City Council — 2024-02-13

Everyone call the order. We have a quorum, could we have the roll call please Weston?

Absolutely mayor. Would everyone

Thank you Weston. And I'm just going to make a few comments before we begin. So let's everybody take a deep breath, take a deep inhale. Next hail, and let's remember that we're all connected and that we're all here because we love our town and care about the issues that affect Ojai. Let's also remember that City Council meetings are the city's board meetings and a time for us to do business and give direction to staff so that they can do their work.

We are blessed with an incredibly hardworking and caring staff, so thank you very much staff. That said we're also a very small city and thus have a very small staff. We need to respect their time and give them the opportunity to complete their work. We must also create and maintain an atmosphere at our meetings in which we can attend to business productively, fairly, and civilly.

I ask that we all strive to be our most gracious selves and focus on policies versus personalities. To that end please turn off your phones If you need to talk, please go outside. Please refrain from any side conversations, yelling, clapping, snapping and of course booing. It takes only one-fifth of a second for human beings to go into fight or flight and 20 minutes to recover so let's not do that to each other if there are disruptions from individuals or groups I will issue a warning.

If the warning goes unheeded, the chief of police, thank you Chief Newman, thank you for being here, will escort the individual or group out of the meeting. We do not want to have to do this. I'm asking that each one of us practices self-control and respect for others and the process so that the meeting can be productive and efficient. Everyone deserves to be heard. Thank you for your understanding and modeling the behavior that we want to see in the world.

We will move on to public communications. And just a reminder, we'll take... Oh I'm so sorry! So excited to move forward.

public comment are the agenda item which is on the agenda

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you Let's begin with raw Ron Solarsano from the library then Carol Wade and then Carl Hindman All right

Thank you, good evening members of council. My name is Ron Solorzano and I am the Regional Librarian for the Ojai Valley. I'm here today to give you just a quick update on some of what we have going on at the Ojai Library. First, I'd like to mention an event coming up in a few weeks at the library. Author J. Andre Bowles is going to visit the Ojai Library at 2 p.m. on Saturday March 2nd to talk about his books Monster on Gypsy Hill and Piercing the Lion Heart Bowles is an ex-cop, ex-lawyer and award winning true crime author who seeks new readers and listeners to entertain with his tales of chasing bad guys, exonerating the innocent, and calling out those who abuse power.

Next I want to highlight an upcoming series of craft activities that are going to be happening at the Ojai Library. These will be at 2.30 p.m. on Sundays in March, April and May. We're calling them our new Wonder Workshop Craft Programs. These are weekly sessions facilitated by library staff who will assist our adult customers with projects including crochet, visible mending and Coptic bookbinding. This is a drop-in program with no registration required. There may be some limit on supplies, so feel free to come in early if you're able but yes this is a craft program focused mostly on our adult customers though as I'm sure some of you are aware we have plenty of craft activities for the young ones as well Next, I want to highlight for you just as a reminder that the Ojai Library has an ongoing partnership with the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County and that through this partnership the Ventura County Works Program has been offering free one-on-one career coaching at the Ojai Library.

The coaching is free there is no registration required and drop ins are welcome These are sessions that are meant to be a way of encouraging job seekers to take the first steps towards a fulfilling career. In addition, we are also offering coaching sessions, actually I'm sorry, we're offering the coaching sessions weekly on Thursdays from two to four and then we are also offering special workshops on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. The special workshops focus on various topics that are essential for job seekers in the 21st century.

In addition to that particular career counseling program, I also want to let you all know that we of course still have the Ventura County Library's free adult literacy program which is called Read Adult Literacy. The goal of which is to help adults improve their reading and writing skills so that they perceive a positive impact on their lives in such areas as self-esteem, employment, family life and community involvement. This program is always open to new tutors and learners all throughout the county including the Ojai Valley.

That's all that I have for right now. Thank you so much for your time and if you have any questions at all, please reach out to the library. Thank you very much.

Thank you Ron. Next we have Carol Wade then Carl Heinemann and then Tony Records.

