by VREG Editors
Mayor Matt LaVere filled his 2019 State-of-the-City address with images of a better Ventura. Unfortunately, it lacked specifics on addressing Ventura’s most pressing issues, budgets, water, staff and retirement costs.
Ventura’s Homeless Center
The first goal was opening a permanent, full-service homeless shelter by December 31, 2019. Opening the center doesn’t begin to solve the problem. Mayor LaVere and the City Council equate opening a homeless center with improving Ventura’s homeless situation. They are not the same thing.
Homelessness has risen the past three years to 555 persons from 300 in 2016.
The city is hoping the new homeless shelter will stem the tide, but there will only be 55 beds. Filling every bed will still leave 500 unsheltered homeless persons on the street.
A shelter is a start but it has been planned for years. The details on the next steps to keeping homeless off the street were not shared. We hoped for more.
Update The General Plan
The second goal was to reinitiate the General Plan update by conducting public outreach throughout 2019. New innovative ways will be tried to reach more citizens. Mayor LaVere does plan to include more young people but the details were missing.
Economic Development
The third goal is to create a comprehensive economic development strategy. The strategy would include several key focus areas, including the Auto Center, the Johnson Drive corridor and Front Street.
Economic development begins with other people’s money. It takes investors, willing to put up the capital, to improve the business environment. How the City of Ventura will encourage new investors was not shared.
Ventura has a reputation among developers as a difficult city to do business. Stifling regulations, fees and planning delays force investors to look elsewhere. It is hoped that the new economic development plan will review, streamline or remove building codes and regulations wherever possible in the city.
Ventura Beautiful
The fourth goal is to beautify the community. Mayor LaVere wants to end “blight.”
Like the economic plan goal, this goal relies on “other people’s money.” Homeowners must invest in eliminating the so-called blight. There is no compelling reason for property owners to reinvest in some properties.
If the mayor is serious about decreasing blight, reduce the building permits and fees for rebuilding.
Coastal Area Strategic Plan
The fifth goal is also unmeasurable and unspecific. Mayor LaVere says we must develop a Coastal Area Strategic Plan.
The same faults of gaining input for the General Plan apply to the Coastal Area Strategic Plan. Find ways to reach all citizens.
Building Community
The sixth goal is for the Ventura community to come together. Building community was a goal of both Mayor Nasarenko and Mayor Andrews. Three years and three administrations later, this goal remains.
Mayor LaVere has targeted Mission Park as the way to build community. The specifics on rebuilding Mission Park were missing. Budgets, timelines or measurable results would have been helpful. Moreover, this plan has one fault the others don’t have, public safety.
Mission Park is home to some of Ventura’s homeless population. To prepare the area, the homeless must move elsewhere. Also, after they move, someone would have to clean the park of discarded needles, drug paraphernalia and human waste.
Stopping The Bleeding
To fulfill any of our mayor’s goals requires adequate staff. The final goal is to stabilize and strengthen our city government. The city has eight unfilled, critical managerial positions and sixty vacant jobs.
We hope City Manager Alex McIntyre will fill those management positions soon but, if he doesn’t, how will the City Council help and support our City Manager?
Editors’ Comments
This year’s speech painted a utopian vision. It was a feel good speech. How these goals will be achieved and by whom remains to be seen.
