Community members are invited to join Ventura Fire for a series of fire station open house events, happening June 15 – August 3, 2022.

Participants who attend will have an opportunity to engage directly with City leadership, meet local firefighters, tour fire stations, hear about current conditions, and contribute to conversations about becoming a 21st century fire department.

A community meeting will be held at each of the six Ventura fire stations on select Wednesdays from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on the following dates:

June 15, Fire Station 3, located at 5838 Telegraph Road, 93003
June 22, Fire Station 1, located at 717 N. Ventura Avenue, 93001
June 29, Fire Station 2, located at 41 S. Seaward Avenue, 93003
July 20, Fire Station 4, located at 8303 Telephone Road, 93004
July 27, Fire Station 5, located at 4225 E. Main Street, 93003
August 3, Fire Station 6, located at 10797 Darling Road, 93004

The fire station community workshops will be family-friendly environments, complete with light refreshments, activities for kids, and giveaways.

“Our priority is to keep our community safe and provide the highest standard of fire and medical service,” said Fire Chief David Endaya. “In the last few decades, we’ve seen service demands and call volume increase significantly. We’re looking for community input on how to prepare for future operational needs, apparatus upgrades, call volume increases, and personnel needs.”

Live Spanish interpretation will also be offered at Fire Stations 1 and 2.

To learn more about the Ventura Fire Department, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/FireOutreach.

After a highly competitive, open recruitment process, the City of Ventura has hired Michael MacDonald as the new City Clerk.

“Having grown up in Ventura, I feel lucky to return to this community in a public service role,” said City Clerk Michael MacDonald. “I look forward to this new role and serving as a partner in democracy, ensuring that the residents of Ventura have an open, honest, and transparent government.”

As the City Clerk, MacDonald is responsible for managing and supervising the activities of the City Clerk’s Office including preparation of City Council agendas and minutes, overseeing recruitments and appointments for the city’s advisory groups, coordinating elections, and adherence to the Brown Act. Additionally, the City Clerk is accountable for compliance with the Public Records Act and the Political Reform Act.

With over five years of experience working in municipal government and two years with the state senate, MacDonald joins Ventura from the City of Berkeley where he served as the Assistant City Clerk. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CSU Channel Islands and is a Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC).

“The city clerk wears many hats, including overseeing elections, council agendas, public records, meetings, and volunteer opportunities on city advisory committees,” said City Manager Alex D. McIntyre. “Michael is a great addition to the City’s leadership team. His experience will help further advance our commitment to public transparency and responsive local government services,” said City Manager Alex D. McIntyre.

For more information about the City of Ventura’s City Clerk’s Office, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov.

After a competitive, nationwide recruitment, the City of Ventura has selected Mitchell Cameron as the new Chief Technology Officer in the Information Technology (IT) Department.

“The City of Ventura recognizes the essential role information technology plays in connecting public services to our employees, residents, businesses, and community stakeholders,” said City Manager Alex D. McIntyre. “I’m glad to welcome Mitchell as the director of our newly formed information technology department.”

Mitchell was selected to lead the newly formed 23-member IT Department in implementing the City’s strategic plan. This includes managing new and replacement software, identifying emerging technologies, and ensuring strategic business investments are customer-focused and deliver the highest value to the public.

“I am truly excited to continue my work with the City of Ventura in this new capacity. I look forward to leading the organization’s effort to leverage technology and enhance the way we provide services to the community,” said Chief Technology Officer Mitchell Cameron.

Mitchell brings over 12 years of public and private sector experience to the position. He previously working for the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, GEICO, and the United States Navy. He began his career with the City in 2017 as a Management Analyst in the then Finance and Technology Department. Soon after, he was promoted to Senior Analyst in the City Manager’s Office and was appointed the City’s Business Innovation Manager in 2021. He holds a master’s degree in Management Information Systems from National University, a master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from California Lutheran University, and a bachelor’s degree in Management from American Military University.

Although the City has long had an Information Technology Division within its Finance Department, Council approved the creation of an Information Technology Department in June 2021.

For more information about the City of Ventura’s Information Technology Department, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/InformationTechnology.

After serving the City of Ventura for more than 23 years, Ventura Water General Manager Susan Rungren announces her retirement effective June 2022.

“Susan has guided Ventura Water’s helm towards improving our water and wastewater infrastructure as well as securing our local and regional water supply through projects and programs like the State Water Interconnection Project and the VenturaWaterPure Program,” said Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “She brought a wealth of knowledge to our community and we wish her all the best in her retirement.”

