City Council — October 12, 2026

Good evening, everybody. Thank you we'd like to open this meeting Mister City Attorney can you? Can you are there any reports from closed session? Thank you Madam Mayor no report from closed

session.

Are

there any items for agenda review? Yes, Madam Mayor. There is one item. There's a supplemental on Item 9B.

Thank you. I move that all resolutions and ordinances presented tonight be read in title only and all further reading be waived. Second.

Call for the vote.

Apologize we need to do it one more time. The motion passes unanimously.

Thank you. If any member of the City Council may have a conflict of interest or any reason why that member must abstain from considerations on any matter on this agenda, he or she should so declare at this time. Seeing none Madam Clerk we may move

October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As Chief said, we are only about a dozen people here tonight but there are about 70 members in our club or organization that work hard throughout the year to fundraise to help provide awards and grants to women some of whom are victims of domestic violence Those awards can help them, help those survivors get a safer brighter future for themselves and their children. So we're wearing purple some of us are wearing purple tonight. We encourage you to wear purple this month in recognition of domestic violence.

We're having some issues with these.

We're honored to accept this proclamation, and we appreciate the community support of events like Little Black Dress that make all of our grants and awards possible. So thank you everybody.

Siroptimus International Simi Valley is truly a gem for our community. The grants that they give at the Live Your Dreams are just heartbreaking and eye-opening for you, so if you ever get the chance to support any of their activities please do so.

Madam Mayor and members of the City Council, next on the agenda is item 1D3. Presentation of a proclamation declaring the week of October 17 through 24, 2026 as California Flood Preparedness Week and Assistant Public Works Director of Engineering Chris Oberender is here to present this item.

Good evening Mayor Cavanaugh, Council Members. Thank you for recognizing next week is California Flood Preparedness Week. Each year during California Flood Preparedness Week local communities state and federal agencies share information about flood risk and how to be prepared They educate Californians about how flooding may adversely impact our communities, provide residents with educational demonstrations and share flood preparedness tips through useful tools and information. Our efforts through participation in the National Flood Insurance Program resulted in reduced insurance premiums for our residents and businesses who are paying flood insurance.

With the potential for heavy rains associated with the possible El Nino event this winter, we are strongly encouraging residents to visit both the city's storm preparedness information web page and Ventura County flood preparedness information awareness websites. These websites provide extremely helpful information to everyone on how to best prepare their properties and protect them from flooding and costly property damage.

Some tips to remember as found on these websites are make sure that downspouts are clear and pointed away from your building, and that gutters are free of leaves and other debris that can clog yard and nearby drainage inlets. Maintain nearby channels ditches and verify that our yard drain inlets and pipes are free of obstruction and debris. Gather a supply of sandbags and place them in areas prone to flooding or adjacent area that has been affected by recent wildfire. The city's website lists the locations where Ventura County Fire Department We'll provide sandbags to residents and advise when they are available and may be picked up. They're also providing useful tips for the use and placement of those bags around your home or business.

Also consider storing plastic tarps, buckets, extra sandbags and have your shovels in an easy to reach location. Generators and some pumps may also be needed for some extreme situations of flooding just in case. Over the past three months the city has been working closely in cooperation with local county agencies such as the Ventura County Fire Department and Ventura County Public Works Department along with our stakeholders and some residents living in close proximity to the fire areas.

We encourage everyone to visit these websites so that they may prepare with us to protect our community and residents. Therefore, the City of Simi Valley proclaims the week of October 17th through 24th of 2026 as California Flood Prevention Preparedness Week to promote an awareness and increased knowledge of flood risks, flood prevention methods, and to prepare for potential flood emergencies. This concludes the presentation.

Thank you. I don't see, we don't have anyone to receive it? Why don't you come over Mr. Obermeyer. Well if you've seen the news you've seen what flooding we have going on in our coastline so we're not on the coast but we could have it here too so everyone do their best.

Madam Mayor and members of City Council, next on the agenda is item 1D4. Presentation of a proclamation declaring the month of October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month. And Community Services Coordinator Ryan Fowler is presenting this item and accepting the proclamation are Frankie Cohen, Executive Director of Gigi's Playhouse, and Minday Zazani, David Roberts, and Cassie Stoutland.

