[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:02] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, we have returned from closed session.
[0:06] We have a motion to adjourn. Second.
[0:09] The objection, we are adjourned from closed session. Nothing to report. Thank you.
[0:13] Now, call to order the city council of Ventura County Water Works District Number 8,
[0:17] the CB Valley Community Development Agency for our meeting of May 17th, 2010.
[0:22] And now, if you would all please rise, I'm going to invite Troop 678 Boy Scouts to come down
[0:27] and lead us on the pledge of the flag.
[1:17] Thank you.
[1:22] Roll call please. Councilmember Foster. Here. Councilmember Soika. Here. Councilmember
[1:28] Williamson. Here. Mayor Pro Tembe-Sara. Here. Mayor Miller. Here. Item one is a gender review.
[1:34] Mr. Seidel, what do you have? Mr. Mayor, staff has no recommendations this evening and leaving
[1:39] the agenda as it is. Okay, I would like to move consent up to 3A right after public statement.
[1:44] Okay. I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor, we're talking. That's okay. That's what we did. All right,
[1:48] Good.
[1:48] Item 1A.
[1:49] Mr. Mayor, I move that all resolutions and ordinances presented tonight be read and
[1:53] titled only, and all further reading be waived.
[1:55] Second.
[1:56] The opposition.
[1:57] That's the order.
[1:57] Thank you.
[1:58] Item 1C is Declaration of Conflict.
[1:59] If any member of the City Council may have a conflict of interest, or any reason
[2:03] why that member was abstained from consideration of any matter on the agenda, he or she
[2:06] should so declare at this time.
[2:08] Mr. Mayor, I'll be abstaining from Consent Item 6.
[2:11] That is the Rotary Club's request to use the MetroLink Station.
[2:14] and since my husband serves as the chair of the Cajun Creole Music Festival, I will abstain from that item.
[2:20] Okay, anything else? All right, good.
[2:22] Okay, Item 1D, Special Presentations. Item 1D1 is a presentation of a certificate of commendation to the Ventura County Health Care Agency
[2:31] for the grand opening of the Sierra Vista Family Medical Clinic.
[2:35] And if I could ask Dr. Robert Gonzalez, Medical Director for the Ventura County Health Care
[2:41] Agency, and Joan Arajo, Administrator of Ambulatory Care Clinics throughout the county,
[2:50] and Dr. Azra Sidiqui, Medical Director of the Sierra Vista Family Medical Clinic.
[2:57] This evening, the City Council is presenting a certificate of commendation to the Ventura
[3:02] County Health Care Agency on their recent grand opening of the Sierra Vista Medical Clinic.
[3:08] This new 38,000 square foot facility recently opened in the Mountain Gate Plaza and offers
[3:15] urgent care, primary and specialty care as well as behavioral health services to county
[3:20] residents regardless of income or insurance.
[3:26] On behalf of the Council, it's my pleasure to present you with a certificate and to
[3:29] I want to thank your agency for providing services here locally to our residents.
[3:33] It's an important service that you do, and it saves folks from driving to Ventura.
[3:37] So again, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
[3:48] Mr. Mayor, before they leave, if they have some words to say,
[3:51] I want to say that, you know, a council member, Michelle,
[3:54] and I had the opportunity to be there at your grand opening.
[3:57] And if the public has not been there, it is an absolutely incredible facility.
[4:03] We wish you the best of luck there.
[4:05] And if there's anything the city can ever do, you know where we're at.
[4:09] Well, thank you. On behalf of our director, Mike Powers, who couldn't be here tonight,
[4:13] I wanted to thank the city for all that you did in helping us get this project off the ground and implemented.
[4:19] And I think it will be something that the citizens of CME Valley will enjoy for years to come.
[4:25] And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't thank our County Board of Supervisors for their support
[4:30] and Supervisor Foyle, in particular.
[4:33] Thank you.
[4:34] Thank you.
