We thank you, Lord, for the privilege of serving the city and for every person who lives, works, learns and hopes here. We ask your blessing upon these council members, city staff, first responders and all who carry responsibility for the common good. We pray that you would grant them clarity and discussion, integrity and decision making, humility and leadership and courage to do what is right.

Help them to listen well, speak with respect and seek solutions that promote justice, peace, safety and human dignity for all. Lord, we pray that you would bless this city, strengthen its families, protect its neighborhoods, guide its youth, comfort the hurting and provide for those in need. Make us people who do not merely pursue our own interests but who work together for the welfare of the whole community. May this meeting be marked with wisdom, civility and a sincere desire to serve. In your name we pray.

Amen. Amen.

Thank you. Now we can have a report on our closed session, Mr. City Manager.

Yes, thank you Mr. Mr. Mayor. Senior and the council met in closed session to consider each of the five items that are listed on the agenda. They provided direction to staff, but there is no reportable action. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. That moves us to our public comments portion. Folks, we have a pretty intense item coming up. And right now, just on public comments alone, we have close to we're getting close to 50.

So, you know, I'm going to have to cut the time down a little bit on the public comments in order for us to get through the night. But with the so we're going to have to go with a two minute public comments and two minute comments on the item that is coming up later. Otherwise, we'll never get out of here. So we'll have a one minute remaining and we'll go with that. So everybody needs to know that you will be alerted when you have one minute remaining and in accordance with state law, remarks need to be limited to subject within the council's jurisdiction.

The council's jurisdiction. And all of those wishing to speak, including the council and staff, need to be recognized by the chair. So really just to help the meeting get moving folks, don't erupt in applause or anything no matter what is said. No matter how funny I am, don't laugh. I told you. Okay so do we have any emailed public comments?

Yes Mr. Mayor, we have emailed comments for item 10 on the consent calendar and public comments. They have been printed, placed at the dais and will be entered into the record.

Okay. So we'll begin. Remember with two minutes, our first speaker is Tina Silva.

Good evening, Mayor City Council. I hope you didn't miss me too much. Before I begin, I'd like to acknowledge that we're gathered on the ancestral lands of the Tongva people, the original caretakers of this region. As a city that values inclusion and community, it's important that we honor not only this history, but also the people who continue to build Ontario today. I'm asking again for an immigrant compassion fund.

Since June 2025, we have had at least 55 ICE kidnappings in the city of of Ontario alone, and many more were reported or not observed. On January 22, was observed in the SEIU 1000 business lot on Haven. Observers called OPD to ask if they knew which agency they were because we were welcomed by the chief at that time to do so. The unknown plain clothed men with firearms would not identify themselves.

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OPD confirmed it was HSI, but when the observer called back to get some police presence in the parking lot for safety reasons, we did not feel safe. She was transferred to the watch commander who said that they could not put Ontario police officers in harm's way and no, they would not come out. I would like to ask for a public records request for this phone call and response. The call would have been made from 08:30AM to 09:30AM on January 22. We would have many more observers in the council chambers during city council meetings, but we are busy helping families, helping children whose parents are ripped apart from them.

This means taking care of them, buying them the things they need, put food on their tables. So again, an Immigration Compassion Fund, an Immigrant Compassion Fund would be very well appreciated.

Thank you, Tina. Your time is up. Appreciate you. Our next speaker is Chris Robles.

Good evening, mister mayor, city council. Your two minute restriction is exactly why I'm up here right now, to talk about civic engagement. I've been to many city council meetings from Los Angeles to cut a hay, tiny little cities and everything in between and if you're all getting paid and the staff that are here are all getting paid so if the meeting needs to go to 10PM, 11PM, so be it. We're here to speak and we deserve the full three minutes. Civic engagement in Ontario is a joke.

You've recently had some meetings about the Littleton Ballpark and instead of engaging people where and meeting them where they are, you held two meetings from 03:30 to 5PM with people who work, who have children, that are very engaged and

It involved in this

is for you to meet us where we live, not for us to come just to council meetings for you to say to us, well nobody comes, nobody talks to us. We're all busy. People, look at the children that are here, people have lives. Giving them very short notice to try and rearrange their lives in order to meet a 03:30 to 05:00 event for input and then only giving them one item, one proposal when you all had four proposals and quite honestly instead of giving us proposals, you should be asking us what we propose. You should be developing the proposal from our input.

This needs to change. Know, Pomona has a $5.00 $6,000,000 budget, San Bernardino a $349,000,000 budget and we have a $1,650,000,000 budget. You can't tell me you don't have the money to do proper government civic outreach.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Robles. I would like to just remind everybody not to jump out clapping and all that stuff. The other thing is that when you go to other regions and cities, you get one minute. You get one. This is, know, we're still working well above the normal. So John George is our next speaker.

I'm a custodian from the parish of San Segundo Diosdio. We're having our one hundredth year anniversary. I was just wondering if we can get some help from the city to advertise so we can bring some people in because we're kinda in a hidden it's a hidden spot. I don't know if you've seen it. You've been there, but we're right next to the airport, and we're celebrating our one hundredth year anniversary. I know Gwasi had a lot to do with the Chaffey brothers, so there's a history to it. I thought maybe you'd wanna help us out for advertising. Mr. City Manager, could

you direct him to somebody who could help him?

Yes, Director of Communications. Mr. Bell standing in the back can work with you on the community calendar.

Straight back there.

Thank you.

All right. Our next speaker is William Villarreal. Nice hat.

Good evening council. My name is William Villarreal. I am a play player agent and city liaison for the Ontario Eastern United Little League. It's great to see you again. Last time I was in front of this body in this chamber was in December 2025, where we talked about some goals and some things that we'd like to achieve as a Little League.

So today is more kind of a report card day for me, I and just wanted to come back as promised and update you guys on what's going on in Ontario Eastern United for spring twenty twenty six. We have some pretty exciting developments with the help of council members Ochoa, Macias, and Porada and not to say the least of some of our public works parks and community services personnel. We've upgraded our majors field at Lattimore Field over at John Galvin to now be a modular fifty seventy intermediate field. So what that means for the community of Ontario and youth baseball is that now we can host three divisions of youth baseball

one field.

So that's a huge accomplishment for us. It's something we haven't seen on Latimer Field in over ten to fifteen years. So thank you very much council members and thank you very much community services and public works and city parks. Lastly, thank you again also for your amazing help with getting our snack snack bar our snack bar building going. It's slow going, but it's going.

Last we heard is maybe a date of April, maybe after me and somebody give me a closer update for the for when it might be finished. But that being said, once it's finished, we'd like to extend an invitation to all of you and all the city community members to come out and support youth baseball. I also wanna send a special thanks out to the Fire Department Association, Police Office Association, our new chief. Wherever you're at chief, thank you so much for the new shirts. Thank you Daisy for helping out with that. And lastly, again, super excited and hope and we know that you're gonna make the best decision for Ontario Youth Baseball regarding the pending issue for everybody's show up today. Thank you very much and have a wonderful rest of your evening. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Our next speaker is Art Marquez.

Well, evening honorable mayor, city council and city staff. My name is Art Marquez and I'm with SoCal Gas and I'm simply here today to thank the city for its strong coordination and partnership during the recent water intrusion incident that temporarily impacted natural gas service and parts of Ontario and neighboring Chino City areas. So as you recall, on Saturday March 7, SoCal Gas received reports of outages near the 2,000 block of South Euclid Avenue. Our crews responded quickly and identified water intrusion in our natural gas system. To ensure safely safety and allow repairs to be made, natural gas service was temporarily shut off in the affected area.

Since then, we had hundreds of SoCalGas employees working around the clock to remove water from the system and complete repairs and conduct safety checks. Because each home and each business has to be individually inspected before gas can be safely restored, crews required to visit every impacted property.

One minute remaining.

We are especially grateful to the City of Ontario for allowing us to use city property to establish an incident command. That support was critical in helping our teams coordinate operations, continue repairs efficiently, and keep the community informed throughout the restoration process. We are pleased to report that natural gas service has been restored to approximately 2,300 customers and those customers who experienced an interruption will not be billed for the days they were without service. Those adjustments will be reflected on their next regular scheduled bill. Throughout this incident, the city of Ontario has been a key partner in ensuring residents had access to timely information and resources.

We are truly appreciated for that collaboration. And finally, we wanna thank the community. We wanna thank them because they had great patience and understanding as crews work to safely restore their services. So with that, I want to thank you for the opportunity to provide this update and wish everybody a good night.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Tommy Michigan.

I looked at the city's operating budget for this year today and the Ontario sports empire took about over half $1,000,000,000, over $500,000,000 for your sports complex. I don't know what your fascination with sports is, but it's eating up all the revenue in the city. You're gonna call in an investment and you're gonna put in what? Two more parking structures by the arena as you pack in more people at high density residential and it makes me sick. All you care about is your capital improvements program, but all the people over that little park where they burned everything, why don't you make that a capital improvements program?

And by the way, think you need to spend more money at De Anza Park. I need my university accessible playground equipment and I want my long ramps and a nice swing for anybody in a wheelchair. You know, spend over a million and a half dollars, you can spend a little bit more. And I feel that, oh, the gentleman brought up Pomona. Well, we have a building in Pomona and I got the 460 forms for the Pomona City Council. One minute remaining. Thank you. They don't receive campaign contributions from their unions for their police and fire, but you guys accept them gladly. And oh, Wachner, by the way, how much did you pull in for the first '18? Your war chest ended with $372,000 in campaign contributions.

So while you're dreaming up all your other stuff, all you care about is your campaign contributions. What do you need them for? Make me sick.

All right, thank you. Our next speaker is Kevin Kizzy.

Last time I was here, I addressed some issues regarding Mr. Wapner and Ms. Mesias. I was politely instructed by city attorney Duran and Mr. Bowman, so that caused me to do a little studying.

Under California law, a council member who threatens or intimidates a citizen to prevent them from speaking or to punish them for their comments is likely violating both the Brown Act and the First Amendment. In this situation, city attorney Duran, you question or rebuttled to what I stated regarding Ms. Mesias and or voting someone else in. I know you can't remember everything but in 03/18/2025 I was here about a problem that we had to address with Assemblyperson Rodriguez regarding Gates. We stated then what we would do and we still hold the same position in the community.

