City Council — July 27, 2026

Thank you, I'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.

Thank you. Madam Clerk roll call please.

Carol who have absolutely molded our future of Simi Valley. So thank you for putting that beautiful recognition together. She's going to watch this If she happens to show up, when that time comes I'll have her come forward and take a bow. But anyway, just wanted to say thank you. Thank you. Council Member Judge?

Thank you Madam Mayor. I just wanted to say my family's relationship with Kids & Things goes all the way back to my brother attending Kids & Things. Well, my children went to Kids & Things and her contribution to our community through her love of our children and of our community is immeasurable. I'm going to miss her and hope the location stays going for a long, long time.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, members of the City Council next on the agenda is item 2 public statements on appointments special presentations and information reports and we have no public comment or items under this item. Madam Mayor and members of City Council, next on the agenda is item 4 public statements. If you are participating by phone and wish to provide public comment please raise your hand by pressing star 9 while waiting to be recognized please remain on the line and listen to the instructions Agenda item number four is the time set aside for public statements from individuals who have submitted a speaker card as well as those participating by phone.

Because there are no public hearings scheduled for this evening, all public statements will be heard under agenda item number four. Agenda items four and six are designated for public statements on all matters except public hearings appointments and informational reports. Speakers will be called on in the order their car was submitted and we'll have up to three minutes to address the City Council.

Speakers participating by phone will be recognized after all in-person speakers have been called. When the clerk recognizes you and you will be prompted to press star six to unmute your phone before addressing the city council, and we'll have up to three minutes to speak. The mayor will notify you when you have 30 seconds remaining. Persons addressing the City Council are requested to state their name and community residence for the record before you begin their comments.

Madam Mayor, unless you have any comments we can begin public statements.

Please proceed.

I will call three speakers at a time so you know who you follow. Richard Douglas, Ben Davis and Chris Herwin.

Hi, my name is Richard Douglas and I live at the springtime condos off of Cochrane. And there's a safety issue I'd like to address, I'd like to get looked at. Months ago, a lady was killed there. She was hit by a car. There's no safe way to cross Cochran and Atherwood Lane. And she kind of dodged traffic and winged it. And she lost. So what I'm proposing or hope, I don't know how they go about it. That's why I'm here but I would like to get a left turn lane light, a left turn light put there For the traffic, because there's been two T-bones and the lady was killed.

And if you look to the left and you look to the right it's all trees. It's hard to see what's coming and what's not coming. The only way to get out there is to go into the center lane and wait till the traffic goes by then take a break. But to get across the street as a pedestrian is next to impossible. So I see the high school kids going through and they'd be banded together, go okay let's go. They wait for a clearing and they run across the street. I don't think that's a way for the high schoolers to have to go to school because the parents drop them off in the Harley parking lot and there's ice cream or the drink truck there or coffee truck. They get their goodies but then you still gotta make it to school or they do the same thing at the end of the day But I'm proposing maybe a push button crosswalk on Archer Lane, or close to it so they can safely walk across the street.

And a left turn lane so that cars coming out can safely make a turn because visibility unless it's perfectly clear, it's hard to see. I think that's a safety issue and it's something to be looked at. I don't know what else to do. Is there somebody I can contact for somebody? You need petitions, you need signatures, you need... The city

manager will address it.

So thank you Mr. Douglas we have received previous requests for an evaluation of this area at Atherwood and Cochran. City staff is waiting until school begins to do the traffic assessment there to get a true vision of really what the traffic impacts are in that area before making any kind of recommendation to the council.

What they're doing is they're putting into charging stations, you got 16 units and each unit takes two cars and that's just going to add to I mean that's 32 units, 32 more cars that are ready to go and I don't know what I guess until somebody else gets hurt or some more accidents really nobody's gonna even Good evening mayor, councilmembers and

city staff. My name is Ben Davis

Tonight, I want to start with a thank you. I understand the staff memo on this issue has been released to the City Council and I want to thank City Manager Argybright and her staff for the work that went into it. I'm not privy to the information contained within the memo but this was never about me getting to look at a document. It's about making sure this council has what it needs to act and that's really why I keep coming back.

To make sure the council has the information needed to build a strong Simi Valley and to make sure the door stays open for whomever decides it's time to walk through it. Somewhere in that memo is the start of a good story for Simi Valley. A story about a council that took a real housing tool seriously, sent it to staff and then had the courage to put it on an agenda and vote.

And this is not a small thing because the math in front of us is not gentle. The state is requiring Simi Valley to build 2,800 dwelling units by 2029. We're five years into that eight-year clock, and we have built 1,300. That leaves a gap of 1,500 units to be built in two and a half years. At that pace, we don't get there. We cannot close a gap like that with the same tools that got us into it.

