Budgeting for results

Last night, the City Council unanimously approved next year's budget. It marks the success of our three year plan to balance the budget. The chronic gap between revenue and spending obligations has been eliminated. More significantly, new revenue has gone to the four priorities identified by the City Council in 2005:

Increase Police and Fire staffing to make Ventura safer by improving emergency response times

Invest in our capital infrastructure, including repairing our streets, water mains, sewer lines and other public facilities

Maintain our parks and public landscaping to keep Ventura green and clean

Restore competitive compensation for city staff so we can continue to retain and attract outstanding performers to do the vital jobs in public service

The new budget plan makes real progress on all four key priorities. It adds six Police officers. Four will be added to Patrol, two to gang violence suppression. It adds a new 3 person Fire crew to be deployed during the hours when we have the highest calls for service.

It continues additional funds for street and alley repair and for repairs to the Promenade along the beach. It provides maintenance funding for the new Montalvo Park added as part of a new housing development nearing completion. It provides adjustments to bring city staff closer to average pay among competing public and private employers.

It also specifically puts new emphasis on economic development. If we are to sustain the progress we are making, we must retain and attract the high quality jobs and business that are essential to our standard of living and supporting the quality of life that Venturans cherish. We will be focusing on strengthing our Auto Center, continuing the revitalization of Downtown, rebuilding the north end of the Pacific View Mall and bringing new clean industry and offices to the Westside and 101 corridors.

For more on the budget, see the summary at:

http://www.cityofventura.net/enews/smartgrowth/issue3.asp

This morning's Star also carries a summary of last night's City Council hearing and final budget adjustments:

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/jun/19/ventura-approves-94-million-budget/

Fire flap

Today's Star carried a detailed story based on reporter Kevin Clerici's investigation of our investigation of the incident at Fire Station 2. If you didn't know that pictures of scantily clad models in front of what turned out to be a Ventura City truck ignited a blaze of press coverage, you probably just missed it because of all the important news about Paris Hilton's jail time.

Here's a link to the Star's coverage:

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/ 2007/jun/07/reports-on-photo-shoot-at-ventura-fire-station/

The story is accurate. The summary of the Police Department investigation did not include every detail.

The media frenzy on this incident was triggered by two anonymous letters making allegations that firefighters invited these models into the Fire Station, posed with them and brought shame to the City and the Fire Service.

The prompt, full and fair investigation came to a different conclusion. Based on all the evidence, Police Lt. John Garner concluded that the participants in the photo shoot responded to the firefighters hailing them by crossing the street to ask permission to take photos in front of the fire truck which had just been parked with the station door open to the front. The investigation also concluded that shortly after the models shed and/or rearranged clothes, the station captain, who had his back to them, realized what was going on and immediately halted the shoot.

As in any similar situation, memories vary on this brief incident. The summary did not include each and every potentially salacious or embarrassing recollection or speculation. Both Chief Lavery and I do feel that better words might have been chosen to accurately reflect the initial contact between the firefighters and the participants in the photo shoot and take responsibility for that shortcoming in the summary.

Personally, I think there are three important things to keep in mind. One, the City conducted a thorough investigation, which has now become public record. Two, that investigation assessed responsibility for errors of judgement and failure to fully and immediately communicate for which disciplinary actions were taken. It also cleared the individuals and the Department of the sensational allegations that had been the subject of widespread press reports. Three, the individuals involved fully cooperated in the investigation and have taken responsibility for their mistakes.

House tour

All seven Councilmembers along with volunteer Planning, Design Review and Historic Preservation Commissioners spent today touring new neighborhoods in Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo. The purpose of the bus tour was to get a shared, first-hand look at what works and doesn't work as we strive to implement the community's vision of smart growth in new neighborhood developments.

First stop was the Citrus Walk project near Kimball Road next to the 126. This 232 home development is nearly half complete, giving an opportunity to see how the redesign of the project is working out. The final design expanded the range of home types and lot sizes and also incorporated in two small parks. The group met representatives of the Olson Company and walked through the model area and then toured the rest of the site on the bus.

The bus tour continued east through the Saticoy area and then headed for Riverpark in Oxnard. At the 2800 home development, the group met Oxnard City Planner Sue Martin and Shea Homes Community Director Tony Talamante to oversee the entire site plan, then continued by bus to see what has been built to date. Then it was on to D.R. Horton's Seabridge development built along an extension of the marina at Channel Islands Harbor.

The final leg toured University Glen next to Cal State Channel Islands and then Village at the Park next to the 101 in Camarillo.

The tour group was looking at both the larger challenges of designing neighborhoods and the details that mark the quality of individual streets and homes. Alleys vs. garages in front of homes, landscaping, placement of utility boxes, how storm water run-off is handled, whether homes are walled off from parks or whether they face them -- these were the kinds of issues that got careful scrutiny.

No consensus or decisions were reached. The goal was to highlight the kinds of concerns that should get attention as Ventura reviews new projects coming before our Commissions and ultimately the City Council.