Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press La Mesa council on group-home impacts, parks and police-oversight auditor
Summary
Multiple public commenters raised concerns at the May 26 meeting about group homes creating unsafe conditions on Bellflower Freeway, urgency for Wait Drive park funding, and questions about the Community Police Oversight Board auditor; council pulled a consent-item for further review after public comment.
A string of public comments at La Mesa’s May 26 meeting highlighted neighborhood safety and oversight concerns and urged council attention.
Barbara Barbie Wheeler told the council that two group facilities on Bellflower Freeway have turned her street into what she called a “freeway,” describing speeding vehicles, frequent police calls, portable restrooms on site and an impression that operators were not properly vetted. She asked the city to investigate permitting and licensing and warned residents would contact the media if they did not see changes.
Vaughn Rios urged the council to prioritize funding and partnerships for the proposed Wait Drive park, saying recent Parks & Recreation discussion focused on removing an ADA entrance rather than securing construction funding. He asked the city to pursue outside partnerships and to explain whether revenue was generated when the vacant site was intermittently used by contractors between 2012 and 2022.
A commenter identified by the clerk as Rick M. raised concerns about the contracted auditor for the Community Police Oversight Board (CPOB), questioned the auditor’s scope in Exhibit A of the contract and cited past criticism of the auditor’s work in another jurisdiction. In response to that public comment, councilmembers moved to pull item 9.2 from the consent calendar for additional due diligence; the consent calendar was otherwise approved.
The council did not take immediate action on the group-home or park requests beyond public-record acknowledgment; staff follow-up or referral was implied by council discussion and the item pull for further review.
