Someone to turn to . . . Ventura's new ombudsman

It isn't easy in this economic climate for businesses to thrive. On top of everything else, sometimes it is City rules and regulations that can be a hindrance. While most city rules and regulations are there for a reason, how they are interpreted and enforced can make a huge difference -- including whether a business opens its doors, closes its doors or moves to another community.

At the Ventura Economic Summit in May, participants came up with dozens of suggestions and recommendations to foster local prosperity. One of them was to appoint a city "ombudsman," a real person who could lend a sympathetic ear, help direct businesses down the right path and occasionally intervene to untangle red tape (in Sweden, every government has an "ombudsman" who has the power to investigate complaints and correct errors -- in America, the word has come to mean something a little different -- someone who can be a helpful guide and/or ally in navigating bureaucratic challenges.)

In August, the City Council unanimously approved appointing an "ombudsman" for Ventura to help businesses start, stay and grow. In our tight economic times, I was directed to find a way to do this within our budget. Yesterday, I appointed Alex Herrera to be this new role.

I thought hard about what kind of person would best fit the job. Someone from the private sector might bring a fresh perspective and be a little more understanding of the business point of view. On the other hand, someone with public sector experience might better know the ropes and be more effective in coming up with workable solutions. I selected Alex Herrera because he brings both.

Alex grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and started out in the private sector. But he also has ten years experience working for the City of Ventura, often directly with businesses in his most recent role in our Economic Development Division. He's also a perennial optimist who enjoys tackling problems and "getting to yes."

He will report directly to me (while continuing to work part-time in Economic Development.) He will have the authority to work with every department and he intends to be pro-active and visible in offering his services. You can reach him at aherrera@ci.ventura.ca.us or 805 654-7740.

The spirit of the Economic Summit continues to guide our efforts to promote a prosperous Ventura. For more on our partnership with businesses and the community to retain and attract high-value jobs and investment, see the City's website.

The Councilmember who first proposed the Economic Summit was Ed Summers, chair of the City Council Economic Development Committee. He welcomed Herrera's appointment as "indicative of the City's more positive approach to making business happen in Ventura, and a very proactive step in follow-up from the Economic Summit. We look forward to the results the position will yield."