Good evening again, Mayor Cavanaugh and members of the City Council. The month of October 2026 is recognized as Down Syndrome Awareness Month. To accept the proclamation I would like to invite Frankie Cohen, Executive Director Gigi's Playhouse, Mindy Zazanis, David Roberts, Casey Stoutland, Nathan Cavanaugh and Ellie Riddick to come forward to the left of the podium which they already did so that's great.

Very good at following directions. Down syndrome is a naturally occurring genetic condition that affects people of all races, ethnicities and economic backgrounds. While each person with down syndrome has their own unique strengths talents and abilities all deserve the opportunity to learn work participate and thrive in their communities. Down Syndrome Awareness Month is an opportunity to increase understanding, celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome, and promote acceptance and inclusion. It reminds us that people with Down syndrome enrich our families, schools, workplaces, and communities in meaningful ways.

It is also a time to recognize the important role that families, educators, healthcare professionals, advocates, nonprofit organizations and community partners play in supporting individuals with Down syndrome and creating inclusive environments. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and to have the opportunity to reach their full potential. By celebrating individual abilities, embracing differences and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in community life we can help build a community where all people feel valued respected and included. Thank you Mayor and City Council members for proclaiming October 2026 as Down Syndrome Awareness Month in the city of Simi Valley and for recognizing the importance of awareness acceptance inclusion and respect for individuals with down syndrome and their families

Good evening and thank you so much for this beautiful recognition in inviting us to be here tonight. At Gigi's Playhouse, we dream of a world where individuals with Down syndrome are not just accepted but celebrated. A world where every family feels welcomed, every individual is valued and everyone has a place to belong. Every day we get to witness just how beautiful that world can be. From the tiniest babies taking their first steps, to children learning to read, to teenagers building friendships and adults discovering new opportunities and independence.

We get to celebrate every milestone big and small, and the incredible people behind them. And that's really what this month means to us. It's not just about raising awareness of Down Syndrome, it's about celebrating the lives, the abilities, the dreams and the joy of the individuals who make our community so special. Our hope is that every family raising a child with Down Syndrome knows that their child has a beautiful future ahead of them filled with love opportunity and so much potential.

Thank you to the City of Simi Valley for celebrating alongside us and helping us build a community where every individual is not only welcomed but truly celebrated. We are so proud to call Simi Valley home, thank you!

First off whose last name is Kavanaugh? That's the same as me we might be related Really, thank you all. GG's Playhouse is just such a wonderful heartwarming place to be I was able to be there at the grand opening and I've just seen how much you guys are doing on a constant daily basis on Facebook posts and such and Frankie I know you're doing a great job so thank you all for being here tonight I'm glad we get to celebrate you now can we do pictures okay Thank you all for being here tonight.

Madam Mayor and members of the City Council, next on the agenda is item 1D5. Presentation of Certificates of Commendation to the Simi Valley Baseball League 10U and 12U Cal Ripken Southern California State Champions. And Community Services Coordinator Ryan Fowler is presenting this item as well.

It is still a good evening, Mayor Kavanaugh and members of the City Council. Tonight we are proud to recognize two outstanding teams from the Simi Valley Baseball League who have achieved an exciting milestone in youth baseball. The 10U and 12U teams have been named Cal Ripken Southern California State Champions These accomplishments represent an exciting moment for the players, their families, coaches and the entire Simi Valley community. Success in baseball requires more than individual talent it takes teamwork, dedication, perseverance and a commitment to working together toward a common goal Through their accomplishments, these young athletes have given our community another reason to celebrate and have demonstrated the value of youth sports in helping young people develop their skills, build confidence and learn important lessons about sportsmanship and teamwork.

We also recognize the coaches, families and volunteers who support these young athletes and help make opportunities like this possible. Their time, encouragement and commitment play an important role in helping young people succeed both on and off the field. On behalf of the City of Simi Valley, we congratulate both teams on their championship accomplishments and commend them for representing our community.

To present the certificates of commendation I would like to invite the members of the Simi Valley Baseball League 10U and 12U teams along with their coaches to come forward when I call your name so we're gonna do this by team and I apologize in advance when I say your name wrong but we'll start with 10U and first up we will have Luke Woodward Evan Clubb. Caden Rodriguez.

