Residents and business groups urge city help with Cinco de Mayo permit and raise safety and record requests

Four public speakers addressed the council during the public-comment period, raising event-permitting, public-safety and individual-records concerns.

Mike Cargile opened with security warnings tied to the region’s airports and prisons, saying Ontario International could become a focal point if LAX were disrupted and urging local police to work closely with sheriffs. He warned the Chino facility could become a recruiting ground for people intent on causing harm.

Luis Lagos, second vice president of the Ontario Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, invited the council to the chamber’s Cinco de Mayo festival on Sunday, May 5, and described the chamber’s 24 years of work supporting small businesses and scholarships.

Edgar Estrada, first vice president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, said his group submitted a permit application in December 2023 for its Cinco de Mayo event but had not received a final permit "3 weeks away" from the event. He said the chamber had fulfilled city requirements and paid fees, and that artists including Los Caminantes — a group he said originated in Ontario — were scheduled to perform. He said the event is free to the community and funded by vendor sales and sponsorships; remaining proceeds support scholarships.

Steven Rogers asked to meet with the city manager and a council member to resolve outstanding records and retirement-benefits questions related to his prior employment with the city. He said he had not received a response to requests and described health-insurance and retirement concerns.

Council did not take immediate action on the permit or personnel issues during the meeting; staff noted two emailed comments had been entered into the record.