City Council — 2024-01-23

Thank You Weston and welcome everyone to the January 23rd 2024 meeting of the Ojai City Council Weston would you please say the pledge for us yes mayor

thank you welcome community Please place your right hand over your heart, ready to begin.

staff report public discussion and you can make it during council deliberation. You can make a motion at that time to not make a decision until the new city manager's on board but I consider it unfair and I would not support that thank you Any thoughts?

Well, if I don't have any seconds then it's not a...

Is there second?

I would second polling for the reason. I would second polling item number six the general plan But I agree that with so many representatives here with four item number five that it would I Would hate to be disrespectful of their time

Okay

Thank you

So we have a motion to pull item number six correct okay Approve the rest. Okay, is there a second to pull six?

Yes Is there any problem with that interim city manager with pulling six We probably won't get to it anyway It's later in the agenda

and

this is one That with respect

to timing Really it boils down to some Revisions we have to make because of decisions of the late state legislature But this is one from a timing perspective that could wait for a future meeting

And I would agree that it would be wise to wait for our new city manager to weigh in so motion to approve the agenda All in favor?

Withdrawing number six.

Understood. Just to, I think it would be helpful for the potentially incoming city manager to at least get an overview with all of the representatives that are here so there's a starting point from the people that have been on the ground with it. So I agree with Council Member Mayor Pro Tem Francine's recommendation

Okay, so all in favor of approving the agenda? All in favor? Aye. Great. Alright no presentations this evening so we will move on to commission reports any Commission reports?

Yes mayor we have one commission report from the Arts Commission Chair West or Commissioner Steiner was both were both present here tonight if you could please come forward

Good evening Mayor and Council. I'm pleased to report that our Arts Commission, Christine's here, Arts Commission has kicked off the year last Thursday in an uplifting and positive manner with a full chamber of artists that were present for most informative presentation from the Carolyn Glasso Bailey Foundation which is another of our unsung arts organizations in the community As we continue to serve Council and our community through the execution of our detailed five-year plan, which we reviewed at our last meeting. The Council artists and the community are always invited to our monthly meetings, which will be opened with a presentation from a selected arts organization.

I'm pleased to be able to present tonight our slate of recommended grantees, just shy of $30,000 in arts grants this year, which you have before you unanimously approved by the commission. Commissioner Steiner, Chisholm Grau and myself these artists and art organizations were recommended from a record list of applicants. In keeping with the principles in our strategic plan the inclusion of more members of the community in the government process a very special thank you goes out to our volunteer ad hoc committee members Brett Bradigan, Sammy Zerringer, Julie Grist who with Commissioner Chisholm selected the recipients that are presented to you tonight. With a record number of applicants the committee's evaluations of the requests considered local impact community values inclusivity reach cultural honor educational opportunity and beauty of course in total we're very proud of the diverse range of the recipients that cross a wide spectrum in all art forms.

Thank you in advance for your acknowledgement and respect of the time and energy contributed by these volunteers, as well as the artists who submitted grant requests, and your arts commissioners, of course. This is one of the most valuable ways that our city gives back to the community directly As an aside, I speak for the Arts Commission when I recommend you consider a peace grant for an art installation.

Council can do so much more than a measly little arts commission could do with our little bit of money and it's very important issue to the community. One additional request is that from the commissioners at the council act quickly to choose the fifth commissioner as soon as possible. We have a lot of good work to do for the community and a lot of talented people who want to volunteer.

Thank you

Thank you, Chair Smitty. And thank you, Commissioner Steiner. Thank you so much for being here and we are on the the appointments. So

may I ask a question? It's actually of the council. I am going to be pulling item H on the arts grant awards, and I think I should wait until that time. Yeah. But but I'm hoping that you can stay for that.

Would you like us to stay?

I would, thank you. We

have

30 minutes

of public communication and then we go to the consent calendar.