This city needs every practical solution it can find and movable tiny homes are one of the most workable ones on the table. So tonight I'm not asking for a decision. I'm just asking that whoever reads that memo and sees what I see feels free to say so out loud. And that's all it takes is asking to put it on the agenda. And thank you for your time. And thank you for getting us this close.

Thank you, Mr. Davis.

Chris Irwin.

Good evening. My name is Christine Herwin. I've lived here in Simi since 91. I spoke with a city manager a few weeks ago and I was telling her that I was quite appalled by some of our neighborhoods, especially our neighborhoods from maybe the 1950's and their condition and how run down they were. And also near some of our little grammar schools as well. So I also left a message for Ms. Cavanaugh which you never called me back And for Mr. Rhodes, he never called me back.

The thing is you need to see it for yourself. I want you to take a ride down Cochrane. Take a left on Callahan as soon as you take a left, take a quick right on Agnew. The first four homes are so bad the weeds are up to here there's no numbers on the front of house It's just appalling. There are cars parked up on the lawn, on the grass, trash cans all out in the front, windows that don't work, the paint is really bad and then the neighborhood qualities just go down because people aren't told this is how we live here in Simi.

You know, we're not in the position where we can't hurt our neighbors and the value of their homes. And there was one house that was quite appalling. It was at 3297 Elmore that I've been talking about to code enforcement for 15-16 years. I'm 80 years old and I have never seen a house in such bad condition. The trees were so big they actually Sell over the property with the branches on the ground.

Ma'am, you need to address the council?

You could not see the windows or the front door it was like the house was in Yosemite or something and The neighbors next door I said well their property was being invaded by all these trees And I said, what do you do? He goes they won't do anything about it. Most people on our street have complained to code enforcement and they do nothing about it. That's the bad part because everybody's property values go down.

Now most homes in city look pretty nice but when you go down streets like Agnew and Anderson is atrocious Six cars parked on the lawn, one house had three boats on the yard. You know trees just trashed and junk all over the place and fences that are all broken down. I tell code enforcement please Mr. Jesus could you please just...

I'm sorry Miss Irwin your time is up

And just look at this and see what you can do, but they don't do it.

Thank you.

And I'd like to know why you never called me

back.

That was quite rude actually.

Oh, I apologize for that. I asked somebody to assist you. Thank you. One second. I'm sorry the yellow 30-second light is not coming on. It stayed green the whole time? The next week the next three speakers

Deb Dickerson Dale Steinick and Doreen Stoutland

Good evening Mayor Cavanaugh, City Council members. My name is Deb Dickerson resident of Simi Valley running for City Council District 4. I'm here tonight to ask the city and the City Council to begin a conversation about data centers before one is proposed in our city. Data centers are the backbone of digital economy. They power everything from online banking, emergency communications, streaming services, cloud storage, artificial intelligence. They're an important infrastructure and they're not inherently good and they're not inherently bad.

Modern data centers consume an enormous amount of energy They require millions of gallons of water a year for cooling, depending on whatever technology is being used. And these impacts are important and we need to do some careful consideration in that area. Data centers occupy large industrial buildings and although they can generate some amazing property tax revenue for the city and construction jobs, in the long run there's very few permanent job opportunities once these data centers are completed.

There's also quality of life considerations, the backup generators, the cooling equipment, the electrical substations. They create noise and visual impacts if they're not thoughtfully designed. They require a significant electrical infrastructure upgrades that can affect all of our surrounding communities. Communities around the country are really involved in this conversation right now, and so CME really needs to get involved in this right now. In Ventura County there's a small-scale data center proposal for Ventura on the fairgrounds up in Ventura County.

Some of the options include a ban, which is what Monterey Park has done. There's zoning regulations, which is what Alhambra used to restrict data centers in their city. There's performance standards. There's temporary moratoriums, which allows cities to look at the long-term impacts. That's what Montebello, El Monte, Baldwin Park have all done. You have to look at the renewable power, water conservation all of the noise and community benefits.

My request tonight is simple let's be proactive not reactive before our proposal arrives in the city desk it'd be prudent for staff to look at it. and develop some clear standards that protect our community. Demand for data centers is expected to continue for many years, and the decisions that we make right now are going to affect our community for decades.

