Ventura City Council Meeting
October 4, 2010
Ventura City Hall - 501 Poli Street
Public Communications -- Steve Slater spoke, requesting that a slide be presented, which was a photo of Mayor Fulton in his family home of Old Forge New York standing beside his parents’ headstone. Steve noted that there are still 7000 desecrated graves in Ventura, and apparently felt that the mayor needed reminding of the contrast between his family’s clean headstone and those of the many whose final resting places lay in ruin here in Ventura. The mayor spoke in response, noting that while direct communications with council members is not the norm, the mayor commented nonetheless on the picture which had been posted on the Internet. With some further explanation, the tone of the mayor's message was one of disappointment over the comparison.
To View a listing of the agenda items for this council meeting, go to www.cityofventura.net/meeting/city-council-meeting-9.
Mayor Fulton brought the meeting to order, directing the city clerk to call the roll – Council Member Monahan was not present. The mayor then asked that the council and spectators stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The mayor then reminded all that this being the first meeting of the month there will be time allotted for the public to speak on off-agenda items.
The mayor introduced Max Graves from Loma Vista school, inviting him to recite his essay in the “Mayor for a Moment” program. He began with the title, “Self Control,” noting that it is not possible to lead a happy life without self-control. Master Graves wrote about a story he likes – Pinocchio. The young essayist also cited Darth Vader from the Star Wars series, noting that characters such as these are lacking in self-control.
Mayor Fulton then presented the young essayist with his lacquered plaque, engraved with the title of “Mayor for a Moment.” Max was also given a ceremonial “key to the city.”
In another ceremonial item, a certificate of recognition for the 30th anniversary of Child Development Resources was presented the two accepting members, Sarah and Jim, who thanked the mayor and relayed their appreciation for the support that's been given to the Child Development Association of Ventura.
A certificate was presented to Mr. John Lowry in honor of the Highland Games. He received the certificate with appreciation from the Ventura City Council. The Scottish Festival in Ventura, now in its eighth year, was previewed for the council with two Scottish dances performed by members of the troupe. Two young ladies danced a Highland Dance in time to a clapping rhythm, which was provided by the council and spectators. The dance was well received and well appreciated, along with a second offering – also appreciated.
Mr. Lowery presented Mayor Fulton with a T-shirt which will be available at the Highland Games, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds this weekend. The opening ceremonies will take place at noon on Saturday.
Sherry – approached the front the chamber as president of Ciroptimists Club of Ventura, noting that November is Breast Cancer Awareness month ... also Domestic Violence Prevention month. Sherry received a plaque from the council in their recognition of their club's valuable work.
Council Communications – Council Member Andrews spoke on the fundraiser and barbecue that took place at the new Veterans Care Center in Saticoy.
The mayor spoke on the film opening that occurred this weekend, produced by local filmmakers.
Council Member Brennan noted that at the Plaza Hotel there will be an informative meeting on measure H – support for Ventura Unified School District.
Council Member Andrews stated that on October 23, Ventura Harbor will hold its annual Kinetic Sculpture Race, featuring whimsical vehicles created by engineers. Their creations will complete a vigorous race on both water and land. Launchings and fun will take place from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Regional Boards, Commissions and Committees – the mayor relayed news from the County Library Commission, and announced the next meeting to be held on October 14 at 6:00 p.m. He noted further that the Camarillo Library may soon withdraw from the county system.
Public Communications – the mayor reiterated the rules for speaking on first Mondays, noting numerous public speakers and requesting that the three minute limit be honored.
Brian Rencher spoke first, offering his support for the March on Ventura, Monday at 4:30 PM. His second point was to encourage voters to vote no on prop 22, which is the proposition that has received criticism for the tax sharing arrangement allowing public funds to be shared by private developer agencies. Mr. Rencher was of the opinion that the Redevelopment Agency has been cheated by the “grab of funds” given to private companies.
