DO OTHER CITY COUNCILS have 6-hour meetings? Just before midnight, the Ventura City Council put off further discussion on proceeding with a possible sales tax measure until Feb. 17, at a time still to be determined. Those of us who stayed in our seats until the bitter end had long lost feeling in our lower extremities by the time the final decision was ultimately put off.
Because of the worsening revenue situation, department managers were asked to prepare immediate 5 percent reductions. Those cuts will bypass the Budgeting for Outcomes team process, which is now being structured around priority services. The teams will still work on identifying other cuts, which are expected to fall hardest on the Community Services Department.
I decided to make one of my rare attempts at public speaking last night and I shared my thoughts closely along the lines of my preceding blog entry. It is time for all of us to work together and make sacrifices.
Any attempt to pass a sales tax measure will include a town hall meeting first, a suggestion made by Council member Ed Summers which I believe has much merit.
IN LIBRARY NEWS, Council member Bill Fulton reported last night that he is recommending the County Library Commission also put off its decision whether or not to close Wright Library until all input is gathered and alternative options aired. A separate children's library site is also being explored for the Pacific View Mall. The County Library Commission meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Topping Room of the E.P. Foster Library.
I STARTED OFF my day yesterday at 7:30 a.m. at a wonderful presentation put on by the Ventura Social Services Task Force. It was a eye-opening look at our area's homeless issues. I will write more about this in an upcoming entry.
AND FINALLY: City Manager Rick Cole has written in his blog that "Wal-Mart will finally be applying to occupy the vacant K-Mart building they leased on Victoria. Ventura voters will have a chance to vote on banning big box stores that offer groceries in November. But although the initiative would be retroactive, it will be interesting to see how the courts interpret that if Wal-Mart goes ahead and simply occupies the existing empty store."
No word yet on the chain's plans for that site but it would need to comply with the city's codes for that area, which forbid anything over 100,000 square feet from going in there. That would preclude a supercenter, which the ballot initiative slated for the November ballot seeks to prevent. If Wal-Mart simply reoccupies the current 90,000-square-foot space, they would be compliant with the city's codes and the ballot measure would have little impact other than preventing them from adding on.
I get to be first!
I hope you didn't convince too many sheeple to go along with a tax measure, but congrats on the opportunity, and dedication to your cause. May it fail miserably.
I worked with the homeless before, and it puts a perspective on life that can change everything. There are still a lot of crazies out there that Reagan booted from the hospitals, but hard times again right?
Yes...Fillmore, for one, holds meetings that range in that time-frame primarily because they have a very proactive, interesting, aggressive and viable business plan and social activities calendar within this City.
Wal-Mart has great attorneys. They have a history of always getting their way, and more, if needed. They will comply with Ventura's requirements, but let me tell you...if unions attempt to elbow their way in, there are going to be some problems involved in attempting to force the union plans onto prospective non-union employees. Just watch the sign of the times, Marie...Wal-Mart is a non-union shop. ~ John King
...By one minute, "haha"!
I still have to wonder out loud how many community services will have to be cut to pay for the recent 50% pension increase to firefighters. Yes, it is only a small part of the deficit, but in tough economic times every dollar counts. And at a cost of $1.2 million every year (though I still believe the actual cost will be much, much higher) we are not talking about an insignificant amount of money. Taxpayers should be furious that the City Council agreed to this giveaway just months before announcing that they need new taxes to balance the budget. Because of this bait and switch I don't see why they should have any credibility with the public.
It was encouraging to see one council member, Neal Andrews, stand up against his colleagues and oppose going forward with new taxes before first exploring ways to make sensible cuts. I also like the fact that he was willing to bring up the issue of recent increases in compensation and benefits given to public safety unions, and his suggestion that they should be asked to make some concessions.
The cuts are coming, Bubba. They've already identified many of them. We could pull in maybe $8 million with the tax increase, but we have a $12 million deficit. By July, many city services we value here will be gone.
As I posted on Brian's blog, I asked for shared sacrifice from everyone, including our unions, and I brought this up before Neal spoke. (Odd that the newspaper article used my exact phrasing...) But Neal was less inclusive in his thinking. His position was rather inflexible.
We all need to pitch in. At the very, very least fees need to be increased for users of services. Other taxpayers shouldn't be forced to subsidize some of these activities.
"the Budgeting for Outcomes team"
Is this new government speak for: "We don't know how to save money"?
Here's an outcome that should be at the top of the list: "Essential services for city residents".
Can't see how there would be to many other outcomes after that one is complete.
Since you brought it up.....
