Local January 2024 Developments in Ventura County
Thank you, CoLAB members, for attending the January CoLAB WHEEL meeting! We like to inform all our members about the local regulatory issues impacting them with a special emphasis on Ventura County Housing Updates. So, here’s a quick recap of some of the issues we discussed last week at the CoLAB WHEEL meeting (with links to more info):
The January meeting of our 2024 WHEEL meeting session kicked off the New Year with a ‘Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’-like discussion of the changes to the state’s housing regulations and a summary of efforts to streamline CEQA, aimed at reducing some of the red tape preventing housing development. Alongside these broader topics, we also provided key Ventura County housing updates, highlighting local projects and policies that reflect these regulatory shifts. The ongoing tug-of-war between the State Legislature and local governments over control of new housing construction is a dynamic issue, and we will delve deeper into its implications for Ventura County in our future discussions.
Committee Reports
Water: Ventura County Water Updates
- Groundwater recharge: United Water diverted an astounding 146,000 acre-feet of water from the Santa Clara River to the Oxnard Plain in 2023!
- Santa Felicia Dam safety update is moving forward Biden-Harris Administration Announcement
- United Water and the Navy have entered into a 99-year MOU to begin work on the brackish water well project. The project is anticipated to increase local water supply by over 10,000 acre feet/year and will be drought-resistant. Read more on the VC Star
Housing: Ventura County Housing Updates
- California exodus continues, says Uhaul Uhaul Report
- Legislature’s latest attempt to bust the housing crisis: ADU’s may now be sold like condos ADU Sales Law
- AB2097 eliminates all parking requirements for new housing if the location is within ½ mile of public transportation. AB2097 Information
- State caps rent security deposits Security Deposit Cap
- Thousand Oaks adds in lieu fee to new housing construction that does not include affordable housing units Thousand Oaks Fee
- Will your children be able to afford to keep the home you leave them? Or will property taxes force them to sell? Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association needs signatures to overturn Prop 19. Reinstate58
Energy: Ventura County Energy Updates
- County Planning Commission hearing cancelled due to “security threat” before oil settlement hearing. Planning Commission Meeting
- Ventura County BOS votes to find permitting pathway for battery energy storage facilities on ag and open space lands. Permitting Pathway
- Sierra Club releases idle well report – but the claims don’t fit the facts Idle Well Report
Environment: Ventura County Environment Updates
- California approved rules allowing treatment of sewage into drinking water Sewage Treatment Rules
- Hwy 101 Wildlife Crossing structure expected to be completed by 2025 Wildlife Crossing Project
- The state legislature created a lot of workarounds to CEQA in 2023. Some of the new exemptions include:
- SB4 “Yes in God’s Backyard” SB4 Information
- SB91 streamlines motels to housing SB91 Information
- SB684 eases CEQA requirements on small in-fill housing developments SB684 Information
Land Use: Ventura County Land Use Updates
- #DontMoveFruit – spread the word and help protect local farming from HCB and the Queensland Fruit Fly Fruit Fly Awareness
- Department of Pesticide Regulation moving forward with new pesticide application notification program Pesticide Notification Program
- Live in Ventura County? Own or operate a business in the County? Take the County’s COVID “After Action” Survey and help the County improve and enhance future response to emergencies: COVID After Action Survey
