State formula would require Ojai to allow up to 427 new units by 2014, deadline to be certified already past
By Nao Braverman
If the city of Ojai wants to follow the rules of the state of California and make room for new housing, it looks as if some of its boasted assets, clean air, water and quality of life, would likely be at stake.
A look at some surrounding cities shows that a very small number of municipalities have not followed the state’s requirements, with little consequence. Others have defied the state’s rules and faced costly litigation. No cities in Ventura County have had their plans certified yet.
At a special City Council meeting Tuesday evening, council members revisited the Housing Element, a required plan to accommodate new housing to be certified by the state’s Housing and Community Development Department.
The topic was last discussed in May when council members said they were not ready to adopt a plan to accommodate the 427 new housing units required by the state.
While council members all agreed that they would like to provide affordable housing for Ojai’s work force, they were not ready to open the door to the development of 427 new units, a housing increase that does not coincide with the city’s pre-existing growth management plan.
At a prior discussion of the topic, council members said they were not entirely opposed to defying the state’s mandates. They had asked consultants and city staff to look into the consequences of not complying with the state requirements.
“We have to decide what level of risk we are comfortable with,” said Mayor Sue Horgan on Tuesday. “If we provide affordable housing in the way the state wants us to do, I think that is a risk for our quality of life in Ojai. If we don’t follow the state’s mandates, we are opening ourselves up to litigation from developers. Is that more risky than providing a road map for developers to exploit Ojai?”
Housing consultant Tom Figg presented three Housing Element options that the city could pursue. The first plan, the most likely to be accepted by the HCD, allows for new development of new units primarily through housing overlays which allow property owners to build residential units on land that is zoned for commercial development. That is essentially the same plan, rejected by the council, that Figg presented months earlier.
The second option, though less likely to be approved by HCD, proposes to increase affordable housing in ways that will be less likely to add as many new developments, such as turning existing non-compliant units into permitted homes. The second option also accommodates new development, though not as much as the first option. The third option is essentially defying the state, relying primarily on existing housing, and linking new development projects with non-resident employees of local businesses.
“As a professional consultant, I continue to promote option No. 1,” said Figg, “because it is the most likely to get you certified.”
If HCD receives a housing plan for Ojai that the department contends does not substantially comply with the Housing Element law, then the city must either change their plan in accordance with HCD’s requirements, or self-certify. Self-certification means that the city adopts the plan that has not been certified by the state’s HCD, but makes findings as to why it thinks the plan does comply with the law.
If a city with an HCD-certified plan gets sued by developers, the state government will back them up. If it gets sued with a self-certified plan, the city is on its own.
While 20 percent of California communities have not implemented housing plans that have been certified by HCD, all except for 8 percent hope to eventually be certified by the state.
Pismo Beach is self-certified because of its lack of available land at reasonable cost, with no consequence to date. The self-certified city of Buellton in Santa Barbara County, however, was faced with a lawsuit by California Rural Legal Assistance, which resulted in the city paying more than $360,000 in damages, and adopting programs which designated sites for high-density housing. The latter was illustrated in the council’s staff report, along with lawsuits against Fillmore and Camarillo.
Council members, still in search of ways to increase affordable housing with minimum development, showed interest in a new bill that was passed to address foreclosures. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 allows local governments to purchase foreclosed homes. Another recent law allows local governments to re-finance mortgages on owner-occupied homes, using tax-exempt bond funds. Since the housing plan does include assistance to existing households, it could use such a program in some credit toward assisting households that are at risk of losing their homes, according to Figg’s report.
A recent development also requires the city to accommodate emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities for the homeless in their plan. If the city moves forward with a housing plan it must take the latter into consideration, according to Figg.
Councilman Steve Olsen asked staff to look into more creative ways to accommodate new housing, without increasing the possibility of overwhelming build-out.
Sue Broidy, local resident and commissioner for the Area Housing Authority, urged the council to examine the need for affordable housing and opt for Figg’s proposed plan. Local residents Stan Greene, Jim Ruch and Bill Miley, pleaded for consideration of Ojai’s water, and asked for additional studies on water availability in the valley.
The urban water management plans for the Golden State Water Company and the Casitas Municipal Water District both show the availability of water, but are somewhat incomplete, according to the staff report.
Since no decision was required for the meeting Tuesday, council members agreed to resume discussing the housing plan at the Jan. 27 meeting.
Councilwoman Rae Hanstad received a standing ovation for her eight years of service at her last meeting with the council. She thanked her colleagues and members of the public, and accepted praise from fellow councilmen.
Councilwoman Carol Smith applauded her for taking the reins and leading the city through tough times during Hanstad’s term as mayor.
“The city will miss your leadership and your wisdom,” said Horgan.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cash registers ring
Local businesses report brisk holiday sales
By Linda Harmon
According to 14 out of 15 downtown businesses surveyed Monday, Ojai’s holiday shopping season is off to a robust start. Businesses noted a ground swell of local support as well as increased business from out-of-town residents and tourists spending their holiday in Ojai.
Rains department store, the traditional downtown anchor, was bustling with shoppers during its annual customer appreciation day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, offering a 20 percent discount.
“It was wonderful,” said Carol Kay, a Rains employee for over 20 years. “I heard so many people say they wanted to shop local and didn’t know what they’d do without us. We had three registers going all day and we actually did a little better this year than last.”
Kava Gifts, an Arcade gift, interiors and housewares store several shops down, also had a good beginning according to owner Hildegard Tallent.
“We had a sale too,” said Tallent, who added sales had been a little slower this year. “I think that made all the difference. People are not being as frivolous in their buying this year and want items that have more meaning and usefulness.”
According to owner Anne Helson, Down Home Furnishings, a 9-year-old home decor business in the Arcade, hasn’t even seen a downturn in sales this year.
“Things have been very good for us,” said Helson. “We have a lot of one-of-a-kind items, maybe that’s what saves me.”
At Kindred Spirit, a women’s clothing store in the Arcade, sales have also been brisk.
“We did beautifully this weekend,” said Kindred Spirit manager Mary Rynsoever. “We’ve been here 23 years and about 80 percent of our business is local.”
Rynsoever says she has had customers come in and say her prices are even $10 to $15 less than Ventura.
“They go there and then come back here,” said Rynsoever, who has worked for owners Kathy and Pat Francis for more than 12 years. “The whole year has been very good for us and we couldn’t have done that without our local shoppers. That makes us work harder for them. People comparison shop and we do it too. Kathy works at getting the best for the best price.”
Stan and Hallie Katz are the owners of another Arcade icon, Human Arts, and recently combined their two stores under one roof.
“Overall business for us has been very good and our strongest day was Saturday,” said Katz, also a fine artist in her own right. “There were lots of people on the street and we need people.”
According to the couple, they have many repeat customers and “a lot of local support.”
“We are very grateful for the momentum,” said Katz, adding, “and that Ojai is still attracting people.”
As for relative newcomer Vesta, a retail and restaurant establishment celebrating its first year in business in October, they had a very busy weekend too.
“Friday was really fabulous in the retail and the restaurant area,” said Shari Grant, manager. “Sales have really picked up in the last week.”
Off the Arcade, business seemed to be good as well.
“Sales were very, very good.” said Lilly Barthelemy, who, along with her husband, Joe, owns Serendipity Toys, behind the Arcade at 221 E. Matilija St. “Friday, Saturday and Sunday sales were actually ahead of last year’s.”
“November was the best November we’ve ever had,” said her husband with a laugh. “We had one guy who said he drives over 700 miles to shop here every year, but we’re pretty sure he has relatives here too.”
Across the parking lot at Ojai Electronics, Kelsey Martin, an employee of the Radio Shack franchise, says they met their sales goal for the weekend.
“We did really great Friday and Saturday. And Sunday we met our regular sales,” said Martin, who worked all weekend.
Around the corner, sales were also strong. Jones & Company, 307 N. Montgomery St., is a gift store offering jewelry, stationery and bath items. Ojai House, 304 N. Montgomery St., is an artist-friendly venue featuring furniture, wearable art and handmade items for the home and garden. Both are decked out for the holidays and the respective owners reported encouraging sales, with an increase over last year.
The best thing for Ojai shoppers is that almost every store has either had a sale, will have a sale or is offering a special event over the course of December. Vesta’s events will range from a holiday wine tasting Dec. 4 to a holiday tea, with Santa and a petting zoo, Dec. 14. Made in Ojai, located at 323 E. Matilija St., and featuring all local items, will have special patio sale where you can meet the artists every Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. throughout December. Ojai House will also have an artists’ boutique on their outside back patio with refreshments where customers can mingle and meet the artists, Dec. 13 and 14 from noon to 5 p.m.
Wherever you go to purchase this holiday season, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition would like you to remember to bring your own shopping bag. Don’t have one? Don’t worry. Get one at “A Day Without a Bag” Sunday, Dec. 20, where the OVGC will offer free reusable bags to the public at Vons, Starr Market, Rite Aid, Rainbow Bridge and Westridge Market while supplies last.
By Linda Harmon
According to 14 out of 15 downtown businesses surveyed Monday, Ojai’s holiday shopping season is off to a robust start. Businesses noted a ground swell of local support as well as increased business from out-of-town residents and tourists spending their holiday in Ojai.
Rains department store, the traditional downtown anchor, was bustling with shoppers during its annual customer appreciation day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, offering a 20 percent discount.
“It was wonderful,” said Carol Kay, a Rains employee for over 20 years. “I heard so many people say they wanted to shop local and didn’t know what they’d do without us. We had three registers going all day and we actually did a little better this year than last.”
Kava Gifts, an Arcade gift, interiors and housewares store several shops down, also had a good beginning according to owner Hildegard Tallent.
“We had a sale too,” said Tallent, who added sales had been a little slower this year. “I think that made all the difference. People are not being as frivolous in their buying this year and want items that have more meaning and usefulness.”
According to owner Anne Helson, Down Home Furnishings, a 9-year-old home decor business in the Arcade, hasn’t even seen a downturn in sales this year.
“Things have been very good for us,” said Helson. “We have a lot of one-of-a-kind items, maybe that’s what saves me.”
At Kindred Spirit, a women’s clothing store in the Arcade, sales have also been brisk.
“We did beautifully this weekend,” said Kindred Spirit manager Mary Rynsoever. “We’ve been here 23 years and about 80 percent of our business is local.”
Rynsoever says she has had customers come in and say her prices are even $10 to $15 less than Ventura.
“They go there and then come back here,” said Rynsoever, who has worked for owners Kathy and Pat Francis for more than 12 years. “The whole year has been very good for us and we couldn’t have done that without our local shoppers. That makes us work harder for them. People comparison shop and we do it too. Kathy works at getting the best for the best price.”
Stan and Hallie Katz are the owners of another Arcade icon, Human Arts, and recently combined their two stores under one roof.
“Overall business for us has been very good and our strongest day was Saturday,” said Katz, also a fine artist in her own right. “There were lots of people on the street and we need people.”
According to the couple, they have many repeat customers and “a lot of local support.”
“We are very grateful for the momentum,” said Katz, adding, “and that Ojai is still attracting people.”
As for relative newcomer Vesta, a retail and restaurant establishment celebrating its first year in business in October, they had a very busy weekend too.
“Friday was really fabulous in the retail and the restaurant area,” said Shari Grant, manager. “Sales have really picked up in the last week.”
Off the Arcade, business seemed to be good as well.
“Sales were very, very good.” said Lilly Barthelemy, who, along with her husband, Joe, owns Serendipity Toys, behind the Arcade at 221 E. Matilija St. “Friday, Saturday and Sunday sales were actually ahead of last year’s.”
“November was the best November we’ve ever had,” said her husband with a laugh. “We had one guy who said he drives over 700 miles to shop here every year, but we’re pretty sure he has relatives here too.”
Across the parking lot at Ojai Electronics, Kelsey Martin, an employee of the Radio Shack franchise, says they met their sales goal for the weekend.
“We did really great Friday and Saturday. And Sunday we met our regular sales,” said Martin, who worked all weekend.
