Residents and pastors appeal to city to allow long-time bus operator to keep yard for pupil transport

Multiple residents and community leaders addressed the Jurupa Valley City Council on April 17 seeking relief for a local pupil-transport business facing zoning and code-enforcement pressure to remove its buses from a private lot.

Reggie Stark, speaking on behalf of Stark Transportation, asked the council to grant a conditional use permit allowing his wife, Leslie Stark, to continue parking several passenger buses at 2756 Avalon Street, a property the speakers said has been used for pupil transport for more than a decade. Lesley Stark and other witnesses described a history of school-runs, field trips and community-service trips that serve Harupa Valley and neighboring districts, and they told the council the yard is well maintained and that the business provides important service for families and organizations.

Several speakers gave personal testimony: a former colleague and bus driver, Cindy Payne, said she has known Leslie Stark since the 1990s and attested to her safety record and service; community members said nearby properties used for vehicle storage are in worse condition than Stark’s yard; Reverend Donald Roberson of the Baptist Ministers Conference said local churches rely on the company for group transportation and asked the council to show “mercy.” Leslie Stark and a second speaker, who identified herself as Keenan Braden, said the property was used for parking with city knowledge and that prior inspections and cooperative arrangements had taken place. Speakers said one 2020 citation concerned dust and that the site had been used constructively (for example allowing public‑works equipment to park temporarily during neighborhood road work) to reduce dust during construction.

Members of the public said they had been quoted inconsistent or changing enforcement expectations and that neighbors with poor property conditions had not been held to the same standard. Some speakers also raised concerns about disparities and asked for equitable treatment of this Black‑owned business.

Council members did not take action at the meeting. Mayor Buxton said the council could not discuss or determine decisions in the public‑comment period but asked staff to investigate and report back: “I will just ask staff to look at it, evaluate it, send council an update, that we can see where things are with it,” he said. Staff indicated they would review the property’s permit and enforcement history and return to the council with findings. No formal hearing or vote on a conditional use permit took place that evening.

Ending: The council did not take action and directed staff to evaluate the property’s permit history and code‑enforcement record and to brief the council on possible next steps.