Julian Barsinas. Cade Koenig. Caded, here we go. Kanan Dickinson. Nicholas Miller. Justice Vaughn. Gabriel Van Dyke. Jaden Tamariz. Not present tonight, James Lipman. Owen Sarris. Manager Brian Van Dyke. Assistant coach Jesse Vaughn. Assistant coach Jeff Barsinas. Is he here? And assistant coach Bin Hong.

Sorry, they're not in quite the order that we anticipated. So

we're

having to mix and match a little bit here.

We did put them in order. So did we. But that's OK.

You want to do the rest of them?

It takes a coach to get this done.

This is so exciting to be able to recognize your teams. I'm a big baseball fan, so to have two teams from the same league is really awesome. So congratulations! Are you guys proud of yourselves? And my biggest question is did you have fun? That's the biggest deal and did your parents survive? That's the second biggest question. I've been a parent too, so I know what those weekends can be like. So all right well congratulations everybody. I think we've got some pictures here and we'll see if your coach wants to say anything.

Thank you everybody for letting us come here today. Great group of kids, great group of parents. We

had a lot of fun

this

summer

and we

look forward

to being

back here next year

They even hold their certificates like champions.

And

now and now we will announce the 12

you team Yes, this is exciting. Harrison Van Dyke. Jackson Correa. Arjun Rodriguez. Andrew Callahan. Brody Maddox. Mateo Saldivar. Juan Colio. Eli Tillman. Jackson Rose. Finley Gerber. Not present tonight, Joseph Venegas. Liam Kerr. Manager Andy Gerber. Assistant Coach Brian Van Dyke. Assistant Coach Brandon Callahan. and assistant coach Dwayne Rose.

It's great to have you guys here, and congratulations. Are we going to see you guys here next year too? Oh come on say yes of course! Some of you are going into high school okay well then we'll see you on the fields at high school right all right well congratulations to each of you All right, thank you all. And thank you all for being here. If you would like to take the boys and go outside, you're more than welcome to. You don't have to stay for the rest of Do we know how to empty the place or what?

Thank you all for staying for that. That's probably one of the best things we get to do is recognize youth in our community, so thank you all. Madam Clerk, we can move on now.

Thank you. Madam Mayor and members of the City Council next on the agenda is item two public statements on appointments special presentations and informational reports 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 Speakers participating by phone will be recognized after all in-person speakers have been called. When the clerk recognizes you, you will be prompted to press star six to unmute your phone before addressing the City Council and you will have up to three minutes to speak. The mayor will notify you when you have 30 seconds remaining.

Madam Mayor, we do have one speaker card in person and we do have two online. Although we don't know if they're going to speak on two so I will ask that question when the time comes for the speaker in person Deb Dickerson

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. I'm Deb Dickerson. I am a resident of Simi Valley also running for City Council District 4. I wanted to thank you guys for doing the proclamation for domestic violence for this month but it shouldn't be just once a year. Like the Chief said, domestic violence doesn't discriminate. One in four women, one in ten men are victims of domestic violence 10 million people in this nation are victims every year of domestic violence.

I was a police officer for over 27 years with LAPD, as part of that I worked for the chief of police. I wrote the policies and procedures and the department manual for the Los Angeles Police Department. Part of that was writing the policies and procedures for domestic violence and how officers handled that. I was also the department expert in that area. I handled more calls, work and patrol and domestic violence than I can count on one hand actually more than I can probably count in general.

I saw it all a push, a slap a stabbing, it runs the gamut. And it starts off slow and everybody thinks it's so innocent and nothing is really going to happen but that's not how this works. Domestic violence is a circle of violence. And I think we need to take more time and talk about that. We need to talk about how everything is hunky dory in a relationship or...and it can be in a family, it can be in personal relationship And you have to understand that it starts off really good, hunky dory. And then all of a sudden small things start to happen and then the violence occurs and then the apologies occur and then it just starts all over.

So I think it's really important that we talk about that. And like I said, it can be a push or shove, something simple like that but then it escalates to a stabbing, being hit by a car and then as many of you may have read, a former deputy chief from San Francisco PD was murdered by her husband as well as his daughter and he took his own life Those are the worst case scenarios, but they happen every day in this nation and I think that we really need to keep that in mind.

The conversation needs to continue. It's not a once-a-year conversation to have. Abuse is never acceptable, but silence should never be the option. Thank you.

Two speakers online. If you wish to speak for this item two, can you please press star 9 and raise your hand?

