City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, I would like to call the regular meeting of the Camarillo City Council, Camarillo Sanitary District and successor agency for September 9th, 2026 to order. Madam Clerk, if you would be so kind as to call the roll.

Council Member Santangelo. Here. Vice Mayor Martinez-Bravo. Here. Council Member Kildee.

Here.

Council Member Trembley.

Here.

Mayor Tennyson.

Here. With that, I am going to ask the Vice Mayor to lead us in the flag salute.

Please stand.

Put your right hand over your heart. Ready, begin.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

You're welcome.

Are there any changes to the agenda? No. Seeing none, we have one presentation or presentation, depending upon where you're from this evening, and it's one that is somewhat near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately... They're still not as old as four of us on the city council, but we're still gonna recognize them. Today, we are proud to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Camarillo Citizen Patrol and celebrate five decades of dedicated volunteer service to our community. Since its founding, the Citizen Patrol volunteers have reflected the very best of Camarillo, residents who give their time, skills, and care to help keep our community safe, welcoming, and connected. Through their partnership with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, volunteers provide valuable support to public safety efforts, serves as additional eyes and ears in the community, and assist with activities and events that benefit the Camarillo residents. This milestone recognizes not only the program's longevity, but also the countless hours of service contributed by past and present volunteers over the last 50 years. We extend our sincere appreciation to all Citizen Patrol volunteers, their families, and Sheriff's Office personnel that support them. City staff and community partners have also supported them and this is an important part of the program. On behalf of the Camarillo City Council and the City of Camarillo, congratulations Camarillo Citizen Patrol on this remarkable anniversary and thank you for 50 years of service to our community. At this time, I would like to invite the patrol captain from Camarillo Citizen Patrol, Rich Chesko, to meet me up here and receive the certificate of recognition on behalf of all of the Camarillo Citizen Patrol volunteers that are present. So I'll meet you up here, Rich. Have been warned by 80% of the citizen patrol members present not to let rich have the microphone But since he's a captain I'm gonna give it to him anyway I go back a long way my first experience with the citizen patrol was in 1996 when I was a captain assigned to the station and then in 99 when I was the commander from 99 through 2004. And I want to recognize the entire citizen patrol, but I'd like the one volunteer that has donated 10,000 hours of her time to please stand up. 10,000 volunteer hours. Now the next one is just a teenager. Where is he? He has 9,500 hours. Would you please stand up? So between them, they have about 10 years of full-time work for an average employee volunteering for our city. And every year I was the commander, I got them a pay raise. 5% of zero every single year. I got a lot of criticism from Citizen Patrol. Please have a seat. I got a lot of criticism from them because the city was lucky enough to get two donated Toyota Priuses. So we had citizen patrol put on them and one, God rest his soul, citizen patrol member didn't like them and put Mickey Mouse ears on them and came in and said, Commander, we're not Disneyland, this is Camarillo. They never forgave me for that. Now they have beautiful vehicles to drive and I'm thinking about volunteering. So thank you very much for your service. Again, all of the hours you put in save time and money for the police department, save time and money for the city of Camarillo, and even though they told me not to, Rich, here you go.

Thank you.

Oh, here, let me hold this while you bring out your speech.

Should I hold it for you?

Oh, no, no. Okay.

My arms are still long enough. Mayor? Council members, honored guests, and fellow citizens. My name is Rich Chesko. I'm the captain of the Camarillo Citizen Patrol. It is my great honor to humbly accept this recognition for the Camarillo Citizen Patrol of 50 years of dedicated volunteer service to the city of Camarillo and the Camarillo Police Department. On behalf of our present team of volunteers and those who have served before us, giving more than 188,500 documented hours of selfless service to the betterment and the safety of our community incorporated and unincorporated over the past 50 years. We thank you for this honor.

Just have to be a little self-deprecating When citizen patrol started I had a full head of dark brown curly hair Two fellow council members had full heads of hair too. And so look what you've done to us Come on rich on behalf of the city Congratulations. Thank you. And here's to somebody in this audience, maybe one young person out there being here in another 50 years to recognize 100 years of service. Council members.

Hold on. Don't leave.

We're going to make fun of you. Anybody have anything to say? Council member Santangelo.

I just want to thank you and thank all of you for your time and dedication and your public service. Your service, volunteers have a very special place in my heart and especially those that do it for our public safety and the betterment of our town. So thank you all and congratulations. Thank you.

Thank you again to each and every single one of you for providing as a collective this wonderful service for longer than I've been alive. So that in and of itself is meaningful, right? But more than anything, I really appreciate each and every one of you. Every person in this community has different talents and the fact that you're able to bring your skills and yes, your care and your love. I'VE PERSONALLY BENEFITED FROM YOUR VOLUNTEERISM WHEN I'VE BEEN OUT ON VACATION AND YOU GO AND CHECK ON OUR HOMES AND I JUST HAD A NEIGHBOR WHO MOVED IN AND I TOLD HER ALL ABOUT IT AND SHE WAS FROM THE L.A. AREA AND SHE WAS REALLY, REALLY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THIS TYPE OF SERVICE HERE IN THE CITY OF CAMARILLO. SO CONGRATULATIONS BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING THANK YOU MUCHAS GRACIAS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

Council Member Kelby.

Yeah, I just want to thank everybody, all the citizens of 50 years. I mean, 10,000 hours, when do you sleep? Do you get a chance to sleep at all? I'm telling you. Great. You do not go unnoticed. It's a very important job that all of you are so willing to do so freely. And I really appreciate it.

our residents really appreciate it the city appreciates it and keep going it's a great organization and all of you make it such so again thank you very much this is kind of personal for me my dad who i miss every day was a volunteer for the marine county sheriff's office for 20 years after he retired and he spent 20 years doing much of what you're doing although principally he was in office behind the scenes. And I know that each and every one of you spends just an extraordinary number of hours because A, you love this city, I think, and B, you enjoy each other's company. There's an obvious esprit de corps. And we all benefit from that. I mean, like Martita, I was out last week, and I know at least two of you were by our home. And the reason why Camarillo is the community that it is, both from a public safety standpoint as well as from a caring standpoint, is because of people like you. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. And we really appreciate what you are doing. And 50 years is a hard number to wrap my head around. I am substantially older than that, but it is deeply appreciated what you do. And by the way, you're retired. This is your schedule. So you are giving of your time and your talents to do this. So it's deeply appreciated.

Now I'm going to put our police chief on the spot and ask him to say a few words since the citizen patrol is one year younger than him.

Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to keep it short and sweet because I think our city council is very eloquent in what they said. City Camarillo Citizen Patrol, you know how we feel about you. You know how much we appreciate what you do for us every day in helping to keep our community safe. You are like family to us. We love each and every one of you, and we appreciate all the contributions you make to the police department and the city of Camarillo. So thank you.

We do yet you citizen patrol you can stay we have just an exciting agenda if you'd like to hang around I'll hold it you have to go on patrol Yeah, thank you. Thanks Ridge Madam clerk are there any speakers on any item not on the agenda?

Yes, Mayor, we have some speakers signed up. Remote participation will be called after all in-persons have finished. General public comment is limited to 20 minutes, accommodating about six to seven speakers. Each speaker will have three minutes. When your time expires, you will be muted, and we will move on to the next speaker. After the Mayor's final call for in-person or remote comments, public comment will be closed if there is no response. Any remaining speakers will be heard after all agenda items. The first speaker would be Blanca Oh.

Welcome, Blanca.

First, I want to start by reporting numbers. As of September 7th, in Camarillo alone, 519 people have been abducted by ICE. So since our last meeting, when many community members came out to speak against ALPRs and mass surveillance, I learned that this council also recently approved a drone first responder program that will cost Camarillo taxpayers $2,838,742. I feel this council did this community a disservice by not providing a more meaningful public forum or discussion, especially considering the community backlash and criticism you've already received over flock and ALPRs. I was confused and concerned about how an item with such a significant price tag involving AI and aerial surveillance of our city could move forward without more of us knowing about it. I REACHED OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS MARTINEZ BRAVO AND SANTANGELO FOR MORE INFORMATION. MARTINEZ BRAVO TOLD ME SHE WOULD GET THAT INFORMATION TO ME BUT NEVER FOLLOWED UP. COUNCIL MEMBER SANTANGELO DID RESPOND AND PROVIDED ME THE DFR PRESENTATION AND DIRECTED ME TO THE MAY 13TH AND JUNE 10TH MEETINGS. I WATCHED THEM BOTH. I could not find a DFR discussion on May 13th. I did find the presentation and discussion on June 10th. I watched Councilmember Tremblay questions to Commander Tennyson, which focused largely on cost and the justification that spending on AI and drone technology could ultimately save money by reducing the need to pay for staffing and sworn officers. I think that's an interesting perspective, and I believe the union representing our deputies should be paying close attention to it. Councilmember Santangelo was the only member to ask a question about privacy, and Councilmember Martinez-Bravo did not ask a question at all. I point this out because in my view this council's not doing enough due diligence when approving this technology. This is incredibly sophisticated technology with enormous implications for privacy, policing, and the future of our law enforcement workforce. Yet at times it appears that this dais does not fully understand the technology it's approving. Maybe it is a generational issue, but I find it telling when Mayor Tennyson compared implementing DFR to his experience years ago implementing nighttime helicopter operations. This is AI-powered surveillance technology, not a helicopter. We need council members to understand the gravity of the technology they are approving and the checks that they are signing. And finally, after our last meeting, it became even more apparent how little control this council actually has over their flock contract. When Council Member Santangelo asked the City Council whether Camarillo could create its own policy governing the use of flock cameras, we learned that we cannot. As a contracted city, we apparently only could pay for it. And that became even more concerning when we learned that VCSO independently changed its flock oversight from daily audits to weekly audits without informing this council or this taxpayer's funding the surveillance. That is not meaningful oversight. If our role is to simply write the checks, then I think this council needs to seriously ask itself, what exactly are we paying for and what control do we actually have over it?

Thank you. Matt O'Neill, followed by Brian Barreto.

Welcome, sir.

Thank you, thank you. All right, good evening, mayor, vice mayor, council members. My name is Matt O'Neill. I was here a couple weeks ago for the robust ALPR discussion. I'm here tonight to kind of follow up on that discussion. I understand that last meeting, it was a receive and file kind of conversation. So I'm here tonight to kind of ask you all to formally put something on the agenda, whether it be a town hall, like was suggested last meeting, or if it's just a greater conversation on alternative vendors to flock as was brought up by multiple council members. I think you all have seen that there is a general distrust for flock safety. I think you've seen that your constituents don't trust this technology. And I think that it calls for action. I think you all have a duty, an obligation to move forward and start making progress on either changing the vendor who provides ALPR services or removing ALPRs altogether. So that's my comment. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Brian Barreto, followed by Spencer Ritchie.

Welcome, sir.

Good evening, thank you. Mayor and members of the council, my name is Brian Barreto and I serve as the external affairs manager for California American Water. We are one of the water utilities that provides water to the residents, businesses, and commercial entities here in the city. I'm here to share that California American Water has recently updated our emergency response plan. Our ERP outlines how we protect, operate, and restore service in our water systems during an emergency. It covers critical system components, reporting and notification procedures, security protocols, response actions, and the use of the standardized emergency management system within the incident command framework. The priorities of our ERP are to first protect human life, followed by protecting the environment, property, and maintenance of essential water systems during an emergency. While we hope these plans are rarely needed, our responsibility is to be fully prepared. In the event of an emergency, our plan ensures we can respond effectively and maintain or restore service, including providing backup water supplies when necessary. We value our partnership with the community, and California American Water remains committed to serving the safety and resiliency of our water systems. California American Water welcomes ongoing coordination with the city and staff, and if you would like information about our plan, please don't hesitate to call me or contact me via an email. I can be reached at brian, B-R-I-A-N, at amwater.com or 626-388-7484. Thank you for your opportunity. Thank you for the opportunity to share this information with you tonight, and thank you for your support. Thank you.

Spencer Ritchie, followed by Sid Harth, Mid-Rotra.

Welcome, Spencer.

Hello.