Before you go away, I just wanted to say thank you so much. I was the council liaison last quarter and I had the real honor and privilege of being there. I'm

gonna ask for the ambient noise aside conversations to stop. Thank you

I had the real privilege and honor of being there when all of the arts grants applicants came to present their projects. Wow! If you really want to know what the heart of our city is, go back and watch that. It was such an inspiration, and I don't know how you made the decision. There were so many worthy applicants, and I think the consensus was we need to raise more money for the arts in our community. And that's something that's going to be a goal of mine so that we can fund more incredible organizations and artists here in Ojai. So thank you very much for all that you do.

Thank you so much. All right, we will move on to public communications right now and just a reminder we take 30 minutes at this point one agenda item and then we return to public comments So these are items not on the agenda and because they're not in the agenda We cannot discuss them. We appreciate your viewpoint and participation And we can agendize these items for the future Normally public comment is three minutes. If there are more than 25 comments in general public comment or on any specific item, we reduce the time to two minutes. We have 19 general comments right now so it will remain at three minutes.

At the end of the three minutes you'll hear a chime as a gentle reminder that your time is up and in the spirit of equity so that everyone gets equal time, the mic will be deactivated when the chime goes off. There is no giving away time to another speaker and if you're in agreement with a previous person please just say ditto. We encourage speakers to state their names and addresses before speaking this is the time to allow the council to become informed kindly refrain from any side conversations or ambient noise while people are speaking we need quiet so that we can hear each other Even if we disagree, let's show each speaker respect by deep listening. Let's remember that we are all here because we care about our community. The community includes all the people here in the audience on the dais and behind the scenes.

While we won't agree with each other on everything, we all need to come from a place of mutual respect, consideration and civility. Please limit your comments to items that are on the city's business or that are the city's business This is important because we want to focus on issues and concerns that are within the city's jurisdiction, and where the city is able to effectively respond and make an impact.

Think of the City Council meeting as a board meeting for the municipal corporation, one that focuses on streets Sidewalks, local public safety, land use, recreation, et cetera. Everyone on the City Council understands that there are a host of important issues facing our country and the world. That is clear. We would like to focus here in our meetings on matters within the city's control and influence. We need to spend time on working to improve the quality of life in Ojai which is why all of us are here.

Thank you for allowing me this moment to provide some framework and thank you for your participation and interest in the city of Ojai. We are here because we care about our community, which includes each of us. And that's a beautiful thing. So we'll begin with the first 10 speakers so that will be half an hour. Three minutes each. Yes?

Are you still going to give a warning before the three minutes is up?

Yes, Mayor Pro Tem. The warning is heard by everyone as the loud chime.

That's the warning.

Oh, excuse

me.

Don't we have the light? Let me jump in there is no warning symbol it's clearly shown very large.

It's just there yes so there's one there's one chime over there I mean I know it's there good question when I was as public when I used to go behind the podium I'd get really nervous I understand so we want to make sure that they

it is a good question and to be clear there is no warning chime it is the three minute time but okay very very large

Thank you. All right, we will begin with our first 10 speakers first We have Sheriff Jim Fryhoff then Larry Steingold and then Nuri Rana Ranaghi And just a reminder that Sheriff Jim Fryhof used to be our chief of police

Well good evening Mayor Sticks, Mayor Pro Tem Francina, Council, City Manager. Matt great to see you again as your sheriff I'm thrilled to be here back in Ojai. As you know Ojai is a very special place my heart not only was I the chief here from 2017 to 2020 certainly during the Thomas fire but i was also a deputy here working in patrol from 94 to 98. So I've had a couple of trucks up in the Ojai Valley, I absolutely love the Ojai Valley, love the community here and I just wanted to say that we're thrilled to provide the public safety needs for your community and the greater Ojai Valley. I'm thrilled that Trina is the chief up here having an Ojai resident as your chief is amazing for those that know I live in Simi the east end of Simi it was a long truck when I was the chief up here but uh I loved it so much it was an hour and a half drive each way every day but I loved it and Thrilled that Trina's close and that she's able to provide the support for you as a council in a community And I just wanted to come to say hi.