I encourage the council to put this issue on a future agenda and discuss and have public input. So thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Good evening mayor, council members. I'm Dale Steinick. I own a company called Ultimate Locations. I negotiate TV and film location contracts as well as scout locations. In front of you is the list that I have all the locations that I've been getting, since our last committee meeting or since your last council meeting, you'll notice on the list you probably know quite a few of those locations. Well they're mine. They're my locations and I negotiate the contract when any film company comes to town Now it is my hope that this all works out because you said, Mayor, that you wanted a piece of the pie. Well, this is how you get the whole pie.

You get the... I have been going to every location, every place, every business and I'm not done. I do this every day so I'm hoping, I can't promise but I'm doing my best in getting these location. So when any production comes to Simi Valley, we might get that whole pie because in any film there's 10 to 12 locations and any TV show it's different like in any series There's three things that are going on right now.

You might know of, I don't know one is for Ventura County but the I've been to all the sets. I've talked to the producers. I've talked to the directors. I talked to the location managers and I've made sure that they know that I'm available when it comes to finding locations here in Simi Valley. Thank you.

Thank you Ms. Steinick

Do you have any questions? I'm sorry.

No, thank you for the list.

Hi, I'm throwing two things in there really fast. We're having a donor blood drive on August 4th for one of our own and a 12 year old named Arabella here from Simi Valley so we need everyone to come out to the blood drive OK, next to the on to the next. Thank you, Mayor, City Council and staff for your time. My name is Doreen Stoutland and a 10 year resident of The Woodlands.

So I have to say I am at a loss and I'm the last person to stand before you and say to consider KB Runkle Canyon's requests that they are seeking. I appreciate the city's due diligence to make the construction on the estate lots safe Because we all know the issues that are plaguing Talbert and other areas in the development. But if we are moving the gold posts that are dictated on the hard stops of the timeline, we should probably be willing to work together to adjust those hard stops as we are waiting for additional information requested by the city. Let's move to work together in another area of construction If this is not considered, this leaves us all at an impasse. But unfortunately the homeowners are the ones who continue to suffer the most.

We all need to work together to get this development finished. Thank you.

Thank you. The next three speakers, Ivana Chrisman, Royce Cadwell and Ronnie Hilde.

I'm not going to read all of this. Good evening Mayor Cavanagh and members of the City Council, my name is Ivana Krisman. I am a Planning Commissioner however tonight I'm only speaking exclusively as a resident of the Runkle Canyon project. Right now it feels as though the city and the developer are two giants battling each other while the residents are trapped in the middle and taking the punches you can imagine that We are living with unfinished streets, continued uncertainty, legitimate safety concerns and no clear understanding on when or how this project will finally be completed. I'm asking you to please not continue this. I am asking both sides to stop trading accusations and begin working through a transparent solution oriented process.

This community deserves a clean public accounting of what has been completed, what remains unsolved and who is responsible for each remaining action and when each action will be completed. I respectfully ask the City Council to direct the city staff and the developer to immediately establish a working group that includes the appropriate licensed technical professionals from both sides.

If you can't agree on that, bring in mutually acceptable ones. Please do everything within your power and authority to move forward with paving of the Bug Brush and Purple Sage Streets. If those streets can't proceed separately from the disputed area please find a way to separate that work and get it done. Safety must never be compromised, but safety must not become a blanket justification for indefinite delays.

We need an expedited process that remains thorough, technically sound and protective of both existing and future residents. The city and the developer need to sit down at the same table, work from the same verified facts and pursue the same objective. A safe transparent accountable and fast track path to completing this community. Most importantly keep the residents informed formed and meaningfully involved we are not bystanders in this process every question we ask of the city is always the same answer it's with a city attorney legal considerations should not become a wall between the city Please find a way, because right now all I hear from our residents is are the homes safe for us to be in?

This is our neighborhood, our safety, our homes and our investments. We're here tonight asking for transparency, accountability and action. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, I'm going to read mine. I am Royce Cabell and thank you all. I too am with the Woodlands. I'm coming with a different perspective. KB is using the fire as yet another excuse because they haven't made progress And the areas they're building, there were areas that were maybe affected by the fire but that was only two of the lots and they have asked for five years. That seems to be their number as an extension. We asked for three last year you gave them five and a year later they're coming back asking for more time using the fire as an excuse They have other state lots that can be working on in the meantime, as well as the senior center. They clearly have no intention of being done within the five years you gave them as this has been consistent.

Going on it will be over 15 years since I've lived in the wilderness if you include the five-year extension You gave them last year and more for those in the first phase. I am in the second phase And we were told that the senior center would be completed the following year We moved in in November of 2015. You need to stop giving them extensions They don't ever come through and they continue to ask for more They could be building in the senior center property or the other estate lots while they wait for their soil samples They need to show the city proof of funding to complete the build out, which I don't believe they have. They will continue to ask for extensions because even though the city if I'm not mistaken had said in the past that you wouldn't grant any more extensions, you do continue to do so.

