City Council — September 15, 2026

All right, hello everyone. I will now call this meeting to order. Will the clerk please call the roll?

Yes I will Mayor Taylor. We have three closed sessions all of them pending litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54946.9A. First one is Samuel versus City of Thousand Oaks. Second one is Lululu versus 1710TO Boulevard Partners and the third one is Keys versus City of Thousand Oaks.

All right. And next up is our special presentation, so give me one sec.

Is

there a phone? Is it a ringer?

I mean, these council meetings are always fun but this party is getting started. Just tell them you'll call them back, huh? All right. Alright so for our first special presentation on September 15th, this is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. An annual celebration from September 15 to October 15. This year's theme is Unidos Somos Mas, Together We Are More highlights the history cultures resilience and contributions of our Latino and Hispanic communities.

On behalf of Thousand Oaks City Council, I hereby proclaim September 26th as Hispanic Heritage Month. And here to accept this proclamation is Guadalupe and Amador, president of the Latino Youth Leadership Group at Thousand Oaks. Would you guys please come join me?

Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Guadalupe Amador and I am an 11th grade student at Thousand Oaks High School. I am here to inform you about our Latino Youth Leadership Group, but first I would like to share a little bit about myself. My family is from Mexico and have raised me in their Mexican culture. My parents have never failed to remind me the importance of being Mexican, and have always raised me to be proud of where I come from.

Everything they've taught me has shaped the person I am today, and I hope to continue carrying that pride with me while inspiring others to be proud of who they are. The Latino Youth Leadership Group encourages us to celebrate our culture and learn about the importance of our history. One of the most powerful things about our club is that you can walk into the classroom and still hold on to your heritage, and take pride in where you come from.

When there are so many outside voices trying to make you feel you should be different or hide your culture being part of this club gives you a place where you can feel comfortable Accepted and proud of who you are. We encourage our members to get involved through community service and civic engagement because using that voice to make a difference is most important.

Most importantly, we remind our students to dream big, set goals for themselves, and believe that college and higher education are within their reach. For me, seeing my culture recognized in my community is very meaningful. It makes me feel truly blessed to be a Latina voice and face in our community. Being recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month reminds Latino students and families that our voices, our stories and our culture belong here.

This proclamation is also a meaningful way to recognize the contributions of Latino residents and to encourage young people to get involved in their community. It shows that our diversity is something to celebrate that makes Thousand Oaks stronger. I sincerely want to thank the Mayor and the City Council for recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating Latino community, supporting youth and creating opportunities for all of us to participate.

It means a lot to share our traditions and heritage with this community and I hope we can keep building a place where everyone feels seen valued and celebrated Gracias por reconocer a nuestra comunidad y por darnos la oportunidad de formar parte de esta celebración. Nuestra cultura es parte de la historia de Thousand Oaks, y me siento verdaderamente orgullosa de formar parte de ella. Muchas gracias.

I would like to welcome Brandon Garcia speaking about Latino Connection

Good evening Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Brandon Garcia and I am a senior at Thousand Oaks High School. I have lived in Thousand Oaks for my entire life, my family is originally from Durango Mexico and we have been a part of the Ventura County community for many years. Growing up here I've heard many stories from my dad and fellow parishioners about what the city of Thousand Oaks looked like before this city was built that we know today Those stories have always reminded me that being a part of this community is something my family and I can be proud of. I am also proud to be an American but especially proud of my Mexican heritage and grateful for the traditions, culture and faith that my family has shared with me even while not living in a Latin country.

One of the most influential parts of my life at Thousand Oaks High School has been the Latino Connection Club where I currently serve as the co-president Since its founding in 1993 by Mr. Manuel Valdez, Latino Connection has become one of the largest and most active clubs on our campus. However to me it is far more than just a school club. It has become a place where students can connect with their culture, serve their community and find confidence to use their voices. La Comunidad Latino Connection es una familia.