Around the corner, sales were also strong. Jones & Company, 307 N. Montgomery St., is a gift store offering jewelry, stationery and bath items. Ojai House, 304 N. Montgomery St., is an artist-friendly venue featuring furniture, wearable art and handmade items for the home and garden. Both are decked out for the holidays and the respective owners reported encouraging sales, with an increase over last year.
The best thing for Ojai shoppers is that almost every store has either had a sale, will have a sale or is offering a special event over the course of December. Vesta’s events will range from a holiday wine tasting Dec. 4 to a holiday tea, with Santa and a petting zoo, Dec. 14. Made in Ojai, located at 323 E. Matilija St., and featuring all local items, will have special patio sale where you can meet the artists every Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. throughout December. Ojai House will also have an artists’ boutique on their outside back patio with refreshments where customers can mingle and meet the artists, Dec. 13 and 14 from noon to 5 p.m.
Wherever you go to purchase this holiday season, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition would like you to remember to bring your own shopping bag. Don’t have one? Don’t worry. Get one at “A Day Without a Bag” Sunday, Dec. 20, where the OVGC will offer free reusable bags to the public at Vons, Starr Market, Rite Aid, Rainbow Bridge and Westridge Market while supplies last.
Friend in deed
Inspired by ‘Bucket List,’ Ojai man joins pal on cross-country trip
By Sondra Murphy
When Ojai resident Jack Smart spent years in the travel industry, he never guessed his experience would lead to organizing a grand adventure that would feel like a step back in time. Last spring, Smart helped a high school friend make a “Mini Bucket Trip,” inspired, in part, by the movie, “The Bucket List.”
Smart met Sonny Rowell as a Granby, Va., high school football player in the 1940s and had not seen him for about 40 years. “In August 2007, I reunited with Sonny for 24 hours and that’s when I learned he was itching to take a trip.” Rowell was recovering from the death of his wife the year before and dealing with physical limitations brought about from type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy in his legs and hands when he and Smart began planning a modest trip to visit former classmates.
The pair initially planned to visit specific people Rowell longed to see, plus tour New Orleans. “The fact that I had a travel background helped a lot,” said Smart. The friends set an itinerary that would take them 3,400 miles through 11 states for visits in Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, while driving Rowell’s specially equipped van.
Smart’s understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act proved useful to acquiring the types of accommodations Rowell required, as he relies on a motorized scooter for his mobility. “We stayed in Motel 6 in every town except two,” said Smart. “Their interpretation is, if there is a handicap room available, then somebody like Sonny can have it. If it only has one bed, then the person helping him can have the next room at no cost. It helped keep the expenses down.”
As word spread about Rowell’s visits, other school friends began wanting to meet with him and the bucket trips abounded. Smart helped arrange visits with the former classmates until a kind of momentum grew and a surprise luncheon was organized and attended by a veritable “who’s who” from their high school yearbook in Virginia Beach last spring. Who would have known that when Rowell was voted Most Popular in 1948 the opinion would have lasted 60 years?
By the time of the March 21 luncheon, 44 guests attended, which included the Granby High School football teams from 1946 through 1948, a coach, cheerleaders, as well as many people voted Most Popular, Best Looking and Most Athletic during school. All signed photos and souvenirs for Rowell to take home with him.
“When I was putting together the luncheon, it became apparent that the Granby High football team had not had a reunion, prompting them to come,” said Smart.
Smart kept a detailed travel log of their visits and adventures, some of which only the mature can appreciate. After Rowell’s motorized cart got stuck in a public rest room door in Georgia, Smart wrote, “Lots of foot traffic. Not a pretty sight. We both came to the conclusion on our departure from the visitor’s center that we probably set back Georgia tourism 20 years.” At a South Carolina location, the scooter got stuck in the narrow aisles of a small grocery store, with the vehicle’s tires wedged so tightly against displayed 12-packs the help of an employee was required to free it.
There were other examples of southern hospitality. “We’re both pretty big guys, each is about 6-foot-3, so Motel 6 was a real hero for us.” Smart said that even with the great service, he regularly had to educate the front desk staff about the Americans with Disabilities Act at each venue.
The travel log captures the fun Smart and Rowell had during their trip. “We laughed until our sides ached. We were two young teens who just obtained our driver’s license and were ‘on the road.’ Sonny’s mishaps with his scooter were priceless,” Smart recorded. “Sonny and I agreed all of this added 10 more years to our lives. Because of mishaps and chaos everywhere we went, we had the feeling as we motored into a new state, that the previous state immediately was hanging a sign flashing ‘Please do not return.’”
Smart said the successful trip has Rowell feeling better and the experience gave him the urge to do more traveling. “Sonny really hit it off with Janet Connelley Summers,” said Smart of the former cheerleader and Granby High’s most popular female of 1948. “Sonny invited her to take a cruise with him too and they had such a great time they are now planning a trip to South America.”
Smart said his wife of 54 years, local artist Jean Smart, was very supportive of his efforts to cheer up his buddy. “She is extremely encouraging to me,” Smart said. The couple moved to Ojai in 1987 after “looking for areas more rustic and with greenery.” They have two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Son Joel lives in Oregon and daughter, Jody Comet, works at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.
“When we first moved here, I was fairly well-known and people would say, ‘This is Jean, Jack’s wife.’ Now that I’m retired, they don’t know me much and say, ‘Oh, this is Jack. He’s Jean’s husband,’” Smart said. “I’m very proud of her.”
By Sondra Murphy
When Ojai resident Jack Smart spent years in the travel industry, he never guessed his experience would lead to organizing a grand adventure that would feel like a step back in time. Last spring, Smart helped a high school friend make a “Mini Bucket Trip,” inspired, in part, by the movie, “The Bucket List.”
Smart met Sonny Rowell as a Granby, Va., high school football player in the 1940s and had not seen him for about 40 years. “In August 2007, I reunited with Sonny for 24 hours and that’s when I learned he was itching to take a trip.” Rowell was recovering from the death of his wife the year before and dealing with physical limitations brought about from type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy in his legs and hands when he and Smart began planning a modest trip to visit former classmates.
The pair initially planned to visit specific people Rowell longed to see, plus tour New Orleans. “The fact that I had a travel background helped a lot,” said Smart. The friends set an itinerary that would take them 3,400 miles through 11 states for visits in Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, while driving Rowell’s specially equipped van.
Smart’s understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act proved useful to acquiring the types of accommodations Rowell required, as he relies on a motorized scooter for his mobility. “We stayed in Motel 6 in every town except two,” said Smart. “Their interpretation is, if there is a handicap room available, then somebody like Sonny can have it. If it only has one bed, then the person helping him can have the next room at no cost. It helped keep the expenses down.”
As word spread about Rowell’s visits, other school friends began wanting to meet with him and the bucket trips abounded. Smart helped arrange visits with the former classmates until a kind of momentum grew and a surprise luncheon was organized and attended by a veritable “who’s who” from their high school yearbook in Virginia Beach last spring. Who would have known that when Rowell was voted Most Popular in 1948 the opinion would have lasted 60 years?
By the time of the March 21 luncheon, 44 guests attended, which included the Granby High School football teams from 1946 through 1948, a coach, cheerleaders, as well as many people voted Most Popular, Best Looking and Most Athletic during school. All signed photos and souvenirs for Rowell to take home with him.
“When I was putting together the luncheon, it became apparent that the Granby High football team had not had a reunion, prompting them to come,” said Smart.
Smart kept a detailed travel log of their visits and adventures, some of which only the mature can appreciate. After Rowell’s motorized cart got stuck in a public rest room door in Georgia, Smart wrote, “Lots of foot traffic. Not a pretty sight. We both came to the conclusion on our departure from the visitor’s center that we probably set back Georgia tourism 20 years.” At a South Carolina location, the scooter got stuck in the narrow aisles of a small grocery store, with the vehicle’s tires wedged so tightly against displayed 12-packs the help of an employee was required to free it.
There were other examples of southern hospitality. “We’re both pretty big guys, each is about 6-foot-3, so Motel 6 was a real hero for us.” Smart said that even with the great service, he regularly had to educate the front desk staff about the Americans with Disabilities Act at each venue.
The travel log captures the fun Smart and Rowell had during their trip. “We laughed until our sides ached. We were two young teens who just obtained our driver’s license and were ‘on the road.’ Sonny’s mishaps with his scooter were priceless,” Smart recorded. “Sonny and I agreed all of this added 10 more years to our lives. Because of mishaps and chaos everywhere we went, we had the feeling as we motored into a new state, that the previous state immediately was hanging a sign flashing ‘Please do not return.’”
Smart said the successful trip has Rowell feeling better and the experience gave him the urge to do more traveling. “Sonny really hit it off with Janet Connelley Summers,” said Smart of the former cheerleader and Granby High’s most popular female of 1948. “Sonny invited her to take a cruise with him too and they had such a great time they are now planning a trip to South America.”
Smart said his wife of 54 years, local artist Jean Smart, was very supportive of his efforts to cheer up his buddy. “She is extremely encouraging to me,” Smart said. The couple moved to Ojai in 1987 after “looking for areas more rustic and with greenery.” They have two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Son Joel lives in Oregon and daughter, Jody Comet, works at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.
“When we first moved here, I was fairly well-known and people would say, ‘This is Jean, Jack’s wife.’ Now that I’m retired, they don’t know me much and say, ‘Oh, this is Jack. He’s Jean’s husband,’” Smart said. “I’m very proud of her.”
ACLU presses ahead with citizen lawsuit
By Nao Braverman
The American Civil Liberties Union appealed the court's decision upholding the city of Ojai's position in the lawsuit against local citizen Jeff Furchtenicht on Monday. If accepted, the appeal will be heard by the California Supreme Court. (Read petition for review)
The court will generally decide whether to take up the case, deny it or extend their decision within 60 days, or by the end of January, according to a court clerk. If a decision is not made by then, the court can take an additional 30 days to come up with a response by the beginning of March.
But Peter Eliasberg, the ACLU attorney defending Furchtenicht, is making the case that the lawsuit is significant enough to be considered by the California Supreme Court.
"The decision that was made in the State Court of Appeals would have a dramatic effect on the initiative process," said Eliasberg. "If a person proposing an initiative is afraid of being faced with a lawsuit before getting out of the starting gate, they would think three or four times before deciding to go through the process."
That, he said, is an obstruction of a citizen's right to circulate an initiative.
In October the State Court of Appeals reversed the demurrer granted to Furchtenicht in 2006 and affirmed denial of his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion against the city of Ojai.
A petition for rehearing of the lawsuit in the State Court of Appeals was denied on Nov. 18, before Eliasberg filed the appeal to the Supreme Court.
Mayor Sue Horgan and incoming Councilwoman Betsy Clapp both said at a candidate forum in October that they would not vote to spend any more money on the case if it were appealed. But neither have confirmed any promises to stick by their statements. Clapp did not answer phone calls in time for press. Horgan did say that she didn't want to spend any more money on what she considered a dead issue. However, she was not willing to speculate on how she would vote if she is wrong, and the case is taken up by the Supreme Court. Councilman Steve Olsen, Councilman Joe DeVito and Councilwoman Carol Smith all said they were not ready to comment until they had received more information and discussed the issue with city staff.
City manager Jere Kersnar said it was too early to discuss the issue. But if the case were to go to the California Supreme Court, statewide organizations such as the League of California Cities and the County Supervisors Association of California would likely get involved. If it reached that level, Ojai might not have much of a choice but to participate, he said.
The two-year-long battle between the city attorney and Furchtenicht began when Furchtenicht proposed two citizen's initiatives to the city regarding chain stores and affordable housing in August 2006.
City attorney Monte Widders declined to prepare the ballot title and summary for the initiatives, claiming that they were not submitted in the proper format, and asked Furchtenicht to withdraw them, rewrite them and resubmit them in the proper format. When he did not, Widders took Furchtenicht to court, and Furchtenicht responded with demurrer and anti-SLAPP motion. Both were denied in the State Court of Appeals.
The two-year-long battle has cost the city $93,810, according to Kersnar.
The American Civil Liberties Union appealed the court's decision upholding the city of Ojai's position in the lawsuit against local citizen Jeff Furchtenicht on Monday. If accepted, the appeal will be heard by the California Supreme Court. (Read petition for review)
The court will generally decide whether to take up the case, deny it or extend their decision within 60 days, or by the end of January, according to a court clerk. If a decision is not made by then, the court can take an additional 30 days to come up with a response by the beginning of March.
