The community is invited to join Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava, local officials, the City of Ventura, and Caltrans for a community bike ride on Saturday, May 21, at 9:00 a.m. at Westpark Community Center, located at 450 W. Harrison Ave. The bike ride celebrates the $5 million Clean California Grant awarded for the Ventura River Trail.

In addition to the bike ride, a press conference, and event fair will also take place for the community to participate.

“May is National Bike Month and this is an opportunity to celebrate the many supportive efforts to renovate and reinvigorate the Ventura River Trail,” shared Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “We hope everyone can join us in celebrating this important win for our beloved Ventura River Trail.”

“Caltrans is excited to see the City of Ventura fulfill its vision for this trail for beautiful and clean communities,” said Caltrans District 7 Director Tony Tavares. “And since May is National Bike Month, there is no better way to celebrate this Clean California grant than with a community bike ride.”

Continuous improvements of the Ventura River Trail include repaving the bike trail, adding solar lighting, and removing and replacing trail fencing. Targeted improvements include accessibility improvements to access the trail, public art, trail monuments, environmental and ‘no litter’ signage, native and drought-tolerant shrub and tree planting, trash cans, wayfinding to the trail, and other various trail user amenities.

The City of Ventura invites families, community members, and local businesses to participate in free events in celebration of National Bike Month and National Bike to Work Week, happening May 16 – May 22.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, “May is a time to celebrate biking and the freedom, the joy, and the wellbeing it imbues within us. It’s a time to encourage ourselves to bike a little bit farther and a time to encourage others to bike a little bit at all. Because we know that when more people ride bikes, life is better for everyone.”

With more than 60 miles of bike lanes, 35 miles of bike routes and paths, and over 400 bicycle lockers for riders to use, the City of Ventura is designated by the League of American Bicyclists as a bronze-rated bicycle friendly community.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Buckley, Senior Community Outreach Specialist, at [email protected].

To learn more about the Clean California Grant Program, visit cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov.

Based upon a new contract, approved 6-1 by the City Council, City Manager Alex McIntyre received a 2% pay raise. It also includes a merit increase that brings McIntyre’s annual salary to more than $280,000.

When McIntyre was hired in 2018, he received an annual salary of $255,000. In 2020, he made $269,022 and $79,659 in benefits, making him the fourth highest paid city manager in Ventura County.

Other city manager salaries:

Simi Valley City Manager Brian Gabler earned $280,970 and $31,041 in benefits.

Moorpark’s Troy Brown earned $237,193 and $73,017

Thousand Oaks City Manager Drew Powers earned $318,134 and $93,849 in benefits.

Oxnard City Manager Alex Nguyen earned $299,142 and $46,963 in benefits.

The Ventura City Council has appointed Andy Heglund as its new City Attorney replacing Gregory Diaz, who retired in February 2022.

“After a highly competitive, open recruitment process, the Ventura City Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Andy Heglund as our new City Attorney,” said Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “With more than 10 years of public service experience, plus nearly 10 years in private sector litigation practice, Andy is extensively qualified to serve as our chief legal advisor and represent the City’s legal interests.”

In addition to serving as the chief legal advisor for the City Council, Heglund oversees a team of legal professionals and support staff who handle all aspects of municipal law supporting the City’s various City departments. This includes advising the City Council, the City’s Commissions, Boards and Committees, and City staff on a wide variety of legal matters.

“I am honored to be appointed as the City Attorney and work with the City Council, staff, and our talented team in the Attorney’s Office in serving our community,” said City Attorney Andy Heglund. “I am excited to take on this leadership role and continue working for an organization that’s dedicated to providing a high quality of life in the City of Ventura.”

Before coming to Ventura, Heglund was a Deputy City Attorney in Bakersfield for eight years, where he worked primarily in land development and public works. He also negotiated and drafted a management agreement for a city-owned venue, developed a policy for attaching cellphone antennas to streetlights, and managed the City’s legal efforts for a nearly billion-dollar freeway expansion program.

Heglund started with the Ventura City Attorney’s Office in July 2019 as the Senior Assistant City Attorney for Transactions with an emphasis on Planning and Public Works. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Pensacola Christian College and a law degree from Regent University. Since February 2022, he has served as the Interim City Attorney. Some of his notable projects include the Olivas Park Drive Development Agreement, Fire Prone Area Zone Ordinance, Veteran’s Housing Project, and Main Street Moves.