With respects to the threat, Mr. Bowman, I will say to you sir, thank you for welcoming back to Ontario because I was leaving before last meeting but now I've sold 90% of my aquatic business. And I'm going stay here and focus on this little group right here. Okay? Mr. Wachner, in the future sir, you are not to come outside and threaten me. You're not to come out and tell me what I'm to say up here. Don't get up here

and say I'm to

or app propose for the group. I get up here and I speak what it is on behalf of the people. I'm an advocate for the people and I'm a resident for the people. So that being said, I'm not going to always say things that are nice and fitting to you. I'm going to tell what's going on in our community. With respects to the Grove Plaza, it needs help. With respects to Littleton Park, it needs to stay there because that's what the people want. You indicated Mr. Ochello and Mr. Duran were upset with my comments. Well, can speak for themselves. And you, Ms. Mesias, don't ever come up to me again with him and threaten or intimidate me with your presence, supporting what he said to me. That's not how we do business here in Ontario. I've said things plenty of times about Mr. Mayor Leon. He's never done that. No one else, Ms. Perata, has never come to me. In fact, they listen and they work.

So I ask that you guys do the same. You're not always going to get nice comments. You're going to get what's happening and what we feel in this city. And we hope you will address those concerns and not intimidate people. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Randy Beckendom.

Good evening, Mayor Council. Randy Beckendam, Executive Director of Southern California Agricultural Land Foundation. Spoken many times about importance of regenerative farming and food security. As we speak, there's a lot of chaos in the world. The price of everything is going up.

One of the specialties of our nonprofit is we help people build growing beds in their backyards for growing food. So this would help individual families increase their food security. So there is a group of us that would love to talk with staff further about this issue and we are wondering if you could facilitate that.

Randy, we can't have a conversation about such stuff but I can ask the city manager to put you in contact with somebody who can continue the conversation. Thank you. Mr. City Manager, did you hear what he was asking for? Somebody to talk to him about.

Apartment that would fit you, but we'll reach out to Mr. Beck and him.

Whoever's working with the seeds of and the farm over here. I'll set up

a meeting with him for our staff.

Okay. Okay. There you go. Thank you. All right. Well, we've finished that part. So thank you very much. And that will move us on to agenda announcements. Mr. Zane Manager?

No changes. Okay.

So it moves us to consent calendar. And as a reminder, comments on consent calendar are limited to two minutes. But I don't see there are no consent calendar. Wait, item 10. There is one. For Item 10.

Excuse me folks, I'm

just making sure. Okay. So we do have a speaker to item 10. And so before we go to the vote from the council, I'll invite you up. Alex Lopez. You're with Reach Out? Yes. Wow. Thirty years ago, almost worked for them. Diana Fox still there?

Yes, yes indeed.

That's my good bud. Okay.

Well good evening mayor, city council members and community. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight and for your continued commitment to the health and well-being of our community. My name is Alex Lopez. I'm an outreach specialist for Reach Out. Reach Out is a nonprofit organization that has been working to serve the city of Ontario and the Inland Empire for over fifty years.

My work focuses on substance use prevention. I appreciate the time, care and consideration that has gone into reviewing the proposed ordinance related to flavored tobacco, nitrous oxide, kratom products and other related items. Reach Out recognizes the importance of ongoing conversations around public health and safety, particularly as they relate to youth and vulnerable populations. Issues such as access, prevention and education play a significant role in shaping healthier communities. And it is encouraging to see these topics being thoroughly examined. I would like to express my gratitude for

your One leadership minute remaining.

In addressing matters that impact public welfare and for your commitment to considering a range of perspectives and your decision making process. In front of you are info packets with our organization's events and programs along with my contact info for any further questions and follow-up. Thank you again for your dedication to the well-being of the city of Ontario and for your continued service to the community. Thank you.

You know, just real quick, I was hoping that you would touch on some of the, I mean, going back thirty years and I was, Jim Coleman was the guy, famous guy with your organization. But before Diana Fox, but it was all about the secondhand smoke, flavored smoke, and how these are entry and gateways to kids becoming smokers. And that's really what we're continuing to fight here, and also different groups who prefer a certain taste in a cigarette. So just piggybacking on what you're saying, thank you for coming forward and I think that we're very aware of the dangers of these types of tricks in the tobacco industry. So thank you.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

Okay, so I'll continue with the consent calendar and entertain a motion discussion from the council. Motion by Ms. Mesias, second by Mr. Bowman. We'll go ahead and take the vote. Consent calendar passes five zero.

And

that takes us to item 15, I believe. No. Go back. We go. Item 14, Madam City Clerk.

Thank you. This is a public hearing to consider an ordinance of the City Council of the City of Ontario, California recommending city council approved file number PDA21Dash009, a development agreement between the city of Ontario and Westhaven twenty seven LLC to establish the terms and conditions associated with tentative track map 20696 located at the southwest corner of Riverside Drive and Haven Avenue within the planning area one of the West Haven specific plan. Notice the public hearing has been given, affidavits of compliance are on file, and we have no written communications.

All right. Thank you. So at this time, I'll open the public hearing having no written comments, no blue slips are filled out here. I'll close the public hearing, entertain a motion or discussion from the council. Moved by Mr. Bowman. Second by miss Mesias? Take your vote. Alright. The item passes five zero. Item number 15, madam city clerk.

Thank you. This is a public hearing to consider an ordinance of the city council of the city of Ontario, California recommending city council approved file number PDA25Dash005, a development agreement between the city of Ontario, Legacy Land Partners LLC, and Richland Ontario Developers LLC, and to establish the terms and conditions associated with tentative parcel map number 2097 sorry, 20792 located on the Southwest Corner of Ontario Ranch Road and the Mill Creek Avenue within the planning area five b of the Richhaven specific plan. Notice the public hearing has been given. Affidavits of compliance are on file, and we have no written communications.

So at this time, once again open the public hearing. There's no written communications, no blue slips written. So I'll close the public hearing and entertain a motion or discussion from the council. Motion by miss Parada. Second by mister Bowman. Vote. Five zero. Takes us to item number 16, Madam City Clerk.

Thank you. This is a public hearing to consider certifying the Center Park specific plan final focused environmental impact report and to consider approval of the Center Park specific plan and an ordinance of the city council of the City of Ontario, California approving pursuant to the certified focused environmental impact report, state clearinghouse number 2025060731 for the Center Park specific plan to establish the land use district's development standards, design guidelines, and infrastructure improvements for the potential development of up to 4,293 residential drilling units, 115,809 square feet of retail uses, 135,110 square feet of office uses, and 68 acres of open space parkland recreational uses on approximately 258 acres of land and making findings in support thereof. Notice of public hearing has been given. Affidavits of compliance are on file, and you have one written communication.

Okay. So at this time, I'll open the public hearing and let the record reflect a single written communication. There are no blue cards written to this, so I'll close the public hearing and entertain a motion. Motion by Parada. Second. Second by Baumann. Take the vote. Passes five zero. So that takes us to administrative reports and discussions. And actually tonight, unlike the last time, it asks for an action.

So we'll have we will have tentatively a vote on what we're gonna do. So this is about Jay Littleton Ballpark. And I'll ask this city clerk to give us the announcement.

Okay.

Yeah, that's all we need. So I'll open the item for council discussion and any questions at this time? Did anybody want to talk about it or any discussion yet? Okay, so you want to do it after public, after, okay. Fine, okay.

So it's important that we go and we hear all of you. Now, like I said earlier, you know, we have right here, oh man, a book. And so we're going to stick tight to the two minutes. Our first speaker is Carlos Laura. And I just wanted to say real quick before we hit the timer that I want to hear what you have to say. I don't want you to just come up and I don't want you to be nervous. Nobody needs to be nervous. We're nobody special.

Geez, now you're making me nervous.

You need to be nervous, but nobody So else needs we just want to hear what you have to say. We're going to hear, honestly, hear what you have to say. So, but at the same time, we're going have to keep it down so we don't get caught up in time wasted. Mister Laura.

My name is Carlos and I'm here not just as a resident but as a father, as a leader, as someone who has seen firsthand what the Scout House means to our community and our kids. To some it may be just a building but to us we're we're this is where boys and girls become leaders. I've watched kids walk into the Scout House shy, unsure, and still trying to figure out where they fit in. And over time, I've seen these kids stand taller, speak with confidence, lead with their peers and take pride on who they become. The transformation does not happen accidentally.

This happens because they have a place that is consistent, safe and theirs. And I wanna highlight theirs. The Scout House is that place. In Cub Scouts, we teach the Scout Oath and the Scout Law and more importantly, we live it. We're teaching kids at a young age what it means to be to have integrity, to serve others and to do the right thing when no one is watching and right now we need that more than ever.

One minute remaining.

Thank you. Ontario Ranking. If we wait until the they're older we're waiting too long. These values have to be planned early and they still need to grow. They still need to listen and become. The house has the Scout House gives us that place. This isn't just about the meeting or badges. This is about building future citizens for this city. Kids who grow up remembering their community give back to their community. Our pack isn't just asking to keep the Scout House but we also want to partner with the city where we're ready to show up to serve that community to help take care of our parks and public spaces to raise young people, to understand what being part of the community means to contribute to it because the scout that's what scouting is all about.

So tonight I am asking you to look beyond the building but to see the impact. See the kids, see their growth, see their future Because when you support the Scout House, you're not just saving a space, you're shaping lives. And I can tell you from firsthand experience that that impact is real. Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you. Mississippi attorney, is it, it should be okay for me to ask a question after he speaks because he's talking about the Scout House and I don't want there to be any misconceptions that, you don't need to come back up, thank you, that the Scout House is gonna be thrown away or something.

Mr. Mayor, the city manager's here to answer whatever questions you or any of those council I members

just wanna make sure that

it was

okay Yes, to have think that would be right appropriate.

Yeah. Yes, sir. In the context of the recommended multi use concept, while the Scout House is not represented in that parking lot, it's because being in the parking lot really makes it a very inefficient parking lot. And so I would imagine that if that concept were to progress beyond just a concept and towards an actual proposal and plan, the council would call for the Scout House to be relocated in a manner that allows for an efficient use of that parking lot.

But not removed, just moved. Okay. All right. So I just wanted to make that clear. I'd never seen any plan that said removing the Scout House myself. Patrick Willard.

