City Council — February 24, 2026

you Good evening, we'd like to call this meeting to order. Mr. City Attorney are there any reports from closed session?

Thank you Madam Mayor nothing to report out of closed session today.

public comments at city council and school board meetings. The forum ended with students and dignitaries collaborating on action plans to improve safety. To ensure this work continues, the Youth Council is scheduling follow-up meetings to help these students implement their action plans and go beyond what they learned today. The Youth Council is currently partnering with the Simi Film Festival to launch the first Simi Youth Film Festival, partnering with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District to create meditation stations in our local parks. And partnering with Hollow Hills Elementary to host a leadership workshop for their fourth and fifth graders. Please mark your calendars for two major upcoming events on March 20th In partnership with Santa Susana High School's International Club, we are hosting our third annual Roots and Rhythm Multicultural Night at Santa Susana High School.

We are still looking for cultural boots and performances so if anyone is interested please contact multicultural underscore night on Instagram Next on April 11th, we will be hosting our 8th Annual Community Talent Show. Now at this time I would like everyone to follow the Simi Valley Youth Council on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at simivalleyyouthcouncil as well as on TikTok at svyc2929 The next Youth Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 3rd from 5 p.m to 6 15 p. m here at City Hall in the community room. Once again I would like to thank Mayor Kavanaugh and the city council for inviting me to speak tonight. Thank you again for empowering us to make a difference.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you that was a wonderful presentation. Thank you. And Council Member Rhodes?

Thank you Madam Mayor. First question, what time did you get up this morning?

Okay this morning I actually got up at 630 so like not too early. And you have been

going non-stop the entire day because I saw you earlier at the Youth Forum and...

Thank you I really appreciate

it. It was a completely impressive thing this morning that I got to attend and watch the pieces that I got to watch and one of the things that I would share with the people at the table was Whenever Youth Council comes to present, it is a master class on how reports are supposed to be made to council. And anyone else looking and you need to make report, watch this video. You guys do a great job all the time and thank you for serving our community talking with the Westlake students. They were like, this is so cool that you guys do this over here and well done.

Thank you. Thank you.

Mayor Pro Tem Litster? I'm actually trying to put some dates in my, that are not on my phone. You make me tired just listening to you. And I think it's true that the Youth Council do such wonderful things and yes, I really wanted to just comment what a great gathering it was today. Just the variety and topics and the purposefulness of what was planned that there's an outcome. It wasn't just sitting and being entertained. It was everyone let's get together and do something. It was really impressive so well done. Thank you so much.

Well done. Council Member Ayala?

Thanks, it was a great event today and I was with the freshmen and they were so smart. They had such great ideas that it was they were not talking to a freshman. You were talking to these adults with great ideas and the best part about today was that we did not hear Mr. Fowler speak and I say that Right. And I say that because he does such a great job of allowing them to lead the entire program from the transitions of what we're going to do next, to bringing the group back together, to leading the activities, to setting the goal for the next event and I think that's really why the groups helps is being successful is because you allow that space so I say that jokingly but at the same time it's a great learning experience for them. And I think you would agree how much that helps you, right?

By being a leader there.

Yeah, I definitely agree. I think without Youth Council, I wouldn't be at the place I am today, especially with my confidence level and my speaking level and just leadership in general. I think Youth Council really transformed my commitment to

the

community.

Very good. We'll keep up the good work. Thanks.

And we really appreciate everything you and Naslene do. So keep it up, and we look forward to hearing from you guys again. Thank you very much.

Thank you!

Madam Mayor and members of the City Council, next on the agenda is Item 4, Public Statements. Since there are no public hearings under Agenda Item 5, Agenda Items 4 and 6 are combined and the City Council will hear all public statements under this agenda item four. Agenda items four and six are the times allotted for public statements on all items other than public hearings, appointments, and information reports. Speakers will be called in the order in which their card was submitted to speak for this public statement's item four for a period of no more than three minutes each. Persons addressing the City Council are requested to state their name and community residence for the record Madam Mayor unless you have any comments, we can begin public statements.

