A large and vocal crowd of Ceres Youth Baseball officials, coaches, players and their supporters turned out at Monday’s Ceres City Council meeting to protest the city’s attempt to force changes to its contract with CYB.

The large turnout was fueled by the release of video on social media which on Thursday showed city Recreation Manager Joey Chavez and CYB Vice President Ismael Ontiveras get drawn into a near physical altercation as the two parties reached impasse in discussing changes to the CYB contract. 

Both CYB President Jorge Guererro and Ontiveras were shooting video as Chavez asked them to leave as Ontiveras accused the city of taking a bribe from another organization to take control of the George Costa ball complex. Guerrero is heard saying, “We’re here, you called us here.” Chavez asked Ontiveras to turn off his phone but he refused. Ontiveras then told Chavez to get out of the room, saying, “You’re going to walk away like a coward. You’re a coward, bro.” Chavez came toward him and said, “Turn your phone off, we’ll see who’s the coward” as the two got in each other’s faces. A female employee got between them as the two continued trading barbs out into the foyer, Chavez calling Ontiveras a “little man” and Ontiveras saying he would kick Chavez’s “a--.”

On Monday Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez announced that the city would not comment on what transpired between Chavez and CYB officials until the conclusion of an independent investigation. But that did not hold back audience members from giving the council a piece of their mind over the next hour and a half.

At Monday’s meeting, Ontiveras said the Thursday encounter started out cordial and claimed Chavez said he was doing the council’s “dirty work” in forcing changes to the contract. He said the city manager and mayor should have been at the meeting instead of “send poor Joey to do your dirty work.”

“Things got heated,” explained Ontiveras, “when he (Chavez) said ‘we can do whatever we want to the contract,’ you as a city.”

Ontiveras said the city attempted to nullify and thus amend the contract, because of a “loophole” based on claims that CYB violated the contract by subletting George Costa Fields where games are played. He claimed that his organization hasn’t sublet the fields and thus there was no breach of contract. He also accused Councilman Daniel Martinez of wanting to rent the fields for himself “because he annexed himself from CYB. He wanted to be his own entity.”

He also said the contract spelled out that if CYB committed any violations they would have to be notified in writing “not demanding a meeting.” Ontiveras then said Chavez was sent to “represent you two clowns,” referring to Mayor Javier Lopez and Vice Mayor Martinez.

Only until a fourth violation is committed, the contract states, can the city terminate it, said Ontiveras.

“Aren’t you tired of picking on us?” Ontiveras asked the council. “Aren’t you tired of it because I am because I spend more time here and on the fields than I do my own business and that’s pretty sad to say.”

Gary M. Condit, a member of the Planning Commission who ran against Lopez for mayor, blasted the council for its approach.

“I first want to say that this entire situation is very unfortunate, and honestly, it’s embarrassing that the city of Ceres is at odds with a nonprofit baseball league that has been a staple in Ceres for over five decades,” said Condit.

He accused the city of trying to turn over the baseball program to a for-profit Modesto organization and reaping $100,000 in the process.

“I encourage the city to leave CYB alone. There is a standing three-year contract that is approved by you all, and you should have heard that. If you want to renegotiate, do it in 2028.”

Condit opined that if the council wants to save $100,000 it could stop having taxpayers paying for the health insurance premiums of three members. Members taking advantage of free health insurance are Mayor Lopez, Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez and Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra.

Former coach Jim Pernetti said he has seen the city “trying to take money from a program that was barely hanging along right in front itself.”

“I’m disgusted with what’s happening here,” Brandy Meyer told the council

Randy Wheeler issued a verbal lashing to the council stating that George Costa would be “rolling over in his grave” at the latest development and said “it’s despicable.”

Former City Councilman Mike Kline approached the dais as a former coach and called for both sides to act in a professional manner.

“When you use foul language, name calling, intimidation and bullying and post something on social media that they do see, that’s what bothers me because we’re trying to teach our kids to act correctly and be professional,” said Kline.

He also stated that CYB has done tremendous things for Ceres children.

Angie Duarte Smith took aim at Lopez directly, accusing him of “doing nothing but run our community into the ground since becoming mayor. It’s not like it used to be.”

She cited how the city has also taken away the summer recreational aquatics and youth basketball programs.

Jessica Lopez, vice president of Ceres softball for CYB, defended Chavez, saying he has been nothing but “been nothing but respectful to us at our CYB meetings” and said the video “doesn’t depict how helpful he’s been through this whole process. I think it just escalated, but it’s not really his character, what he’s done. He’s always been super supportive at our monthly meetings.”

The flap comes as Ceres Youth Baseball kicks off its season at a Friday evening’s opening ceremony.

Chavez was noticeably absent at Monday’s council meeting.