Hello. My name is Patrick Willard. I actually work for the California Inland Empire Council with Scouting America. I'm relieved to hear what the mayor just said in terms of a potential relocation of the Scout House. The current Scout House that is there has been there for, I'm not entirely certain how long.

I know it's been at least seventy years. Troop three zero one, before being Troop three zero one, was Troop one. And they've been present here in the Ontario area for over one hundred years. And that's one hundred years of helping young men, now young men and young women, learn to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. That makes people become better citizens. It gives them the opportunity to strive to do other things and open new doors for them, whether that's being a teacher or going through our police explorers program or a wide variety of other things.

One minute, really. But in

order to be a scout, you have to have a place to meet. And that is why locations such as the Scout House are so rare and so treasured because

it's very hard to

have a scouting unit if you don't have a place to meet and be scouts. So I would encourage the Scout House to remain where it is or if it can be relocated that it can be relocated. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Tina Silva.

Good evening. I attended the community information session at John Galvin. Thank you very much for having that. I am retired so it's easy for me to get there at 03:30 and we had terrific conversations with staff but when I asked there was only one rendering instead of all four, they said, well, this is what the city wanted us to bring. Quote. I'm not quote but something to that effect. And I said, oh, okay. Cool. So I was looking at the rendering, looking at it, looking at it. My god. It's a really cool ballpark, but what's this water around it? Oh, Tina, that's not a ballpark. What? What do you mean that's not a ballpark? No.

It's a it's something to make to pay homage to Jay Littleton Ballpark. It's not a ballpark. I went, woah. My jaw dropped. It really did.

What is the use of those events that we hold when the community can't offer their input on all the information

that was given We to us every

go to the information sessions and we have one rendering to give input on. Why can't we have all four? Put input in on all four. It sounds like I'm complaining and I'm sorry because I do appreciate that you had the information sessions but it's it boggles my mind. I will add that the staff president John Galvin was extremely nice and very patient with us.

There seemed to be a very good turnout too. But I'm not surely again how available people were between three thirty and five and then six to eight on a Friday night. There wasn't much notice as well. I think I saw it on social media on February 25, maybe a week before. I want to also ask you all if we can start utilizing right now the ballpark as it is. Let's play ball in that ballpark until we figure out what we're going to do. Thank you.

It's not baseball season right now. It's just starting,

right?

It's just starting. It just started a couple of weeks ago or a week ago. Okay, so our next speaker is Chris Robles.

Good evening, mister mayor, city council. Yes. My name is Chris Robles and I am the founder of Fair Ontario. Since the city had neglected to outreach to the community, I held my own public community forum to discuss Littleton. I personally paid for text messaging that went out to the surrounding area and I had far more attendance at my one meeting than you did at all three meetings that you held.

It comes down to this, the community wants to reopen the ballpark immediately to allow use. There's nothing wrong with the field. You pulled repairs that should have been allocated in 2024. There seems to be some kind of historic neglect After I spoke to people whose backyards border the fencing line with the ballpark, I was told they had made numerous phone calls

to the city for

repairs and it never happened. Since 2020, the field's been closed. It looks as if what you're doing is making it irrelevant in favor of some multi million dollar project in South Ontario. But that's not what the community wants. They want this ballpark reopened, they want this ballpark rebuilt into the historic level that it was and they want the Scout House preserved and they want meaningful ongoing civic engagement by this city, by this council to solicit the wisdom of the crowd here in how to rebuild this that meets multiple needs and not be fed one proposal that came from you.

That's not acceptable. Thank you.

Alright, our next speaker is Melinda Boss.

Hello, mayor, city council members, community. Thank you guys all for being here. We appreciate it. I'm an Ontario resident. I'm a baseball mom, and I'm an Eagle Scout mom. So this corner has been home for a lot of time of my time here in Ontario. I'm also a community volunteer and advocate down in my local area. I am from the South Side, but I do travel to the North Side a lot. Quick and to the point, we want the ballpark reopened now. We want the memories to start again. It is baseball season now and travel ball is all the time. It's not a season. Travel ball is all the time. We'd like you guys to save the scout house. You guys talked about, you know, relocating it.

I don't know I mean, in the renderings, it was talking about having a space for the scouts and community people and stuff. The problem is is with the Scout House, they have an outdoor area where they can do axe throwing and camping. They can do the nine eleven flag retirements, things like that, that they can do outside in their area there that they can't

do inside of

We're the building that you guys assigned to gonna ask to rebuild the ballpark in honor of baseball history by allowing the baseball to be played on there, not a water park or other features like that. We want the ballpark. The city outreach and the comment sections were not well publicized. They were hidden or combined in with the on the go events, which are pretty cool. I've never been to one, so that was pretty cool.

But I didn't know that that's where it was happening when I went to go find these places. I didn't know that it was the on the go that I was looking for. So I think some people might have not gotten to go to those community events. But anyways and again, I agree with the people that were there were great. They were very informative and helpful. So again, please reopen the ball field, save the scout house, rebuild the field, and that's it. Thank you, guys.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Roseanne Mendez.

Hi, my name is Roseanne Mendez. I've been a resident for thirteen years. I am a baseball mom and we're asking that you guys please let us use Jay Littleton. I've seen the proposal and as it would be wonderful and beautiful for you guys to rebuild, realistically all we need is a backstop and some dugouts. The kids right now are getting home at 09:30 from practice because we don't have enough fields.

Our league has grown tremendously and we need we need this space. I'm also a special needs mom. So if my son who is over here wants to play in the juniors division, I need to travel outside of my city, which is impossible for me. So please, please, please, please rebuild. Thank you.

All right. And our next speaker is Josiah Chavez.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council. I and today, I wanted to share what baseball means to me. I've been at Ontario Eastern Low League for ten years now. I showed it when I was just four years old, ever since, this place has been like a second home to me. It's where I learned not just how to play the game, but how to be a part of a team, how to work hard, and how to never give up. But baseball is more than just a game. It's personal. One of my biggest dreams is to play is to play a Jay Littleton Ballpark. That field means so much to me because my late dad played there back in the nineteen seventies.

Even though he's no longer here, I carry his love for the game with me every time I step onto a field. Playing there wouldn't just be about baseball. It would be about honoring him and continuing something he started. Baseball runs in my family. My brother has played and my cousins have played there too. It's something we all share, something that connects us. Every time I play, I feel like I'm part of something bigger than myself. Over the years, Ontario Eastern has helped shape who I am today.

One minute remaining.

The coaches, my teammates, and this community have supported me and pushed me to be better. So as I continue in chasing my dream, I do not just do it for myself, but for my family, especially for my dad. I also wanted to take a moment to mention something important. Because of the current construction, we don't have powerful field lights. Because of that, we've we've had to cut games short, and we're not able to hold late practices. It's been tough, but it shows how much we care about this league because it keeps showing up and giving our best number out or what. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Kevin Kizzi.

With the exception of the incorporation or the initiation of a city, there are not a plethora of cities that can claim they have historical value. Jay Littleton has historical value. We have three individuals that I played against as a youth. This is why my parents bought us out here. My uncles did not bought their kids out here from Los Angeles for a better live, for a better place to stay, better living, better conditions. And we were afforded that here in Ontario, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar. With that being said, myself and my cousins had a chance to play against John Jacobs, Jeff Blum, Mike Sweeney. These are all individuals that went to the big leagues straight from Ontario. We played at West Wind. We went there and we got down on our knees and we planted grass.

We went over to Jay Littleton Park. That was a highlight. We knew the history because our coaches were so entranced and entrenched in baseball that they could tell us the background. I understand that there are costs associated with maintaining it. I understand that there's differences in A and And, there's gonna be things that we're gonna have to do.

But, I implore you guys to please work with the architects, work with developers, and listen to the people in that district as well as the people of the city and find a way to do it in a cost effective manner. It is a park of history. It is a park of value. It is a park where we have all of these children, these scouts here that can take advantage of it and they need to be able to do that. Their parents, for whatever reason, came to this great city so they could afford them a better way of life, a better quality of life. Let's not take that away by letting Jay Littleton Park go. Thank you. All right, thank you.

Our next speaker is Gary Littleton.

Mayor and Council, thank you again for allowing me to come up and speak to you guys. What a turnout. What a turnout. The last two years have been brutal on this family. But it hasn't been anything as brutal as what it's been for the last few months talking to you guys about the ballpark and feeling some of your rejection from the ballpark, a rejection of a promise you guys made to us originally.

And I know emotions got caught up on that night, you know, you're sitting out in front, smoke is still coming from the ground, ashes are on the pond, up around us all. My sisters and family are just devastated watching what's all happening and so are the majority of you. And now we've gone back and forth about having this session almost feeling like a battle of doing what I consider is the right thing.

Minute. We're looking at

these plans that you had proposed to us about the reconstruction of this ballpark and from what a 1,200 capacity ballpark has came a 3,500 capacity ballpark with a three tier parking structure that we've never had before, never had that. We never even had a parking where we had overflow at that existing park. We're not going to have that kind of crowd. What I'm asking for is, let's let the kids get them back in there and play. Let's put a couple of grandstands on each side holding maybe a couple of 100 people, and let's get some dugouts in there for them.

Let's get that thing realigned and let's play some baseball. That is a beautiful field. If you guys know anything about turf and what that field is, that's hundreds of thousands of dollars developing that park the way it is today. So I hope that you can all sit here and listen to this and take a breath about it and kinda circle back around and search your hearts and see what is the right thing to do. Thank you, counsel.

Right, our next speaker is Charlene Littleton.

Good evening, Mayor Leon, council members. I come today to implore you to reopen J. Littleton Ballpark. The youth of our community deserve a more advanced ballpark to play in? Where are they going to go from Little League?

How's that Major League dream of playing down in South Ontario at the ONT Stadium? How do you develop that if you take baseball away from a large group of kids? On change.org which I've been told you won't recognize, we have eighteen twenty two signatures to rebuild that ballpark. It means a lot not just to the people of Ontario, not to just the historical purpose of the city of Ontario, but to the community and to people throughout our nation. Okay. Jackie Robinson played on that field. We really want to eliminate

that

and put a plaque up instead. It just doesn't read the same way. Community outreach is great. Wouldn't it be greater if we could have a committee formed with people who want to rebuild the park and people who work for Parks and Rec and look at what the prices of things are. Where's the transparency and what the ballpark would cost? Okay. And the articles I researched said that ballpark held twelve fifty people, not 3,500. There were 3,500 people there on opening day because Ontario loves baseball. It runs through our blood in this city. It's important.

