• Just a few of the more notable Ventura events in 2016. There were certainly a lot more, so sorry if I missed some of the more important ones.

• Museum of Ventura County temporally closes galleries (will re-open in a few days)
• Ventura County Fair has record attendance
• Midtown parking structure completed by the new CMH under construction
• Professor Scamp becomes write-in presidential candidate (another dog won)
• There was an oil spill in Hall Canyon
• Ventura Breeze goes all color and begins 10th year of publication
• There was a ground breaking for Kellogg Park in West Ventura
• Ventura Park Ambassadors started working with the homeless in city parks and the Promenade
• Carl Morehouse announced he wasn’t running for another term on City Council (served 17 years)
• Matt LaVere elected to City Council to replace Carl
• Venturans approve 4 city ballot measures including a tax increase
• Sondermann Ring large development project located at Harbor breaks ground after 16-years
• Ventura celebrates 150th anniversary
• Construction on California Street Bridge Pedestrian Project starts(will be completed any day now)
• Brooks Institute announces plan to move into downtown Ventura including behind City Hall
• Brooks Institute closing leaving many in shock
• Ventura Pier re-opens after repair to damage caused by large waves
• City buys Harbor Community Church for $2.3 million
• Venturan’s approve State new marijuana laws by 59%
• There were 2 murders on Dec.4. The probable suspects in both cases have been identified and arrested

Several notable Venturan’s passed away. These are just a few of the people who made a large contribution to Ventura:

• Sandra Laby
• Howard Boroughs
• Don Haskell
• Ed Warren
• Jim Spencer
• Linda Elder
• Warren Gavin
• Lynn Jacobs
• Jim Mangis

• Two new super markets are coming to Ventura. Not the usual ones that you might familiar with. Grocery Outlet Bargain Market will be located where Ralphs was previously at 9300 Telephone and Sprouts Farmers Market is coming at the shuttered Sports Authority space at 4870 Telephone Rd. (in the Kohls/Barnes & Noble shopping center).

• In a complaint filed in 2013, Jarrod Matthew Wilfert claimed he was terminated without warning on March 13, 2012 by the Oxnard Police Department as a direct result of comments made by officials and officers from the Ventura Police Department. Wilfert had been a VPD officer for nearly four years.

He claimed that officers at the Ventura Police Department made untruthful and disparaging remarks about him which resulted in Oxnard firing him.

He hired an attorney for wrongful termination and sued the City, a jury trial was set for Dec. 2016. Ventura and Wilfert have agreed to settle the wrongful termination suit for $25,000 avoiding the jury trial. This amount is much less than the City would have spent on outside legal fees.

The City is still involved in a legal case involving former Ventura Risk Manager Ellis Green, who was let go in July 2015. Green is suing the city also alleging wrongful termination, saying he was subjected to discrimination for his age, gender, race and disability. He claims the City failed to make reasonable accommodations for his end-stage renal disease.

The City disputes Green’s claims, alleging he was “unable to perform the essential functions of the position” with or without reasonable accommodations.

Green worked for the city for 15 years and served one term on the Port Hueneme city council.

• As you know, we have a feature in the paper called Answer In A Breeze. To this point, we have been able to answer reader’s question – until this time.

A while back Jaime Baker (reader and Breeze employee) asked us (in part), “See if you can find out anything from the city about the spraying of toxic chemicals in a field near Wells and Darling. This is a very bad situation and anyone who lives in the area should be very concerned. The workers who sprayed the field were wearing hazmat suits and gas masks. The smell was so intense that for 2 days we really didn’t want to go outside.”

We contacted Ventura City Manager Mark Watkins to help with this question. He replied, “I drive by the parcel and noticed the mustard and when it was gone but was not aware of any spraying. The parcel is owned by the Broome family, and it is outside city limits in unincorporated area. They are represented by Kioren Moss, Real Estate Appraisers & Advisors perhaps you should contact them.”

We contacted Kioren Moss but never received an answer to our inquiry. Perhaps this mention will get us an answer.

• The average temperature in 2015 was 1.62 degrees higher than the 20th century average, and 2016 will break that record.

• Beginning January 1, 2017 you will be breaking the law if you’re caught holding a cellphone or other electronic device while driving in California.

Assembly Bill 1785 requires those who use a cellphone while driving to either place it in a 7-square-inch (that’s about 3”x2.33”) lower area of the windshield farthest from the driver or a 5-square-inch space in the lower windshield corner nearest them. Drivers also will be able to put the phone on the dashboard, provided it doesn’t block their view of the road or keep an airbag from deploying (time to find out where and how your airbag deploys).

So if you are pulled over by a police officer and he is caring a tape measure you might be in trouble. You should also carry your own tape measure so you can dispute the officer’s measurements if necessary.

•  Happy Chanukah (starts Dec. 24), Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our wonderful Breeze readers. The years go by much too quickly.