[4:35] I would also like to say a couple of words.
[4:38] I've had the privilege to meet a couple of the council members,
[4:41] and I thank the council for its ongoing support,
[4:44] and I look forward to working with all of you.
[4:46] Thank you.
[4:47] Thank you very much.
[4:48] Thank you.
[4:49] Thank you.
[4:54] This is our next presentation.
[4:56] Ms. Solomon will also present a proclamation
[4:59] declaring May 29th and 30th
[5:00] as Cajun Creole Music Festival Days.
[5:02] And if I could invite Tim Shannon, president of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise, and Craig Foster, this year's chair of the Cajun Music Festival.
[5:14] Whereas on May 29th and 30th, the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise will hold its 21st annual Cajun Creole Music Festival.
[5:23] And whereas the festival is an eagerly anticipated community event, that over its 20-year history
[5:30] is raised well over $1 million to assist a wide range of local non-profit organizations
[5:36] in delivering services to Simi Valley residents, and whereas numerous corporate sponsors and
[5:42] volunteers donate countless hours of their time to make the festival possible, and whereas
[5:48] over the two-day event, it is estimated that 18,000 people from near and far will come
[5:54] to Simi Valley to listen and dance to zydeco music, to enjoy Cajun and Creole cuisine,
[6:01] and to experience the camaraderie of a true community gathering.
[6:05] And whereas the Cajun Creole Music Festival is regarded as one of Interer County's largest
[6:11] annual fundraising events benefiting non-profit organizations in serving our community's
[6:17] health, cultural traditions, and social needs.
[6:20] Now, therefore, May 29th and 30th, 2010,
[6:23] are hereby proclaimed Cajun Creole Music Festival Days
[6:28] in the city of Simi Valley to encourage all citizens
[6:31] to participate in this two-day community event.
[6:35] Gentlemen, on behalf of the city council,
[6:37] I want to thank you for putting on the stellar event.
[6:39] Has it been 21 years?
[6:41] I can't believe it.
[6:42] I would be remiss in not admitting
[6:44] that I'm a member of the club.
[6:45] So this is for me to give to you, not only from the council, but for me and to thank you for all your effort,
[6:53] because what you do is to return a significant amount of money back into the community for all of various charities.
[6:59] So again, thank you, and we will wish you a very successful event.
[7:11] Our next presentation, again, will be read by Ms. Solomon,
[7:14] a proclamation of clearing the week of May 16th through 22nd as Public Transportation Week.
[7:19] And if we could have transit dispatcher Sherry Ruiz and transit coach operator Sean Armstrong and Tom Iliades to come forward.
[7:28] I'll read the proclamation.
[7:31] Whereas in 1962 the President and Congress proclaimed the second week of May as National Transportation Week.
[7:38] And whereas many residents, families, senior citizens, students, and employees are dependent upon public transportation services to access work, schools, medical services, and local businesses.
[7:51] And whereas Simi Valley Transit, the city's municipal transportation system, has been providing quality services to the city's residents for over 35 years.
[8:00] and whereas Simi Valley Transit annually transports over one-half million passengers on its fixed route in Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Daileride services,
[8:12] and whereas the city maintains a professionally trained and dedicated staff of transit coach operators, dispatchers, mechanics, supervisors, and support staff
[8:22] who play a vital role in the overall success of the city's public transportation system,
[8:28] and whereas the city council and staff remain committed to providing safe, accessible, affordable, and quality public transportation services to residents.
[8:39] Now therefore, May 16 through 22nd is hereby proclaimed Public Transportation Week in the city of Simi Valley
[8:48] and recognition of the importance of public transportation services and the contributions
[8:55] that CEMI Valley Transit makes to our city's residents.
[8:58] We have the council, it's my pleasure to present this proclamation to you and thank
[9:02] you for the job that you do.
[9:03] I recall as a kid in high school, I used to take a streetcar, I won't tell you, a streetcar
[9:08] and then transferred to a bus.