That's the only reason I'm here I'm gonna give you two minutes your life back. Thank you very much. You guys have a great night

Thank You Jim Next we have Larry Steingold then Nuri Ronaghi, and then Carol Waden.

Thank you very much. Good evening Mayor your speech about staying focused city centric is the first thing I've heard in seven years from a city council here. We deal with the city, you got four and a half miles, you got 7500 people, you get 4000 properties, you get a million visitors every year and they don't leave enough money Okay, so we need to have more money coming in. Whether it's a TOT, a sales tax, ADUs, STRs, whatever you want to call them, we need more money coming in from someplace. That being said, the 2600 unit deal that assumed maybe it has cratered, maybe it hasn't came to the forefront October 2023.

Did any of you know about it prior to? before that date. And if you did, why didn't any of you come forward to tell the public so we could get organized, defensive, whatever? Because we need to know. Now I know I'm speaking second and other people are here because of whatever they want to talk about there. I'm going to assume it's Palestine and Hamas and terrorism and what have you. Okay, so I've not...I have nothing to talk about until after them but then since I can't. But the point is—so I'm not going But the support of pro-terrorist point is dumb, okay? For the city of Ojai for the prime reason. So thank you. Let's stick with the roads. Let stick with housing. Let stick with all the things that represent the 7500 people and the voters and the people who reelect you or not live here.

Okay I know we've heard where the valley goes the city goes where the city goes the valley goes That's nice, okay? And it's important. But you represent the city and not the county, not the state, not the... You represent your district. You represent everybody here. We need you to be city-centric and I wish you luck in a new potential city manager. He's gonna make his own luck. We don't make luck. You work hard at making luck. You work harder. You have a lot of people here that want the city to do well I want you to do well. I don't want a trip on sidewalks, I don't want a trip on asphalt. Bryant Street is beginning to look worse than Iraq or anywhere else for that matter. But the idea is the city needs help. You're here. You're it. Please stay focused on the city regardless of what goes on.

In truth we do deal with county issues. We're all our representatives at County Commissions and that impacts Ojai, so just to be clear. Secondly if you're talking about the development on the Carty property which is not on the agenda

I

love

you all.

This is

International City of Peace.

You all or others pass. We want peace, that's not guilty to want peace for the whole world. You travel this air is for the whole world we are. We want peace and I'm here with a lot of love unity so that Feel the pain of the families that they lost their children, 10,000. That is love. That is on our agenda or women who died. Why? We are talking and asking 15 cities in United States up to two weeks ago they passed resolution for ceasefire.

That is peace, that is love, that is saving children, that is saving women and men. This is international City of Peace. I'm asking for peace, I'm asking for international peace and I'm asking for children and women. You have, you all have children so please let us together put the resolution and feel good that we are useful for the world. We're part of the world.

We want to be together, loving. We don't want to kill each other. It doesn't matter. These days, the tools you can sit here and kill the other side of the world. World is so connected And that is why we need to be connected to the world, every one of you. And pass the resolution please for peace, for love, for humanity, for being together. I'm not asking for separation. We all should.

Please, does it make sense? Really? Does it? Thank

you Nuri. Thank you. Next we have Carol Wade then Ann Holmes then Tim Kraut.

Hello everyone, I'm here as you probably can guess for. to ask that you will once again consider the ceasefire resolution that you made a promise to consider and then left before that actually could be heard, that the voices of the people that came to talk about it most of them didn't get a chance to talk about it. And then you did not keep your promise to vote on that resolution. Our country has had a lot of broken promises That's one of the things that sadly we've been founded on. And I would like to ask that you honor your promise, that you listen to all of the citizens of Ojai. I would like to point out that this is relevant to me as a citizen of this town for 25 years and to my children and to my grandchild. I think that when we don't stand for injustice that is happening anywhere in the world, then we're not standing for ourselves.