But Peter Eliasberg, the ACLU attorney defending Furchtenicht, is making the case that the lawsuit is significant enough to be considered by the California Supreme Court.
"The decision that was made in the State Court of Appeals would have a dramatic effect on the initiative process," said Eliasberg. "If a person proposing an initiative is afraid of being faced with a lawsuit before getting out of the starting gate, they would think three or four times before deciding to go through the process."
That, he said, is an obstruction of a citizen's right to circulate an initiative.
In October the State Court of Appeals reversed the demurrer granted to Furchtenicht in 2006 and affirmed denial of his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion against the city of Ojai.
A petition for rehearing of the lawsuit in the State Court of Appeals was denied on Nov. 18, before Eliasberg filed the appeal to the Supreme Court.
Mayor Sue Horgan and incoming Councilwoman Betsy Clapp both said at a candidate forum in October that they would not vote to spend any more money on the case if it were appealed. But neither have confirmed any promises to stick by their statements. Clapp did not answer phone calls in time for press. Horgan did say that she didn't want to spend any more money on what she considered a dead issue. However, she was not willing to speculate on how she would vote if she is wrong, and the case is taken up by the Supreme Court. Councilman Steve Olsen, Councilman Joe DeVito and Councilwoman Carol Smith all said they were not ready to comment until they had received more information and discussed the issue with city staff.
City manager Jere Kersnar said it was too early to discuss the issue. But if the case were to go to the California Supreme Court, statewide organizations such as the League of California Cities and the County Supervisors Association of California would likely get involved. If it reached that level, Ojai might not have much of a choice but to participate, he said.
The two-year-long battle between the city attorney and Furchtenicht began when Furchtenicht proposed two citizen's initiatives to the city regarding chain stores and affordable housing in August 2006.
City attorney Monte Widders declined to prepare the ballot title and summary for the initiatives, claiming that they were not submitted in the proper format, and asked Furchtenicht to withdraw them, rewrite them and resubmit them in the proper format. When he did not, Widders took Furchtenicht to court, and Furchtenicht responded with demurrer and anti-SLAPP motion. Both were denied in the State Court of Appeals.
The two-year-long battle has cost the city $93,810, according to Kersnar.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Strickland edges out Jackson
By Daryl Kelley
With election officials in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties down to their final 120 uncounted votes, two tantalizingly close races on the local Nov. 4 election ballot finally appeared to be decided late Wednesday afternoon.
By the Ojai Valley News' deadline, Republican Tony Strickland maintained an apparently insurmountable lead of about 800 votes over Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson in the $10-million 19th state Senate race, despite late gains by Jackson in both Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Only about 100 votes remain to be counted in Ventura County and just 20 in Santa Barbara County, officials said. About 65,000 votes remained to be counted in Los Angeles County overall, but that county encompasses only a small sliver of the 19th District and it had gone solidly for Strickland.
"Strickland still has a sizeable lead," Ventura County elections chief Philip Schmit said. "So (catching him) doesn't seem possible."
After more than 415,000 votes had been counted, Strickland led Jackson by less than one-third of a percentage point in the most expensive race in Ventura County history and the most costly legislative race in California this year.
Tracy Saucedo, assistant Ventura County registrar, said only about 100 votes remained to be processed late Wednesday, and some of those would not be eligible votes. The full vote count should be complete by Friday, after a Thanksgiving holiday.
The county must report final results to the California secretary of state's office by next Tuesday, Dec. 2.
In another compelling race, challenger George Galgas apparently won a directorship on the Ojai Valley Sanitary District after he broke a tie with incumbent Bill Stone late Tuesday, pulling ahead by 10 votes. Then on Wednesday, Galgas widened that margin to 14 votes.
For the latest results go to recorder.countyofventura.org/elections.htm.
Stone, 50, and Galgas, 75, were tied with 682 votes each late Monday, but Tuesday's count gave Galgas 21 more votes while Stone got only 11, election officials said. Then Wednesday afternoon Galgas received four more votes and Stone none as provisional ballots were tabluated.
"It's pretty wild, isn't it," said Stone, a 14-year incumbent who is a plant manager for a communications company in Ventura, before the outcome was known.
"It's been very exciting to say the least," said Galgas, a semi-retired masonry inspector from Oak View, after he'd staked his Tuesday lead. "It's been back and forth. I was ahead by five on election night, and then I was ahead by four, and then he was ahead. So being ahead by 10 is really encouraging."
Now, with a 14-vote lead, the race seems to be over.
Galgas will assume one of seven seats on a special district that operates sewer facilities from the Avenue area of Ventura through the city of Ojai, serving about 23,000 people.
The directors, who oversee 19 employees and a budget of $7.5 million, hold one regular meeting a month and sit on at least one committee. They receive a stipend of $150 for every regular or special meeting and $75 for each committee meeting.
They receive no other financial benefit, said district general manager John Correa, except $150 a day plus expenses when they attend one of four conferences directors may attend each year.
Correa said he'd never seen a local race like this one, and that his staff has marveled over how remarkably close it has been.
Schmit said he was not certain what would have happened if Stone and Galgas had ended their race in a tie.
On Wednesday morning, Schmit said his office still had to count about 500 provisional and 1,500 ballots that had to be duplicated and reprocessed for a variety of reasons. But Saucedo said by mid-afternoon that all but about 100 had been counted.
"We hope to have it all done by Friday," Schmit said. "And if we don't we'll work Saturday to finish it."
Meanwhile, in other updates through Wednesday morning, Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan held insurmountable leads for the Ojai City Council, despite some closing by former Mayor Suza Francina on second-place Horgan, the council incumbent.
Horgan still held a 92-vote lead over Francina, while Clapp, the leader in the five-person race, led Horgan by 280 votes.
The near-final count for City Council was: Clapp, 1,694, or 27.18 percent; Horgan, 1,414, 22.69 percent; Francina, 1,322, 21.21 percent; incumbent Rae Hanstad, 1,054, 16.91 percent; Mike Lenehan, 723, 11.6 percent.
A total of 6,233 votes had been cast in the council race, with each voter allowed to vote twice.
Also by Wednesday morning, the Ojai Unified School District parcel tax initiative had gained a little ground and stood at only 65.9 percent approval, but a two-thirds super majority is required for passage. And the near-final count on Wednesday showed that it had failed with 65.94 percent of the vote.
With election officials in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties down to their final 120 uncounted votes, two tantalizingly close races on the local Nov. 4 election ballot finally appeared to be decided late Wednesday afternoon.
By the Ojai Valley News' deadline, Republican Tony Strickland maintained an apparently insurmountable lead of about 800 votes over Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson in the $10-million 19th state Senate race, despite late gains by Jackson in both Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Only about 100 votes remain to be counted in Ventura County and just 20 in Santa Barbara County, officials said. About 65,000 votes remained to be counted in Los Angeles County overall, but that county encompasses only a small sliver of the 19th District and it had gone solidly for Strickland.
"Strickland still has a sizeable lead," Ventura County elections chief Philip Schmit said. "So (catching him) doesn't seem possible."
After more than 415,000 votes had been counted, Strickland led Jackson by less than one-third of a percentage point in the most expensive race in Ventura County history and the most costly legislative race in California this year.
Tracy Saucedo, assistant Ventura County registrar, said only about 100 votes remained to be processed late Wednesday, and some of those would not be eligible votes. The full vote count should be complete by Friday, after a Thanksgiving holiday.
The county must report final results to the California secretary of state's office by next Tuesday, Dec. 2.
In another compelling race, challenger George Galgas apparently won a directorship on the Ojai Valley Sanitary District after he broke a tie with incumbent Bill Stone late Tuesday, pulling ahead by 10 votes. Then on Wednesday, Galgas widened that margin to 14 votes.
For the latest results go to recorder.countyofventura.org/elections.htm.
Stone, 50, and Galgas, 75, were tied with 682 votes each late Monday, but Tuesday's count gave Galgas 21 more votes while Stone got only 11, election officials said. Then Wednesday afternoon Galgas received four more votes and Stone none as provisional ballots were tabluated.
"It's pretty wild, isn't it," said Stone, a 14-year incumbent who is a plant manager for a communications company in Ventura, before the outcome was known.
"It's been very exciting to say the least," said Galgas, a semi-retired masonry inspector from Oak View, after he'd staked his Tuesday lead. "It's been back and forth. I was ahead by five on election night, and then I was ahead by four, and then he was ahead. So being ahead by 10 is really encouraging."
Now, with a 14-vote lead, the race seems to be over.
Galgas will assume one of seven seats on a special district that operates sewer facilities from the Avenue area of Ventura through the city of Ojai, serving about 23,000 people.
The directors, who oversee 19 employees and a budget of $7.5 million, hold one regular meeting a month and sit on at least one committee. They receive a stipend of $150 for every regular or special meeting and $75 for each committee meeting.
They receive no other financial benefit, said district general manager John Correa, except $150 a day plus expenses when they attend one of four conferences directors may attend each year.
Correa said he'd never seen a local race like this one, and that his staff has marveled over how remarkably close it has been.
Schmit said he was not certain what would have happened if Stone and Galgas had ended their race in a tie.
On Wednesday morning, Schmit said his office still had to count about 500 provisional and 1,500 ballots that had to be duplicated and reprocessed for a variety of reasons. But Saucedo said by mid-afternoon that all but about 100 had been counted.
"We hope to have it all done by Friday," Schmit said. "And if we don't we'll work Saturday to finish it."
Meanwhile, in other updates through Wednesday morning, Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan held insurmountable leads for the Ojai City Council, despite some closing by former Mayor Suza Francina on second-place Horgan, the council incumbent.
Horgan still held a 92-vote lead over Francina, while Clapp, the leader in the five-person race, led Horgan by 280 votes.
The near-final count for City Council was: Clapp, 1,694, or 27.18 percent; Horgan, 1,414, 22.69 percent; Francina, 1,322, 21.21 percent; incumbent Rae Hanstad, 1,054, 16.91 percent; Mike Lenehan, 723, 11.6 percent.
A total of 6,233 votes had been cast in the council race, with each voter allowed to vote twice.
Also by Wednesday morning, the Ojai Unified School District parcel tax initiative had gained a little ground and stood at only 65.9 percent approval, but a two-thirds super majority is required for passage. And the near-final count on Wednesday showed that it had failed with 65.94 percent of the vote.
ACLU denied hearing in city lawsuit
By Nao Braverman
Ojai resident Jeff Furchtenicht and the American Civil Liberties Union were struck down several times, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have given up yet.
The ACLU's petition for rehearing of the lawsuit between city attorney Monte Widders and Furchtenicht in the State Court of Appeal was denied Nov. 18.
An appeal to the California Supreme Court may be filed next.
"We think there were a number of mistakes and misstatements in the court's opinion," said Peter Eliasberg, the ACLU attorney who defended Furchtenicht in the case.
The petition for rehearing was received by the court Nov. 4, shortly after the State Court of Appeal reversed the demurrer granted to Furchtenicht in 2006 and affirmed denial of his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion against the city of Ojai.
If an appeal is filed by Furchtenicht and the ACLU, the case would go the California Supreme Court, which only takes cases considered to be of statewide significance.
Should an appeal be filed, and if the Supreme Court were to decide to take the case, a number of statewide organizations like the League of California Cities and the County Supervisors Association of California would likely get involved, said city manager Jere Kersnar.
Mayor Sue Horgan and incoming Councilwoman Betsy Clapp both said at a candidate forum in October that they would not vote to spend any more money on the case, if it were appealed to the Supreme Court. Neither answered phone calls or returned messages to state whether their statements still stand. Councilwoman Carol Smith and Councilman Joe DeVito both said they could not take any stance on the issue at this time. Councilman Steve Olsen did not return phone calls in time for press. Councilwoman Rae Hanstad, although her last meeting will be on Dec. 2, said that she feels the city should focus instead on other legal priorities such as supporting the efforts of the Stop the Trucks Coalition.