Throughout the year our club participates in community service, cultural events and educational experiences. We've held events like our Noche del Rodeo dance, our 15 años fashion show, soccer games, posadas and our senior celebration. We have taken students on field trips to universities and places where they can learn more about the Hispanic culture and history. Being part of the Latino connection has changed me personally. It has helped me grow as a leader, teammate and public speaker Before joining I wasn't nearly as involved through the confidence I gained through the club I eventually felt comfortable and inspired to apply for leadership positions in organizations including serving as vice president of the Latino Youth Leadership Group and AVID I'm also highly involved in other communities such as my community, San Pasco Baylon.

To me Hispanic Heritage Month is a special opportunity to learn about our history, celebrate our traditions and recognize the contributions Latinos have made to our communities. It's also a time to come together through things as simple as meaningful for Concerto dances and community politics where everyone brings their own platillos to share. Especially during times when Latino families may be experiencing uncertainty or fear, having opportunities to celebrate our culture and express who we are feels even more meaningful Seeing our community come together and proudly share culture is truly beautiful. This is why I'm thankful for this proclamation, it helps Latino students and families feel seen and welcomed while recognizing the contributions of Latino residents at Thousand Oaks.

It also shows young people that our diversity is something that strengthens our community and encourages us to become more involved in our neighborhoods I want to thank the mayor and the city council on behalf of all the young Latino residents at Thousand Oaks community for recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and allowing our community to celebrate together. I am proud of who I am, my culture and my faith have shaped me into the person I am today and I hope other young people can feel the same pride. We are not just a future of our community we are the present Learning to express who we are is an important part of learning how to speak up, serve others and make our voices heard. Thank you for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with us. Muchas gracias.

I would now like to introduce Liz Prado who will be speaking about community service.

So good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Lizette Prado and I am a senior at Thousand Oaks High School. My parents are from Mexico City but I've lived in Thousand Oaks my entire life. Hispanic Heritage Month represents the honor and pride I carry in everything accomplished as a Mexican girl. My ancestors worked hard for the Mexico I know and love, while my parents brought stability and opportunities that benefit my everyday life.

As a daughter of immigrants, I've seen firsthand how they navigated challenges to create a better life. That same drive inspires me to encourage other Hispanic families to be active in our community. Housing and public services are two areas directly shaped by local elections that affect our everyday life. Families who have the privilege to vote should support candidates that uplift the Hispanic community and advocate for policies that directly impact us.

When we use our voices, we set an example for our children in future generations showing them the importance of civic engagement We honor our heritage and our ancestors by shaping our community, ensuring our decisions contribute to a stronger Thousand Oaks. I'm grateful for the recognition of the Hispanic community and for the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Thank you.

Buenas noches señor alcalde y miembros del consejo municipal. Mi nombre es Lisa Prado y soy estudiante de ultimo año en Thousand Oaks High School. Mis padres son de la ciudad de Mexico pero yo he vivido en Thousand Oaks toda mi vida. El mes de la herencia hispana representa el honor y el orgullo que llevo conmigo en todo lo que logro como joven mexicana. Mis ancestros trabajaron duramente por el México que conozco y amo, y mis padres me dieron la estabilidad y las oportunidades que disfruto hoy.

Como hija de inmigrantes he visto de primera mano cómo enfrentaron desafíos para construir una vida mejor. Esa misma motivación me inspira a animar a otras familias hispanas a participar activamente en nuestra comunidad. La vivienda y los servicios públicos son áreas directamente influenciadas por las elecciones locales, y afectan nuestra vida diaria. Las familias que tienen el privilegio de votar deberían apoyar a los candidatos que elevan a la comunidad hispana y respaldan políticas que nos impacten directamente.

Al usar nuestras voces, damos un ejemplo a nuestros hijos y a las futuras generaciones mostrándoles la importancia de la participación cívica. And up next is Fabian Santos.