•  Wishing Carl Morehouse, first elected to the Ventura City Council in 1999, all the best in his “retirement” from the City Council. Maybe now he will have time to pursue his musical career.

And, all the best to Matt LaVere who will now find out the incredible amount of time that he will be spending serving on the City Council. Good thing members earn $600 per month to make it all worthwhile.

•  How wonderful that the so called “Sonderman-Ring” project (see article in this issue) has finally broken ground (only took 16 years). This development be great for the Harbor and even for those living in the mobile home community right across the street. It will cut off some of their views but will have a community park, a great promenade for walking to the water and commercial space that might make some of their shopping easier.

I congratulate the developers for sticking with it. A funny aspect of it is that Brian Brennan reviewed it as a City Councilmember, as a member of the coastal commission and a member of the port district. He must have gotten very tired of looking at the project.

•  I wonder if the people shouting USA, USA, USA will be shouting that next year when their iPhone8’s costs $1,500?

•  To encourage second units being built on residential properties, the state has loosened restrictions to ease the affordable-housing crisis.

Under new rules, the review process is meant to be faster and less difficult and will be certainly cheaper because large city hook-up fees will not be allowed. The city can’t, in most cases, charge a water or sewer connection fee or require a new connection. This will result in huge changes to the building of second units on residential properties.

The new state regulations are set to go into effect Jan. 1, and cities are trying to figure out exactly how it will affect existing local ordinances and what changes will need to be made. Most of those ordinances are going to be eliminated or be revised.

What the new state regulations will mean exactly in Ventura will be discussed in great detail by our city attorney, planning staff and city council.

The new law allows detached units to be up to 1,200 sq. feet. Ventura currently allows 750 sq. feet. Units attached to existing residences can be up to 50 percent of the residence’s living area, compared to the maximum 30 percent set by the city now.

Recently, many Ventura residents (especially in the Pierpont community with their small driving lanes) have been unhappy with the growth of short-term vacation rentals, arguing they have resulted in increased traffic, noise and strangers into their neighborhood.

Some Venturans feel that these type of rentals should be banned altogether in residential zones because they are actually commercial uses. Some rental property owners claim that they carefully monitor the tenants and maintain their properties in a clean condition and that the visitors contribute to the city’s economy. In some cases the rent allows owners to remain in their homes.

If any of you are thinking of adding a second unit, I’d be happy to help with any  questions and concerns (I’ll put on my retired architect’s hat).

•  Great to report that new Federal survey data shows that teen drug and alcohol use has fallen to levels not seen since the height of the drug war in the 1990s.

The Monitoring the Future survey of about 50,000 high school students found that “considerably fewer teens reported using any illicit drug other than marijuana in the prior 12 months — 5 percent, 10 percent and 14 percent in grades 8, 10 and 12, respectively — than at any time since 1991.”

And the use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) has also declined for the first time since researchers began tracking the practice in 2011.

Marijuana use has been another area of concern with the move by numerous states to legalize the recreational use of the drug. But a recent survey shows that changing attitudes toward marijuana appear to have little effect on teens’ inclinations to use the drug. The marijuana use trends have proved surprising to authorities who predicted that legalization would lead to greater teen acceptance of marijuana use, and more teens using it themselves.

All good news. I hope that the trends continue. Perhaps when cigarettes are $8 per pack (when the new taxes are added) even fewer will be smoking.

•  A Saudi woman was going out for breakfast when she decided to make a social statement. In violation of the country’s moral codes, she reportedly stepped out in public wearing a multicolored dress, a black jacket and ankle boots without wearing a hijab or abaya, a loose-fitting garment.

It resulted in drawing death threats and demands to imprison or even execute the woman. Police in the country’s capital of Riyadh said they had arrested the woman following their duty to monitor “violations of general morals.” Hard to even comprehend that kind of thinking, at least it is for me.

•  This is the first time that I’ve placed an opinion letter (sent to our Mailbox) in my column. But I feel that this is an important enough topic to get your comments regarding the Electoral College, which I commented about it in our last issue. Would love to hear from more of you.

Sheldon Brown:

Before tossing off the slavery pacification theory you might want to read the history of The Electoral College. And who cares if you think the name is stupid. Have some respect for the foundations of our Republic, especially when the news (such as you report) is filled with fake history.

Joyce Ward

Joyce:
Thanks for your email. I’m glad that you care about what I think and took the to send me a note with your thoughts.

The “slavery pacification” as you call it is not theory, it is documented history.

Please look at the following video, http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2016/11/22/why-was-the-electoral-college-created-slavery-orig.cnn for a brief explanation and this excerpt from TIME Magazine.

TIME Magazine

“Remember what the country looked like in 1787: The important division was between states that relied on slavery and those that didn’t, not between large and small states. A direct election for president did not sit well with most delegates from the slave states, which had large populations but far fewer eligible voters. They gravitated toward the electoral college as a compromise because it was based on population. The convention had agreed to count each slave as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of calculating each state’s allotment of seats in Congress. For Virginia, which had the largest population among the original 13 states, that meant more clout in choosing the president.”

