I THINK WE'VE HIT on a new form of representative government here in Ventura and I'm kind of amazed about it. The city's Economic Summit today, co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, brought out a wide cross section of the community armed with great ideas and passion.
Oh yeah, lots of passion.
After introductions by facilitator and Council member Ed Summers, who is chair of the city's Economic Development Committee, and a rather sobering look at the state's economy from Bill Watkins, executive director of the UC Santa Barbara Economic Forecast Project, I found myself mixed in with an eclectic group ranging from Chamber of Commerce folks to Wal-Mart boosters and busters to our very colorful arts crowd. Our task was to come up with 90-day, 1-year and 5-year plans to improve the city's bottom line and fiscal health.
We agreed, we disagreed and we reached consensus. In the end we came up with some decent suggestions about how to move forward in these difficult times and generate revenue for the city to fund the services we all enjoy. This process was being repeated throughout City Hall with four other groups and their respective program areas.
With lightning speed, city staff compiled the ideas, presented them to Council and after the usual pontificating from the dais, they voted to implement quite a few of them and directed staff to make it happen.
We did all this in less time than it takes them to go through a council meeting most nights.
THE BEST IDEA of the day came from my group and none other than perpetual City Hall critic Brian Lee Rencher, who proposed a Economic Development Commission of citizen volunteers, much like the Cultural Affairs Commission that I sit on. Also proposed was an ombudsman position to help guide businesses and developers through the planning maze, and a workforce education task force, among other ideas.
City Manager Rick Cole promised to move the ball ahead quickly with these ideas, and even quoted Yoda: "There is no try. There is only do."
Afterward I spent some time talking to people I don't normally converse with but have seen in action at City Council meetings. It was a great way to share ideas. I hope the city does more of these sorts of events and FOR ONCE I was very pleased with the turnout: nearly 130 eager citizens.
Sometimes Democracy works.
Bill Fulton says:
"there’s a difference between the short-term interests of landowners and the long-term interests of the community"
Ah yes. The proverbial "long-term interests of the community". Does that include empty lots? Empty store fronts? Ugly infill? Blighted retail areas? Proactive code enforcement?
And to say that landowner's rights are un-important? Didn't most dictatorships start this way, by taking away landowner rights?
Time for CHANGE!
Since you admittedly didn't bother to show up yesterday to this event sponsored by the Chamber and attended by business owners, you didn't get a chance to participate and your lowly contribution to your community is a sad little anonymous comment on a blog. How pathetic.
Ventura voter says:
"Since you admittedly didn't bother to show up yesterday to this event sponsored by the Chamber and attended by business owners, you didn't get a chance to participate and your lowly contribution to your community is a sad little anonymous comment on a blog. How pathetic."
Well, I tend to think that the work I do in the community for non-profits, the work I do as an election officer, and the fact that I VOTE as well, is a bigger contribution to my community than your sad little anonymous comment on a blog.
Would this be a bad time to remind everyone that the new love of your life, the chamber of commerce, endorsed your favorite Honorable State Senator, Marie?
Correction. The very right-leaning Ventura Chamber PAC voted to endorse Strickland over the strenuous objections of two members. The Chamber board -- a different body --- declined to endorse him. I have always been and continue to be a supporter of our local Chamber.
What I said was that there's sometimes a difference between a landowner's short-term financial interest and our community's enduring prosperity. (I used the word "prosperity," not "interest".) Getting yet another fast-food joint (often the highest bidder for a piece of property) won't necessarily translate into true prosperity for our community. Landowner rights are very important, and what I emphasized was the need to make sure that the landowners' short-term financial interest aligns with our community's long-term prosperity. For more, see my blog on this, www.fulton4ventura.blogspot.com.
I continue to monitor the CA economy ..and its ability to pull Texas down.
George Will is quite compelling about the liberal laboratory where CA lives
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/05/03/california_sagging_96300.html
"But what actually ails California is centrist evasions. The state's crisis has been caused by "moderation," understood as splitting the difference between extreme liberalism and hyperliberalism, a "reasonableness" that merely moderates the speed at which the ever-expanding public sector suffocates the private sector.
California has become liberalism's laboratory, in which the case for fiscal conservatism is being confirmed. The state is a slow learner and hence will remain a drag on the nation's economy."
Thanks, Bill, for clarifying. It's frustrating to be misquoted.
John Doe, you are really stuck in the past when the rest of us are moving forward. I think everyone agreed the summit was a very positive experience. You should have come.
I don't mind being mildly misquoted now and then. I was a reporter for most of my life and I know that it's impossible to get everything down with complete accuracy. Still, the difference between "prosperity" and "interest" is one I have thought about a lot, and it is an important distinction.
Marie says:
"John Doe, you are really stuck in the past when the rest of us are moving forward. I think everyone agreed the summit was a very positive experience. You should have come"
I should shirk my other responsibilities to have the City Council ignore me?
I should call in sick so that I can "feel good" about the city?
I should abandon those who count on me on Saturdays so that I can be told by the City Council that landowner's rights don't count?
Yeah... I should have been there.....
Time for CHANGE!
