Category Archives: City News

Mayor’s Arts Awards recipients announced, public invited to reception

Dr. KuanFen Liu was selected as the Artist in the Community.

Ventura Mayor Erik Nasarenko is proud to announce the recipients for the Mayor’s Arts Awards and invites the public to attend its twelfth annual reception on Thursday, November 3, at 7 pm, at the Museum of Ventura County. Seven top leaders, patrons, educators, entrepreneurs and artists dedicated to nurturing our city’s lively arts community and vital cultural life will be honored.

“These annual awards are an important tradition for everyone who loves the arts and Ventura,” said the Mayor. “They cultivate a greater visibility and understanding of the value of the arts to the public at large and are one small way to say ‘well done’ and ‘thank you’ to all participants in our creative community – for their contributions, their dedication and their passion to serve our city through the arts.”

Music by Caleb Bigler and Blake Kasting Duo and refreshments from Seasons Catering precede individual presentations for each honoree who will receive “Mark of Excellence,” a special edition work on paper created by artist Lis Schwitters.

The event is presented by the City Manager’s Office and the Parks, Recreation and Community Partnerships Department. Reception sponsors include the Museum of Ventura County, Beverlee’s, Seasons Catering, and the Ventura High School Regional Occupational Program: Floral Design.

An Awards Selection Committee convened earlier this year to review nominations made by the public and to make recommendations that were forwarded to the Mayor and the City’s Cultural Affairs Commission for their approval. The committee members were Betsy Chess, Cultural Affairs Commissioner & Museum of Ventura County Director of Development; Anna Bermudez, Museum of Ventura County Curator of Exhibits and Collections; and Barbara Brown, Public Art Commissioner & CEO of BBM&D Strategic Branding.

Committee member Betsy Chess stated  “Part of the fun sitting on the panel to choose the Mayor’s Arts Awards recipients is being reminded of how richly the arts are represented and supported in Ventura. The downside is that we can only honor one in each category when so many are deserving!”

Established in 2005, the Mayor’s Arts Awards recognize the contributions to the cultural community by city residents, artists, educators, organizations and business leaders. The goal of this program is to help cultivate greater visibility and understanding of the value of the arts, as well as grow new leadership and new patrons of the arts.

Categories and this year’s winners:

  • Mark and Janet Goldenson: Arts Patron, a business or individual whose strong support of the arts has been ongoing through philanthropic and/or volunteer service;
  • Dr. KuanFen Liu: Artist in the Community, an established individual artist (in any discipline) for artistic excellence and singular efforts in contributing to Ventura’s cultural vitality;
  • Geraldine Pielaet: Creative Entrepreneur, a locally owned for-profit business which exemplifies the impact and vitality of Ventura’s creative economy
  • Jim Rice: Arts Leader, a nonprofit arts professional who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, organizational stewardship and partnership within the local arts community.
  • Jodi Farrell: Arts Educator, an individual or organization whose achievements and contributions to arts education have been significant and far reaching;
  • Kaylie Pendleton: Student Artist, awarded to an active student artist (in any discipline) under the age of 19 who has demonstrated outstanding promise and commitment to the arts.

City of Ventura announces the appointment of new Public Works Director

City of Ventura announces the appointment of new Public Works Director
City of Ventura announces the appointment of new Public Works Director

Ventura City Manager Mark Watkins is pleased to announce the appointment of Tully Clifford to the position of Public Works Director.  Mr. Clifford will join the City of Ventura on October 17, 2016.

Mr. Clifford brings more than 35 years of professional engineering and management experience from both the public and private sectors.  Most recently, he served as the Director of the Watershed Protection District for the County of Ventura where he managed the water, sewer, streets, facilities, storm water, engineering, operating and capital budgets for their full service public works department.  Mr. Clifford served as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass (Canada), as the Public Works Director for the City of Solvang, and as the Supervising Transportation Engineer for the City of Santa Barbara.