It's important to those children in Little League. I know, miss Mesias, I saw you at the opening of Ontario Eastern Little League all decked out in your Dodger Blue. And peep those kids there thought that you supported this ballpark. So we ask you to continue, not just the ballpark, the children of our community are in need for organized sports. Organized sports keeps kids off the street. It gives them purpose. Thank you for your time.

All right. Thank you. Our next speaker is Donna Littleton. Thank

you,

mayor and council. I appreciate your time. See this man? This is a wonderful man. See everybody?

This is

my dad, Jay Littleton. He meant the world to this town. He meant the world to us, and he loved baseball. He loved this community. He loved these kids in this community, and he would do anything for them. And that's why we need to build build the ballpark back. These kids need a place to play. And I was thinking the other day, husband and I were talking, if your house burnt down, you have insurance to rebuild your home. You don't put up a restaurant, you don't put up a parking lot, you rebuild your home. So when the fire took place and it burnt, where's that insurance money?

That insurance money should go back to rebuild the ballpark. That's all I have to say to you guys. Rebuild Jabil's and Baldfield. These children need a place to play. I thank you for your time. I appreciate you listening

One to minute remaining. God bless you all.

All right, thank you. Yeah, I'm going to just complete this here. So we have the Mihir family. You want the whole family? Okay.

Good evening. Thank you for having us here. I know it's only two minutes, but as you can see, we're a big family. These are my older kids who have gone to that scout house. And I know you said you weren't gonna tear it down, but please listen to them and have them tell you what it means to them. Like Carlos said, we have leaders. We have police explorers that were here. We have teachers. We have a lot that has come through scouting. I'm not only a cub scout mom, a boy scout mom. I'm also a a girl scout leader, and we also have our meetings, and we use that Scout house. It's a Scout house including Girl Scouts and Boys House. I will let my kids speak for themselves.

Thank you counsel for listening to me. I've been a scout since I was little. I did stop when I got older, obviously. This means a lot that scout house. I grew up going scouting. I want my siblings to go to that same house. I want my kids to go to that same house whenever I get the chance.

Good evening, everybody. My name is Frankie, and I love scouting. It's it's really good for me. If the scout house gets, like, tittled around, I just be so sad. Like, what what what what's a place that we do our meetings for scouting? I I have no idea what to do. Hello, guys. My name is Alexis. We're leading the Cupskut, same thing Frankie said. The boys had to do something he really didn't need to do.

Thank you for listening to myself and to my family. I do urge you to please listen to these kids. That's a historic spot even for it's been around for a very long time. Please, if you can relocate, relocate there as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Ahia, for your service to your community through scouting.

Thank you.

Good job. Our next speaker is Richard, speakers Richard and Noah Hernandez.

My name is Noah Hernandez and I'm from Ontario, pack 204. Ugh. Did I forget about doing that, people? If scouts mean a lot to us. We of fun stuff

do a

there. And if it away, won't have any order of meat. And we learn fun things. We're working and camping and doing community service, And please help keep the scout house.

Thank you for listening to him. You guys are all welcome too to come visit us. We meet on Wednesdays and the other scouts meet on different days of the week. You're welcome to come visit us and see the fun stuff that we do and how we learn to keep the So kids thank you for your time.

All right. Thank you. Once again, Mississippi Manager, have they been shown a plan that removes the Scout House?

The recommended concept that is out there doesn't show the Scout House because it sits today in the middle of the parking lot. So if you were going to make an efficient parking lot in that area, that Scout House would have to be relocated. It would be for this council to say where it would be relocated, how it would be relocated. Would it be on the east side of the street? Would it be on the west side of the street? But that's a policy decision that the council would make going forward. But I've never heard from any council member or from any staff member that the Scout House would simply be eliminated as a use in the park.

Yeah. I know, I'll speak for myself. I know I was a scout. Maybe somebody else here was a scout. We certainly value scouting. We know that it has certainly imprinted on my life. Trying to remember the Scouts Oath, but fifty, sixty years ago. At the same time, I value it very much and I just didn't want that perception out there. I don't recall that being something we were promoting. Alright, so our next speaker is Cesar Garcia.

Good evening mayor and city council members. Thank you for your time. Just here to again emphasize the point regarding the scout house. Again, maybe were misinformed or misled based on the renderings But the renderings did show the Scout House being eliminated and that's why you see everybody here today offering their support for the Scout House. So that's basically what we wanted to express.

Right? We wanna keep the Scout House as a parent of a boy scout that started off there, parent of a girl scout that still meets there, member of the rotary that we meet there every other Thursday. And now I see scouts from pack two zero four. That's the pack that my son started with. It's great to see young kids coming up again and joining the scouts because you know everything that's happened but

that's what

One minute remaining.

Thank you. That's why I wanted to come out and express my support for the House. We have had issues before where we've had break ins. My daughter and her Girl Scout troop, they did a lot of work a couple years ago to renovate the Scout House with the help of Home Depot. They were able to acquire substantial donations to repair and make improvements to the Scout House. So we would like to see all that work that they put in remain and being used for the youth in our city. That's that's it.

Alright. Thank you. Trita Garcia.

Good evening council members. My name is Frida Garcia and I'm representing Girl Scout troop thirty six ninety four. The Scout House means a lot to many people and I know many troops meet there. In 2024, me and my troop worked on renovating and improving the Scout House as part for our silver award And personally, have been meeting at the Scout House since I was in second grade and I'm now in tenth grade. We really hope that the Scout House is left alone or relocated somewhere.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Steve Solis.

Good evening, counsel. Just like the rest of the scouts, I came here to support the scout house today. I'm kinda glad to hear that you guys are at least wanna keep the scout house right there or relocate it. But at the same time, we gotta remember that that is it's quite been there for seventy years. It has a lot of history.

So I don't know what your plan would be to how to move it, especially to make sure that they have an extra space to make sure they have all their extracurricular activities like their canoes and everything else. But I'm glad that you guys recognize the the community needs a scout house. As far as Jay Littleton Park, I mean, from seeing the renderings and everything you that's in the that's in the plans. I mean, in order to move the scout house, I mean, it's never been an issue before with the old with the old Jay Littleton. And as far as anything, in my opinion, Jay Littleton needs to be rebuilt. There we already

One minute remaining.

We're already building a water park in what's that park called in on nuclear? Downs. I mean, I don't really see a point of building another water park. As you can see, everybody here is in support of Jay Littleton. And, I mean, if you look at the comments, if you go on Facebook, pretty much this whole community is right behind Jay Littleton. So I wanna thank you guys for considering keeping the Scout House, moving it, and making sure Scouting's alive in this community. And that's it. Thank you very much.

Alright. Thank you. Next speaker is Randy Beckendom.

Evening again, mayor, council. You know, we've heard a lot. So I went with I went to two of the information meetings. Most moving one was Friday night. And I heard much of what you've heard here. And the most sacred most moving thing I heard was the word sacred. I heard it more than once. And and they talked about the land. So the the sacredness of the space. And there's a ballpark there, but but but the history, which is very moving.

And it really resonated with me because, you know, as a third generation farmer, you know, the land is sacred to us. And, when there's an activity been going on over a hundred years that's benefited the community, you just can't. And, as I recall, I think option one

One minute remaining.

Of the four options, I think option one saved the actual field. Think my memory is correct. So, I implore you to don't vote on this concept plan. Table that, get get more input. And, you know, it's very telling when when we see a concept, there's no scout house on the on the concept. So, after the fact, you can say, well, we're gonna move it. But the fact that there was no scout House on the concept, you shouldn't be surprised to hear what you've heard tonight. So So that place is sacred, so save it.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Joe Lietstra.

I'm gonna be fast. It's a school night. Okay, so I'm here representing Ontario Rotary. We're the chartered organization for the Scout House. It's our name. It's actually on the lease. But I want to go back to when I first went to the Scout House in 1998. My son had just joined Troop three zero one. And I went and I started to do something. I started to like look at the kitchen.

I started cleaning. And the scout master at the time grabbed me and said, what are you doing? He said, everything in this house is maintained by the by the youth. Okay. So Freda mentioned that her girl scouts remodeled the Scout House. They learned how to replace toilets, sinks, they put in new gutters. Okay. And so forth. So the thing about that building, everyone looks at that and says that building, it's not professionally maintained.

Why wouldn't it remain?

It's maintained by the youth. Okay. We don't ask our Cub Scouts to paint or do maintenance on the building. But for the older scouts, the senior girl scout troop, the venturing crew, they all worked there. My son learned how to plaster while remodeling the patrol rooms in the scout House.

One of our scouts became a painting contractor because we had the session where we painted the scout house. So it's all good to say, oh, we're going to get some building over here. But are you going to have a building that allows all the activities we do? We do the camping, the flag retirement. I know we have canoes. We're trying to get rid of those. But the main thing about that scout house is it's actually owned by the youth. It's maintained by the older youth. So,

yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for the explanation. Our next speaker is Susan Kenigham.

Hello, am Susan Kenehan. I am the committee chair for Troop three zero one currently. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight. Not much of a public speaker, I'm sorry, but this is so important and near and dear to my heart. I am a mother, I am the committee chair, and so I am not only interested in my own 16 year old daughter's development, my younger one also did some time at the Scout House.

And even though she decided that Scouts was not necessarily her thing, back to what Joe was saying, even my younger one still comes down to the Scout House to help do the maintenance in the yard. They were there the other day when Rotary replaced the fencing to create a higher security fence. They spent thousands of dollars very recently to replace that fence, and the scouts painstakingly one by one put the security slats, privacy slats into that fence, and both of my daughters have done quite a bit of yard work in trimming back those bottle bush

One minute remaining.

It is true that tonight is the first night that we have heard of any plan to relocate the Scout House. It was very telling as others have said that they were not in any of the plans. So here are some things that we need to consider if you really have to replace the Scout House itself. If to make an efficient parking lot, you need to relocate us, here's what the Scouts are risking giving up. Another scout leader mentioned that it was their house, the our house.