Good evening Mayor and members of the Thousand Oaks City Council. My name is Fabian Santos, and I am a current senior at Thousand Oaks High School. My parents are from Mexico, and while my mom and I have been here for 10 years, my extended family has lived here for well over 20. My Mexican heritage is something that I am so, so proud of, and guides me in everything I do inside and outside of the classroom.

I, like many other Latinos enjoy spending my time giving back to our community volunteering at many places like the Westminster Free Clinic where we provide free and accessible health care to our uninsured community every Wednesday. The Salud Program at that same free clinic where we provide free healthy and fresh food to over 200 families every week The Conejo Valley Adult School, where we tutor and guide adults from many different backgrounds as they traverse learning English. And many other places like the Adelante Food Distribution and the Glenwood Elementary School Study Buddies Program.

These places allow us to feel like we can use our voices to make a positive impact in our community while also gaining valuable skills like leadership confidence and collaboration. Hispanic Heritage Month is so meaningful to me as it feels like a celebration and a reminder of where I come from and all that I hope to represent. I am so glad that the city is able to celebrate this month with us and make us Latinos and Hispanics feel welcomed and appreciated, especially when such a strong fear propagates throughout the country as a result of our current administration. Thank you so much for celebrating with us.

I will now be introducing Zoe Maldonado

Good evening City Council and our Thousand Oaks community. My name is Zoe Maldonado, and I am a Thousand Oaks resident, a commissioner on the Thousand Oaks Youth Commission, a senior at Thousand Oaks High School, and a proud Argentinian. Since the beginning of this country's history it has always been very diverse making up one of its strongest and greatest qualities. In the city of Thousand Stokes the Hispanic community first made a presence in the 1800s and since the official founding in 1964 it has grown significantly. I have been living in T.O. for three years and during that time, I have witnessed firsthand the extensive efforts of the city government to increase inclusivity and promote the celebration of culture. The dedication to creating welcoming spaces for everyone carries great value for the members of this community.

In modern times, having the space to fearlessly and confidently express one's identity is not something everyone has access to. Your support for Latin visibility funnels confidence back into the community and promotes the greatness that Latinos have contributed and will continue to contribute. Now more than ever it is crucial to come together and recognize the unique elements that make T.O. so special. So on behalf of the rest of the Hispanic community in our city I would like to thank you for honoring the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. Good afternoon to the City Council and the Thousand Oaks community. My name is Zoe Maldonado, I am a resident of Thousand Oaks, commissioner of the Youth Commission of Thousand Oaks, a last year student at Thousand Oaks High School and proud Argentinian.

Since the beginning of this country's history, it has always been characterized by its great diversity, one of its greatest strengths. In the city of Thousand Oaks, the Hispanic community was established for the first time in the 18th century and since its official foundation in 1964 has grown significantly. I have been living in Thousand Oaks for three years and during that time I have witnessed the great efforts of the municipal government to promote inclusion and promote the celebration of culture The dedication to create welcoming spaces for all is of great value to the members of this community. At present, not everyone has access to a space where they can express their own identity with freedom and confidence. Their support for Latin visibility instills trust in the community and promotes the greatness that Latinos have contributed and will continue to contribute.

Now I'm introducing Marilyn Garcia.

Good evening mayor and members of the city. My name is Marilyn Garcia, and I'm a senior at Thousand Oaks High School Both of my parents were born and raised in Mexico They've kept my two younger siblings and me connected to our culture by encouraging traditions We moved to Newberry Park seven years ago I'm in the Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School, a program where students have an opportunity to investigate long-term research topics of their choice and present their findings.

I also represent the center at school site council delivering monthly updates to school faculty and other students. At these meetings I represent and advocate for Latino student resources on campus. I've also served on the Conejo Recreation Park District Advisor Committee, where we contributed to creating the first Hispanic event in our community. Additionally, I'm involved in the Student and District Advisor Committee, a group of high school students who have addressed issues to help create a more inclusive campus.