Wouldn't it be wonderful if Wal-Mart tore down the existing (ugly) store, and built an elevated structure that contained all the needed parking underneath? We would get the added benefit of removing ugly power lines from our site lines.
And.... maybe, just maybe, Trader Joes would see an INCREASE in customers since parking wouldn't be an issue and one or two Wal-Mart customers may have heard about Trader Joes and decide to check it out.
Oh yeah... there's the increased sales tax revenue as well.......
BUT.... The city will point to the 'Resident created General Plan' and tell Wal-Mart, "No, we don't want your money. We don't need jobs here. We don't need sales tax revenue. We don't want your kind here." Sort of like what they told the owner of the 5 points car wash when he wanted to expand and offer more jobs and tax revenue to the city. And what they told the owner of the Karate Studio who wanted to open a location in Mid-Town to provide more jobs and tax revenue.
The best part of the whole story about the council meeting is that one (or more) of our esteemed council members did NOT have his/her calendar with them so that they could not reschedule this important and vital public meeting.
I can't wait for the next election.
John Doe: I like the Budgeting for Outcomes process and I apologize if I did not explain it well.
We have different city program areas divided into categories:
General Government Operations
Healthy and Safe
Prosperous
Well Planned, Designed & Accessible
Creative & Vibrant
Green
There are different city services that fall into each category. Teams of folks go through each category and rank the services provided in each as to what matters most. Then they are given a budget and in essence "buy" what they can afford.
Lower ranked items will not be funded if there is not enough money.
They are cutting $12 million so I expect many things will go.
AND: Wal-Mart is welcome to go in the K-Mart site and set up shop in the existing building. I've made that abundantly clear. I don't know how many more times I can type it. Maybe I will make a stand-alone blog item for just that and run it every month.
The General Plan, created by our citizens, spelled out that big box stores and the traffic patterns they generate were not appropriate for that area. So Wal-Mart cannot go over 100,000 square feet IN THAT SITE. But it can occupy the existing building and conform.
Now we could amend our General Plan and allow it. But we have a ballot initiative going on in the fall which could conceivably pass and disallow big box development city wide. So I don't think a General Plan amendment would be advisable now.
The city adheres very strictly to its General Plan.
You really seem stuck in neutral on a few small businesses that didn't meet planning approval for whatever reason.
I have encouraged you in the past to take a more active role in the charettes and other citizen meetings which help form our guidelines. You have always said you were busy -- too busy to even attend a Midtown Council meeting.
It's YOUR city. Be a part of the citizen committees which help make our guidelines or stand back and let other people do it for you and then you can complain later. It's your choice.
Marie Says:
"You really seem stuck in neutral on a few small businesses that didn't meet planning approval for whatever reason. "
Well.... when the city runs out of money and the city turns away business, I see it as related.
Yes these two are examples, but what does this say about the planning process as a whole.
The planners want certain types of businesses in certain areas. Well, if developers or business owners see it differently, shouldn't the 'esteemed council members' re-look at the issue?
Meanwhile, there are signs toting a creative infill project at the site of the former Ban-Dar bar. How long will this sign be showing us what is coming? How long will this lot remain empty?
How long will the abandoned gas station remain empty next door to the car wash (when it could be generating revenue for the city RIGHT NOW)
How long will the former site of Cartwrights be vacant?
I understand that Wal-Mart could come in the existing building. But with a little creativity, the developers could create acres of parking.
The City leaders and planning department are blind to the fact that this city is in desparate need of some kind of revenue. It may be sales tax, it may be more 'fees', but without any place to SPEND my money, what good is an increase in sales tax going to do?
Also..... while we're at it. Why not put 2 tax initiatives on the ballot? Make one a 1/2% and the other a full 1% increase. Let the voters decide. I'd probably pick the full 1%. Imagine what the city could do with 16 million more dollars a year. On second thought...... let's wait until we get new leaders.
I've been involved in community events.
I've seen what the outcomes of these events is.
Ask Camille Harris if she believes that the City listens to the people. Rick Cole is going to do what Rick Cole wants to do. Simple.
Now..... budgeting for outcomes.....
What happens when a line item falls under two different categories?
I can imaging items that fall under "Well Planned, Designed & Accessible" and "Healthy and Safe". Seems like a great way to create government waste and duplicity. Certainly doesn't seem to be efficient if you ask me. If I were king the only 'outcome' that would matter would be "Essential services for city residents"
Sure we need more jobs JD, sure we can use the tax revenue, but at what cost ? I bet you & others would be unwilling to pay extra taxes to widen Victoria Ave. to attempt to accomodate the ever increased traffic this would no doubt bring; already the Victoria corridor is a nightmare & that's without any store in the old Kmart building! But to add such as you suggest, would make it like lunchtime at Grand Central Station in Los Angeles, no matter the time of day !