The case has cost the city $93,810, according to Kersnar. Widders, his partner, attorney Roger Myers, and associate Nancy Hartzler, of the firm Myers, Widders, Gibson, Jones & Schneider, L.L.P. were each paid the standard $150 for their work on the case.
The two-year-long battle between the city attorney and Furchtenicht began when Furchtenicht proposed two citizen's initiatives to the city regarding chain stores and affordable housing in August 2006.
Widders declined to prepare the ballot title and summary for the initiatives, claiming that they were not submitted in the proper format, and asked Furchtenicht to withdraw them, rewrite them and resubmit them.
When Furchtenicht suggested that the initiatives be placed on a future City Council agenda, but did not withdraw the initiatives, Widders took him to court, stating that he needed the opinion of a judge.
In response Furchtenicht filed a demurrer and an anti-SLAPP motion, declaring that the lawsuit was intended to obstruct his right to propose initiatives.
At the end of November 2006, Furchtenicht was granted the demurrer but his anti-SLAPP complaint was denied.
Both parties left the courtroom believing that the decision had been made in their favor.
Furchtenicht was not pleased with the judge's dismissal of his anti-SLAPP motion, and appealed that portion of the decision in early 2007 defended by the ACLU. In response the city asked for the entire decision to be appealed.
A three-judge panel decided in favor of Widders on Oct. 20, reversed the demurrer and denied the anti-SLAPP motion.
The petition for rehearing filed 10 days after by the ACLU, was denied, leaving the case to be appealed to the Supreme Court if ACLU and Furchtenicht so choose.
Ojai resident Jeff Furchtenicht and the American Civil Liberties Union were struck down several times, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have given up yet.
The ACLU's petition for rehearing of the lawsuit between city attorney Monte Widders and Furchtenicht in the State Court of Appeal was denied Nov. 18.
An appeal to the California Supreme Court may be filed next.
"We think there were a number of mistakes and misstatements in the court's opinion," said Peter Eliasberg, the ACLU attorney who defended Furchtenicht in the case.
The petition for rehearing was received by the court Nov. 4, shortly after the State Court of Appeal reversed the demurrer granted to Furchtenicht in 2006 and affirmed denial of his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion against the city of Ojai.
If an appeal is filed by Furchtenicht and the ACLU, the case would go the California Supreme Court, which only takes cases considered to be of statewide significance.
Should an appeal be filed, and if the Supreme Court were to decide to take the case, a number of statewide organizations like the League of California Cities and the County Supervisors Association of California would likely get involved, said city manager Jere Kersnar.
Mayor Sue Horgan and incoming Councilwoman Betsy Clapp both said at a candidate forum in October that they would not vote to spend any more money on the case, if it were appealed to the Supreme Court. Neither answered phone calls or returned messages to state whether their statements still stand. Councilwoman Carol Smith and Councilman Joe DeVito both said they could not take any stance on the issue at this time. Councilman Steve Olsen did not return phone calls in time for press. Councilwoman Rae Hanstad, although her last meeting will be on Dec. 2, said that she feels the city should focus instead on other legal priorities such as supporting the efforts of the Stop the Trucks Coalition.
The case has cost the city $93,810, according to Kersnar. Widders, his partner, attorney Roger Myers, and associate Nancy Hartzler, of the firm Myers, Widders, Gibson, Jones & Schneider, L.L.P. were each paid the standard $150 for their work on the case.
The two-year-long battle between the city attorney and Furchtenicht began when Furchtenicht proposed two citizen's initiatives to the city regarding chain stores and affordable housing in August 2006.
Widders declined to prepare the ballot title and summary for the initiatives, claiming that they were not submitted in the proper format, and asked Furchtenicht to withdraw them, rewrite them and resubmit them.
When Furchtenicht suggested that the initiatives be placed on a future City Council agenda, but did not withdraw the initiatives, Widders took him to court, stating that he needed the opinion of a judge.
In response Furchtenicht filed a demurrer and an anti-SLAPP motion, declaring that the lawsuit was intended to obstruct his right to propose initiatives.
At the end of November 2006, Furchtenicht was granted the demurrer but his anti-SLAPP complaint was denied.
Both parties left the courtroom believing that the decision had been made in their favor.
Furchtenicht was not pleased with the judge's dismissal of his anti-SLAPP motion, and appealed that portion of the decision in early 2007 defended by the ACLU. In response the city asked for the entire decision to be appealed.
A three-judge panel decided in favor of Widders on Oct. 20, reversed the demurrer and denied the anti-SLAPP motion.
The petition for rehearing filed 10 days after by the ACLU, was denied, leaving the case to be appealed to the Supreme Court if ACLU and Furchtenicht so choose.
Ojai generous to politicians
By Nao Braverman
Ojai may be small, but locals continue to contribute to politics in healthy proportions.
Ojai Valley residents spent a total of $288,162 in donations to political candidates and organizations in 2008, about six times the average ZIP code, according to opensecrets.org, a web site that tracks political donations. That doesn't count the $8,127 in donations from people living within the 93024 ZIP code area.
The figures beats $142,776 total political contributions from the 93023 ZIP code in 2004, which was only four times the average ZIP code for that year, and the $90,241 the year before that.
President-elect Barack Obama got more money from Ojai and Ventura area residents than Republican candidates this year. But contributions to Republican candidates and organizations across the board still got more votes than Democratic candidates across the board and Democratic organizations in Ojai and Ventura area.
The web site indicates Obama as receiving the largest total donations from Ojai and the Ventura area with $87,119 from Ojai and $669,172 in the entire Ventura area, including Ojai.
John McCain trailed behind with only $23,723 from Ojai residents and $508,642 in the entire Ventura area, including Ojai.
Mitt Romney was the presidential candidate with $15,750, the third largest contribution from Ojai residents.
Oak View residents, less generous toward political campaigns, gave only $13,528 this year, still more than the $11,275 reported in 2004. Obama still came out as the top recipient from Oak View contributors with $3,550 in contributions from the area.
McCain followed closely behind with $3,140 from Oak View residents. Ron Paul was the presidential candidate with the third highest funds raised from Oak View residents receiving $850, according to Open Secrets.
Ojai may be small, but locals continue to contribute to politics in healthy proportions.
Ojai Valley residents spent a total of $288,162 in donations to political candidates and organizations in 2008, about six times the average ZIP code, according to opensecrets.org, a web site that tracks political donations. That doesn't count the $8,127 in donations from people living within the 93024 ZIP code area.
The figures beats $142,776 total political contributions from the 93023 ZIP code in 2004, which was only four times the average ZIP code for that year, and the $90,241 the year before that.
President-elect Barack Obama got more money from Ojai and Ventura area residents than Republican candidates this year. But contributions to Republican candidates and organizations across the board still got more votes than Democratic candidates across the board and Democratic organizations in Ojai and Ventura area.
The web site indicates Obama as receiving the largest total donations from Ojai and the Ventura area with $87,119 from Ojai and $669,172 in the entire Ventura area, including Ojai.
John McCain trailed behind with only $23,723 from Ojai residents and $508,642 in the entire Ventura area, including Ojai.
Mitt Romney was the presidential candidate with $15,750, the third largest contribution from Ojai residents.
Oak View residents, less generous toward political campaigns, gave only $13,528 this year, still more than the $11,275 reported in 2004. Obama still came out as the top recipient from Oak View contributors with $3,550 in contributions from the area.
McCain followed closely behind with $3,140 from Oak View residents. Ron Paul was the presidential candidate with the third highest funds raised from Oak View residents receiving $850, according to Open Secrets.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Ojai landmark to get face-lift
Cottages Among the Flowers owner seeks more time, as fire concerns at nearby Mallory Way project heat up
By Nao Braverman
Richard Colla, owner of Cottages Among the Flowers, one of Ojai’s cherished historic properties, returned to the Planning Commission on Nov. 19 to request more time to renovate and expanded his antiquated structures.
About a year after this property had been discussed by planning commissioners, Colla asked to break up the project into four phases, with a year and a half between each. This would be a major extension of the project timeline, according to city staff, as the municipal code standard is generally 180 days for a construction phase.
“Adding all this up, it looks like this could take about six years,” said Commissioner John Mirk. “We have had experience with people abandoning projects midway.”
But Colla insisted that he had purchased the property because he fancied their historic charm, and because he cared for the cottages.
“I am not going to abandon them,” he said.
The seven structures were built as winter cottages by John Burnham, who developed Country Club Drive in the late 1920s, according to local historian David Mason.
“They were quite popular during the time that Ojai was known as a winter resort,” he said.
Colla wants to renovate the seven structures that house eight rental units, and build two more, then sell the whole batch as condominiums. He needs all the time he can get to do a decent job on the project, he said.
“I work in the film industry and there’s saying: ‘You can do it quick, you can do it cheap, and you can do it well, now pick two of those.’ I would like to finish them well,” he said.
Marc Whitman, architect for the project, added that the property owners wanted to allow tenants to stay in the cottages as long as they could, as city staff had indicated they wanted to keep the much-needed affordable rental units in the community as long as possible. Colla was requesting an elongated timeline so that he wouldn’t have to install all the underground utilities at once, which would probably result in ousting tenants.
One neighboring tenant, Vickie Peters, who lives in a cottage owned by a different owner, said that she was concerned that Colla employees were dumping branches from landscape maintenance in the nearby creek bed. Peters said she is concerned that the Collas are not being responsible about maintaining the property for the tenants that live there now.
“I had to pick branches out of the creek bottom that are a fire hazard and flood hazard,” she said.
The commission approved the timeline extension for turning Cottages Among the Flowers into condominiums, and asked for the project to be reviewed once more before the final phase, as it would be years away.
In other planning news, commissioners approved modifications to their proposal to renovate and construct new units on 1314 and 1326 E. Ojai Ave. Part of the property to be developed and improved is to be sold to The Day Spa of Ojai. To properly accommodate it, owners asked for a 6-foot-high privacy wall around the spa garden.
Though commissioners were sympathetic to the privacy of spa clients in their bathrobes, they did not like the idea of a wall in pedestrian view.
Very few pedestrians are currently seen along East Ojai Avenue, but commissioners hope that the new construction will help change that. A high wall facing the street detracts from a friendly pedestrian atmosphere, said commissioner Susan Weaver. The modifications were approved, with a condition that the front wall be redesigned to incorporate an attractive pedestrian entrance.
Later at the meeting commissioners mulled over the definition of a vending machine. When commissioners and councilman passed the ordinance restricting formula retail businesses in Ojai, they expected some unintended consequences. Apparently prohibiting vending machines was one of them. City attorney Monte Widders had indicated that vending machines that sell food would fall under the category of formula fast food, according to the ordinance, and would consequently be prohibited entirely.
That could mean that all the Glacier water machines would have to go, a consequence that could be grave, planning commissioners agreed.
But the definition of a vending machine could veer far from formula retail to include an ATM machine, a gas pump, a newspaper rack, or an ice machine. It could also mean a chain restaurant, as technologically advanced Japan has entire meals that are dispensed from vending machines, said Commission Chair Paul Crabtree.
Commissioners said that they want to keep the water machines, if possible, but have other vending machines come before them for approval. They asked staff to look into whether they could exempt vending from the formula fast food ordinance, so that they would not be prohibited entirely. They would not want vending machines exempt from the formula business code, however, so that they would still need to obtain a permit, and be reviewed before they are placed on city streets.
By Nao Braverman
Richard Colla, owner of Cottages Among the Flowers, one of Ojai’s cherished historic properties, returned to the Planning Commission on Nov. 19 to request more time to renovate and expanded his antiquated structures.
About a year after this property had been discussed by planning commissioners, Colla asked to break up the project into four phases, with a year and a half between each. This would be a major extension of the project timeline, according to city staff, as the municipal code standard is generally 180 days for a construction phase.
“Adding all this up, it looks like this could take about six years,” said Commissioner John Mirk. “We have had experience with people abandoning projects midway.”
But Colla insisted that he had purchased the property because he fancied their historic charm, and because he cared for the cottages.
“I am not going to abandon them,” he said.
The seven structures were built as winter cottages by John Burnham, who developed Country Club Drive in the late 1920s, according to local historian David Mason.