[9:10] And so back then for me, public transportation is very important as it is for many people
[9:13] today.
[9:13] So again, thank you very much.
[9:15] Mr.
[9:32] Mayor, our next presentation is a proclamation declaring the week of May 16th through 22nd
[9:36] as Public Works Week, and Mr. Fischiwaki will read this proclamation.
[9:40] Good evening, Mayor Miller and Councilmembers.
[9:42] If Al Geruso and Ryan Underwood from our Building Maintenance section could come up
[9:48] and join the mayor,
[9:51] the proclamation reads as follows.
[9:53] Whereas public works facilities and services provided in our community are an integral
[9:57] and essential part of our citizens' daily lives and whereas the support of an understanding
[10:03] and informed citizenry is vital to the efficient operation of public work systems and programs
[10:08] such as water, sewer, public buildings, streets, highways, and flood control and whereas the
[10:15] health, safety, and comfort of this community greatly depend on these facilities and services
[10:20] and whereas the quality and effectiveness of these facilities as well as their planning,
[10:25] design, construction and maintenance depend on the efforts and skills of public works
[10:30] personnel supported by the public's awareness and understanding of the role of these public
[10:35] servants.
[10:37] Now, therefore, the week of May 16 through May 22, 2010 is hereby proclaimed Public Works
[10:43] Week in the city of Simi Valley to encourage all citizens and civic organizations to
[10:48] equate themselves with the issues involved in providing public works facilities and services
[10:53] services to our community and to recognize the contributions when public works personnel
[10:58] make towards our health, safety, comfort and quality of life presented this 17th day of
[11:04] May 2010.
[11:05] You have the councils.
[11:06] My pleasure to present you with this proclamation and to thank you for the work that you do.
[11:10] These guys are the unsung heroes because if your toilet doesn't work, you know, you
[11:16] got a problem.
[11:17] If the lights go out, it doesn't work.
[11:18] If it's potholes in a row, that's a problem.
[11:20] You know, if the tree branches fall, that's a problem too.
[11:22] But these are the folks that keep the city running and keep us all safe from a variety of things that could happen.
[11:28] So again, gentlemen, thank you very much.
[11:38] Our final presentation this evening is a 20-year service award to Tom Priest, Senior Planner of Environmental Services.
[11:44] Peter.
[11:45] Good evening, Mayor Miller and the council members.
[11:48] I'd like to invite Tom Priest to come forward at this time.
[11:52] Tom's wife, Mary, is also here this evening.
[11:54] Tom began his career with the city on May 14, 1990 as an associate planner,
[12:01] and subsequently was promoted to senior planner in July of 1992.
[12:06] Tom's prior city planning experience includes an assistant planner with the city of Hemet,
[12:12] planning technician and assistant planner with the city of Thousand Oaks.
[12:17] As senior planner, Tom is assigned to the current planning section.
[12:20] Tom has been responsible for several specific plans
[12:24] and the projects within those specific plans.
[12:27] He's handled the high-profile Civic Center specific plan,
[12:31] which established the development and design standards
[12:34] that facilitated the subsequent construction
[12:37] of the Vista Monte residential subdivision
[12:40] and the shopping center with the Regal Theater
[12:43] and the Kaiser Permanente Clinic
[12:45] just across the street here to the south.
[12:48] In the Wood Ranch specific plan area, he was responsible for handling the post-approval process for construction of the Wood Ranch Shopping Center, as well as the fire station on Country Club Drive.
[13:02] Tom was the project planner on the Extended State Hotel, the Las Canyons Golf Course, and the CME Valley Plaza Shopping Rehab.
[13:11] Several times over the last several years, Tom has received the Environmental Service's
[13:17] outstanding employee of the quarter award. He received the award in 97 for his extraordinary
[13:23] level of effort and commitment on the Big Sky Country Club project for his outstanding
[13:28] efforts in completing the staff work for the...