Hello. My name is Carol Wade, I am a citizen of Ojai for 25 years. I live at 214 Drown Avenue. I am thankful to be here and I'm here again. Many of you may recognize my face and you'll certainly hear the same message that I've been giving I'm going to begin by giving some context to make very clear that this is a very relevant issue for the city of Ojai and for all of the citizens of Ojai, certainly for my children, certainly for my grandson. So I'm going to be reading some information that you may have seen or been familiar with but it will give context to all of the information that we're gonna be talking about The world's largest weapons manufacturer dealer, the Ojai Valley Crown Jewel, Ojai Valley Inn is owned by the Crown family.

They're the 34th richest family in the world. They're worth $10.8 billion dollars Nearly 65% of their net worth, which is about $87 billion comes from their majority stake in General Dynamics. General Dynamics is the sixth largest weapons dealer in the world. 99% of the bombs falling on families and children in Palestine come from General Dynamics. They also fall on Yemen, on Syria and Lebanon.

They are manufactured in America. They're paid by Americans. I am an American. I pay tax dollars. A lot of our tax money goes toward paying for these weapons and for funding this war. K-848 2,000 pound dumb bombs which are non guided free fall bombs. BLU 109 aka bunker buster bombs which are 2000 pound warheads are Israel's weapon of genocide. 30,000 plus people in four months have died 13,000 of those people are children.

One child is killed every 10 minutes. It's hard for me to read this without crying, so please pardon me or no don't pardon me just know two mothers die every hour Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip since October 7th That's the equivalent of two nuclear bombs, two nuclear bombs. That's the kind of destruction that's being brought on this land which is a small, relatively small piece of land. This information comes from the EuroMed Human Rights Monitor.

So here we go on this story of sorts. Thank you

Carol. Next we have Carol Hindman, Carl Hindman then Tony Records then Robin Gerber.

Carl Hinman, I live near in Miner's Oaks. I appreciate that opening statement from the mayor. It really hopefully sets the tone for the way we speak from now on. One thing that I certainly hope that people don't continue is things like lawfare and slap lawsuits A few months ago, I spoke before the lawsuit was brought against one of our council members and her attorney.

And I had a solution. that would have saved people a lot of money, I said drop the lawsuit. Now seven citizens ostensibly of our city, I don't know how many are residents, they filed a lawsuit and I'm not sure what their purpose was. I think they paid for their attorney who somebody may have given them the advice that this is the way a democracy works but it's really not You don't use law fair. You know what happens with law fair is the defendant has to go and hire an attorney, and it's very expensive. I wouldn't want someone filing a lawsuit against me.

I'm so happy, Leslie, what happened. And I read in the paper, and I think you all did, that there is approximately $70,000-$80,000 that may be awarded to the defendants for their legal fees. Who's paying that? The plaintiffs have to pay that. Who advised the plaintiffs to file this suit? That's not how a democracy works. Who authorized, who advised them? I was here, they should've listened to me. I said drop the lawsuit. You know how much $80,000 is, $70,000 is divided by seven people? That's $10,000. Do you know that I've talked to the attorney representing Ms. Rule And you know that they're going to file liens on their property, possibly? They may garnish their wages. Now why would these citizens want to lose $10,000 and what is the purpose of the lawsuit?

I don't understand. I'm confused. Anybody that wants to talk to me and explain it to me, I'm happy to hear it. Thank you.

Thank you Carl. Next we have Tony Records then Robin Gerber then Chris Barton.

Hi, my name is Tony Rekers and I live in Ojai. I'm here today to address the council about an issue that to my knowledge has yet been discussed by the council, the presence of a gun shop in our community. The shop is located in the True Value Hardware Store at the iconic Y at the corner of Maricopa Highway and East Ojai Avenue. It is a shopping center with Vaughan Supermarket, Pets & More next door to a restaurant and other small businesses all frequented by adults and children.

It is also less than half a mile from the Nordhoff High School in one direction and Ojai Valley School in the other. It is a full-service gun shop to include the sale of various weapons, including personal protection weapons, hunting and target rifles. It also sells various pistols and handguns, ammunition, and gun accessories. The CDC reports that the firearms injuries were the leading cause of death among children and teens aged 1 to 19 in 2020 and 2021.

In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data are available, 48,830 people died from gun related injuries in the U.S.. I can go on and on but I'm sure you're well aware of the danger of proliferation of easily accessible guns presents to our community. California is one of the few states that allows governments such as Ojai broad latitude to enact laws to protect their communities from gun violence. Some possible laws could include, one requires safe firearm storage in the home, two prohibiting guns at demonstrations and protests, three require regular inspections of gun dealer premises, four prohibiting unaccompanied minors and prohibited persons from entering gun stores Five, requiring gun dealers to report their inventory to local law enforcement.