Melody Baker spoke, wishing to clarify her earlier-stated position on the flag sharing program. The city CORE building will be promoting a safe Halloween evening, for which she encouraged attendees to come out and enjoy the festivities. Another claim of hers was that the city is not ADA compliant. And her final claim was that city agencies have not been in communication with each other on Ventura’s Section 8 Housing program.
Helen Yunker spoke . Helen continued with her back-and-forth city council dialogue concerning her Lot No. 7, noting that five years have passed since the point at which a new owner has been forced to endure continuances and delays.
The next speaker, David, commented on one of Ventura County’s favorite sons, Pvt. James Sumner, who received the Medal of Honor for his participation and sacrifice during the Indian wars.
Vic Cammi from the Ventura Transportation District -- noted that the Vista bus system, of which he is Director, announced a meeting on November 4 at the Camarillo City Hall to take public comment before the commission raises fares from $1.00 to $1.25. The commission is considering area increases in Fillmore and Santa Paula as well, to include raising the age for recognizing seniors from age 62 to age 65. The public can e-mail at goventura.org and have questions answered online.
Kathy Brammer spoke, on a Canada Larga Valley issue, stating that the Ventura River watershed will be adversely impacted by planning that is ongoing into the extension areas of the Valley. A city fire station that had been shut down on the West side would mean additional pressures on a possible planned expansion into the area by the city of Ventura. “Adhere to the infill strategies of the 2005 General Plan,” was her request.
Kay Giles spoke glowingly of the city, but was less enthusiastic about Ventura Unified. Her notation of a $20 million that was lost by local schools was characterized as a disaster. The District and Board of Education have been good stewards of taxpayer money, but her notation of further cuts was as something that will have permanent downside effects on the size of classes and the quality of education in Ventura. She wished to help garner support for Measure H on the November ballot.
B. J. Fitzgerald spoke as a member of the Board of Trustees – VUSD – reporting on the number of cuts that have been taken by the district. The proposed parcel tax – Measure H -- was mentioned as a four year measure authorizing the tax collector to add to each parcel $96 per year – lasting four years, and used for curriculum, arts, and technology. The extra money will not be used for athletics or raises for staff. Her point was also for the support of Measure H this November.
Camille spoke wishing to know why all of the committee reports were not brought up at the beginning of the meeting. Her concern was that with the committee reports appearing at the end of the city council meeting, the elderly and younger people are held in Council Chambers longer than necessary.
Steve Slater spoke, requesting that a slide be presented, which was a photo of Mayor Fulton in his family home of Old Forge New York standing beside his parents’ headstone. Steve noted that there are still 7000 desecrated graves in Ventura, and apparently felt that the mayor needed reminding of the contrast between his family’s clean headstone and those of the many whose final resting places lay in ruin here in Ventura. The speaker continued reading from his serial list of graves that have been neglected, naming several and continuing from his last visit before the council. The mayor spoke in response, noting that while direct communications with council members is not the norm, the mayor commented nonetheless on the picture which had been posted on the Internet. With some further explanation, the tone of the mayor's message was one of disappointment over the comparison.
The mayor continued with his affirmations for working toward a better program in restoring and re-dedicating Cemetery Park, possibly with the construction of a memorial.
Cpl. Snowling spoke, noting that Sgt. D. Doll was the only local police officer to have fallen in the line of duty, and wished to urge support the annual golf outing which supports the Police Officers Association. He mentioned several of the most recent scandals involving city officials who have received inflated salaries in cities such as Bell California, then noting further that there have never been “laterals” on the Ventura PD force.
David Dickey spoke, a sergeant with Ventura Police Department, wishing to speak again on support for fundraisers and toy drives that help support the PD. He also noted that budget cuts have been affecting the PD’s effectiveness in law enforcement, warning of lowered effectiveness in activities that affect all citizens. “One officer now does the work of two or three,” according to the sergeant. His desire was to speak on behalf of those who would push for progress on the fiscal front.
