Category Archives: City News

City council members celebrating Ventura Anniversary

Mayor Erik Nasarenko

When I think about celebrating our 150th birthday as a city, many images come to mind, but perhaps the most prominent is the Ventura pier.

It reminds me of Ventura’s resilience and optimism, for like the city itself, it may go through tough times, likely the result of high surf pounding the wood pilings or funding gaps in the city’s budget, but the setbacks are almost always temporary, because the pier–like Ventura–perseveres towards a better tomorrow, stronger against the next storm and smarter because of its ability to outlast it.

It is the oldest wooden pier in southern California, built only six years after papers were filed in Sacramento in 1866 marking Ventura’s beginning as a municipality.  Back then products such as citrus, wheat, lima beans and crude oil were shipped from the pier, while lumber, bricks and cement were imported to help the city and region grow.  Today, while no longer used for shipping and trading, the pier has become a destination for tourists and residents alike, who take long walks along the wooden planks at sunset or enjoy the structure from the nearby hillsides, gazing down at what has become a primary symbol of our relaxed, unpretentious beach town.

The Ventura pier is our pier–maintained by a combination of city and non-profit funds from groups like Pier Into The Future for the enjoyment of everyone.  Let’s resolve to keep it that way, so that future generations of Venturans can enjoy what we are able to marvel at today.

Cheryl Heitmann

Celebrating Ventura’s 150th anniversary is a chance for our residents to reflect on and feel pride in our city’s past, present and future.   Appreciating what a special place this is to live; our rich cultural history, our diversity, and our community spirit is a part of the celebration.   Learning more about the people who helped shape our city has been both amazing and educational.  .

Chairing the 150th anniversary committee of 60 people, representing different organizations, many of whom were able to incorporate the 150th as a theme in their signature activities, is a reminder of the engaged community we live in. Companies and individuals stepped up to support the celebration, and giving ourselves the gift of a million acts of kindness has been a way for everyone to be involved.

We will leave a tile wall depicting our history to the present time as well as oral histories by descendants of some of our pioneer families for future generations to enjoy and learn from.  And on April 2, we will introduce the community to (12) 5 year olds, who represent the future of Ventura. To me, the celebration is about the people, those before us and those to come and how Ventura will continue to evolve and thrive.

Deputy Mayor Neal Andrews

In most of the rest of the developed world 150 years would not be such a big deal. Even in the U. S. on the east coast or in the old southwest, it’s not so remarkable. The Quaker Meeting House I attended as a child has been in continual operation for over 300 years. So why are we making such a big deal out of our 150 years? Because it offers us a time for most of our citizens to learn something about the city that most came to relatively recently.

Most never knew that our early records were kept in Spanish. Most never knew that we were once part of Santa Barbara County. Most never knew that in the early days our primary agricultural focus was cattle and cattle by-products. Because it gives us the opportunity to celebrate our traditions, relatively new though they may be. Because it provides us an occasion to recognize the great contributions of so many of the early families, the Bards, Jews, Thilles, Borchards, and so many others, to the growth and prosperity of Ventura. Because it gives us the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the quality of life we have been blessed with merely by having the chance of living here.

Christy Weir

Ventura’s 150th anniversary is an important milestone that the entire city can celebrate. We are one of the oldest cities in California, going back to the founding of the Mission in 1782. Then in 1866, with around 5,000 residents, we were incorporated as the City of San Buenaventura.

One of the most exciting projects to commemorate our anniversary is the historic tile mural that will be built in front of the Mission. The artist, Michael O’Kelly, is designing a pictorial history that will celebrate our heritage in a beautiful and lasting art form.

To find out more about the mural and upcoming festivities, go to www.celebrateventura.org  or Ventura Historic Mural on Facebook.

Carl Morehouse

What a wonderful moment!  A city that has stood the test of time, changed much over 150 years and yet feels so warm, comfortable and unpretentious to this day.  I’m proud and honored to have served on the Council for 16 years and been a part of helping to keep Ventura genuine.  May she thrive for 150 more and beyond.

Mike Tracy

As a lifelong resident of Ventura, it’s great to see the enthusiasm and involvement in this celebration of the founding of our City 150 years ago.  Looking forward, our continued success and vitality will require renewed individual commitment and investment–with time, talent, and resources–in order to meet the many challenges our community faces.  We all agree that this is a wonderful place to live and work, and I truly believe that our best days lie ahead.