This needs to stop. We as homeowners are being frustrated and at this point possibly need to get maybe media presence here to let other areas in the United States and in our area know that it takes KB well over 15 years and they still can't complete a project.

Thank you.

Ronnie Hilldale?

My complaint is city employees not doing their jobs. I walked a dog along the wash down by Harbor Freight, down by First Street I've been walking dogs down there for years, and now I'm starting to find hypodermic needles. The trash along there is building up. I took one hypodermic needle to the police station and it was like it went in one ear and out the other, you know? There's people sleeping down there in the middle of the bike path You gotta dodge these e-bikes that are, there's signs all over no motor vehicles. If they got a motor on them if it's electric it's still a motor and nothing is being done about that.

And I had my windows tinted in my truck and when I had them tinted the guy says well I can't do dark windows because you'll get a ticket Well, if that's the case I can go out here in the parking lot and probably pick out 10 cars. It's got black windows and the police aren't doing anything about that. And then that's all I gotta say but how come you weren't in your office at 930 this morning?

Mayor?

I was home ill this morning.

Pardon me?

I was home ill this morning.

Oh okay thank you.

Thank you

The next three speakers, Frank Tomlinson, Jamie Sanchez and Seth Putnam.

Good evening. Since the last time that I addressed the council, I have taken the time to review the memo that the city put out regarding the military banners that hang around our community. I also took the time to look back at the first time that i addressed the council. I realized that when I addressed the council the first time that was asking for you to allow us to be able to distribute the military banners from our location in the Simi Valley Mall. Since that time and the weeks that followed, my team and I have reconsidered that and realized that's not the most prudent approach but it would be better for us to be able to do this around a city event. It would be able to distribute the banners in a place that would be more like the Veterans Plaza in the mall or a similar location like that Distributing the banners at an event allows veterans to shake hands with one another.

to give meaningful interactions with people like the CEO of Veteran Mentor Project, James Espinoza or a veteran business owner Chris Dunn who owns Coverage Six and employs hundreds of veterans in our community. The city's proposed list of resources is a step in the right direction and I do appreciate that but with all due respect veterans get plenty of lists and phone numbers Our idea is conversations with people in the community that can make real change in veterans' lives.

Simi Valley's sons and daughters deserve better than another list of phone numbers. The city memo mentioned the risk to the city by partnering with Vets and Valor, but risk works both ways as well. We need to consider that the risk for veterans being underserved or worse. A few years back, a young Marine told me he was struggling. He found himself laying in the middle of his living room on his carpet considering that he was done with life.

I connected this Marine with one of our resources, through which he was able to experience healing and today he is thriving. He has a young daughter and another on the way. He has a beautiful young family. He's recently graduated from Cal Lutheran University with a master's and he's actually gonna have license in marriage and family therapy that he will be practicing with here locally.

I'm grateful that I was there for him but we can do But there are more veterans in our community struggling in the same way, and the risk of not doing all that we can is simply too great. I would ask that the council would reconsider the issue and allow Vets and Valor to fill a gap that would benefit the entire community. Thank you.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional lands of the Chumash people. I honor their enduring connection to this land and pay my respects to their elders past and present Good evening, my name is Jamie Sanchez. It has been almost a year since Michael Robinson was attacked and assaulted. It has almost been a year since I realized that one person's voice can help create change. That's why I keep coming back.

August has always marked turning points in my life. August 12th 2002, I joined the Navy. August 12th 2010, I was honorably discharged. And on August 12 2016, I nearly lost my life in a car accident. Living with PTSD from both military service and the challenges of returning to civilian life has changed me in ways I never expected. It taught me that healing doesn't happen alone, people need to know that they belong, that they're seen and that their community cares. Healing isn't just about health care it's about feeling like you belong in the community you come home to.

August is also National Wellness Month, Black Business Month including the International Day of World's Indigenous People, August 9th and Women Equality Day, August 26. These observance remind us that strong communities are built by recognizing the people who make them stronger. Being a veteran is a privilege. It's not an entitlement, it is a sacrifice and a commitment I made to this country. And I believe serving my community didn't end when I took off the uniform but coming home was the hardest part. I didn't know where to turn or who to talk to so when you discuss something as simple as veteran banners, I hope you also think about how your decisions make a veteran feel welcomed, valued, and at home. FYI, never received a banner.

