Category Archives: City News

Street Fair staff is looking for volunteers

Volunteers are the heart of our community, and the 4th of July Street Fair staff is always thankful for the help. The Street Fair staff is currently looking for volunteers to assist with the duties listed below for this annual event. All volunteer positions receive community hour credits if required. The deadline to volunteer is June 14.

Volunteer opportunities for the 4th of July Street Fair:

Poster distribution throughout Ventura and surrounding cities. Began June 1; this schedule can be flexible.

Street Fair booth marking on Main St., Thursday, June 28 6:15-8 am.

Assist Traffic Control on July 4, 6:30-10 am, will help vendors find their location and ensure proper booth set up. All volunteers for this assignment must be over 16 unless volunteering with an adult.

Assist Traffic Control on July 4, 4-6:30 pm, will assist with vendor traffic control as they exit. All volunteers for this assignment must be over 16 unless volunteering with an adult.

Information booth on July 4, 8-11 am, 11 am-2 pm or 2-5 pm; these shifts will answer questions, assist with decoration placement and take down. You can volunteer for all three shifts if you would like, breaks will be provided.

For more information contact Michelle Godoy-Morales at 654-7749 or [email protected].

Cultural Grant Funding and sailing?

Applications and guidelines are now available online for the City of Ventura 2018-19 Cultural Grant Funding Program. The grant program is awarded annually to support Ventura-based cultural non-profits. These funds are unrestricted and may be used for organizational support, programming, and services. The application and guidelines are available online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/grants; applications must be received by Friday, June 29, 2018, at 5 pm.

Grants will range in size from $1,000-$20,000 and will be awarded on a competitive basis with a total of $90,000 available to grant. For more information, visit the Cultural Grant Funding website or contact Kathryn Dippong Lawson at 658-4720 or [email protected].

Did you know that there is a City of Ventura Parks and Recreation sailing center that teaches residents to sail, kayak and paddleboard and provides seasonal camps for younger residents? Join the staff of the Leo Robbins Community Sailing Center at an Open House and Safe Boating Event on Sat., May 26 from 12-3 pm at Marina Park, 2950 Pierpont Blvd.

Take a free sailboat or kayak ride, and learn more about summer programs! This event is open to the public, and no experience is necessary. For more information visit the Leo Robbins Community Sailing Center website.

Ventura Water’s General Manager Kevin Brown

Brown had been on the job only 2 months when the Thomas Fires erupted.

by Jennifer Tipton

Before becoming Ventura Water’s General Manager, Kevin Brown, now a retired Navy Captain, worked in the Pentagon as chairman of the Strategic Laydown Assessment for the Chief of Naval Operations, a nine-billion-dollar annual program.

With an annual revenue of around $94 miilion, Ventura Water brought in Brown specifically for his strategic planning experience for infrastructure. He had been on the job only 2 short months when the Thomas Fires erupted.

On that fateful night, December 4th, 2017, Brown was at City Hall with most of the city staff for the initiation of Mayor Neal Andrews. “We were getting ready to celebrate our new mayor when phones started blowing up”, said Brown. Grabbed to the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) he was still so new to the job, he was just happy to be told we had one! In the Navy, they would routinely practice drills, but according to Brown, “for a city that had not had to do this for a very long time, the response was tremendous, all of the city came together quickly and that was impressive!”.

I asked, “are you aware some have asked where was the water when we needed it most? Do you feel we had enough water to combat the Thomas Fires?”

Brown assured me that there was ample water supply, “more than enough with what was brought in from Lake Casitas”. I then asked if there was a problem with the fire hydrants and he responded, “no, however, there were large water tanks we just couldn’t get to because they were surrounded by fire”.

He spoke of drought and disaster resiliency, “we’re constantly analyzing the system to see where it can be improved, such as, how homes are built and the utility systems – do they need to be changed? The Oxnard City Water Services has over 400,000 customers, they are worried about being cut off by a seismic event, we’re all looking at that”.

There are four water basins we draw from here in Ventura and four different organizations that oversee those basins, “it’s complicated”, said Brown.

