REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

public comment for those two speakers I would appreciate that. Okay

we'll move to public comment are there any speakers?

We have two speakers. Our first speaker is Cameron Gill, and he will be followed by Thomas Farley. As this is public comment you have three minutes to address the council.

Good evening, I'm Cameron Gill. You're appointed to the Ventura County Transportation Commission Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee. I wanted to provide a brief verbal update based on the recent CTAC meeting that focused on a proposed pilot program to integrate paratransit and microtransit services countywide I may email the report that expands on this and provides a full list of questions. I put towards the VCTC staff, the questions and meeting discussion centered around how to make such an integrated service model realizable as a pilot program and potentially long term A one-seat ride across the county would provide a meaningful quality of life improvement for riders, particularly those with disabilities and seniors. So fortunately the commission staff had preliminary answers to how to address price shocks for Moorpark riders which was a particular item of concern.

After all we pay some of if not the lowest prices for rides locally which is great but the impact to the city's cost share was not particularly clear and so I left that for them Hopefully provide to the commission for further investigation later on. Because each year of service establishes expectations of continued availability, I also raised points about how the structure of a proposed pilot program could avoid service disruptions for riders if sustainable funding is not realized because that was a large unanswered question about The future of a pilot program and if something were to be wanted as a permanent program.

And such a sudden disruption for service that gets folks to their medical appointments, for example, would only reduce trust in future initiatives so that pre-planning was particularly important in my mind. The Commission staff did engage in a very productive and meaningful way, even though many answers to these questions would require future consultation with their proposed consultant to work on these and research them further. The topic will return to the Commission for discussion soon so hopefully CTAC, the CTAC discussion provides the Commission and the staff a little bit more to consider particularly with respect to Moorpark riders. Again, the full report was sent by email for your convenience and thank you again for the opportunity to serve in this way.

Thank you.

And our other speaker is Thomas Farley.

Good evening and thank you for letting me speak. My voice is not as it was when I came last time. I have four cancers, and one of those cancers, I take 25 pills. And because of that the acid grew in my mouth so I don't talk clearly anymore. I said this before and I'll say it again. You can be heroes. That was the end of my speech but I'm going to start at this time.

You can be heroes that the world has not seen by setting up a group to encourage people to have solar paneling, because the savings is immense. I decided to get us a Tesla so it could have the special driving. Do you know why Tesla doesn't advertise? Because the people that buy them sell them. If you all got Teslas—I'm just saying it to all of you now—because it has supervised driving, it'd change your life.

So here's my suggestion. You've got all these committees, set one up and get Bank of America or Wells Fargo or Union Banker or Chase, that's the other one, to set up a ground rule committee to get people to put on panels. I don't own any stock in Tesla companies. I don't own any stock at SpaceX, nothing. I don't have a job as one of these. I have any relatives having this. I'm saying is if you did this for the city of Moorpark You would make history.

You're not going to make history for the library, you're not going to make history for 4th of July, you're not going to make history for High Street but you would if you changed the city of Moorpark because it would change Ventura County. How do you like knowing that guy came up and he said SCE gives the crappiest service to Moorpark? That's what he said! So why don't we just not use SCE, and then people can have cleaner air. And then if they get electric cars, they've got their own gas station in the garage. I don't need three minutes. That's what I said.

Thank you. Thank you.

And that concludes our public speakers.

All right. Thank you. All right, next is item 9A. Let's consider presentations from applicants and make appointments to fill two vacancies on the library board for three-year terms ending June 30th, 2029.

Mr. Mayor? I'd like to announce that out of an abundance of caution and to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, I'll be recusing myself from this agenda item because I have a professional and personal relationship with one of the applicants. Thank you.

Good evening Mayor Innegren and members of the City Council. The city's Library Board of Trustees is comprised of five members serving staggered three-year terms, and this year the term of two of the five positions is up to be filled. For those that might be wondering why this is different than the city's Planning Commission, Arts or Parks and Recreation Commissions, the three-year term is a function of the state education code which governs the appointment of library board members.

