by Richard Lieberman

At the September 9th City Council meeting Alex D. McIntyre, City Manager presented a proposal to authorize the City manager to hire a full time Outreach Homeless Services Worker to be assigned to the city for a period of 19-months.

McIntyre explained,” When consistent outreach and engagement with the homeless population occurs, unsheltered individuals are much more likely to be receptive to available services and start their journey into shelters and permanent housing.” Currently there is no outreach worker for anyone in the homeless population to connect with making it less likely for a homeless individual to seek available services. When anyone in the homeless population reaches out to city staff, the Ventura Police Patrol Task Force or the Downtown Ambassadors there is currently no dedicated outreach worker to contact. “This outreach worker funded in partnership with the County, will be responsive to the various aid groups and will be able to refer directly to our year-round shelter, “he added.

He also added,” Proactive outreach is a necessary tool to support the efforts of our upcoming shelter and build relationships with homeless individuals in our community. The City relies heavily on local social service groups to provide outreach; however due to funding trends there is not a strong base of outreach workers who are not tied to heavy caseloads. Currently there are only nine social workers for the entire county of Ventura, all who work reactively rather than proactively due to the large homeless population and lack of adequate grant funding.”

The new position will be an employee of the County Human Services Agency. The goal of this new position is to keep the outreach worker on the streets five days a week, connecting with new and current homeless individuals. The new outreach worker will help with setting up appointments, registering the homeless in programs and reducing barriers towards permanent housing.

Counsel Considers Extension of Outside Counsel Services to Represent City in a Lawsuit Filed September 19, 2014.

The City Attorney Gregory G. Diaz requested the City to extend a legal services agreement with the law firm of Best, Best and Krieger LLP in the amount of $1,300,000 to continue representation.

The lawsuit filed by the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper against the State Water Resources Control Board and the City of Ventura is to seek immediate relief relating to the City’s use of water from the Ventura River. The City has been litigating this case since it was filed on September 23,2014 and continues to this date.

It is important to recognize that Ventura River water is an essential part of the city’s water supply. The City has maintained water rights on the Ventura River for more than a century. The city filed a cross-complaint in September 2018 seeking to bring into the law suit all other cities that use water from the Ventura River. The court agreed with the city that it could bring in other users of the river water supply.

The costs of this lawsuit most significantly occur in the area of the scientists and experts needed to appropriately evaluate the watershed, and the sensitive species and habitat and develop a judicial solution to the matter. The city’s attorneys have requested a more accurate and detailed report on the Ventura River Basin to show the effects of ground water pumping on River flows, and the impact of dams and other diversions upon the river flows and habitat.

At this crucial time in the lawsuit the city attorney is recommending the city counsel authorize an additional $1,300,000. The council approved the recommendation. The City Attorney added, “We recognize that this is going to continue to be a complicated, complex and expensive ligation matter; however it is one that is important to the City in order to protect its water rights to ensure and adequate water supply is available for city users, while also addressing the needs of the environment.

Multiple 911 calls were received at the Fire Communication Center to report a large vehicle on fire in the 2600 block of N. Ventura Ave. Fire personnel arrived on scene within minutes of the initial call and found a large RV and multiple passenger vehicles on fire in a storage facility. Fire personnel performed a primary search to ensure that there were no occupants in the RV or the vehicles and began an aggressive fire attack. The fire was contained to the RV and 4 passenger vehicles and firefighters knocked down and extinguished the main body of the fire within 23 minutes of initial 911 call.

The Ventura City Fire Department would like to remind the public to ensure that all residences and businesses have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and have an evacuation plan.

The County of Ventura Human Resources Department will be hosting a job and career fair on Thursday, September 26. The event is open to the public and there is no charge for entrance or parking.

The career fair will be held in the main courtyard of the Ventura County Government Center, between the Hall of Administration and the Hall of Justice. The fair will run from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

“The County hires talented people for a wide range of exciting and mission-driven occupations; from public safety and social services to Public Works,” said Shawn Atin, Human Resources Director. “We have opportunities for accountants, analysts, health professionals and many other careers. All of our County agencies and departments will be represented at the fair, so it’s a great opportunity to find a perfect career fit.”

Attendees can learn about careers in administration and support; engineering; environmental protection; planning; agriculture; health care; law enforcement; public safety; public works; recreational services; technology and much more.

More information on County jobs can be found at hr.ventura.org.