Rungren began her career with the City of Ventura in 1999 as a Utilities Engineer. She then served as the Water Resource Manager for seven years before being appointed to Ventura Water Assistant General Manager in May 2018. In May 2019, Rungren was promoted to Ventura Water General Manager where she oversaw the City’s water and wastewater operations, while also spearheading multiple long-term water supply projects.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to work alongside so many outstanding staff, public officials, and community members and I am deeply honored to have served the City of Ventura and Ventura Water for more than 20 years,” shared Ventura Water General Manager Susan Rungren. “I am extremely proud of Ventura Water’s continued core service delivery throughout the pandemic including implementing utility billing policies to help relieve customers with no water shut-offs and ensure continuous water and wastewater service.”

Upon Rungren’s departure, Assistant General Manager Gina Dorrington will be appointed as the General Manager. Dorrington has been in the water and wastewater industry for over 20 years and joined the City in 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Soil Science from Cal Poly Pomona as well a myriad of certifications in water distribution, wastewater treatment, and environmental compliance.

“I am honored to be appointed and serve as the City’s General Manager for Ventura Water and excited to be part of expanding our water portfolio with projects and programs like State Water Interconnection and VenturaWaterPure,” said Gina Dorrington. “Our water and wastewater resources remain a critical component of our community and I am looking forward to helping secure our vital water supply.

For more information about Ventura Water, visit www.VenturaWater.net.

We asked Stephen Glenn, Management Analyst II Ventura Water to answer a few questions. This is part 2 of 2.

How are we using reclaimed water?

The Ventura Water Reclamation Facility (VWRF) was expanded in 1972 to include tertiary filters to provide filtered effluent for both water reclamation and discharge to the Santa Clara River Estuary. Effluent reuse for irrigation is an integral part of the Recycled Water Program. Use of recycled water represents a reduction in demand on the drinking water supply of approximately 325 million gallons per year. Ventura Water supplies recycled water from the VWRF to irrigate the City’s two public golf courses, Marina Park and landscape areas near Olivas Drive and in the Harbor area.

In 2015, the City initiated a pilot project to test the feasibility of constructing an advanced water purification facility (AWPF) to maximize quantity and reliability of potable supplies by purifying tertiary treated effluent produced by the VWRF and optimizing its potable reuse, rather than discharging into the Santa Clara River Estuary. The pilot facility operated for 9 months and produced favorable results, indicating highly reliable purification technologies, providing information on operational needs and costs, and the absence of risk to public health and safety. As a result, the City is proposing to construct a full-scale AWPF, that is one component of the VenturaWaterPure Program.

The City of Ventura is currently in the planning phases for the VenturaWaterPure Program that includes the state-of-the-art AWPF. The VenturaWaterPure Program consists of several capital improvement projects and will be a new, locally owned source of highly purified drinking water that provides Ventura with a long-term drought resilient water supply solution. On October 14, 2019, Ventura City Council unanimously voted to certify the EIR for the Ventura Water Supply Projects. Following completion of the environmental review process, the next steps include permitting, final design, and bidding for construction. The project is anticipated to initially produce at least 2,800 AFY and ultimately produce at least 4,000 AFY.

Lastly, Ventura Water offers customers the opportunity to receive recycled water through the Mobile Reuse Program. Through this program, customers can pick-up and haul and unlimited amount of recycled water from the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility for landscape irrigation, dust control, and soil compaction. Before receiving recycled water through the program customers must first complete a training and obtain a permit.

Do we need to water only once a week?

There has been much confusion regarding the use of Ventura water. We asked Stephen Glenn, Management Analyst II Ventura Water to answer a few questions. This is part 1 of 2 articles.

Q: What are Ventura’s water sources?

A: The City of Ventura is unique in that it relies exclusively on water from 100% local sources. These sources include surface water from Lake Casitas and the Ventura River, and groundwater from the Santa Paula, Oxnard Plan, and Mound Basins.

Q: What is their condition?

A: Ventura Water continually assesses short and long-term water supply and demands through various planning efforts including the Annual Comprehensive Water Resources Report and the Urban Water Management Plan. These assessments consider new development projects, anticipated increase in water demand, and impacts to the water supply, to ensure a balanced and stable water future.