Please proceed

Thank You I Will call three three names at a time so, you know who you follow Ken Davis Alin escrow, I mean, I'm sorry Alin Eason And Anthony Eason

Good evening Mayor, Council Members and City Officials. My name is Ben Davis in District 4, President of Piglet Tiny Homes here in Simi Valley. Thank you for your time tonight. I'm here because I was born and raised in Simi Valley and we're facing a housing crisis that many families can no longer ignore. The cost of living has risen dramatically. The median home price in our region is well over $800,000.

Construction costs for a traditional foundation built ADU often range between $250,000 to $500,000 and can take over two years to complete. For retirees who want to downsize but stay close to their children, for young adults who cannot afford to leave home, and for homeowners trying to offset rising mortgage costs there's a gap in our housing options. Movable Tiny Homes fills that gap.

These homes are built like traditional houses, framed with 2x4, 2x6 construction, built with standard residential siding double-pane windows, full kitchens, full bathrooms and permanent sleeping areas. They meet and exceed the governing body standards and are inspected by independent third party agencies for compliance. A valid concern which arises is that allowing movable tiny homes as dwellings would allow for any RVs to be used as a dwelling. Now, this is where we need a clearly written ordinance. We don't want RVs.

An ordinance can clearly prohibit features typical of RVs such as slide outs, pop-outs, rooftop mechanical equipment and fiberglass siding while requiring residential grade insulation, traditional siding materials, concealed undercarriages and proper utility connections We can clearly define what qualifies and guarantee that standard RVs are not allowed. This isn't theoretical. 22 municipalities across California have already adopted movable tiny home ordinances. Cities like San Luis Obispo and San Diego have successfully implemented them as ADUs. These jurisdictions have demonstrated that movable tiny homes can help meet RHNA requirements, expand housing supply and preserve neighborhood character. They increase housing density gently without large apartment complexes or major infrastructure strain.

Simi Valley has an opportunity to lead, to provide flexible housing solutions without compromising safety or aesthetics. I invite each of you and anyone interested to come tour our shop on Easy Street and see how these homes are built. We are ready to partner with you to craft an ordinance that protects our community while expanding opportunity. To help seniors age in place, allow adult children to stay near family and give homeowners practical solutions. Thank you for your consideration.

Good evening, my name is Elin Eason and I'm a resident of Simi Valley. Now is the time for City Council members to create an ordinance to ban short-term rentals. No one wants to live next door to an STR or motel City Council received signed petitions with over 430 names of residents who want a total ban. Also, all four neighborhood councils voted overwhelmingly that STRs are not wanted or needed. Two of the neighborhood councils even made motions to ban all STRs – a very strong statement that the city council should not ignore. Neighborhood councils' decisions should be seriously considered.

STRs are not compatible with the existing city zoning code, which was crafted to have residential zones separate from business areas. An STR is not just using a room in a residential house as a home office for a business. The homes that become STRs are the business. They become neighborhood motels for transient guests. This is not why neighborhood homes were built.

Residents do not want their property values to decrease by living next to or near an STR. 60% of all buyers see STRs as a negative. 31% of buyers would pay more for a home in a city that bans STRs altogether. STRs impact the supply of affordable housing. They take away availability from possible full-time residents who want to live, contribute and support a neighborhood community. The safety and character of residential neighborhoods is being compromised by the constant number of transients staying at STRs Visitors should support the motels and hotels here. I think there are always rooms available, and Simi is planning to build another hotel in the near future.

The most important reason to ban all short-term rentals is because the majority of residents want a ban. And all of you on the City Council should listen and represent the people who have put their faith and their trust in you to do what is right. No one wants an STR next door to them. Please consider an ordinance to ban our search and rentals. Thank you.

My name is Anthony Eason, I'm an advocate for a ban of short-term rentals in Simi Valley. Council members have claimed that bans on short term rentals don't work. The council's statement supporting that claim is that there are listings on facilitated websites in cities where they are banned. There is data which supports that legalizing and regulating does not stop violators as well.

The City of Los Angeles has had an ordinance regulating STRs that took effect in July of 2019. It is stated in a August 28, 2025 LA Times article that despite that ordinance the Los Angeles Housing Department estimates that 7500 homes are currently operating illegal in the city. The City of San Francisco has had an ordinance to regulate STRs since October of 2014. There are as many as 9,000 properties listed on ARBNB in San Francisco.

