•  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.

•  In our last issue, I commended Neal Andrews for having the courage of his convictions – because of his displeasure with the Republican National Committee he decided to stop being an active member. Some readers had a problem with me saying that because they thought I was siding with his concerns, which I wasn’t. If he was a member of the Democratic National Committee and made the same decision, I still would have applauded him. My comments had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he is a Republican.

•  This Saturday is the last concert of the wonderful Music Under the Stars music series at the Olivas Adobe (Lisa Haley & The Zydekats will play). It will be another sold out performance (6 of the 9 were sold out). So next year be sure to get your tickets early for this exceptional outdoor concert series.

•  We have two “articles” in this issue regarding Brooks Institute closing. My last words (I hope) on the subject.

Brooks officials said the reason they made the “difficult decision” to shut down was due to declining enrollment and significant changes in the regulatory environment. These variables made it unlikely the school could be successful going forward.

 What nonsense, their enrollment over the past several years had fallen from 2,500 to 250, hardly enough to sustain an ongoing business. Their issues didn’t magically occur in the months prior to renting all of the downtown spaces and commencing construction. It seems as if they were just hoping that this move might save the school from shutting down.

Plus, the company that owned Brooks was counting on enrolling hordes of foreign students to make up the slack by bringing in foreign students which did not happen.

I feel sorry for the many people that were affected. The students, clerical staff, instructors, landlords (both the commercial buildings who now have many liens on their buildings), homeowners who rented to students, the Clocktower Inn who set aside 27 rooms for students, the contractors and sub-contractors who weren’t paid and the poor students who lost everything.

I recently met a young girl who moved here from Texas to attend Brooks and had rented a house with four other Brook’s students. Who takes care of their broken lease?

Not to mention the merchants who would have benefited from Brooks being downtown and the non-profits who were forced to relocate. For example, Focus on the Masters the non-profit art appreciation program moved thousands of art pieces, huge numbers of files and much much more to a space on a different floor in the same location behind City Hall, about ½ half the size that they were in previously. The space is now so crowded that there is hardly room to walk through it. And, they still haven’t found a new location to hold their fund raising art boutiques.

Even local taxpayers will probably not see the city recoup the $70,000 that they didn’t collect up front from Brooks as a security deposit and back rent.

Now it’s finger pointing time. I blame those who convinced the City Council that this would be wonderful (which it would have been) and the City Council (and staff) for not doing a more thorough due diligence of Brooks and taking steps to protect the City should defaults have occurred. A deeper dive would have likely raised concerns with the conclusion that Brooks was not going to be a viable tenant.

There are bonds and insurance that would have protected the City (maybe our City Attorney should have insisted on this). Taking out an insurance policy wouldn’t have cost the city anything because the tenant or contractor pays for the completion bond. Because it was the taxpayers at risk if something went wrong, this should have been done under any circumstances.

The City says that they studied Brooks’ finances and believed the school looked solid. From my perspective, it’s hard to believe that they would have come to that conclusion.

I am not personally affected, but even I’m disheartened by this, so I can imagine how depressed those are that were very personally involved and impacted.

•  Moving on, new reports show if Americans would quit smoking and cut back on drinking, most cancer deaths could be prevented. Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising at least 20 minutes a day would also benefit, so get with it.

•  Preparatory grading work has begun for the construction of the new 72,000 square foot Kaiser Permanente outpatient complex located right off of the freeway near Victoria. It will also include a community garden, nature walk, and amphitheater.

•  Due to the lucrative smuggling industry, reports show that the amount of Chinese immigrants crossing the Mexican border into California illegally has increased drastically. A report by the Migration Policy Institute shows the Chinese are the fifth largest population of immigrants in the United States illegally. I propose that we build a wall at our border and call it The Second Great Wall of China to keep them out.

•  After completing a five-year 1.7 billion mile journey through the solar system, NASA’s Juno spacecraft is now set to begin a close-up study of Jupiter. A remarkable feat, yet here on earth, “we” can’t figure out how to stop people from killing each other. As my 11-year old grandson Evin asked, “If people are so smart why do they do such stupid things?” If we only knew.

•  Very sad, but not at all surprising, Brooks Institute is closing down. The City and building landlords might have gotten overly excited that Brooks was moving downtown. A closer examination, though, would have shown that Brooks has been in serious condition for several years with a declining student enrollment that could hardly support what they were attempting to do.