According to Craig Jones with Ventura Water, the basins and the organizations that oversee them are:

  • Mound Basin – Mound Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency
  • Oxnard Plain – Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency
  • Upper Ventura River – Upper Ventura River Groundwater Sustainability Agency
  • Santa Paula – Santa Paula Basin Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

“Since 1971, Ventura has been paying for state water but never got it, because there’s no connecting pipeline”, said Brown, “this should be completed by 2022 – 2023”.

I discovered that what we’ve been paying for is the right to state water and we pay roughly $1 million per year; water delivery fees will be an extra cost once the pipeline is complete.

In Fall 2018 – Fall 2021, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will be in place. Ventura Water will be replacing all manually read meters with automatic meters that relay readings remotely. The expected results are improved accuracy in readings and customer service, advanced leak detection and notification capabilities, the ability for customers to actively manage their water usage and enhanced water quality protection and conservation. Ventura Water is excited to implement this new technology.

Lastly, I asked Brown, “if you knew what was coming (Thomas Fires) would you have taken the position as General Manager with Ventura Water?” He sat back and chuckled, “oh boy… knowing then what I know today … yes, I would. It’s in my heart as an engineer and there’s so much going on here from water allocations to all the innovations, it’s just exciting each day to come to work!”

Ventura Water will be looking at revenue and rate structure changes starting winter 2018.

Corporate Games closing ceremonies and competition

Representing Taradyne Co of Ventura , “The Bucket Brigade” filled and hauled countless buckets of water from the shore while others shaped the sand. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

Thousands of employees from 80 Ventura and Santa Barbara County companies have been battling it out for the last six-weeks in the 29th Annual City of Ventura Corporate Games! The end of this business-to-business team sports competition took place on Saturday, May 5 at the Corporate Games Closing Ceremonies held at Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura.

In the last two events local companies faced off in the “Ventura’s Beauty” Sand Sculpturing Contest and Tug-O-War competition to end the competition and to win the overall and team unity trophies in their respective divisions in this final day of competition.

For more information on the Corporate Games, visit www.venturacorporategames.org.

It’s time to take a peek at summer!

The City of Ventura Parks and Recreation will be hosting a free Open House at Barranca Vista Park on Saturday, May 12 from 1-5 pm. This event will be your opportunity to interact with staff and preview the summer camps being offered this year. Stage entertainment featuring Elaine’s Polynesian Dancers, Cassie’s Pop Dancers, Line Dancing with Jackie, Rock & Roll High Camp alumni band “The Antidote,” and JAB, as well as, cheer and gymnastics demos will be performing during the event.

With more than 20 hands-on activity booths there will be something for everyone! Join City of Ventura Summer Day Camp & Aquatics Center staff for special crafts, try your balance on the Ohana surfboard, paint a colorful bookmark with RED Brick Art Camps, play the money game with Money Munchkids, make slime with Mad Science, build with Play-Well Lego, learn to play guitar with Rock & Roll High or sing and drum with Music Therapy by JAB. The Li’l Circus that Could will bring circus arts & interactive fun to kids of all ages. You don’t have to run away to join the circus; the circus is coming to Barranca Vista Park!

Stay for the first Fairy Tales in the Park performance of the season. The Peter Pan 4: Hook’s Uproar performance will begin at 4 pm and will last one hour. We encourage you to bring a blanket, picnic and low lawn chairs.

While you are at the event, view the newly installed public art project “Bee Cause. This permanent art installation, led by local artist M.B. Hanrahan, beautifies the space and also pays homage to the plight of the North American Bumble Bee.

For more information, visit the Barranca Vista Center website.

City of Ventura news

Applications are now being accepted for the City of Ventura 2018-19 Cultural Grant Funding Program. The grant program is awarded annually to support Ventura-based cultural non-profits. These funds are unrestricted and may be used for organizational support, programming, and services. The application and guidelines are available online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/grants; applications must be received by Friday, June 29, 2018 at 5 pm.

Non-profit organizations are required to provide proof of their 501(c)(3) status or their Ventura County-based fiscal agent(s). Grants will range in size from $1,000-$20,000 and will be awarded on a competitive basis with a total of $90,000 available. Organizations whose real annual budgets are less than $10,000 are only eligible to request $1,000; all other requests may not exceed 10% of the organization’s real annual budget. Past recipients must have submitted a final report from the previous year to be eligible for future funding.

