Help Shape the Vision of the 2020 General Plan Update
As the County puts together it’s 2020 General Plan Update, it is asking for public input on the Vision and Guiding Principles. These set the stage for the role the County sees itself playing in nearly every aspect of county life including infrastructure, housing, economic development and the environment. CoLAB has been at the forefront…
General Plan Agriculture Element Violates SOAR and the Agriculture Guiding Principle
The new “Agriculture Element” of the General Plan violates the principles of the 2016 SOAR ballot measure passed by a majority vote of the people. Through glossy mailers with photos of the green fields tended by our local farmers and ranchers, voters were led to believe they were supporting Ventura County Agriculture. But the new…
Agriculture, SOAR and the General Plan Update
When the County SOAR ordinance was passed in 2016, the voters were assured through glossy mailers that the purpose was to “save agriculture” and many were convinced it would be helpful for farmers. Now that the no-growth mandate has been adopted until 2050 countywide, we are seeing less recognition and support for solutions from elected…
Ojai Valley MAC Subject to New Dark Sky Regulations
In a process beginning at the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC), the County Planning Division proposed new regulations to restrict outdoor nighttime lighting within the MAC boundary in order to facilitate viewing of the night sky. The resulting ordinance, passed by the Board of Supervisors on 9-25-18 with a 3-2 vote, creates the “Dark…
Wishtoyo overstates claims in lawsuit against United
Environmental groups quickly declared victory in a recent U.S. District Court ruling over United Water Conservation District’s operations at the Vern Freeman Diversion. However, in spite of their claims, the ruling appears to have denied them many of their demands, while requiring United and the federal government to work more closely together to develop an alternative…
Outdoor event ordinance improved through CoLAB engagement
The County of Ventura has imposed a series of new restrictions on large outdoor gatherings on private property in the unincorporated areas of the county. The new rules place limits on the number of people a property owner can host, restricts the total number of events that can be held in any one year, and…
PLF and CoLAB team up to Challenge ESA Listing of the CA gnatcatcher
For those members of VC CoLAB who have been impacted by the possible sighting of a coastal California gnatcatcher, or even the bird’s possible habitat on their property, there may be a solution in the wings. On July 22, 2018, Pacific Legal Foundation Senior Attorney, Damien Schiff, announced that Pacific Legal Foundation had “submitted a…
CoLAB-organized meeting with water users, NOAA sees results
VC CoLAB organized a highly anticipated meeting on August 8 between local water users, businesses, organized labor and managers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The meeting produced a valuable discussion over balancing competing needs for water from the Santa Clara River including water supply for cities, farms and other businesses, and protection…
Post Planning Commission – Outdoor Event Ordinance Needs Changes
VC CoLAB expressed our concerns over a new surprise Outdoor Event Ordinance found on the agenda of the June 21st Ventura County Planning Commission. The item was revealed with little notice on the Friday night before the Thursday hearing. On analyzing the draft language of the ordinance, we found rules that would limit the right to hold…
Marijuana legalization presents new opportunities and pitfalls
In the wake of the 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in California, cities across Ventura County are grappling with the question of how to implement it. While most cities and the county have largely banned retail sales and cultivation, some like Port Hueneme and Thousand Oaks have taken a more permissive stance. The…
LCA Contract Compliance Heading Toward Penalties
There is no doubt that the Ventura County Assessor’s office is losing patience with agricultural landowners as the delinquency rate of returning annual Agricultural Preserve Questionnaires remains over 20%. These questionnaires are a condition of the Williamson Act Land Conservation program that provides $2.2 million in tax relief to the 1,100 parcels in contracts countywide.…
County launches changes to coastal habitat regulations
The County of Ventura is moving forward with a plan to significantly alter the regulations which limit development in the Coastal Zone in order to protect plants and wildlife. The proposed changes not only affect how and where projects can be sited, but they will impact brush clearance, grading, fencing, lighting and noise. The County…
County faces two different paths on the housing crisis