 

There are seven members of the Ventura City Council. Each member must be a registered voter in the City and is elected at-large. The Council selects one of its members  to be Mayor. The Mayor serves a term of two years and is the presiding officer of the Council. The Mayor has been delegated the responsibility to act as the City Council’s ceremonial representative at public events and functions. The Deputy Mayor is also selected in the same manner and serves a two-year term.

The Ventura City Council meets at 6:00 pm three Mondays each month.

Councilmembers may be contacted via telephone at 654-7827 or by sending an email to [email protected]

We became a city 150 years ago – how time flies

By Ventura City staff

As we count down to April 2, 2016 – the date we became a city 150 years ago – we as residents can be  proud of the many cultures and peoples who have enriched our city as they made Ventura their home – from the indigenous Chumash Native Americans to the waves of Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, European and new immigrants from other states and nations.

The Chumash provincial capital Shisholop – near the Ventura River mouth – governed a region larger than today’s City of Ventura, from the Rincon and Casitas Pass to the Santa Clara River and Saticoy.

Shisholop – meaning “port on the coast” according to Cruzeño Chumash consultant Fernando Librado Kitsepawit – supervised a lucrative trade with the Channel Islands and other regional mainland provinces, maintained sociopolitical stability among its many communities and directed a calendar of seasonal and cosmological cycles and events. The Chumash were fine artisans and adept traders traveling by tomols or canoes.

European voyagers Juán Rodrigues Cabrillo (1542), Sebastián Viscaíño (1602), Gaspar de Portolá (1769) and Juán Bautista de Anza (1776) briefly visited this influential village by land or sea until Chumash residents became subject to foreign colonization in 1782 with the founding of Mission San Buenaventura.

Saint Serra (1713-1784) founded his ninth and final mission in Ventura, part of a network of 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to Fairfield. The monk was originally called Friar Junipero – his name means “juniper bush” or metaphorically “evergreen.” A philosophy professor from the island of Majorca (Spain) turned missionary, he left a complex and controversial legacy in our state.

The Franciscans named their California missions – and the cities that grew alongside them – after saints from their order in the Roman Catholic Church. Serra named the final mission he lived to see established before his death San Buenaventura or Saint Bonaventure, after a mystic priest who wrote a famous meditative book called Itinerarium Mentis ad Deum or “The Mind’s Road to God.” The city’s official name, deemed too long to write out completely on railroad schedules was shortened by half to become “Ventura” – and this nickname has remained in common use today.

Mission San Buenaventura soon became a thriving hub of orchards and gardens watered by a seven-mile aqueduct and the largest ranching operation in California with 10,000 head of cattle and harvesting 9,000 bushels of grain annually. By the 1860s a town had grown around it and Main Street boasted a boardwalk, four stores and six to eight rum shops and restaurants.

Ventura city and county government began in and above a liquor establishment. When our first mayor, Walter Chaffee, wanted to convene a City Council meeting, he had only to leave his general store, cross the street and climb the stairs above Spears Saloon – where Capriccio’s Restaurant is located today – to the first offices of Ventura City Hall and, in 1873, the first Ventura County Courthouse.

Then as now, the City of San Buenaventura was a bilingual community. Our second mayor – saloonkeeper Angel Escandon – was Latino. Half the sindicos or council members spoke Spanish as their first language and the other half spoke English. The minutes of the first meetings – kept today between leather boards in the archives of the City Clerk’s office – are written in Spanish in the beautiful cursive handwriting of the day.

That first year of government, Ventura’s staff of five spent a budget of $7,465 – for which residents paid an annual tax of one dollar per head. Council actions that first year included building a public well for $50 – for which water users paid 25 cents per month – and paving Main Street – then called Camino Real – to the river.

The City of Ventura charged 24 cents per head to check cattle brands during slaughter to prevent cattle rustling, and an entertainment tax of $2 per billiard table. By fine or 10 days in jail, the City government outlawed cattle driving, horse racing and bull fighting on or near Main Street [$100 fine], limited milking on the main roads to one cow per family [$25 fine] and forbade concealed weapons within city limits [$100 fine].

Our city grew rapidly with the establishment of Ventura County, carved from Santa Barbara County in 1873, after an oil boom and “big agriculture” operations such as the 2,300-acre Dixie Thompson Rancho of lima beans, orchards and cattle. These ventures, along with major businesses such as the Hobson Brothers Meat Packing Company (the site of today’s Patagonia) brought immigrants, wealth, bridges and roadways to the city, transforming our city’s downtown from 1910 to 1930 into an eclectic architectural mix of red brick storefronts, terra cotta “Beaux-Arts” banks, Victorian-style homes, a Moorish-influenced Bard Hospital and Spanish Revival Ventura Theatre – all crowned by a magnificent new Ventura County Courthouse (today’s City Hall) in 1913.