“They were quite popular during the time that Ojai was known as a winter resort,” he said.
Colla wants to renovate the seven structures that house eight rental units, and build two more, then sell the whole batch as condominiums. He needs all the time he can get to do a decent job on the project, he said.
“I work in the film industry and there’s saying: ‘You can do it quick, you can do it cheap, and you can do it well, now pick two of those.’ I would like to finish them well,” he said.
Marc Whitman, architect for the project, added that the property owners wanted to allow tenants to stay in the cottages as long as they could, as city staff had indicated they wanted to keep the much-needed affordable rental units in the community as long as possible. Colla was requesting an elongated timeline so that he wouldn’t have to install all the underground utilities at once, which would probably result in ousting tenants.
One neighboring tenant, Vickie Peters, who lives in a cottage owned by a different owner, said that she was concerned that Colla employees were dumping branches from landscape maintenance in the nearby creek bed. Peters said she is concerned that the Collas are not being responsible about maintaining the property for the tenants that live there now.
“I had to pick branches out of the creek bottom that are a fire hazard and flood hazard,” she said.
The commission approved the timeline extension for turning Cottages Among the Flowers into condominiums, and asked for the project to be reviewed once more before the final phase, as it would be years away.
In other planning news, commissioners approved modifications to their proposal to renovate and construct new units on 1314 and 1326 E. Ojai Ave. Part of the property to be developed and improved is to be sold to The Day Spa of Ojai. To properly accommodate it, owners asked for a 6-foot-high privacy wall around the spa garden.
Though commissioners were sympathetic to the privacy of spa clients in their bathrobes, they did not like the idea of a wall in pedestrian view.
Very few pedestrians are currently seen along East Ojai Avenue, but commissioners hope that the new construction will help change that. A high wall facing the street detracts from a friendly pedestrian atmosphere, said commissioner Susan Weaver. The modifications were approved, with a condition that the front wall be redesigned to incorporate an attractive pedestrian entrance.
Later at the meeting commissioners mulled over the definition of a vending machine. When commissioners and councilman passed the ordinance restricting formula retail businesses in Ojai, they expected some unintended consequences. Apparently prohibiting vending machines was one of them. City attorney Monte Widders had indicated that vending machines that sell food would fall under the category of formula fast food, according to the ordinance, and would consequently be prohibited entirely.
That could mean that all the Glacier water machines would have to go, a consequence that could be grave, planning commissioners agreed.
But the definition of a vending machine could veer far from formula retail to include an ATM machine, a gas pump, a newspaper rack, or an ice machine. It could also mean a chain restaurant, as technologically advanced Japan has entire meals that are dispensed from vending machines, said Commission Chair Paul Crabtree.
Commissioners said that they want to keep the water machines, if possible, but have other vending machines come before them for approval. They asked staff to look into whether they could exempt vending from the formula fast food ordinance, so that they would not be prohibited entirely. They would not want vending machines exempt from the formula business code, however, so that they would still need to obtain a permit, and be reviewed before they are placed on city streets.
Ojai seen for Main Street program
Chamber hosts meeting with city, business owners
By Nao Braverman
What business owners want for a city does not always correspond with the interests of local residents. But in Ojai’s case, there is a great deal of consistency, said Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Following a meeting of local business and property owners about how to revitalize the local economy on Nov. 11, the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee held another meeting Nov. 19, this time inviting local residents.
About 55 people showed up at Chaparral Auditorium for the discussion.
While residents generally may be more fearful of attracting tourists than local hoteliers, all agree that much of Ojai’s charm lies in its small-town character, and no one likes the sight of commercial vacancies.
Mayor Sue Horgan opened the meeting raising some questions for consideration.
“How can we make Ojai’s businesses more attractive, and how can we do that without annoying the residents?” she asked.
This more diverse group raised some concerns that were brushed upon by the business and property owners at the previous meeting.
“Some people have this notion that our hometown has an image that we are a hometown for visitors, but we are not really a hometown for people living in Ojai,” said Stacie Jones, owner of the Ojai Coffee Roasting Co., a coffee shop frequented by locals. She mentioned some complaints regarding the high price for everyday goods such as toilet paper.
But when facilitators of the meeting perused the overall response from residents, regarding what they considered to be Ojai’s assets, and ways they thought it could improve, the comments were surprisingly similar to the responses from business and property owners, said Eicher.
That was fortunate, he added, because in order to make any improvements, the city needs to have the cooperation of local residents and business owners alike.
Dave Brubaker, chief operating officer of the Ojai Community Bank, proposed a Clean Up Ojai Day, as an initial combined volunteer effort of local businesses and residents to make Ojai better.
Residents heard the presentation by Rob Edwards, director of the Downtown Ventura Organization, which offered the Main Street program as a possible road map for improving Ojai’s economy. The program is known to have helped revive some of the most deserted city centers in Baltimore, Md., Cripple Creek, Colo., and downtown Los Angeles. It may not have the most positive image, perceived by many as a program that is sought out by some of the most deserted and dilapidated downtown corridors. But its principles — maintaining historical architecture, supporting local business and training shopkeepers to be more personable — do coincide with the efforts of many Ojai residents and policy members. The Main Street program would at least provide a road map to help the city improve and coordinate such efforts, said Martha Groszewski, coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee at a previous meeting.
Eicher said he was not yet sure if the city should follow the Main Street program or not. The Chamber of Commerce subcommittee is still evaluating the dialogue at recent meetings and considering the next step, he said.
Clean Up Ojai Day efforts, coordinated by Brubaker, will meet Dec. 13 at the Park & Ride at 9 a.m. and will continue until noon.
By Nao Braverman
What business owners want for a city does not always correspond with the interests of local residents. But in Ojai’s case, there is a great deal of consistency, said Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Following a meeting of local business and property owners about how to revitalize the local economy on Nov. 11, the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee held another meeting Nov. 19, this time inviting local residents.
About 55 people showed up at Chaparral Auditorium for the discussion.
While residents generally may be more fearful of attracting tourists than local hoteliers, all agree that much of Ojai’s charm lies in its small-town character, and no one likes the sight of commercial vacancies.
Mayor Sue Horgan opened the meeting raising some questions for consideration.
“How can we make Ojai’s businesses more attractive, and how can we do that without annoying the residents?” she asked.
This more diverse group raised some concerns that were brushed upon by the business and property owners at the previous meeting.
“Some people have this notion that our hometown has an image that we are a hometown for visitors, but we are not really a hometown for people living in Ojai,” said Stacie Jones, owner of the Ojai Coffee Roasting Co., a coffee shop frequented by locals. She mentioned some complaints regarding the high price for everyday goods such as toilet paper.
But when facilitators of the meeting perused the overall response from residents, regarding what they considered to be Ojai’s assets, and ways they thought it could improve, the comments were surprisingly similar to the responses from business and property owners, said Eicher.
That was fortunate, he added, because in order to make any improvements, the city needs to have the cooperation of local residents and business owners alike.
Dave Brubaker, chief operating officer of the Ojai Community Bank, proposed a Clean Up Ojai Day, as an initial combined volunteer effort of local businesses and residents to make Ojai better.
Residents heard the presentation by Rob Edwards, director of the Downtown Ventura Organization, which offered the Main Street program as a possible road map for improving Ojai’s economy. The program is known to have helped revive some of the most deserted city centers in Baltimore, Md., Cripple Creek, Colo., and downtown Los Angeles. It may not have the most positive image, perceived by many as a program that is sought out by some of the most deserted and dilapidated downtown corridors. But its principles — maintaining historical architecture, supporting local business and training shopkeepers to be more personable — do coincide with the efforts of many Ojai residents and policy members. The Main Street program would at least provide a road map to help the city improve and coordinate such efforts, said Martha Groszewski, coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee at a previous meeting.
Eicher said he was not yet sure if the city should follow the Main Street program or not. The Chamber of Commerce subcommittee is still evaluating the dialogue at recent meetings and considering the next step, he said.
Clean Up Ojai Day efforts, coordinated by Brubaker, will meet Dec. 13 at the Park & Ride at 9 a.m. and will continue until noon.
Bounty of Ojai
Farmers’ Market bustling with community as holidays begin
By Linda Harmon
The social chatter and shouted greetings took on an even more spirited tone this holiday week at Ojai Farmers’ Market, which is held each Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot between Matilija and Aliso streets behind the Arcade.
Shoppers filled their baskets, cloth bags, wagons and even strollers with farm-grown produce and artisan-made products, as scattered musicians played everything from classical violin to country and bluegrass.
According to market manager Cynthia Korman, the market, which began in December of 1991, brings more than 45 vendors and their wares to participate in Sunday’s market, bringing character and flavor to holiday tables.
Freckled 7-year-old Copper Clark is standing next to one longtime merchant, Vickie Cohen, at her popular stop offering handmade lavender soaps. Clark is quick to state that this isn’t her first market.
“I work here,” said Clark, looking at Cohen. “My mom’s really close with her. I come down all the time.”
Cohen can’t help but grin.
“She gives me a helping hand and earns a little spending money,” said Cohen, whose lap is filled with 2-1/2-year-old Biggs, who is visiting his grandfather from up north for Thanksgiving. “Copper comes in 8:30 or 9:00 and leaves just before the markets ends.”
Across the aisle is Les Bles D’or, a local bakery stall staffed by Beth Sichel, another familiar Ojai resident. She’s lived here since 1969.
“We’ve been doing the Farmers’ Market here for about nine or 10 years,” said Sichel during a pause in the action. “I’ve been doing it for about two years. It’s fun, I love it. We do eight markets altogether.”
As we finish our conversation Mitch Cornelius comes up to join the conversation and make his purchase.
“Actually this is my third or fourth time at the market,” said Cornelius, an Oak View shopper stopping off to peruse the handmade breads and cinnamon rolls.
Not every vendor is from Ojai. Take Marcie Jimenez, of Marcie’s Pies. Jimenez sells homemade pies, preserves, pickled vegetables and her home-grown produce from Santa Ynez.
“I’ve been doing this market for three years now,” said Jimenez, who makes the drive each week. “Stephanie comes with me, and Matt, who lives in Ojai, joins me here. They are a great help. We do 14 markets. Sometimes we do five markets a day.”
This is Jimenez’s second career. She started farming seven years ago after selling a business she and her father founded, Matsukas Food Company and its Santa Barbara Bay brand.
“You may have seen the label at Costco,” said Jimenez, “Those are all my family recipes. We grew it big so we were able to sell. My father wanted to retire.”
Next, there’s the Chows who come from Carpinteria with their vegetable and flower stand.
“I’ve lost track of how many years we’ve been coming. I think we’ve been around for at least six or seven years, at least that. We have lots of friends here,” said Rodney Chow, standing next to his wife of 54 years, Joy. The couple brings in loads of apples, plums and peaches, as well as colorful plants like the hot pink azaleas they are selling today. “We’ve been farming eight or 10 years. We started out just as an orchard and then, to fill out the season, we started growing flowers between our trees. We do three markets. Everyone asks us for our apples but we’re out now. We don’t store. That’s why our apples have such flavor. They’re picked right from the tree.”
A little farther along the aisle is the Perez family, Damian, Carlos, Olga and Jennifer, who travel to 17 markets for their cousin’s Cortez Farms in Santa Maria. They have been coming to Ojai for several years, and members of their family have been farming and selling through markets for more than 20 years.
“My aunt started when she was pregnant with my cousin who is five years younger than me,” said Perez.
The market’s customers get to know and treasure their favorites and notice a change in the regular cast of characters. Take the cheese vendor.
“I’m filling in while Bill gets his cheese head wedge made up. He has to get an overhaul once a year,” said Mark Lauren, referring to the regular “cheese dude” from Spring Hill Dairy, who sports a cheese hat. “The dairy has been selling at the market for a little over four years. We make about 32 types of cheese. We have a couple of raw cheeses, but everything else is pasteurized. Primarily we make the Jersey milk cheeses because we have over 400 Jersey cows, all grass fed, organic. We have goat cheese from our neighboring farm, their goat milk and our cheese processing. We’re out of Petaluma and have a refrigeration unit down in Ventura and service all the Southern California markets.”
Down the row is another regular character who makes the trip from out of the area.