In these spaces, I've had the opportunity to represent the Latino community while also fostering and enhancing skills in communication and public speaking. This proclamation honors the resilience, hard work and discipline of the Hispanic community. Hispanic heritage month is valuable for me because it recognizes the meaningful contributions of our culture. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Buenas tardes alcalde y miembros del Conejo Municipal. Mi nombre es Marilyn Garcia, soy estudiante de ultimo año en la escuela preparatoria de Thousand Oaks. Mis papas nacieron y crecieron en Mexico. Ellos nos han mantenido a mi y mis dos menores hermanos conectados con nuestra cultura, con las tradiciones. Nos mudamos a Newberry Park hace 7 años. Yo formo parte del Centro de Estudios Avanzados e Investigaciones de la Prepa Tazan Oaks. Este es un programa donde los estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de investigar temas a largo plazo de su elección y presentar sus resultados.

También represento al centro en el Consejo Escolar del Plantel entregando informes mensuales al personal, docente y a otros estudiantes. En estas reuniones represento y abogo por los recursos para los estudiantes latinos en la escuela. Además he servido en el Comité Consultivo del Distrito de Recreación y Parques del Conejo donde contribuimos a crear el primer evento hispano en nuestra comunidad Asimismo participo en el comité consultivo estudiantil del distrito, un grupo de estudiantes de preparatoria que han creado diversos temas para ayudar a crear planteles más inclusivos.

En estos espacios he tenido la oportunidad de representar a la comunidad latina mientras desarrollo y fortalezco mis habilidades de comunicación y oratorio. Esta proclamación honra la resiliencia, el trabajo duro y la disciplina de la comunidad hispana. El mes de herencia hispana es muy valioso para mí porque reconoce las contribuciones significativas de nuestra cultura. Gracias por ser parte de este camino.

And will the council come join me for a photo? And now for our second presentation, I would like to welcome Beth Kinn and Marty Nason to come join me. Thank you. Thirty-five years ago, Beth and Marty founded Cancer Support Community Valley Ventura Santa Barbara. Their nonprofit organization stands alongside those in our community fighting cancer as well as their families and caregivers.

They are dedicated to helping local residents with cancer and their caregiving loved ones through an established strategy of providing cancer support, education, and hope. They offer professionally led cancer support groups, educational workshops, individual cancer counseling sessions, and healthy lifestyle classes at no cost to adults, teens, children, and families.

Beth and Marty just celebrated Cancer Support Community's 35th anniversary in June. We thank you both for providing this resource to our community, and we commend you on 35 years of service. Is there anything you want to share?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor and council people. There are two words in our name that are stunning to me, community and support for the cancer support community. This is what tonight is all about is we, our community have an evidence-based program of support and education just a few blocks from here. Not every town in this country has one, but we do. We were the seventh one to open in California and the 13th one to open in the United States and now there are 200 affiliates worldwide so we have a worldwide program here in our town.

It's also in Japan and Israel. It is right here for cancer patients and their families. Only another cancer patient understands what it's like Something magical happens in our rooms and our Zoom calls, and it's free with licensed therapists providing care. We piloted the first Kids Circle and the first Spanish-speaking program so I think it's appropriate that we are here with you tonight.

Our location alone has provided 40 to 50 thousand visits of all kinds. That is astonishing. The support of Thousand Oaks has been ongoing and incredible. We couldn't have done it without you, our community. Thank you for helping us provide world-class cancer care in our community. Thank you for helping us be astonishing.

Good evening. We're grateful for the people who made the cancer support community possible and keep it thriving. That's be it our family, friends, hundreds of volunteers, donors, community leaders, community service clubs, corporations and small businesses. We could not have done it without you, without your love and support. We were the spark that held the vision and persisted and persistent. It was not easy.

You gave your time, talent and treasure. It truly did take a community to make this happen. And actually part of our community is here tonight and so I'd like them to stand up so we can acknowledge them. These are board members, volunteers, participants, cancer survivors. They all came here to support us. What we provide at the Cancer Support Community is community.