What I'm asking you to do regarding this issue? Govern. Conduct hearings and listen to concerns and ideas of our citizens. Research current requirements. Investigate options. Propose changes in zoning ordinances or other requirements. Appoint a commission or review body or God forbid all the above. This issue is too important to become devoured in a bureaucratic maze.

Thoughts and prayers, the response to the shore on gun policy is simply not acceptable. I stand ready to volunteer in any way in this issue I can. Thank you.

Thank You Tony.

Can I ask? Tony can we have...can you submit that as a comment to the city? I'd like to see a copy of what you just said Yeah, if you have an extra copy. Thank you.

Thank You Tony Next we have Robin Gerber then Chris Barton and then Austin Ringelstein

Hi, I'm Robin Gerber I live here in Ojai welcome mr.. Harvey uh In one of the most embarrassing discussions I have ever heard at the council, you voted in June of 2023 to deny indemnification to Ms. Rule for the frivolous lawsuit that was just mentioned and that was brought against her by some Valley residents despite clear legal language stating that a city council member in the course of doing their job should be indemnified Nevertheless, you voted to hang her out to dry for legal costs.

Ironically, accusing her of being malicious in her intent is your excuse. Put aside the fact that malicious has a specific meaning in law, none of you can read each other's minds now or then. Your personal opinion of each other should have no place in your judgments on this council. You have set a horrible precedent by denying indemnification because of your feelings about Ms. Rule and her actions.

Hopefully none of you will get sued and have to deal with what she's had to deal with. Now we know, less than a year later, a Superior Court judge has gone out of his way to show you how wrong you were. The lawsuit brought by Sabrina Venskas has not only been ruled frivolous, the mean-spirited group who brought it now owe $78,000 to reimburse Ms. Rule for her legal costs.

In making the fee judgment, the judge went out of his way again to say that Ms. Rule had every right to speak her piece in the Venskas lawsuit was a prohibited attempt to shut her up. You should indemnify her immediately and the city will recover its costs as it should from the people who tried to stifle free speech on this council. Thank you.

Thank you, Robin. Next we have Chris Barton then Austin Ringelstein and then Nuri Renaghi.

Thanks for hearing us. Continuing from Carol, the storied Ojai Valley Inn is a favorite retreat for A-listers in search of peace, tranquility, wellness and a little woo-woo magic. It is iconic and seen as the centerpiece of this idealistic small town. But there is a darker truth behind the gates, a truth that cuts to the core of colonialism, military industrialism and global brutality.

A violent privilege from which our country in our town benefits. The Crown family purchased the inn in 1985 and poured 50 million into it. From that moment on, Ojai's financial interests have been tied to a war profiteering family whose $10.8 billion net worth comes from the deaths of millions and the massive destruction of the environment worldwide. The Crown family has been a key player in the occupation of Palestine, both funding and arming Israel's military and infrastructure for 75 years.

In the early 1950s, Henry Crown famously broke trade embargoes to smuggle military components to Israel. After World War II, the Crown family's company, Material Service Corp., merged with General Dynamics. As a result, the Crown family became one of the largest arm dealers in the world but mere financial success itself was never the end game. The Crown family's goals have always been tied to Zionist power, colonialism and a deep need to control the world stage.

The cost, 80% of Ojai's budget comes from transient occupancy tax tourism. And 40% of that money comes from the Ojai Valley Inn. Wealthy tourism is the bread and butter of Ojai Valley Inn and has therefore become Ojai main lifeblood. But this is a system that takes from Ojai and feeds the wealthy war profiteers. It's a closed loop of wealth that is choking us. We have become a playland, an extended backyard for the Crown family.

A place to wash their billions made from brutally murdering generations and poisoning the earth with bombs and weapons of destruction. Meanwhile, Ojai is in the midst of a housing crisis and across the country people are barely holding on. One-third of all U.S. households are paying more than 50% of their income to just have a roof over their heads. War is making us poor while simultaneously making the rich richer. According to financial analysts, this decade will produce its first trillionaire in the U.S., and this will be from war profiteering.

