“I am announcing that I will not be seeking re-election this Fall.  I am honored, humbled and grateful for the confidence voters have had in my ability to help guide this amazing city we call home since I was first elected in 1999.  However, seventeen years is a long time and I wish to take a break.  I am now the second longest serving Council Member behind Jim Monahan; not a record I imagined when I started this rewarding adventure.  I have enjoyed my tenure on the City Council but, at this point, I am looking forward to spending time traveling with my wife and addressing other priorities that are on our “bucket list”.

“When I think back over my years as your Council Member, I am proud of the things that this community has achieved.  Among those are:

• The purchase and beginning of both the Community Sports Park on Kimball Avenue, and the more recent start to Kellogg Park on the West Side.
• The development of an integrated paving program, wherein we evaluate the conditions of all of our streets in conjunction with the evaluation of our underground utilities, so that when we repave a street, we do it, literally from the underground up, including curbs, gutter and sidewalks and street trees.
• That we now have better public noticing of projects with signage at the location of the proposals so that all of the community is aware of them.
• We now have public art on utility boxes; a program that I instigated.
• We made progress on dealing with plastic bags, although state law has trumped those efforts.
• We undertook efforts to restore Surfer’s Point; a project I was proud to help support.
• I’m grateful for the opportunity to have used my position as Mayor to aid the development of farmworker housing by bringing Kris Kristofferson to perform two benefit concerts.
• And, most recently, I am proud of that the fact that the current Council has finally taken a positive step forward to deal with the homeless issue.”

“Perhaps even more than these local achievements was the opportunity to represent Ventura for over 15 years on the regional and statewide level.  I have been honored to be President of the Channel Counties Division of the League of California Cities (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties), which lead to the opportunity to serve on the state Board of Directors of the League for three years – a body looking out for city interests versus State and Federal laws.  It also afforded me the opportunity to serve for 11 years on the League’s Housing, Community and Economic Development Policy Committee (which reviews pending legislation affecting cities’ Planning concerns), including chairing that important committee in 2012.”

“I have also had the honor of serving as Ventura’s representative on the Ventura County Transportation Commission for 9 years, and the Gold Coast Transit agency for 5 years, including chairing that body as it legally transformed into a District in 2014.  These bodies are crucial to good transportation planning and transit opportunities in Ventura County. “

“Additionally, I have had the pleasure of serving for the past 9 years on the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) (which oversees annexations by cities and district formations), including chairing that body this year.  And I have served as the city’s representative to the Ventura Council of Governments (VCOG) for 15 years, including as chair in 2007.”

“Finally, and most honorific, my Council seat afforded me the opportunity to serve as President of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) during 2014 – a seat never held previously by a Venturan in SCAG’s 50 years of existence — after having been on that body for 15 years, including chairing one of their important policy committees.  This body is the largest transportation planning agency in the U.S., representing 39,000 square miles of Southern California, six counties, 190 cities and 18 million people.  This truly was an honor.”

“And in all of those capacities, I have been proud to represent Ventura and to protect our interests as both a charter city and in a regional context.  For all of that, I feel a bit guilty pulling the plug because it takes a great deal of time to build those relationships and earn the respect of my peers, many of who I know in those organizations who are still begging me to stay.”

“There are many things still to be done.  Most regrettably, I’m sad that we did not make better progress on capping the freeway.  But, as that is a long term project, I am committed to remain active however I can to take the next steps in that direction.  And the continuing refinement of our growth/no growth issues, including development standards and process refinement will proceed, although this will deprive me of a vote on that issue.  I’m also saddened that we couldn’t have found a more sensitive way to deal with medical marijuana issues than simply criminalizing everyone.  But state law may soon define that for us as well.”

“But that being said, I will be taking a slight break from politics for a while to refresh myself and enjoy quality time with my wife.  This doesn’t mean I’m going away, or becoming any less interested in politics or Ventura’s future, but it does mean that I will have far fewer staff reports to read every week, and more freedom in my schedule to actually travel and not worry about missing meetings.”

Again, thank you all who have endorsed me and voted for me in the past.  I will still be with you on those causes that are important to this city, just not right out in front.  It has truly been both an honor and a privilege to serve both as your Mayor and as a Councilmember.  Peace.