And community is what it takes to heal and also to keep hope alive through community. So thank you so much for this

recognition.

Will my council come and join for a photo please?

Thank you.

Okay. And for our final presentation this evening, I would like to welcome Amanda Fagan, Director of Planning and Sustainability for the Ventura County Transportation Commission. Amanda is here to tell us about the 101 Improvement Program. Thanks for being here, Amanda.

Thank you so much Mayor Taylor and members of the City Council. Again my name is Amanda Fagan, I serve as the Director of Planning and Sustainability at the Ventura County Transportation Commission. I greatly appreciate this opportunity to speak with you tonight about arguably one of the most important transportation projects in our community in a generation.

We are approaching an important milestone for this project and that's release of the draft environmental document for public circulation. So the Ventura County Transportation Commission or VCTC is the lead sponsor for this project in partnership with Caltrans, the four corridor cities including Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura and the county of Ventura.

The U.S. 101 Improvement Project study area extends from Moore Park Road here in Thousand Oaks through the cities of Camarillo and Oxnard to State Route 33 in the city of Ventura. U. S. 101 is a major coastal route that connects northern, central and the southern parts of the state. The 101 connects Ventura County to our neighboring counties in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and locally serves as both regional connection and as Main Street. Connecting our communities with one another and serving as a critical link in a resilient transportation system.

Over half of Ventura County's jobs and residents are located within the three mile corridor along US-101. The U.S. 101 has been identified as the highway network's greatest area of need with aging infrastructure, no continuous alternate routes, peak period speeds forecast to drop and travel times to increase, and constraining both person and goods movement.

And while several other options for travel within the corridor exist, including transit and rail, providing an additional option of a high occupancy vehicle lane would enable travelers to opt out of congestion which is listed as a key action in the Caltrans Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure. In collaboration with Caltrans and our local partners, VCTC has taken a regional multimodal approach to finding solutions to congestion on the 101 and to planning for the future of our transportation system.

At each step along the way we have actively engaged local stakeholders in the public. Beginning with the 2013 comprehensive transportation plan, VCTC identified US-101 as the roadway network's highest priority within the region. Within the project area, US-101 primarily consists of three general purpose lanes or regular lanes in each direction. Auxiliary lanes are located in certain locations but no existing high occupancy vehicle or HOV lanes are located within Ventura County.

The defined purpose of the project is to improve traffic conditions by improving trip reliability, achieving regional HOV connectivity, supporting regional prosperity and improving the efficiency of our public transit system. The overarching project need is to improve trip reliability and traffic operations. Initially a list of alternatives was developed through the Caltrans Project Study Report, our project development team and from public input received during the public scoping process.

These alternatives were compared to the project purpose and need and to traffic engineering and environmental criteria Some alternatives were found to result in higher levels of environmental impact for little or no improvement in the freeway or local roadway operations compared to other alternatives. So those alternatives that performed the best were selected to be included in a final set of alternatives, to be studied in greater detail within the environmental document.

Alternatives evaluated ranged from a no-build scenario to several HOV lane configurations, a reversible lane, an elevated transitway, a general purpose lane and a combination of lane configurations. Three alternatives were ultimately selected by the project development team for further study. A no-build alternative, one HOV and express bus lane with auxiliary lanes, and one HOV express bus lane with auxiliary lanes and design variations.

I'll describe each briefly in more detail. First, the no build alternative is used as a baseline against which the other alternatives can be measured. Alternative two adds one HOV lane for carpools, van pools and express bus service in each direction on US 101 from approximately Moorpark Road to near California Street. Alternative two would also include adding auxiliary lanes between certain on and off ramps where they improve the flow of traffic on the freeway.

Alternative three would be very similar to alternative two, providing one HOV lane on US 101 from Moorpark Road to near California Street. It also includes design variations that would improve the freeway alignment on the Conejo grade, improve a southbound bottleneck near Dawson Drive in Camarillo and end the northbound HOV lane south of California Street to improve operations.