No more speakers. No hands raised.

Madam Mayor that was the last speaker for Item 2.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor and members of City Council next on the agenda is Item 3B1 Informational Presentation by Youth Council Member Dia Bantu.

Good evening, Mayor Kavanaugh and members of the City Council. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight. My name is Dia Bantu and I am an 8th grader at Hillside Middle School. I'm incredibly grateful to serve my first year on the Youth Council. This evening, I would like to share a brief and quick update on how the 2026-2027 Youth Council term has been going currently.

First, on Wednesday September 30th we helped lead the Student-Run Candidate Forum with the Ventura County Office of Education. I along with Youth Council members Nishtha Kubsad, Anjula Tuwason and Kusli Patel all attended and helped run the event which had 200 students attend and was extremely successful. We are proud of their hard work to help the youth learn more about elections and candidates. Mayor Kavanaugh and Councilmember Judge joined us at this event, and we appreciate you for supporting us.

Next, Youth Council members Nishtha Kubsad and Elizabeth Rakowski attended the Friday Night Live Youth Summit in Anaheim on October 9th, 10th and 11th. Our Youth Council representatives led a session on impaired driving with engaging activities and amazing spirit to educate fellow students on this important topic. Also, as we had our suicide prevention rock painting night in September, we did indeed hide the rocks that were painted in Lemon Park.

If you happen to be nearby I recommend looking for the rocks and tagging us on Instagram if you happen to find one. They have been hidden in all sorts of places crevices and corners so be on lookout for some special rocks In the near future, we have quite a few events that I'm excited to share tonight such as our annual youth summit. This event will be taking place this Friday October 16th and is currently sold out.

It will be held at the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Activity Center and our theme this year is expanding your horizons We hope to educate students in breakout sessions on many important topics such as climate change, loneliness, cancel culture and AI which have all affected our youth today. At this event we will also be hosting a service project which is collecting school supplies to be donated to the YMCA.

In addition we will also be presenting a report to the School Board on October 20th Since it is October, we are starting our anti-bullying campaign this month. Earlier tonight the Youth Council received the Stop Bullying Month proclamation which we are very proud of. Unity Day is something we are looking forward to which will take place on October 21st Hopefully, on that day all middle schools and high schools in Simi Valley will wear the color orange in support of the event.

To raise awareness of the issue of bullying we will have an anti-bullying pledge during the street fair on October 24th where people will have the opportunity to sign it and it will be displayed right here at City Hall Then, Youth Council Chair and Vice-Chair Sadie Rowe and Ethan Bott will be giving a presentation to the California School Based Health Alliance on October 27th in which we will support them and know that they will represent us proudly.

Youth Council has had the honor of being selected to receive not one, but two Friday Night Live grants this year. These grants include the Beyond The Haze Cannabis Use Prevention Campaign as well as the Betting on Our Future Youth Gambling Problem campaign. Both grants are funded through the California Department of Public Health. After a few meetings with the Youth Council this year, everyone is slowly finding their pace and style and we are making this year our own.

I truly believe that every year will just be bigger and better as we improve on our different issues and reflect on how to best serve the youth community. I am sure that this year will have a huge and long-lasting impact on the youth in the best ways possible. With the enthusiasm and effort I have seen from this group, I have no doubt that we can fulfill all our goals.

Thank you for your never-ending support throughout all our different activities and campaigns. Without you it truly wouldn't be possible. To stay connected and learn more about upcoming events, please follow us at Simi Valley Youth Council on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube as well as at SVYC2929 on TikTok. Everyone is invited to join us at our next meeting, which is on Tuesday, October 20th at 4.45 p.m., at the Senior Center.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to present tonight and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. We really appreciate all the energy and hope you have in us and we will do our very best to meet any expectations set by the previous years. Thank you!

Great job, Tia. Mayor Pro Tem Lister you'd like to speak?

Wonderful job! Did you say eighth grade in Hillside? Look at our future this is incredible thank you for that beautiful presentation really okay a couple of important questions how many rocks were hidden in Lemon Park

well we had like a bunch painted so I would say like 100 to 200 possibly more and then we split up and spread them around Lemon Park

Makes me want to go out this evening, but I think that's wonderful. And as I understand the rocks have messages of hope and inspiration to anyone who finds them.