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

The City of Ventura invites residents to get involved in local government services and decisions that impact the community. Currently, there are 24 openings across several City boards, commissions, and committees.

These positions assist and advise City Council on various programs and projects. Applications are due by Friday, April 15, 2022.

There are four openings on the Local Construction Appeals Board.

There are three openings on the Mobile Home Rent Review Board.

There are two openings on the Parks & Recreation Commission.

There are four openings on the Arts & Culture Commission.

There are two openings on the Water Commission.

There are three openings on the Historic Preservation Committee.

There are three openings on the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee.

There are two openings on the Design Review Committee.

There is one opening on the Ventura Port District.

Vacancies on the Boards and Commissions occur either through scheduled vacancies created by the expiration of a term or resignations during the year. Residents interested in serving on a Board or Committee may apply. Per San Buenaventura Ordinance 2019-003, no citizen may serve on more than one Committee, Commission, or Board. Dual appointments are not permitted.

For questions or to apply, contact the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 658-4787 or email [email protected]. To learn more about the City’s boards, commissions, or committees, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Recruitments.

The annual Fourth of July Street Fair and Pushem-Pullem Parade is set to return this year for the first time since 2019.

The parade is themed “2022: Red, White, & Blue!” and will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 4, throughout Downtown Ventura.

Vendor applications and sponsorship opportunities are now available on the City’s website at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/StreetFair. Vendor groups include arts and crafts, non-profits, and food vendors.

Due to changes in the layout and scope of the event, the City will not be accepting applications from commercial vendors, temporary food facility (TFF) type 1 food vendors, or mobile food facility (MFF) type 4 food vendors.

Vendor applications are due by 5:00 p.m. PST on Tuesday, April 12. Applications can be submitted by mail, email, or dropped off in-person at City Hall in Room 226, located at 501 Poli Street.

For questions and more information, contact City of Ventura Recreation Coordinator Allyson DesBaillets at [email protected] or call (805) 654-7749.

After a highly competitive, open recruitment process, the City of Ventura has hired Meredith Hart as its new Economic Development Manager.

“As a Ventura native, I’m looking forward to working with local businesses, commercial real estate brokers, and people investing in the region to build an environment for economic sustainability and growth,” said Economic Development Manager Meredith Hart. “Ventura is a great place to live, work, and do business. I’m excited to step into this role and help support new, growing, and legacy businesses thrive in our community.”

As the City’s economic development manager, Meredith will oversee economic sustainability and growth. This includes business retention and attraction, expanding workforce development and educational partnerships, and increasing job opportunities.

With more than 10 years of public and private sector experience, Meredith has a strong background in strategic planning, project management, and effective collaboration working with Ventura’s business community. She has served as the interim economic development manager since October 2021, and previously served as the City’s Safe & Clean Manager, where she worked with businesses and community groups to address homelessness and housing needs within the City.

During her time as the safe and clean manager, she developed successful policies and programs with the Ventura City Council in various focuses, including the development and creation of the City’s first year-round shelter, proactive outreach team, river bottom trash removal program, and most recently, supporting the Main Street Moves program.

Prior to joining the City, Meredith worked at Downtown Ventura Partners, where she served as the deputy director. In this role, she focused on fostering a vibrant commercial district through business engagement and created retention, expansion, and attraction programs for restaurants and retailers. She also hosted a business development conference for downtown businesses and enhanced safety measures by implementing the Downtown Ambassador Programs.

For more information about the City’s Economic Development Programs, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/ed.

The City of Ventura has posted the preferred draft of the Council District Map available for review at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Redistricting.

The updated district map was discussed at the fourth redistricting public hearing at the City Council meeting on Monday, February 7. Information about participating in the public hearing can be found on the redistricting website.

“The redistricting process is something that’s done every ten years and impacts how residents elect their city council members. The primary goal when developing election districts is to draw lines that respect neighborhoods, history, and geographical elements,” said Interim City Clerk Tracy Oehler. “We encourage the community to attend this final public hearing to learn more or share input about boundaries for their neighborhood.”

Every ten years, local governments use new data from the Census to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. State law requires cities and counties to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and doing public outreach, including to underrepresented and non-English-speaking communities.

The final deadline for the City Council to adopt a district map as part of the City’s ordinance is April 17, 2022. The new map will be used during the November 8 election.

For more information about the City of Ventura’s redistricting process, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Redistricting.