All right. Welcome. Hi. Good evening, all you. Again, I'm Spencer Ritchie. I'm a lifelong Camerian. And with that, I have a few concerns, as usual. So, one, I see, you know, you have a very devoted and competent Citizens Patrol team. WHICH KIND OF MAKES ME, WHICH ACTUALLY MAKES IT ITCHY, EVEN LESS LOGICAL UNDERSTANDABLE THAT YOU'RE SPENDING SO MUCH OF THE CITY'S MONEY ON NOT ONLY OUR ALPER CAMERAS, WHICH BY THE WAY, THERE'S 25 FLOCK ONES AND THEN 12 ALPERS FROM OTHER BRANDS, BRINGING THE CITY'S HOME TO 37. But also, again, with, you know, Camry paying multiple millions of dollars over the next eight years for, you know, the VCSO to get some shiny new Axon drones, which, by the way, another thing these drones do is when people, you know, make emergency calls or, like, talk to them for that reason or whatever reason, All the calls are not only recorded but transcribed using AI, which makes them, again, yet another massive privacy risk. And so going back to the Citizens Patrol Council, like... Again, if you have them and, you know, clearly our city's been incredibly safe. And, you know, even like, you know, with the whole theft corridor thing that you keep using as an example as to, you know, why there needs to be offers even in Mission Oaks. Yeah. Even then, thefts in that area were rare enough that it's made the news every time one has happened. So again, Camry was safe before all this all-per-drone garbage. And then the other thing, too, again involving the Citizens Patrol Council, is... So not only are we not safe because our state California voted for Harris in 2024, but Harris also won in the city of Camarillo, which means there is nothing that automatically keeps us safe from whatever violence this administration wants to inflict around and after the midterms. Are you going to make the Citizens Patrol help with that? Thank you. Have a nice evening.

Thank you.

Welcome. Good afternoon, counsel. Today, I have nothing of my own to say and nothing exactly urgent, but something in honor of a sad anniversary 20 years ago, 25 now, with an essay written on the occasion a few anniversaries ago by the great essayist Wendell Berry, his comments on that dreadful day. And I would like to read some of them now. The time will soon come when we will not be able to remember the horrors of September 11th, 2001, without remembering also the unquestioning technological and economic optimism that ended that day. The optimism resting on the proposition that we were living in a new world, a new economy that will grow on and on, bringing a prosperity of which every new increment would be unprecedented. The developed nations had given the free market the status of a god and were sacrificing to it their farmers, farmlands and communities, forests, wetlands and prairies, ecosystems and watersheds. They had accepted universal pollution and global warming as normal costs of doing business. There was, as a consequence, a growing worldwide effort on behalf of decentralization, economic justice and ecological responsibility. The events of September 11 make that effort more necessary than ever. We must recognize our mistakes. We did not anticipate anything like what has now happened. We did not foresee all our sequence of innovations might be at once overridden by the invention of a new kind of war that would turn our previous innovations against us, discovering and exploiting the debts and dangers we had ignored. Nor did we foresee the weaponry and war science we market and taught to the world to become available not just to recognize national governments, but also to fanatical groups and individuals whose violence, though never worse than that of nations, is judged by the nations to be illegitimate. We now have a clear, inescapable choice. we can continue to promote a global economic system of unlimited free trade among corporations, held together by long and vulnerable lines of communication and supply, protected by a hugely expensive police force worldwide, and such a police force will be effective to the extent it oversways the freedom and privacy of the citizens of every nation. Or we can promote a decentralized world economy with the aim of assuring to every nation and region a local self-sufficiency in life-supporting goods. This would not eliminate international trade, but would tend toward a trade in surplus after the local needs had been met. One of the greatest dangers to us now, second only to further attacks against our people, is we will attempt to go on as before, whatever the cost in freedom and civil rights without self-questioning or self-criticism or public debate.

There are no more speakers.

Thank you. With that, we will move on to Amanda Fagan with BCTC to give us a report on the U.S. 101 Improvement Program. Welcome.

