Fillmore Gazette: Ventura Needs Reliable Water Supply

Ventura County Water - wheel meeting

VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE Submission: Ventura Needs Reliable Water Supply Location: Fillmore Gazette Thursday, March 7th, 2024 By Louise Lampara Executive Director Ventura County Coalition of Labor Agriculture and Business Email: llampara@colabvc.org California is the proud home to some of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions, producing over 1/3rd of all the fruits and nuts consumed…

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Post Planning Commission – Outdoor Event Ordinance Needs Changes

VC CoLAB expressed our concerns over a new surprise Outdoor Event Ordinance found on the agenda of the June 21st Ventura County Planning Commission. The item was revealed with little notice on the Friday night before the Thursday hearing. On analyzing the draft language of the ordinance, we found rules that would limit the right to hold…

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Marijuana legalization presents new opportunities and pitfalls

In the wake of the 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in California, cities across Ventura County are grappling with the question of how to implement it. While most cities and the county have largely banned retail sales and cultivation, some like Port Hueneme and Thousand Oaks have taken a more permissive stance. The…

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Star, Conservation Groups Take Aim at County Planning

The Ventura County Star published a story on February 27 that called out the Ventura County Planning Division for not ordering a shutdown of the Ferndale oil operation in Santa Paula Canyon during emergency storm conditions. The article was based on a complaint by Los Padres Forest Watch (LPFW), Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas…

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Board Doubles Down on Failed Housing Policies

Cities and civic organizations across the county are holding sometimes contentious conversations about density, growth and the future of housing in Ventura County. However, some members of the Board of Supervisors appear increasingly married to the idea that little needs to change in the county unincorporated areas to solve the region’s dire housing crisis. The…

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Despite Progress, Wildlife Corridors Could Threaten Farmers, Ranchers and Public

The County of Ventura offered further clues to what landowners, farmers and ranchers can expect from the proposed Wildlife Corridor regulations during a second stakeholder meeting held on August 8. New restrictions on fencing, lighting and brush clearance were suggested, potentially creating new hurdles for landowners and increasing the threat of wildfires by restricting brush…

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County CEO talks dollars and cents at Taxpayers Association Luncheon

The County of Ventura continues to experience a positive budget outlook, although the County still faces challenges from unfunded state mandates and pension obligations, according to a State of the County presentation given by County CEO Mike Powers at the Ventura County Taxpayers Association Annual Luncheon. Powers spoke before a diverse mix of business owners,…

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Wildlife Corridors Are Already Wild

The County Board of Supervisors is considering the adoption of a Habitat Connectivity Overlay Zone, which would impose new regulations on agricultural and open space landowners immediately after the renewal of the SOAR ordinance until the year 2050. While SOAR promised to “save open space and agricultural resources,” additional new regulations could be another blow…

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VC CoLAB Supports the CA Water Fix

On July 5th, Randy Record, Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, sent a letter to County CEO, Mike Powers, alerting the County that the California WaterFix project will be ready for consideration soon by the MWD Board of Directors. The letter invites him to learn more about this upgrade…

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