Glenn Albright spoke on behalf of Ventura’s service employees, noting that they are among the lowest paid employees on the city wide budget. Compensation for our service employees are 10 to 15% lower than those of similar employment in surrounding communities. The City of Ventura Compensation Tax Force also lags behind the average in compensation and benefits, he said. According to him, Ventura has not significantly raised its contribution to medical premiums while Blue Cross health care premiums are scheduled to increase by 15% this year alone. The families of city employees, he said, cannot sustain this.
Doug Meisner spoke, President of Ventura City Firefighters Association, noting that the most valuable asset the city has is its service employees. Intellectual capital in the form of knowledge and skills are gained only over time, he said. Police officers need specific and sophisticated information in order to perform properly. Such skills cannot be overvalued – taxpayer property losses are likely to be sustained by service employees heading for other destinations and other cities. His claim was that 10 individuals within the fire department are currently viewing the possibilities for employment elsewhere.
Mr. Meisner noted that there is a request out for a pay reduction, which he opposes.
Dori Boyer works for the city’s Economic Development Commission, which is committed to supporting all of the services within the city. Her claim was that past Service Employees International Union (SEIU) meetings have resulted in compromise and cool dialogue, but lately that that dialogue has turned less cordial. The city claims to be able to accept only permanent cuts in the city work force, while this workforce is already being paid 10 to 15% below the going market. New employees, according to her, will present a turnover problem within the city that will not work to the taxpayers’ benefit.
Representing the Police Managers Association, the next speaker, Dave, praised city police officers and staff members for their hard work every day. His claim was that “we hire the right people.” He noted that officers are exposed to an extreme amount of risk on a daily basis, and that their training pays off. As Manager of the Police Department, the speaker pledged to continue working smarter, more efficiently and with greater dedication. His plea to the council was that they “be fair and reasonable.”
Trudy Arriaga spoke, wishing to thank the council for supporting Measure H, the Parcel Tax measure. “At Ventura Unified there has been a $20 million budget cut, along with increased class sizes,” she said. Then “speaking as your superintendent” she believed that further cuts would not be helpful in the future.
Everett Garman, a 35-year employee of the city, wished to speak on the proposed reductions being contemplated by the council. One of his jobs is to provide the council with their annual revenue forecast. When they decrease funds to agencies, there is an adverse impact on the performance of members and staff, he said.
Jill Martinez spoke as the final speaker in Public Communications, wishing to speak on behalf of police and fire. In 1989 she was the chaplain at the school in Stockton where violence ended in the death of several students. Her plea was that the police and fire services provided by city councils can be indispensable.
The city manager broke in to reassure Helen Yunker that after some back-and-forth, the new owners plan has been approved, and that the ball is now in their court.
City Council Consent Items – Item No. 1 is the minutes. Item Nos. two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, and 11, and number 12 were presented to the council for pull. Council Member Andrews wished to pull number six.
Brian Rencher supported items one through 12, wishing to comment on number 10 – $650,000 to Gen. Petroleum Corporation coming out of the general fund. The council's authority to approve the acquisition of equipment not exceeding $60,000 has historically defined some limits. He noted that 650,000 is a gross inflation of these numbers.
Melody Baker wished to speak on item number four and item number nine. She spoke against four and nine, reasoning that the police “do not do their jobs.” They do not “take it” to individuals during late hours downtown where people exit buses with beer cans. She mentioned that the medical marijuana law has devolved into corruption with children participating in illicit activities, and with the PD not enforcing the law.
Council Member Brennan moved that items number one through 12, minus item 6 be pulled. Pulling of the items was seconded. The city clerk called the roll on pulling all items on the agenda except number six – all voted yes with the measure passing.
Council Member Andrews spoke after having pulled item number six – then wishing to discuss in greater detail after the public has spoken.
David Armstrong, Chairman of the Downtown Improvement District, noted that his group created a “single point of responsibility and opportunity” for the acquisition of janitorial services for the city, and that there will be a continuously clean and safer downtown.