I recall the taxpayers of this city turned down a 1/4 of 1 cent tax to add a police officer or two & firefighter ! A 1/4 of 1 penny tax & the people voted it down - would you & they pay far more for a wider Victoria ? I think you wouldn't & anyway, to widen Victoria would be a separate issue in & of itself.
Walmart is not far away, we have 2 Targets now, Kmart is 5 minutes away right off 126 in SP & you want more ?!
NatureMuzic (and other in the past) says:
"Walmart is not far away, we have 2 Targets now, Kmart is 5 minutes away right off 126 in SP"
So... it's OK with you for Ventura residents to take their sales tax revenue and send it to Oxnard or Santa Paula. It's no wonder the City of Ventura is broke.
I travel along Victoria Avenue at various times of the day and for the ~2.5 miles from Foothill to the 101 Freeway, I'd say that I've seen worse. Where was the outcry of traffic problems when Ralph's decided to abandon a perfectly good building to move down the street? Where was the outcry of traffic problems when the City approved all of those homes on the hill behind Victoria? The outcry didn't stop these developments. It is really too bad I didn't win the lottery before that lot was developed. Cuz if I did, you'd see a very large house and lots of native landscaping instead of the BIG BOX stores that are there (Longs, Fitness center, Ralphs) and the traffic would be flowing.
One more store isn't going to paralyze the traffic. And who knows.... maybe if Wal-Mart were allowed to IMPROVE the lot, they could IMPROVE the ingress and exits of the parking lot. Unforunately we may never know...
You are very full of contradictions, John Doe. You are complaining that a business did not meet planning guidelines for a spot and failed to generate economic activity and in the next breath talking about the founder of VCORD, whose group, while very well meaning, has discouraged many people who want to add to the economic vitality of Midtown.
Which special interest group should run Ventura? The Chamber? VCORD? The anti-Wal-Mart folks? All of them can't have their way at once.
The BFO process is fair and very well reasoned. It is only being set up to decide what to CUT, not duplicate. I've obviously not explained it well enough still. Its goal is EXACTLY what you are asking for: decide what matters most to residents. What matters least is what will be cut. It's simple.
And you are very wrong if you think they are not doing everything they can think of right now to generate economic development.
All this negativity is not productive. But it's allowing you to vent, so go for it. I'm obviously venting lately, too.
Adding to my post later here: I don't the Chamber is a special interest group as much as it is an advocacy group. But the goals of the Chamber and VCORD clearly conflict. Both represent certain portions of our population. Which one should city government listen to?
JD, I travel it a lot & if you don't think WalMart would increase traffic & not paralyze the traffic, you sadly don't know of what you speak.
Maybe a Walmart at another location might work, but not there.
And if you are so concerned about Tax Revenue leaving town, fine, shop Target, the Mall, the Johnson Dr. stores. as there are plent of alternatives.
Most every city has financial issue, in case you have (apparently) failed to notice.
Ever shop online ?
True, Santa Barbara is cutting $9 million from its budget. No shortage of shopping opportunities and tourist revenues there.
There is no doubt that for Cities, Counties and other local government, these times are as bad as they are for the citizens those entities serve.
That reductions will occur seems without doubt.
The movement in the post-Prop 13 world where civic functions are increasingly funded by sales tax has come home to roost.
Only a portion of the Blog was about Wal-Mart, though that topic seems to have monopolized subsequent commentary.
It sounds like any reductions in City expenditures will try to be more "across the board" than program elimination. That sound to me like optimism, perhaps wishful, that an economic turn-around isn't far away. Let's all hope that is true.
As to the Wright Library, let's face it, this sort of cut always galvanizes a constituency, but I find the "step-back" for evaluation encouraging, esp the concept of opening a "branch" at the Pacific View Mall (A sterile and yet bland place I make a point to avoid) interesting. Some people apparently do go there..and with their kids.
As to Wal-Mart. I don't want one, but I'll never use one either. It's a nasty store in terms of not only operational principles, devastation to other local business and it's manipulation of communities. But...whatever...save some pennies on a box of Post Toasties if that floats your boat!
JD is right on one thing however: "But with a little creativity, the developers could create acres of parking." Yep, except those "acres of parking" will be most noticiable as being part of the former Victoria Avenue, soon to be a parking lot.
Just my thoughts.....
More parking leads to more traffic on an already fatigued Victoria Ave.