Ventura County is suffering from a housing crisis and economic malaise, problems that have roots stretching back decades and based in decisions supported by county voters. Two recent decisions on housing and land use, one in Thousand Oaks and the other by the County of Ventura, illuminate the divergent choices facing the region on how…
New Dark Sky Ordinance targets Lighting as Pollution
The County Planning Division is preparing a draft ordinance that targets outdoor lighting as “pollution” in the unincorporated areas around the City of Ojai. New rules for light fixtures, automatic control systems, lighting colors, luminosity, light trespass and curfews will have economic and security impacts to residents, businesses, schools and agriculture. CoLAB expects that this…
Star, Conservation Groups Take Aim at County Planning
The Ventura County Star published a story on February 27 that called out the Ventura County Planning Division for not ordering a shutdown of the Ferndale oil operation in Santa Paula Canyon during emergency storm conditions. The article was based on a complaint by Los Padres Forest Watch (LPFW), Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas…
Board Doubles Down on Failed Housing Policies
Cities and civic organizations across the county are holding sometimes contentious conversations about density, growth and the future of housing in Ventura County. However, some members of the Board of Supervisors appear increasingly married to the idea that little needs to change in the county unincorporated areas to solve the region’s dire housing crisis. The…
County Must Clear the Way for New Farmworker Housing Projects
While the severe lack of suitable housing for farmworkers has been a subject of discussion in county meetings for decades, little progress has been made for the majority of workers. This is largely due to regulations that prevent farmworker housing complexes from being approved in unincorporated areas even though they are specifically allowed by ordinance.…
CoLAB-Supported Changes to General Plan Approved
Ventura County CoLAB scored a series of victories in recognizing the importance of agriculture, water, housing, and land management in the latest round of the General Plan Update revisions. The changes suggested by CoLAB and adopted by the Board of Supervisors represent significant improvements on the language for the Vision Statement and Guiding Principles, which…
Thomas Fire Exposes East County Wildfire Risk
Nearly a decade ago, prior to the Thomas Fire, Ventura County fire agencies prepared Wildfire Protection Plans identifying risks, funding priorities, and programs to reduce the impact of wildfires countywide. Fire agencies were warning of increasing wildfire danger even before the current drought cycle began in 2012. The plans, prepared in 2009 and 2010, outlined…
Wastewater injection ruling creates new questions about groundwater management
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently released a potentially wide-ranging decision that declared that wastewater injection wells can violate the Clean Water Act (CWA) as long as the wastewater can be “fairly traceable” to waters covered by the CWA. This creates a new standard for wastewater disposal and introduces new uncertainties for operators of…
Cattle Ranchers Battle the Flames
On December 4, the text message from Bud Sloan’s friend said that there was a fire in Santa Paula. Ironically, Bud had been preparing for a controlled burn a few days earlier on November 30 that was cancelled for fire safety reasons. Naturally he had to see for himself. Fire is never good for the…
Facing down a freight train of fire
Canada Larga canyon was a windstorm. The trees bent and nearly buckled as the westerly wind howled down the canyon. Smoke smell permeated everything and the moon was a bright blood orange. The fire was coming fast. Buon Gusto Farms, a local family-run olive oil producer, is nestled in a small micro-climate valley in Sulphur…
“Can you hear me now?” – Bentley Ranch keeps lines of communication open
Clif Simonson had been a busy man. When the Thomas Fire swept through his area, the manager of the 1,000 acre Bentley Ranch south of Ojai had immediately swung into action. Using his experience of the ’85 fire which had burned large parts of Ventura County, he ordered the cutting of fire lines to slow…
The Oasis that Held Back the Flames
It only took the helicopter 3 minutes. From the shore of his irrigation reservoir, Jurgen Gramckow watched it swoop toward the water, creating a ring of white spray beneath it as it quickly lowered a large bucket holding hundreds of gallons on a long line beneath the surface. With the bucket filled, it pulled up,…
Retired Fire Chief Bob Roper tells why
In 2009, the Ventura County Fire Protection District produced a Fire Management Plan that identified the “Ventura Fuel Bed” (see map) as part of its countywide wildland fire prevention program. This fuel bed turned out to be the core of the Thomas Fire, responsible for the majority of homes burned as the fire swept through brush filled…
Thomas Fire Highlights Risk of Wildlife Corridor Restrictions