The additional cleaning services, per the P-bit, was further addressed after a question from Council Member Andrews. Dedicated staff will be required to do standard services, with higher-level personnel performing higher-level services. It was his feeling that with all services being based under “one umbrella,” that funds could be then be spent on enhanced services where they might otherwise not be.
Council Member Andrews felt that Mr. Armstrong’s clarification was acceptable, and thereby moved for approval. With a second on the floor, the deputy mayor inquired about graffiti removal services. The speaker for the program replied from the floor that the new city graffiti hotline was available on the city's webpage.
The city clerk called the roll on item number six, with all members voting yes.
Item No. 13 the Code Enforcement Measure – Jeff Lambert led the staff report, identifying a “disconnect,” as he called it, before turning the presentation over to Andrew.
Thus the Manager of Building and Safety for the city opened with a slide -- 2010 Code Enforcement Update.
“One,” Origin of Local Enforcement Authority – State Health and Safety Code.
“Two,” Types of Enforcement Strategies – showing a “passive program” and an “active program.” The active program facilitates compliance in enhanced manner.
“Three,” Means of Enforcement – showing a “reactive program” and a “proactive program.” The proactive program plans largely for exterior over interior inspections (for blight, etc.)
“Four,” Enforcement Philosophy – noting knowledgeable staff, compassionate staff, active program, timeliness, and accountability. Such things as a photo of the citizens’ violation will be part of the enforcement philosophy.
“Five,” Case Management – showing priority levels, hazard levels, with examples. A priority level 3 and physical hazards would include trash cans, weeds in yards, parking vehicles on lawns.
“Six,” Performance Measurement – with current staffing and workload. Yellow and blue bars in a graph indicated a 30% difference in desired versus actual, which can be accounted for by staff reductions
Performance measurement in terms of targets showed “response time” versus “abatement time,” noting 100% effectiveness in abatement.
“Seven,” Possible Program Options – include volunteers in code enforcement program -- property maintenance and sign ordinance program -- big rental building registration program -- real estate resale report program – tenant-landlord education and support services. Visual blight was noted by the speaker in the downtown area based on over usage of signs and signage. Vacant building programs were deemed important. Real estate report programs were mentioned as a means for educating people who enter escrow.
Tenants and landlords need to rely on a program to help resolve issues.
“Eight,” Upcoming Items – Ventura Safe Housing Collaborative recommendations upcoming December 13, 2010 -- Updating the city property maintenance code on December 2010 or January 2011 -- Report to the city council will be annual.
“Nine,” Five Questions That Could Be Answered – is the current code enforcement philosophy appropriate – is the current reactive-only approach working – should staff consider implementing any of the possible program options – to what extent should staff revise the city property maintenance code – what issues should staff focus on and should additional code compliance resources be identified.
The city manager spoke, noting that there is a serious need for feedback between the city council and service agencies in order to improve code enforcement.
Council Member Morehouse wished to question Staff on the hazard levels in and around enforcement levels. Code enforcement goes beyond simple property rights and includes dogs, smells, and other factors. The councilman also wish to clarify a percentage that might reflect a residential versus commercial ratio, and the answer was 50 to 60% being residential.
Council Member Weir noted that the acronym in our code enforcement equates to “the VICE Department,” which might not be appropriate. The councilwoman showed interest in the volunteer level duty requirements versus the professional level support. Code enforcement staff in other cities have shown themselves to be very prompt in their enforcement duties. Staff replied that Ventura has been on the low end historically for its timely responses based on the reality of just one officer per 40,000 structures.
Public Communications – Jill Martinez spoke again on the Code Enforcement Collaborative, hoping to have a definitive report by December 13. Another community meeting on October 16 will help to meet those goals. Jill passed out a collection of bound materials to the staff, showing the progress that had been made, noting that the collaborative will be working along with the council on the report with follow-up questions. With 100,000 homes and only 2½ staff members, much has been accomplished, and a more concise report will be forthcoming.