Only about 1,281 hosts are registered with the city office of short-term rentals. That indicates at least 82% of hosts are operating illegally. The City of Sacramento has had an ordinance to regulate STRs since 2016. As of July 2025, there were 2,165 listings available in Sacramento from ARB and BLO. Out of those 2,165 listings, 40% of listings have short-term rental licenses. That would mean that 60%, or around 1,300 homes listed are not licensed.

More recently, the smaller city of Del Mar has had an ordinance to regulate STR since 2024. Data indicates that there could be 21 unregistered STRs identified through online listings in this small city of 3,880 people. Even smaller cities face the same problems. The case can be made based on this data that legalization and regulation does not work. Criminals will always attempt to find ways to circumvent and violate laws. It comes down to the enforcement of laws.

Simi Valley is currently not enforcing existing municipal zoning code. An ordinance of any kind will require enforcement to be successful. There is no reason for Simi Valley residents to believe an ordinance to ban will not work, and one to regulate will. It's time to open up your minds and look at a possible ordinance to ban, as well as the one you are attempting to force on the people of Simi Valley without proper consideration of both. Thank you.

The next three speakers James McGillis, Dale Steinick and Ken Hurst

Mayor Cavanagh, members of the City Council and staff. I'm James McGillis an 18-year resident here in Simi Valley for less than eight hours last Thursday Airbnb included Ventura County in their $750 new host bonus program Associated with the FIFA Cup 2026 events at SoFi Stadium. Expected revenue for each FIFA Cup STR is $5,000 and that is for only eight matches. Although the threatened onslaught of new short-term rentals this summer in Simi Valley has abated, the Olympics are coming. The Olympics are coming. If history is prelude to the future, Airbnb We'll end their ilk, we'll offer even greater bonuses to new hosts in 2028 including Simi Valley. The LA 2028 Olympics will feature two main venues in the Sepulveda Basin only 18 miles from Simi Valley.

They will host BMX freestyle racing skateboarding and archery. In 2028 if STRs are legal in Simi Valley making 10 or $20,000 in a single summer is a temptation for any rental property owner. The anticipation of an antipode An Olympics windfall will curtail long-term rentals in Simi Valley. Why tie up a property long term when you can make a fortune in a single summer? Like inflation, once a property goes up on Airbnb it never comes down. With that the city's long-term rental pool will shrink drastically. Speaking of pools, I was thinking about our watershed. At the coast, Port Hueneme is struggling with STR zones. Upstream, both Camarillo and Moorpark have banned STRs. Simi Valley at the top of the Arroyo Simi Watershed stands exposed. If we legalize there will be a tsunami of dark money flooding over Rocky Peak.

The resulting torrent of new STRs will envelop quaint little Simi Valley and turn it into the clone of the dreaded San Fernando Valley. Like something out of an old movie, city staffers move slowly forward with a new code package for the Planning Commission to deny. Regardless of outcome there, the City Council will not see a final vote until May or possibly June. That puts us squarely in the middle of primary season. Council Member Litster will not be up for election at that time. Council Member Rhodes is running for both City Council and State Assembly if I understand it correctly. Mayor Pro Tem Judge is challenging Mayor Kavanaugh for her current seat. Council Member Ayala is running for election to his currently appointed seat. With the specter of legalization and regulation, STR's will be the defining issue in the June 2nd primaries.

Those who stand with the people and vote to deny the code changes and to ban STRs will see an easy path to victory. Those who stand with dark money interests and the legalization of short-term rentals will face rejection at the polls. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Dale Steinick I live here in Simi Valley, and I want to help promote filming here in the city. I'm trying to restart my business called Ultimate Locations. It's a film location business. I have a BA degree in PR marketing and wrote this book My House is a Great Location which you can find in the Simi Valley Library. I can't do this on my own. It'd be great if I could get a private or semi-private meeting with the council's film committee to explain what I actually do.

I have business cards available to anyone present who is interested in talking to me. Thank you very much.

Mrs. Spiney, if you'll leave a card? I meant to call you earlier and I lost your card so... You're in trouble then! I know but we'll get you situated. All right thank you.