Good evening, Mayor Tennyson and members of the City Council. My name is Amanda Fagan and I serve as the Director of Planning and Sustainability for the Ventura County Transportation Commission. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be here this evening to share with you a little information about arguably the most important, certainly one of the most important transportation projects for our county in a generation. We're approaching an important milestone in that project and that's release of the draft environmental document for public circulation. The Ventura County Transportation Commission, or VCTC, is the regional transportation planning agency serving Ventura County, responsible for planning, programming, and providing transportation programs and services countywide. For the US 101 Improvement Project, VCTC is the lead sponsor, and in partnership with Caltrans, the cities of Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and Ventura, and the County of Ventura. The project study area extends from Moorpark Road in the city of Thousand Oaks through the cities of Camarillo and Oxnard to State Route 33 in the city of Ventura. US 101 is the major north-south coastal route that connects our northern, central, and southern parts of the state. Regionally, the US 101 connects Ventura County with our neighboring counties in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. And locally, the 101 serves as both regional connection across our cities and also our main street, connecting our communities with one another and serving as a critical link in a resilient transportation system. Over half of the Ventura County's jobs and residents are located within the three-mile corridor along US 101. The 101 has been identified as the highway network's greatest area of need, with aging infrastructure, no continuous alternate routes, peak period speeds projected to drop, and travel times to increase, and constraining both person and goods movement. While several options for travel within the corridor do exist, including single occupancy vehicle travel on the freeway, as well as transit and rail, providing an additional option of an HOV lane would enable travelers to opt out of congestion, which is listed as a key action in the Caltrans Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure. In collaboration with Caltrans and our local partners, VCTC has long taken a regional multimodal approach to finding solutions to congestion on the 101 and to planning for the future of our transportation system. At each step along the way, VCTC has actively engaged local stakeholders and the public. Beginning with the 2013 comprehensive transportation plan, VCTC identified US 101 as the roadway network's highest priority within the region. Caltrans prepared a project study report in 2013, and VCTC and Caltrans entered into a cooperative agreement in 2016 to initiate the project approval and environmental document phase of the US 101 improvement project. VCTC brought on a consultant team in 2018 to initiate the environmental study. VCTC also undertook the US 101 Communities Connected Multimodal Corridor Study, which evaluated options for enhancing modes of travel beyond the freeway, and completed a freight corridor study to better understand how goods move throughout our county. VCTC also collaborated with the Ventura Council of Governments with support from a regional early action planning grant from SCAG to develop the Ventura County VMT adaptive mitigation program, which established VMT analysis methodology and mitigation tools tailored to Ventura County and our unique land use context and transportation system. Within the project area, US 101 generally consists of three general purpose or regular lanes in each direction. Auxiliary lanes are located at certain locations. There are no existing HOV lanes located within Ventura County. The defined purpose of the project is to improve traffic conditions by improving trip reliability, achieving regional HOV connectivity, supporting regional prosperity, and improving efficiency of the public transit system. The overarching project need is to improve trip reliability and traffic operations. Initially, a list of alternatives was developed through the Caltrans project study report, recommendations from the project development team and from public input received during the public scoping process. Alternatives were compared to project purpose and need and to the traffic engineering and environmental criteria. The project development team, or PDT, which is made up of representatives of BCTC, Caltrans, the County of Ventura, and the four corridor cities, evaluated the suite of alternatives. When compared to the recommended criteria, some alternatives were found to result in higher levels of environmental and property impact for little or no improvement in freeway and local roadway operations compared to other alternatives. Those that performed better were selected to be included in a final set of alternatives to be studied in further detail in the environmental document. Alternatives that were evaluated range from a no-build scenario to several high occupancy vehicle lane configurations, a reversible lane, elevated transit way, general purpose lanes, and a combination of lane configurations. Oh, this slide got moved around in my presentation. Forgive me. I've already talked about the purpose and need. But three alternatives were ultimately approved by the project development team for further study. The no-build alternative, one HOV express bus lane with auxiliary lanes, and one HOV express bus lane with auxiliary lanes and design variations. I'll describe each of these in a little bit more detail. First, the no build alternative is used as a baseline against which other alternatives can be measured. It represents no further improvements on the 101 and allows decision makers to compare the impact of the build alternatives to the impact of doing nothing. Alternative 2 adds an HOV lane for carpools, vanpools, and express bus service in each direction on US 101 from approximately Moorpark Road to California Street. Alternative 2 would also include adding auxiliary lanes between certain on and off ramps where they improve the flow of traffic on the freeway. Alternative 3 is similar to Alternative 2, providing the HOV lane on the freeway from Moore Park Road to near California Street. It also includes design variations that improve the freeway alignment on the Conejo grade, improves a southbound bottleneck near Dawson Drive, and ends the northbound HOV lane south of California Street to improve operations. Project alternatives avoid the need for a full acquisition of homes or businesses, provide thousands of construction jobs, and maintain existing lanes during construction. The project will be constructed in phases over a 20-year period to minimize a disruption to the transportation system. Both build alternatives improve traffic operations compared to the no-build alternative and include improvements to 14 intersections, also providing reliable trip times in the high occupancy vehicle lane. Alternative three performs slightly better than alternative two, reducing the average travel times, density, delays, and travel speed. For example, both alternatives two and three reduce the average vehicle hours of delay by more than half for both the 2040 build out and the projected 2060 operations. So since its implementation in 2020, Senate Bill 743 has changed how lead agencies are required to evaluate transportation impacts under CEQA with a goal of better measuring the actual transportation related environmental impacts of any given project. Estimated VMT for this project is based on model runs from the Ventura County transportation model conducted for the project. The project is estimated to generate an increase of 0.7% more VMT compared to the no-build scenario. Although the US 101 improvement project began in 2018, before agencies were required to analyze transportation impacts according to the VMT metric, VCTC developed a program of mitigation strategies to address this impact in VMT. The program has been developed in a holistic way to improve the corridor and meet community needs. It includes a suite of multimodal projects such as development of affordable workforce housing in high transit areas, multimodal transportation improvements, mobility hubs, transit and vanpool programs, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and bicycle programs such as bike sharing and bike training. The mitigation program will commit a total of $243 million to multimodal projects in the corridor, or around 20% of the total project cost. So VCTC's policy for many years has been that the US 101 project is to be the top priority for allocation of surface transportation block grant, or STBG, and state transportation improvement program, or STIP, funds. We also continue to seek state and federal grants to fund the remainder of project costs. So the Commission has assembled a sort of piggy bank of STBG and STIP funding available for the first phase of construction. Potential early action projects will be determined based on cost effectiveness to provide the highest level of benefits with the least costs. We're now approaching the public circulation phase of the project, which will be followed by the selection of a preferred alternative and development of the early action phasing strategy. Then adoption of a final environmental impact report and environmental assessment and final project report by the end of 2027. Public circulation of the draft environmental document is anticipated to occur later this month, beginning on September 30th, with public hearings scheduled for November. Public hearing, actually all of the public hearings will be held in November. We have finalized these dates. And the public hearing will be held in Camarillo on Wednesday, November 18th at the Camarillo Library. We'll also be holding a virtual public hearing on Saturday, November 14th from 10.30 in the morning until noon. So the tentative circulation dates are September 30th through December 7th. The draft environmental document will be available for public review electronically via our project website, which is ourfuture101.org. Public comments are due by 1159 on Monday, December 7th. 2026. Comments may be submitted directly to Caltrans and of course all of this information will be included in all of the public notifications with the release of the environmental document. We will be using our existing social media and webpage resources to provide updates and share information on the project. Our Instagram page is guess handle whatever you call it our future 101 and our website again is our is our future 101 org will also be mailing notifications to all businesses and property owners within one mile of the of the corridor so about 75,000 of our friends and neighbors will be receiving a notice a printed notice by mail of the release of the environmental document as well So at this point we're just trying to get the word out as broadly as we can about the upcoming environmental document And also just saying thank you to our partners in the project development team the city of Camarillo staff has been Particularly engaged throughout the process and we really appreciate their commitment to this project So again, thank you for your time and I'm happy to answer any questions.

You might have any questions for Amanda. I

I HAVE A QUESTION. AMANDA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AMANDA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. TWO QUESTIONS. TWO QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST ONE IS IT LOOKS LIKE GIVEN YOUR TIMELINE THE PROJECT GIVEN YOUR TIMELINE THE PROJECT REPORT WON'T BE READY UNTIL

The project report gets signed out at the same time as the draft environmental document. So by the end of 2027, we will have a final project report, final environmental impact report and environmental assessment adopted by our commission and accepted by Caltrans. So at this point, we're in the draft environmental document stage, which also means that the draft project report gets completed at that same time. Okay.

Thank you for clarifying that. And given that it's such an extensive project, like a 20 year project, what can the city of Camarillo residents expect in the next? Do you have that information of what we can expect in terms of construction in the next couple of years?

So we have programmed for the first phase of construction to begin in 2031, which may sound like a long time from now, but in the transportation planning world, that is like tomorrow. So once we do public circulation and go through the process of finalizing the environmental documents and adopting a preferred alternative, we'll also be developing and finalizing that initial phase of construction. So, and that would then begin in 2031. I do anticipate that the city of Camarillo is likely to be included in that first phase.

Okay, thank you so much. And the next question is, I saw that there were multiple community outreach, public hearings. Will Spanish translation be available at any of them or all?

Yes, Spanish translation will be available at all of the public hearings. Okay, thank you so much. Thank you.

COMMENTS? MR. TREMBLEY.