They have a safe firing to learn about fire safety. They retire veteran flags there. They have separate meeting rooms for each of their patrols because again in scouts, have children leading children or older scouts leading younger scouts. They have individual places to meet. They have two full kitchens with counters to serve serving counter windows. They have two full fireplaces. They have an outdoor lawn area for camping and knives. They have separate restroom facilities and covered outdoor areas. Thank you for your time.

Thank you ma'am. Our next speaker is Christine DeVries. Christine DeVries? Am I mispronouncing that? There you are.

Hi. Thank you. My name is Christine. My son's name is Grant. He is an Eagle Scout. He graduated from high school and the troop in 2022. He's getting ready to graduate from college. He grew up in that scout house. This is the first time I've heard anything also about the plans to possibly relocate the scout house. I find it I hesitate to ask you guys to approve anything tonight if you were unaware of where the Scout House is gonna go.

I feel like that's an incomplete plan to say we're gonna approve this and then we'll figure out this aspect of it later seems trivial from us on your part and it's not trivial to us. It's incredibly important to us. My son put blood, sweat, and tears into that that Scout House, reorganizing the storage room, cataloging One minute reading. Teaching younger scouts as a senior patrol leader, watching him grow up from a timid young boy into the grown man that he is now where he leads on his college campus and gets ready to prepare for law school. That scout house grew him into the man that he is becoming, and I feel it's important that it be discussed and planned on what's going to happen to it before anything is approved from this council on the future plans for the Scout House to say, well, we're going to do something is not a plan.

It's just hopes for us to go, well, we don't know what do we expect? What do we tell our children who put so much time and effort into maintaining that house? The Scout House is just it's just too important to us for you guys to have it as an afterthought. So I feel like it needs to be a forethought. It needs to be something that you plan for before you move forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. City Manager, I just want to give you a little bit of a heads up. I'm going to ask for if anyone on staff can put up on the screen something that we can see that reflects everything that they saw before our last speaker? Does it give you some time to get somebody out of here or something?

Sure. So

our next speaker is and our final speaker is Steve Puttkammer. Is that correct? Puttkammer? Steve.

Meeting Mayor, Council Members. I am here in strictly defense of having J. Lillison Ballfield reconstructed back to its glory that it once was. I've been a resident of Ontario all my life, '68. I have many memories with that field.

I grew up right across the Street. I remember when I was five with my brother who was six then, running across John Galpin Park and going across Grove on Saturday, spending the whole day there when they would have exhibition games with Major League teams. After each game, they would open the field and let all the kids out on the field and meet all the players, autographs. It was a memory that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. Now, fast forward, 1970, 'seventy one, my brother and I got into pony, Colt League. We both played at that field. And once again, there's a memory I have also that I know

that there are

many other people will side with this memory. The first time I ever walked through that main door and I entered that field to see the expanse of this field which was a major league ballpark, something I'll never forget. Fast forward again, in the early 2000s, I was score master for Ontario Eastern. And I remember one day when I was keeping score and there was a couple that came upstairs, They asked who Steve was. I said, I'm him.

They said, we need to go to that field. Is there any way that we can access that field? I said, yes, I know their groundskeeper. So basically this couple, they had retired from their data processing jobs. They started their own business traveling all over the country looking for vintage old ball fields that are still in existence. And when they walked down that field, well, they said that was the second oldest They loved it.

Yes. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, thank you. All right, well that finalizes our speakers and we got through it. And I want to just thank everybody very much for not erupting in anything. I know some, a couple of times you wanted to applause, so I thank you for keeping it together. Now, normally we would just go straight to motion in a second, but I did, I want to open this up for council discussion and any questions from the council as well as I'd like to see a present something showing me what they saw because I'm not sure what they saw.

It's the same one that You saw at the last meeting. The More color than one. The staff recommendation was the multi use concept as opposed to the different evolutions that were referenced here.

Do you have a picture of what?

We're looking for that now,

Okay. Debbie?

Hi too. Thank you everybody for coming tonight. So please bear with me for a minute here. So the Jay Littleton site holds a special place in Ontario's history. For generations, families gather there to watch their kids play baseball, celebrate community and build memories.

Many residents understand and hope that the field can be rebuilt. I wanna share something that's personal to me. The night that Jay Littleton Stadium burned, I received a phone call around 11:30PM and I drove over to the site and sat in the Araco station watching the stadium burn to the ground. It was one of the saddest moments in my life as a council person because I knew how much history and how many memories were held and tied to that place. In that moment, I publicly said that we would rebuild and I did mean that sincerely.

As we work through the realities of construction costs and what it would take to rebuild that stadium exactly as it was, it has become clear that doing so simply is not financially possible. Reconstructing that historic stadium to today's standards when it comes to building codes, parking requirements, and infrastructure costs, as you've seen the numbers, they're staggering. With the insurance settlement being approximately $7,000,000, it just doesn't make sense to build it back to the way that it was. However, abandoning baseball at this location entirely would also ignore both the history of the site and the real needs of our community today. Last weekend or was it the weekend before, all three little leagues, Eastern, Mountain View and Western had their opening days and you guys did them all at the same time.

So, it was really hard for everybody to get to those. And when I got to Eastern, I saw that council member Moussios was there and the fire department was there. So, I decided to travel on to Western and Mountain View's games. What I saw confirmed something that I have been hearing and seeing for years and that our youth baseball fields are full. Parking lots were overflowing and the demand for space was obvious.

Youth baseball in Ontario is thriving and our city needs additional fields. At the same time, we are rebuilding the new sports complex which will include additional baseball fields. This will be a wonderful regional facility but I do not see it replacing neighborhood baseball. Asking families that live near 4th And Grove to drive across the city for a weekday practice or a game is not practical for many parents especially on school nights. Little League works best when the fields are located within the communities that families live.

For these reasons, I support a practically a practical and feasible responsible solution for the Jay Littleton site. Something like Mr. Littleton mentioned tonight where we keep the field as it is, put new seats out there, 200 seats, new snack bar, new bathrooms, new dugouts, and or I would hope maybe, and if that doesn't seem to work out, would like two regular sized Little League fields out there with the same thing. This approach would bring baseball back to this historic location and help address the demand that we are seeing across our Little League programs and providing an active community place for families in a financially responsible way. I agree that this part of the city deserves investment and attention.

The question before us is simply what kind of investment will best serve our residents? And for all the scouts here in the audience, you're looking at a former girl scout and my son didn't make it to Eagle. I understand everything that you're saying. The impact that scouting has on young lives is is huge. Jay Littleton has always been about kids playing baseball. If we can bring that back even on the smaller scale, we will be honoring the history of that place and serving the Ontario families today. So I want to let everybody know that I will be not supporting the current water park conceptual plan. No,

no, no. Don't do that. Mr. Wattner.

Sorry, didn't have my hearing aids on. Did you call me Mr. Mayor? Yeah. Thank you so much. No, called you Mr. Wattner. First, let me say, I appreciate everybody coming out this evening. We really appreciate it. And obviously, we support everything you guys are standing for. You know, we went out and I've spoken to folks in the community. I spoke to council member Mesias who represents that area. And there's an obvious need in that part of town for more community facilities. We're we're doing what we can do to to redo Galvin Park itself. But that particular site really needs to be made, I think, more multi use for the folks that live in the community.

And it's a tough one, right? No one ever wants to do something like this, but unfortunately, we're not gonna be able to replace it with what it was nor I don't think anyone could support doing that. I understand what council member Prad is proposing and that sounds good, but again, I think we have to serve the entire community and we are gonna have dozens of baseball fields for Little League. I think that's really important. But I think it's also important, and I am gonna make a motion that we approve the staff recommendation. I think it's the right thing. But as part of the motion, I wanna make sure there's clear direction from the council that the Scout House will continue to exist at some place and that staff work with the folks in scouting to make sure it's an appropriate place for it to be.

Yes, sir. What you had before you was purely a concept that would not examine every possibility of what to do with the existing assets that were there. So most definitely.

Mr. Bowman?

Yes, Mr. Mayor. I too I feel you folks. I feel the concern, the history. I can recall when I was a bit younger, being at that park, actually, at what was overall the park in general.

And when Grove Avenue really didn't go through the park. Grove Avenue stopped at 4th Street. And, a few years later, they cut it through. But what we're dealing with here and I I I think the balance is getting closer, folks. And what I'm hearing from the Littlestons himself, that there there is an opportunity to look at something that gets the kids back on the field, which seems to be the the main thing this season, And that the field is pretty much there.

And then accommodations can be set aside and put up fairly soon to address the seating issues and with dugouts without looking at the overall construction of a major stadium, which we can't build anymore because of the building codes. And in fact, because of that potential approach to what's being said tonight and scaling this down, and I agree with what's been said here, that really opens the opportunity from a financial standpoint. It really starts to secure the scout facility much more because the bigger the stadium, the more crowding the potential site starts to get. So things are starting to fit because reality is where we're at now. We're driven with emotion, strong emotion of the past.

A lot of films have been made there. And some of those films, as we look at films at the airport, I can recall at the airport, they made a film on and I forget the name of the film, but it was quite popular at the time. And they went to Terminal Number 1, the old terminal, and they filmed it, what have you. And not once did it say Ontario International or anything of the of the sort. It turned out to be an airport on the film in Miami.

Well, the field is the same way. All of those movies never recognized the city of Ontario or J. Littleton Field. It was a beautiful stadium, and a couple of them placed that field being in Colorado and out of the state or even out of the state completely. So but nevertheless, they were history and it had happened.

I think Jay, in my recollection, think the actual field was named after him sometime in around '97 or '98, sometime, generally speaking. I had the pleasure I know Jay was a very strong member of the American Legion here in Ontario, post one twelve. I'm a member of one twelve, and John, one of one of members of the family. John Littleton was very active there also. My son, Josh, played ball.

At Jay's request, he would have the kids come down and play baseball on a Saturday and those types. That's the field. And that was very nice. On Jay's passing, John kind of stepped in and opened the park up and brought the kids in, and a very strong supporter of the American of the Legion and playing ball. So there's a lot of history there.