And I really ask you to look inside your hearts and to consider the fact These numbers that were we're talking about in terms of the deaths of the children, of the adults. We didn't make them up this is real all the hospitals that have now been destroyed all the schools, infrastructure, the humanitarian aid that's not going there is relevant to us here because if we don't stop injustice in other places who's gonna stand for us? Will someone stand for us when we need it?

I really ask you to look inside your hearts, to think about what's happening and to honor your promise to let us have a vote. To have you listen to our voices as citizens of Ojai and then have a vote. You guys vote on this. Thank

you. Thank you Carol. Next we have N Holmes then Tim Kraut and then Cyrus Mayer

Hi City Council, my name is Naima Holmes. I am a resident of Ojai, my daughter Callie goes to Miners Oaks Elementary TK. I'm here because I do think this is a local issue and it's attached to the housing crisis So, at what cost? 80% of Ojai's budget comes from transient occupancy tax, aka tourism. A large percentage of that money comes from Ojai Valley Inn. The inn is owned by a family that is the majority shareholder and the fifth largest weapons dealer in the world. This is a local issue.

General Dynamics produces MK-80 bombs, 2,000 pound bombs that they drop in condensed tightly condensed areas. General Dynamix majority shareholder is the family that owns Ojai Valley Inn The United States is in the midst of a housing crisis. Roughly one half of all renters are spending at least 30% of their income on rent, just over 1 5th of homeowners are cost burdened as well. All told 40 million plus people households are spending almost 50% of their income to live. Amidst this crisis, the President of the United States is teeing up $105 billion fund to fund Israel's war against Palestine.

to provide subsidies for military contractors, to prop up a failing proxy war. He is throwing money at our failed border policies and increasing the danger of nuclear war against China. All this is going on while Washington is pursuing a broader budget process that will actively cut the funds needed to make sure everyone has a roof over their head. This is a cut to a budget that is already on life support.

In 2023, out of 1.8 trillion federal discretionary budget, 1.1 trillion or 62% was for militarized programs. Less than $2 out of every $5 in the federal discretionary spending was available to fund investment in people, communities, primary and secondary public education, housing programs, child care programs, disaster relief and environmental programs. This is a local issue. This is not you versus them, us versus them. This is not about terrorism. We have a problem and if you don't speak out as Ojai environmental, as Ojai small business, Ojai locals who are getting pushed out of their housing the people who were funding that war who are some of the richest people in the world will continue to get richer And you will continue to lose your place that you love so much and we will all suffer.

This is not about us versus you, thank you.

Thank you. Next we have Tim Kraut then Cyrus Mayer and then Abudu.

Good evening, Council and staff. I'm Tim Kraut, USA Pickleball Association Ambassador for the Ojai Valley, 63 year resident. I was glad to hear that you were holding a special meeting on January 30th to address the pickleball issue. Thank you for doing that. We would like to be heard. As I have heard council members in the past express their desire to rely on this science when making various decisions regarding city policy. I hope that this desire will carry over to your evaluation of the pickleball issue Prior to making a final decision as to where the City Hall courts will remain open, I hope you will rely on the science instead of personal opinion.

To rely on the science, the city needs to establish a reasonable DB level for the City Hall campus This could be done through the hiring of a sound engineer to conduct DB testing during pickleball play under two different scenarios. Number one, 16 players on the court playing at once using our old equipment, the equipment that we used before. Do sound testing at different locations across the street, down the street around the area here.

Take a break. The second scenario we go to 16 players using the new owl paddles and the quietest ball again do the sound testing at those same locations after that Then we utilize the results of these tests, develop a reasonable DB level for the entire City Hall campus. Once the DB level is established then random testing could be conducted by city staff to ensure that any activity at the City Hall campus was not exceeding the established DB.

Doesn't that sound reasonable? Thank you

Thank you, Tim. Next we have Cyrus Mayer then Abudu and then Aviva Bernat.

Hello again. Greetings. In all forms of greeting that stand for love dignity respect I'm here to call on the City Council to recommence their meeting that was adjourned on December 28th, 2023 and take a vote on the ceasefire resolution as was agreed upon by the Mayor and Council Member Lange. This meeting was cut short by an attendee opposing the resolution who unlawfully interrupted the meeting without recourse Which resulted in the silencing of over 50 community members, many from which were of the Muslim community.