He is a licensed Civil Engineer with professional affiliations including the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association.

Mr. Clifford received his Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Civil) from the Royal Military College of Canada, and his Master of Civil Engineering as well as Master of Business Administration from the University of Calgary, Alberta.

“I’m confident Tully is the right person to lead our Public Works Department and meet the growing demands of our aging infrastructure.  In addition to being a resident of Ventura and familiar with our challenges, he is a strong, experienced leader committed to improving service delivery and efficiency.  His diverse background will help shape our community, keep vital services running, and foster collaboration among departments and other agencies,” said City Manager Mark Watkins.

In his role as the Public Works Director, Mr. Clifford will oversee the City’s Capital Project Design and Land Development, Construction and Survey, Environmental Sustainability, Fleet and Facilities and Transportation Divisions.

Clifford was selected through an open, competitive recruitment process.

 

Register now for Adult Winter Softball/Basketball Tournaments & Corporate Games

Register by December 2 for the second annual Winter Softball/ Basketball Tournaments to be held December 10 and 11 at local Ventura gyms. The tournaments are open to all teams and players who took part in City of Ventura Adult Sports Leagues for basketball and softball in 2016. Tournament divisions include:

  • Men’s Basketball – C, D & 6-foot-and-under Divisions
  • Men’s & Coed Softball – Novice & Rec Divisions

Get easy to fill and save Winter Tournament Team Rosters, rules and format information at www.teamsideline.com/ventura or call 658-4743.

Early registration for Corporate Games continues as new and returning companies prepare for the 28th annual business-to-business team-sports competitions scheduled from March 25 to May 6, 2017. Companies of similar size choose from over 25 events to earn individual player medals and team trophies in such traditional sports as softball, basketball and volleyball and non-traditional contests for Speed Scrabble, Bocce and MB2 Kart Racing. Companies register in 5 divisions:

For more information, go to www.venturacorporategames.org or call 658-4738 or e-mail [email protected].

 

Harrison Industries and Ventura reach contract extension

Harrison Industries will continue to serve residential, commercial and industrial customers in Ventura for up to the next 25 years. The Ventura City Council unanimously approved a 10-year renewal of Harrison’s franchise agreement with three, five-year extensions added based on performance. Under the contract, which went into effect Sept. 1. Food waste collection is now part of the franchise agreement.

Other highlights of the agreement include:

  • Residents now get four bulky items in two free pickups rather than two in one free pickup per year.
  • City facilities will be serviced at no cost to Ventura by Sept. 1, 2017. The no-cost service will be phased in over a 12-month period.
  • Harrison will provide residents up to four community cleanup and recycling events per calendar year.
  • Harrison will collect up to 120 bulky waste items discarded illegally per year in the public right-of-way.
  • For years 1-5 of the contract term, Harrison will divert 60 percent of all construction and demolition debris collected.
  • For years 6-10 of the contract term, Harrison will divert 75 percent of all C&D debris collected.

$1.5 million grant for Ventura’s Kellogg Park

The City of Ventura is proud to announce being awarded a $1.5 million dollar grant from the National Parks Service for the Kellogg Park project located at Ventura Avenue and Kellogg Street.  The grant comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWFC).  Established in 1963 by President Kennedy, the LWCF grant provides funding to cities, counties, eligible districts, and state agencies for acquisition and development projects to create outdoor recreational resources.

State Rep. Julia Brownley was pleased to get the grant from the National Parks Service who awarded $1,612,049 to the State for the entire project, which includes the cost of the state administrating the LWFC program ($112,904).  The remaining $1.5 million for the construction of the new park will provide “much-needed community space” for west end residents, stated Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Westlake Village.

To date, the Kellogg Park project has raised – through grants, donations and community member pledges – $3.4 million of the $4.3 million dollars needed to completed the built.