“They call me Papa Bono,” said 89-year-old Bono,” you know like Sonny Bono. I’m been doing this market for about 10 years now. I got to know the people in the area real well. California has become a big part of my life. I do the Pasadena, Torrance, Channel Islands markets and a couple markets during the week.”
Bono is cracking his biggest seller, macadamia nuts, with his patented nutcracker he sells at markets and home shows. He has 1,200 trees down in Fallbrook. His son, Michael, is keeping him company today, visiting for the holiday from Maui.
“I’m thinking about moving here,” said the younger Bono. “I’m more into a country atmosphere and it’s getting pretty crowded over there. I like already like it here and the people are friendly.”
There are not many places that can rival Hawaii, but I guess on a November morning with the leaves turning and the bounty flowing Ojai could go to anyone’s head.
By Linda Harmon
The social chatter and shouted greetings took on an even more spirited tone this holiday week at Ojai Farmers’ Market, which is held each Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot between Matilija and Aliso streets behind the Arcade.
Shoppers filled their baskets, cloth bags, wagons and even strollers with farm-grown produce and artisan-made products, as scattered musicians played everything from classical violin to country and bluegrass.
According to market manager Cynthia Korman, the market, which began in December of 1991, brings more than 45 vendors and their wares to participate in Sunday’s market, bringing character and flavor to holiday tables.
Freckled 7-year-old Copper Clark is standing next to one longtime merchant, Vickie Cohen, at her popular stop offering handmade lavender soaps. Clark is quick to state that this isn’t her first market.
“I work here,” said Clark, looking at Cohen. “My mom’s really close with her. I come down all the time.”
Cohen can’t help but grin.
“She gives me a helping hand and earns a little spending money,” said Cohen, whose lap is filled with 2-1/2-year-old Biggs, who is visiting his grandfather from up north for Thanksgiving. “Copper comes in 8:30 or 9:00 and leaves just before the markets ends.”
Across the aisle is Les Bles D’or, a local bakery stall staffed by Beth Sichel, another familiar Ojai resident. She’s lived here since 1969.
“We’ve been doing the Farmers’ Market here for about nine or 10 years,” said Sichel during a pause in the action. “I’ve been doing it for about two years. It’s fun, I love it. We do eight markets altogether.”
As we finish our conversation Mitch Cornelius comes up to join the conversation and make his purchase.
“Actually this is my third or fourth time at the market,” said Cornelius, an Oak View shopper stopping off to peruse the handmade breads and cinnamon rolls.
Not every vendor is from Ojai. Take Marcie Jimenez, of Marcie’s Pies. Jimenez sells homemade pies, preserves, pickled vegetables and her home-grown produce from Santa Ynez.
“I’ve been doing this market for three years now,” said Jimenez, who makes the drive each week. “Stephanie comes with me, and Matt, who lives in Ojai, joins me here. They are a great help. We do 14 markets. Sometimes we do five markets a day.”
This is Jimenez’s second career. She started farming seven years ago after selling a business she and her father founded, Matsukas Food Company and its Santa Barbara Bay brand.
“You may have seen the label at Costco,” said Jimenez, “Those are all my family recipes. We grew it big so we were able to sell. My father wanted to retire.”
Next, there’s the Chows who come from Carpinteria with their vegetable and flower stand.
“I’ve lost track of how many years we’ve been coming. I think we’ve been around for at least six or seven years, at least that. We have lots of friends here,” said Rodney Chow, standing next to his wife of 54 years, Joy. The couple brings in loads of apples, plums and peaches, as well as colorful plants like the hot pink azaleas they are selling today. “We’ve been farming eight or 10 years. We started out just as an orchard and then, to fill out the season, we started growing flowers between our trees. We do three markets. Everyone asks us for our apples but we’re out now. We don’t store. That’s why our apples have such flavor. They’re picked right from the tree.”
A little farther along the aisle is the Perez family, Damian, Carlos, Olga and Jennifer, who travel to 17 markets for their cousin’s Cortez Farms in Santa Maria. They have been coming to Ojai for several years, and members of their family have been farming and selling through markets for more than 20 years.
“My aunt started when she was pregnant with my cousin who is five years younger than me,” said Perez.
The market’s customers get to know and treasure their favorites and notice a change in the regular cast of characters. Take the cheese vendor.
“I’m filling in while Bill gets his cheese head wedge made up. He has to get an overhaul once a year,” said Mark Lauren, referring to the regular “cheese dude” from Spring Hill Dairy, who sports a cheese hat. “The dairy has been selling at the market for a little over four years. We make about 32 types of cheese. We have a couple of raw cheeses, but everything else is pasteurized. Primarily we make the Jersey milk cheeses because we have over 400 Jersey cows, all grass fed, organic. We have goat cheese from our neighboring farm, their goat milk and our cheese processing. We’re out of Petaluma and have a refrigeration unit down in Ventura and service all the Southern California markets.”
Down the row is another regular character who makes the trip from out of the area.
“They call me Papa Bono,” said 89-year-old Bono,” you know like Sonny Bono. I’m been doing this market for about 10 years now. I got to know the people in the area real well. California has become a big part of my life. I do the Pasadena, Torrance, Channel Islands markets and a couple markets during the week.”
Bono is cracking his biggest seller, macadamia nuts, with his patented nutcracker he sells at markets and home shows. He has 1,200 trees down in Fallbrook. His son, Michael, is keeping him company today, visiting for the holiday from Maui.
“I’m thinking about moving here,” said the younger Bono. “I’m more into a country atmosphere and it’s getting pretty crowded over there. I like already like it here and the people are friendly.”
There are not many places that can rival Hawaii, but I guess on a November morning with the leaves turning and the bounty flowing Ojai could go to anyone’s head.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Local election in dead heat
Wild tie in sewer seat, other races no longer too close to call
By Daryl Kelley
With scarce few votes left to count, two races on the local Nov. 4 election ballot remained too close to call late Monday.
In the most expensive race in Ventura County history, the $10-million 19th state Senate District contest was within about 1,700 votes, with Republican Tony Strickland edging Democrat Hannah Beth Jackson.
But Jackson of Santa Barbara may have great difficulty making up that margin, since nearly all votes have been counted in her stronghold, Santa Barbara County, while perhaps 16,000 remain to be counted in Ventura County, where Strickland holds a sizeable lead.
But the most compelling local contest may still be the intriguing run between incumbent Bill Stone and challenger George Galgas for a seat on the obscure Ojai Valley Sanitary District board.
Stone, 50, and Galgas, 75, were tied with with 682 votes each late Monday, election officials said. Stone lost his one vote lead from last week, as he received six new votes to Galgas' seven during the count of provisional ballots.
“It's pretty wild, isn't it,” said Stone, a 14-year incumbent who is a plant manager for a communications company in Ventura.
“It's been very exciting to say the least,” said Galgas, a semi-retired masonry inspector from Oak View.
The winner will assume one of seven seats on a special district that operates sewer facilities from the Avenue area of Ventura through the city of Ojai, serving 23,000 people.
The directors, who oversee 19 employees and a budget of $7.5 million, hold one regular meeting a month and sit on at least one committee. They receive a stipend of $150 for every regular or special meeting and $75 for each committee meeting.
They receive no other financial benefit, said district general manager John Correa, except $150 a day plus expenses when they attend one of four conferences directors may attend each year.
Correa said he'd never seen a local race like this one, and that he's marveled over how it could be so remarkably close.
Phil Schmit, county elections chief, said he's not certain what would happen if Stone and Galgas end in a tie.
“Let's just hope they don't,” he said.
Either could ask for a recount, but would have to pay the cost themselves.
Schmit said his office still has about 9,000 provisional ballots to count, and perhaps 5,000 to 6,000 other ballots that had to be hand duplicated because of damage or other problems.
“We hope to have it all done Friday,” he said. “And if we don't we'll work Saturday to finish it.”
The county must submit final returns to the California Secretary of State by next Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Meanwhile, in other updates through Monday, Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan still held strong leads for the Ojai City Council, despite a bit of closing by former Mayor Suza Francina on second-place Horgan, the council incumbent. Horgan still held a 106-vote lead over Francina, while Clapp, the leader in the five-person race, led Horgan by 256 votes.
The Ojai Unified School District parcel tax initiative lost a little ground and stood at only 65.55 percent approval, while a two-thirds supermajority is required for passage.
By Daryl Kelley
With scarce few votes left to count, two races on the local Nov. 4 election ballot remained too close to call late Monday.
In the most expensive race in Ventura County history, the $10-million 19th state Senate District contest was within about 1,700 votes, with Republican Tony Strickland edging Democrat Hannah Beth Jackson.
But Jackson of Santa Barbara may have great difficulty making up that margin, since nearly all votes have been counted in her stronghold, Santa Barbara County, while perhaps 16,000 remain to be counted in Ventura County, where Strickland holds a sizeable lead.
But the most compelling local contest may still be the intriguing run between incumbent Bill Stone and challenger George Galgas for a seat on the obscure Ojai Valley Sanitary District board.
Stone, 50, and Galgas, 75, were tied with with 682 votes each late Monday, election officials said. Stone lost his one vote lead from last week, as he received six new votes to Galgas' seven during the count of provisional ballots.
“It's pretty wild, isn't it,” said Stone, a 14-year incumbent who is a plant manager for a communications company in Ventura.
“It's been very exciting to say the least,” said Galgas, a semi-retired masonry inspector from Oak View.
The winner will assume one of seven seats on a special district that operates sewer facilities from the Avenue area of Ventura through the city of Ojai, serving 23,000 people.
The directors, who oversee 19 employees and a budget of $7.5 million, hold one regular meeting a month and sit on at least one committee. They receive a stipend of $150 for every regular or special meeting and $75 for each committee meeting.
They receive no other financial benefit, said district general manager John Correa, except $150 a day plus expenses when they attend one of four conferences directors may attend each year.
Correa said he'd never seen a local race like this one, and that he's marveled over how it could be so remarkably close.
Phil Schmit, county elections chief, said he's not certain what would happen if Stone and Galgas end in a tie.
“Let's just hope they don't,” he said.
Either could ask for a recount, but would have to pay the cost themselves.
Schmit said his office still has about 9,000 provisional ballots to count, and perhaps 5,000 to 6,000 other ballots that had to be hand duplicated because of damage or other problems.
“We hope to have it all done Friday,” he said. “And if we don't we'll work Saturday to finish it.”
The county must submit final returns to the California Secretary of State by next Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Meanwhile, in other updates through Monday, Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan still held strong leads for the Ojai City Council, despite a bit of closing by former Mayor Suza Francina on second-place Horgan, the council incumbent. Horgan still held a 106-vote lead over Francina, while Clapp, the leader in the five-person race, led Horgan by 256 votes.
The Ojai Unified School District parcel tax initiative lost a little ground and stood at only 65.55 percent approval, while a two-thirds supermajority is required for passage.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Citations Issued To Alleged Vandals
Eight teens arrested for Villanova incident
By Sondra Murphy
Update Nov. 21:
According to Ojai Det. Steve Michalec, Gregory Martin Kiddie, 18, turned himself in to the Ojai Police Department today. He was cited and released on suspicion of violating PC 594.3(a), vandalism of religious property, and PC 594(b)(1), vandalism over $400.
Nov. 20 post:
Ojai Police Department issued citations to seven juveniles and one adult yesterday in connection with the Oct. 3 vandalism to Villanova Preparatory School. Paint, manure and salt were used at several locations on the private school’s campus in the early morning before Villanova was to play Nordhoff High School in a varsity football contest.
The eight teenagers were arrested on suspicion of violating PC 594.3(a), vandalism of religious property, and PC 594(b)(1), vandalism over $400. Damage was estimated at $5,100.
Ryan John Drury, 18, is the lone adult cited on Thursday. The identity of the other adult will not be released until he is cited. He is expected to turn himself in to the Police Department today. The names of the juveniles were not released.
Ojai Police Department Administrative Sgt. Mo Hookstra said that all those involved have been very cooperative. “It took so long because we had to follow all leads and conduct a fair and balanced investigation,” said Hookstra. “The investigation has determined this is not a hate crime. We did not find that this investigation was motivated by hate.”