The selected alternatives provide a number of substantial benefits to the community. Project alternatives avoid the need for full acquisition of homes or businesses, provide thousands of construction jobs and maintain existing lanes during construction. The project will be constructed in phases over approximately 20 year period to minimize disruption to the transportation system.

Both build alternatives improve traffic operations compared to the no-build alternative, include improvements to 14 intersections and provide reliable trip times in the HOV lane. Alternative three performs slightly better than alternative two, reducing average travel times, density, delay and improving average travel speeds. For example alternatives two and three both reduce the average vehicle hours of delay by more than half compared to both the 2040 and 2060 projected operations.

So since its implementation in 2020, Senate Bill 743 has changed how lead agencies including cities and counties evaluate transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act with the goal of better measuring the actual transportation-related environmental impacts of any given project. SB743 changed how transportation impacts are measured shifting to vehicle miles traveled or VMT rather than level of service The estimated VMT is based on model runs from the Ventura County Transportation Model that were conducted for this project.

The project is estimated to generate an increase of 0.7% additional VMT compared to the no-build scenario. And although US 101 Improvement Project began in 2018, before agencies were required to analyze transportation impacts according to the VMT metric, VCTC developed a program of mitigation strategies to address this increase in VMT. This program has been developed in a holistic way to improve the corridor and meet community needs.

And it includes a suite of, I'm sorry, and it commits a total of $243 million to the multimodal projects within the corridor or around 20% of total project costs. VCTC's policy for many years has been that the US-101 project is a top priority for the allocation of Surface Transportation Block Grant, or STBG, and Surface Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP funds.

We also continue to seek state and federal grants to fund the remainder of project costs. Potential early action projects will be determined based on cost effectiveness to provide the highest benefit with the least amount of cost. So we are approaching the public circulation phase of the project, which will be followed by the selection of a preferred alternative and the development of early action phasing strategies.

Then a final environmental impact report and environmental assessment and final project report adopted by the end of 2027. Public circulation of the draft environmental document is anticipated to begin later this month on September 30th, with public hearings to occur next month. I'm sorry, to occur in November rather. One public hearing will be held in person in each of the corridor cities for Thousand Oaks. The public hearing will be held here at the Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, November 4th from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m..

We will also be holding a virtual public hearing on Saturday, November 14th from 10 30 a.m. To noon Tentative circulation dates are from September 30th through December 7th The draft environmental document will be available for review electronically Through the project website which is our future 101 org Comments may be submitted to Caltrans and of course all of this information in the details on public hearings and how to submit comments will be made available as we approach the release of the document for environment or for public review.

We will use our existing social media and web resources to provide updates and share information about the project. We will also be sending a postcard to all residences and businesses within one mile of the project area, so around 75,000 of our friends and neighbors are about to get a postcard about this project. So again, thank you for your time and giving us this opportunity to share with you a little update and information about the US 101 Improvement Project. We look forward to the public review of this project into receiving comments and I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have. Thank you

Thank you, Amanda. Any questions? Yeah. Mr.

Adams. Thank you, Mayor. Hi. How are you? Thanks for coming down. So just so I understand that you're talking about converting an existing lane into a carpooling or you know adding a lane

The project alternatives add an additional lane, so the existing lanes will be maintained and an additional HOV and express bus lane will be added to the right of way. With one little exception in alternative three there is a general purpose lane converted just for the portion of the highway that crosses the Santa Clara River in between Oxnard and Ventura. So otherwise it is adding an additional lane of travel throughout the corridor.

Running from Moore Park Road up to all the way to Ventura?

It's about 27 miles.

Okay, and Caltrans owns enough land to do that?

Caltrans does own sufficient right-of-way throughout the project area with some small acquisitions that may be required for sort of slivers of area. The project does not include any acquisitions of full homes or businesses, so if I remember correctly there is one small acquisition of a portion of land that is that's got a shed on it, but otherwise it avoids the need for acquisitions right away.

