East Ventura Community Council
Minutes of May 18, 2023 General Meeting Via Zoom

There were 4 Board Members in Atendance, Sara Ostrander, Dean Katz, Norene Charnofsky, John Kunsmiller

There were 23 attendees, including the 2 guests.

The meeting was called to order by Sara Ostrander at 7:02 PM.

The Police Report was given by Commander Mike Brown. The Ventura Police Department is now using the NIBRS application and the crime statistics are different because more types of crime are shown. There were 58 total incidents in East Ventura. There were a couple of residential burglaries, including one person they captured inside the home. There were also a couple of catalytic converter the􀅌s. The police department events include the Strawberry Festival at the Fairgrounds, the Mountain to Beach run, the Dahl golf tournament, the Special Olympics Torch Run on June 8. He also mentioned they are seeking Explorer applicants between 14-18 years old.

The minutes from the April meeting are available online.

The treasurer’s report was given by Norene Charnofsky. The current balance is $654.04. We are receiving $100.00 per month from Grocery Outlet for which we are grateful. We also received from Blackbaud Giving Fund a $100 grant made on behalf of Medtronic Foundation Volunteer Grant Program and its donors.

It was announced that Sara Ostrander has resigned as Recording Secretary and has been appointed by the Board of Directors as Chair for the remainder of 2023. This has allowed us to move forward in correcting paperwork with the State of California and to obtain liability insurance for the board.

Mark Gibbs has generously offered his assistance with our website. The membership was asked to contribute ideas for updates.

Volunteers were requested to fill the Recording Secretary position and the Treasurer position. No volunteers or nominees were forthcoming.

Ventura Fire Marshall Bill Reed gave a presentation on the Fire Hazard Reduction Program. This includes clearing a defensible zone around structures, and home hardening. The installation of vents which keep out embers is strongly recommended. He discussed using stones as mulch instead of combustible materials, especially “gorilla hair” mulch. The department is responsible for inspection of 6,200 parcels, but there is no longer a fee charged for the inspections.

During a question period, he noted that while the city works closely with So Cal Edison on fire reduction, they have no input on power safety shut offs. They receive the same advance notices as residences. He also answered questions concerning the “wealth of fuel” in the Harmon Canyon and Brown Barranca. Marshall Reed also discussed the fire potential in orchards, the evacuation of the Brown and Harmon

Barrancas. He also mentioned that Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) for Ventura city residents is being discussed with Steve Lazenby.

There was a Community Discussion time. It was noted that the zoom link on the website was incorrect. Concern was expressed about the homeless in our city, the quality of our park services, and the influx of people for the X Games. The City Council has received a grant to add 12 pickleball courts and repair some tennis courts. There is a sense that the requests for road repairs is unheard, especially of concern is Bristol Road. There is no focal center for East Ventura, and the suggestion was made that a community/senior center is a part of the Kimball Park plan. The Park Department would like to make a presentation to our council. Also, the marking of red curbs was mentioned that the Traffic department should mark more clearly.

Suggestions for upcoming guests were made, including Traffic and Engineering, Public Works, Shea Homes (regarding their newest development on east end), Cal Trans (regarding school areas).

The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Sara Ostrander, Acting Recording Secretary