Meeting Summary
Present: Gilman, like, Whitman
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
Agenda Reordering
- Agenda Item 14 was moved to the first discussion slot to accommodate the Chamber representative's schedule.
- The motion to reorder the agenda was seconded and passed without objection.
City Manager's Report
- The National Night Out event at Libbey Park was reported as a success.
- The state has paused the "Zone Zero" program implementation pending further review of public comments.
Library Services
- The Regional Librarian announced the Ojai Library closure for renovations and outlined mobile library schedules.
- Council members noted plans to reimagine the library courtyard using native plants.
Libby Bowl Scheduling
- Multiple organizations requested a review of the "challenge date system" to secure consistent annual dates.
- Staff confirmed a discussion item regarding legacy events is contractually required before November 15, 2026.
Biodiversity Resolution
- Community groups thanked the Council for adopting the biodiversity resolution and offered resources for future projects.
Evacuation Planning
- A community member recommended requesting scenario-based evacuation planning from Ventura County.
- The speaker also suggested acquiring deployable message boards for emergency communication.
Native American Consultation List
- Speakers expressed concern over the removal of local Chumash consultants from the City's list.
- The City Manager clarified the list is received from the Tribe but noted the topic could be revisited.
Financial Reporting
- A speaker presented data indicating delays in the City's financial report submissions.
- The speaker recommended hiring additional finance staff to address the delays.
Flock Cameras
- A speaker raised concerns regarding privacy and data collection related to Flock camera systems.
- Staff confirmed that no Flock cameras are currently installed within the City of Ojai.
Fire Hardening Fees
- A resident suggested waiving fees for fire hardening and tree trimming to encourage compliance.
Agenda Timing
- A speaker requested earlier distribution of the agenda to improve public engagement.
- The City Manager noted a concept review regarding agenda timing will be presented in September.
City Warrants
- A Council member raised concerns regarding high legal expenses and requested a future cost analysis report.
- Staff explained the warrant included payments for multiple months due to a previous meeting break.
MOA with Sanitary District
- A Council member questioned why the City pays the same amount as Ventura for stormwater monitoring.
- Staff explained cost-sharing is based on equal responsibility under the MS-4 permit rather than population size.
Interagency Agreement with BCTC
- A Council member inquired about the use of funds from an $877,000 grant.
- Staff confirmed the funds will support an electric trolley, charging infrastructure, and operational costs.
Professional Services Agreement with Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce
- The Council discussed renewing and expanding the agreement with a proposed $114,000 increase.
- The City Attorney clarified the agreement is structured as a sponsorship, exempting it from competitive RFP.
- Concerns were raised regarding resource allocation between incorporated residents and unincorporated areas.
- The agreement was approved with the condition that a revised list of services be returned within 30 days.
No decision 2–1
Ventura County Civil Grand Jury Report
- The Council reviewed draft responses to findings regarding the Permanent Supportive Housing Project selection.
- Responses for several findings were modified to "agree" or "agree with explanation" regarding process limitations.
- The Council maintained a "disagree" response for Finding 11 regarding the binding nature of the grant application.
- The report will be revised with discussed edits and placed on the consent calendar for final approval at the next meeting.
Amendment to the Development Management Agreement
- The Council considered an amendment allowing the contractor to accept donations without separate approval.
- The amendment requires that donations do not create additional financial obligations or increase the budget.
- The City retains the ability to review donor agreements and reject donations with conditions.
- The amendment was approved with the discussed revisions.
Request for Proposal for Permanent Supportive Housing Operator
- A representative from Help of Ojai expressed concerns that the RFP structure might exclude local providers.
- Council members expressed a desire to better understand funding mechanisms before proceeding.
- The RFP process was delayed to form an ad hoc committee to revise the document.
- The committee is scheduled to report back to the Council in September.
Passed 5–0 · unanimous
Planning Commission Update
- Council Member Whitman reported high public attendance at the recent Planning Commission meeting.
- The Commission is currently working on complex projects involving business and residential impacts.
Public Safety Commission Update
- The Public Safety Commission held its first meeting and will generally meet on the third Monday of the month.
- The commission is reviewing the speed hump policy with the intent to expand it.