The handwriting was on the wall a few weeks ago when the president of Brooks, Edward Clift, was fired and the majority of the board of trustees resigned.

Not sure who to feel the most sorry for here. Perhaps the students (some from China and Europe) that have likely lost considerable money and possibly college credits. Not to mention city officials, property owners (who will have liens placed on their buildings) and downtown merchants who have been eagerly anticipating Brooks’ arrival and certainly the wonderful faculty who will be out of a jobs very shortly. There were also many construction workers involved as well – I would guess not all payments have been made. I’m sure lawsuits will follow next.

•  Turning to politics, in this issue we have articles about City Council Member’s Neal Andrews and Carl Morehouse. Carl has decided that he will not be running again after first winning a seat in 1999. This will mean at least one new member of the council will be joining the council in November, which I believe will be good for the Council and Ventura. There are several very qualified candidates running.

Regarding Neil, he has announced that he has resigned from the Ventura County Republican Central Committee. I applaud him for having the courage of his convictions and for making what was, I’m sure, a difficult personal decision.

•  Some of the questions that commentator’s ask at the Olympics are really stupid – , would love the athletes to give the answers that they would like to. For instance, after winning a swimming event, the question was, “How do you think that you did that?” Answer should have been, “I swam fast!”

•  I have finally figured out Trump. He is senile and delusional and doesn’t realize that he is actually running for president. Seems like he believes that the race is a reality show and the more outrageous he is (like Howard Stern) the better the ratings will be for the show. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed several of his staff members, hmm, apparently making room for Trump.

•  Someday, I will finally learn to use the words “than” and “then” correctly in sentences, but in the meantime, keep correcting me – I can take it.

•  As goes massage parlors and strip clubs, goes Ventura. Ventura is updating its ordinance regulating adult businesses and is using an outside firm to update the zoning code. The City will spend around $211,000 to develop the ordinance.

Officials will be meeting with business owners of “legitimate businesses” to make sure that new regulations don’t unnecessarily hinder their operations. Several massage operators are concerned that it could hurt their practices, while doing little to curb human trafficking and prostitution.

The need to update the current ordinance is a result of the myriad of massage parlors that have opened up in the last few years, and Agassi Halajyan’s proposal to open up a strip club at 4721 Market Street. Ventura’s entertainment ordinance has not been updated in more than 20 years.

Officials initially tried to block the business by saying that the club might be near a school, which turned out to be unfounded. When this tactic didn’t work, the Council passed an “urgency ordinance” that included regulations that the club be a “no touch” business, offered no lap dances, closed at 2 a.m. and had strict interior and exterior lighting requirements.

Halajyan hasn’t initiated any processes with the city since the passing of the emergency ordinance, so perhaps the restrictions are too prohibitive. The fact that alcohol could not be served there would certainly reduce its potential income.

•  It’s just the beginning of the official fire season in California and yet almost 225,000 acres have burned so far – 16 times the size of Ventura.

•  In order to promote low-income housing, the City Council voted 7-0 to rezone 691 Riverside St. from industrial to dense residential. The vote clears the way for a 23-unit residential development.

The planning staff’s report stated “This is a 100 percent affordable-housing project for persons of low/very low/extremely low income levels, which are the greatest affordability level needs in the city’s designated Regional Housing Element Need.”

This area is mostly residential now and is an appropriate use of that property. The development will include 15 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom units on just under an acre.

As part of the action, the council also waived $25,000 in fees for the developer, which will come from the general fund contingency.

I like to see the city help support/promote this type of housing. I wish they would proactively support other types of developments, as it can take up to 10-years from initial submittals to a project being built here. As a result, some developers run screaming out of Ventura. Look at all the empty dirt lots we have here.

•  In South Sudan, a price for a bride (some as young as 12) is 20-40 cows. A girl who is seen as beautiful, fertile and of high social rank can be worth as much as 200 cows. It is rumored that a beautiful American movie star can be worth 10,000 cows with a few goats thrown in to seal the deal.

•  On Saturday, Sunday and Monday (right before our issue is printed and distributed on Wednesday) Alfred J. Lewis, the Breeze’s Graphic Artist from Studio Nothing, lays out the paper and, as always, makes it look wonderful.