And let's not forget from the beginning, that was that was, the John Gelman Park. That was a a city asset that the community at large paid for. And so we see that, and we named it in respect out of respect for Jay at the time in the '90s. And here we are at a crossroads that nobody expected us to ever be in. But I'm seeing a balance come together after listening to you folks and seeing where the council's at and recognizing that, yes, we have the money, but the replacement that we have out of the insurance policy is only million $8,000,000 Well, that's a lot of money, but depends on the size of the projects that you're trying to conquer.

And I'm seeing some really reasonable approaches by the family at this point that I think we might be able to just get there. I too would support, as Mr. Longyear indicated, the mayor's rec or the council's status recommendation in with more refining and involvement on just clarification what will and should this scouting complex look like as we move forward? Because now it sounds as if we might be able to do both. So let's keep our fingers crossed.

Ms. Mesias.

Mr. Mayor, I just want to double check to see. I heard a motion on the floor. I don't know that there's a second. So, So just so that the council is clear what's actually being debated at this point, right? The motion is

accept staff recommendation. The

addition of

Refinery.

Relocating or otherwise preserving But I've I've asked for

a picture of what

I was just asking

the people to

see what staff is recommending, and we don't have one.

And I saw some staff activity there. I think we were waiting for a break in the in the discussions, mister mayor.

Okay. They can put it up whenever they want.

I know we're still in council discussion so can I say what I have to say and then we can make a motion?

I

guess I'll wait for the admission that's okay.

Go ahead. They're not gonna get that up yet so go ahead and say what So you have to

I too was able to review the staff recommendations and I hear what you guys are all saying and I obviously live in that district but it also gives us an opportunity and I hate that we're in this position now, right, that we have to make a decision. But the reality, if you live in that district, you know as much as I do that this area needs so much attention. Gives us an opportunity to really make a difference in this region. And mister city manager, I also wanted to ask, I know that the softball field that we have there, I also want to take this opportunity to tell the public, are we gonna be able to improve those and then possibly maybe bring in another one. Mean

Again ma'am, is the staff recommendation as a concept. So if the council were to direct that the existing softball field adjacent to Latimer Field that's being improved right now by the city, that that should be improved to match Latimer Field more or less in terms of the improvements. That would be a time to give us that direction.

Okay. So I also want to make a, excuse me, I second the motion to move forward with the staff recommendation.

It's already been seconded by Mr. Bowman. So you agree, there we go. So there you see, thank you, the multi use recommended concept. And I'll just say this, and thank you all for coming out. So for me, I don't know if you can all see that well, that very well. My screen isn't good enough for me. There are a lot of things that we have to consider about this park and someone just said it, don't remember if was Mr. Ciesis or somebody out there. Are we in a hurry to do this?

To me, when you get pushed into a hurry, you kind of make mistakes. I'm in no hurry to see a plan happen that we vote on and say this is it because I think that that eliminates our ability to really think this through. Mr. Littleton, Gary, I'd like to say that I thought that you were very generous and I agree with you though that as Mr. Bowman had stated, you cannot build that stadium the way it was.

Not in today's world. You know, the ADA and all that other stuff that has to have that have to have elevators and it'd have to be all kinds of ways for people to have seating who are disabilities and all that other kind of stuff. Not only that, it's just that the rules of building is is so much different than it was in the nineteen thirties when they built that. And it wouldn't be able to be built out of wood. I mean, you could, but then it would increase the safety issues.

There's a lot of things to consider. I don't personally like how close it is to 4th Street because when it was built, 4th Street wasn't, I mean it was busy but it's busier now because the population has grown. It's dangerous. I don't think that it says anything in here about the Scout House and I want there, as one of you said, I want there to be something substantial in the planning that says the Scout House has got to move, but it's going to stay or it's going to stay and doesn't have to move, something. But we don't want scouting to end there.

We just want to make sure that whatever we build here, as one of my colleagues has said, I can't remember who, everybody spoke, is good for the entire city and community. There needs to be, we have space to do more. The fire being as unfortunate as it is. I remember, I don't know if you guys all know this, but Thomas Edison's offices and factory burned down. And as the story goes, everything that he knew, everything that had been invented and all that stuff, all of the plans and documents, everything was in that building.

And his son was going crazy looking for him. And he found his father laying on a bench across the street watching the fire. And he said, what are you doing here? We should be over there fighting the fire. He said, can't fight that fire, son. Sit down and rest with me. This gives us a chance to start over. And you know what? This gives us a chance to start over. Not remove everything, but look at what we have and how do we start over with what we have and what can we do to make this one of the best parks in the city.

And I think that there's a need to combine everything. I've even talked with our city manager about how do we get people across the street to the other side safely. We can't go under the street. We can't go over the street. So we're going have to plan some kind of lit crosswalking.

There's a lot of our thought processes going on about what we're going to do here. Improving these two lower ball fields, the Latimer Ball Field and the one just west of it that you can see there, if we can improve both of those to be good for everybody, including the leagues, and leave the other ball field there for special games, it's special games now. I mean I've been here for many many, forty years and I, or fifty something like that, I forget, I'm so old. I don't know how many games I've been to there, but it's a handful. It's not tons and tons of games.

Me, Mr. Mayor, with all due respect, John Littleton Park, Littleton Field once again. As you look at this, any activity there, another part of this plan and the attempt is very strong, it also includes a community type center. I think what happens too is a matter of public safety, vagrants and those types of things. They're more apt to resist going to areas that are used more often where you have more people and that was part of the attempt here on presenting a community center, other activities around the ball field itself to bring in more people, more lively, more synergy in that area to make it safer also.

So, I think in the end as all this comes together, the final product is going to be not only safer, but something that we can really say, you know what, it's a balance of bringing more activity to an area that's lacking. And as we look back upon this, you know that fire, the fire chief could correct me, but potentially may have been started by folks that wanted to help themselves to copper wiring in the stadium and as they were attempting to steal it, they ran across the hot wire and started the fire. Well, that's an example of potentially an area that, because of the lack of opportunities or people around the area from time to time, presented an opportunity for people potentially to do things like that. So this could be a very safe environment by offering more activities for the environment around there for that district to participate not only in the field, but in the community gatherings that could be created.

Miss Pesias.

Sorry. Just having a little debate here. And now that this picture is here as well, this area lacks community. And just seeing this picture here, we're gonna be able to build new memories, new things for this region to actually experience in a different I mean, if you live in this area you understand and I sound like a broken record, but this area here lacks community and we are gonna bring in new amenities to be able to build new memories.

Ms. Parada.

Being a former employee of Raging Waters, I appreciate the fact that making new memories and all that kind of stuff too, but the water park in itself is a constant maintenance, huge issue. And, but my other issue for this is that being an investment, if it was just for and I don't mean to be parochial or territorial for Ontario residents, but people are going to be enjoying this that live in other communities too. So, this won't just be an Ontario investment for Ontario residents. So, you can bet your bottom dollar that they don't want to go pay that expensive, you know, Raging Waters entry fee and they're going to be wondering, they're going to be enjoying and very much so this new Splash Pad And Park. I don't, wouldn't blame them for it at all.

So, that's just my 2¢.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor. Haven't I finished haven't finished yet, but that's okay.

Thank you, I appreciate that. Yeah, I don't like the way this seems to be mischaracterized as a water park, it's not a water park. We're building splash pads throughout the city in each portion of the community so they can each have access to it. It's just a place where kids kind of run through sprinklers, that's all it is. But that's not the important part. The important part, it's a gathering place for the community. It's an identity for the community to really find a place that they can call their own. And that's what I'm focusing on is the multi use of the facility. I'm not talking about the, I don't see, I still don't see it's a water park. It's like a splash pad. When I was a kid, we just ran through the sprinklers. In New York, they opened the fire hydrants. In this case, don't have to do that. You can just run through the sprinklers there. So again, I think that it's time though that our staff we see some clear direction from the council.

They've been looking at it. I'm sure that Mr. Choe has been checking with his community services folks to see what the community surveys have shown. Staff has spent a lot of time. We've gone out and we reached out to the public. Not an easy decision to make but it's just council's responsibility to move the board, move the ball forward and provide some clear direction to the city manager.

I am in no hurry. I'm going to tell you, I think that this needs to have some definition and what I hear from staff is that they'd like us to okay this and then define it. That worries me. Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start you up.

I'm just speaking for myself that until I see some definition, the scout house will be I don't know if we could say it's going to be here or there, but I don't think that where it is today I'm going get on some of your bad side here. I don't think that where it is today fits with anything we can do in the future. And I'm sorry that all of you put all of that time in. You had to. But this disaster changed everything.

I mean, I've been there, done that in my life. And I could tell you the experiences. But sometimes disaster creates, what do they call that, damage to the next building, collateral damage. And that's really what has happened here. The collateral damage is that the Scout House is now isolated and needs to be put somewhere where it fits plan. I don't mind this plan. And I actually agree 100% with what Ms. Perata is saying, but also what my other colleagues are saying because they have good thoughts too and all of you have good thoughts. My problem is that I don't see good thoughts in stone. I just see good thoughts in thoughts.

And I want to see something on the plan. And especially with the Scout House it says it can go here, it can go here, it can go here, but it cannot be there. We cannot build the stadium the way it was. Not with 7,000,000, not with 100,000,000 because it's not permitted like that anymore. I don't know if you've been there. There's an area with showers and all kinds of stuff that we would never use today nor could we use it today. I mean when I was a kid in junior high I did shower with a bunch of guys. I don't think they do that anymore. You know, was scary back then. So, there are a lot of things that have to change about the property.

As you can see, the crosswalk I mentioned is there to connect it to the other side. As Mr. Bowman said, the park used to be contiguous. But then they put Grove Avenue through and kind of cut it up. It's a real odd shaped park at times on both sides. So I think that this is close to what I'd love to see, but I want to see more definition and more something more promising to all of you. So, yes, Mr. Bowman. I

just want to revisit what's being on the table. I think we have to start with a canvas, we start painting and the first illustration has come before us, not the first, but it's getting closer to the input that's being given to us and the downsizing of the facility and others, I think is in the next gathering. We're not asking to adopt this forever. We're simply saying we'd like what we see, but what's being said needs to be identified and brought forward to before it's finalized. That's all. That's what I'm saying.

I think the catch word here is concept. Concept. If we can keep it at a concept, I'd be all for it. What my problem is is that the concept turns into the reality. And I don't want this concept becoming the concrete reality.