“Standard civics-class accounts of the Electoral College rarely mention the real demon dooming direct national election in 1787 and 1803: slavery.”

“At the Philadelphia convention, the visionary Pennsylvanian James Wilson proposed direct national election of the president. But the savvy Virginian James Madison responded that such a system would prove unacceptable to the South: ‘The right of suffrage was much more diffusive [i.e., extensive] in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes.’ In other words, in a direct election system, the North would outnumber the South, whose many slaves (more than half a million in all) of course could not vote. But the Electoral College—a prototype of which Madison proposed in this same speech—instead let each southern state count its slaves, albeit with a two-fifths discount, in computing its share of the overall count.”

“If the system’s pro-slavery tilt was not overwhelmingly obvious when the Constitution was ratified, it quickly became so. For 32 of the Constitution’s first 36 years, a white slaveholding Virginian occupied the presidency.”

“Southerner Thomas Jefferson, for example, won the election of 1800-01 against Northerner John Adams in a race where the slavery-skew of the Electoral College was the decisive margin of victory: without the extra Electoral College votes generated by slavery, the mostly southern states that supported Jefferson would not have sufficed to give him a majority. As pointed observers remarked at the time, Thomas Jefferson metaphorically rode into the executive mansion on the backs of slaves.”

I hope that this helps your understanding, and I still think that it’s a stupid name. A degree from the Electoral College is as worthless as one from Trump University.

•  The second seat on the Ventura School board is finally decided after many recounts with Jackie Moran winning. The final tally is Jackie Moran 13,894, Don Wood 13,681.

•  The City Council has approved the following appointments (recommended by the Appointments Recommendation Committee) for advisory boards:

Downtown Parking Advisory:

• Ashley Pope (Spice-Topia) and Debbie Fox (Fox Fine Jewelry). Excellent choices because are both are downtown business owners.
• Mobile Home Rent Review Board: Terrence Towner.

•  I have been asked about the Rhumb Line Restaurant’s new ownership (the business, not the building). Their plans are to close in February for about 6-weeks to remodel, change the name and the menu. I hope that it’s a big success, as it’s a wonderful location night and day to enjoy sunsets and watch the harbor boats.

•  There is a new Christmas tree lot located at Seaward and Pierpont – Winter Springs Christmas Trees – that is run by the tree growers who came down from Oregon . A nice young couple, so check it out. They also sell a lot of really nice children’s books. We got a really nice tree there.

•  A group calling for California to secede from the United States submitted a proposed petition recently seeking a ballot measure that would strip the state constitution of language that says California is an inseparable part of the nation. The group has gained momentum with the election of Donald Trump.

The Yes California Independence Campaign hopes to put a question on the November 2018 ballot authorizing a vote on independence in spring 2019.

The group’s Vice President Marcus Ruiz Evans said the organization now has 15,000 Twitter followers, 30,000 Facebook followers and 13,000 volunteers who have signed up to collect signatures.

Before you get too excited about this happening, the U.S. Constitution does not provide for state secession. It is basically impossible, but fun to think about. Experts say the only way to legally secede would be to change the federal Constitution, which requires the approval of Congress and 38 states.

Dividing a state into two would be a little easier (Virginia and West Virginia did it a long time ago) but repeated attempts to create a 51st state in Northern California, named the State of Jefferson, have also failed. That movement generally draws more conservative supporters who are dissatisfied with California’s dominance by Democrats.

Foto: “Being a judge at the Halloween dog costume competition at the Harbor was very difficult because they were all soooo cute (photos in next issue)”

• I want to thank all of the candidates that ran for the Ventura City Council and Ventura School Board. Wanting to serve in these positions is based upon making a contribution to Ventura and certainly not motivated by the small “salaries” that they receive. The election results were too late for this issue but can be seen at www.venturabreeze.com.

Thank goodness the elections are over, hopefully the country can get back to “normal”.

• Based upon a recent survey taken in Los Angeles County this is the breakdown of their homeless population.

Mentally ill 30%

Substance abuse 23%

Experienced domestic violence 18%

Physically disabled 17%

Unknown 12%

For those of you who think that the homeless are just a bunch of bums that don’t want to work consider the situations that have led to them to homelessness.

I certainly agree that Ventura has a homeless problem but complaining about it really won’t solve the problem. What is needed is some type of housing even if as basic as a well maintained tent city with portable toilets. Refugee camps in Europe are providing this for the immigrant displaced. We should be able to at least provide this.

I am especially concerned about the mentally ill homeless population. Many of them are too ill to understand what help is available for them or are too paranoid to accept any help at all.

I’m also concerned about the number of the mentally ill people who are being killed by police officers. Mentally ill lives matter also and  perhaps even more so than other populations. Because they don’t always understand their situations and have little control over it.