Good evening. My name is Ken Hurst and I live in Simi Valley. First of all, the latest abduction numbers for ICE unchanged since I last talked to you. 33 people from Simi Valley. There have been more people taken out of Ventura County. We're up to 850 but for Simi we're unchanged at 33. Today I would like to talk a bit about the flock cameras around town. These are automated license plate readers There is a significant concern with these flock cameras about privacy.

I plan to talk about flock cameras over several meetings, as there is a lot to cover. I recently requested information about the locations of flock cameras in Simi Valley from the city government and to get some of the license plate data. The reply was to refer me to this Simi Valley Police Department transparency portal. On the one hand, I was glad that the request for license plate data was effectively denied.

On the other hand, the Transparency Portal is not maintained and has been downgraded in the last few months. The Transparency Portal states that there are 26 flock cameras in Simi. We are doing our own count and know of 34, and we're not done counting. The portal does not provide a map or other location information for the flock cameras. I have understood that Simi Valley restricts the use of their flock data.

However, there are 320 other entities listed as having access to CME data. 320 seems like a lot to me. How do we know that this data is not being misused by for example someone helping Texas track women getting an abortion or helping ICE? There is an audit feature where one can download a CSV file of the individual requests. I have accessed it three times since November of 25.

At first, a user code was included making it possible to see how many times the given user had accessed the data though it was not possible to know who that user was. Since January, the User ID field has just three stars. The system seems to be accessed about 500 plus times per month pretty consistently. There is a column where the reason for the access is supposed to be indicated When I accessed it on November 30th, all accesses had some sort of reason though a few were briefed to the point of being unclear. For example just the letter P or the word patrol but most clearly made some effort.

On January 28th 39 had a blank reason field. On February 23rd 43 percent Sorry, it was 39%. On February 23, 43% had a blank reason field. Please bring back the user ID field. Restate to officers that they need to make some effort to fill out the reason field. Update the number of cameras and please provide a map of the camera location.

Your time is up Mr. Hirsh, thank you.

The next three speakers, Rob Herr, Eliza Nichols and Jacqueline Tarosian.

Good evening, esteemed Mayor and distinguished members of the City Council. My name is Rob Herr and I have lived in Simi Valley since 1979. I serve you and those in our Water District Service Area as an Assistant Engineer. I've worked for the city and district for 28 years. Keeping in line with a City Council goal to ensure competitive compensation, I'd like to share the numbers that were originally shared with council by Justin Link two weeks ago And point out that the 6% that we are asking for is actually comparable to the 3% that management and SEIU recently received when they signed their contracts.

Management at 3% is about $9,114 per employee per year. SEIU at 3%, $8.12 per employee per year, and SVA's request of 6% is $9,067 per employee per year. These are all within $116 of each other. In addition we are not asking for an increase in Simi Flex or any one-time bonus as other units are getting. These numbers highlight the importance of having a class and comp study implemented by the city.

There are positions in all units that need to be adjusted, not on a flat percentage basis over the entire unit but adjusted for fair and competitive compensation. I urge the City Council to authorize and direct the negotiating team to complete the contract I'm grateful to have worked for the past 20 years in the city and district that I am a resident of, and I'm striving to make the city and district a great place to work. Thank you for your time.

Hi, Aliza Nichols. Don't worry, I'm not here to yell at anyone today. First of all, I really wanted to thank you guys for making this ordinance so fast and actually taking seriously that these e-bikes really need to be regulated. However, I wanted to address a couple things in here. It does say that you're not going to change any ordinance but it says that you guys are going to allow riding at a speed no greater than 15 miles an hour on the sidewalk. That is illegal already.

M2's are not allowed on the sidewalk so that's Making the streets more dangerous, not safer. When I also went through this you guys are recommending for the kids and whoever gets a ticket to do the CHP safety course which is not regulated there's no way to prove that they actually took the course they just click through pages so there's still problems in here that are not going to keep everybody safe while i appreciate that this was done and i can't force you guys to use our program This is still not covering full safety. It's not covering what they should be wearing, it's not covering where they should be riding. As someone who is really passionate about M2s, all the M2 are in our course, mopeds, scooters, all of that.