“We are extremely pleased that this grant brings us that much closer to our goal of raising $4.3 million dollars to complete the Kellogg Park build. This is another example of the City working together with our partners to secure grant funding and provide space where families and children can play, relax and enjoy nature,” said Mayor Erik Nasarenko.

The proposed Kellogg Park Development Project will transform a currently vacant 2.4-acre lot into a green and vibrant nature park.

For more information about Kellogg Park, or to make a donation, visit www.cityofventura.net/KelloggPark, or  Katrina Maksimuk at 658-4775, [email protected].

Ventura Park Ambassadors provide safety and security

Is there a noticeable positive improvement on the Promenade? Photo by George Robertson.

by City staff and the Downtown Ventura Partners

There’s a noticeable positive improvement in our parks downtown — an uptick in visitors and programs that show we value public places and desire to make them safe for all to enjoy. One of the best ways to keep our parks safe and friendly is to use them frequently. Committed to this goal, the City of Ventura, in collaboration with Downtown Ventura Partners (DVP), maintains Park Security Ambassadors six days a week to help deter and report unwanted behaviors while ensuring a safe, clean and welcoming environment.

The program is gaining momentum with results, so much so that the City recently expanded the Ambassador program by increasing service hours and expanding the coverage area to the Promenade. The results were immediate. Police officials reported that calls for service to the City’s dispatch center for issues on the Promenade dropped in half – from 144 calls in May to 74 calls in August – in the program’s first full month on the scene.

First introduced in March 2015, the positive effect can be seen in both Plaza Park and Mission Park, and along Main Street and now the Promenade . Park Ambassadors average more than 500 contacts a week with park visitors, businesses, and transients and report issues to the City and others.

The program’s success has led to improvements in cleanliness and safety, reduced public safety calls for service, reduced vandalism in public restrooms and park areas, increases in access to care for homeless individuals, and opportunities to identify long-term solutions for homelessness. Among the bright spots, the team of Park Ambassadors have built relationships with various needy individuals, some on the streets for years, and have used the DVP’s Family Reconnection Program to reconnect over 40 individuals with relatives, loved ones or into service centers.

With the enhanced sense of safety, Mission Park has been activated to promote the health of students from a local school with a new pilot program.  Students now recreate on the grass through a use agreement with the City’s Parks Department, and a consistent presence provided by the Ambassadors before and after the school children arrive. The park is activated two days a week enabling students to participate in physical activity during recess. Mission Park provides the perfect opportunity for students to be involved in vigorous play which also helps to improve concentration skills in the classroom.

Ambassadors also are doing their part to remove litter and trash, removing on average 50 pounds of trash weekly between the two parks. They handle or report all graffiti removals, access to the restrooms and help maintain the general cleanliness of the parks.

The Ambassadors work hand-in-hand with the members of the Ventura Police’s Patrol Task Force, county behavioral health staff and other social services outreach efforts to track progress of homeless contacts. They also act as the community’s eyes and ears, reporting incidents of criminal activity, ordinance or code violations to ensure a safe environment in our parks, downtown businesses and beachfront.

The program is paid partially by DVP and from the City’s General Fund, which is the same fund that pays for police, fire, parks, programs for seniors and youth, and other critical services. With additional funding, this important program could be expanded and become permanent.

Ventura values our parks, historically and culturally significant places, and having space to simply enjoy the outdoors. Park Security Ambassadors help protect what makes Ventura an attractive visitor destination and a desirable place to live.

Are you ready for elections?  Will anyone be?

In November we will be inundated with many things to consider and to vote on. So that you can start thinking about Ventura’s ballot issues here they are.

MEASURE “N” – ELECTIONS ISSUES – CHARTER AMENDMENT – Shall the proposed amendments to Sections 505, 703, and Article XI of the City Charter, to have the selection process for the City Council determined by Ordinance, have the selection of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor occur in even-number years following regular City Council elections, and eliminate the Ventura Unified School District’s election process from the City Charter, thus making them subject to state law, be approved?