Police departments and policymakers around the country are grappling with how to bolster training for police officers on mental health issues. This is because  of a string of high-profile fatal incidents involving suspects believed to be in the throes of mental breakdowns.

• It’s absurd how long it is taking to complete the California Street Bridge Pedestrian Project.

“The California Street Bridge enhancement project includes replacing the existing low-height pedestrian railing along the bridge with a six-foot high 250-foot long decorative railing, adding eight decorative pedestrian lighting fixtures, and resurfacing the sidewalk area to create a safer environment for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists crossing the bridge and will help visually distinguish the California Street off-ramp as the entry to our historic downtown.”

• On September 12, 1949, the Ventura City Council passed Resolution No. 3191 creating the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura. On December 1, 1949, the first regular meeting of the Housing Authority was held. The City of Ventura provided desk space, and clerical help with the City Clerk acting as treasurer of the Authority. On July 1, 1950 a secretary was employed and the Housing Authority had its first full-time paid employee.

Recently, the City Council adopted a Resolution approving issuance by the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura of tax-exempt obligations not to exceed $15,000,000. This is to

assist Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation ( CEDC) in the new

construction of 22 apartments located at 1031, 1019, 1007, 995 and 1013 Los

Angeles Avenue.

A yet-to-be-formed California limited partnership will be the owner of the

development, with the general partner including a CEDC affiliate and a tax credit

investor limited partner.

I’m really not sure whose money this is and don’t completely understand the process, but doing the simple math that amounts to $681,000 per unit. For that kind of money (2) 3-bedroom homes could be purchased in that area which would provide 6 bedrooms. Living in private homes would also provide privacy (a backyard), the pride of living in a home (which some of the residents will never get to do) and interaction with neighbors and their families.

What am I missing?

• Could millions of connected devices like cameras, thermostats, DVDs, home surveillance cameras, kids’ toys and the increasing amount of internet household devices and appliances (13 in the average home already) bring the Internet (and the world) to its knees. Is cyberwar coming?

Recently huge cyberattacks crippled a major internet firm that sends information to many popular websites across the United States (did you lose your Netflix connection and have nothing to do)? The hacker group that is claiming responsibility for this has stated that this was just practice and that their eventual target is Russia in retaliation for what appears to be Russian hacking in the United States.

• Nice to see what was called the Sonderman-Ring project by the Harbor moving along (and only after about 10-years and the death of one of the partners).

Development is in their 3rd plan-check review submittal with Building and Safety, and is nearing a final building permit approval.   It will include 300 residential units,  21,000 square feet of commercial space, 107 boating slips, a 2.44 acre waterfront park and a public promenade extending 1,650 linear feet.  The project will include 2, 2-story parking garages.

It will be nice if the commercial space includes a mini-mart so that the residents of the mobile home park across the street could just walk to get some of their groceries and staples.

•   Congratulations to Christy Weir and Cheryl Heitmann for being elected to another term on the City Council and to Matt LaVere (who received the most votes) for being elected to the Council for the first time. They are all good choices, and should serve us well.

And, kudos also go to School Board winner’s Sabrina Rodriquez and either Jackie Moran or Don Wood (you fill it in) for the second seat. The latest count shows only 12 votes separating them. Perhaps they could each serve half of the term.

Speaking of local elections, I was a little surprised that the tax increase passed and hope that the citizen’s oversight committee which will be formed to recommend uses for the money will do what is best for Ventura. We should all act as an oversight committee for the oversight committee and keep our eyes on their decisions.

I was surprised at the large quantity of yes votes for term limits, which I highly endorsed.

The loser of the Presidential election received more votes (nearly 1.5 million) than the winner of the election. In 1787, the  Founding Fathers created what is now called the Electoral College (even the name is stupid) to appease the Southern slave states so that they would sign the new Constitution.

The United States Electoral College is the body that elects the President and Vice President of the United States. Citizens of the United States do not directly elect them – instead they choose “electors”, who usually pledge to vote for particular candidates (even though they do not need to).

It is almost impossible to change it. So, finally after all these years the South has won the civil war.

•   Several restaurants have new owners (not the actual buildings); the Watermark will become the Limon y Sal when it re-opens and the Shanghai Beer Garden is now the Rumfish y Vino (confusing ain’t it). The Rhumb Line has not changed its name yet, but I’m sure it will have a new name shortly.

I wish all of the new owners the very best, it is a tough, time-intensive business. Be sure to check out all of them – let’s support our local businesses.

•   Some folks have been surprised when they’ve gone grocery shopping and were charged 10-15 cents if they used the market’s plastic bags. Grocers in Ventura County and throughout California have started charging shoppers for reusable bags as part of the recently passed Proposition 67.

The measure bans single-use plastic bags in California’s grocery stores. Many of the plastic bags have handles and are reusable.

•   New research finds that teens who regularly “vape” e-cigarettes are more likely to become frequent and heavy cigarette smokers. I have always assumed this was going to be the outcome, and it turns out that I am correct.

