Meeting Summary
Present: Johnston, Blatz, Francina, Haney, Weirick
This summary was AI-generated to save you time. It may miss or misstate details, so verify against the official recording and the transcript.
At a glance
Novel Coronavirus Response
- Staff updated the council on face covering mandates, permit extensions, and farmers market reopening protocols.
- The council unanimously directed staff to draft a letter to the county opposing the closure of a specific non-essential business.
- Proposals to relocate the farmers market were dismissed due to permitting and logistical challenges.
Recommended Savings
- Staff proposed approximately $150,000 in savings through hiring freezes, reduced training budgets, and project postponements.
- Council members decided to empower staff to defer non-essential spending using best judgment rather than conducting an immediate line-item review.
- A future Budget and Finance Committee meeting was scheduled to review the budget in detail.
Moratorium on Commercial Evictions
- Staff and the City Attorney presented a draft local ordinance that would extend state protections by prohibiting demand letters and allowing six months for rent repayment.
- After debate on economic impacts and legal authority, the council amended the motion to decline a local ordinance.
- The council voted to allow existing state-level orders to apply while retaining the option to revisit the issue later.
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Deferment
- Staff reported that one of twelve hotels remained in arrears for February TOT payments.
- The council voted to waive late penalties for payments due through April 30 without deferring the actual payment obligation.
Casitas Municipal Water District Well Project
- The council reviewed a request to construct a replacement water well with reduced capacity to serve the Ojai Water System.
- Staff confirmed the project is funded through a Community Facilities District and will not increase water rates.
- The council unanimously approved the permit and application for the well project.
Landscape Equipment Business Licensing
- Staff recommended a licensing and certification process to enforce the upcoming ban on gas-powered lawn equipment.
- The council amended the proposal to extend the compliance period to 30 days and implement a first-warning enforcement strategy.
- A motion to approve the staff recommendation with these amendments was passed following a roll call vote.
Closed Session
- No closed session report was included in the provided meeting summary.
Full summary
Call to Order and Administrative Matters
- The meeting was called to order, a quorum was established, and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. No public comments were received. The agenda was approved without changes. A motion to approve the consent calendar was moved, seconded, and adopted unanimously without objection.
Novel Coronavirus Response
- Staff provided an update on city actions, including a public health order requiring face coverings in essential businesses within the City of Ojai, an extension of permit timelines by 180 days, and efforts to reopen the farmers market with modified protocols. Staff also reported on traffic controls implemented on North Signal Road to enforce physical distancing. Council members discussed the face covering mandate, noting local demographics and business conditions as justification for the city's stricter stance compared to the county. Clarification was provided that the mandate applies to entering and being inside essential establishments, not to outdoor activities where social distancing is possible.
- Discussion addressed the county's order to close a specific non-essential business (Ben Franklin). Staff confirmed the county's authority to enforce this order. Council members debated the economic impact on local artists and small businesses. A motion was made to direct staff to draft a letter to the county expressing the city's disagreement with the closure order and outlining the city's position on the business's essential nature. The motion was seconded and adopted unanimously. Staff was instructed to draft the letter for the record.
- Regarding the farmers market, council members discussed the reopening plan. It was suggested that market operators conduct a walkthrough prior to opening to resolve logistical issues. A proposal to relocate the market to a high school parking lot was raised but dismissed by staff due to permitting challenges, lack of shade, and potential participation issues. A moment of silence was observed for the late Tom Ash.
Recommended Savings
- Staff presented a report recommending approximately $150,000 in savings for the remainder of the fiscal year to address economic uncertainty. Proposed measures included freezing specific vacant positions (event coordinator, recreation coordinator, accounting specialist), reducing training budgets by utilizing free webinars, and postponing certain projects. Staff noted that net savings would depend on whether revenue-generating recreation programs were cancelled or deferred. Additional optional savings, including reductions in code enforcement and community outreach, were listed but not recommended.