Water Adjudication
- The water adjudication proposal has been submitted to the judge.
- The proposal is now available for public review in the local newspaper.
Future Agenda Items
- Potential future discussion items include cultural monitors, an OVM contract review, and privacy data collection.
- A request was made for a clarification report regarding legal spending.
Closed Session
- No closed session report was provided in the meeting summary.
Full summary
Meeting Administration and Agenda Changes
- The meeting commenced with a roll call. A motion was made to move Agenda Item 14 (Professional Services Agreement with the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce) to the first discussion item to accommodate the Chamber representative's availability. The motion was seconded and passed without objection.
City Manager's Report
- The City Manager reported on the successful National Night Out event at Libbey Park. Additionally, the City Manager informed the Council that the state has paused the implementation of the "Zone Zero" program pending further review of public comment, noting that no official position paper or news release has been issued yet.
Public Comments
- Public comments were received on the following topics:
- Library Services: The Regional Librarian announced the closure of the Ojai Library for renovations and outlined the schedule for the Mobile Library and express hours at the Miners Oaks Library. Council members noted plans to reimagine the library courtyard with native plants.
- Libby Bowl Scheduling: Representatives from the Ojai Film Society, Ojai Band, Ojai Pops Orchestra, and the Ojai Storytelling Festival requested a review of the Libby Bowl Management Agreement's "challenge date system." They argued that the current 60-day advance notice window hinders long-term planning and requested "legacy status" with consistent annual dates and fee waivers.
- Biodiversity Resolution: Representatives from Friends of the Santa Clara River, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and the Farmhand Foundation thanked the Council for adopting a biodiversity resolution and offered resources for future projects.
- Evacuation Planning: A community member recommended requesting scenario-based evacuation planning from the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services and acquiring deployable message boards.
- Native American Consultation List: Speakers expressed concern regarding the removal of local Chumash cultural consultants from the City's consultation list and requested a review to ensure local expertise is included.
- Financial Reporting: A speaker presented data indicating delays in the City's submission of financial reports and recommended hiring additional finance staff.
- Flock Cameras: A speaker raised concerns regarding privacy and data collection related to Flock camera systems.
- Fire Hardening Fees: A resident suggested waiving fees for fire hardening and tree trimming to encourage compliance.
- Agenda Timing: A speaker requested that the agenda be distributed earlier in the week to improve public engagement.
Staff Responses to Public Comments
- The City Manager clarified that the City receives the Native American consultation list from the Tribe and does not establish it independently, though the topic could be revisited. Staff confirmed there are no Flock cameras within the City of Ojai. The City Manager noted that a concept review regarding agenda timing would be brought to the Council in September. Regarding the Libby Bowl contract, staff confirmed that a discussion item regarding legacy events is required by the contract to be presented before November 15, 2026.
Consent Calendar
- Item 2 (City Warrants): A Council member raised concerns regarding high legal expenses and requested a future report to analyze costs. The City Manager and Finance Director explained that the warrant included payments for multiple months due to a previous meeting break. The item was moved, seconded, and passed.
- Item 5 (MOA with Sanitary District): A Council member questioned why the City pays the same amount as the City of Ventura for stormwater monitoring. Staff explained that cost-sharing is based on equal responsibility under the MS-4 permit rather than population size, though the agreement is up for renegotiation. The item was moved, seconded, and passed.
- Item 6 (Interagency Agreement with BCTC): A Council member inquired about the use of funds from an $877,000 grant. Staff confirmed the funds would support an electric trolley, charging infrastructure, and operational costs. The item was moved, seconded, and passed.
- Items 1, 3, 4, and 7: These items were approved as part of the consent calendar.
Passed 4–0 · unanimous
Professional Services Agreement with Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce
- The Council discussed the renewal and expansion of the professional services agreement with the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, involving a proposed $114,000 expansion. Staff presented the scope of services, including business advocacy, tenant recruitment, and event support. A correction was noted regarding specific addresses in the scope, which would be revised to reflect general city-wide recruitment. The City Attorney clarified that the agreement is structured as a sponsorship rather than a traditional service contract, meaning it does not require a competitive RFP process.