The wealthiest among us are those deeply invested in genocide. They cannot let peace happen as their way of life is so tied to the continuation and escalation of war. War crimes, environmental devastation, unprecedented humanitarian crises and the suffering is what they feed off of. These merchants of death put their greed above the survival of

humanity.

Next we have Austin Ringelstein and then Nuri Renaghi and then Eva Cristofalo Fernandez

Thank you my name is Austin Ringelstein Many of you might know that I'm a military veteran. I was in the bomb squad in Iraq on several deployments to the Middle East. I just have a question for everybody in the room to contemplate, one of the joys that I have in my life is getting to look into my two-year old's eyes and watch his eye shine like him walking at me today when I picked him up at school at Miners Oaks Elementary it makes my life every time and He's the joy of my wife and I in this town, and I'm going to give a trigger warning because I think everyone can identify with the love that they have for their children or having been a child themselves, having parents.

The trigger warning is not to be extra, but to show that sometimes we're sitting here in our cozy town and we don't literally get to understand what's happening in the world. There's literally children's limbs hanging from fences and buildings in Gaza because of bombs dropped by the people who are funding those bombs in this town. I've personally actually disarmed through detonation Mark 80 series bombs, which ironically I didn't know until now were probably produced by the Crown family.

At this point it's insulting to hear anyone say that this is not Ojai City Council's business. How many more people will be murdered with Ojai blood money until we at least get a vote on a ceasefire in Gaza. That's our democratic responsibility. I've been up here four times away from my family asking, pleading and crying for this. I'm going to try something a little different when Ojai money excuse me Ojai, an international city of peace. But is it peace if it's when we please?

Ojai, an international city of peace. Just not when there's war in the Middle East. Why does a city of peace need more police? Why does a city of peace make it their own interest to receive the crown's business? When Ojai money is used to bomb a family and you say it is not a local issue, how can you not see your own hypocrisy? Your silence is complicity. Ojai, an international city of peace.

No there's no peace until they cease fire and release hostages and prisoners. A ceasefire resolution is the only solution that will set us all free.

Thank you, Austin. Next we have Nuri Ranaghi, then Ava Christofalo Fernandez and then Nuria Rosa Christofalo Fernandez.

Please adjust the microphone. Reminds me of my grandchildren. And you can look at them. Three, four months old. Three years old. Neda and Lin's home. This is a few of 13,000 children in four months. Our money, our politics are killing them. 70 cities in United States passed the resolution including Los Angeles, San Francisco, so many in California. I want to ask how do you feel Howard Zinn the historian says has a book Our History?

You cannot be neutral on a moving train This is a moving train. You are with them or with these children trying to save them like 70 other cities? You got to tell me as my representative, where are you? How do you feel? I'm asking everybody. I'm asking you, how could you not the minimum that you can do for peace and humanity not to What is your answer? Tell me.

You are representing me.

Thank you, Mary. Next we have Eva Cristofalo-Fernandez and then Nuria Rosa Cristofalo-Fernandez.

My name is Eva Cristofilo Fernandez. I've come and spoken to you a couple of times now. This is a picture of Hind Rajab, who you may have heard as she cried for help, as her family was murdered, and as she was sitting in a car terrified beyond anything that any of us have ever had to deal with. I don't have my own words. This is our child. Please come, please help me, please save me are you coming? I can't come now we're trying to send somebody.

Are there gunshots happening around you? Yes. Okay, we'll send someone as soon as we can. Some of you might have heard the longer version where that woman helping her had to hear the sound of the bomb that was dropped. A bomb that was dropped after the rest of her family had already been killed. 15-year old cousin Layan Hamada And then, when the Red Crescent had made an agreement to come save this barely six-year-old girl from having to sit there with her dead family all around her.

Youssef Zaino and Ahmed El Madoun, two brave, heartful young men who knew what they were risking, and they were bombed to death trying to save her

Here's

the call. While she was sitting beside her cousin, her cousin saying please come save

us.

We're in the car. The tank is next to us. This is children and their family being murdered that we had to hear. Oh so stressful to have to hear this! Can you imagine that their bodies sat rotting in that car? That hen sat in that car until she bled out and died. I am tired of saying we are all parents here, the ones of us that are. We're all uncles and aunties.

