City Council — February 24, 2026

Joint Powers Insurance Delegates

• Staff presented the annual appointment of delegates to the authority board.
• A motion passed to keep standing members and designate the City Manager as alternate.
• Previous appointees were noted to have served effectively during their terms.

Community Fireworks Contract

• The Fire Chief presented a contract request for the July 3rd aerial fireworks display.
• Council approved the appropriation of $32,000 and authorized the agreement subject to permits.
• Discussion included potential for securing the July 4th date in future years.

Code Enforcement Ordinance

• The City Attorney presented an ordinance to strengthen cost recovery and enforcement.
• Proposed changes include holding tenants liable for property conditions.
• The first reading of Ordinance Number 26-993 was approved by the Council.

Economic Development Trade Shows

• Council members discussed the cost-effectiveness of attending industry trade shows.
• Consensus was reached to have staff research options for a city booth.
• The goal is to promote economic development through soliciting business.

Closed Session

• The Council conferred with legal counsel regarding existing litigation.
• No reportable action occurred during the closed session.

Meeting Summary: City Council of Fillmore

• Date: February 24, 2026

Call to Order and Roll Call

• The meeting was called to order. A pledge of allegiance was recited. Roll call was conducted, confirming the presence of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and all Council Members.

Item 4: Approval of the Agenda

• A motion was made to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded. The motion passed.

Item 5: Public Comments

• One public comment was received. The speaker discussed recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the Fillmore and Piru areas, citing statistics on detentions and expressing concern regarding the impact on the community and local businesses. The speaker requested a stakeholder meeting between the City Council and interested groups to address the situation. No motion was taken on this item.

Item 6: City Council Reports

• Council members provided updates on various committee assignments and community activities:
• Rotary International: A Council Member reported on attending a President-Elect Learning Seminar, noting Rotary International’s charitable giving rankings and encouraging community members to consider joining.
• VCREA and EDC Collaborative: Council Member Rodriguez reported on the Clean Power Alliance multi-family and cooling programs, EV charging stations, and the Ventura County digital upskill initiative. The member also announced a town hall scheduled for March 28 at Dolores Day Park.
• Transportation and Railroad: Council Member Garnica reminded residents of upcoming porch talks and discussed the Ventura County Transportation Commission. The member requested a briefing on the status of the railroad bridge and train service.
• Sanitation and Energy: A Council Member discussed the Ventura Regional Sanitation District’s salary and classification study. Updates were provided on VCREA resilience grants, specifically regarding potential funding for the Veterans Memorial District and extreme heat mitigation projects such as shade structures and tree planting. The member also noted that neighboring cities are forming stakeholder groups to assist families impacted by ICE enforcement.
• First Responders: The Mayor expressed gratitude to fire and police personnel for keeping the community safe.

Item 7: Consent Calendar

• The City Attorney noted a typo in Item 7D regarding a public hearing date, indicating the hearing should be set for March 24 instead of May 24. A Council Member commented on Item 7C regarding small lot assembly funds, thanking advocates for efforts to secure the funding. A motion was made to accept the consent calendar items with the amendment to change the hearing date to March 24 on Item 7D. The motion was seconded. All in favor. The motion passed.

Item 8: New Business

8A: Appointment of Delegates to California Joint Powers Insurance Authority

• The City Manager presented the annual item regarding the appointment of primary and alternate delegates to the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority Board of Directors. It was noted that previous appointees had served effectively. A motion was made to keep the standing members the same and maintain the City Manager as the alternate delegate. The motion was seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

8B: 2026 July 3rd Community Fireworks Contract

• The Fire Chief presented a request to approve a contract with Pyro Spectaculars Inc. for the 2026 aerial fireworks display on July 3. The cost was presented as $32,000, an increase from the previous year. Discussion included the possibility of securing the July 4 date in future years and the potential for training local technicians to assist with the display. A motion was made to approve the appropriation of $32,000 and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement with Pyro Spectaculars Inc., subject to receipt of a permit from the Fillmore Unified School District. The motion was seconded. The motion passed.

8C: Ordinance Number 26-993 (Code Enforcement and Cost Recovery)

• The City Attorney presented an ordinance intended to strengthen cost recovery and code enforcement procedures. Proposed changes included allowing the city to hold persons responsible for property conditions (such as tenants) liable, aligning procedures with state laws, clarifying summary abatement processes, designating public hearing officers, and adding prevailing party attorney fee provisions. A motion was made to approve the first reading of Ordinance Number 26-993. The motion was seconded. The motion passed.

Item 9: City Manager Verbal Report

• The City Manager provided the following updates:
• ERF Grant: Staff completed mandatory training, and outreach activities have resumed.
• Well #10: Drilling reached 614 feet. A geologic survey confirmed the formation was consistent with Well #5, resulting in an estimated savings of $75,000 on sampling. The driller is off-site for two weeks while the well design is finalized.
• C Street Sewer Project: The jack-and-bore installation under railroad tracks is complete. Southbound Goodenough Road is scheduled to reopen. Full project completion is anticipated by mid-to-late March.
• Business Roundtable: A new webpage has been created with meeting details. The next meeting is scheduled for March 2 at the Fillmore Town Theater. A survey was sent to businesses to gauge interest in future agenda items.

Council Discussion on Trade Shows

• Following the report, Council members discussed participating in trade shows to solicit business. Concerns were raised regarding the cost-effectiveness of attending events like the ICSC in Las Vegas versus the population size. Several members expressed support for staff researching trade shows where the City could maintain a booth to promote economic development. Consensus was reached to have staff research options.

Memorial and Adjournment

• The Mayor honored the memory of a nephew who had recently passed away. The Council met in closed session to confer with legal counsel regarding existing litigation; no reportable action occurred. The meeting was adjourned to the next regularly scheduled meeting on March 10, 2026.