Recruitment to fill the open positions included issuance of a press release along with prominent advertisement on the city's website and multiple postings on cities social media platforms. The application period was opened on April 20th and closed on May 25, 2026 at 530 p.m., with five applications being received. This afternoon, however at 330 the city clerk's office received an email from applicant Esha camera Withdrawing her application for consideration. So you have four applicants to choose from this evening Per the City Council's adopted policies library board applicants are required to attend a City Council meeting to provide a brief presentation on their qualifications and interest in the appointment As noted in the staff report, the City Council has the discretion to waive this in-person policy should it wish to do so.

In such an event a motion and a second would be required followed by an affirmative vote. This evening one applicant has requested to attend remotely they were on vacation And therefore the City Council has a consideration to waive that policy. However, I'm looking at the Zoom room and I don't see the person signed in right now. It could be because the agenda was reordered and so I would be able to reach out to that person really quickly and just make sure they're able to log on. Sometimes there's difficulty when you're camping or someplace else to get service as well.

So prior to the start of the meeting, the applicant names were randomly selected for their order of presentation. The order will be Kristen Blunt followed by Jessica Ansari who is our remote participant. It's either German or Herman Chatzky and Kaya Truro. After the applicant presentations, the council will be asked to follow the City Council procedures, policies and procedures for appointment which provide that the mayor shall solicit nominees from the council members. And following nominations, the mayor will make a motion for the individual names to be approved for appointment. That concludes my report and I'm available for any questions, and the applicants are here to provide their presentations though I'm just not sure about our remote presenter so since she's not our first presenter, I'd like to invite Kristen Blunt up and she does have a PowerPoint that I'm going to turn on and then I'll quickly try and contact our remote attendee.

May I get a brief tutorial on the clicker?

You're supposed to know that coming in.

Just the green button. Thank you. This one? Fabulous! Okay, thank you. Good evening honorable mayor, council members and city staff. Three years ago I came before you because I believed the library board could play a stronger advisory role through greater participation, thoughtful discussion, active engagement and accountability and I believed I could contribute to that effort. Since then I've had the privilege of serving as both a board member and board president working alongside my fellow board members during an important period of growth and transition for our library Looking back on the last three years. I'm proud of the progress we've made together To me these numbers tell the story of a board that became more active More engaged and more invested in the work before it We held more meetings attended attendance improved significantly and perhaps most importantly we spent more time discussing the issues that matter to our library and community as I don't believe longer meetings are inherently better.

What I believe I influenced and that these statistics reflect is board members showing up, participating, asking questions and bringing different perspectives to the table all which contribute to richer discussions and more thoughtful recommendations. During my term the Board provided input on several important initiatives including the transition to a fine free library model Children's area design elements for the new library. Updates to collection development policies and material reconsideration procedures.

One contribution I've consistently tried to bring to the board is a focus on measurement, accountability and continuous improvement because I believe organizations improve when they understand where they are today and where they want to be tomorrow. That perspective has shaped many of the questions I've asked during my term. How do we define success? What are we trying to accomplish, and how will we know if we're getting there? Over the last three years, I've encouraged those conversations because I believe good intentions are important but good information helps us make better decisions. Outside of my board service, I have intentionally invested time in evaluating from other institutions. To be specific, 103 uniquely different institutions Over the past three years, I visited more than 28 libraries, 51 museums and collections, and 23 universities.

I pay attention to how organizations serve their communities, how spaces are designed, how technology is integrated in how people gather, and how institutions remain relevant in an ever-changing world. Those experiences have broadened my perspective and strengthened the contributions I bring to the library board. They reinforce my belief that libraries are among one of the most important civic institutions we have. They're not simply places to borrow books, they're places where people learn, study, connect, explore new ideas, access technology, build skills and engage within their community.

And the best chapters are still ahead. Libraries aren't static institutions and Moorpark's new library should lead our future. Community needs change, technologies change and the ways people learn and connect continue to evolve. Three years ago I said that meaningful board service begins with showing up participating and engaging in the work. I did that. I would absolutely welcome the opportunity to continue serving Moorpark and respectfully request your consideration for reappointment to the library board. Thank you.