 

City of Ventura completes new sewer interconnect project, marking continued progress toward commercial development project

The City of Ventura recently finished a significant step in completing the needed infrastructure for a high priority project known as Focus Area One which includes the Ventura Auto Center and Olivas Park, a future development project. The Olivas Park Drive Sewer Interconnect project includes installation of a new sewer pipeline that will bypass the decommissioned Montalvo wastewater plant and redirect sewage into the city’s system. Focus Area One is slated to become a regional retail destination and is one of the Ventura City Council’s top priorities of economic development.

The more than 100-acre Focus Area One project will significantly improve the area’s transportation network with the extension of Olivas Park Drive to connect to Johnson Drive.  Additionally, construction of an earthen levee will protect the project site from the adjacent Santa Clara River and allow for new construction. Connecting Olivas Park Drive to Auto Center Drive and Johnson Drive greatly improves access from the 101 freeway to the Ventura Auto Center which generates approximately $3.76M annually to the General Fund. The road and levee are in design now and the project is anticipated to begin construction by early 2017.

“The physical improvements will provide access to currently vacant land for economic growth in this area,” said City Manager Mark Watkins. “We are making important progress.”

The Montalvo Community Services District’s (MCSD) wastewater plant is being decommissioned and will eventually be demolished.  Originally built in 1954, it provided sewage treatment for Montalvo properties north of Hwy 101 that will now become Ventura Water customers. Approximately 200,000 gallons a day from the former MCSD will be treated at the city’s reclamation facility generating significant environmental benefits to the estuary and ocean.

Ventura Police Department gang update

By Ashley Bautista, Civic Engagement VPD

Gang related crimes and arrests increased in 2015. The two detectives assigned to gang activity, Corporal Marchetti and Officer Pusen, recently reported to the Ventura City Council on this activity. There were 32 violent gang crimes and 607 gang related arrests in 2015, an increase from previous years. In 2014 there were 13 violent gang crimes and 493 gang related arrests and in 2013 there were 17 violent gang crimes and 469 gang related arrests.

Ventura has ten documented gangs and 1,100 documented gang members. Gangs are essentially a group of “two or more” people who form an allegiance for a common purpose and engage in on-going criminal activity. Usually, the gang has a name, claims a particular territory or neighborhood and directs its criminal activity and intimidation towards rival gangs and the general population in the form of robberies, violent assaults, narcotics sales and property crimes.

In the 1990s, a seven member gang unit was formed to address gang activity. The unit focused on proactive policing strategies, which included more officers patrolling and strengthening community relationships within the known gang territory, youth gang intervention along with officers conducting regular parole and probation searches to known gang offenders. The presence of the gang unit directly impacted the amount of gang activity. The seven member gang unit was disbanded in 2011 because of budget cuts that eliminated fifteen sworn officer positions. Five gang unit members were assigned to patrol to provide a need in patrol staffing and two were assigned to Major Crimes investigations to re-actively investigate violent gang crimes.  Proactive work was an important factor in the seven member gang unit. By focusing full time on gangs, the unit’s members got to know individual gang members, where they lived, who they spent time with, and their probation terms. With the detailed knowledge, gang unit officers could quickly give other officers ideas about potential suspects during major gang investigations.

Preventing youth from becoming victimized by gangs or influenced to associate with gangs is key to reducing gang activity. The Ventura Police Community Foundation helps support prevention efforts through funding of after school programs and youth activities that serve over 500 local children per year. The two designated gang detectives are limited in their ability to focus on prevention efforts because much of their time is spent on investigations, but residents can be proactive in assisting with gang prevention.

Residents should report graffiti to the City graffiti hotline at 805-654-7805 or by email at [email protected]. Rapid removal tells vandals that people care about their place of business and neighborhood and that their work has little chance of being seen. The gang’s power grows through the use of fear and intimidation. A neighborhood that is united and dedicated in a spirit of cooperation toward stopping crime and violence will greatly hamper gang efforts. We encourage residents to use tools like Nextdoor.com, our virtual neighborhood watch program, to get to know their neighbors. We also encourage residents to report suspicious activity to our non-emergency number at 805-650-8010 or 911 in an emergency.