Carl E. Morehouse, AICP

“I am herewith resigning from my position as a member of the Ventura County Republican Central Committee. Over the last number of years I have found the failure of leadership of the Republican Party to be tremendously disappointing. The de facto elevation of Donald Trump to the titular leadership of the National Republican Party as a consequence of his selection as the Party Presidential nominee is an abomination. In the process the Republican Party leadership has subscribed to the embrace of a philosophy of fear, anger, cynicism, meanness, and ignorance instead of statesmanship and honor. I cannot be a part of this betrayal of the fundamental principles of the traditional Republican Party — limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual liberties, civil rights, fundamental moral values, and responsible patriotism.”

Neal Andrews

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (CHDC), through its Housing Related Parks (HRP) Program, is awarding the City of Ventura a $230,800 grant towards the construction of Kellogg Park, located on Ventura Ave.

Aera Energy LLC is also supporting the development of Kellogg Park by donating $30,000 to help build the park. Aera has been involved in helping Ventura’s Westside neighborhood as an active partner in many other of the community’s projects.

HRP is an innovative California Department of Housing and Community Development  program designed to reward local governments with grant funds to create or rehabilitate parks in cities that approve housing for lower-income households and are in compliance with State housing element laws.

The park design calls for two playground areas, one for 2 to 5 year olds and another for 6 to 12 year olds. Other amenities will include outdoor fitness equipment, bike racks, a 0.25-mile walking path with mile markers, an amphitheater, a drought tolerant grassy play area/open space and 1.75 acres of native plantings.

These funds brings the total raised so far for Kellogg Park to $2.2 million. To complete the park $4.3 million is needed and a fundraising campaign is currently underway with donations accepted at www.cityofventura.net/KelloggPark or contact Katrina Maksimuk at 658-4775, [email protected]. Construction is expected to begin in early fall of 2016 with an anticipated completion date of December 2017.

by Richard Lieberman

Ventura City Mayor Erik Naserenko was elected to the Ventura City Council in November 2013. He was appointed Mayor by the council in December 2015, and had served as Deputy Mayor for the first two years of his term.

Nasarenko, as well as serving as Mayor is a Ventura County Deputy District Attorney. He specializes in prosecuting child molestation and rape cases. Prior to his service as deputy prosecutor he worked in public education as chief deputy to the Los Angeles school board president, and as a communications director to the Los Angeles and Pasadena school districts.

Recently Breeze Staff Writer Richard Lieberman and Publisher Sheldon Brown met with Mayor Nasarenko for a working lunch to discuss some of the current issues facing Ventura voters and to discuss his first year as Mayor.

Breeze: When you were elected you called for a tax increase(will be on November ballot), are you still calling for an increase?

“I am committed to increasing the sales tax by half a cent, it would provide long term revenue for generations to come, and will help address shortcomings in public safety funding, in deteriorating infrastructure, and for cleaner beaches and rivers. My commitment has been to create a sustainable, long term funding source and I am convinced that that a modest half a penny increase will garner about 11 million dollars in our budget annually.”

Breeze: The council for years has denied allowing medical marijuana clinics to operate within city limits, and it appears there will be a statewide ballot initiative this year to legalize recreational marijuana. Where do you stand on that?

“As you know we do have a statewide initiative that would lead to legalize marijuana, I have been opposed to it. I believe cities should retain land use controls over controversial store fronts and dispensaries, and while it may garner more revenue for the city of Ventura the attendant problems with crime and with what is predominant in cash businesses, and the patchwork of regulations is still problematic.  As part of new revenue for the city of Ventura I believe those who have illnesses should be able to utilize the compassionate care act to either grow their own, to utilize a caretaker to bring it to them or to go to nearby dispensaries in the San Fernando Valley.”

Breeze: Now that you are mayor, the immediate past mayor Cheryl Heitmann was known for attending virtually every, public event, store opening, beach cleanup and other public events how do you stand on that?

“My hours are more limited. I attend events during my lunch hour, weekends, or after 5:00 pm weekdays. I have to maintain my commitment to the state and the county to serve as a deputy district attorney, while at the same time attending events, all the meetings and just reaching out to take the pulse of the community.”

Breeze: Since you have been mayor what are the challenges facing you?

“The demands on my time can be very difficult. There are far more events that I am invited to attend than I can actually make. There are far more meetings people would like to have with me that by virtue of my time constraints I have to delegate to someone else. So that is an ongoing juggling act. I am very pleased with the progress made in addressing homelessness, just this last Monday to have a seven-zero unanimous vote to move forward with a potential shelter that would have wrap-around services in an industrial area of our city is a significant accomplishment. I have also learned as mayor there is a time to lead, then there is a time to let your colleagues exercise leadership, and I saw from the dais recently how articulate and common sense oriented the council was on this matter.”