Currently, staff is completing the 2022 Comprehensive Water Resources Report. This plan evaluates the City’s projected water supply and demand for the next 3 years. Lake Casitas is currently below 40% capacity which requires the City to reduce its purchases by 30%. Ventura River supplies are expected to be less than 25% of capacity due to below average rainfall in 2020 and 2021 and the settlement agreement that requires the City stop pumping when flows reach 4 cfs. Groundwater levels in the Oxnard Plain are decreasing, but the City does not anticipate a reduction in its allocation this year. Groundwater conditions in the Santa Paula and Mound Basin are stable and allocations are not expected to be reduced this year.

Considering the current challenges, uncertainties, and reliability associated with Ventura’s water sources, the plan concludes that water supplies are sufficient to meet demands for at least 2022-2024. The 2022 Final Draft CWRR shows that the projected supplies for the next three years are slightly greater than the projected water demands. This indicates that if the City’s customers continue to conserve at current levels, the City will not need to declare a water shortage or enact water shortage surcharge rates within the next three years unless there are unanticipated changes to supply projections.

Q: Are any plans to control water usage?

A: In 2021, Ventura Water released the 2020 Water Shortage Event Contingency Plan to provide guidance if triggering events occur — whether from reduced supply, increased demand, or an emergency declaration — and identify corresponding actions to be taken during the various stages of a water shortage. The plan includes voluntary and mandatory stages which are intended to be fair to all water customers and users while having the least impact on business, employment, and quality of life for residents.

Additionally, the City of Ventura’s ordinance Section 22.170.010 – Water waste prohibited, lists out prohibited uses and penalties, which remain in place regardless of if a water shortage event has been triggered.

It is important to note (as stated in your previous publication) that the restrictions being imposed by Metropolitan Water District do not impact the City’s customers. Currently, the City does not receive any State Water and is instead reliant on a diverse portfolio from 100% local sources. Staff continues to monitor considerations being made by the State Water Resources Control Board regarding Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-7-22 that may require all Californians to conserve water whether a local water shortage exists or not. The SWCRB is expected to take action on May 24, 2022, so the City will evaluate whether local actions are necessary following that date.

Lastly, Ventura Water continues administer a robust water efficiency program that has helped transform water conservation into a Ventura way of life. Ventura Water customers’ continued water conservation efforts have allowed the City to avoid a critical water shortage situation. For a complete list of programs offered by the Ventura Water, please visit Rebates & Incentives | Ventura, CA.

After much support from the public and the downtown business community, the City Council unanimously approved extending Main Street Moves to 2024 during its meeting on April 11, 2022. Staff will continue to collect data and collaborate with downtown stakeholders on the long-term installation of the program.

Main Street Moves closes five blocks of Downtown Ventura, from the San Buenaventura Mission to Fir Street and a portion of California Street. The program, launched in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, creates a pedestrian-friendly area along Main Street, retaining the existing curb, gutter, and sidewalk configuration through a flexible design approach.

“We want to build a program with the most consensus and greatest benefit to the downtown district,” said Economic Development Manager Meredith Hart. “After working with the businesses, most want to move forward with a full closure model, and almost all are willing to participate in a flexible closure model, which would involve parklets.”

The City and Downtown Ventura Partners are working with property owners, restaurants, and retailers in the impacted downtown area to continue to gather feedback on participation within the different operating models. The proposed models have ranged from the current full street closure to the previous full open street model.

A long-term full street closure model for Main Street and the re-opening of California Street with the allowance of parklets will be analyzed through an environmental impact review, a traffic study, and bids for the design and installation of removable bollards. City Council determined to re-open California Street to improve ADA parking and access. If implemented, the project will need to adhere to the Pedestrian Mall Law of 1960. Establishing a long-term program will also require creating a licensing agreement with property owners for the use of the public right-of-way areas.

In response to an increased demand for parking in the downtown area, parking hours will be adjusted on weekends to allow for more use with paid parking rates increasing to $1.00 per hour. In addition, parking hours on Friday and Saturday will be extended to 11:00 p.m. Parking hours on Sunday through Thursday will remain from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. These changes will go into effect May 9, 2022. In addition to paid parking spots, the City maintains designated ADA parking spaces at each intersection, surface lots, and parking structure, with approximately 2,000 free parking spaces throughout downtown.

To learn more about Main Street Moves and view reports or survey results, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/OutdoorDiningProgram.