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Resident warns council that I‑8 overpass area near elementary school is unsafe; mayor proposes task force
Summary
Mary Anne Ostermeyer told the council she has observed criminal activity, repeated fence‑cutting and a recent dog poisoning near an I‑8 overpass by a neighborhood school; the mayor expressed sympathy and proposed forming a task force to coordinate with Caltrans and law enforcement.
A local resident told the council she fears for children walking to a nearby elementary school because of persistent criminal activity around an Interstate 8 overpass and repeated damage to fencing.
Mary Anne Ostermeyer said she lives on Ivalo Street and described four quadrants around an overpass near “Naranka” Elementary School (the transcript includes variable spellings). She said the area has ‘‘embedded criminal elements’’ including drug dealers and thieves, that Caltrans and Highway Patrol clear encampments only for fencing to be cut and the problem to recur, and that a dog in her household was recently poisoned and hospitalized for two to three days at a reported cost of about $6,500.
Ostermeyer urged the council to work with Caltrans, Highway Patrol and El Cajon police to secure the area with fencing like that used at Parkway Plaza. Mayor Wells responded that he was sympathetic and proposed creating a task force to work with elected representatives in Sacramento and to coordinate city resources to seek a fix. Other councilmembers said they would continue to work with Caltrans and encourage prioritization of fencing at that location.
A council member asked for clarification of the exact location; Ostermeyer reiterated she lives on Ivalo and described east and west sides of the overpass. The transcript records multiple variant spellings of the elementary school and of related place names; staff and a councilmember offered to follow up and requested contact information.
The transcript does not provide documentary evidence about the poisoning or any police report; these are statements from a public commenter and were not litigated or verified inside the meeting record.