A survey of students at 10 Los Angeles County public schools found that teens who vape frequently are more than twice as likely to start smoking. The study was published Nov. 8 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

•   Steve’s Hardware (located at 1199 E. Thompson) sells PVC pipe by the foot. Also, they are very knowledgeable and will help you with all of your plumbing needs. Tell them that I sent you in, and they will give me a hug.

•   The Vatican has issued new rules to determine whether healings qualify as miracles for sainthood. A panel of medical experts scrutinize potential miracles. A potential miracle can no longer be considered if it fails to pass before the board of medical experts three times. So if you think that you have a miracle, you will need to bring a note from your doctor.

•   From the LA Times, in part, “…months after outrage over the 6 month sentence for sexual assault given to former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner.” Why is it relevant that he was a Stanford swimmer? Would they write “former Stanford cello player” or former Stanford chess player”? What is the importance of him being an athlete?

•   Word of the day (or this year actually): Gentrification – The buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper-or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.

•   It is that time of the year when communities need to find shelter for the homeless. If you think that being homeless is a “life choice” by some, try sleeping outside during the cold winter and when it’s raining.

The Ventura National Guard Armory that has been used in previous years is not available. The Oxnard National Guard Armory that alternates with Ventura is available.

Family Promise is a national movement in which churches rotate providing overnight lodging. On Nov. 3 they announced that two churches are now committed to the program — North Oxnard United Methodist Church and Temple Beth Torah in Ventura  and that several more have expressed interest.

Family Promise represents a national movement that believes family homelessness can be addressed in our own communities. Churches trade-off providing overnight lodging, with host sites rotating weekly. The housing is temporary. Nationwide, families stay in the program an average of 63 days.

•   Now that the state marijuana initiative Proposition 64 has passed it will be up to each city as to how they want to deal with the legalization of the use of marijuana. In the past the Ventura City Council has made it clear that they do not want medical dispensaries in Ventura.

The state measure allows people who are 21 and older to grow up to six plants indoors and use marijuana recreationally but will give local municipalities control of outdoor growing, sales, distribution and other aspects of the use of marijuana.

Police Chief Ken Corney, President of the California Police Chiefs Association has stated that in Colorado, which has allowed recreational use since 2012 marijuana-related emergency room visits and Poison Control Center calls have increased since marijuana use became legal.

Drug-related school suspensions and expulsions have also climbed, Corney stated.

Cannabis-related products that target youths will no longer be available because the state law is banning products shaped like animals and fruit and other products that appeal specifically to the young.

The City Council will be dealing with their concerns and those of the police department at future city council meetings. Including the delivery of medical marijuana to Ventura.

Ventura City Attorney Diaz will be giving the Council the “legal” directions that they can take. We certainly don’t want more law suits to be filed against Ventura.

•  I want to thank all of the candidates that ran for the Ventura City Council and Ventura School Board. Wanting to serve in these positions is based upon making a contribution to Ventura and certainly not motivated by the small “salaries” that they receive. The election results were too late for this issue but can be seen at www.venturabreeze.com.

Thank goodness the elections are over, hopefully the country can get back to “normal”.

•  Based upon a recent survey taken in Los Angeles County this is the breakdown of their homeless population.

• Mentally ill 30%
• Substance abuse 23%
• Experienced domestic violence 18%
• Physically disabled 17%
• Unknown 12%

For those of you who think that the homeless are just a bunch of bums that don’t want to work consider the situations that have led to them to homelessness.

I certainly agree that Ventura has a homeless problem but complaining about it really won’t solve the problem. What is needed is some type of housing even if as basic as a well maintained tent city with portable toilets. Refugee camps in Europe are providing this for the immigrant displaced. We should be able to at least provide this.

I am especially concerned about the mentally ill homeless population. Many of them are too ill to understand what help is available for them or are too paranoid to accept any help at all.

I’m also concerned about the number of the mentally ill people who are being killed by police officers. Mentally ill lives matter also and  perhaps even more so than other populations. Because they don’t always understand their situations and have little control over it.

Police departments and policymakers around the country are grappling with how to bolster training for police officers on mental health issues. This is because  of a string of high-profile fatal incidents involving suspects believed to be in the throes of mental breakdowns.

•  It’s absurd how long it is taking to complete the California Street Bridge Pedestrian Project.

“The California Street Bridge enhancement project includes replacing the existing low-height pedestrian railing along the bridge with a six-foot high 250-foot long decorative railing, adding eight decorative pedestrian lighting fixtures, and resurfacing the sidewalk area to create a safer environment for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists crossing the bridge and will help visually distinguish the California Street off-ramp as the entry to our historic downtown.”

•  On September 12, 1949, the Ventura City Council passed Resolution No. 3191 creating the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura. On December 1, 1949, the first regular meeting of the Housing Authority was held. The City of Ventura provided desk space, and clerical help with the City Clerk acting as treasurer of the Authority. On July 1, 1950 a secretary was employed and the Housing Authority had its first full-time paid employee.

