Item 3 Public Comment
Outlook Provided by Torie Cortez
Formal Written Public Comment Submission - Citizen's Forum - City Council Meeting Aug 10, 2026 From Victoria Cortez <[email protected] >
Date Mon 8/10/2026 3:52 PM
To website_cco <[email protected]>
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Lathrop_Written_Public_Comment_Aug10_2026.pdf;
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Dear City Clerk Teresa Vargas and Members of the City Council, Please find attached my official Written Public Comment for entry into the permanent record for tonight's City Council Regular Meeting on Monday, August 10, 2026 (7:00 P.M.).
As stated in the official meeting agenda instructions, I am submitting this written comment via email prior to 4:00 P.M. today for distribution to the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmembers, and for mandatory inclusion in the official meeting minutes.
Thank you,
Torie Cortez
Lathrop Resident & Parent
OFFICIAL WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT
SUBMITTED FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD - LATHROP CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING TO: Mayor Paul Akinjo, Vice Mayor Jennifer Torres-O'Callaghan, Councilmembers Diallo, Dresser, Lazard, & City Clerk Teresa Vargas
FROM: Victoria "Torie" Cortez (Lathrop Parent & Resident) DATE: August 10, 2026
SUBMISSION: Emailed prior to 4:00 PM to website_cco@ci. lathrop. ca. us for mandatory inclusion in meeting minutes.
SUBJECT: Citizen's Forum - Four Critical Municipal Problems, Administrative Retaliatory Posture, & Civil Grand Jury Notice
Members of the City Council,
I am submitting this written comment solely as an individual Lathrop parent and resident to be entered into the permanent public record. While I previously considered seeking a seat on this Council, I determined that my focus belongs in public education — not in spending my time reminding adult municipal officials of their fundamental statutory duty to protect their citizens.
"I am maintaining my posture on this side of the dais as a resident and advocate so that the community can witness firsthand how this Administration-specifically City Manager Stephen Salvatore, City Attorney Salvador Navarrete, Police Chief Stephen Sealy, and Police Captains —characterize a mother's advocacy for safe streets for children as an 'agenda' in their own written communications."
As I have done in formal correspondence since March 23, 2026, I am entering four critical structural problems into the official public record during this election season:
CHALLENGE 01: TRAFFIC SAFETY, PR SPIN, & ENFORCEMENT NEGLECT IN
MOSSDALE
Traffic Enforcement Neglect in Mossdale Landing
Traffic safety enforcement is failing families in West Lathrop's high-density Mossale Landing neighborhood.
School-adjacent corridors surrounding Mossdale Elementary School do not receive adequate traffic enforcement or speed mitigation. Following two near-miss vehicle incidents involving my seven-year-old daughter, Camryn, I spent $40.00 of my own family's money to purchase traffic safety cones for Autumn Rain Drive adjacent to Mossdale Elementary School because the City failed to take action.
This safety crisis is directly compounded by municipal decisions and documented law enforcement refusal to support community safety initiatives:
• Documented NNO Exclusion Email Record (331 Autumn Rain Drive): On August 3, 2026, I formally emailed City Administration ([email protected], cc:
[email protected], [email protected]) to register our neighborhood block gathering at 331 Autumn Rain Drive for National Night Out (NNO). I documented that while the City website cited a July 24 deadline, the City's official July 19 Facebook announcement completely omitted the deadline and was published exclusively in English - in direct violation of the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Gov. Code § 7290 et seq.). I specifically requested that Officer Koron Taylor be assigned to our block's route due to the exceptional rapport and trust he built with my 7-year-old child following the trauma of her June 9 vehicle collision. On August 4 at 10:30 AM, Police Chief Stephen Sealy replied refusing to add our block to the visitation schedule, citing event logistics while completely ignoring the language access violation and rejecting a vital community trust-building opportunity. • August 8, 2026 Patrol Excuses (Sergeant Sangster, Badge #1): Four days later, on August 8, 2026, LPD Sergeant Sangster (wearing Badge #1) responded to a dispatch call while our neighborhood safety cones were deployed on Autumn Rain Drive. Sergeant Sangster offered endless excuses why LPD could not include our residential street in routine patrols and politely ignored my offer to provide video footage, license plate numbers, and identifying evidence of habitual speeders. • Park & Splash Pad Closure Before Summer: The City shut down our local community park and splash pad in April-right when it was scheduled to begin operation and just weeks before school recessed for summer in May-depriving children of safe recreational space and driving them into neighborhood streets all summer long.
• Selective Media Manipulation & Victim-Blaming: Following media interviews with CalBike and ABC 10, contracted PR representative Isaac Gonzalez (of MRG, LLC) selectively extracted video stills - without law enforcement clearance-to manipulate the media narrative and victim-blame a seven-year-old child.