On the Friday, before our July 20 issue, we had a scare. Alfred called me and asked me if I could take him to Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) because he thought it was possible he was having a heart attack. I told him I’d be over right after I finished my dinner (kidding, of course). I immediately took him to the ER and it took them two days to determine that he had a hiatal hernia and not a heart attack.

Alfred was operated on and spent several more days in the hospital. So, you ask, what is amazing about this? Well, Alfred had his friend Sue bring his design computer to CMH. The hospital staff kindly, but reluctantly, set up a table on his bed and he designed the paper while lying there recovering, but in pain he was on significant levels of medication (with his great sense of humor, Alfred said that it reminded him of when he was in his early twenties).

On Tuesday, about 6 hours later than usual, Alfred sent the issue to our printer, and on Wednesday we delivered the Breeze to our nearly 600 distribution locations. Alfred, is my hero.

•  The City Council is looking at new regulations for the control of massage parlors and short term rentals in Ventura (STVR). Recommendations for both of these uses will be presented by staff to the Council in September at which time they can take further action or request further information. There is a freeze on massage parlors in place that is being analyzed further.

The Council instructed staff as follows for the STVR:

1) Return to the City Council in September 2016 with a recommended process for reviewing and considering changes to the City’s current STVR ordinance, policies, and practices to include a community and stakeholder outreach/ engagement process.

2) Return to the City Council in September 2016 with a draft ordinance placing a moratorium on the issuance of any new STVR permits during the review period. This would allow those that currently hold a valid STVR permit to continue to operate under the existing ordinance, but would preclude the issue of any new permits.

The Council wants to know what the effects are of short-term vacation rentals on the community. Many Pierpont residents have complained about STVR. They want to know about related calls for police and fire services, the number of rentals and how that is changing.

Councilmember Mike Tracy requested a greater analysis of the STVR situation before he could decide whether a moratorium should be put in place.

City staff will also look into how many rentals in Ventura don’t have City required permits for short term rentals. I’m not sure how they will accomplish that.

What is interesting is that the California Coastal Commission generally interprets short-term rentals to be an acceptable use in residential zones The commission sees them as a way of offering affordable options for families to have coastal access and use our beaches.

For massage parlors, to be considered a house of ill-repute, and not a legitimate massage business, it would need to be proven that “There is substantial evidence of prostitution” . I wonder what that would be?

In both of these situations, Councilmembers expressed concerns about how massage parlors and short term rental ordinances would be regulated by the Ventura Police Department and code enforcement. Both of these agencies are very understaffed and are challenged with managing their current caseloads.

Tracy (our ex-chief of police) stated, “If there isn’t a clear enforcement mechanism, we’re wasting our time.”

•  I see ads (mostly for cars) on TV that state “These are real people not actors.” I always thought that actors were real people.

•  Sarah Palin said that she didn’t attend the RNC because Cleveland was too far from Alaska. Was she planning to get there on a dogsled? She had no problem leaving Alaska when she decided she could make more money on speaking tours than from being Governor.

•  I’m shocked to learn that Brooks Institute’s plans to expand into downtown Ventura have been put on temporary hold by Brooks and all construction has been stopped. Some major construction has already started in several locations, which has cost thousands of dollars.

They have suspended the work in order to allow more time to review and assess the buildings and projects, whatever that means. Construction has been ahead of schedule, so, assuming they decide to continue they will still be on schedule. Brooks has a lease until December at their existing location on their Ventura Ave.

Green Planet Inc., a privately owned company in Waltham, Massachusetts, assumed ownership of Brooks in spring of 2015. Green Planet Inc. is a mid-sized, relatively new organization in the business consulting services industry. It opened its doors in 2011 and now has an estimated $7.9 million in yearly revenue and 200 employees.

To occupy the site behind City Hall which is owned by the city, the occupants (several non-profits) had to pick up and leave. The City Council approved the five-year lease with Brooks for two floors in the building.

This hold by Brooks might not be as it seems. The contractor’s doing the remodeling projects were not being paid and shut down the projects. Brook’s might be in serious financial trouble. I certainly hope not if Brook’s abandons the move (almost impossible to imagine), there will be some very angry and upset people including downtown merchants who looked forward to additional customers eating and purchasing in downtown. And lots of lawsuits.

•  I want to thank the Ventura County Fair for placing their flyer in this issue of the Breeze. Always a great event and very fun and rewarding way to spend a day, or two.