They already have a classification so I'm not really understanding why we're making new laws when we just need to enforce ones that we already have for M2. That's what we need to be doing. So I'm very hopeful that if you do change it, please don't allow them to ride on the sidewalks at all. It's already against the law and they should not be able to ride on the sidewalks. Thank you.

Good evening Madam Mayor, esteemed council members. My name is Jacqueline and since October 2024 my husband, my son and I have been residents of Simi Valley. In advance I appreciate your time listening to your constituents I have made statements about residential overflights from this podium before, but I would like to raise my concerns once again about the invasive, disturbing and non-stop presence of flight training or recreational planes in the area.

Although in my previous statements I approached the issue from a personal perspective, today I would like to bring it up from a broader perspective. Flight schools have grown exponentially out of Van Nuys, Whiteman, Camarillo and Santa Monica airports. For us as a community it is important to understand that real magnitude of the danger caused by flight training schools on our communities especially our kids elderly and other vulnerable groups such as pregnant women Lead pollution, I recently came across a podcast where subject experts discussed lead pollution in areas that are constantly sprayed with lead from prop planes.

They articulated and expressed boldly about how authorities and regulatory bodies try to create the impression that a complainer like me is alone, and that the lead pollution is minimal. However, we all know this is a widespread issue, and I am not alone for sure. It is known that unleaded fuel is largely available for those prop planes, but their owners and operators refuse to replace the leaded fuel because of costs associated with engine improvements and so on. I would like to reemphasize the danger and the chronic bio Cumulative impact of lead poison on children and all other groups have. It can cause cancer, lower IQ, create learning disabilities and attention problems but also memory problems including reduced cognitive functions. This information are collected by the way from OSHA gov.

There is noise pollution, which constant high level of noise frequently exceeding the decibel that is suitable for the human body can because of the overhead presence can cause health problems as well. And then there is also the risk of flight incident which happened on May 3rd in Simi Valley and I don't know what happened to that guy and February 15th in Camarillo. And by the way those Planes and their flight school do not have insurance coverage for people and property on ground. Thank you.

Thank you. I have done some research about

thank you. Madam Mayor, we have no other speakers next on the agenda is item 4A council member comments regarding public statements.

Thank you Council Member Rhoads

First, Ben, great to see you this weekend. We were up there for a different reason, but it was great to stumble on you and see you there. I like your product. It is complicated having wheels versus foundation, and if something can be crafted that is reasonable and acceptable then we should be working on that. So thank you for bringing that to our attention. It's an in-betweener. And it's certainly not an RV.

We have ordinance for those, but thank you for being here. Mr. McGillis, I was listening to your comments and all I could think about is if you were trying to sell the idea of getting a short-term rental, you did an outstanding job of how much money you could make at the Olympics. I'm not sure where you were going with that, but it was an interesting twist on your point of view.

Dale, thank you for coming. Filming is a huge part of our revenue increase and business increase development that we want to be doing. So if you have skills that we can capitalize on, it would be foolish not to engage. I think we've already got a connection going so thank you. The ordinance for e-bikes, we are going to have I think a healthy discussion and we'll get some future direction on that. But I took notes on your input so thank you for that and that's the end of my comments.

Thank you Mayor Pro Tem Litster

Thank you. Just quickly in order of conversation, although I appreciate the breadth of discussion this evening there's always so many things presented to us so thank you for your comments. Mr Davis of Piccola County Homes your homes are absolutely beautiful and I believe that they belong as if we're going to have ADUs which the state is required I believe that they belong in Simi Valley and so the discussion of how to make them compliant etc and to make that legal Thank you.

Thank you for showing us that you certainly care. I too, actually Mr. Miglos, I was fascinated to know that BMX Skateboarding and Archery are in the, I didn't know they were here in the San Fernando Valley and knowing we have the Skateboard Hall of Fame here in Simi Valley anyway, I was excited for that bit of knowledge as well so thank you again for all your comments. Dale good to see you here, I know that you have much to offer the film scene here in Simi Valley. I look forward to the conversations. Ken, thank you for your regular attendance and your concern about privacy and specifically FLOC cameras. Anyway, thank you for that education. And in your discussion about reasoning for use of FLOC cameras being uploaded there should be consistency so I would love to learn more about that but thank you for bringing that to our attention.