- Council members discussed the uncertainty of state and federal funding distribution. It was determined that the city should not conduct an immediate line-item review but should empower staff to use their best judgment to defer non-essential spending to preserve cash flow. A Budget and Finance Committee meeting was scheduled to review the budget in detail. Council members also discussed the need to plan for post-pandemic economic recovery and marketing support for local small businesses. No formal motion or vote was recorded on this item.
Moratorium on Commercial Evictions
- Staff and the City Attorney presented a draft commercial eviction moratorium. The City Attorney explained that while the state has issued a moratorium prohibiting new eviction lawsuits and judicial foreclosures, the proposed local ordinance would go further by prohibiting preparatory steps such as demand letters and collection actions. The local proposal would also provide tenants up to six months after the end of the emergency period to pay back rent without penalties or late fees. The City Attorney confirmed the city has the authority to adopt measures more stringent than the state's order.
- Discussion centered on whether to adopt a local ordinance extending beyond state mandates. Council members noted that several neighboring cities had adopted measures providing tenants up to six months to repay rent. Debate included concerns that a six-month extension might prolong the recession versus the need to protect small businesses from insolvency. Concerns were also raised regarding legal authority and potential system exploitation.
- A motion was initially made to follow the Governor's edict and revisit the issue later. This motion was amended to clarify that the city would not adopt a local ordinance but would instead allow existing state-level orders (specifically the Judicial Council's order) to apply, with the option to revisit the matter in the future if conditions warranted. The amended motion was moved, seconded, and passed.
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Deferment
- Staff reported that 11 of 12 hotels had submitted February TOT payments by the March 31 deadline, with one location remaining in arrears. Discussion addressed whether to grant a deferment for the outstanding payment and whether to adjust the upcoming April 30 payment cycle. Council members emphasized that TOT funds are held in trust for the city and taxpayers, though there was agreement that administrative delays caused by the emergency might justify waiving late penalties.
- A motion was made to not defer the payment of TOT but to waive late penalties for payments due up to and including April 30. The motion was seconded and passed following a roll call vote.
Casitas Municipal Water District Well Project
- The council considered a request from the Casitas Municipal Water District to construct a replacement water well (replacing Mutual Well No. 5) with reduced capacity, estimated at 300 gallons per minute. Staff and the Water District representative explained that the new well would serve the Ojai Water System and would not increase capacity for sale outside the district or alter the current 80/20 split between local groundwater and Lake Casitas water. The project is funded through a Community Facilities District, meaning no rate increases are expected. Questions were raised regarding the well's capacity relative to the existing well, the fate of the old well (to be held in reserve), and the impact on fire hydrant flow. Staff clarified that while the well adds supply, fire flow improvements require broader infrastructure upgrades.
- A motion was made to approve the permit and application for the well project. The motion was seconded and passed by acclamation.
Landscape Equipment Business Licensing
- Staff presented an update on the city's prohibition of gas-powered lawn equipment, scheduled to take effect on April 27. Due to budget constraints and the pandemic, a previously planned loaner program for electric equipment could not be implemented. Staff recommended proceeding with a business licensing and certification process to ensure compliance, where non-compliant businesses could face license suspension or a timeframe to obtain electric equipment.
- Council members discussed the timeline for compliance. An amendment was proposed to extend the compliance period from 14 days to 30 days to allow time for licensing unlicensed operators and for businesses to acquire equipment. It was also agreed that code enforcement would issue a first warning during the initial 30-day period before issuing citations. A motion to approve the staff recommendation, incorporating the 30-day compliance extension and the first-warning enforcement strategy, was moved, seconded, and passed following a roll call vote.
Council and Staff Reports
- Council members provided updates on upcoming virtual events, including a "Go Ojai" demonstration project workshop regarding Maricopa Highway modifications and a virtual Earth Day celebration. Staff and council members exchanged acknowledgments regarding communication efforts and operational responses to the emergency. The meeting concluded with a moment of silence in memory of Tom Asch.