Ceasefire resolution might seem an insignificant thing, but then why is it being so hard that it's being fought against? 70 other cities recognized it has meaning.

Thank you Eva. Next we have Nuria Rosa Cristofalo Fernandez.

Hello, my name is Nuri Rosa Cristofalo Fernandez. I'm a high school student here in Ojai. Water welling up in my eyes as I listen to the last words of Hind Rajab begging for help pleading for someone to come rescue her from the backseat of a car filled with the bodies of her motionless relatives. Droplets fall into my lap. Hint screams mixed with the sound of machine gun fire, line cuts, silence.

Twelve days her body lay in the car before being brought to her mother's arms dead. Salty tears run down my cheeks watching lifeless children, babies being wrapped in plastic sheets I feel my heart break into more and more pieces As I listen to their mother's screams, cries and prayers. My face glistens tears catching the light of the phone. This is the first time a genocide has been documented in real time for the world to see And yet those in power turn a blind eye.

If I were in your places, I would do anything and everything in my power to stop this genocide that is playing out right in front of our eyes. But you sit here and do nothing. Caring more about your image than human life, are you human beings? If you have any humanity in you, you would stand on the right side of history and do the bare minimum by passing a ceasefire resolution in Ojai City of Peace.

Thank you, Nuria. We will move on to the consent calendar and return to public comment after our first item. So is there a motion to approve the consent calendar?

I want to pull... Could we have a pause and just, you know, it's so we transition back to this if I don't know how we can deeply listen and not be deeply affected but okay. So I am pulling item D off the consent calendar, the ratification of the Ojai Arts Commission grants.

Council Member Rule, you wanted to pull something?

Yeah, excuse me, I'd like to pull C please. Is there a motion to approve A

and B? I'll move to approve A and B. Second?

I'll second.

All in favor of approving A and

Yes.

All right, let's move on to C.

Yes, so this came from a request from constituents of mine to amend the minutes for December 20th. They would like more detail specifically they have requested that who vote they request that The vote to suspend the rules actually specify who voted how. And they are questioning whether or not that was a motion, and if it was, was it formal? And I don't have the answers to these questions. That's why I'm bringing it to the table So was it a literal vote to suspend the rules to allow a speaker to have more time? And if so, is that an official motion and if so should it have specified that it was and who actually voted for it. So they would like that clarification as well as I have requested A summary of the 28 minutes that occurred between 707 and 735.

And as it wasn't a closed session, what exactly was it? And what decisions were made and how did that vote come about? In other words this is way too vague for a handful of my constituents and They would like clarity on, you know, transparency on what actually occurred. And they would like it to be in the minutes as to who voted to allow someone extra time because we say every time that everyone must have equal time except for the council can vote to allow someone You know additional time, but they would like that in the minutes. So that is my request for the minutes of December 20th based on constituents letters to me concerning that

Through the mayor, I can speak to one part. If it is the direction of council to add the, I believe it was the consent reached through the mayor, through council, then Mayor Pro Tem Francina to grant some additional time for that one speaker and if it is the direction of the council to add that to the minutes, that's possible. I would like to ask City Attorney Summers about the recess of the meeting which was the second part of the question.

Yeah, we can add more detail if the council wants but I would note that the video is the best evidence of it especially such a chaotic scene. The video was always our best evidence of the meetings so the video can stand on its own. We can add that line as I recall it was a request by Mayor Pro Tem Francina to allow the speaker at the time to have more time. The Council consented to it Without a formal vote it didn't need to form over in that moment because it wasn't contested by any other member of council And then he contested had that been contested. We would have taken a formal vote It wasn't contest at that moment So then it was consensus that allowed that additional time That's unanimous that then led that speaker to create the disruption that resulted in the recess for security purposes the council then Uh recessed out there.