•  We are pleased to introduce our new “Real Estate Showcase” page in this issue featuring property listings from local Realtors. We hope you enjoy this new service.

•  One of Ventura’s finest evenings is undoubtedly the summer outdoor concerts at Olivas Adobe. Ventura’s coolest “Music Under The Stars” summer nightclub offers a great mix of high quality bands including a large dance floor, full beverage service, a gourmet food truck and fine coffee, espresso and smoothies from the Javacat truck at all of the events. Or, you can bring your own food and drinks.

Seating is limited and concerts regularly sell out, so avoid disappointment at the door by buying tickets early at the City’s Web site, www.cityofventura.net/mus. There are 7 concerts remaining.

Olivas Adobe is located near the Harbor, at 4200 Olivas Park Dr. Tickets are $20 and are available at 658.4726 or at door for not sold out concerts. www.cityofventura.net/mus for more information. Come say hi because I regularly attend all the concerts.

•  In this issue, we include an article regarding the City Council meeting to address homeless living conditions. I want to complement the City Council for the manner in which they dealt with his sensitive situation.

Council members showed concern for both the homeless and for Venturans who might be impacted by the placement of homeless facilities in, or close to,  residential areas. In my opinion it was one of the best run and articulated City Council meetings ever.

Even with new zoning, their vote was mostly symbolic due to lack of funds to build new facilities. Ventura doesn’t have the money, so it would require private enterprises or non-profits to build facilities.

•  In a very controversial agreement, the City has agreed to pay $2.3 million to buy the Harbor Community Church property at 3100 Preble Ave. With the church agreeing to leave Ventura and drop their lawsuit against the City (see article in this issue). This seems like an excessive amount to pay, but apparently our City Attorney felt that the church had a good case against the City if their lawsuit were to make it to court. For $2.3 million, I’m willing to sell the City my house and agree to leave Ventura. Hmm, better not give them any ideas maybe they want to get rid of me.

•  The City Council recently passed a $265 million operating budget. Some Council members took the opportunity to mention the need for additional revenue to provide residents the services needed. Residents will decide in November whether they want to help pay for more with a ½ cent sales-tax increase. Much more about that as elections get closer. Read some “Mailbox” comments and an article by City Staff regarding the proposed increase.

The 2016-17 fiscal year budget is roughly $8 million less than the 2015-2016 budget because of fewer capital projects being initiated.

The budget includes $205,000 to have security ambassadors at Mission and Plaza parks and, starting soon, along the Promenade. I think that this is extremely important, especially on the Promenade where many tourists congregate and are offended by the gathering of the homeless.

•  Even though the City Attorney’s office expressed concerns that the Save Our Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiative might expose the City to litigation and legal challenges, the City Council voted 5-2 to place the measure on the November ballot.

The majority of the council felt it important to respect the desires of the more than 10,000 residents who signed the initiative’s petition.

Council member Cheryl Heitmann said, “It isn’t a perfect initiative and the initiative process isn’t perfect but it is a democratic process. I think it’s important to honor that process.”

Council member’s Neal Andrews and Jim Monahan voted no, and I agree with them. We have an existing SOAR in Ventura now, and it will last for many years, so I think that we should have waited to put a new revised SOAR initiative on the ballot in 2018.

•  The City Council has reached new labor agreements with its police and service unions. All three contracts, approved in May, run through June 30, 2018. The contracts cost the City $787,370 in the fiscal year that ended June 30. It will cost another $1.6 million in 2016-17 and another $1.1 million in 2017-18, according to Assistant City Manager Dan Paranick.

The average pay in 2015 for those covered under the police contract, which includes officers, sergeants and corporals was roughly $105,000, and retirement and health benefits averaged around $50,000. The average pay in 2015 for management, assistant police chiefs and commanders was around $145,000, and health and retirement costs were $62,000.

•  Besides offering you the opportunity to become rich, the California Lottery’s sole mandate is to raise supplemental funds for all California public schools. They send about $1 billion a year to public education. That means K-12, Community Colleges, CSU and UC campuses and several specialized schools. Now this may sound like a lot, but it is approximately only $166 per student per year.

$166 is better than nothing but not much when you think of all the fuss made about the Lottery solving our schools’ financial problems and the quantity of paid employees needed to operate.

•  In our last issue, I commented about the abundant amount of microbreweries in Ventura. I said that I don’t like beer, but I don’t like chocolate either so maybe (maybe?) I’m just strange. Most people like both of them.

