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Mendota council declines to terminate Odyssey development agreement, gives company 30 days to cure payment default
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing with mixed testimony, the Mendota City Council voted not to terminate the Development Agreement with Odyssey Agricultural Development and then approved giving Odyssey 30 days to satisfy outstanding payment terms.
The Mendota City Council voted May 6 to reject a recommendation to terminate its Development Agreement with Odyssey Agricultural Development LLC and related entities and instead gave the developer 30 days to satisfy payment terms outlined in the agreement.
Mayor Victor Martinez introduced the hearing and Assistant City Attorney Castro summarized the city's report on the status of entitlements, defaults, and potential termination options. The council opened the matter to public comment, hearing a mix of support for Odyssey and complaints, including anonymous testimony describing employment conditions at the company. David Cremins, speaking for Unidos Por La Verdad, asked the council to consider commenter privacy and to listen to those raising concerns.
After public comment, Mayor Martinez moved to take no action on the Planning Commission's recommendation to terminate the agreement; the motion was seconded by Council Member Joseph R. Riofrio and passed unanimously (4 ayes, absent: Mayor Pro Tem Jose Alonso). At a separate vote later in the meeting, Council Member Libertad Lopez moved to give Odyssey 30 days to satisfy the payment terms in the Development Agreement; that motion also passed unanimously (4 ayes, absent: Alonso).
The council did not specify further enforcement steps in the motion but discussed potential actions and the range of remedies available under the agreement. The Development Agreement was the subject of robust public comment: several speakers identified themselves and a number of others submitted anonymous remarks alleging problems related to conditions of employment and other concerns; the council’s decisions in both votes were procedural and did not themselves adjudicate the factual claims made in public comment.
Next steps: the council’s direction gives Odyssey a 30-day window to cure outstanding payment obligations; the record does not show any immediate termination or additional penalties imposed at this meeting. The council may revisit the agreement if the developer fails to satisfy the terms in that period.
