What Prepared Leadership Looks Like for South Ontario's Next Chapter

South Ontario is experiencing one of the most significant periods of growth in the City of Ontario's history.

New neighborhoods, roads, businesses, recreational destinations, public spaces, and regional investments are reshaping District 3. Residents have expressed pride in Ontario's progress and excitement about the opportunities emerging throughout the southern portion of the city.

During neighborhood walks and community conversations, residents have praised Ontario's cleanliness, public-safety services, new streets, expanding shopping and entertainment options, Ontario International Airport, Downtown Ontario's continued revitalization, and the addition of professional baseball.

They have also raised practical questions about whether roads, emergency services, traffic management, utilities, digital connectivity, parks, libraries, neighborhood maintenance, and other essential services are keeping pace.

D'Andre D. Lampkin, candidate for Ontario City Council, District 3, believes this moment calls for prepared leadership.

"Ontario's growth presents tremendous opportunity, but growth alone is not the final measure of success," Lampkin said. "The real measure is whether residents experience safer neighborhoods, reliable infrastructure, stronger economic opportunities, responsive services, and a better quality of life."

Lampkin supports Ontario's continued progress and recognizes the economic and community benefits that responsible development can bring.

He also believes every major decision should be evaluated alongside its effect on residents and surrounding neighborhoods.

New housing creates demand for roads, utilities, public safety, schools, parks, libraries, retail, recreation, and emergency services. New commercial and industrial projects affect traffic patterns, infrastructure capacity, environmental conditions, and employment opportunities.

"Development should never be considered in isolation," Lampkin said. "City leaders must ask whether infrastructure is keeping pace, whether public-safety access is adequate, whether traffic impacts are being addressed, and whether residents can see meaningful benefits from the city's growth."

Lampkin's service on the Ontario Planning Commission has provided experience reviewing land-use proposals, considering neighborhood compatibility, evaluating infrastructure concerns, and balancing property rights with the broader public interest.

That experience has also taught him the importance of explaining how development moves through the City's review process.

Residents may hear that a project is being discussed and understandably assume that it has already been approved. In reality, there can be an important distinction between an idea, an application, a staff recommendation, a public hearing, and a final decision.

"Residents deserve accurate information before rumors become accepted as fact," Lampkin said. "Community participation is strongest when people understand what has actually been proposed, what remains under review, and how they can participate in the process."

Lampkin brings more than 20 years of law-enforcement and public-safety experience to the race.

He believes that background provides more than an understanding of policing. It has taught him how staffing, prevention, emergency communications, traffic design, training, equipment, community relationships, and interagency coordination affect the safety of a city.

During recent neighborhood walks, residents raised concerns about speeding near schools, drag racing, mail theft, police visibility, event-related parking, nuisance properties, and emergency-response access.

Some residents said they live in neighborhoods with very little crime but would still appreciate greater interaction with police officers. Their concern was not necessarily a desire for increased enforcement. They wanted visibility, reassurance, crime-prevention information, and positive relationships with the officers serving their community.

"Residents should not have to wait until something goes wrong before they interact with public-safety professionals," Lampkin said. "Strong relationships, prevention, preparedness, and communication are all part of keeping neighborhoods safe."

Lampkin said City Council decisions can affect public safety through budgeting, staffing, development standards, road design, technology, contracts, emergency planning, and the resources provided to employees.

"A councilmember should understand that public safety is connected to nearly every major decision a city makes," he said.

Emergency management is one of the areas Lampkin believes deserves greater attention in local policymaking.

Ontario faces potential earthquakes, extreme heat, flooding, power disruptions, infrastructure failures, hazardous-material incidents, major public events, and other emergencies that can affect residents across the city.

Rapid growth can also increase the complexity of emergency response. More residents, new road networks, larger events, developing neighborhoods, and expanded infrastructure create additional coordination needs.

Lampkin's emergency-management experience includes preparedness, response, recovery, major-event planning, interagency coordination, and community resilience.

That background became particularly relevant during a recent walk through Esperanza, a 55-and-older community near Ontario's southern boundary.

Residents said they had experienced positive emergency-response times but remained interested in learning more about nearby public-safety resources, extreme-heat precautions, hydration, cooling failures, checking on neighbors, and household preparedness.

They invited Lampkin to return for a community conversation focused on emergency preparedness and public safety.

"The invitation reinforced why emergency preparedness belongs on the City Council agenda," Lampkin said. "A city is not truly prepared simply because help eventually arrives. It is prepared when residents know what to do, neighbors know whom to check on, infrastructure continues functioning, and public agencies are ready to coordinate."

Lampkin said older adults, people with disabilities, medically vulnerable residents, and those who live alone can face heightened risks during emergencies.

Prepared leadership requires considering those needs before a crisis occurs.

Esperanza residents also reported little to no reliable Wi-Fi service in portions of their community.

Lampkin said that concern demonstrates how the definition of infrastructure has changed.

Reliable internet access supports telehealth appointments, emergency notifications, communication with family members and caregivers, online City services, medical-monitoring devices, remote work, education, and social connection.

"For many residents, particularly older adults, reliable connectivity is connected directly to safety, health, and independence," Lampkin said. "South Ontario's development must include the digital infrastructure people depend on every day."

Lampkin believes City leaders should understand where service gaps exist, communicate with providers, and consider connectivity when evaluating development and community needs.

Road design and transportation concerns have emerged repeatedly during Lampkin's neighborhood walks.

