A comment made by a member of the Patterson Planning Commission during a public meeting Thursday night has drawn attention after being picked up by a live microphone. The incident occurred as resident Marco Ahumada was preparing to speak via Zoom at the close of the meeting regarding a local housing project.
Commissioner Eric Bendix was heard saying, “Marco is a pain in the ass,” apparently unaware that his remark would be audible to others. A video recording shows Bendix turning his head and speaking quietly, but the microphone captured his words. In response, Ahumada replied, “I hope I’m not that much of a pain,” before continuing with his comments about the Baldwin Road South housing subdivision.
The City of Patterson issued an apology on its Facebook page Friday. “We would like to sincerely apologize to Marco Ahumada for a statement made during last night’s Planning Commission meeting,” read the statement. “The statement does not reflect the views, values or position of the city. We deeply value and respect the voices of our community members and remain committed to fostering open and respectful dialogue on all matters that affect our city and its residents.”
Ahumada told The Modesto Bee that he received apologies from Patterson’s mayor, city manager, and planning director following the incident. “They encouraged me to continue to do what I am doing,” he said. “I have fairly thick skin. I [couldn’t] care less about the comment. … I don’t think he had the intent for me to hear it.” He added, “I deeply appreciate the apology,” and clarified that he is not seeking any action against Bendix: “The comment was unfortunate but I’m not asking for anybody to be kicked off the [commission] or any action to be taken.”
Although neither Patterson’s official statement nor city leaders named Bendix directly as responsible for the remark, Southwest Strategies Group—a communications firm involved in disputes over local development—identified him in a news release distributed Friday. The firm has been critical of city leadership amid ongoing disagreements about proposed developments in Patterson.
“This moment is more than an unprofessional comment — it reflects a broader pattern of troubling behavior by city leadership that calls into question the city’s true priorities,” stated Southwest Strategies Group in its release.
Attempts to reach Commissioner Bendix were unsuccessful as of Friday afternoon. Mayor Michael Clauzel shared the city’s apology on his own Facebook page but did not respond to requests for comment.
During Thursday’s meeting, Ahumada also spoke positively about other local projects such as Del Puerto Health Care District’s medical campus proposal and described most of his interactions at public meetings as constructive.
Planning commissioners are appointed by municipalities like Patterson to review land use proposals and advise on long-term urban planning decisions.
Ahumada remains active on social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook where he discusses local issues; he recently contributed commentary for The Modesto Bee concerning water contamination concerns in Patterson.
