Beefing up SPPD, opposition to removing land from
SOI on Council agenda

September 04, 2015
Santa Paula News

Beefing up the Santa Paula Police Department and an upcoming threat to the city’s sphere-of-influence (SOI) will likely dominate discussion at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

City Hall will also be the scene of a proclamation honoring the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce on their 100th anniversary.

The September 8 meeting, moved back one day due to the Labor Day holiday, will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a closed session to address unspecified initiation of litigation, the ongoing litigation with the Ventura County Firefighters Association, which represents fulltime city firefighters, and citywide labor negotiations.

The regular meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and be televised live by Time Warner Cable Channel 10 and replayed according to to schedule. The session will also be live streamed on the city’s website and archived for later viewing on demand. 

The council will honor the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce for 100 years of being “In Business for Business” with a proclamation noting its continuing contributions to the community and its efforts for the city’s economic well-being.

Lynn Rodriguez will update the council on the countywide Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.

Of interest on the Consent Calendar — those items considered routine and not requiring discussion — is council approval of the plans and specifications of a citywide sidewalk repair program for Fiscal Year 2015-2016.

The council will also be asked to approve an improvement plan for the intersection of Harvard Boulevard at Laurie Lane, the scene of several vehicles versus pedestrian accidents. Although the intersection has a lighted crosswalk there have been several fatal accidents at the crossing prompting a project offering more awareness at the intersection.

The council will also consider adopting the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan from the Watershed Coalition of Ventura County.

The council will also formally accept the federal SAFER Grant of more than $900,000 to continue to fund five firefighter positions for two more years. 

Crime is increasing across Ventura County and Santa Paula is also seeing more criminal activity and the council will be asked to address the needs of the SPPD. 

Although the city seems to be reverting back to its formerly low murder rate — broken in 2013 and 2014 when nine homicides occurred — violent crime in general is up with more assaults. 

According to the report by City Manager Jaime Fontes, property crime is also on the upswing. 

The council report notes that present SPPD staffing of 28 — up from 2013 when the department had 20 officers — should have at least 10 more officers to deal with area crime. A force of 38 would be four more than 2010 when the SPPD had 34 full time officers.

A 1 percent sales tax measure to add more officers to the SPPD was narrowly defeated in 2014. 

The council will be asked for possible approaches to address the issue.

At Tuesday’s meeting the council will also be asked to approve a proclamation opposing the anticipated move by LAFCo to remove Adams and Fagan canyons from the city’s sphere-of-influence, despite the vote of Santa Paulans establishing the boundaries of potential development.

The council will also address formally adopting the formation of a Youth Advisory Committee.

City Hall is located at 970 E. Ventura St. Call Deputy City Clerk Lucy Blanco at 933-4208 for more information.





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