And Mr. Mayor, we do have our remote participant online so if you would like to make a motion and take a vote to waive your policy for in-person presentation, we'll have that waiver taken care of.

All in favor? Yeah. Yes.

Wonderful. Well, our next presenter is Jessica Ansari and she does have a presentation to share as well. So I believe she is going to share her screen and give us a voiceover.

I think I'm just going to be myself today without the presentation. But good evening Mayor, council members and staff. Thank you for the opportunity. My name is Jessica Ansari. I've lived in Moorpark since 2021 with my husband and our young son Issa Our family is at the Moorpark Library several times a week. I bring my candidacy forward for a seat on the library board because Moorpark is opening a new library.

And this is exactly the moment to include The Voice will grow up with that new space. What I would add to the board is a specific combination. First, an active organized connection to Moorpark's young families. I founded and run Kineo Valley Moms, a local group of about 100 active members. Throughout the year we organize meetups, park days, stroller walks, story times, library visits, and seasonal events. And we support one another through the isolating early years of parenting.

Our library is central to that work. Last winter, when it got dark early and gathering outdoors got hard, we met every Wednesday night at the Moorpark Library. And it became a true respite where moms and kids could connect and feel less alone. Because I coordinate this large group, gather feedback, and help shape our programming, I hear constantly what young families need—early literacy support, welcoming programming, and safe places to gather.

Secondly, I bring a professional background in literacy and communication. I'm a writer and former journalist who has worked in media including NPR and the New York Times. And today I lead copy and content for The Ugg Brand. As the new library launches it will need to reach new users and tell its own story well. That's work I do every single day and I'd put it to work for Moorpark. Libraries have shaped my entire life, from my childhood branch in Chicago to weekends as a teenager at the Harold Washington Library. They're one of the true few third spaces left in our city. They support not just literacy but belonging for children, seniors, students and everyone in between. I would be absolutely honored to serve listen and learn and help the new library become a vibrant inclusive and beloved resource even more than it is now for the whole city.

Thank you for your consideration

Thank you.

And our next speaker I'm hoping is in the room it's either German or Herman Chatzky please come on up and you have three minutes to address the council and you can correct me on your first name.

It's just like the language Hi, everybody. For those of you who don't know me, my name is German Chatzky. I got a AA degree in liberal arts focused in psychology. I also have a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and graduated top of my class with a master's in structural engineering. I have about 20 years experience tutoring math, physics, and engineering.

And also on the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce, also a Rotary Club member of Moorpark Also serve as PTA treasurer at Walnut Canyon and also serving on the site school council at Walnut Canyon. So I believe that I bring a very diverse position to this position, and I value education. I have a lot of respect for it. My kids have attended a lot of the library events, and that's one of the reasons why I fell in love with the library as well as the community itself And I've also spent probably the last year tutoring at the Moorpark Library privately. So, I've gotten to know a lot of the people who work at the library, a lot of the patrons who visit the library and really feel like I can make an impactful difference in addition to that.

I've also served as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers at Cal State University Northridge. Also served as president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society at CSUN as well. So I've kind of gotten used to serving in non-profit organizations, understanding the importance of rules and following the rules And as well as learn to play nice with others. So like I said, I do feel like I would be a valuable position who brings diversity and yeah, really appreciate your consideration. Thank you. Thank you.

And our final applicant is Kaya Churro.

Good evening Mayor Enneagrin, esteemed members of the Moorpark City Council and staff. As you may know my name is Kaya Turrell-Blem. I'm a Moorpark resident of over 34 years born and raised here and attended all Moorparks schools throughout elementary and high school. I am a mom to a very rambunctious toddler and the current president of the Moorpark Library Board.

I come to you today to reiterate that I am deeply committed to our team's mission and my strong desire to retain a position on this board. I have been a board member since you honored me with this position in 2022. Back then, the new library was a glimmer in our eye. We have since met throughout the years where we have gone back and forth on the size, the budgeting and the timing of when the library will be built. And even through a very long and challenging fight for the size and budget approval look what we accomplished under my term having now the foundation poured rebar in walls up and an accurate completion date in the near future I say we because while the city staff prepares and researches the information, and the City Council has the ultimate decision.