***************************
OJAI POLICE DEPARTMENT MEDIA RELEASE 11/21
Nature of Incident: Felony Vandalism of Religious Property
Location: Villanova Preparatory School, 12096 North Ventura Avenue, Ojai
Date & Time: October 3, 2008, 5:30 hrs
Unit Responsible: Ojai Police Department
(S)uspects
(S) Ryan John Drury,18
(S) Gregory Kiddie, 18
(S) Six (6) Male Juveniles, 17
(S) One (1) Male Juvenile, 16
Narrative:
On November 20, 2008 Ojai Police Department detectives arrested two adults and seven male juveniles in connection with the October 3, 2008, vandalism at Villanova Preparatory School. During the investigation, detectives determined two separate groups were responsible for the vandalism. One group vandalized an antique marble statue of Saint Thomas of Villanova and other graffiti nearby. The second group poured manure and salt in the swimming pool and on the football field. Damage was estimated in excess of $5,000.00. The incident took place the night before a rival football game between Nordhoff High School and Villanova Preparatory School. This was the first game between the schools in 33 years. Although some of the damage was done to religious symbols, there is no evidence to suggest this was a hate-motivated crime.
Officer Preparing Release: Sergeant Maureen Hookstra
Date of Release: November 21, 2008
Approved By: Captain Chris Dunn / Ojai Police Department
By Sondra Murphy
Update Nov. 21:
According to Ojai Det. Steve Michalec, Gregory Martin Kiddie, 18, turned himself in to the Ojai Police Department today. He was cited and released on suspicion of violating PC 594.3(a), vandalism of religious property, and PC 594(b)(1), vandalism over $400.
Nov. 20 post:
Ojai Police Department issued citations to seven juveniles and one adult yesterday in connection with the Oct. 3 vandalism to Villanova Preparatory School. Paint, manure and salt were used at several locations on the private school’s campus in the early morning before Villanova was to play Nordhoff High School in a varsity football contest.
The eight teenagers were arrested on suspicion of violating PC 594.3(a), vandalism of religious property, and PC 594(b)(1), vandalism over $400. Damage was estimated at $5,100.
Ryan John Drury, 18, is the lone adult cited on Thursday. The identity of the other adult will not be released until he is cited. He is expected to turn himself in to the Police Department today. The names of the juveniles were not released.
Ojai Police Department Administrative Sgt. Mo Hookstra said that all those involved have been very cooperative. “It took so long because we had to follow all leads and conduct a fair and balanced investigation,” said Hookstra. “The investigation has determined this is not a hate crime. We did not find that this investigation was motivated by hate.”
***************************
OJAI POLICE DEPARTMENT MEDIA RELEASE 11/21
Nature of Incident: Felony Vandalism of Religious Property
Location: Villanova Preparatory School, 12096 North Ventura Avenue, Ojai
Date & Time: October 3, 2008, 5:30 hrs
Unit Responsible: Ojai Police Department
(S)uspects
(S) Ryan John Drury,18
(S) Gregory Kiddie, 18
(S) Six (6) Male Juveniles, 17
(S) One (1) Male Juvenile, 16
Narrative:
On November 20, 2008 Ojai Police Department detectives arrested two adults and seven male juveniles in connection with the October 3, 2008, vandalism at Villanova Preparatory School. During the investigation, detectives determined two separate groups were responsible for the vandalism. One group vandalized an antique marble statue of Saint Thomas of Villanova and other graffiti nearby. The second group poured manure and salt in the swimming pool and on the football field. Damage was estimated in excess of $5,000.00. The incident took place the night before a rival football game between Nordhoff High School and Villanova Preparatory School. This was the first game between the schools in 33 years. Although some of the damage was done to religious symbols, there is no evidence to suggest this was a hate-motivated crime.
Officer Preparing Release: Sergeant Maureen Hookstra
Date of Release: November 21, 2008
Approved By: Captain Chris Dunn / Ojai Police Department
City budget under watch as numbers slip
While this year’s figures slow up, higher-than-expected surplus from the past year designated for maintenance projects
By Nao Braverman
Ojai seems to be staying financially afloat, at least for now, despite harsh economic times nationwide.
City Council members approved $167,000 in net surplus from the 2007-2008 fiscal year to go toward maintenance projects that have been waiting on the back burner, at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Revenue budgeted for this year is $8.84 million in revenues with $8.3 million in expected expenses, for a net surplus of $540,000.
However, for the first quarter of this fiscal year, which ended in September, the city has collected $64,000 less than expected, said Jere Kersnar, city manager.
“Listening to my colleagues at neighboring cities, I’m hearing that this is a tough economic year for all of them,” said Kersnar.
While Ojai is currently on track financially, he cautioned decision makers, urging them to stay on their toes.
The shortfall was due to a $66,000 under collection in property tax, he said. However, first quarter property taxes are a very small amount, and not a good predictor for the rest of the year, he assured the council. More solid predictions should be made after property tax collections in December, he said.
“Times are very fluid and very uncertain,” said Kersnar.
But if surrounding cities are cutting back and downsizing their staff, Ojai has been comparatively fortunate.
While city staff had predicted a surplus of about $950,000 at the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which would have been $217,000 more than initially budgeted, they actually ended up with $167,000 in excess of the predicted amount.
Since there would already be $217,000 more than budgeted going into reserves, Kersnar suggested setting aside the additional $167,000 in the capital projects fund, for much-needed maintenance.
The money would go toward repairing the damaged stucco and wood at the Boyd Center Gym and replacing some of the gym’s water-damaged floor, he said.
Kersnar concedes that the $167,000 in excess from the 2007-2008 fiscal year was timely considering that there may be even less money to spare in the near future. If those repairs get left any longer, costs could increase astronomically.
But as the tides have been turning for cities nationwide, city staff needs to keep a close eye on funds, should conditions change for the worst, he said.
Furthermore, there has been some concern that hotel reservations may not be as high as they generally are this month, said Kersnar. Though it is too early to make a solid statement regarding the hotel tax, which has been steady to date, council members considered having city staff meet with local hoteliers to brainstorm ways to keep hotel business in good standing. A primary revenue source for the city, the steady business of local hotels is important for Ojai, especially in these economic times, explained Mayor Sue Horgan.
Councilwoman Carol Smith agreed, denouncing illegitimate local inns that avoid registering with the city in order to doge the bed tax.
Councilman Steve Olsen proposed budgeting $10,000 for Youth Employment Services, which could be an asset to the community in these times. City staff agreed to place the budget recommendation on a future agenda for further discussion.
In other council news, Public Works director Mike Culver confirmed that the Libbey Bowl renovation project would require an environmental impact report because of its historic significance. The environmental report will likely delay the project, though Culver wasn’t sure by how much.
Slated to begin construction in January 2009, the project timeline is now up in the air, but Culver assured that staff would make sure it doesn’t interfere with the Ojai Music Festival. The festival has already raised about $930,000 mostly in pledges, for the project, said Music Festival executive director Jeff Haydon.
Also at the meeting, council members all said they wanted to become a Tree City U.S.A. The program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S Department of Agriculture would require the city to establish a tree commission and adopt a tree ordinance, which city staff warned would be too costly and time consuming to make up for the benefits.
Olsen, who thought the Tree City status particularly suited to Ojai, suggested having the Planning Commission serve as a tree commission, as well, to save costs.
Kersnar agreed to consider it, and bring the issue back to council after researching it further.
The meeting was adjourned in the memory of Marian Greenfield.
By Nao Braverman
Ojai seems to be staying financially afloat, at least for now, despite harsh economic times nationwide.
City Council members approved $167,000 in net surplus from the 2007-2008 fiscal year to go toward maintenance projects that have been waiting on the back burner, at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Revenue budgeted for this year is $8.84 million in revenues with $8.3 million in expected expenses, for a net surplus of $540,000.
However, for the first quarter of this fiscal year, which ended in September, the city has collected $64,000 less than expected, said Jere Kersnar, city manager.
“Listening to my colleagues at neighboring cities, I’m hearing that this is a tough economic year for all of them,” said Kersnar.
While Ojai is currently on track financially, he cautioned decision makers, urging them to stay on their toes.
The shortfall was due to a $66,000 under collection in property tax, he said. However, first quarter property taxes are a very small amount, and not a good predictor for the rest of the year, he assured the council. More solid predictions should be made after property tax collections in December, he said.
“Times are very fluid and very uncertain,” said Kersnar.
But if surrounding cities are cutting back and downsizing their staff, Ojai has been comparatively fortunate.
While city staff had predicted a surplus of about $950,000 at the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which would have been $217,000 more than initially budgeted, they actually ended up with $167,000 in excess of the predicted amount.
Since there would already be $217,000 more than budgeted going into reserves, Kersnar suggested setting aside the additional $167,000 in the capital projects fund, for much-needed maintenance.
The money would go toward repairing the damaged stucco and wood at the Boyd Center Gym and replacing some of the gym’s water-damaged floor, he said.
Kersnar concedes that the $167,000 in excess from the 2007-2008 fiscal year was timely considering that there may be even less money to spare in the near future. If those repairs get left any longer, costs could increase astronomically.
But as the tides have been turning for cities nationwide, city staff needs to keep a close eye on funds, should conditions change for the worst, he said.
Furthermore, there has been some concern that hotel reservations may not be as high as they generally are this month, said Kersnar. Though it is too early to make a solid statement regarding the hotel tax, which has been steady to date, council members considered having city staff meet with local hoteliers to brainstorm ways to keep hotel business in good standing. A primary revenue source for the city, the steady business of local hotels is important for Ojai, especially in these economic times, explained Mayor Sue Horgan.
Councilwoman Carol Smith agreed, denouncing illegitimate local inns that avoid registering with the city in order to doge the bed tax.
Councilman Steve Olsen proposed budgeting $10,000 for Youth Employment Services, which could be an asset to the community in these times. City staff agreed to place the budget recommendation on a future agenda for further discussion.
In other council news, Public Works director Mike Culver confirmed that the Libbey Bowl renovation project would require an environmental impact report because of its historic significance. The environmental report will likely delay the project, though Culver wasn’t sure by how much.
Slated to begin construction in January 2009, the project timeline is now up in the air, but Culver assured that staff would make sure it doesn’t interfere with the Ojai Music Festival. The festival has already raised about $930,000 mostly in pledges, for the project, said Music Festival executive director Jeff Haydon.
Also at the meeting, council members all said they wanted to become a Tree City U.S.A. The program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S Department of Agriculture would require the city to establish a tree commission and adopt a tree ordinance, which city staff warned would be too costly and time consuming to make up for the benefits.
Olsen, who thought the Tree City status particularly suited to Ojai, suggested having the Planning Commission serve as a tree commission, as well, to save costs.
Kersnar agreed to consider it, and bring the issue back to council after researching it further.
The meeting was adjourned in the memory of Marian Greenfield.
How we voted
Obama receives nearly two-thirds of Ojai votes, while Prop. 8 opposed by nearly same margin
By Daryl Kelley
As election officials moved toward completion next week of the count of ballots cast Nov. 4, an analysis of Ojai voting patterns showed that this bastion of liberal politics again revealed its left-leaning ways on Election Day.
While voter registration in Ojai gives Democrats a 17-percentage-point edge over Republicans, Democratic candidates generally built much greater margins here this time, an early breakdown of Ojai votes shows.
President-elect Barack Obama, for example, received nearly two-thirds of Ojai’s vote, a much greater margin than in Ventura County, the state or the nation as a whole. Republican John McCain got just 31.5 percent of Ojai’s vote.
And in two tight ballot propositions, Ojai voters made a much clearer choice than the nearly even split by the county and the state overall, overwhelmingly rejecting a ban on gay marriage and a requirement that parents be notified and a waiting period imposed before a minor could have an abortion.
Sixty-two percent of Ojai voters opposed the same-sex marriage ban, while the parent notification measure was defeated here by the same margin. Statewide, the vote was split 52-48 for the ban and 48-52 against notification.
Ojai voters were also much more insistent that farm animals be treated humanely when confined than those in the county or the state overall. Nearly three-quarters of Ojai voters favored the animal protection ballot measure.