THANKS, MR. MAYOR. AMANDA, THANKS. EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. I'M PRIVILEGED TO REPRESENT THIS COUNCIL ON THE VCTC, ON THE COMMISSION, AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE AMANDA AS OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY. THIS DRAFT EIR IS A LONG TIME COMING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR, AND THAT'S NOT INTENDED AS A CRITIQUE, IT'S JUST A COMPLICATED SUBJECT. And the development of the alternatives has been a complicated subject. For those of you who may be monitoring this meeting, I would encourage you to please provide comments to the draft EIR. They will be seriously reviewed and responded to. A couple of notes. You'll note that putting aside the no-build alternative for alternative one, the range of cost between alternative two and alternative three is 1.8 billion to 2.2 billion. And when you lay alongside that, the amount of available dollars right now, and these are 2026 dollars, they're not dollars, for example, in 2031 or 2050, is 218 million. So that represents approximately just less than 10% of the cost for alternative three. So one of the primary challenges for this project is going to be where is the money going to come from in order to build this project. And it's a sorely needed project because we've got to move people and we've got to move goods and services, et cetera. So one of the real challenges here is, again, going to be how do we raise the money in order to do that? And grants, some of that money will come from the state. Some of that money may come from the feds, possibly. One of the difficulties, practically speaking, for Ventura County is it is the only, Amanda, you've got to correct me if I go astray here, it is the only county in Southern California that does not have a dedicated portion of the sales tax for transportation costs. And I'm not advocating it. What I'm merely doing is pointing out that many other counties, so if you've been up to Santa Barbara County recently, you've noticed all of the freeway construction that's been done. the sales taxes that are used there are used to leverage grant funding from the feds and from the state. We don't have that in Ventura County. We've done quite well so far, but we're also looking at a huge project. So I don't know what's going to become. That has been defeated twice, I think, at the polls. Again, I'm not advocating it, but what I'm pointing out is the major challenge ahead in terms of raising the money to actually get this done, because I used to come from my office in Westlake Village and sit on the Conejo grade, hence the name Camarillo Crawl, right? So it's a project that needs to get done and that will be, a primary challenge. So anyway, Amanda, thank you for a good presentation that gave the overview. And I would really encourage anybody out there who has been listening to this, who has a chance to look at the draft EIR, please respond. So thanks, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Mr. Kildee. A lot of my comments, Council Member Tremblay has said, but I was actually a representative of VHT in Camarillo for several years ago when we first started talking about this. The only thing I could say is to add on to what Council Member Tremblay and the Vice Mayor Martita has also said that make a comment on this is the time sorely needed I know one a person kind of coined the phrase many years ago we have the camera crawl here so anything we can do to try to improve traffic is much needed again as my colleagues have stated the proof is in the pudding how do we fund this we've got all put our our heads together and try to fund this very needed project. But I want to commend you and VCTC for moving this forward. We've come a long way in a relatively short time. I know these are extremely complicated issue, but it's very necessary. So keep us informed. Anybody out there that wants to make a public comment, this is the time. Hopefully, hopefully we can get something done to improve traffic in Ventura County. So again, thanks for your presentation.

Thank you so much.

Any other comments for Amanda? I WILL JUST SAY THEY'RE NICE CALLING IT THE CAMARILLA CRAWL. I CALL IT THE 101 PARKING LOT. AND I'M JUST SAD THAT I'LL BE 90 YEARS OLD BEFORE I SEE ANY IMPROVEMENT ON IT. BUT A MUCH-NEEDED PROJECT. HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND THE MONEY WITHOUT EVER DISCUSSING SALES TAX INCREASES. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCILMEMBER KILDE SAID, THE PROOF WILL BE IN THE PUDDING WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN GET FUNDING FOR IT. BUT THANK YOU FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.

Thank you so much, and thank you for the opportunity. I have been giving this presentation quite a bit with my little roadshow, and I apologize, you'll have to hear it twice in one week. But again, I appreciate the opportunity, and I think if the whole community is tired of hearing me talk about this project by the end of November, I will have done my job, so thank you.

Thank you. Now it's time to move on to council comments. Council Member Santangelo.

Thank you, Mayor. Let's see, I'll be quick. On August 27th, I attended the Economic Development and Land Use Committee. On September 2nd, I attended the Berry Street Ribbon Cutting, the Berry Street housing project, mini house. And on September 3rd, I attended CPA Board of Directors. And that's all I've got.

Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor. On August 27th, I also attended the Economic Development and Land Use Committee with Council Member Santangelo. And September 2nd, I also attended the Berry Street Housing Project, the ribbon cutting, and I'm just super grateful to all of our partners, to our staff who helped to move this forward to the vision that we all had at the committee level, then moving that up. Having seen that project from the beginning, when I came on to council and now, to the ribbon cutting was extremely rewarding and it was extremely rewarding because there are real people in our community who will benefit from this and I'm just very grateful for that work. And September 3rd, I also attended the Information Technology and Facilities Committee with Council Member Tennyson. And then just really quick on the comment from Ms. Ortega, I know I responded indicating, yes, we can get that information to you. And I apologize if that information was or that message wasn't clear. I'd appreciate it if staff who was copied on there can just get this information to the resident that she's requesting. And in addition, I wanted to take this time to invite our community to come together for a very, very special fundraiser in memory of Lisa Alonso's birthday and the Lisa Alonso Memorial Scholarship. On Wednesday, September 23rd, it will be a council day, but the fundraiser is actually from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Crony's, and it can be a dine-in or take-out. Just mentioned the Lisa Alonso Memorial Scholarship. And since 2022, the Lisa Alonso Memorial Scholarship has been helping graduates of Camarillo High School to pursue higher education. And Lisa was a beloved Camarillo resident who had a deep passion for helping underserved youth and believed that every young person should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams through education and I know her legacy lives on through the scholarship. Her legacy not only lives on through the scholarship but also through her husband, Isaac Alonso, who has also found a very special way to keep her memory alive while also giving back to the Ventura County community, and Camarillo included. Now that Isaac is retired, he has become a familiar face on social media through his very positive restaurant reviews, and where he has thousands of followers. And under his handle, he visits local restaurants, provides his experiences, and the business owners have then reported that they've had so much more business because of his reviews. So that's, you know, something that he enjoys, and it's definitely supporting and helping our local business and our community. When I last spoke with Isaac, he shared something that really touched me, which was he said that Lisa loved going out to eat and enjoy the experiences at our local restaurants, and he feels that she's still a part of all this. So that was extremely heartwarming to know I know my kids even follow him under the handle Fat Lives Matter 805 on TikTok and social media. And as a parent, I know how much our local youth enjoy following Isaac and his adventures. And it's wonderful to see that. him using his platform not only to support local businesses and our local economy, but also to carry forward the legacy of someone he so deeply loved. So please join us again at Crony's on September 23rd from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and mention the Lisa Alonso Memorial Scholarship. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Kildee.