MEASURE “O” – CITY CLEAN WATER/ BEACHES/ STREET REPAIRS/ SAFETY MEASURE – To help protect local water supplies, rivers, beaches from pollution; maintain City services, including: fire, paramedic, police emergency response; keep all fire stations open; repair streets; earthquake retrofit bridges; address homelessness; maintain after-school programs, services for seniors, veterans, youth; shall the City establish a ½ cent sales tax for 25 years, providing approximately $10,800,000 annually, require independent audits, citizens oversight, and all funds used locally?

MEASURE “P” – INITIATIVE ORDINANCE EXTENDING OPEN SPACE, AGRICULTURE, AND HILLSIDE LAND — USE CHANGES BY VOTER APPROVAL TO 2050 – Shall the initiative ordinance extending open-space, agriculture, and hillside land use changes by voter approval to 2050 be approved?

MEASURE “Q” – TERM LIMITS FOR CITY COUNCIL – CHARTER AMENDMENT – Shall the proposed amendment to Section 507 of the City Charter, to include term-limits for City Councilmembers to require that after serving three full four-year terms, a City Councilmember is not eligible to run for the City Council or to be appointed to a vacancy unless a period of four years has elapsed since their last service on the City Council, be approved?

I have been honored to serve on the Ventura City Council the past 5 years

city-heitmannby Cheryl Heitmann for City Council

Ventura is a very special place.   I am running for re-election because I am committed to preserving our unique quality of life and rich natural environment. Planning for our future will require creative, common sense thinking and the right kind of effective experienced leadership that I bring to the council. I am a proactive council member who sees a problem and works towards a solution.

I have been honored to serve on the Ventura City Council the past 5 years, two as Mayor, 2013-15 and am only the 3rd woman to serve as mayor in 150 years.  Prior to serving on the City Council, I was Board President of the Ventura County Community College District and Executive Director of the Ventura Music Festival.  I have a Master’s degree in Social Work and was a small business owner for over 25 years.

As the chair of the Council’s economic development subcommittee, I helped draft Ventura’s 5-year economic development strategy.  I will continue to work on creating more jobs and expanding our high tech incubator space. The recent success of the Trade Desk, which started in our incubator space, has grown from 2 people to an international company with hundreds of employees, demonstrates how important it is to “grow our own companies”.

Concerned about our aging population, I recruited a group of interested residents to form the Ventura Council for Seniors to advise the Council on needed services and develop a strategic plan for seniors.

Homelessness is one of our most intractable issues. Working with Assemblywoman Irwin we have been able to secure land at no cost to the city to build housing for homeless Veterans.

Hearing from many people that our downtown parks and the promenade were feeling unsafe, I proposed and successfully advocated for our park ambassador program to provide a more comprehensive/compassionate approach to a cleaner and safer downtown.

Balancing our growth with our water supply will continue to be critically important.  It requires careful planning, while developing additional water sources.  We must also continue to tackle the infrastructure needs of a 150-year-old city and ensure that we are providing adequate public safety.

My ability to listen and collaborate with others delivers results. This is reflected in the wide variety of groups including the Ventura Police and Fire Associations, the Ventura Citizens for Hillside Preservation, the Chamber of Commerce, Tri Counties Central Labor Council and many others who endorse me.

Through my “Coffee with the Mayor” effort, I heard the love for our city as well as the concerns.  I am committed to continue working with you to find the best ways to ensure we are maintaining our quality of life and the integrity of our neighborhoods.

My website is www.re-electcherylheitman.com or email me at [email protected]. I am #5 on your ballot and would be honored to have your vote.

 

 

 

 

Retired business executive

city-grauby Dave Grau for City Council

I’m a veteran, a retired business executive with a degree in accounting, and a taxpayer advocate. I think it’s time for a change in City Government. It’s time to get back to common sense: making sure the city is fiscally responsible, small business friendly, and tough on crime.