“I have a place in my heart for the town,” Cliff Simonson said, speaking about Ojai in the aftermath of the Thomas Fire. The manager of the 1,000 acre Bentley Ranch, directly south of the City of Ojai on Black Mountain proved it in the harrowing week of December 4th as the fire raced through…
County Provides Relief to Homeowners in Wake of Thomas Fire
In the wake of the destructive impact of the Thomas Fire, the County of Ventura has made initial steps toward helping affected residents and property owners. The County has collaborated on a clearinghouse of information on recovery efforts, established a series of resource centers in areas affected by the fire, expanded access to rental assistance, and…
Bentley Ranch Holds the Line
Clif Simonson was supposed to go to a budget meeting Tuesday. Then the Thomas Fire swept through Ventura County. The manager of the 1,000 acre Bentley Ranch adjacent to the southern part of the Ojai Valley immediately cancelled his plans and headed out in his truck. He had been here for the ’85 Wheeler Fire…
Conservation Trust Saves More than Hillsides
Ventura County, “home of the two trees”, has a whole new meaning in light of the Thomas fire. When the smoke cleared above the Ventura hillside revealing housing tracts that were devastated by the fire’s rampage, the iconic two blue gum eucalyptus trees had survived. The trees, clearly visible from the 101 freeway, sit on…
Volunteers Rally to Help Ventura Horses After Thomas Fire
Aera Energy employee Louise Lampara was one of thousands forced to evacuate their Ventura homes on the night of Monday, Dec. 4 as the Thomas Fire raced toward the city from nearby mountains and canyons. Even as she and her roommate packed up their two dogs and suitcases and headed to the safety of the…
County Launches Pre-Approved Building Plans for Farmworker and Accessory Dwellings
The County of Ventura unveiled three standard building plans for single-family homes at a Board of Supervisors meeting in October. These “pre-approved” plans will shorten the process for homes built on parcels that meet certain size and zoning criteria in the unincorporated county. VC CoLAB advocated for these pre-approved plans to address the current difficulty…
County creates a new economic plan at just the right time
In the midst of a dramatic contraction of Ventura County’s economy, the County of Ventura assembled its first ever Economic Vitality Strategic Plan. This was a much needed addition to the County’s policy arsenal, as they had never before put together a comprehensive evaluation of the challenges and opportunities facing Ventura County’s economy. While the…
Local natural gas production reduces out-of-state imports
Did you know that, “Besides having the most expensive electricity west of the Mississippi River in the continental U.S., California already has the least reliable electricity? California easily leads the nation with nearly 470 power outages a year, compared to 160 for second place Texas, which is really amazing because Texas produces 125% MORE electricity!”…
ADU, Housing, Ventura County CoLAB
Ventura County faces fundamental threats to the future of local agriculture if limitations to water diversions from the Santa Clara River are continued, according to a presentation given by United Water Conservation District’s (United) Tony Morgan. Morgan, Deputy General Manager of Groundwater and Water Resources, warned that if water diversions were reduced by even a…
County expands housing opportunities through new granny flat ordinance
Ventura County’s ongoing housing shortage continues to be a significant drag on the local economy. Multiple local economists such as Mark Schniepp from the California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara and Matthew Fienup from CLU have pointed to the lack of housing as one of the main reasons for Ventura County’s stagnant economic growth. Just…
Despite Progress, Wildlife Corridors Could Threaten Farmers, Ranchers and Public
The County of Ventura offered further clues to what landowners, farmers and ranchers can expect from the proposed Wildlife Corridor regulations during a second stakeholder meeting held on August 8. New restrictions on fencing, lighting and brush clearance were suggested, potentially creating new hurdles for landowners and increasing the threat of wildfires by restricting brush…
County CEO talks dollars and cents at Taxpayers Association Luncheon
The County of Ventura continues to experience a positive budget outlook, although the County still faces challenges from unfunded state mandates and pension obligations, according to a State of the County presentation given by County CEO Mike Powers at the Ventura County Taxpayers Association Annual Luncheon. Powers spoke before a diverse mix of business owners,…
Energy Future Depends on Local Oil Reserves
A recent Letter to the Editor by Kimberly Rivers (executive director of CFROG) in the VC Star claimed that drilling new wells in existing local oil fields equates to Ventura County being “Locked in an Energy Past.” However, statistics from the California Energy Commission (CEC) on oil and gas consumption versus production tell a different story. In…