Our hope is that in 2016 we will see an increase in the resources available to tackle this increase in gang activity and increase the amount of Officers assigned to the Gang Unit.

 

Employee excellence in the City of Ventura

By Gail Field

Ventura City Manager Mark Watkins recently announced exciting milestones for City employees, including awards and new additions to staff.

Awards were bestowed on two city employees who are role models for public service and who exemplify the City’s commitment to excellence. The award winners, announced on February 11, are Keith Fowler as Employee of the Year and Kevin Cook as Supervisor of the Year.

As Public Works Supervisor, Keith Fowler manages citywide renovation and federally funded projects. In his role as Pier Maintenance project manager, his expertise was evident. The result was a successful completion of the project, which still allowed visitors to walk the pier during the pile driving and maintenance activities. Watkins acknowledged Keith as a great City ambassador who is proud to be living and working in Ventura. Companies often try their best to reward their employees as a way of acknowledging their accomplishments. Research has shown that this increases employee morale, reducing company turnover rates, and improves a company’s turnover prediction.

Kevin Cook was recognized as Supervisor of the Year. Kevin is the Enterprise Systems Development Supervisor and ensures that city staff receive excellent IT customer service. His expertise and skills provide solutions that enhance staff use of technology. Kevin is a respected member of his team and an invaluable City of Ventura employee.

Watkins thanked these excellent employees. “We are blessed in the City of Ventura to have a dedicated group of employees who bring a positive spirit and a professional attitude to work with them every day. I am proud of all of our city employees and especially proud to congratulate Keith Fowler as our Employee of the Year and Kevin Cook as our Supervisor of the Year.”

Watkins gave special mention to those nominated.

Supervisor of the Year nominees: Thomas Hoffman, Luis Manzano, Stacey Zarazua, and Kenny Welch.

Employee of the Year nominees: Dori Boyer, Tim Dunn, Edward Rodriguez, Steven DeFratus, Laura Robinson, Jose Dirzo, Kristie Frederickson, and Debra Martinez.

In other staff news, the City of Ventura Environmental Sustainability Division welcomes Lars Davenport as the new Environmental Specialist. Lars will work on Green Business Certifications and a variety of sustainable programs and initiatives with many employees using pre-employment assessments similar to those from Berke to find the best candidate for their company it will be interesting to see how he fits to the job. A graduate of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UCSB, Lars previously worked as an Environmental Specialist for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“Sustainability has always been a part of my life,” said Davenport, “having been immersed in science and environmental awareness. I love everything to do with the outdoors, nature and preserving our natural habitat.”

Ventura City Manager Watkins also announced the appointment of Elizabeth Foushee as the City’s Director of Human Resources. Ms. Foushee brings more than 30 years of human resource management experience to the City of Ventura. Most recently, she was with the City of Simi Valley for the past 20 years, where she managed the Human Resource function. Ms. Foushee holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cal Lutheran University and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Cal Lutheran University.

“Elizabeth has a broad and diverse technical background in the profession,” said Watkins. “As a leader, she believes in fostering teamwork, employee development, and providing excellent service to the community. We are excited to have Elizabeth join our team and fill this important leadership position. She looks forward to working with our employees and with the community.”

City of Ventura Spring Creative Camps

City of Ventura Spring Creative Camps

Call  658-4726 or 654-7552 to register, if you already have an ACTIVENET account online, visit  www.cityofventura.net

Minecraft Camps with LEGO®  5-12 years
3/28-4/1           M-F      9 am-12 pm     Pre-Engineering           5-7 years          $190    #5616
3/28-4/1           M-F      1-4 pm             Engineering FUN         8-12 years        $190    #5615
Whether you are new to Minecraft and LEGO® or a seasoned veteran, you’ll be hooked on the endless creative possibilities. With the guidance of an experienced Play-Well instructor, students explore real-world concepts in physics, engineering and architecture while building their favorite Minecraft objects . Camps held at Bible fellowship Church, 6950 Ralston St Room 206.

Mad Science Secret Agent Camp  6-11 years
3/28-4/1           M-F      9 am-12 pm     Half day: $220+$35 materials fee          #5468
3/28-4/1           M-F      9 am-3 pm       Full day: $370+$40 materials fee           #5469
Become a Mad Science secret spy and take a fascinating journey into the world of detection, forensics, and classified information. Learn coded language to send secret messages to other agents. Investigate a mock crime scene and sift through clues to crack the case. Take home a cool detective kit, spyglasses, and more! Held at the Barranca Vista Center, 7050 E Ralston St.