After serving in the U.S. military, I had a successful career in manufacturing, aerospace and agriculture. I’ve been active in non-profits helping veterans and the homeless.  I serve on the board of directors of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, an organization that supports reforms that bring greater efficiency and taxpayer savings to local government.  I also spent two years serving on the Grand Jury.

I’m not a career politician, but we don’t need career politicians right now, we need common-sense people with real life experience.  We need new ideas, new energy, and new people who are not tied to the same business as usual way of running city government.

I believe we can improve public safety and fund infrastructure improvements without hurting our local businesses by increasing sales taxes. I’m running on these issues:

  • Taxes: No on Measure “O” (Sales Tax increase) There are times when raising taxes is an absolute necessity.  This is not one of those times.
  • Public Safety: The #1 responsibility of government is to keep its citizens safe. We need to make sure law enforcement is provided full and consistent funding.
  • Economic Vitality: I support making Ventura a place that attracts good paying jobs again. We need to make it easier to start and expand a business, hire more people, or re-locate a business here. Economic vitality is not achieved when misguided elected officials give “preferential treatment” to Brooks, costing taxpayers millions.
  • Water: The city’s water policy is failing our residents. City policy relies largely on reducing demand by constantly raising rates (Ventura has the highest water/wastewater rate in the county) while ignoring opportunities to increase supply.   For example, while eight cities in Ventura County rely on state water for some or all of their water, Ventura receives none.  And every year City Council pays $2 million of taxpayer money to the State for the “right” to water – water Ventura never receives.

I want to be your city council-member to bring back common sense to our city.  It’s time for a fresh face, someone with real life experience and who understands business.

To learn more, please visit my website at:  www.grauforventura.com

 

I have a unique background and set of skills

Version 2by Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios for City Council

I’m Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios. I’m running for city council because I have a unique background and set of skills that would be valuable on the city council. I am a Latina with a desire to bring a multi-faceted perspective to our council.

Serving constituents in Ventura for more than a decade has given me firsthand understanding of our community’s needs. It has also allowed me to cultivate strong working relationships with different levels of government. Because of those relationships City Mayor Erik Nasarenko, County Supervisor Steve Bennett, Assembly members Das Williams and Jacqui Irwin, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, and other community leaders are supporting me.

In addition to serving in leadership roles with organizations like Ventura County Women’s Political Council, El Concilio, and working with Youth Groups, my experience in the California State Assembly gives me insight on how to solve problems through local government. Councilmembers or mayors themselves have reached out to me to help navigate the system.

Considering some of your most pressing issues, here are my thoughts:

The Drought: We need to look at long-term solutions, such as recycled water and drought-tolerant landscaping. Connecting to State water is not a permanent solution. Instead, investing on efficiency and recycling is more reliable and cost effective in the long run.

Workforce Housing: Droughts don’t change the need for housing. I strongly support redeveloping existing projects to include more workforce housing so people who work here can also live here. Projects with business units that can add housing units allow more needs to be met. Creating vibrant communities and resulting in more housing units getting into the market sooner.

Older population: We are living longer and it is estimated that by 2050, older adults will have outnumbered all children under the age of 14 for the first time in human history. With this in mind we have to look at Initiatives that focus on areas such as having a reliable transportation system to get around, ensuring our streets and sidewalks are walkable and encouraging social inclusion between our younger and our older populations.

Economic Development & Our Youth: Technology is one of the largest growing sectors and a key component to our future. I support collaborative work among the City and local networks, like VC STEM – a network of companies, universities, and government agencies, aimed at developing ways to enhance STEM education for students from pre-school through college with input from all cooperating agencies. If Ventura wants to keep thriving and have businesses stay, move or start here, we need to keep our talented youth in our community. Let’s help prepare them to be the workforce that’s needed to support a strong economic force in our community.

The council determines our quality of life now and later; and it dictates the future. I hope to, in collaboration with the entire council, bring positive changes and continue enhancing Ventura’s quality of life for our population as a whole.