Collision Report vs. Bodycam Evidence: On June 9, 2026, City of Lathrop Finance Department Employee Lea Meneses struck my daughter Camryn with a vehicle. The official police collision report explicitly found the employee at fault for failing to yield, yet bodycam footage proves she was never issued a citation nor educated on yield laws-revealing a clear double standard and preferential treatment for city staff.
Proposed Focus Area: Conduct comprehensive traffic safety audits for all school-adjacent corridors; distinguish officially between driver education and bicycle safety programs; eliminate administrative double standards for city staff.
CHALLENGE 02: LANGUAGE EXCLUSION & DYMALLY-ALATORRE VIOLATIONS Critical Exclusion of 51.4% Non-English Speaking Households Lathrop is a diverse city where 51.4% of residents speak a language other than English at home (including
27.8% Spanish and significant Punjabi households). Yet municipal communications, safety notices, and online portals remain English-only, resulting in critical exclusion and unequal access. Mayor Paul Akinjo, Vice Mayor Jennifer Torres-O'Callaghan, and Councilmember Minnie Diallo have collectively failed to advocate for compliance with California's Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Gov. Code § 7290 et seq.) to provide Spanish and Punjabi translations for core city programs and safety notices.
Proposed Focus Area: Implerent a mandatory language access policy for all major safety updates and public notices; provide official translations in Spanish and Punjabi for core city registrations and safety programs.
CHALLENGE 03: REPRESENTATIONAL RECUSALS, VOTING RECORD CONTRADICTIONS & DISCONNECT
Denial of Full Representation & Disconnect from Electorate Due to private employment conflicts involving River Islands and Dell'Osso Family Farm, Councilmember Diane Lazard is legally barred from voting on Lathrop's largest development project at multiple key meetings, leaving all Lathrop residents without full, uncompromised representation on the city's future.
Furthermore, Councilmember Steve Dresser's public record reveals a troubling disconnect and an apparent lack of knowledge regarding his own voting record:
• Objections to Minority & Women's Conference Authorizations: At the May 11, 2026 meeting, Councilmember Dresser raised objections regarding travel authorizations for professional development, specifically targeting the Women in Municipal Government Conference and the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), claiming he was unaware of conference reporting procedures. • Contradiction in Voting Record: However, official City Council minutes from December 8 show that NLC conference attendance and reporting were formally presented under Item 6.4, where Mr. Dresser voted without objection. Either Mr. Dresser did not understand what he was voting on in December, or he feigned ignorance in May to specifically challenge minority conference authorizations. • Non-Responsiveness to Constituents: While stating on the record (01:02:56) that "the people that call me want to know, " Mr. Dresser failed to respond to three direct emails regarding public safety hazards.
Appointing Mr. Dresser in January 2025-just two months after voters explicitly rejected his candidacy (finishing third with 3,424 votes) -reflects a total disconnect from democratic accountability.
Proposed Focus Area: Ensure representatives have zero private employment or financial conflicts of interest; guarantee all Lathrop residents receive full, uncompromised representation on major municipal decisions.
CHALLENGE 04: INFRASTRUCTURE & RETAIL DISPARITY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST
LATHROP
Neglect of East Lathrop Corridors
Infrastructure funding and major retail attractors (such as Sam's Club and Sprouts) are heavily prioritized for new developments west of I-5, while older corridors in East Lathrop face continuous congestion bottlenecks and a lack of close commercial services.
Proposed Focus Area: Secure construction funding for the I-5/Louise Avenue interchange diverging diamond fix; actively market East Lathrop locations to grocery retailers to ensure community food equity.
ADMINISTRATIVE MISCONDUCT & CIVIL GRAND JURY SUBMISSION Compounding these challenges is City Manager Stephen Salvatore's $11,000 monthly private consulting retainer in Stockton from DEl funds while serving as Lathrop's full-time chief executive. Because internal oversight has completely collapsed, on June 26, 2026, at the advice of San Joaquin County District Attorney Investigator Robert Faine, I formally submitted the Cortez v. Lathrop Actual Notice Binder (ANB) to the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury.
CANDIDATE ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIRED
I will be present for any and all election season interactions to bring these challenges to light. Sitting council members who are up for re-election should be prepared to speak to Lathrop citizens on these challenges during their community outreach, including live candidate sessions prior to Election Day. Lathrop voters expect every councilmember seeking re-election - and those appointed despite voter rejection -to participate transparently and answer for this record.
Victoria "Torie" Cortez
Lathrop Resident & Parent
Lathrop, CA