Each year for the past 29 years, United Way of Ventura County’s (UWVC) Day of Caring (DOC) has connected hundreds of volunteers to community organizations throughout Ventura County. By engaging people in volunteerism, UWVC works to create positive change in our community. In 2018, over 550 individuals, families, and teams volunteered at 29 project sites.

The 30th Annual Day of Caring will be held on Saturday, September 28,from 9 a.m. to Noon. There will be two 7:30 a.m. kick-off celebrations held at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks and FOOD Share in Oxnard.

Volunteers are welcome to sign up as teams, families or as individuals. Project registration is found at http://www.volunteerventuracounty.org/need/?s=1&need_init_id=1708  or by going to www.volunteerventuracounty.org, clicking on needs and searching for 2019 Day of Caring.

For 2019, 24 projects are being hosted by 20 agency partners, including:

StepUpVentura Ventura

Turning Point Foundation Ventura

Ventura County Library – E.P. Foster Library Ventura

Presenting sponsors include Anthem, Enterprise, CBC Federal Credit Union, and California Lutheran University.

To sign up and for more information online at https://vcunitedway.org/day-of-caring/.

Since 1945, United Way of Ventura County has advanced the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Our focus is on education, income and health, because these are the building blocks for a good quality of life. We support local services and programs that are more than just ‘stop gap’ measures, but rather solutions that help create lasting change. We invite everyone to be part of the change by giving, advocating and volunteering. When we work together in common purpose, we Live United. For more information about United Way of Ventura County, visit www.vcunitedway.org.

Ventura County Public Works Agency’s Stormwater Program Manager, Ewelina Mutkowska was invited by the federal government’s Stormwater Infrastructure Financing Task Force to be an expert consultant to the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB).

Joining a total of 20 selected task force members from around the United States, Mutkowska will prepare recommendations to the U.S. EPA’s response to the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, Section 4101. Their report, as approved by EFAB, is due to U.S. Congress in April 2020.

The Task Force is comprised of elected officials, stormwater managers, financial advisers, and representatives from Federal, State, and local governments and private (including nonprofit) entities from across the country.

“By leading stormwater quality improvement efforts in Ventura County, I am able to provide our unique situations to the nationwide discussion of funding needs,” said Mutkowska. “It’s a great opportunity to share my experience, provide feedback and contribute to this Congressional Report. I’ll also be engaging with other expert consultants on the Task Force to expand my knowledge and utilize it locally.”

As one of the counties and municipalities that does not have dedicated funding sources for compliance with stormwater quality regulations, Ventura County is faced with costly regulations and fast approaching timelines, which provides a unique opportunity for Mutkowska to bring the county’s concerns to the federal level.

“Because our Ventura County needs for stormwater quality and flood control are significant, I hope that by bringing our local needs and concerns to the U.S. Congress’ attention, we will receive support for our flood protection improvements and stormwater regulatory requirements through more grant programs, low interest loans, or other financial programs or incentives that will help our county residents and watersheds remain protected,” states Mutkowska.

As a Stormwater Program Manager with VCPWA for 10 years, Mutkowska career includes implementation of Municipal Stormwater Permit and Total Maximum Daily Loads, managing stormwater program budget and grant funded stormwater treatment projects. In addition, she’s currently developing a long-term cost estimates for future funding needs for the County of Ventura to meet all applicable stormwater quality regulations.

On August 29, over 300 members of the public turned out to tour the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility to learn more about the proposed VenturaWaterPure project – a future water project that aims to diversify Ventura’s water supply by recovering, purifying, and reusing water that is  currently discharged into the Santa Clara River Estuary.

The event hosted a mix of community members, City staff, water reuse professionals, and water agencies from Morro Bay, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, City of Oxnard, and Central Coast Blue – all sharing a common interest in efforts to pilot and implement potable reuse projects to improve the sustainability of vital water resources across California.

The night kicked off with Mayor Matt LaVere welcoming the community to the event.  “This treatment facility has supported our community for more than 60 years.  We want you to tour the facility to see first-hand the infrastructure and processes involved in treating wastewater to protect public health and the environment,” said Mayor LaVere.

Guests were broken up into groups and led through the treatment plant with tours ending at the site of the former VenturaWaterPure demonstration facility piloted in 2015-16. A short video was played showcasing the need for a resilient, long term water supply solution in Ventura accompanied by static displays of treatment technologies and experts were available to explain advanced purification technologies. Members of the MERITO foundation – a non-profit focused on watershed and ocean education for youth in Ventura, led bird watching tours for kids at the facility’s wildlife ponds. To cap off the night, guests were given an opportunity to taste bottled advanced purified water from Orange County’s Indirect Potable Reuse system and pose for photos.