Recently, the City Council adopted a Resolution approving issuance by the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura of tax-exempt obligations not to exceed $15,000,000. This is to assist Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation ( CEDC) in the new construction of 22 apartments located at 1031, 1019, 1007, 995 and 1013 Los Angeles Avenue.

A yet-to-be-formed California limited partnership will be the owner of the development, with the general partner including a CEDC affiliate and a tax credit investor limited partner.

I’m really not sure whose money this is and don’t completely understand the process, but doing the simple math that amounts to $681,000 per unit. For that kind of money (2) 3-bedroom homes could be purchased in that area which would provide 6 bedrooms. Living in private homes would also provide privacy (a backyard), the pride of living in a home (which some of the residents will never get to do) and interaction with neighbors and their families.

What am I missing?

•  Could millions of connected devices like cameras, thermostats, DVDs, home surveillance cameras, kids’ toys and the increasing amount of internet household devices and appliances (13 in the average home already) bring the Internet (and the world) to its knees. Is cyberwar coming?

Recently huge cyberattacks crippled a major internet firm that sends information to many popular websites across the United States (did you lose your Netflix connection and have nothing to do)? The hacker group that is claiming responsibility for this has stated that this was just practice and that their eventual target is Russia in retaliation for what appears to be Russian hacking in the United States.

•  Nice to see what was called the Sonderman-Ring project by the Harbor moving along (and only after about 10-years and the death of one of the partners).

Development is in their 3rd plan-check review submittal with Building and Safety, and is nearing a final building permit approval.   It will include 300 residential units,  21,000 square feet of commercial space, 107 boating slips, a 2.44 acre waterfront park and a public promenade extending 1,650 linear feet.  The project will include 2, 2-story parking garages.

It will be nice if the commercial space includes a mini-mart so that the residents of the mobile home park across the street could just walk to get some of their groceries and staples.

•  I thought that this was a done deal with the decision made last year – by a lower court ruling -turning down a lawsuit brought by Ventura Realty & Investment Co against the City and CMH in the Fall of 2014. Ventura Realty & Investment appealed the court’s decision to the 2nd District Court of Appeal which recently upheld the lower court’s decision regarding the construction of the now completed five-story parking structure. The appeals court agreed that the City followed proper procedure in allowing CMH to construct the structure.

Because the structure has already been completed, I’m not sure what purpose was to be served by any further court action. Seems to me to have just been a nuisance lawsuit.

CMH will pay to maintain the parking structure. They will share the spaces with the City to be used by other businesses in the area.

•  Betsy Chess, Director of Development at the Museum of Ventura County, took me on a tour of the Museum to show me the changes being made at the currently closed facility (the large multi-use room is open for special events). It is planned that the remodel will be completed in January.

We were joined by Eric Howes, Exhibits Design & Curator. Eric showed me photos, and explained the design concepts being implemented.

The design and colors look very promising and will be a great improvement to the Museum. The Museum has held two Community Outreach Forums “We Want to Hear From You!” to better understand what the public would want to see in the Museum.

“While our galleries are being renovated, we have the opportunity to reflect and re-think the Museum of Ventura County’s role in the community. We need your input, because this is your museum!” The final forum will be held on Nov.10, from 5:30-7PM, cohosted by the Mexican Consulate, at 3151 W. 5th in Oxnard.

•  I want to make sure that you understand why I am not voting for Christy Weir (as stated in last issue) to serve another term on the City Council. This is completely based on my belief that we should have term limits and not at all based on the fine contributions that she has made to Ventura while serving on the City Council. I certainly won’t be upset if she is elected to serve another term on the Council.

This is the first time our elections have coincided with national elections, so to show that this was a good decision, please vote.

•  The residents that live in the Pierpont area have been complaining very loudly about the parking and noise generated by the short-term renters. The Pierpont area has always had these problems, but they say that they have been greatly exacerbated by the renters and requested that a moratorium be placed on short term rental permits (less than 30-days) until new rules and regulations can be adopted.

They recently brought this problem to a City Council meeting hoping to get a moratorium approved. But, because of a lack of a quorum the Council could not pass a moratorium even if they decided to such action.

Councilmember Jim Monahan was absent from the meeting. Councilmembers Christy Weir and Cheryl Heitmann recused themselves from acting on the matter. Weir has a second dwelling unit in a different part of the city that she sometimes rents and Heitmann said that there are short term vacation rentals within 500 feet of her home.

In an unusual position, Heitmann appeared as just a resident (not on the dais) and urged the council to further study an ordinance and approve a moratorium soon. She stated that not only is parking an issue, but also the growth in short-term rentals means fewer homes are on the market for long-term renters and those looking to buy, and it affects the character of the Pierpont neighborhood.

