Ojai City Council, Regular Meeting

Dignity Moves Construction Project

• Value engineering aims to keep the project budget below a $9.5 million ceiling.
• Construction is projected to take 16 months following a February contract award.
• Council debated receiving the informational budget versus waiting for actual bid numbers.
• The motion to receive and file was superseded by scheduling a detailed review in late October.

Hope of Ojai Rental Assistance Program

• Staff proposed allocating $100,000 from the General Fund to support rental assistance efforts.
• Council agreed to flexible eligibility criteria to prevent homelessness earlier in the process.
• The City Manager was directed to draft a formal agreement for approval at the October meeting.

General Plan Update Progress

• Staff shifted engagement methodology from focus groups to surveys due to community concerns.
• Council noted public concern regarding the Safety Element update and survey sufficiency.
• Council agreed to review survey questions before publication and received the progress report.

Administrative and Future Agenda Items

• Council agreed to move the review of City goals to a separate special meeting.
• Member Whitman requested a report on enforcing Zero Zone fire mitigation requirements.
• Council discussed creating a public advisory list of prohibited flammable plants.

Ojai City Council Meeting Summary

1. Construction Project & Budget (Dignity Moves)

• The council concluded a discussion regarding a construction project budget and scope involving Dignity Moves.
• Budget Targets: Value engineering is aimed at keeping the project below a $9.5 million ceiling.
• Timeline: Bids are scheduled to go out in November, with evaluation occurring through December and a contract award targeted for February 3rd. Construction is projected to take 16 months.
• Debate: Council debated whether to "receive and file" the current informational budget or wait for actual bid numbers. Council Member Rule expressed concern that receiving and filing might bind the city prematurely without real bids. Staff clarified that the current document is informational and not binding until the February award.
• Decision: A motion to "receive and file" was superseded by a substitute motion to not receive and file, but to schedule a detailed review in the second meeting of October. This motion passed.

2. Rental Assistance Program (Hope of Ojai)

• The council reviewed a concept for allocating $100,000 from the unprogrammed General Fund to Hope of Ojai for rental assistance.
• Proposal: Staff and Hope of Ojai representatives (Jane and Alicia) requested funding to supplement existing state/county grants. They requested flexibility in eligibility criteria, specifically removing the "pay or quit" notice requirement to prevent homelessness earlier in the process and removing Social Security Number requirements to assist those potentially affected by ICE.
• Conditions: Council agreed to support the program with the following parameters:
• Priority given to City of Ojai residents (verified by lease).
• Flexible eligibility criteria (income thresholds, residency duration, documentation).
• Quarterly reporting required.
• Decision: The council voted to move forward with allocating the funds. The City Manager was directed to draft an agreement/contract incorporating these conditions to return for formal approval in October. The motion passed.

3. General Plan Update Progress

• Community Development Director Lucas Seibert provided an update on the General Plan Update.
• Methodology: The council pivoted from focus groups to surveys (open and closed-ended questions) due to community concerns regarding the initial approach.
• Focus Areas: The update includes the Climate Action Plan and an Economic Diversification Element. Council Member Whitman emphasized the need to balance the tourist economy with the resident experience ("harmonizing").
• Community Concerns: Public commenters urged the council to prioritize the Safety Element update and argued that surveys alone were insufficient for community engagement, suggesting more interactive methods. Staff noted the Safety Element is already included in the update process to ensure compliance with state law.
• Decision: The council agreed to review survey questions before they go live. The motion to receive and file the progress report passed.

4. Administrative & Future Agenda Items

• Council Goals: The Council agreed to move the review of City Council goals to a separate, sole-purpose special meeting.
• Council Member Reports:
• VCTC: Road closure on State Route 33 (North Fork/Matiloha Creek) scheduled for Sept 19–22 for safety improvements.
• VCOG: Annual dinner invitation extended to all elected officials.
• Future Agenda Items:
• Fire Safety: Council Member Whitman requested a report on the City's authority to enforce "Zero Zone" fire mitigation requirements and prohibit flammable fences/sheds more aggressively than County/State standards.
• Plant Lists: A request to create a public advisory list of prohibited flammable plants.
• Note: Staff warned that aggressive enforcement on fences and plants requires significant resources and legal review.

Meeting Adjournment

• The meeting adjourned following the discussion on future agenda items.