Developed in 1993, the City of Ventura Cultural Grant Funding Program supports economic development, increases tourism and enhances lifelong learning opportunities in the arts for all ages.

Art Tales Winners to be Honored at Public Reception May 17

The public is invited to attend a special reception to honor the winners of the 10th Annual Art Tales Writing Contest on May 17, at 5:30pm in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall, 501 Poli Street. Attendees will hear the inspirational pieces read by the winners. This year’s Art Tales writing contest received more than 125 works of short fiction and poems from youth, teen and adult writers, hailing from Ventura to Atlanta, Georgia.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of Art Tales are:

  • Youth Poetry: 1st Macy Li 2nd Larsen Meckstroth 3rd E.K. Baer
  • Youth Fiction: 1st Shawn Coyner 2nd Isabel Connell 3rd Devin Varela
  • Teen Poetry: 1st Penelope Duran 2nd Sophie Stimer 3rd Ethan Adler
  • Teen Fiction: 1st Cole Dodos 2nd Genevieve Werner 3rd Aaron Meraz
  • Adult Poetry: 1st Mary Adler 2nd Gabrielle Oracio 3rd Sheri Ward
  • Adult Fiction: 1st Gerald Zwers 2nd Carolyn J. Foegen 3rd Caitlin Trude

Four contest judges read “blind” entries to determine this year’s winners.

The art work used to inspire this year’s contestants were Tambor by William Hendricks, Clouds that Free the Spirit by Frances Johnson, and Freedom Wing by Teal Rowe.

The Ventura City Council established the Municipal Art Collection in 1999 to document the history of visual art in Ventura through the acquisition of artwork created by local artists. For more information regarding the Art Tales Writing Contest or the Municipal Art Collection, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/arttales.

Ventura welcomes new police officers

Ventura Police Chief Ken Corney, Officer Allen and Santa Barbara Police Chief Lori Luhnew.
DA Investigator Baray, Officer Rolls and Chief Corney.

Five new Ventura Police Officers graduated from the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center’s Academy this month and are now in their next phase of field training!

Congratulations to Officer Rolls for being presented with the “Outstanding Personal Traits Award” and Officer Allen for being presented with the “Outstanding Academic Achievement & Scenario Performance Award”.

The 49 recruits, representing agencies throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties completed 24 weeks of instruction provided through the combined efforts of local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice entities. The intense training and education prepares these recruits for the responsibility of serving as police officers. We wish the entire class well as they begin their next phase of training!

New City of Ventura Economic Development Manager

Estelle brings a strong background in strategic marketing and effective collaboration.

Ventura Community Development Director Jeff Lambert has announced that Estelle (Diaz) Bussa has been named as the City’s Economic Development Manager and will start in her new position on May 7. This selection fills a key management position in the City and supports the City Council’s priority of Creating and Maintaining Economic Development and Vitality.

Estelle is a fourth generation Ventura native and has a strong background in strategic marketing and effective collaboration. In her new role, she will focus on updating and implementing the City Council’s 5­Year Economic Development Strategy, including retention, expansion and attraction of businesses in Ventura. Estelle will work closely with the City Council Economic Development Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Ventura Partners, Visit Ventura, the Ventura Port District and other business partners. As a member of the Community Development Management Team, Estelle will work closely with the Planning and Building and Safety Divisions to support the City’s efforts to encourage private sector investment in Ventura.

Mayor Neal Andrews said, “Economic growth is vital to a healthy and vibrant business community and allows us to maintain city services and a high quality of life for our residents. We are pleased and looking forward to working with Estelle and our other community partners to further the City’s adopted strategy and to build upon the economic strength of our great city.”

Estelle previously worked four years at Patagonia where she served as International Planning Manager, Ecommerce Forecast Planner and Senior Supply Chain Analyst. She also has experience working for Adidas Group as a Senior Project Manager in Brand Harmonization. Jeffrey Lambert, Community Development Director, said, “Estelle is a unique and exciting choice for this position; her deep knowledge and commitment to Ventura and its prosperous future and her personal experience at Patagonia and beyond will support the City’s economic development goals.”