And if I could get, you know, consensus that we're on that path of, as Mr. Bowman said, continuing flexible about what we're doing here. But whatever we do here has to go along with you. The other thing that I want to make very clear is that we cannot rebuild what was there. We just cannot.

I would love to, to, but it's impossible. We're just not in 1930 America, and that's the problem. So, I couldn't even build a garage at my mom's house the way the garage was that we tore down. Know, it costs a lot more to build the one that was as much as her house cost. So the whole thing is I can't honestly agree to this concept until I know that there are adjustments that will be made.

That's all. I don't mind this concept. I think that that parking lot giving us the park a long ways away Is this, are the splash pads the blue at the outside? That's what that is. I'm just making sure. And I don't dislike splash pads. I think that kids are neat. My son takes his kids to Montclair from Victorville to go jump in the splash pad. I don't think that's a bad I just want to make sure that whatever we do that it's solid and that's what we're going to do and that's what we can promise you.

So Mr. Mayor, to today and if I may, the motion on the floor is this for the council to provide direction to the staff to take this concept and to move forward with it with the additional caveat, with the additional condition that the Scout House will be relocated or otherwise preserved. Is a fair statement of the motion Mr. Mayor Pro Tem?

Yeah, I think that that's, oh okay, you're asking. So but I would say that's that's somewhat fair but it still doesn't address the second field on the bottom. And I'm not a 100% sure that you all are good with this.

Well and Mr. Mayor if I may. No I'm sorry. I'm sorry folks. This is the time for the council to provide directions to the city manager. The council has heard has heard everything you've had to say. I appreciate that there's there's a lot of emotions in the room. I'm just trying to help them get to a conclusion so that everybody can leave here tonight with a little bit of clarity.

I just want to, okay I want to.

So to that end Mr. Mayor, just one more time. I think with your permission the city manager might have something to say about what he's perceiving the council's direction at this point prior to a vote.

What he can't speak for himself? No, I'm kidding. Let's go ahead.

Sure, I'd

like to hear what you got to say.

I mean what I'm taking away from council direction as city attorney indicated is that the concept as recommended to go forward to be further defined with the condition that scouting be preserved either through the maintenance of the Scout House, relocation of the Scout House, but not the elimination of scouting in the John Galvin Park. I also heard council member Masias asking about the improvement of the baseball field immediately to the west of Latimer Field And whether or not that would be direction and the same motion from counsel, whether it's a friendly amendment to what was offered by Mr. Wopner and seconded by Mr. Bowman, would that be the concept that we would go forward to take to the next evolution?

Debbie, do you have anything to continue with?

I don't think this is refined enough and I can continue to not support it.

Mr. Wapner? Thank you, Mr. Mee. I just that's exactly what my motion was including the amendments. My only fear and I appreciate what you're saying, Mr. Mayor, is this falls between the cracks. Whatever happened to Graber House, remember that? We started talking about that years ago. But the council kept pushing it up, pushing it off. We still had the same vacant lot there that we had before. And the community is suffering as a result of it. I think it's important that we make those tough decisions and we move forward and provide the direction we need. I think that staff has heard exactly what you're saying, Mr. Mayor. I think they know exactly what you're talking about. I don't think there's any question in your mind, is there Mr. Choe, as to what we're looking for?

No sir, not based on the motion that's on the floor right now.

I mean take a crayon and just draw the The Scout house is there. No one's ever suspected that it's not gonna be there And it's not like we're trying to make it up. It's it You gotta imagine. No, but understand, the council direction, the motion that I'm making is that whatever plan must include a scout house. Must, it doesn't matter what that's showing. We're telling them right now, you must have a scout

So again, Mayor, I'm sorry. So again folks, this is not how we do business. We're trying to respond to people's concerns. And I think what a piece of information that's missing here Mr. Mayor is the fact that if the council were to approve any concept this evening, that is only the beginning of a series of additional meetings and plans and permits and approvals all of which will be open to the public. All of which I see Mayor Prote, I'm sorry, Ms. Perata not agreeing not with me there.

I'll go

higher at

this time. No no. It's Go My understanding of what the city manager has asked for is direction from the council to take a concept to develop that concept in accordance with the direction you give tonight but that is not anywhere near a final approval of any of what will be developed on this property. Correct me if I'm wrong Mr. City manager or the maker of the motion.

No, you don't have, this is not a schematic drawing. There are rough orders of magnitude in terms of costs, but we don't know what any of this actually costs. At the end of the day, the the basic determination is, are you going to keep that field where it is and or rebuild the historic grandstand, which I think I hear consensus that no one expects that that is going to happen. But I hear two council members saying that perhaps that field should stay. I hear three other council members saying that field, the way it is situated on that property, with the street the way it cuts through, that it would happen before any of you were here, before this was an issue to be considered, that changes the nature of what happens in that park and how it lays out.

And so as the mayor indicated, it gives you the freedom to look at it in a blue sky type of fashion. If you didn't have to maintain the grandstand, when the grandstand existed, it was a foregone conclusion that the grandstand would remain as it was. It had to, that was an absolute. And by extension, the Scout House would stay right where it was because of the grandstand wasn't moving. It stands to reason that they wouldn't move the Scout House.

The very fact of the matter is that that grandstand no longer exists. And because it no longer exists, you have the opportunity to step back, the emotions, you know, notwithstanding, and certainly I think all of us can be empathetic towards what those memories are. But the the the point remains that you would say, what is it that you're trying to achieve in this park? Because this this grandstand, this field, all what you heard again and again and again is about memories and nostalgia and memories and nostalgia, much like the Ted Williams ball that I have in my office upstairs that is one of my prized possessions signed by the Splendid Splinter. It is amazing.

It's something that I absolutely love, as a a big baseball fan. He's my favorite player. All the great things that he that he did on the field. Greatest hitter of all time. But that is my ball. That is my possession. It sits there for my enjoyment. This park is not a piece of memorabilia. This park, and

I think I've heard all

of you say it to one form or another, has to lend itself to the improvement and revitalization and public safety components that impact this neighborhood. That's what we're trying to achieve with the recommendation.

And but also pay tribute to

the past. And still pay tribute to to the the past. You're absolutely right, sir. That's that that is the the amalgam of those evolutions that you heard folks talking about. Well, do we just replace what was there brick for brick? That was, I think, the on the night of the the fire, that's what folks first said. Okay. Well, if that's not practical, Then if you go to all of the outreach, the extensive outreach that was done in 2001 for the, the park's master plan and what would be done in Galvin Park, well, it calls for a community center. Well, maybe we do a community center and and put it there. Or maybe we do fields and if you look at the numbers, the fields probably lend themselves to soccer or maybe some hybrid.

Well, with all of the improvements that are going on at the Ontario Sports Empire, does it make sense to replicate something here when you're already doing it there? It So

Mister mayor, I'm I'm gonna have to I'm

Hold hold on, Gary. Sorry. We gotta I I hear you, but we gotta keep in order to

get permission to watch. Where you stand depends on on where you sit. And I understand where mister Littleton sits. As a again, I have a lot of empathy for him and his family and certainly the legacy that they're trying to preserve. But the legacy is separate and distinct from what the needs of the neighborhood are. And I think again, that's where the that's where the recommendation is.

Alright. Alright folks. Honestly, I can't deal with a lot of this outbreak. So you know what I want to is somebody yelled no. Who yelled no? Raise your hand. Not everybody did. Who yelled no to this plan? Everybody. Okay. So okay, let me just be fair. I'm gonna ask one of you to come up and tell me why not. Hold on, I'll get to you.

Alright, so here's what I feel this park should be, okay?

I'm sorry Mr. Littleton, we need you on the record if you don't mind. I apologize. If you want if you want this to be a part of the, I'm not worried about you, So sir. You're not

envision the park right now. And if you would allow me, your architectures, whoever threw up this plan, is to meet you with me or my family and show you the rendition I can have for your park. I promise it's going come under budget for you. I promise that the scouts are gonna have a scout system right where it is, if not a little bit larger than what it is. We have room. That stadium is not gonna be as big as it was. We have extra room. We're not gonna build a whole stadium. We're gonna put up some bleachers. Give me 200 people on each side of the infield. Give us a place for the guys to actually put in the dugout. Don't worry about a clubhouse. Get a couple of bathrooms up there and a snack bar. Get the lights up there working. Get the fence up around there and let's start playing ball.

We are going into such a large extent of what they want to have done here. It's just it's it's blown out. The whole thing has just been blown up

from day one. And I

agree with you. We can't rebuild that stadium.

Yeah.

Al, you and I have walked in a year after, but we cannot rebuild that stadium. We don't have the funds for that. And we don't have that same synergy that we had back in the '30s and the '40s when baseball was here. I understand that. We all get that. But we still got tons of youth that are still trying to advance in baseball. And we're not giving the facilities a really plan. We can build that park right back where it was, put some bleachers up in there, repave that park, give the Boy Scouts their place where they are. We should not be taking anything away from them with all the historical moments they've done there with dedicating flags and other members that have gone through here. What a treasure to lose for this city. What a treasure to lose.

All right. I just want

to all take back and let's look at a new plan. That's all it is. I don't want to this is not

what I envisioned. Let's let Ms. Prada have her chance. Thank you, Gary. All right.

Thank you.

You know, the reason that we're here today is because we did this backwards. This should have started at the park and recreation meeting where everybody had their chance. You know, the four renditions we talk about, you know, those renditions should have been put out at the Park and Recreation meeting and everybody been able to talk to each one of them and let get, let them get, flush everything out, do everything out. It should have never started at the City Council level. And so, that's why we're here today doing this here.

So, I mean, I would love it to go back to the Park and Recreation Commission where everybody, you know, has their 2¢ but we've gone this far now. You know, but I'm still, I agree with Mr. Littleton wholeheartedly, you know, but always too, this area and town has always been neglected. I mean, you know, when it comes to community residential families type services, I mean, sure, you got the Toyota Arena, you got the Mills Mall, you got the Convention Center, you've got all that stuff around there, but that doesn't help you guys with with what your daily lives are about. And for me, the big one as a mom and as a grandmom, I'm not gonna wanna take my kid all the way freaking down to, you know, the Empire Lakes to go do baseball.

