Ojai City Council Special Meeting

Public Safety Commission Proposal

• Staff proposed an advisory commission to review public safety concerns before Council consideration.
• Council directed staff to structure initial meetings on a monthly basis rather than quarterly.
• The motion passed to proceed with commission preparations under the specified guidelines.

Trolley Driver Pilot Benefit Program

• A pilot program was proposed to provide prorated benefits for drivers working at least 20 hours weekly.
• Community speakers emphasized that benefits are necessary for recruitment and retention.
• The Council approved the program while acknowledging ongoing transportation planning discussions.

Sonic Boom Monitoring MOA

• An agreement with Space Launch Delta 30 would authorize monitoring stations on City property.
• Council requested quarterly data summaries and access to underlying databases.
• The motion passed to authorize the MOA with instructions to seek additional site locations.

Meeting Summary: Ojai City Council Special Meeting

Public Safety Commission Proposal

• Staff presented a proposal to establish a Public Safety Commission as an advisory body under the Brown Act. The commission would consist of five Council-appointed members to review concerns regarding traffic, speed, roadways, and fire hardening before they reach the full Council.
• Staff Role: The Police Chief, Fire Chief, and Public Works Director would attend as subject matter experts/staff liaisons to answer questions, but they would not be voting members.
• Qualifications: The Council discussed whether members should have specific expertise (e.g., former law enforcement or public safety experience). It was decided that expertise is preferable but not required, allowing Council members flexibility in appointing community members with strong communication or advocacy skills.
• Frequency: While staff suggested quarterly meetings, the Council directed staff to structure meetings initially on a monthly basis, with the Chair and Commission able to adjust frequency based on demand.
• Decision: The Council passed a motion to direct staff to proceed with preparing for the commission based on these specifications, leaving appointment specifics to individual Council members.

Trolley Driver Pilot Benefit Program

• Staff presented a pilot program to provide prorated benefits to trolley drivers working 20 hours or more per week to address recruitment and retention challenges. Currently, all drivers are part-time with no benefits.
• Program Details: Benefits would mirror the full-time staff package for full-time, three-quarter-time, and half-time classifications. An estimated cost of $200,000 was cited for the pilot year.
• Public Comment: Speakers, including current drivers, strongly supported the program, emphasizing that benefits are necessary for retention. Several residents raised concerns about a lack of comprehensive transit planning and the loss of institutional knowledge due to contracting out maintenance and supervision.
• Staff Clarification: Staff explained that in-house mechanic positions were eliminated to allow for more efficient maintenance through external contracts (Ventura County and Adamson's) and that contract drivers are only used when City drivers are unavailable.
• Decision: The Council approved the pilot benefit program, recognizing it as a necessary step to stabilize the workforce while acknowledging broader transportation planning discussions are ongoing.

Sonic Boom Monitoring MOA

• The Council considered a Memorandum of Agreement with Space Launch Delta 30 to authorize the installation of monitoring stations to track sonic booms from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
• Proposal: Two monitoring locations were identified on City property (Sarazoti and Luton). The equipment includes microphones and data collection hardware.
• Data Access: The Council requested that the City receive quarterly data summaries and access to underlying databases to better understand the impact on the community.
• Cost: Each party is responsible for their own personnel costs; there is no additional financial burden to the City.
• Decision: The Council passed a motion to authorize the MOA, with an instruction to staff to negotiate for additional site locations if feasible.

Other Business

• Road Closures: Council members noted upcoming Caltrans closures of Highway 101 for weekend roadwork and referenced recent I-5 closures due to launch debris.
• Adjournment: The meeting concluded with no further agenda items.