I guess if you refuse to participate in any city activity or meeting, only communicate on blogs and don't observe other citizens organizing and effecting change, you might feel that way. But that certainly has not been my experience!
I don't think the 130 folks there on Saturday felt ignored.
How far are you willing to go with your land owners' rights argument? Are you against all zoning and regulations? Or do you just pick and choose?
How did you feel about the measure which prevented building in the hills? Did you vote for it? How about SOAR? Did you vote for that? The view initiative on the ballot in the fall will certainly affect land owner's rights. Will you vote for that?
Should a XXX store be allowed next to a middle school? That is also a property owner's rights issue.
Marie says:
"I guess if you refuse to participate in any city activity or meeting"
I didn't refuse, I honored my other commitments. I have spoken in front of the city council on other issues and have felt ignored many times.
"How far are you willing to go with your land owners' rights argument? Are you against all zoning and regulations? Or do you just pick and choose?"
An abandonded gas station should be zoned for an oil/lube shop. That is a no brainer to me. Especially when the business would be open and running TODAY, generating tax revenue and providing JOBS.
"How did you feel about the measure which prevented building in the hills? Did you vote for it?"
I vote in EVERY election. I did not vote to limit building in the hills and thought that the hypocrisy of the existing hillside dwellers was incredible.
"How about SOAR? Did you vote for that?"
SOAR is supposed to stop development in AGRICULTURAL land, yet people keep on about developing the land behind the auto center. Seems to me that growing crops is an indication of AGRICULTURAL land. The city approved a housing development on Telegraph @Saticoy on what to me appears to be AGRICULTURAL land. The problem with SOAR is the LOOPHOLES that allow development on AGRICULTURAL land.
"The view initiative on the ballot in the fall will certainly affect land owner's rights. Will you vote for that?"
I haven't read it yet. I'll probably vote no. I live in mid-town and I may want a second story someday. I'm not going to vote on something that may affect that.
"Should a XXX store be allowed next to a middle school?"
Diva (while not technically a XXX store) is opened across the street from a middle school and doesn't bother me. In fact my kids look in the windows and tell me that "some of those contraptions look complicated". There are cigarette stores across the street from at least two of our high schools. Does that increase teen smoking? Parents need to be responsible for teaching MORALS, so it shouldn't matter what is near by.
Have you attended a charette or city meeting where policy framing issues were discussed? Midtown Council? Awhile ago you told me you had not.
Should the council honor the request of everyone who speaks before them? How do you handle opposing views? Lots of people objected to the Diva boutique's arrival in that location. Who should planning/council listen to?
You didn't answer my question. Did you vote for SOAR? There isn't a loophole. It's pretty simple. What was zoned as agricultural before the law passed must remain as agricultural until the law expires. The Hanson Trust property was not zoned as agricultural and will be the site of houses.
If Community Plans and General Plans are developed with input from the public and set into motion, then should they be ultimately discarded when a project pops up that is non-conforming? A good example of that is Wal-Mart. A big box in the Victoria Corridor does not conform to our General Plan.
But the Council allowed some changes to the Victoria Corridor Plan so some non-conforming properties could make changes as they transitioned to the new code. The anti-Wal-Mart folks were NOT happy about that. But holding Wal-Mart to 100,000 square feet did not make the pro-Wal-Mart folks happy, either.
Public policy and its interpretation and application is difficult and requires much research and thought. There are so many factors that go into every decision and I don't think the average citizen is engaged enough to understand it all.
Marie says:
"You didn't answer my question. Did you vote for SOAR? There isn't a loophole. It's pretty simple. What was zoned as agricultural before the law passed must remain as agricultural until the law expires. The Hanson Trust property was not zoned as agricultural and will be the site of houses"
No, I didn't vote for SOAR.
Being zoned as agricultural is the loophole. How much farmland is NOT zoned as agricultural?
This is the same as the recent poster who says that First 5 funds should be raided because the law isn't what was 'promised'. Turning farmland into houses is NOT what SOAR promised, and yet because of the 'language' of the law, houses are approved for farmland.
The City Council over the years that I have watched have proved time and time again to be interested in what is good for the City Council. The only way to change that is to vote them all out. November can't come soon enough for me.
Time for CHANGE!
John Doe - could you give us an example of what the council has voted on that was only in their interest? Did they steer a contract to a personal business? Change zoning to benefit a business they owned? What?
On behalf of the City of Ventura and Chamber of Commerce, we would like to thank you for participating in Ventura's first Economic Summit. We appreciate the time you invested into this valuable process. The event was a huge success due to all the ideas, thoughts, and comments you brought to the table.
Since Saturday, we have continued to receive rave reviews with regard to the format, organization, attendance and output of the summit. The City Council, Chamber leaders, Community Leaders, and media were all impressed with the incredible amount of focus and energy that occurred. Obviously, the hard work that went into each breakout session paid off, and you should be delighted, as we are, with the outcome.
We now ask that you continue to play a key role in the discussion and decision-making process as we move forward with each action item. Please visit the Economic Summit’s website at to download the action items, PowerPoint slides, breakout session notes, and other related resources from the event. We will continue to keep you informed of opportunities to be involved, as well as all the progress we achieve together.
Thank you again for your participation. This event's success could not have happened without you.