Thank you. I as well attended the Berry Street ribbon cutting. Kind of one of the neat things about that is that I talked to the president of the company, and they used a lot of recycled material in the construction of that. A lot of plastic bottles were used in the construction of that. So not only is it a good thing to do that, but it's also very environmental friendly and sensitive as well. I ALSO, SEPTEMBER 3rd, I DID ATTEND A VENTURE REGIONAL SAND BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT MEETING ON, AGAIN, SEPTEMBER 3rd. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, SIR.

MR. TREMBLEY.

THANKS, MR. MAYOR. VERY BRIEFLY, MEETING SINCE AUGUST 12, SINCE I WAS NOT AT THE AUGUST 26 COUNCIL MEETING, AUGUST 17 ON THE HEALTHY CAMARILLO INITIATIVE, AUGUST 18, THE OPV LARGE WATER USERS MEETING, AND ON AUGUST 19,

METROLINK BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE AD HOC FUEL HEDGING COMMITTEE MEETING THAT'S IT THANK YOU IT MAY SEEM LIKE A LIGHT CALENDAR FOR CITY COUNCIL BUT I'D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT MOST OF OUR REGIONAL COMMITTEES WE SERVE ON GO DARK IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST SO A LOT OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEES DON'T MEET DURING AUGUST SO NORMALLY OUR CALENDARS ARE A LOT FULLER I ATTENDED THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING WITH VICE MAYOR MARTINEZ-BRAVO. I'D ALSO LIKE TO DO A SHOUT OUT ON OUR TINY HOMES. We used grant money to pay for those homes. They were manufactured offsite, delivered and installed by the manufacturer at its location off of Berry Street. I especially wanna thank our faith-based community because I believe six, five churches and the local Jewish temple donated all of the money to furnish these tiny homes on Berry Street. So that was all our faith-based community stepping up to help citizens in need in Camarillo. So much appreciated. Thank you. Madam Clerk, we are on items E through N. Do we have any public comments on consent?

No comments.

No comments. Any questions from council?

I can move consent.

We have a motion and we have a second. Roll call, please.

Council Member Santangelo? Yes. Vice Mayor Martinez-Bravo? Yes. Council Member Kildee?

Yes.

Council Member Trembley? Yes. Mayor Tennyson?

Yes.

That passes unanimously.

Next, we will move on to item O, the CDBG Fiscal Year 2025-26 CAPER. And I believe Mr. Calvert's going to start out and introduce our presenter.

Thank you. Good evening, Mayor and Council Members. I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to our consultant, Veronica Tam, and she will give you an overview. Thank you. Welcome.

Thank you. Good evening, mayor and council members. I'm Erin Lay from Veronica Tam and Associates. I'm here to present an item to you tonight regarding the CAPER for fiscal year 2025-2026. CDBG funds are allocated to the city annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A Consolidated Annual Progress and Evaluation Report, or CAPER, must be submitted to HUD after the close of each fiscal year. The CAPER reports on the specific expenditures of CDBG funds and evaluates the progress the city has made in meeting the goals during that year. The city was very successful in meeting the expenditure and accomplishment goals for CDBG entitlement funds with 258 residents benefited through services to seniors, the homeless, and the disabled. The city continued to use the remaining CDBG-CV funds, which were specifically allocated by HUD in 2020 to address impacts of COVID-19. The city also made significant progress toward the goal of temporary homes for the homeless. The project construction has been completed and the first program participants are expected to move in by the end of the month. This concludes my comments and I'm available for any questions you may have.

Any questions from council? Go ahead, Mr. Kildee.

Just a minute, as long as you're here, as far as funding going, is there any updates on the potential funding?

There are no updates at this point, and things are as uncertain as you might expect.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions?

Move the item.

No, it's a public hearing. We'll open the public hearing. Are there any public comments, Madam Clerk?

Yes, Mayor, there's six public comments speakers waiting to speak. Each speaker will have three minutes. When your time expires, you will be muted, and we'll move on to the next speaker. Remote participation will be called after in-person speakers have finished. The first speaker is Reverend Michael Anderson.

Welcome, sir.

Mayor Tennyson and honorable members of the city council, good evening. I am the priest at St. Columba's Episcopal Church, which has been grateful to receive the CDBG grant and has done so over the last few years, multiple grants, and we're grateful for that opportunity. My wife Francina and our four kids, one of whom is behind me, have lived in Camarillo for just under three years and we've been so blessed by our time here. Occasionally our kids help with the pantry and as our director Maurice Hill could tell you, they do so with varying degrees of helpfulness. But I am grateful that they see what happens there. Normal people helping normal people. And I hope they grow up thinking that that's just part of what it means to be human. Our pantry serves elderly, homeless, and disabled residents of Camarillo. Most are seniors living on social security and limited state benefits. This year, we have served 60 family units totaling 145 people, but those numbers are also faces. And I wanted to share about a few of them, and I've changed the names. One is Jen, who unexpectedly lost her husband of more than 50 years. And the food has helped as she learns how to sustain herself on her own. But the pantry also gives us a reason to see her regularly, to check in, and to help keep her connected to our community. Another is Leanne. We have lots of clients that do a lot to help out. Leanne is not physically able to do that. And so instead, she drives around and she picks up other clients and brings them with her. It's a joy to watch a car full of elderly women take care of each other. And then there's one of our volunteers, Jim, a young father here in Camarillo. Feeling overwhelmed by everything that's happening in the world, he decided he needed to do something useful. So he got in his car and he drove. He happened to pull into our parking lot as I was coming out of a service and immediately asked, how can I help? He has volunteered ever since. And thankfully, he is younger and stronger than most of us. So we give him the heavy boxes. There's also a local produce stand owner who gives us produce at wholesale and I could go on and on. That's what this grant has helped make possible for us. Food, yes, but also a small community in which people who need help also find ways to help one another. We are very grateful for the city's partnership and thank you for all the ways you make that a reality.

Thank you.

Marjorie Corpuz.