Wildlife Corridors Are Already Wild
The County Board of Supervisors is considering the adoption of a Habitat Connectivity Overlay Zone, which would impose new regulations on agricultural and open space landowners immediately after the renewal of the SOAR ordinance until the year 2050. While SOAR promised to “save open space and agricultural resources,” additional new regulations could be another blow…
VC CoLAB Supports the CA Water Fix
On July 5th, Randy Record, Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, sent a letter to County CEO, Mike Powers, alerting the County that the California WaterFix project will be ready for consideration soon by the MWD Board of Directors. The letter invites him to learn more about this upgrade…
Water for Oxnard, Camarillo and Moorpark Farms Subject to Allocations
New pumping allocations are being considered for groundwater basins underlying Oxnard, Camarillo, Moorpark and surrounding agricultural areas that could restrict water for farms and forever change the local landscape. Pumping Allocation Systems adopted by the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency will be a determining factor in whether our agricultural industry will continue to thrive in…
Puente Power Project brings benefits, protests to Oxnard
The Puente Power Project to replace the aging Mandalay and Ormond Beach power plants in Oxnard promises to deliver significant benefits to the region, according to a presentation given to CoLAB members at the monthly WHEEL Committee meeting by Dawn Gleiter, Senior Director of Development for NRG. According to NRG, which currently owns and operates…
Ventura LAFCO Persists with “Analysis Paralysis”
The Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) was true to form with a 4-3 split vote on February 15th, continuing the delay for the City of Ventura’s Northbank project. Developer Vince Daly provided a historical perspective from 2004 when the property was identified as being in the City Sphere of Influence, not subject to SOAR…
Economic Vitality Strategies Considered by County CEOs Office
Ventura County CoLAB was invited to participate in the County of Ventura’s Economic Vitality Summit, allowing input into an Economic Strategic Plan to be prepared by the CEO’s Office in 2017. The purpose of the Summit was to evaluate the impact of the County government’s operations on the local economy as well as improve the…
Despite Drought Relief, Water Infrastructure Challenges Remain
The recent heavy rains have relieved drought conditions across the State, but they have also highlighted how much work needs to be done to update California’s aging water infrastructure, according to Eric Bergh, Manager of Resources for Calleguas Municipal Water District. Bergh gave a presentation on the State’s water situation to a packed room at…
CoLAB Push to Improve Surveyor’s Office Gets Results
The Ventura County Surveyor’s Office has made improvements in speeding up approval of important survey map documents, leading to a faster experience for businesses, surveyors and landowners. The improvement efforts came as the result of a regular meeting between key CoLAB board members and the County CEO. In our most recent meeting, Public Works Director Jeff Pratt…
When is Enough, Enough?: Wildlife Corridor Proposal Would Add More Regulations on Agriculture
At a packed Board meeting on January 24th filled with CoLAB members and other representatives from the agricultural and business community, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors gave preliminary backing to an effort to adopt mapped Wildlife Movement Corridors across 147,000 acres of private County lands. This effort has the potential to enact more wide-ranging…
County Land Conservation Act Questionnaires Due on April 1st
The Ventura County Assessor mailed out their Annual Agricultural Preserve Questionnaires to current Land Conservation Act (LCA) contract holders in December, with a filing deadline of April 1, 2017. To encourage continuing County support for this essential property tax reduction program benefitting agricultural and open space communities, VC CoLAB is urging all contract holders to…
County Supervisor Targets OBGMA
Seeking to extend County authority over water, Supervisor Steve Bennett is targeting the Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency (OBGMA), with authority that could be extended to other groundwater basins in the future. In December, Mr. Bennett urged the Board of Supervisors to pass an extension to the current water well moratorium if Groundwater Sustainability Agencies…
Parting Thoughts From Matt Guthrie
Prior to joining VC CoLAB, my exposure to the organization was limited mostly to occasional policy committee meetings at various advocacy organizations. I would attend in my role as legislative staff on behalf of an elected official or as a government affairs/public policy representative. Anyone who has attended such meetings knows that some are more…