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Residents raise safety, immigration enforcement and battery‑storage concerns during public comment
Summary
Multiple residents and community representatives urged action on local safety and enforcement issues, warned about potential hazards from a proposed 600 MW battery storage facility, and highlighted outreach programs including a turkey giveaway and the Mural Fest.
Several residents and community representatives used public comment to press the council on safety, local services and proposed energy infrastructure.
Robert Vivar said he witnessed an abduction of three people at a bus stop and alleged that operations by ICE and CBP are terrorizing community members. "I personally witnessed an abduction of 3 people at a bus stop not too far from here," he said, and urged the council to act, calling inaction ‘‘an act of complicity.”
Marty McBride raised concerns about a proposed 600‑megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) proposed for a 460,000‑square‑foot building near Mill Creek Avenue. McBride said Roadhouse Energy Storage/NextEra ran a social media campaign encouraging residents to send a prewritten letter supporting the project and that residents were advised their names could be used by NextEra. He noted federal guidance after a major fire at California’s Moss Landing BESS facility and asked the council to "carefully consider and apply restrictions for use of this building that prioritize protecting the environment, improving air quality, and avoiding the hazards associated with having BESS facilities near residential areas."
Other speakers included Nancy Bumstead, who thanked organizers of the city’s Mural Fest; Roxana Grossi, district director for Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez, who said her office recently distributed turkeys to more than 700 families and invited residents to an open house; and Kizzy, who urged local hiring for jobs tied to a planned sports center and raised concerns about Grove Plaza and parking enforcement in South Ontario.
Council did not take immediate actions on these public comments during the meeting; staff and councilmembers acknowledged the issues and suggested follow-up or noting items for future agendas where appropriate.