Good evening and welcome.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the City Council. My name is Marjorie Corpus and I'm here on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Padre Serra Conference to thank the City of Camarillo for the CDBG funding we received during the fiscal year 2025-26 and prior years. With a CDBG grant award to St. Vincent de Paul, we assisted 15 Camarillo residents representing 38 members of our community. Nearly 98% went toward rent assistance, helping people avoid eviction. With the remainder helping one household facing a water shutoff. 93% of those served were below 80% of their median income limit for their family size. But those numbers don't really tell you what this funding accomplished. They don't tell you about the single mother of twin 12-year-olds with special needs. who missed work caring for her son and then unexpectedly lost her mother to cancer. With no sick leave remaining, she fell behind on rent and received a three-day notice, also while she was still grieving. CDBG assistance allowed her and her children to remain in their home. They don't tell you about the disabled widow whose only income is social security. When her check was mistakenly returned when she changed apartments, she suddenly had no money for rent or groceries and received a three-day notice. CDBG kept her house until her benefits could be restored. Or the senior who learned that the home she has been renting for 10 years was being sold. After a long search, she found an affordable, accessible home but didn't have enough money to get it secured. CDBG assistance meant that instead of facing homelessness, she now had a new home. These are not people who simply stop paying their bills. They are our neighbors who are managing their lives until something happened, a death, an illness, lost work, delayed paycheck, an unexpected expense. For many of them, CDBG was a small bridge between a temporary crisis and homelessness. And our assistance goes beyond writing a check. Our volunteers help those we serve identify resources and work toward greater financial stability. So on behalf of St. Vincent de Paul and especially on behalf of the Camarillo residents whose lives were made a little more secure because this funding was there when they needed it most, thank you for investing CDBG funds in our community. Your support did more than pay rent and utilities. It prevented temporary hardships from becoming housing crisis. And it helped keep our neighbors in their homes.

Thank you, ma'am. Your time's up. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Kirsten Risk, followed by Edwin Martinez.

Welcome.

Hello. My name is Kirsten Rizek. I'm an employee at Turning Point Foundation, one of the fiscal year 25-26 CDBG recipients. And I wanted to tell you a little bit about that program. Our shelter, Our Place Safe Haven, is a year-round specialty emergency shelter and multi-service center for homeless adults with mental illness.

Hold on just a second. Did her mic go off?

Hello. Hello. There you go.

It's a little closer.

Hello.

There you go.

Okay. Our place, Safe Haven, is designed not only to fulfill immediate needs such as bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, phone access, mailing address, food, et cetera, but provide critical stabilization, support services, and case management focused on engaging clients to successfully obtain and retain permanent housing. Each client works with a case manager to help them address personal barriers that contributed to their homelessness and assist them with the day-to-day challenges of mental health recovery and transitioning from homelessness. I have described the program in similar terms at the City Council meetings before, as the City of Camarillo has been a partner of ours for many years. The CAPER tells you a lot of information, but we hope to provide, my colleague Edwin is here too and he'll tell you as well. We hope to provide some information that the CAPER can't. While CDBG funds our shelter services to Camarillo residents, that doesn't really capture the whole picture of a client's partnership with Turning Point Foundation. Some clients qualify for other Turning Point Foundation, excuse me, some shelter clients qualify for other Turning Point Foundation programs after their time in the shelter. During their stay at the shelter, they work on the first steps to stability, and from there, they may go on to receive other specialized support. And I have a few examples. One client, a Camarillo client with a history of incarceration, qualified for behavioral bridge housing, which meant that he got to continue receiving services at the shelter while working with Ventura County Behavioral Health for a longer period to stabilize. Since then, he has gained employment and continues to engage with both us and Ventura County Behavioral Health. Another client, while in the shelter, qualified for our program that partners with the Public Defender's Office, the Ventura County Anti-Recidivism Program. His case management continued for a year in that program. He worked on budgeting and attending his court appointments and got into a sober living home and is working. And I have a quote from him. He said to one of our employees, thank you, man, for all the help. And I don't know what I would do without you guys. I am doing good and taking care of my kids and working. I'LL LET EDWIN TAKE IT FROM HERE, BUT I HOPE THAT THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THESE FUNDS WERE ABLE TO DO THANKS TO THE CITY OF CAMARILLO'S SUPPORT WITH CDBG AND FISCURE 2526.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

EDWIN MARINES FOLLOWED BY ASSA VON BURNETT.

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. MY NAME IS EDWIN. MOVE THE MIC UP. THERE YOU GO. THERE WE GO. Cool. Something I could reach. Name's Edwin Martinez. I get to work with the individuals directly at the shelter as a case manager, also an assistant program manager role. So I get to kind of see from the scope of the clientele that enter as well as the staff that present themselves. It's one of those beautiful things where the numbers are one thing, but what CDBG also does is nurture us and the community. And basically you guys, I want to thank you guys all for giving us that platform. because it gives me a platform to kind of heal myself through them. Though I provide them services, they provide me a humbling experience. It's one of those that, though those are my positions and titles under Turning Point Foundation, in life scope, I am a father. I have a little girl. Her name's Abby. Hi, Abby. And she's teaching me how to be a father. And as I look around the individuals that I serve within things to the CDBG funds, it's individuals that were her age at one point. At some point, they lost track or went a different avenue. they might not have the home that I'm able to give her today. And so I'm able to kind of look in the eyes of what once was a child, right? So my child speaks and interprets herself through verbal cues. These are individuals that are learning how to communicate these pains, and we're able to bridge that to bring a better tomorrow. It's like one of those where within our community and each of us, These people that come through our doors are someone's son, someone's daughter, someone's father, someone's mother, someone's cousin, nephew, niece, or close friend. They deal with different challenges, disabilities. Some are seniors, some are TAY youth, which is a categorized individual that's trying to learn how to be an adult from childhood. And we nurture all these, I like to call them the lost kids, right? Because they're finding their way back home. It's hard to kind of speak on it because the more I speak, the more I think about it. You know, from days of rain that are to come and the sunny days that are today, we have shelter and roof to cover ourselves. It's hard coming home from work looking outside a window in a rainy day and knowing that I'm on a bed, you know. And, you know, it's one of those things where... It speaks more than for the numbers itself, but CDBG in general is a mandatory thing that we need to continue these services. It's one of those things that will help us keep feeding the people. And though we can't save all the lives, we're able to save a sliver. And I think even one life counts for the majority of it. It's a win-win regardless. I can go on. I really am passionate about what we get to do because of this platform that you guys offer and give us the opportunity to do and talk about a hurt person like me helping another hurt person out there find their way to at least where I'm at. So I thank you for the time.