Estelle received her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Operations Management, from the University of Portland and a BA in Social Sciences from San Diego State University. She is proud alumni of Ventura High School and Ventura College, where she was a back-to-back State Champion in Woman’s Basketball.

“Ventura is a great place to live, work, and do business. I am excited for this tremendous opportunity to join the team and build upon what has been accomplished and to further the economic development related goals of the City,” said Bussa.

City of Ventura to replace Downtown parking pay stations with new, improved model

The City of Ventura is replacing Downtown parking pay stations with a new, improved model that is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The new technology offers enhanced screen displays and options for future software upgrades such as pay-by-cell. There are no changes to the current parking program rates and hours of operation.

Much like cell phones and computers, pay stations and pay station system technologies are rapidly evolving. The current base operating system on the original pay stations will no longer be in compliance with the PCI DSS therefore, the pay stations will be replaced. This recommendation is supported by the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee.

All net revenue from the parking pay stations goes back into Downtown and funds a police officer who is dedicated to making downtown a safer and cleaner place to visit. Parking revenue was recently used to install security cameras, lighting upgrades, and other improvements. The pay stations help to create turnover and open parking spaces allowing customers to find parking close to merchants.

Grand Opening of Kellogg Park

It was an immensely joyful and exuberant celebration for park that has something for all ages.

by Amber Hansen

The City of Ventura and The Trust for Public Land held the long-awaited and highly anticipated Grand Opening of Kellogg Park on Saturday, April 14, from 10 am to noon. The event began with an official ribbon cutting and speeches by: Nancy O’Connor (Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships, City of Ventura), Matt LaVere (Deputy Mayor, City of Ventura), Mark Martinez (on behalf of Congresswoman Julia Brown), State Senator Hanna-Beth Jackson, Guillermo Rodriguez (California State Director of The Trust for Public Land), Sedrick Mitchell (Deputy Director of External Affairs, California State Parks), Mr. Yukio Shinozaki (Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mitsubishi Corporation), Michelle Newell (Public Affairs Specialist for Aera Energy), local donors David Hilty and Steven Peterson, and community member Jackie Pierce.

Nestled between rolling green hills, on the corner of Kellogg and Ventura Avenue, the park features state of the art amenities including: two playgrounds (for ages 2-5 and 5-12), nature play areas, permanent cornhole stations, chess and checker tables, outdoor fitness equipment stations, an amphitheater, and ¼ mile walking path.

Aside from the man-made amenities, Kellogg Park is built with 1.5 acres of native plants. The park is built with water efficiency in mind and the grass play areas are drought tolerant. 95 new trees have been planted on the property, which will provide shade and a splash of greenery on the Westside in the years to come.

The park also features a new community garden with 47 plots available for members of the public to rent. The garden focusses on organic practices, free from the use of pesticides, and includes composting bins for community gardeners’ use. Attendees of the Grand Opening were able to tour the new garden space and obtain information about renting a plot.

Nancy O’Connor, Director of the City of Ventura’s Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department, said “Kellogg Park is an exciting addition to the Ventura Community. The variety of play amenities, the walking path, and the amazing views reaffirm the City’s commitment to our residents and their quality of life.”

The opening was packed with excited families taking full advantage of the new play areas, workout stations, and other amenities. A live band provided entertainment for the public and free goodies were handed out- it was an immensely joyful and exuberant celebration.

Matt LaVere, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Ventura, stated “what makes Ventura such an incredible place to live is its amazing collection of parks, beaches and open space. Kellogg Park is absolutely beautiful and I know children, families, and seniors on the Westside are going to love this latest addition to their neighborhood.”

For more information about Kellogg Park or to make a donation, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/KelloggPark.

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.

Kellogg Park Timeline

2012 Kellogg St. parcel listed for sale

2013 Ventura City Council approves purchase of the site. Trust for Public Land (TPL)and City receive $1 million grant from the State of California

2014 TPL and City receive $584,000 grant state of California

2015 Pacific Coast Landscape and Design hired to design park. Ventura Community Partners Foundation begins major fundraising campaign

2016 TPL and City receives a second $230,800 grant from the State of California and $1.5 million grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund through the US Department of the Interior

2017 Construction begins on Park. Kellogg Park receives additional funds of $240,000

April 14, 2018 Kellogg Park opens to the public