Yeah, people have either written words on them or they've painted different illustrations that they believe will help brighten someone's day. So if you see them, they'll be hit around bases of tree trunks around the corners. So if you see one, you can definitely look at it. They're really nice.

That's wonderful. One other question, explain a little bit more the Friday Night Light grants to receive two actually received one is pretty impressive to receive two is really incredible. Can you explain a little bit more what that means to people who are not familiar with it?

So we had to submit a report and then we received two grants. With these grants, we're given money but to get the money, we must fulfill certain requirements meaning like doing certain campaigns based on the grants that we received and fulfilling their requirements that they set out for us. And then if we fill them, we will get money to help fund our projects.

Wonderful, well

congratulations. To add on that a little bit and give you a little more background, you are correct these are very competitive grants there are Friday Night Live chapters in like 53 of the 58 counties in California and every county sometimes gets awarded one sometimes none because there's just not as much funds but so this year we applied for the Beyond The Haze Cannabis Prevention Grant Then FNL came back to us themselves and said, you know You guys did such a wonderful job with the youth problem gambling campaign last year. We would like you to do it again So we were actually asked and invited because of how well we did last year to do a second grant

Congratulations

Councilmember Ayala

Great presentation as always from our Youth Council. I wanted to see if we could tie a couple of things together, I know you guys set your own agenda but just food for thought is we talked about Domestic Violence Awareness Month but also the Bullying Prevention Month too right? And I think if you could tie those together, the Chief talked about a lot about the statistics, Deb Dickerson talked about we need to continue to have this conversation about domestic violence year round And I think that if the Youth Council were to do something on dating violence among teens right where it's like an education campaign that you guys can put out because I think if we can educate your age group.

then as you get older, not only will it help you to not be victims of it but you can also be advocates for your friends and things like that. And I don't remember if we've done this before. I'm thinking over the past year. I don�t know if you did that as a focus. But just something to think about maybe a dating violence part of youth council is a topic to consider for this year. All right? You guys do a great job.

To your point Council Member Ayala, last year at our Youth Impact Forum that was one of the topics. That's why I remembered it. Yes you remember it from that and it was so well received we partnered with Detective King from the Simi Valley Police Department and she requested more time and a different forum to do that because it was so well received and so we did. We hosted a community workshop with Detective King last year which also went really well. I believe Dia attended that It was good. And so the plan is to have that again this month in, I believe January or February is human trafficking month. So we tie it into that because obviously we have other things going on now. But that is the plan because you're absolutely right. It's an important topic.

Council member Rhodes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Ms. Bantu, you've just given a master class in how to give a presentation so well done for anyone watching that's what you have to live up to that's your standard I just wanted to say thank you guys for putting on the youth summit again this year I'll be joining you on Friday and looking forward to continuing the conversations that we've had year over year and it's fun to watch students grow from year to year and this is your first year so sure we'll see you many years into the future thank you for the report

Thank you once again, great job Dia. And again from Hillside Middle School so we've got a lot to look up to in our future. So we appreciate you being here and everything the Youth Council does. Mr. Fowler, you're doing a great job. We really appreciate it and I will be there on Friday also. So see you then. Thank you.

Madam Mayor and members of the City Council, next on the agenda is item 3C1 presentation by Kathy Van Etten, President and CEO of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce.

All right good evening Mayor Cavanaugh, members of the City Council and Simi Valley City staff you're all set? John is our clicker tonight, so he's going to run the presentation. Thank you for the opportunity to share the impact of the five-star Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce and our valuable partnership with the City of Simi Valley This report focuses on the time period of July 1st 2025 through June 30th 2026 Our mission is simple it's to promote a strong business community A strong Chamber of Commerce does more than support businesses. It helps raise the profile of the entire community. Every event we host, every business we promote, every partnership we build and every recognition we receive creates another opportunity to showcase Simi Valley.

We accomplish quite a bit with a relatively small staff and we all wear a lot of hats. I am so proud of our team and the commitment they bring to serving our businesses and community every day. We're fortunate to have an outstanding board of directors. Many are here tonight representing a variety of businesses and industries throughout Simi Valley. You hear us reference Five Star all the time, right Mike?