As a single parent, I teach my children to use their voices and to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves. Again, that's why I'm here. There is always more to say than three minutes aloud. Sometimes I feel heard and sometimes I feel like I'm simply filling a speaking slot but I will continue showing up because representation isn't about agreeing with every voice it's about listening to every voice If you are here to represent this city, then I ask that you represent all of it. Every resident regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, veteran status or documentation. That's what public service looks like.

That's the Simi Valley I will continue to advocate for and I hope you'll stand with all of us in building it. And last, what I'd like to include. When I last spoke here on June 22nd, I said that 42 people had been abducted here in Simi Valley. Today that number is 49. Whether you agree with me or not, my message remains the same. We should be protecting all people.

Every member of our community deserves to be treated with dignity and humanity. Thank you.

Thank you Ms. Sanchez.

Seth Putnam, Vocational Rehabilitator for Individuals with Physical and Developmental Disabilities. From Yosemite and Stern Street to all the way down about, I want to say Tapo Canyon, for the last 10 years there's been an infestation of coyotes coming down from out of the hills. They've been killing and eating pets. There are danger to children in the area I take it either nothing's being done about it or if something is being done, it's clearly not enough because it's still happening.

I would wish for somebody on this board to take care of that after 10 long years please and as a side note, I second Simi Valley's abstinence from adopting a data center. We've already got Rocketdyne. We don't need to turn into Flint Michigan. Thank you.

Madame Mayor, the last speaker here in person is Travis Foster.

Hello, my name is Travis Foster. I've been a citizen here pretty much my whole life and I'm also here about the coyote infestation that has been affecting our community. This has been going on for several years since the fires we had about maybe six or seven years ago they seem to have pushed coyotes into our neighborhoods and I have lost My local neighborhood where I live, my street the ABC tract has lost six cats to coyote attacks in the last year or so.

And I'm here because of one of my neighbor's cats Emily a cute little sweet brown tabby cat that unfortunately a few weeks back ago was eaten by coyotes and When I first got my cat, Kiki, she used to be able to go out at night. She is an indoor-outdoor cat. She enjoys being outside and being indoors. And since the coyote attacks we have to keep her inside at night because she is in danger if she goes out.

The other thing about the coyotes that I think needs mentioning is they're not just a threat to our furry friends, our animal companions. They're a threat to our citizens as well because a few months ago, I was going to work. I get up at work at about 7, 8 AM, go to the office and in broad daylight walking down the street while kids were walking to the elementary school near me I saw a large coyote with huge chunks of fur missing, covered in bugs, covered in flies walking around the sidewalks at the same time children were going to school. And it made me wonder what would happen if one of these coyotes bit and attacked one of our kids?

A disturbing thought, and I'm hoping that everybody here will listen and think hard about this. And involve animal control and do something with this coyote infestation before something terrible happens. Thank you everybody.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, that was the last speaker in person. If there are any participants by phone and you'd like to speak please press star 9 to raise your hand We do not have any hands raised. Madam Mayor, that was the last speaker this evening.

Thank you Any council members wish to I'm sorry

Madam Mayor members of City Council next on the agenda is item for a council comments regarding public statements

It was getting ahead of myself. Sorry My reader is not having anyone come up. Can somebody put a name on just to see if it'll switch over there? It did, okay thank you. Council Member Rhoads

I was just testing the system. No, I'm... Thank you everyone for coming out to speak. We'll do kind of a group thing for those concerned about the woodlands we will be having a conversation about that later so we'll kind of let that happen. Doreen however, I am already signed up for the blood drive so I encourage everyone to do that. We need a few more spots filled.

Oh, Chris Irwin. Still here? She made a comment about not getting back I think both mayor and I do the same thing we get these requests for information and we pass them within the chamber to staff and that's my fault for not getting back so I would apologize to her if you were here That I didn't specifically get back and say that I heard you and passed on the information about the houses in disrepair.

Coyote infestation, I have not been familiar with that side of the valley. All the time, but they're in the sort of the park lands behind. But they do occasionally get in and get our animals I'm not sure what the city's role in coyote abatement is versus Park and County

So We have some information on our website about coyotes primarily when we work with the county for animal services They really want to ensure education is happening and they will come out and Do presentations to Neighborhood Council and we've put out some information previously. Like I said, there's some information on our website mostly it's about discouraging coyotes from coming down and from being in yards so like not leaving food out making sure that any kind of fruit is picked up off the ground if you have fruit trees or bushes or things like that while you can report a coyote interaction to Ventura County Animal Services at 805-388-4341 typically that is going to be if there's an actual interaction Not just if you see a coyote because they will not come out just to pick up a coyote.