•  Because of the demolition work being done at the corner of Thompson Blvd. and Sanjon Rd. , I have been asked by several people if I know what is being built on the site. A 31-unit townhouse project has had very preliminary approvals, but is still sometime away from being built.

Due to the awful condition of the site, and because the homeless have been living in some of the structures, the City is allowing the property owner to do some preliminary demo and grading to clean it up. I commend the City for allowing this, as a dirt lot will certainly be better then what had been there previously.

•  The Harbor Views publication is in this issue. The Ventura Port District inserts this in the Ventura Breeze because they know that it is an effective way to reach Venturans. I thank them for this, and we can all learn a lot of nice things happening at our Ventura Harbor.

•  To give the Erskine Fire, Kern County fire some perspective, it burned about 50,000 acres. Ventura is about 14,000 square acres so the fire was over 3 times the size of our city.

•  Several years ago, there was preliminary talk about building an aquarium at the end of the Harbor. This would have been a wonderful addition, but I have been told that approvals from the many jurisdictions involved made it too difficult to pursue. They included the Port District, Coastal Commission, the City and who knows who else.

•  CVS Pharmacy will be occupying the former Fresh&Easy building located at 2260 East Thompson Boulevard. The exterior revisions will only consist of new paint colors.

•  I’m glad to see that the many recently shuttered downtown restaurants (5-6 perhaps) have new owners and are in the process of re-opening. The restaurant business it tough so I hope that these new establishments can survive. It’s important to not have empty buildings of any sort downtown (or anywhere in the City, for that matter). Rocket Fizz is relocating from 105 S. Oak St.  to 315 E. Main St.

•  The renovation problems at the Pierpont Inn continue, but all services are up and running.

Ventura city officials red-tagged portions of the Inn about 5-months ago after non-permitted work   being performed by the contractor made it dangerous to occupy. The contractor (who should have known better) removed structural beams after finding dry-rot. A wood structure this old is usually full of dry-rot and termites and the contractor should have been prepared for that.

The Inn has had several owners during the last 5-years but has been owned by DKN Hotels of Irvine since 2015. A major company like this should have known better then to initiate construction without required permits. Plus, this is a designated historical building which requires special review and approvals by our Historic Preservation Committee which also wasn’t obtained.

Two weeks ago, the city issued more violation notices because of the lack of progress and the fact that some red tagged areas were being used.

If the work and proper permits aren’t obtained in a timely manner, the city could shut down the hotel.

The Inn’s application for a special use permit to present their summer BBQ concerts (a local favorite) has been denied by the City. I would assume that when the “permitted” work is completed, they can receive the use permit but summer will be over by then.

On the positive side, the hotel and restaurant are completely functional. The restaurant and bar have been moved to a new location in the building and still have great ocean views. The bar is not as nice as the old one but has some seating and drinks can be served to the tables.

The rooms are being completely remodeled and are very nicely furnished.

I am shocked that a major hotel owner would proceed with the remodeling without obtaining the required permits and approvals.

•  The Federal Aviation Administration has announced new rules for flying drones. Drones flown for commercial uses no longer require a special permit only if they don’t weigh more than 55 pounds, fly no higher than 400 feet and no closer than 400 feet from buildings. So, we might start to deliver the Ventura Breeze by drone except you might need to walk in the middle of the freeway to get a copy.

•  The Republican controlled Senate has voted down proposals to ban gun sales to terrorism suspects. I guess the second amendment protects all Americans that wish to own guns. Maybe it’s time to control the type of guns that can be purchased as the State has just done.

And speaking of gun rights, a 6-year old boy accidentally shot his 4-year old brother in the head while playing with his mother’s pistol. I’m sure that crooks will now leave the lady alone knowing that she owns a pistol.

•  The Ventura City Council has voted 4-3 to not place a salary increase on the November ballot.

Because they voted 6-1 to ask voters to raise the sales tax by a half cent, they felt that also asking for a pay increase at the same time would not sit well with voters. The pay increase will probably be included on the 2018 ballot. The Council pay will stay at $600 per month and $700 for the Mayor.

Mike Tracy best summarized why 4 members voted against by saying, “There’s no way our current compensation is adequate, but it didn’t make sense to put it on the ballot the same time as the proposed sales tax measure.”