Rob, we care about the engineers. It's a discussion we have had and continue to have and we want to be sure that we are treating all of our employees fairly and I know that we will get to the end zone soon. Aliza, thank you for being here and thank you for your passion. And we understand where you come from, from a loving heart and having loss. And so thank you for your consistent desire to help Simi Valley and better our e-bike regulation discussion. So appreciate you being here tonight.

That might be Jacqueline over our wonderful flight. I don't think we are, as we've had discussions before about what is allowed and obviously it's regulated by the FAA but your being here and bringing to our attention reminds us that we need to be mindful that rules are being obeyed Your concern about increasing potential fallout of fuel, et cetera is very concerning. So I will continue to look at that but thank you for your comments.

I think that's it for tonight but again thank you for the variety and all of your many passions so appreciate it. Thank you council member Ayala.

Thank you first to this the city manager questions Do you just projected dates for both the tiny homes and STRs?

So STRs is going to Planning Commission in March, and then it takes about six weeks for it to come back to the City Council. So I would anticipate April or early May for STRs. And then the Tiny Homes Memo is on my desk, and I'm working on that to get that to you as soon as possible.

Very good. Thank you. All right so to Ben I think the challenge you have, which you addressed is that there's a difference between an RV and a tiny home. And I think that's where you just have to continue to focus on that piece because I think that's going to make the big distinction. So you did a good job of explaining that and what the difference might be.

We know what's coming up soon. For Ms. Steinick, I'm going to pass the card over if you can give it to the city clerk please. I'm on the film commission committee as part of my assignment here so they're going to pass my card there. If you can get a hold of me we can work on maybe even looping you into that group okay? Mr. Hurst, the police chief had given us a presentation on the Flock cameras and the fact that nothing is shared outside of the agency.

And if you still have questions about that he's in the back of the room but at some point if he is saying these are the rules this is what we're not doing you're going to have to accept that we're not doing what some other jurisdictions may be doing Right, so I'm sure he's providing the accurate information and is not holding anything from us. So at some point we have to say CME is maybe doing better than what other jurisdictions are and we're not doing something else but I do understand all those other items like Mayor Pro Tem mentioned like making sure we document better and all of that stuff to keep it up-to-date Ms. Nichols, thank you for wanting to be part of the solution. We know that the education part of the e-bikes is going to be a big part of making the ordinance successful and for the flight training It's, it's a tough one right because number you had come multiple times and said they don't respond back.

And you had sent us emails with this, and I've tried to reach out to on behalf of you a couple times. They don't respond back either. And so it is one of those that were kind of kind of stuck there and every time I see the plane. As I'm in the backyard with the dog, right? I'm thinking this is exactly what she's talking about. So thanks for continuing to fight that and hopefully something might come... we might have a resolution sometime soon. Okay thank you.

Thank You Councilmember Judge.

Thank you Madam Mayor. Not really too much else to add by council member colleagues who've covered all your comments adequately. I want to just say thank you for coming out and sharing your comments and time with us tonight.

Thank you. Ben, I would love to come out and see your tiny homes. I miss them at the street fair as I had to leave and I'm really excited I'll get in touch with you. I'd love to come and take a tour. I might need one for me. So Easton's and McGillis thank you for being here and being so passionate about the STRs. You know where I stand so we'll go from there.

Dale, thank you for coming here tonight and reacquainting. That's perfect we'll get you involved in that. Mr. Hirsch, I have an ongoing conversation so we'll work on that. Engineers yes Rob we are working on it. I know it's been a tough road but we'll get there. We will find an end happy end for everybody. Ms. Nichols thanks you for coming out for the e-bikes this is going to be a good conversation. And then Jacqueline yes Just like Councilmember Ayala said, I'm outside with my grandkids in the pool and I hear the planes and I'm like there are more than there used to be. You know I never really thought about it so but really appreciate everybody coming out and taking your time to speak to us and express your ideas and I want to say a welcome to leadership class of 2026 sitting back there.

So thank you for being here also all right that's all for us Madam Clerk

Madam Mayor and members of the City Council. Next on your agenda is item 7, the Consent Calendar and there are no resolutions for your consideration this evening.

Any comments or questions on the Consent Calendar?