I'm not done the council then recessed out and there was no closed session because there was no closed session Security considerations were assessed the council returned and the meeting as we all know on the video The meeting was ended with the statement made by the mayor We can put all that in the minutes if desired

Yeah, I think that it warrants it. I think that that particular council meeting warrants as much detail and as much transparency no matter where you stand on it in the minutes so that as a historical record if nothing else. I know that we have a video but we don't really have a video of what happened in the back room and what decisions were made and things like that and they were made Outside of the public purview, but yet they were not closed session. So It's a gray area. So my vote would be for more transparency as to what occurred Although once again, this is all new to me so I am asking for You know advice from other council folks or anyone perhaps the city manager can chime in on this that would be great

Through the mayor, I just want Council to be aware that I have instructed the City Clerk going forward to go to what is known as action minutes which is consistent with what the city attorney is describing. The video is the record and because we don't as a city ever want to be in a position of mischaracterizing what somebody may say during a public comment It's better just to list those who made those comments and the video speaks for itself. And so that is the best practice, so you're gonna see minutes going forward that are going to be more scant in the public comment section simply because we again don't want to be trying to characterize what somebody was talking about. We just wanna list their name if they choose to give it and then allow the video to stand as a record.

So I hope that adds some context here, thank you.

A quick follow-up if I could. So, and I certainly agree that in comments you know you don't need to sort of translate or put your own spin, however it turns out when you reiterate someone's comments you inevitably add an overlay of editorial It's just the nature of what happens. Not deliberate editorial, but it's just the nature of there's an overlay. But that doesn't really speak to the idea of the decisions that council makes and so if it is indeed consensus so that it was unanimous, it was a unanimous vote that the speaker be allowed extra time, that's fine but I think that should actually be in there and this council may not As I did not, my first council meeting understand that if I didn't raise my hand and say no de facto, I was saying yes.

And a consensus means nobody has to take responsibility for the vote because it was a consensus. So, but I didn't understand that and I think the public doesn't understand that as well. So, I think it's important that they do understand that given that I have had comments from constituents. And finally, I think also what did happen, the decisions that were made in the back room, they do warrant some sort of comment whatever that may be. We came out and a decision had been made, right? So an action happened.

And so that would be my only comment. I don't feel the need to reiterate what public comments for sure, I understand that but... Oh okay. I will take that as a cue to pass it on.

Through the mayor, we're happy to prepare revised minutes for December 20th. Okay great. We suggest moving forward with the other sets.

Thank you so much and indeed I do and I just want to say thank you to the constituents who did reach out to me and ask me for clarification. I felt the need to do so. All right

let's move

on

before we move on. So we take a vote on the other minutes then we'll continue the 20th

okay? I'll make a motion to approve the other minutes.

Second. I'll second.

Aye

except

for D. Yes, okay.

going

to make

just

an introductory remark for those who weren't here

Maybe let Mayor Councilman Whitman go first. I think I

look you see why go first? I've had a consultation with With Attorney Summers and he has indicated to me that I don't have a technical conflict of interest, but I do not feel comfortable. Voting on a matter in which a family member potentially is or is not going to be awarded grant money. It's not going to go into their pocket, but it is going to be a program that they run so I'm going to abstain. I'm gonna step away from the dais while you guys consider item D.

All right, thank you Mayor Pro Tem. Council Member Francina?

Okay what we're discussing now is at the last council meeting I pulled from the consent calendar an item where we were supposed to ratify the Arts Commission grants And I did that at the last meeting. And then after some discussion, and expressed concerns that the process used this time was not as public as it was before. And there were questions about just different questions. And so we decided to give the council two more weeks to take a closer look at how the process was transpired this year.

And since I pulled it, I felt a great responsibility to really deeply understand and I did wade through there were It was a 407 page document. It took me most of Sunday, part of yesterday so that I'm more prepared at this meeting tonight to address my concerns and I think from here we can just hear the public comments and then I'll continue with my own comments and council members will also discuss.

Thank

you. All

right We'll begin with Christine Golden then Valerie Freeman and then Wayne Maynard

Greetings, it's nice to see almost all of you again and one new person over there I'm Christine golden. I live in the city and I served on the Arts Commission for 14 years And for part of that time I was Chair of the commission and I also was chair of the grants committee as well. So I have some background During the time I served, procedures were developed to handle grants and they were developed collaboratively with city staff and with City Council so that the direction of council went forward.

I decided, I'm not gonna read the email that I sent to all of you. It has a lot of information in there but it's very bare bones. I had to get it down to three minutes but I hope it will initiate some discussion and you might have more questions for me as well. And I wanna say I'm not here to vilify anyone. In large part, I believe that this has all happened because of the massive turnover at city. You're all new. You don't have the history I have the history.