And we are especially proud of this highest level of accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Out of the 592 chambers in California only five hold this distinction demonstrating our commitment to excellence in operations, governance, financial stability, and community impact. We're also proud of our longstanding relationship with Cal Chamber. Every year since 2012, we have received the President's Circle Award for our work in business advocacy and for providing important employment resources.

Our reach extends well beyond our membership. During the past reporting year, our website attracted more than 52,000 users and 94,000 page views connecting people with businesses, events, and community resources. Our most popular pages included our business directory, community events and our electronic waste collection. Our social media generated approximately 1.15 million views and more than 32,000 interactions in the past year.

We continue serving as a visitor information resource, both digitally and at our chamber office. We refer to ourselves as Simi Valley's 411 for those who remember what 411 is or was. People contact us for just about everything because they don't know where else to turn. If we don't have the answer, we will do our best to find it or connect them with someone who does. Many of these calls are referred to us by city staff and council members so we all work together trying to connect our community.

The Simi Valley Street Fair is our city's largest community event with over 18,000 people in attendance at each event and we're proud to host it twice a year. At last year's Fall Street Fair and City Expo, we had 316 vendor booths plus 45 City Expo booths and additional city vehicles and displays. Residents have the opportunity to meet city staff, connect with departments, learn about services and interact with our police officers and other city representatives. Our next Fall Street Fair and City Expo will be on October 24th and we hope you all will Our Spring Street Fair last year during this reporting period that was held on May 2nd featured 334 booths. The city received major sponsor recognition and access to booth space.

We host two job fairs each year, and they've grown into some of the largest hiring events in Ventura County. Our August 2025 event brought together 61 employers and approximately 300 job seekers. The April 2026 event featured 52 employers and 225 job seekers. The city serves as an important partner and sponsor of our mega-job fairs with dedicated tables for various city departments to recruit potential employees.

During the reporting period, the Chamber organized 41 ribbon cuttings. These celebrations recognize grand openings, expansions, relocations, anniversaries and other milestones. It's an opportunity for businesses to celebrate their investment, be recognized for their hard work and be welcomed into the business community. Leadership Simi Valley is a program we're incredibly proud of. In May, we graduated our 35th class and have just welcomed the Class of 2027. I know some of them are here tonight if you're... Woo! Yay!

This 10-month program introduces participants to the many organizations, institutions and people that make Simi Valley work. A significant portion of the curriculum focuses on city services and operations including local government, public works, infrastructure and many departments responsible for keeping our city running. While leadership, there's two people that went last year.

While Leadership Simi Valley may be a chamber program its impact reaches far beyond the chamber. Many of our more than 650 graduates have gone on to serve on boards, commissions, non-profit organizations and in other leadership roles throughout Simi Valley. Our Good Morning Simi Valley Breakfast is another program that has become a cornerstone of the Chamber. Held monthly, these breakfasts bring together more than 100 business and community representatives. They are also an important way for the City to communicate directly with the business community. The City receives four seats each month and provides quarterly updates.

Our Senior Services Alliance is a networking group that is specifically for businesses and organizations that serve our senior population. The Simi Valley Senior Center is always part of that agenda. We produce a senior resource guide twice a year with copies distributed throughout the community, the city receives advertising space in the publication. Our Hispanic Business Alliance provides networking opportunities for Hispanic and Latino business owners. This group also supports the growing Hispanic Heritage Festival, and we appreciate the City's participation and regular updates at meetings.

During the reporting period our collection Our e-waste collection event diverted nearly 130 tons of electronic waste from landfills. We host these events every two months, and the response from the community is tremendous. In fact our recycling partner has told us that the Simi Valley events are hands down their largest events. Our next one will be on November 7th and 8th at The Chamber.

One of our most important roles happens behind the scenes through legislative advocacy. We monitor legislation affecting businesses and host a monthly forum where government representatives, including the City, share updates and hear business concerns. During this legislative cycle we monitored 37 bills supporting 6 opposing 27 and taking neutral positions on 4.

We advocate for policies that encourage business growth, protect employers and support a healthy business climate. You can follow all of the legislation that we are monitoring in real time using our legislative tracker on the Chamber website. When a film crew comes to Simi Valley, they're not just bringing cameras. They're bringing business jobs and economic opportunity to our community through Film Simi Valley. The chamber brings together filming locations, industry professionals, local businesses and public agencies to attract and support productions. We promote our city advocate for film friendly policies and connect productions with local resources.