“In Ojai, there seems to be a real understanding that the need for social justice be considered along with the environment,” said Sue Broidy of the Ojai Valley Democratic Club.
Broidy, president of the club for years and now its secretary, said she thinks Obama and other Democrats did so well in Ojai partly because of the strength and coordination of the historic presidential campaign.
“We’d like to take credit, but there were other forces at work,” she said. “I’m elated after so many campaigns for people who lost … This was a wonderful vindication of a lot of hard work.”
Broidy said she thinks Democrats polled so strongly in Ojai not just because of party registration, but because of the presence of an Obama headquarters in town.
“That made an enormous difference,” she said. “It was a tangible thing for people to visit … and to see we were willing to pay rent and staff our office. And for me as a political activist, it was a very exciting for once to get our campaign out of my living room,” said Broidy, a field representative for Hannah-Beth Jackson when she was an assemblywoman.
Meanwhile, in election updates through Thursday, Democrat Jackson still trailed Republican Tony Strickland for the state Senate by more than 1,700 votes, despite whittling his advantage with new returns from Santa Barbara County. In Ojai, about 63 percent of voters favored Jackson, while she was receiving only about 47 percent of the vote throughout Ventura County, the largest part of the three-county senate district.
And in a tantalizingly close race for a seat on the Ojai Valley Sanitary District board, director William Stone held a one-vote lead on Thursday, after new tallies wiped out challenger George Galgas’ four-vote lead.
In the race for Ojai City Council, Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan still held strong leads, despite a bit of closing by former Mayor Suza Francina on second-place Horgan, the council incumbent. Horgan still held a 115-vote lead over Francina on Thursday, while Clapp, the leader in the five-person race, was ahead of Horgan by 257 votes.
The Ojai Unified School District parcel tax initiative gained a little ground, but still stood at only 65.6 percent approval, while a two-thirds super majority is required for passage.
Election officials said they thought the counting of the final 20,000 or so late absentee and provisional ballots may be completed by the end of next week, with the next update of results expected Monday afternoon.
Some 6,000 to 8,000 absentee ballots had to be duplicated for processing because of voter mismarks, said Assistant Registrar-Recorder Jim Becker. Another 14,000 provisional ballots still had to be checked for veracity and counted, and the count of about 500 ballots from military employees and residents living overseas had not yet occurred.
Of votes analyzed from earlier counts, about 75 percent of Ojai’s total, not only did Obama and Jackson soar locally, but so did Democratic Assembly candidate Ferial Masry. Despite losing in a close race to incumbent Audra Strickland, Masry easily defeated Strickland in Ojai with about 63 percent of the vote.
In fact, the only Democrat in a legislative or congressional race not to win in a landslide in Ojai was Marta Jorgenson of Solvang. Jorgenson’s margin over Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly was nearly 14 percentage points, here, but that was only about half the margin enjoyed by Obama, Jackson and Masry.
“Marta was not a good candidate,” said Broidy. “She was just as surprised as the rest of us when she won the primary. And she raised only about $2,600 (for the general election campaign).”
By Daryl Kelley
As election officials moved toward completion next week of the count of ballots cast Nov. 4, an analysis of Ojai voting patterns showed that this bastion of liberal politics again revealed its left-leaning ways on Election Day.
While voter registration in Ojai gives Democrats a 17-percentage-point edge over Republicans, Democratic candidates generally built much greater margins here this time, an early breakdown of Ojai votes shows.
President-elect Barack Obama, for example, received nearly two-thirds of Ojai’s vote, a much greater margin than in Ventura County, the state or the nation as a whole. Republican John McCain got just 31.5 percent of Ojai’s vote.
And in two tight ballot propositions, Ojai voters made a much clearer choice than the nearly even split by the county and the state overall, overwhelmingly rejecting a ban on gay marriage and a requirement that parents be notified and a waiting period imposed before a minor could have an abortion.
Sixty-two percent of Ojai voters opposed the same-sex marriage ban, while the parent notification measure was defeated here by the same margin. Statewide, the vote was split 52-48 for the ban and 48-52 against notification.
Ojai voters were also much more insistent that farm animals be treated humanely when confined than those in the county or the state overall. Nearly three-quarters of Ojai voters favored the animal protection ballot measure.
“In Ojai, there seems to be a real understanding that the need for social justice be considered along with the environment,” said Sue Broidy of the Ojai Valley Democratic Club.
Broidy, president of the club for years and now its secretary, said she thinks Obama and other Democrats did so well in Ojai partly because of the strength and coordination of the historic presidential campaign.
“We’d like to take credit, but there were other forces at work,” she said. “I’m elated after so many campaigns for people who lost … This was a wonderful vindication of a lot of hard work.”
Broidy said she thinks Democrats polled so strongly in Ojai not just because of party registration, but because of the presence of an Obama headquarters in town.
“That made an enormous difference,” she said. “It was a tangible thing for people to visit … and to see we were willing to pay rent and staff our office. And for me as a political activist, it was a very exciting for once to get our campaign out of my living room,” said Broidy, a field representative for Hannah-Beth Jackson when she was an assemblywoman.
Meanwhile, in election updates through Thursday, Democrat Jackson still trailed Republican Tony Strickland for the state Senate by more than 1,700 votes, despite whittling his advantage with new returns from Santa Barbara County. In Ojai, about 63 percent of voters favored Jackson, while she was receiving only about 47 percent of the vote throughout Ventura County, the largest part of the three-county senate district.
And in a tantalizingly close race for a seat on the Ojai Valley Sanitary District board, director William Stone held a one-vote lead on Thursday, after new tallies wiped out challenger George Galgas’ four-vote lead.
In the race for Ojai City Council, Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan still held strong leads, despite a bit of closing by former Mayor Suza Francina on second-place Horgan, the council incumbent. Horgan still held a 115-vote lead over Francina on Thursday, while Clapp, the leader in the five-person race, was ahead of Horgan by 257 votes.
The Ojai Unified School District parcel tax initiative gained a little ground, but still stood at only 65.6 percent approval, while a two-thirds super majority is required for passage.
Election officials said they thought the counting of the final 20,000 or so late absentee and provisional ballots may be completed by the end of next week, with the next update of results expected Monday afternoon.
Some 6,000 to 8,000 absentee ballots had to be duplicated for processing because of voter mismarks, said Assistant Registrar-Recorder Jim Becker. Another 14,000 provisional ballots still had to be checked for veracity and counted, and the count of about 500 ballots from military employees and residents living overseas had not yet occurred.
Of votes analyzed from earlier counts, about 75 percent of Ojai’s total, not only did Obama and Jackson soar locally, but so did Democratic Assembly candidate Ferial Masry. Despite losing in a close race to incumbent Audra Strickland, Masry easily defeated Strickland in Ojai with about 63 percent of the vote.
In fact, the only Democrat in a legislative or congressional race not to win in a landslide in Ojai was Marta Jorgenson of Solvang. Jorgenson’s margin over Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly was nearly 14 percentage points, here, but that was only about half the margin enjoyed by Obama, Jackson and Masry.
“Marta was not a good candidate,” said Broidy. “She was just as surprised as the rest of us when she won the primary. And she raised only about $2,600 (for the general election campaign).”
Residents, business owners discuss revitalizing Ojai
By Nao Braverman
What business owners want for a city does not always correspond with the interests of local residents. But in Ojai's case, there is a great deal of consistency, said Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Following a meeting of local business and property owners about how to revitalize the local economy on Nov. 11, the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee held another meeting Nov. 19, this time inviting local residents.
About 55 people showed up at Chaparral Auditorium for the discussion.
While residents generally may be more fearful of attracting tourists than local hoteliers, all agree that much of Ojai's charm lies in its small-town character, and no one likes the sight of commercial vacancies.
Mayor Sue Horgan opened the meeting raising some questions for consideration.
"How can we make Ojai's businesses more attractive, and how can we do that without annoying the residents?" she asked.
This more diverse group raised some concerns that were brushed upon by the business and property owners at the previous meeting.
"Some people have this notion that our hometown has an image that we are a hometown for visitors but we are not really a hometown for people living in Ojai," said Stacie Jones, owner of the Ojai Coffee Roasting Co., a coffee shop frequented by locals. She mentioned some complaints regarding the high price for everyday goods such as toilet paper.
But when facilitators of the meeting perused the overall response from residents, regarding what they considered to be Ojai's assets, and ways they thought it could improve, the comments were surprisingly similar to the responses from business and property owners, said Eicher.
That was fortunate, he added, because in order to make any improvements, the city needs to have the cooperation of local residents and business owners alike.
Dave Brubaker, chief operating officer of the Ojai Community Bank, proposed a Clean Up Ojai Day, as an initial combined volunteer effort of local businesses and residents to make Ojai better.
Residents heard the presentation by Rob Edwards, director of the Downtown Ventura Organization, which offered the Main Street program as a possible road map for improving Ojai's economy. The program is known to have helped revive some of the most deserted city centers in Baltimore, Md., Cripple Creek, Colo., and downtown Los Angeles. It may not have the most palatable image, perceived by many as a program that is sought out by some of the most deserted and dilapidated downtown corridors. But its principals, maintaining historical architecture, supporting local business and keeping shopkeepers personable, do coincide with the efforts of many Ojai residents and policy members. The Main Street program would at least provide a road map to help the city improve and coordinate such efforts, said Martha Groszewski, coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee at a previous meeting.
Eicher said he was not yet sure if the city should follow the Main Street program or not. The Chamber of Commerce subcommittee is still evaluating the dialogue at recent meetings and considering the next step, he said.
Clean Up Ojai Day efforts, coordinated by Brubaker, will meet Dec. 13 at the Park & Ride at 9 a.m. and will continue until noon.
What business owners want for a city does not always correspond with the interests of local residents. But in Ojai's case, there is a great deal of consistency, said Scott Eicher, chief executive officer of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Following a meeting of local business and property owners about how to revitalize the local economy on Nov. 11, the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee held another meeting Nov. 19, this time inviting local residents.
About 55 people showed up at Chaparral Auditorium for the discussion.
While residents generally may be more fearful of attracting tourists than local hoteliers, all agree that much of Ojai's charm lies in its small-town character, and no one likes the sight of commercial vacancies.
Mayor Sue Horgan opened the meeting raising some questions for consideration.
"How can we make Ojai's businesses more attractive, and how can we do that without annoying the residents?" she asked.
This more diverse group raised some concerns that were brushed upon by the business and property owners at the previous meeting.
"Some people have this notion that our hometown has an image that we are a hometown for visitors but we are not really a hometown for people living in Ojai," said Stacie Jones, owner of the Ojai Coffee Roasting Co., a coffee shop frequented by locals. She mentioned some complaints regarding the high price for everyday goods such as toilet paper.
But when facilitators of the meeting perused the overall response from residents, regarding what they considered to be Ojai's assets, and ways they thought it could improve, the comments were surprisingly similar to the responses from business and property owners, said Eicher.
That was fortunate, he added, because in order to make any improvements, the city needs to have the cooperation of local residents and business owners alike.
Dave Brubaker, chief operating officer of the Ojai Community Bank, proposed a Clean Up Ojai Day, as an initial combined volunteer effort of local businesses and residents to make Ojai better.
Residents heard the presentation by Rob Edwards, director of the Downtown Ventura Organization, which offered the Main Street program as a possible road map for improving Ojai's economy. The program is known to have helped revive some of the most deserted city centers in Baltimore, Md., Cripple Creek, Colo., and downtown Los Angeles. It may not have the most palatable image, perceived by many as a program that is sought out by some of the most deserted and dilapidated downtown corridors. But its principals, maintaining historical architecture, supporting local business and keeping shopkeepers personable, do coincide with the efforts of many Ojai residents and policy members. The Main Street program would at least provide a road map to help the city improve and coordinate such efforts, said Martha Groszewski, coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce subcommittee at a previous meeting.
Eicher said he was not yet sure if the city should follow the Main Street program or not. The Chamber of Commerce subcommittee is still evaluating the dialogue at recent meetings and considering the next step, he said.
Clean Up Ojai Day efforts, coordinated by Brubaker, will meet Dec. 13 at the Park & Ride at 9 a.m. and will continue until noon.
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