Councilmember Mike Tracy said he didn’t feel that the issue was serious enough to support a moratorium now stating that is usually reserved for emergencies. There has been some concern expressed about him also needing to be recused because he is a real estate agent, but our city attorney has determined that this is not a legal conflict.

His motion to further have staff study the fees charged for rentals, the impact of the California Coastal Commission and the impact of all rentals on the City was approved 4-0 by the remaining members. Tracy said he hoped there would be further discussions about this and how other housing-related challenges are managed helping the Council take appropriate action in the future when city staff presents their recommendations. Meetings will be held with residents to help staff with their recommendations. This could take 4-6 months before going back to the Council for further action.

Not all rental owners appearing at the meeting want a moratorium. They urged the Council to maintain the rentals, saying the rentals provide visitors with an opportunity to experience life on a beach and help provide much-needed income so owners can maintain their Pierpont homes.

Of the approximate 120 permitted residential permits in the city, over 70 are in the Pierpont neighborhood.

I agree with the decision to gather more information before the Council takes further permanent action on this matter. This will be a very important judgement that must be based upon more detailed information and input from the community and staff.

•  I can hardly wait until next year to see Trump’s new TV show, “So You Want To Be President”. He says the election is rigged by the liberal media. Does that mean that there hasn’t been a Republican president since Abraham Lincoln? Maybe Scamp is a Republican, so I hope that he accepts the newly elected President.

•   I’m very saddened by the passing of Sandra Laby as a friend, a spirit, an inspiration, a contributor to the arts and to the lives of so many. She will be very-very missed (Sometimes life sucks)

•   With this issue, we have included statements from five (one was in last issue) of the ten City Council candidates. Hopefully we will be able to include statements from all candidates by election time. Please read them carefully, and if you can’t attend the forums being held you can find them on CAPSTV.

Speaking of the elections, the California voter’s information guide is more than 215 pages long, most of which covers the 17 propositions. I’m not a big fan of the initiative process

(an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote, sometimes called a plebiscite). I have a problem with the process because there are always a few absurd items that voters get to decide.

For instance, #60 “Adult Films. Condoms. Health Requirements” should be regulated by the industry not by a vote of the people. I think the initiative process should make it more difficult to place propositions on the ballot.

•   The closing of ITT Technical schools makes the closing of Brooks seems like nothing. ITT’s closing left almost 40,000 students and 8,000 employees stranded. This certainly doesn’t make those affected by Brook’s closing any less tolerable, but it does appear that “for profit” schools such as ITT are on their way out.

•   The construction of the new Community Memorial Hospital just keeps going on and on but at least the new 570 space parking structure is finished and had a ribbon cutting ceremony recently (see article in this issue). CMH’s scheduled completion is now set for next summer some six years after groundbreaking and about two years past the original completion date. A new driving entrance to the hospital will be available off of Main St.

The usual excuses of why it has been delayed almost two years (we only hope two years) have been made. It will take another several months after construction is completed for training, hiring, obtaining many approvals and making sure all of the new very sophisticated equipment works correctly.

In the meantime, businesses in the area are getting killed by the loss of customers due to lack of parking, noise and other distractions. Perhaps the new parking structure will solve some of their problems.

Of course, once completed it will be great for these businesses if they can remain open until then. Yolanda’s Mexican Café is going through a major remodeling and will now be completed before the hospital.

•   I’m sorry to find out that the annual Ventura Kinetic Sculpture Race “where art and engineering collide” won’t be held this year. It was a fun and entertaining event that was well attended. And, it included a fundraiser for a worthy cause – the Turning Point Foundation.

The race, located at the Harbor, involved “bicycles” using people power to traverse over water, mud and sand. Over the years the number of participating vehicles has been dwindling. And, most participants came from out-of-town. A large amount of work and effort to build and ride the vehicles certainly reduced the number of entrants.

Since the race just wasn’t a very big moneymaker for Turning Point, the benefit to them didn’t justify the effort needed to make it happen.

Hopefully some donors will help bring the race/event back next year.

•   The City Council did the right thing by taking back four acres in East Ventura that had originally been planned for Veteran support services .The property had been given over for another use. One of the motivations is that the City wants to get Proposition 41 funding which provides funds for housing and services for homeless veterans. The City will be looking for an affordable housing developer to build low-income housing for our homeless veterans (see, all developers aren’t “evil”).

•   I am really confused by constant (at least it seems like) revisions that the City makes to zoning standards and to the General Plan. Which are often, by the way, in conflict with each other. It almost seems like there is a strategy of “let’s try this and if that doesn’t work let’s try something else.” A revolving door process.

A perfect example is Victoria Ave.

Victoria was planned to be a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare but it never really turned out that way and never would have been. The only place that pedestrians walk is downtown (I don’t consider folks in the Harbor to be pedestrians).

Victoria is the only street that can be driven from one end (Foothill) of Ventura all the way to the beach, so it will always remain a busy auto thoroughfare.