I do believe this has been a whole community project. As a library board member, I have come to understand that while we made some important progress there were many future decisions to come that we couldn't make until the physical library was in construction. Therefore, I used my position as a library board member as an advocacy position and attended the appropriate city council meetings to represent our board and its influence.

And while my speeches have been very passionate, involuntary tears included, I believe that the community needs to see the leaders standing alongside them to commend and advocate for something as important as our new library. As for my qualifications, I have a bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA, a master's of public administration from GCU, and currently work as a grants administrator and board clerk within the county of Ventura managing multi-million dollar grants at the federal level.

Down to local community roots, I am a troop leader for a Girl Scout Brownie Troop and spend most of my free time chasing around my two-and-a-half year old. My love of reading began at a very young age and I'm so happy that I passed that on to my son. We cannot wait for the new library to open and what better advocate is there than a mother who understands the importance and need for a great library in the community to foster our next generation?

The candidates that you have here tonight all appear to be extremely qualified and would do a great job on the board. It would be a privilege to continue in my position on the board and to strive for excellence alongside your other choice. The community will always thrive with dedicated members. Now that the new library is progressing, physical work has begun. Fundraising, don't forget to buy your brick by August 31st.

Advertising, supporting, advocating. I would be honored to continue serving the Moorpark community on this board. Thank

you.

And Mr. Mayor that concludes our presentations so it is now to you for deliberations.

Do we have any public comment? There's

nothing in the speaker card box and no public comment on this item.

All right, well this is always the hard part of this one. We seem to get great applicants all the time which makes it extra hard. At this point I'll take any nominations or thoughts if not I'll just go ahead and figure it out.

I agree. I think we have exceptional candidates, and you really couldn't make a wrong choice here. I think in watching the library board meetings recently that like I said I had done, I feel like our current library board has been a bit stifled in what they're the input that they have been able to give. And so I would encourage you to give them the opportunity to continue on I think that they bring a lot of great perspective and I've seen them be vocal as much as they can in asking questions during those meetings, which I think is the most critical element is to not just listen but to react and to question the staff and things. That's why we appoint people to the positions The other thing that kind of stood out to me specifically from the applications is that the applicants who are not currently on the board all marked that they had not attended a meeting or watched one online.

And, you know, they're available on the website. It's not a huge barrier to do that. I would encourage those applicants to be involved, to watch those meetings, to come to meetings, to comment. I think that there is opportunity to be engaged in that And that's kind of my perspective.

I don't have a lot to add. I think if you're looking for continuity, we have some very reputable people currently seeing it through the idea of opening the library with that continuity. And I don't think you can go wrong and just echo the other applicants are very well qualified. If now were the time to consider change, you have two great people to go. So as usual, we don't envy your responsibility.

Thank you. That was very helpful. Yeah, that's why I'm here. Just bought up for me. Thank you. No, thank you.

I don't have a whole lot to add. Our current board is great and I also think the applicants are great. I do love the fact that a dad, a man came in and applied too. We normally get all women. I love that you know potentially have a different perspective but again I don't dislike anybody who's currently on the board so...I'm sorry

No, that's exactly what I want to

hear. We have great applicants.

No, that's true. Yeah, I think this is a great group and I think with this new library there's definitely a lot more interest coming into it because there's a lot of exciting stuff. I think boards like this kind of cycle through some people a lot and that's good get new ideas and perspectives in as well. And I think that whether you're on the board or not, I think it would still be great to stay involved and look forward to the future opportunities that come up. So with that, I'm going to go ahead. I'm going to change things up a little bit just to change some perspectives here. But I'm gonna go ahead and nominate Kristen Blunt and German Chatzky.

We have to take those in two separate. Okay,

that's correct.