It's just not gonna not gonna be my thing. So I would love, you know, as you say, Mr. Mayor to, I'm not thrilled with this, I don't want it to happen And I just think we did it backwards.

All right. Anybody calling for the question?

Mr. Mayor, that's in your control if you'd Yeah,

I know. I know. I'm just waiting. I'd love to see a rendition that included the Scout House. And that's what's missing here for me. I don't hate this plan. I don't see the other field on there. But that's what our city manager is saying, give us this and we'll draw that in. No, but okay.

Yes.

Why isn't this allowed to be a city boat?

A city what? A city boat. Well that, boy if you think it's a problem here, wait till you do that. So the problem Miss Mayor, I'm

I'm I'll do all due respect Ms. Littleton. It's I apologize. I'm sorry. Mr. Mayor if if if you're going to engage with a member of the audience at least Yeah, bring that to the podium so that

I'll I can talk to you outside and tell you why even I don't agree with that. You know, when they say too many cooks spoil the soup. Yeah, it's true. So I'm going to go ahead and call for the book. But I'm going to say straight up that until I see something definite on a plan, I don't like it. Because I've had experience where the plan doesn't come through. Mr. Wabner talked about Gray Borales, which is a valid point. That was a lot to do with the community, what they would allow, what they wouldn't allow, and what the developers could do if they bought it. They're delaying, the neighborhood is delaying that.

I would love to see something happen there quicker, but it just isn't. On here, I think you have some time. I'm reading the tea leaves right now and I'm not sure I'm going to prevail here at all. But I would love to see this once again continued until I see a plan that I can agree with. I don't disagree with this plan too much except there's a couple of things I don't like. So until then, we'll go ahead and we'll go ahead and take the vote. The motion

Mr. Ria, can

I just make one more comment?

Yeah sure.

Forgive me if I'm wrong.

Let's go. We got more to talk about.

So I believe that we understand it from a policy perspective but it sounds to me like the community doesn't and is understanding what we're doing here, right? So is it that we're gonna give our city manager recommendation to start here to then bring it back to council so then we it looks like what we are all envisioning, is that correct?

Through the park development process involving the Parks and Rec, the commission as well as the Historical Preservation Commission, Planning Commission.

Mr. Mayor and members of the council, in compliance with the California Environment and Quality Act, We still have to do CEQA on whatever ultimately comes before the council. I know you'd like to hear me say that, but I'm the lawyer. I've got to protect I've got to protect the city here. So this is a part of a larger process. An answer to your question, Councilmember Mesias.

Mr. Bowman?

That's the understanding I have of the original recommendation was this is the beginning to allow what's being said here for you folks to work with our folks to bring a next rendition back until we get to the point where everybody's happy. Asking them to go forward simply says, okay, here's a canvas. We've got a good start here. We need more input. We've heard it.

And let's modify the canvas with staff and with you folks, bring it back. This isn't the final adoption folks, but this is a work, this is in progress. This is art and progress right now. We want to see the next edition and we're simply saying, okay, let's start here. But we want you folks before we ever adopt this to be happy. But being happy means we're all reasonable in doing so. That's all we're saying.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to remind everybody that we signed the check. So, before anything can happen, we have to review it, budget it and we have to approve the expenditures. So and that's really the date that makes a difference is whether we're going to pay for it or not. And I'm assuming that the city manager will keep us updated as we go through the process.

Yeah, I'd like you to come. Hit the timer. Hit the timer.

I just need some clarity of what does other than the splash pad in this plan offer the community that John Galvin Park doesn't already offer the community. Picnic areas, yeah. Area for Tai Chi for seniors, you can do that anywhere. But what is what's the difference other than the splash pad that this plan offers Galvin Park more than what they already provide for the community? Well,

would start off with just better parking on the north side and giving that distance between 4th Street and the field. The field would, you know, I don't know if it stays or moves. The community center, the crosswalk, the the second field on the south. I think there's a lot of things that are coming to this location.

You can double peg Littleton Field. You can double peg it for a 90 and a 75 just like you just did the field

Yeah, well, that's that'll kind of come That's

sort of going to be

open for discussion, right though? You're saying that we're going to table the final vote today? We're going to take a plan?

No, no, didn't, I no. The final, final vote that would be taken, and as Mr. Wapner said, the one that we say, okay, spend the money?

Yeah.

I'm here and we're not there yet. No. We're just in the planning. We're this is the first template.

Template, okay.

Where we're gonna what we can work.

All of

these things are movable. That's not true. So Debbie That's is saying it's not

they movable city manager?

Say again, sir.

I said that this is a template and we're looking at there are still moving pieces. There are still unfinished pieces. There are pieces missing from the plan. But that doesn't say that if we okay this that we won't get those things.

What this plan represents is that we would not keep the ball field, the Littleton Ball Field in that current configuration. That is not part of this plan. What is part of this plan is the council's direction that we will have scouting somewhere in the park, in Galvin Park. Is it on one side of the street, the other side of the street somehow being preserved? The small, the Little League field that is to the west of Latimer, what I heard is that that would also, be improved matching Latimer. That's that's what I'm taking away from the motion that's on the table right now, sir.

And and a community center.

Well, that that's all part of that concept that you saw. Right? So I

didn't see a community.

Yeah. The the superstructure that is there that's that's meant to mimic the grandstand structure contains community facilities.

Oh, I think I see it over there

on the

western side.

So the idea that yes. So when you think of the structure the height profile and what have you that would mimic Littleton Field, Littleton Ballpark, that facility would have rooms for multi purpose rooms, offices, places for staff to check out caroms and balls and whatnot to the kids that go and play there. Opportunities for classes for members of the community and what have you.

But no opportunity for kids to play on Littleton Field. And you seem very sure about that and you call yourself a baseball fan. I bring that into deep deep question.

Well, can talk about baseball and we can talk about what the investment of this community is in organized sports certainly. And there's quite a bit of investment by this council in those organized sports for the benefit of the youth. But the idea that we're going to have a debate on what particular field or loss of this particular field means. I understand that it's very personal. And I think that point is crystallized. Well, I'm sorry. I listened to you, ma'am. And And that's something listened

to you.

And I'm on a timer.

But you're not. Oh, no, no. Your timer's on. I'm sorry. Mister mayor,

I I understand that the motion that the council has provided, sir. I'm just waiting on a vote.

I'm speaking.

The the mayor the the mayor's Gary?

No,

I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying is he gonna come up and help you. We, listen. You know I'm on your side, so I need to keep the meeting moving so we can get somewhere. I don't think we're talking about three baseball parks. Not eliminating anything. We're talking about improving one and re situating the other basically where it is, fixing it up, putting the bleachers like he said, and and adding other things.

What's that? What's that?

Even I'm confused by this picture.

That's why I don't think we can base the decision on this

at all.

All right, I'm good. You know what? Excuse me folks. I'm good. So, if we're ready to take the vote, I'm ready to take the vote. I need more I need more description. I need to see what's going on here a little bit clearer. I've been, I have been briefed on all this stuff, but I've been briefed on so many fields I get confused myself. But I'm ready to take the boat. I know where I'm at.

Jim, you ready to vote? You ready to vote on this? Let's go. Well, the vote is on recommendation from Mr. Wattner, and I think you seconded it. You want to clarify the vote?

Yeah. Mr. Mayor, members of the council, the motion on the floor is to direct staff to proceed with the conceptual plan with the following additions. All of that will come back to the council at an appropriate time to maintain scouting on the site and then I'm sorry, I'm gonna ask this city manager to discuss the baseball field.

The improvement of the Little League Field to the west of Latimer Field is what I heard from Ms. Mesias.

And Littleton Field isn't

And I'll just confirm, Mr. Mayor if I could, I'm gonna confirm with the mayor pro tem who was the original maker of the motion that you accept that second amendment, right? Yes, I

include the amendments of the Scout House being relocated or on-site and the improvement of the other

And then Mr. Borman, do you second that amended motion?

I have some reservation. I'm not prepared to be very honest with

you. Can we make sure we get you on the record Mr. Bowman?

Yeah, I'm going to, at this point, I need to really deliberate over. I wasn't clear to be honest with you on the actual future of Williston Field as presented. It was my thought that perhaps that was being reserved but down sized on the overall property.

But

I'm going to retract my second on that for this moment.

Okay, so I'm gonna be a parliamentarian for the moment. Generally speaking, under parliamentary rules, once a motion has been made and seconded, that motion now belongs to the body and cannot be retracted. So what I hear Mr. Bowman saying, and please correct me if I'm wrong sir, is that your original motion, I'm sorry, your original second to the first amendment to the motion which had to do with the scouting, you don't agree with that. However, that's the motion on the table right now.

So then I'd like to make an additional motion then where we

Okay, so.

I would like to make additional motion that we vote this down.

And I was going to just go there. So that's the motion on the table for the body that has to be dealt with. Right.

Yeah, but I apologize to all of you and I hear Mr. Boehma kind of saying the same thing that Littleton Field needs to be there. So, whether he said that or not, I'll only speak for myself. So the first motion kind of falls to the floor without a second,

No, there is a motion on the table with a second

on top of it. It's very confusing because we never do this.

If you

see, we always vote together.

Put it another way is Councilmember Parati has called the question on the motion on the table, right? You want this motion to be voted on?

I think I'm hearing her

make a substitute motion. Well,

but she doesn't, I don't hear a second to that substitute motion.

Do have a second on that motion?

I second it. Okay.

The substitute motion then is, could you restate it Council Member Ferrata?

What's the motion? To not do anything.

Turn this down.

Substitute motion is to taking table the the

for a further discussion. Thank you. Right Debbie?

That motion takes precedence over the first motion as you all know. So the motion to table is to table the item.

Okay,

table it. Okay so the motion to table it for further review is passed. So I guess we'll see you all again.

Oh yeah.

Oh gosh. You know, I really was looking forward to this meeting because I, we don't always get this much community involvement in our meetings. We're kind of well known for being out of here by seven. You guys kept us here till nine. I'm not happy about that, but I'm alright with it. So, I want to just thank you all. This takes us to staff matters, Mr. City Manager. Counsel matters, Ms. Mesias, Bowman, mister Wattner, miss Perata. Good night. This has been a great meeting, and we'll see you again at our next regularly scheduled meeting on April 7. Meeting is now adjourned.