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Residents press Ontario council for action on encampments; city manager outlines multi‑pronged response
Summary
Dozens of residents told the City Council they feel unsafe because of freeway encampments and related crime; the city manager said staff are expanding outreach, building a wellness campus and using Measure Q funds but acknowledged legal and interagency limits on moving people from public rights-of-way.
Dozens of residents used the council’s public‑comment period to press the City Council for faster action on illegal encampments and related safety problems. Residents described repeated incidents — from overdoses and vandalism to attempted break‑ins — and urged the city to work with Caltrans and police to close problem right‑of‑way areas.
"I've been living there over 30 years, and I've seen a drastic, drastic change," said Ruben Jaime, who asked the council to have Caltrans close the section of freeway near Parco Avenue where he said encampments have risen. Other speakers described finding syringes at neighborhood parks, vandalism that cost about $1,000 to repair and long police response times.
The city manager summarized the city’s approach, describing a multi‑pronged program that combines local funding, a wellness campus operated with a nonprofit partner, homelessness navigators, police‑fire‑caseworker outreach teams, and Measure Q sales‑tax proceeds. "We have homeless navigators, homeless outreach folks on our staff, utilizing proceeds as promised from Measure Q," the city manager said, noting the city had directed staff to stand up local services in recent years.
At the same time the city manager acknowledged legal and jurisdictional limits — Caltrans controls freeway rights‑of‑way and state law constrains how and where people can be moved. He said the city has used 72‑hour notices and coordinated abatement with code enforcement and partners; he also cited a March 4 encampment removal in the Grove‑to‑Vineyard corridor and asked for patience while staff pursue multiagency options.
The mayor urged those who see specific problem locations to report them so staff can follow up and said the council is investing local dollars in a continuum of care, but residents repeatedly asked for more immediate physical barriers such as gates on Caltrans property. Alfredo Crespo said Caltrans already installed gates along I‑10 in North Ontario and asked the city to press for similar gates along I‑60 from Grove to Vineyard; he told the council the city spends about $100,000 a year to clean that corridor.
The council did not take formal action during public comment but directed staff to meet with residents and indicated the issue will remain a priority in upcoming council work.