Residents have discussed unfinished or bumpy roads, aggressive driving near schools, truck routes, construction impacts, event traffic, sidewalk gaps, confusing intersections, and streets that unexpectedly narrow.

Esperanza residents specifically questioned changes to the eastbound Eucalyptus Avenue approach at Hamner Avenue. They said two lanes had previously been available for left turns onto northbound Hamner Avenue, but one lane was later redirected toward an industrial access road.

Residents also questioned why Belgrave Avenue narrows to one lane when they believe there may be enough space to maintain two travel lanes.

Lampkin has not promised a predetermined engineering solution. Instead, he believes specific concerns should be documented and reviewed using traffic data, safety considerations, construction plans, and actual resident travel patterns.

"Residents who use these roads every day often identify confusion or safety concerns that may not be obvious on a map," Lampkin said. "Prepared leadership means listening to those observations and making sure they receive an informed review."

He also said the City should do a better job explaining why particular roads were designed for trucks, why lane configurations change, and whether a condition is temporary or permanent.

"Good planning is important, but so is helping residents understand the plan," he said.

Ontario possesses major economic assets, including Ontario International Airport, Toyota Arena, the Ontario Convention Center, professional baseball, regional transportation connections, logistics operations, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and a growing residential population.

Lampkin believes those assets should produce opportunities residents can see and experience.

During neighborhood conversations, residents expressed interest in more shopping, grocery stores, libraries, restaurants, recreation, and community amenities within District 3.

The recurring request for a Trader Joe's has become a lighthearted theme in South Ontario conversations, but Lampkin said it reflects something more significant.

"Residents want South Ontario to feel complete," Lampkin said. "They want quality shopping, dining, services, recreation, and community spaces close to home."

Lampkin said the City cannot order a particular private company to open a store. It can, however, create conditions that attract desirable businesses through sound planning, infrastructure, market growth, and communication with the business community.

He also believes economic development should connect Ontario residents to jobs, apprenticeships, workforce training, small-business opportunities, and careers created by the city's expansion.

"Growth should not simply happen around residents," Lampkin said. "Residents should have meaningful opportunities to participate in it."

Lampkin has repeatedly heard residents express frustration when they do not know which department is responsible for a concern or why a problem has not been resolved quickly.

Nuisance properties are one example.

Residents may report trash, odors, suspected illegal activity, unsafe conditions, or neglected buildings and reasonably expect immediate action. However, government may need to conduct inspections, document violations, notify property owners, allow time for correction, hold hearings, coordinate among departments, or seek court authority.

Property rights and due process must be respected, even when the process feels slow to surrounding neighbors.

Lampkin's law-enforcement experience and role as a Planning Commissioner have allowed him to help residents better understand those processes while making clear that he is not currently an elected City official and does not direct City staff.

"Residents may not always receive an immediate resolution, but they should receive clear information," Lampkin said. "They should know who has jurisdiction, what steps have been taken, what remains to be done, and what follow-up they can reasonably expect."

Lampkin believes transparency involves more than placing documents online.

"Transparency means helping residents understand what government is doing, why it is doing it, and what happens next."

Lampkin's background includes public safety, emergency management, planning, business ownership, nonprofit leadership, youth development, neighborhood service, and community resilience.

He has lived in Ontario for 17 years and founded organizations that have worked with residents, public agencies, businesses, and community partners long before he decided to seek elected office.

During recent community conversations, some residents expressed frustration that people can enter politics primarily through name recognition, family relationships, or access to established networks.

Lampkin said voters should examine every candidate's experience, judgment, preparation, and record of responsibility.

"Public office should not be treated as an entry-level opportunity to learn whether someone can handle responsibility," Lampkin said. "Residents deserve leaders who have already demonstrated that they can make difficult decisions, manage obligations, work with people, and remain accountable."

He added that experience should not mean defending the status quo or refusing new ideas.

"Prepared leadership combines experience with curiosity, independence, humility, and a willingness to listen," Lampkin said.

Lampkin said his approach to City Council service would be guided by five commitments.

Listen Consistently — Lampkin will continue walking neighborhoods, meeting residents, accepting invitations into community spaces, and creating opportunities for people to share concerns outside formal City Hall meetings.

Explain Major Decisions — He will work to communicate the reasoning behind important votes, including the facts considered, the competing interests involved, and the anticipated effects on residents.

Connect Growth With Infrastructure — Development decisions should be considered alongside roads, utilities, public-safety access, traffic, environmental conditions, parks, libraries, and other community needs.

Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience — Emergency planning should account for vulnerable residents, extreme heat, earthquakes, communications failures, infrastructure disruptions, and the role neighbors and community organizations play during crises.

Exercise Independent Judgment — Lampkin will evaluate issues based on facts, resident input, ethical obligations, and the public interest rather than political pressure or personal relationships.

Lampkin said he is not asking voters to judge him only by promises made during an election campaign.

He is asking them to examine the work, experience, service, and community relationships he has built over many years.

"I did not begin serving Ontario because I planned to run for office," Lampkin said. "I decided to run because years of service showed me what is possible when residents, employees, businesses, nonprofits, and public leaders work together."

He believes District 3 needs a representative who can support Ontario's progress while asking difficult questions, preparing for future challenges, and remaining accessible to residents.

"South Ontario's next chapter should be defined by more than how quickly we grow," Lampkin said. "It should be defined by how thoughtfully we grow, how safely we live, how well we prepare, and how many residents have an opportunity to benefit."

Residents can learn more, share their priorities, volunteer, or support the campaign at LampkinForOntario.org.

Service • Experience • Community