The refusal to vote on this item and cut short the community's right to public comment, effectively silencing the Muslim community and supporters of the ceasefire violates our rights. And is a racist and Islamophobic silencing of local residents. I'm not here however to call into question the moral character of you City Council members and staff Nor am I here to run a campaign attempting to smear our mayor's reputation, as was done by Councilmember Rules' attorney in the latest op-ed at The Ojai Valley News.

No, I am here on behalf and in solidarity with the people of Palestine and all oppressed people worldwide. Over 30,000 people, innocent families and children have been killed since October 7th in Gaza. Not a single functional hospital remains in Gaza. The nations of South Africa and others have brought Israel to international court to charge them genocide And our community leaders are choosing to be not only silent, but attempt to silence those who speak up against this unjust war.

What does this have to do with Ojai you ask? Well since our coming in support for a ceasefire, our community of diverse individuals have been called terrorists, militants, mobsters, Frankensteins. We have received comments calling to neuter us Many of these voices have actually been given a platform through the Ojai Valley News. This incites violence against us and dehumanizes our struggle to support peace.

It is apparent racism

Thank You Cyrus, thank you next we have a voodoo and then Aviva Bernard and then Eva Cristofalo Fernando

Good evening council you know so I'm one of the Not too many black folks in this community. So I had to show up, say something because Martin Luther King Day just passed as we all know. So in light of his spirit and peace be upon him and his youngest son who just passed away. We must be careful that we do not misrepresent Dr. King's understanding of love and activism.

Heavily quoted are his assertions that hate cannot drive out hate And only love can do that. And I have decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear. To love someone in King's estimation according to those who misread him is to remain silent about the unjust work of the powerful and pray for someone else to come to the rescue Love then is absent of all accountability and truth-telling, two things Dr. King championed in that same speech titled Where Do We Go From Here? Dr. King explains why love is necessary.

Now we got to get this thing right what is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love. Dr. King is easy for America to love now that he's gone.

Whitewashing Dr. King's radical legacy to make him more palpable for the masses and to work to alleviate America's conscience, and to sell the lie that we are post-racial. Out of context, Dr. King's words are malleable as is anything but when you rightly salute situate them within the trajectory of his work, you are provided the whole picture. You see a man who consistently held America's feet to the fire Because he knew it could always had the capacity to be better.

I believe if Martin were alive today, he would absolutely be calling for people to flood the streets in protest, to engage at every level of government persistently to stop the horrors of another bloody siege funded by the US and by our tax dollars this time in Gaza. Thank you.

Thank you, Abidu. Next we have Aviva Bernard and then Eva Cristofalo Fernando.

Hi, thank you for hearing us again. And I know that this is ongoing and we all since there is a voice about what's going on in the Middle East it feels like we need to have a more complete voice and I appreciate Dr. King being invoked because I don't have to guess what Dr. King would say if he was alive now. We know what Dr. King said about Israel Dr. King was a Zionist and talked about Israel being the first and the most successful liberation country, liberation manifestation for people who had not had a sovereign land in many years reclaiming their land.

So if he was here, I think he would bring a voice of strength and a voice of peace. And what's important is that we have multiple voices heard and I know our community will do that. So the voice that I'm bringing, and I've been bringing from the get-go are the voices that aren't necessarily heard. In order to have peace there must be security and there must be safety.

And I know you've said that if people feel unsafe It's a non-starter. So we know peace starts here and peace starts at home, and in order to be a city of peace within ourselves it must start within ourselves before we can be an international city of peace. The resolution that had been proposed has brought the opposite. Instead of bringing peace it brought more anger, more hatred, more fear, more violence and discord in our city.