Well I make that trip quite a bit to Santa Barbara and back, and in varying results believe me. I can get there in 45 minutes or two-and-a-half hours depending on what's happening especially from Ventura to Santa Barbara with all that construction that's been going on but you think he can keep the three lanes open huh?

As you know, the project is as I've described. It does add the additional lane of travel for high occupancy vehicles and you raise the issue of trip time reliability that's really important driver of this project helping to reduce the uncertainty of travel time within our county and that's especially important to making Transit more competitive with driving in a single occupancy vehicle So important piece of this project.

It's a very heavily traveled route and you're right there's no alternatives Well, there are but they're so far out of the way they just don't even count as an alternative All right. Well that's interesting When are you gonna start?

So funding is currently programmed for construction to begin for the first phase of the project in 2031, which may sound like a long time from now but in the transportation world it's basically tomorrow. We've been saving all of our pennies up in the collective piggy bank since about 2013 to pay for that first phase.

All right, well I appreciate the presentation. Thank you. Look forward to the start date and getting up to Santa Barbara in 45 minutes flat. Thank you. All right thank you. Mr. Engler?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor and good to see you Amanda. I serve on VCTC so this is one of our finest staff people on VCTC but it always has a good answer. So there was a question at VCTC. This is my second viewing of this. I saw it the other day as well. But there's a question the other day about the time frame we're looking at here, 20-year time frame. Which like you mentioned in the transportation world that sort of what we could do but that's going out quite a bit. Is there any plan to keep this a flexible plan if situations change? How would you work through any problems that come up like that?

So this environmental document does clear the full project, the full 27-mile corridor which would enable us to move forward with further design and construction as funding becomes available. So the time frame for completing this project is largely driven by the availability of funding. It could be faster or slower depending on how Federal, state and local transportation resources are made available for this project. But it does remain flexible in such that once we have the environmental document completed, public circulation completed with a final environmental document and a phasing strategy then we can sort of figure out what sections we can complete based on the amount of funding we have available and phase that project into the future.

And speaking of funding, one of your slides mentions that I forget the exact numbers but we have about $220 million in the bank so to speak on a project that projects at well north of a billion and a half dollars. We're about a quarter of the way there. How are we going to phase in based on the lack of funding? In your opinion is there a way to get more funding other than just grants?

So VCTC as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency, we receive and allocate funding for transportation projects. And those revenues from a variety of different sources can be allocated based on the Commission's direction. You know, there are again ways to make that process go faster or slower if there were. Ventura County does not currently have a local transportation sales tax measure for example whereas other counties within our region do so a county like Santa Barbara can use the local resources to leverage against We have a lot of work to do in terms of how we're going to be able to provide funding for the project. I think there's a lot that could be done against state and federal dollars that could help if we were like Santa Barbara, would it potentially advance that project?

Beyond that, I can't really speak to how the project gets funded over time other than at this point trying to complete the environmental document

We're still coming up, we could pass the hat here I guess. How does it work? We're one of the few counties in the state that do not have a transportation tax. Are we handicapped for getting other funding because of that? In other words, does that create matching funds to get better grants or how does that work?

It depends on the funding source. There's a Senate Bill 1 solutions for congested corridors program that does not require local match, although applications that bring a local match forward can be more competitive. For that and other programs many federal programs do require local match so we can assemble local match over time through the allocation of that STBG and STIP funding or you know, if there were other local sources made available then then that could advance or make us more competitive but That yes

Well thank you, Amanda. Thanks for coming up and thank you Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Thank you mayor. Hello, thank you so much for being here tonight Sounds like a fun committee to sit on It was a lot of information I was looking in my attachments hoping I could flip through the presentation again So hopefully we'll get those following the meeting but because I didn't quite retain everything but I do have some questions So there was a projected operations that was included in your presentation and it rose the question in my mind, do those operational kind of impacts include projected population decline or growth And is it city specific and I along the corridor for all the cities That's probably my first question because I can understand why we're being recommended why we've been identified But is that based on current or is it also inclusive of future forecasting

So the project need and operations and benefits are all based on the future projections of travel, future population, future statewide and local projections of population.