Okay, so we'll go ahead and I'll move Kristen Blunt all in favor. You just second list. Yeah, let's do it normally motion make a motion for Chris. I'll second if emotion is second all in favor. All right And I'll make a motion for German Chatsky

second

promotion a second all in favor Thank you. And thank you to all the past members of the board and for future ones, all the work you've done. Kaya Turo, thank you for all the work you've done in the past. It's been great and still stay involved please. Great. Thank you. OK so we can bring Councilman Rubens back in? Ready? All right.

Thank you, Mayor and members of the City Council. This is a public hearing to approve the engineer's report, confirm the diagram and assessment, and order the levy for LMD 26-01 which is the 200 unit apartment project by Danco Communities also known as Vendra Gardens. The engineer's report has proposed a maximum annual levy of $418.25 per multifamily unit that is intended to cover the maintenance costs associated with the detention basin, slope landscaping and vehicular access road on the city-owned parcel north of High Street.

Landscaping within the Caltrans right away on Walnut Canyon Road and landscaping on Casey Road. Staff recommends that the City Council open the public hearing, take public testimony and close the public hearing and adopt a resolution approving the engineer's report confirming the diagram and assessment and ordering to levy of assessment for fiscal year 26-27. Thank you. Are

there any questions of staff? Seeing none we'll go ahead and we'll open the public hearing do we have any speakers?

No Mr. Mayor no speakers on this public hearing item

OK. We'll go ahead and close the public hearing and move to discussion. Very straightforward, new place, new case.

I just have a quick question for staff. If for some reason any of these expenses were to exceed the expectations is it accurate to say that the city would bear no additional expense whatsoever? And that is the responsibility of the LFD.

No, so if if the maintenance exceeded the as an annual assessment The city wouldn't necessarily be obligated to pay additional costs But we would have to at that point look at reducing maintenance costs in order So just said the city not to subsidize those costs when we look at LMB assessments obviously we have a very conservative budget and And remember this is a maximum assessment the actual levy is based on our annual budget process that we go through But we spend considerable time making sure that we will not be underfunded I know you do and I appreciate that.

Thank You, mr. Larentowski no other question

Anymore discuss their comments Entertain a motion

move to approve

Second motion in a second. We need a roll call vote, please

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'm recusing myself from this item because it involves the addition of new uses on High Street within 500 feet of my home. State law presumes that my property will be affected by this decision.

Mr. Mayor, I'm recusing myself of this item because it could financially affect the owner of my employer Insurance Workers West and the owner's property located at 233 High Street. Thank you.

I just want to apologize to the members recusing themselves. I ate all the steak and lobster in the waiting room. I had no idea you guys were headed that way I thought you don't eat red meat. Made an exception. It's a special day, Mayor.

All right, Mr. Burse?

Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Gene Burse, Deputy Community Development Director, and I'm here tonight to present a proposal to establish the High Street Entertainment Zone. This presentation will outline a regulatory framework made possible by changes in California state law in recent years designed to provide cities with an additional tool to help with economic vitality.

Here's an overview of the items that we will cover this evening. We will begin with the policy context on and how this aligns with adopted City Council goals, then we will dive into the specific geographic boundaries, the recommended operational model feedback gathered from key stakeholders including businesses event organizers and law enforcement, and then the recommendation on action for the council to take To provide some context, back on September 28th in 2024 Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 969 into law.

This legislation explicitly amended the state's business and professions code to authorize cities and counties to create localized entertainment zones under state law. An entertainment zone allows patrons to purchase alcoholic beverages from eligible licensed businesses and other entities and consume them Off-premises within designated public streets, sidewalks or rights of way.

However all consumption remains strictly subject to local ordinance controls and state regulations The proposed High Street Entertainment Zone, if implemented, would directly implement Goal 2, Objective 2.7 of the City Council's Strategic Goals for Fiscal Years 2025 through 2027 which focuses heavily on prioritizing economic vitality. Council specifically identified creating an entertainment zone on High Street to enhance the area as a destination for entertainment and shopping.

If the council moves forward with this proposal, the City of Moorpark would join a growing list of cities throughout California which include Santa Monica, Tehachapi, Long Beach, and Sacramento that are actively deploying this tool to stimulate downtown foot traffic. Staff proposes an initial two-year pilot program to test and evaluate the High Street Entertainment Zone.

