“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.”

Quoting from a previous article in the Ventura Breeze written by Rebecca Wicks:

“Harbor Community Church has filed a lawsuit against the City of Ventura signaling the start of the next round in the fight over the church’s controversial homeless program.  The program, which provides meals, showers and religious worship to a primarily homeless population, has been accused of being the source of a significant uprising in criminal activity in a once quiet residential neighborhood.”

“The City’s Planning Commission denied the church a conditional-use permit citing the program, called Operation Embrace, was not appropriate for its location next to an elementary school, park and day care facility.  The City Council deadlocked in a 2-2 vote with Mayor Christy Weir on medical leave and councilmembers Eric Nasarenko and Jim Monahan recusing themselves because of statements they made previously in opposition of the program during their election campaigns for city council.  The church needed an overriding vote, leaving the denial of permit intact.”

“On May 14, two days after the City Council meeting, the church closed Operation Embrace.  On May 15, temporary City Attorney Juli Scott reported Harbor Church pastor Sam Gallucci sent her an email stating he was going to consult with church elders to decide whether the church would sue.  The following day the church filed a lawsuit and restarted its services. “

“The suit argues the church’s First Amendment freedom of religion rights have been violated and also cites the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.”

In a very controversial agreement, the City has agreed to pay $2.3 million to buy the property at 3100 Preble Ave. with Harbor Community Church agreeing to leave Ventura.

Resolving this controversy took almost two years of intense negotiations between the City and the church.

Both parties agreed that the property’s value is only $ 1.6 million but the $2.3 million includes the costs of moving the church.

Harbor Church pastor Sam Gallucci stated that he was pleased with the settlement and agreed to drop the lawsuit against the City..

The agreement won’t settle whether the church was within its legal rights under religious freedom laws to run their homeless program in a residential neighborhood. Many nearby residents complained that the program brought in  crime to the neighborhood and to the nearby school and city park.

In the meantime, the church will lease back the property for a year at $3,000 per month while it looks for a new location in a different city. It may continue to hold its church services there.

The money to buy the building is coming from the city’s public liability fund. The city will eventually sell the property to a developer to recoup some of the expense.