On January 26, 2012, County of Ventura CEO Mike Powers spoke to an audience of about 100 at The Ventura County Taxpayers Association dinner at the Las Posas Country Club as part of his State of the County address series. It has been the practice of County CEO’s to periodically address community groups on the current state of County government. A link to an article in the VC Star is provided for further details.

On October 28, 2011, County of Ventura CEO Mike Powers spoke to a community audience of about 200 at the “Meet the CEO” luncheon held at CSU Channel Islands. Powers, appointed as the County’s CEO in April, gave several examples of cost savings and innovations that enabled the County to direct scarce resources to its highest priority programs; among them the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office, social services and health care. A link to the article in the Pacific Coast Business Times is provided for further details.

This year’s summit focused on integrating mental and physical care throughout the aging process. By partnering with the Ventura County Health Care Agency it was also possible to include a separate track for health care professionals so they could earn CME hours while updating their geriatric medicine training. Over 200 participants attended both the general and professional tracks, which included workshops on a variety of senior health and well-being issues such as mixing medications, identifying dementia, end-of- life planning, steps to a healthy mind and body and safe sex. Seniors also had the opportunity to attend a workshop with access to doctors who answered their questions about the aging process. As with previous summits, the 2012 Senior Summit was free to all participants and included a continental breakfast and brown bag lunch. The generous contributions of summit sponsors allow this informative conference to be offered at no cost to participants. The Board thanks “Golden Years Sponsor” ($3,000-$5,000) The Hogan Family Foundation, Amgen, and Pegasus Transit; “Silver Years Sponsor” ($1,000-$2,999) Ventura County Community Foundation, SCAN Senior Resource Center, Camarillo Health Care District, Ventura County Star, Ventura County Medical Resource Center, and the Wellness & Caregiver Center of Ventura County; “Crystal Years Sponsor” ($250-$999) GemCare Health Plan and Buena Vista Hospice Care; and “Summit Supporters” (In-Kind) Vista Del Mar Behavioral Health Care and Aetna.

The Sheriff’s Office will work in collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office, County Probation, the Fillmore Unified School District, the City of Fillmore, and other community-based organizations for a more comprehensive and through approach to gang prevention, intervention and suppression efforts. Core components of the new model are community mobilization, youth outreach, public education, faith-based leader involvement, and law enforcement participation.

Water interests in Ventura County have a long history of working together to address water resource issues. In October of 2007 the County, on behalf of the IRWM group, was awarded $25 million in implementation funds for eleven regional projects. Application for funding is a very competitive process, and in this latest round of awards the County was scored first out of 33 applicants. The $17.5 million grant will fund the Camrosa Round Mountain Desalter, Phase 2A of the Calleguas Regional Salinity Management Pipeline, the Nature Conservancy’s Natural Floodplain Protection Program, the United Water Conservation District Seawater Barrier Pilot Well, the Ventura County Waterworks District No. 18 Piru Treatment Plant Tertiary Upgrade, the Final Phase of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Ojai Meadows Ecosystem Restoration and the City of Oxnard’s Regional Urban Landscape Efficiency Program. To date, grant awards exceed $42 million for 17 regional projects.

The new County Ordinance, which affects the unincorporated area, takes effect on July 1, 2012. An existing law enacted over 20 years ago, required city and county governments to divert at least 50% of waste or face significant fines. This helped keep landfill expansions down even in the face of population increases. The new ordinance seeks to divert at least 75% of the waste stream from going to landfills and mainly affects recycling efforts at commercial buildings and apartment complexes with at least five units.

The proposed additions to the law would require mobile home park owners to provide a one-page summary of rent and other specific charges in leases that exceed one year; it would mandate a 72-hour period in which tenants may rescind a long-term lease which period would not start until the tenant received an executed lease from management; and it would prohibit lease provisions that allow park owners to pass through unlimited amounts for uninsured losses. The proposed revisions and additions serve to protect mobile home park residents, typically senior citizens, from unfair practices.

Pavement rehabilitation in Ojai and west Ventura include along Bard, Canada Larga, Carne, Chaparral, Crooked Palm, Encino, Floral, Fordyce, Fraser, Gorham, Grapevine, Holt, Kenewa, Lomita, Los Cabos, McKee, Nye, Orange, Rockaway, Sierra and Tewa. Pavement resurfacing in the East Ojai area includes Avenida de la Cruzada, Avenida de la Entrada, Avenida de la Vereda, Avenida Del Recreo, Boardman, Camino Del Arroyo, Gridley, McNell, Reeves, and Thacher. Road storm damage will be repaired at Aliso Canyon Road Milepost 1.44 and the slope stabilization work will be done at Park Street in the Piru area.

The pending legislation will clarify the Conservancy’s ability to address the impacts of climate change in its programs and to improve its ability to protect, restore, and enhance coastal resources and urban waterfronts.