“A new advanced water purification facility, VenturaWaterPure, would take the product water you will see today and treat it to its purest form, creating a new, locally owned supply that isn’t rainfall dependent,“ explained Mayor LaVere.

For more information on the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility and its role in protecting public health and the VenturaWaterPure project visit www.venturawater.net.

As residents, you serve a critical role in emergency response operations whether it is preserving lives, protecting property, or providing other essential services to the community. The Ventura City Fire Department would like to invite you to join their Community Emergency Response Training Program (CERT)beginning Tuesday, October 1, 2019. The training sessions provide an excellent opportunity to meet and work with other city staff and members of the community.

With the use of grant monies, the department was fortunate to hire an experienced outside trainer who makes the classes fun and informative. The topics covered include:

        Disaster/emergency preparedness

        Fire safety and suppression

        Disaster medical (treatment and triage evaluation)

        Light search and rescue

        Organizing/managing a CERT team

        Disaster psychology

        Terrorism and CERT

Training is limited to 60 people and will be held on 6 consecutive Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., and all classes will be held at Police/Fire Headquarters, 1425 Dowell Drive, Ventura. A final exercise will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2019, providing students the opportunity to work in multiple groups on common disaster problems.

Please submit your application online at https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/CERT. Contact Kris Edwards at 805-658-4717 or [email protected] with any questions. Hope to see you there!

The latest treatments in heart care as well as women’s heart health issues and tips to prevent heart disease will be the focus of a free seminar on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Ventura.

Community Memorial Health System is hosting the free Heart Symposium as part of its 2019 Speaker Series. The symposium begins at 7:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast at the Ventua Beach Marriott, 2055 E. Harbor Blvd. This event is designed to be an educational resource for those with concerns about heart health and disease.

The symposium begins at 8 a.m. with presentations by physicians about heart disease treatments, including the Watchman procedure and reducing the risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation; controlling atrial fibrillation without medications and cardiac ablation; what women should know about heart disease; what’s new in cardiac surgery at the new CMH; TAVR, the latest minimally invasive aortic valve replacement procedure; and tips to prevent heart disease. The symposium will wrap up with a Q-and-A panel discussion before concluding by noon.

Registration is free but reservations are required. For reservations, visit http://www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

The 2019 California Coastal Cleanup Day is Ventura County’s premier coastal cleanup activity of the year. It is anticipated that the event will bring thousands of residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations together to collect trash and debris from Ventura County’s beaches and inland areas to keep it out of our oceans and waterways. Held on Saturday, September 21, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00.

Last year, over 3,000 dedicated volunteers from Ventura County collected close to 13,000 pounds of trash and recyclables. Statewide over 71,000 volunteers joined together to collect over 800,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from the California shorelines and inland waterways.

Bring Your Own Bag or Bucket, Gloves, and Water Bottle! Volunteers are again encouraged to attend their local cleanup site and bring their own bucket or used grocery bag, gloves, and a reusable water bottle to lessen the amount of trash created during the event.

The California Coastal Commission and the Ventura County Coalition for Coastal and Inland Waterways will once again coordinate this regional cleanup event made possible by our generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers.

Debris found on beaches and adjacent waterways throughout California include products such as cigarette filters, food wrappers, beverage bottles and cans, grocery and trash bags, and fishing line, nets and gear. Once these products enter local waterways they can travel thousands of miles on ocean currents, posing a threat to ocean ecosystems and wildlife along the way.

Thousands of marine animals die each year from becoming entangled in debris or from ingesting it. Marine debris can impact critical habitat, smothering sea grasses or dislodging or injuring corals. Debris can also pose human health and safety risks. Syringes, broken glass, and other hazardous items pose obvious dangers to barefooted beach goers. Grocery and trash bags, fishing line, nets, rope, and other debris can wrap around boat propellers and clog seawater intakes, causing costly damage and becoming a safety hazard.

Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers not only help improve our local beaches, they also improve their own understanding of nature and the positive impact people can have on the environment when we work together.

To find a site near you go to vccoastcleanup.org

For more information, please contact Ventura County Coastal Cleanup Day Coordinator Kelly Hahs at (805) 658-4375 or [email protected], or Steering Committee member Kay Allen at (805) 583-6424 or [email protected].