Thank you. Abby, your dad did a good job.

Asa Von Burnett followed by Ivan Martinez.

Good evening and welcome.

Good evening, Mayor, council members, and members of the community. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. My name is Asad Von Burnett, and I have the pleasure of serving as the Care Services Director at Camarillo Healthcare District. I am pleased to share some of the positive impacts of the Pedaling the Planet program. To briefly introduce the program, Pedaling the Planet is an innovative wellness program that combines virtual reality technology with active movement using death cycles. Participants pedal while virtually exploring different destinations, allowing them to experience different countries, cultures, and landmarks in an immersive and engaging way. What makes this program particularly valuable is that it supports multiple dimensions of wellness at the same time. First, it promotes physical health. As participants pedal through places such as the Golden Gate Bridge, they are actively engaging their cardiovascular system. This encourages movement, supports heart health, improves circulation, and provides a form of exercise that is both enjoyable and motivating. Many participants become so engaged in the experience that they focus less on the exercise itself and more on the journey, which helps increase participation and enjoyment. Second, the program provides cognitive stimulation. Participants are exposed to new places and experiences which spark curiosity, conversation, and engagement. Perhaps the most important, peddling the planet helps combat social isolation. The experience creates a shared activity that brings people together. Participants discuss destinations they visit, share memories, ask questions, and interact with one another before, during, and after each session. These conversations help build relationships and foster a strong sense of community. We have seen participants who may have previously been reluctant to join group activities become more engaged and socially connected through this program. It gives people an opportunity to exercise and connect with others at the same time. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One participant sharing that the experience brought her back to the days when she used to bike from Ventura to Santa Barbara. She continued to share that the program has added spice to her life and has made exercising fun again. Participants consistently expressed excitement about where they would travel next, and staff have observed greater engagement, more social interaction, and increased enthusiasm for participating. Pedaling the Planet is about more than just virtual travel. It is about improving health, reducing social isolation, fostering connection.

Thank you. Your three minutes is up. Thank you very much.

Ivan Martinez.

Good evening and welcome.

Good evening, everyone. Good evening, Council. My name is Ivan Martinez. I'm here representing Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. I serve as the Home Repair Program Manager for Habitat Ventura. We are one of the subrecipients for CDBG grant funding, and thanks to your support to provide

TAP IT, SEE IF IT CAME BACK. MIC'S OFF. STOP THE CLOCK.

MAYBE TRY THE OTHER ONE.

THERE IT IS. OKAY. THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT FROM CDBG FUNDING, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE CRITICAL HOME REPAIRS TO RESIDENTS, LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS.

VENTURA COUNTY.

TRY THE OTHER MIC, SEE IF THAT WORKS. NO.

THERE IT IS. As the state of California's very first affiliate with a 40 plus year history, we've been able to provide 20, build and sell 20 new homes to low income families. And in addition, provide over 400 critical home repairs throughout the county of Ventura. Just to humanize those numbers, I want to share a story from last year. That's a Camarillo resident by the name of Donna Kay. Donna is a senior on a single income who still works part-time to make ends meet. She lives in a mobile home, which she owns and lives in. And like any home, it requires continued upkeep and repairs. which she simply could not afford. And thanks to the funding, we were able to team up with our staff and volunteers to provide some of those repairs. So now Donna, rather than risking a fall every time she has to shower, we were able to provide a step-in shower versus a traditional tub, grab bars, in addition to other safety repairs throughout her mobile home. So this is just one of the stories that is possible thanks to your funding. On behalf of Habitat for Humanity Ventura County, I want to thank you for your continued support. Thank you.

There are no more speakers.

No more speakers. With that, the public hearing portion is closed. Any questions for staff? Hearing none, council discussion.

I have a comment.

Okay, go ahead, Vice Mayor.

Earlier today, I gave Rabbi Lisa a call. She's a rabbi over at Ventura Jewish Temple, who unfortunately faced some defacement of pretty anti-Semitic and hateful messaging, them along with the church next door and a park nearby. And when we talked, I talked about, it's not just a building, it has a real impact on people. And likewise, with what you brought here today, every single one of you who spoke, YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND YES, ABSOLUTELY, WE ARE FACILITATING THAT THROUGH THE FUNDING. BUT THERE ARE REAL PEOPLE BEHIND THOSE NUMBERS. AND WHEN WE AS POLICY MAKERS MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND READ THESE REPORTS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WE NEED TO HUMANIZE THOSE NUMBERS EVERY SINGLE TIME. And so I'm very grateful for the examples that you have provided. I'm very grateful for every effort that you take in helping our community and helping the most vulnerable and those in need. And when ready, I'd be happy to move staff's recommendations. Thank you.

Any other comments? Council Member Santangelo.

I always enjoy this meeting because we usually get comments from the people that we've granted the money to. And it really helps me to see, as Dr. Martinez-Bravo has said, to humanize the numbers, to really give us what's happening with this money. And it's really good to see that. So I really appreciate you all being here tonight. Thank you.

Mr. Kildee.

Yeah, just quickly, I'm going to take a quote from Council Member Tremblay and say ditto to what my colleagues have said. But I also want to say that it's really important when we hear these testimonies that we try to make sure that the money keeps coming to us so we can give it out in the community of need. So we're all in this together, and we're all going to really try to keep this thing going in the positive directions that it is.

Thank you. Mr. Tremblay.

Thanks. I want to say ditto, too, to what Martita and Susan so eloquently put. And my apologies for a premature motion, because I think the stories that you told and you provided to us are compelling. And that's – it just speaks volumes as to the value of the work, and particularly – Already said ditto. I think Martina and Susan really nailed it.

So thank you very very much Thank you very much for sharing and I'll say ditto ditto ditto ditto and with that Vice mayor you wanted to make a motion.

Sure. I'm happy to move staffs recommendations You can do a second.

We have a motion in a second madam clerk.

I

Council Member Santangelo. Yes. Vice Mayor Martinez-Bravo. Yes. Council Member Kildee.

Yes.

Council Member Trembley.

Yes.

Mayor Tennyson.

Yes.

That passes unanimously.

Thank you very much. And that is the end of our agenda. Madam City Attorney, do you have anything to report from closed session? Madam City Attorney, do you have anything?

No, we do not have any reportable action.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Have a good evening. We are adjourned.