OK. And you hit it on the head. The local so it is city. You went through city by city and kind of like have a good understanding of general plans that are being implemented projected Again, just growth and decline trends of cities along the corridor.

So this is a really long-term project. The planning has been underway since 2013 and the actual environmental document itself has been underway in the preparation stages since 2018 so And admittedly, I have only been managing this project myself for about two years. But my understanding is that and I'd have to look into the document more specifically so you know I can get back to you with a more robust answer but my understanding is that it does take into account our long range projected We have a lot of questions about population and demand for travel over time.

Now, did they go into it for this particular project? Did they go into each individual general plan and that sort of thing? I'm not sure. At VCTC, that takes into account more specific local conditions like our comprehensive transportation plan that was adopted in 2023 and the 101 Communities Connected multimodal corridor study. Those took a little closer look at each individual city but I don't know what level of detail this particular environmental document looked at for the general plans I'm sorry, I don't know the you know specific on that one.

Yeah that's okay that I yeah I just wondered if it would just yeah if it did but I appreciate the context there of the other projects that do go that or are that localized Bob covered risks related to cost and funding. Alternative or the options there, I'm imagining because I looked at your image and I couldn't see where like a highway wall was or freeway wall was but I'm imagining we're going into our shoulders. Will we lose shoulders entirely?

I'm sure we'll have a shoulder, but I just wonder for like first responder type activity. Is that impacted at all? Especially with my next question

So the project does retain the It still meets standard specifications for lane widths and shoulders and things like that So it does require some widening. It does require some relocation of sound walls, so when you mention a highway wall I'm assuming you're talking about sound walls? So there are some that will be relocated. There are some additional sound walls that are proposed as part of this project. So that's another reason why we would encourage the public to take a look at the environmental document and share any comments that they may have.

Okay, and so you are taking into consideration new walls? Yes. Sorry, and so what prompted my first responder access question was the very notable extreme regional weather changes. And so I was interested in learning if they would have all the access that they needed but also if we I guess the environmental review would also capture that, right? Like what maintenance over time considering the environmental changes would be.

Yes so the project does incorporate maintenance and long-term operations of the freeway system but I would also add that we have a new project just getting underway at VCTC for which we applied and received Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant to prepare a multi-modal climate vulnerability assessment and action plan countywide. So that we'll be looking at all modes of travel across the county to identify the most significant climate related risks And then to identify projects that can address those risks. So that project coming up will probably be more of, you know, to that specific request.

To make sure we're taking a look at the long-term impacts of a changing climate.

Brilliant. Last question, sorry. The grade, how... We just don't have any other kind of, we don't have any other, I guess Al touched on it, they're further out, they're kind of out of the way, the other access going north on the highway there. How do we foresee that? being as painless as possible, or are we not? I will accept we're not there yet in the conversation. But are there any ideas or has there been any discussion as of yet?

Are you asking about alternatives to the grade or impacts to the grade during construction? During

construction specifically.

So we, the construction plans maintain existing lanes of travel during construction so it's not like we're planning to close the grade or even lanes during construction.

Yes. Okay please don't do that. Okay, that's what I was worried about. I appreciate it. Thank you so much for the insights.

And I tried to go fast today. This presentation was about twice as long on Friday when I gave it to the commission. So I apologize for anything that it seemed like I glossed over. I was trying to stay in my 10 minutes.

Thank you. Mr. Newman? Thank you, Mr. Mayor and thank you very much for your presentation. Following up on the sustainability discussion, the state has these mandates to be carbon neutral by 2045 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly especially in the mass transit arena. I think the vehicles probably will look rather different and be powered differently by the time the project's done. So I'm wondering if there's been thought, and more importantly budget allocated toward things like electric roadways or other accommodations for the kinds of vehicles we'll have when this is all done?