As a woman and as a Jew, it brought so much lack of safety for me because when we are silenced and when our voice is denied that is the most unsafe place. And one of the voices that I did not hear was the voice for the hostages We hear a lot of voices for the Palestinians, and I share those. But we were not hearing a condemnation of Hamas, a demand to bring back hostages, and I stand out every Friday with a sign for the hostages. My heart is in Gaza too with the hostages as well as with the people in Gaza. Also, the voices of women were not named. And I am going to state a trigger warning Because the sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women was unprecedented and is still going on with the hostages. The mass rape, mutilation like has never been seen before not named and as a woman when Other women's voices are denied and silenced.

That makes me...

Thank you, Aviva. Thank you. Next we have Eva Cristofalo Fernando. And just a reminder, no side comments please. Thank you.

Good evening City Council members I'm Eva Cristofalo Fernandez. I came before you one time before and the last time that I was here speaking of violence threatened against women there was a man in the audience who made shooting gestures to me while I attempted to hand him a heart made of yarn And when I told him that that felt inappropriate, he said well you ain't seen nothing yet. You better buckle up buttercup.

He later came and spoke before you quite likely carrying weapons on his person at that time and spoke about how very safe we all should feel and how welcome we would be to go to his ranch. I definitely have many more disturbing stories to share about my personal experience of violence towards women and girls being in my person. However, I would like to suggest to each of you as my fellow humans who I see as being intelligent and heart activated people on the day-to-day to do a practice One version of which I think probably every spiritual path has it, I'm sure that atheist paths have it as well.

One version of it is called muhasabah and what that is, it is accounting that one does to oneself And we're the only ones that can do it. A story that I used to read to my children from the Jataka tales as retold by Shaheeda Nur Nisa Inayat Khan, who aside from being Muslim was also a member of the French resistance and gave her life. As did her brother Pir Vilayet Inayit Khan when he did not give his life but he did put his life in risk in order to save the lives of others during that conflict.

Being aware that there is nowhere that we go where we do not see our own actions. And so, we can all create elaborate ways of avoiding what it is that we do in our own selves to protect our consciousness as well as from others so that we look good to others and ourselves. But there is a real worm of hypocrisy that is eating this town, and it has been spoken several times. It is the enormous import of the money that comes from weapons manufacturers that are running the budget of this town. I would like to ask that this city council consider coming up with some action to be taken where it is examined where the money is coming from and how that affects our... Thank

you Ava. All right, we will move on. We'll return to public comment after the first agenda item. So let's move on to the consent calendar. Is there a motion to approve? I

would like to pull some items. I'll approve it except I would like to pull G-H-I-J.

G- H- I- N- J. Okay. All in favor of approving everything other than G- Yes, yes, yes. Council Member Whitman? Yes. Okay all right you want to start with Chi?

Can we see if there's any public

speaking? Yeah I don't have any cards on it anybody online?

There were no physical cards received for consent calendar. We can ask the zoom participants right now. Zoom participants if you would like to raise your hand for any consent calendar items the time is now

I just want to thank Lindy Palmer, that's all. On behalf of the trolley riders that will no longer have to sit in the hot sun in the summer this is a new trolley stop in front Bank of America, and if you've ever gone by on a, when the weather is 108 degrees. I know it's hard to remember that on a cool day like this but there are people with children sitting out there, elders, wide range of people and it's just too hot so we're really happy took a lot of negotiating for Lindy Palmer to our public works director Achieve this so

very happy you just wanted to thank her. So just everyone in favor of approving that Yes, okay All right. Okay.

Can I do I have to take him in order? Can I take the

quick ones first? Why don't we do it an alphabetical order? You want to go with H?

Yeah, but that was I would like to just There was one other I just want to say it does have to be all alphabetical order map

I as a

thank you we're going to accept the bicycle repair stations from the Ojai Civic Association and the Rotary Club of Ojai. I heard about this about a year ago so I'm glad it's coming to fruition These are stations around town where people can repair a flat tire or loose chain on their bike. So I just want to thank the Civic Association and the Rotary Club for moving it forward so that it's really happening a year after someone dreamed it up. All in favor of approving aye?