ONTARIO — Benji Hall stood at the podium and tapped a clicker. As soon as the slide popped up, Ontario middle and high school students cheered and applauded.
Ontario’s zoning inspector announced several business opening dates Monday morning, each projected on the screen of the Ontario Middle and High School auditorium.
East of Chicago Pizza is slated to open the weekend of June 7, according to Hall. Raising Cane’s is set to open by the weekend of July 4. Wingstop will start serving customers by Aug. 1 and the new Starbucks location will begin brewing by Sept. 1.
Hall’s report was one of several during a special city council meeting Monday morning.
Rather than convening at council chambers, city legislators conducted business at the school so students could see local government in action.
“This is one of my most favorite council meetings of the year,” said Mayor Kris Knapp.
“We get to come back to the school, engage with the students on the different activities that are going on, just basically give them awareness of what we do in the city and all the people that are involved,” Knapp added.
City Council President Ed Gallo explained the proceedings to students. He reviewed how meetings run and the purpose of committee reports.
Law director Andrew Medwid swore in Daisy Loper, an 11th grade student serving as the city’s Mayor for a Day.
Loper spent a day at City Hall last month shadowing Knapp and meeting with all of the city departments.
City officials recognize students for civic engagement
City officials also recognized several students for civic engagement. Thatcher Samuels gave a brief presentation on his Eagle Scout project, a set of parallel bars and pull up bars he installed at Marshall Park.
“Project planning is incredibly difficult, more so than I ever thought it would be,” Thatcher said. “There’s a lot more variables that you have to consider than you were originally.”
Thatcher said he was grateful to city officials, his family and friends who helped with the three month endeavor.
“I’m very grateful to the city for letting me do this and I’m very grateful that it’s done,” he said. “It was a fun project, but it was a lot.”
The mayor handed out certificates to Samuels and Zachary McChristy. McChristy completed the designs for an upcoming fire hydrant painting project.
Knapp also thanked students from Pioneer Career and Technical Center for spreading mulch in city parks and Ontario High School students for picking up trash in town.
Safety service director Adam Gongwer presented a certificate to Robert Griefenstine. The boy discovered a sinkhole near a storm drain while riding his bike and reporting it to the city.
Gongwer said the sinkhole was big enough for “someone to lose a foot in” or to entrap a small car tire.
“We determined that that is actually private property, and within just a few days, the private property owner came out,” Gongwer said. “Their maintenance crew began working on this sinkhole.”
Recreation director Kenn Spencer shared an update with students about upcoming activities and summer job opportunities within the department. Spencer said summer programming will include a concert series, Fourth of July festival, Miss Ontario competition, soccer camp, yoga classes in the park and a traveling pickleball league.
During a public comment session, students asked council their questions — which focused primarily on incoming businesses and things to do.
Gallo said that during last year’s in-school city council meeting, students asked about Raising Cane’s. He hinted another establishment the public has been asking for may be next.
“At that time, we were under a gag order, and we couldn’t tell you exactly, but we hinted, and we said, ‘Just be patient. Something’s good coming,'” he recalled.
“I would say that this time next year, there’s going to be something else, very good.”