- Discussion focused on the distinction between sponsoring a nonprofit versus contracting for services, and whether the scope of work directly benefited city residents. Concerns were raised regarding the allocation of resources between incorporated residents and unincorporated areas. The Chamber representative offered to return with a revised list of services within 30 days to better tailor the agreement.
- A motion was made to approve the professional services agreement with the condition that a revised list of services be returned to the Council within 30 days. The motion was seconded and passed.
No decision 2–1
Ventura County Civil Grand Jury Report on Permanent Supportive Housing Projects
- The City Attorney presented a draft response to the Ventura County Civil Grand Jury report regarding the City's selection of a development manager for the Permanent Supportive Housing Project. The Council reviewed the findings item by item, discussing the appropriate tone and language for the responses.
- The Council agreed to modify responses for several findings to reflect agreement with explanations regarding the lack of an open and competitive process, timeline constraints, and staff turnover. Specifically:
- The Council agreed to modify responses for Findings 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 to "agree" or "agree with explanation," acknowledging that while the City complied with certain provisions, it did not conduct a fully open and competitive process, and that timeline constraints were aggressive.
- For Finding 11, the Council agreed to maintain a "disagree" response, noting the City understood the grant application to be binding.
- For Finding 15 regarding lack of public transparency, the Council discussed the subjective nature of the finding. It was agreed to adopt a response stating agreement that the selection was not conducted through an open and competitive process, but noting that the project as a whole had been subject to extensive public engagement through 22 public meetings since late 2023.
- Regarding the finding that a lack of alignment resulted in delays, the Council decided to acknowledge the lack of alignment but disagree with the assertion that this resulted in delays impacting project progress, noting the project remains on track.
- Regarding recommendations, the Council refined the response to note that the City has been evaluating revisions to its purchasing ordinance since January 2026. The Council decided not to vote on the Grand Jury report response during this meeting. Instead, it was agreed that the report would be revised to incorporate the discussed edits and placed on the consent calendar for the next meeting for final approval.
Amendment to the Development Management Agreement
- The Council considered an amendment to the Development Management Agreement for the permanent supportive housing project. The proposed amendment would allow the contractor, Dignity Moves, to accept donations without requiring separate Council approval for each donation, provided the donations do not result in additional financial or operational obligations to the City and do not increase the development budget beyond approved limits.
- Discussion focused on the necessity of the amendment to facilitate potential donations, such as a previously identified $1 million offer. Concerns were raised regarding transparency and donor backgrounds. It was noted that the City retains the ability to review donor agreements and reject donations that impose conditions. The City Attorney confirmed the amendment requires mutual agreement.
- A motion was made to approve the amendment with the revisions discussed. The motion was seconded and passed.
Request for Proposal (RFP) for Permanent Supportive Housing Operator
- The Council discussed a draft RFP to solicit an operator for the permanent supportive housing project. The operator would be responsible for property management and connecting residents to supportive services. A representative from Help of Ojai expressed concerns that the proposed RFP structure might exclude local providers from case management roles. Council members expressed a desire to better understand funding mechanisms and operational models before proceeding.
- The Council decided to delay the RFP process. A motion was made to form an ad hoc committee consisting of Council members Ruhl and Whitman to work with City staff, the City Attorney, and external experts to revise the RFP and provide a more robust informational presentation. The committee is to report back in September. The motion was seconded and passed.
Passed 5–0 · unanimous
Council Member Reports
- Council Member Whitman provided a report on the Planning Commission meeting, noting high public attendance and the Commission's work on complex projects, including one involving a business with nearby residential impacts.
Public Safety Commission Update
- The Public Safety Commission held its first meeting. It was noted that the commission will generally meet on the third Monday of the month, with a special meeting scheduled for August 24th. The commission is reviewing the speed hump policy with the intent to expand it.
Water Adjudication
- The water adjudication matter was discussed. It was noted that the proposal has been submitted to the judge and is available for public review in the local newspaper.
Future Agenda Items and Adjournment
- Several potential future items were identified for discussion, including cultural monitors, a review of the OVM contract, and data collection regarding privacy. A request was made for a clarification report regarding legal spending. The meeting was adjourned.