Laura Swenson, a member of the Ventura Safe Housing Collaborative, has participated in code enforcement meetings, and noted that she also moderated the question, “Should the city execute grandfathering?” An overwhelming number of those polled agreed that grandfathering is beneficial to the city. Permits and fees should reflect the age of the property, according to those polled. Code enforcement inspections should be limited to issues which have been addressed and “pulled on,” not as part of a general inspection procedure. She noted that the attendees were predominately property owners, leaving out renters, who may have had valuable input.
The next speaker, Mr. Campos, took issue with a 25 foot setback from garage to fence on one side and another 25 feet on the other side, which translates into 50 feet of property. His claim was that this will drive away prospective buyers in Ventura, potentially driving them to other cities. A new project at Jordan and Thompson is under construction, with jackhammers beginning at 6 AM on a Saturday, and senior citizens have indicated they are “keeping their silence” over fear of reprisal by code enforcement personnel.
Tom Stanley, a midtown resident, claimed to be opposed to Option No. 1 which would include proactive door to door code enforcement, citing an N. Fedders article for Scripps-Howard newspapers, with the article stating that “Great Recession Changes America.” It claimed that this is not the time and Ventura is not the place for door-to-door code enforcement.
The next speaker, Camille, claimed to be a supporter of volunteers, but not “patrols” seeking code violations. She spoke to the intimidation that many feel with programs that are currently being considered by Staff. The speaker acknowledged the need for active enforcement, but an easier approach -- softer and more incentive-based -- thus reflecting the needs of an older city.
The next speaker, Dan, wished to review a prior slide covering “actions” and “targets.” His belief was that the immediate targets should be reserved for safety issues. His recommendation would be that no action should be taken until a good report from the Ventura Safe Housing Collaborative is received. He claimed to be disappointed with the September 11 meeting at the school. There seemed to be an atmosphere of “there they are – let’s get ‘em,” but very little emphasis on the grandfathering issue, or “safety” based on substandard factors. His claim was that “safe” and “substandard” are not to be locked together in this way. He stated further that greater community input was needed before approval of these Staff recommendations.
Public speaking was closed, with the mayor requiring clarification on whether the council needed to “bless” these issues, or whether communications was the issue.
Council Member Morehouse was recognized with his thoughts based on experience with the issue. He believed that the staff proposal was the “way to go,” noting that complaints coming from individuals are often because they are unaware or ignorant of the law. He agreed that the city Property Maintenance Code could be revisited.
Council Member Andrews agreed that under the circumstances we have “very little choice” but to maintain a proactive program. His view was that the use of volunteers would be a positive step. The councilman stated further that we “need a mechanism” when properties are bought or sold, to ensure that the buyer is aware of code issues. The recognition is there for noting that buyers, agents and sellers need to be made aware of issues over code and building maintenance.
The council member noted that banks or agencies who become involved in these issues need to be brought into the conversation. Should municipalities adopt the code standards as proposed at the national level? he asked. Standards can be adopted for reasons of money and “taking advantage” in certain instances. Debates such as these are going on at the national level and “Washington lobbies” are having influence.
Council Member Weir spoke on the volunteer issue – citing Priority Level 3 (trash cans, weeds, etc.) thinking that the priority three area could be voted upon. The councilwoman noted that San Luis Obispo has strict sign ordinances, and perhaps non-coincidentally has been named as one of the most livable cities in our area. The number of vacant and blighted properties in Ventura seems to be on the increase, according to her, and that a proactive approach may be of some importance.
Council Member Brennan spoke in response to the mayor's request to “move along” with the agenda. The councilman seemed to agree with “signage” as a major issue. In response to Council Member Andrews, Mr. Brennan reiterated concerns over the “point of sale” issue.
The mayor asked for a recess to discuss the “Santa Cruz item” down the hall, with a return to the council before closing.
Mayor Fulton closed the public meeting without resolution to the code enforcement issue, but with continuation to the next closed meeting.