Billy Clower Hip Hop Spring Break Dance Camp  5-8 years
3/28-4/1           M-F      10 am-12 pm $120    #5692
Calling all boys and girls for high-energy hip hop dance fun! Dancers develop musicality, creativity, listening skills and coordination. Please bring a refillable water bottle and snack daily. Students should wear comfortable clothes they can dance in and athletic shoes clean of debris. Performance for parents on the last day. Instructor Kate Kozacek. At Billy Clower Dance Studio, 75 MacMillan Avenue.

Billy Clower Hip Hop Spring Break Dance Camp  8-13 years
3/28-4/1           M-F      3-6 pm $120   #5672
Students will learn the basics of handling their own body weight while tumbling and break dancing; enhance their memory retention while learning choreography. Please bring a refillable water bottle and snack daily. Students should wear comfortable clothes they can dance in and athletic shoes clean of debris. Performance for parents on the last day. Instructor Chinita Miranda. At Billy Clower Dance Studio, 75 MacMillan Avenue.

 

Ventura schools held mock city council meetings

To help celebrate Ventura’s 150th anniversary students from Lincoln Elementary and De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts schools held mock city council meetings on March 11 at city hall. It was nice to have young city council members with fresh ideas. They were able to make 2 major decisions in less than an hour (maybe because they had to be in bed before midnight).

The Community Academy is scheduled to begin March 22

Learn how the VPD caught these bad guys.   

The Ventura Police Department’s Community Academy is coming! Have you ever wanted to know the who, what, when, where, why and how of police operations? Not the ‘TV’ version, but the actual facts? Here’s your chance. The Community Academy will take you on a ride-along with a patrol officer, show you what a SWAT team does, let you experience a simulated firearms training course, give you a look at issues officers face in our community and much, much more.

The Community Academy is scheduled to begin March 22 and will be held on 9 consecutive Tuesday nights from 6:00– 9:00 p.m. with a final class and graduation on May 17. Each night features a new topic, with speakers, demonstrations, and discussions. They will answer your questions and give you an in-depth behind the scenes look at police operations.

Classes will be held at the Ventura Police Department located at 1425 Dowell Dr. (the May 3 class meets in Camarillo at the Criminal Justice Training Center).

Community Academy participants are selected by the Ventura Police Department through an application process. Applications are available from the Department or online at www.cityofventura.net/pd/community-academy.

Potential candidates must meet the following criteria: minimum age of 18 years, live or work in the City of Ventura, no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions within two years of application. A background check is required.

The success of any police department depends largely upon the cooperation and support it receives from the citizens it serves. The Community Academy aims to educate residents on the capacity and operations of the department so that we can work together to make Ventura a better place to live, work and play.

For more information, visit the website or contact Civic Engagement Specialist Ashley Bautista at 339-4317.

 

Ventura’s fight to remain graffiti-free

Graffiti seen from trains passing through Ventura. Photo by Daniel Ingram

By Amber Hansen

In today’s world, vandalism is rampant. It’s not uncommon to see graffiti on nearly every block in some cities. While Ventura isn’t covered in garish spray paint, it doesn’t take a detective to find vandalism on both public and private properties in Ventura. Whether the graffiti is an artistic endeavor or gang-affiliated tagging, it’s an eye sore that Ventura residents want removed.

Many Ventura residents are unfamiliar with the process of graffiti removal. There are, in fact, a few ways that vandalism can be reported and removed. The first step is to identify whether the vandalism is on private property or city property. If the graffiti is in a park or similar city properties, it can be reported to the City of Ventura Parks and Recreation Department. The Department will promptly send out a worker to remove the graffiti.

If the graffiti is on private property, it can be reported to the City of Ventura Streets Department. The department will send out a notice to the owner, stating that the graffiti must be removed within 24 hours. If the property owner does not have the means to remove it, the City will work with them to clean it off and paint over it.

Whether the graffiti is on city or private property, it is necessary to provide the building’s address when reporting the vandalism. If the address isn’t visible for any reason, using Google Maps can help identify the exact location.

The Graffiti Hotline reaches both departments, and is the easiest way for Ventura residents to report graffiti. In the past year alone, the City of Ventura has taken 2,000 reports of graffiti.

With this information, Ventura residents can help keep the City of Ventura graffiti free. Please report vandalism to City of Ventura graffiti hotline 654-7805.