Because of this, the Ventura City Council has voted to change the zoning there to allow greater types of development in parts of the “Victoria corridor”.

The 7-0 vote means that zoning changes will allow one-story buildings, which were allowed at one time (with a Conditional Use Permit – CUP) and drive-thru businesses. I can’t imagine why one-story buildings weren’t recently allowed.

City Councilmember Christy Weir was concerned that making the change would result in generic, cookie-cutter projects, but isn’t that what our Design Review Committee (and Planning) is there for – to prevent poor design? She was happy, though, that a CUP is required. I would be happy if the DRC (and Planning) did their job.

•    I stated that I was done talking about the closing of Brook’s Institute, but I lied. I’m not going to be critical, just factual. And, I am actually not as riled up as I was originally.

On Monday Sept. 12, at the City Council meeting, City Manager Mark Watkins made an excellent presentation to the Council explaining (as best he could) what had transpired prior to Brook’s closing, which included some sharp questions and criticism from the Council.

In 2007 the City purchased the so called “505 building” from the County that is located behind City Hall. I think that this was a wise thing to do.

Brooks was not moving into City Hall but to this building behind it. This structure is not at all historical and is a rather innocuous looking building.

The lease with Brooks called for a security deposit and first and last month’s rent that was never collected (which amounted to approximately $70,000). The City did not spend any money on the improvements so the loss was the money not collected and the on-going rent which is also not going to be collected. The non-profits (that had to move) that rented this space were paying below market rents so the lost revenue from them was not huge. Someone still made a big mistake in not collecting the money from Brooks and should be held accountable (okay a little criticism).

If a tenant can be found that can use the space with the partitions as built (and complete the construction) they are certainly worth more than $70,000.

There is “No right to lien public property” so there will not be liens filed against the City as will be  filed against the owners of downtown buildings that Brook’s will now not occupy. These will likely be filed by contractors, sub-contractors and material suppliers.

Councilmember Cheryl Heitmann (who was very critical of Watkins and staff) suggested that Watkins also send his explanation to the media so that Venturan’s have a better understanding of the situation. I think that this would be an excellent idea. Councilmember Mike Tracy was a little calmer about the situation.

Councilmember Morehouse thought that this would be a waste because the media will just slant it and edit the information. I don’t know about other media, but if we receive an article from the City with their byline (written by them) we would publish it as submitted just as we did with a previous City article regarding Brooks.

The real problem, as I see it, (and several Councilmembers agree) is that the City should not be in the commercial rental business but should hire a professional property management firm to handle the future renting and management of the 505 building. If this was in place the $70,000 would have been collected or construction would not have continued. The leasing of commercial space is not like renting a house – it is very involved and complicated.

A similar situation is the operation of the City golf courses. Once it was decided that the City really shouldn’t be in the golf course business, a professional golf course management firm was hired to run the courses.

•    I am very happy that Scamp has decided to run for President. I am sorry that his tax returns cannot be revealed because he is being pawdited. The IRS thought that a $2,300 deduction for treats might be excessive but they don’t know Scamp. Per his announcement in this issue’s article, he will be holding a rally on September 18 so come join us to show your support.

•    Please see the ad in this issue introducing our first photo contest and send in your best. I know that you will have some great submissions.

•    If you love great jazz, my friend Rafe Hernandez and his 10-piece band Equinox Ensemble will be playing at Squashed Grapes (2351 E. Main) on Friday Sept.16 at 7pm. Italian food from Cordello’s Pizza is available so eat, drink and enjoy the music, and come say hi to me because I will be there.

•    At a recent City Council meeting, an unusual thing occurred. Usually the City Council routinely approves the  appointments to city commissions as recommended by staff.

After Councilmember Carl Morehouse, who chairs the Appointments Recommendation Committee, read the names of  candidates who were selected to serve on the various committees  the council voted 6-0 (Christy Weir was absent)to approve all of the recommendations except one. That was an appointment to the Planning Commission.

Jim Monahan, Neal Andrews and Carl Morehouse voted against the appointment of Mark Abbe to the Planning Commission. A little later, Jim Monahan changed his mind (don’t know what that was all about) so the motion for approval passed 4-2.

In explaining his vote (in part) to the Breeze Neal Andrews said, “As I indicated at the Council meeting, it is very rare for a person nominated by the Appointments Recommendation Committee of the Council to not receive unanimous support from the Council.  However, the Planning Commission is arguably the most important and influential commission in the City. Therefore, appointments to it should be made with the utmost care and must have not only the perfunctory approval of every member of the Council, but must have the studied approval of every member of the Council.”

“I have reviewed Mr. Abbe’s credentials carefully, listened to his statements on numerous occasions on a variety of planning issues, and in fact interviewed him for the Planning Commission on a prior occasion when the Appointments Recommendations Committee declined to recommend him for appointment.”

I have no opinion regarding Mr. Abbe but like the fact that the Council didn’t just rubber stamp the recommendations.