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Public forum: Elks Lodge grants, health‑center town hall, library concerns and battery storage safety raised
Summary
Speakers at the March 19 public forum thanked the council for grant support from the Elks Lodge, invited the public to a Golden Valley Health Centers town hall, urged timely action on Shaughnessy Village Park, warned about battery energy storage risks and asked the city to monitor rumors about library closures.
A range of community groups and residents addressed the Los Banos City Council during the public forum on March 19.
Blanche George, speaking for the Los Banos Elks Lodge, thanked the council for accepting a recent Elks grant and described past lodge contributions: school dictionaries for third graders, school supplies, food‑pantry support, CPR dummies for emergency training and assistance to veterans and residents in need. George said the Elks have provided more than $1,252,000 in grants to local programs over time and urged residents to contact the lodge for community assistance.
Alisa Bios, government and community affairs manager for Golden Valley Health Centers, invited the public and council to a Los Banos town hall on March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Los Banos Community Center. Bios said Golden Valley operates two clinics in Los Banos (a medical clinic on Texas Avenue and a dental clinic on West I Street), serves over 6,000 patients in the city and will provide Spanish translation at the event.
Cammie Adler thanked the council and staff for moving the Shaughnessy Village Park project forward and urged continued attention to the Caltrans proposal for a roundabout on State Route 152 in Volta, expressing safety concerns for truck traffic and asking the city to press Caltrans to re‑examine the design.
Jerry Giesel, representing Friends of the Los Banos Library, reported a $1,000 donation to Merced County Library for children’s projects, described the group’s ongoing membership drive and asked council members to check with county supervisors about articles suggesting possible branch closures or privatization; he encouraged residents to contact supervisors for clarification.
A resident speaker raised concerns about battery energy storage systems (BESS) being developed statewide, citing the Moss Landing incident and urging the council to ensure first responders have training, PPE and plans for long‑term environmental and public‑health effects. The speaker asked council members to advocate with state agencies and Caltrans on siting and safety.
Other speakers included union and staff representatives who urged swift completion of contract negotiations for city public works employees, and residents announcing community projects and volunteer help. Council members and staff thanked speakers and noted several items would be posted on the city website for public review.