The zone would allow eligible businesses and permitted entities within the boundaries to sell alcoholic beverages in approved containers for portable consumption, but only during authorized activations. Please note that this will not be a permanent daily fixture. Activation is strictly limited to pre-planned special events where portions of High Street are already closed to vehicular traffic, such as the Apricot Festival, Country Days and Holiday on High Street.

Furthermore, activations will be strictly capped at a maximum of six days per calendar year with operational hours between 10am and 10pm. Now let's take a look at the geography of the zone. The legal footprint is defined as the full width of the high street public right-of-way, spanning between Moorpark Avenue and Spring Road. To maintain tight operational control, adjacent side streets, specifically Bard Street, Magnolia Street and Walnut Street are explicitly excluded from the zone boundaries.

While the legal boundaries extends all the way to Spring Road, staff believes that the actual operational closure area for downtown community events usually is typically between Moorpark and Magnolia. I also want to clarify that privately owned parcels like the High Street Depot's open lawn area Cannot legally be included as part of the entertainment zone boundary because state law restricts entertainment zones to public rights-of-way streets sidewalks Staff looked at different operational management models, which included an internal city-led framework, a third party business improvement district led framework and an event based model using temporary use permit framework.

Because High Street does not have a dedicated downtown business improvement district or merchant association, staff recommends the event-based management model using a temporary use permit process as a good fit for Moorpark. Under this TUP tie framework, the city maintains high level regulatory oversight via the City Manager's Office but the operational logistics, physical infrastructure, boundary signage and security costs are shifted directly to the event organizer.

This leverages our existing familiar temporary use permit process while managing risk and mitigating costs. This flowchart visualizes the legal framework and workflow under our recommended event-based temporary use permit type model. Each TUP will undergo a site plan review, public safety coordination with local law enforcement, and insurance checks. Activation of the High Street Entertainment Zone is purely voluntary.

And on this graphic, where you see the call out of we are here. This delineates the process, where we are in the process. State law enacted the framework for jurisdictions to adopt an entertainment zone via an ordinance The proposed ordinances before you this evening, and then if adopted it outlines the next steps particularly for event organizers of what they would go through in order to activate the zone.

Community engagement was a critical step in building the legal framework presented this evening. Staff met with local businesses and non-profit event organizers. Our local non-profit organizers expressed concerns about financial sustainability, noting that major events rely heavily on exclusive alcohol sales to offset costs of putting on special events. For context, an event like Holiday on High Street can cost roughly $30,000 to produce and organizers rely on recouping thousands of dollars directly through beverage sales.

To help address the concern pertaining to beverage sales, staff designed the proposal before the Council this evening as a flexible framework Please note that staff in conjunction with the City Attorney is still currently seeking confirmation from ABC to allow hosting nonprofits to secure daily permits while the High Street Entertainment Zone is activated. This could potentially be beneficial to all key stakeholders, being event organizers and former nonprofits as well as the typical brick-and-mortar establishments located on High Street.

Staff consulted with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office to evaluate public safety. The Sheriff's Office provided operational feedback pertaining to safeguards that have been incorporated into the proposed ordinance this evening and will be incorporated into the conditions of approval during the temporary use permit approval process. One example of the feedback staff received included licensee-specific container identification, Every approved container must feature a unique color-coded sticker or label so that way the container can be traced back to the permittee that provided, or licensee that provided, that container in case there is a law enforcement issue.

This allows deputies to trace it back and to pinpoint the exact purchase. On January twenty first of this year the community economic development standing committee reviewed this framework and directed staff to bring his ordinance forward to the full council. The committee expressed a desire for the boundary to be legally compliant and that The committee emphasized safeguarding long-term eligibility for future businesses such as those that may move into the High Street Depot development or elsewhere on High Street.

The committee did ask staff to explore including the depot's lawn area, however in conjunction with the city attorney staff clarified that because the lawn area is a privately owned parcel state law prohibits its inclusion into the entertainment zone. Based on the aforementioned, staff recommends that the City Council open the public hearing, receive public testimony and close the hearing.