Ventura · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Ventura public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Beachfront surplus land parcels
The city must run the state Surplus Land Act process before leasing the pier-adjacent parcel, which is deed-restricted to recreational use. Public engagement on what to build is legally deferred until the process completes — possibly August 2026 to early 2027 — frustrating residents who want input first.
Wells/Darlow development gas station concerns
Residents pressed the council on the large gas station planned near new apartments in the Wells/Darlow project — citing CEQA, health impacts from being 100 feet away, and confusing traffic patterns.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The fire department drafted the city's first community wildfire protection plan and wants your input at workshops on Feb 18 and Feb 26, or via an online survey through Feb 27.
Accessibility and safe crossings
Two speakers asked for street lighting from Palm Street to the State Beach In-N-Out, wheelchair-accessible buttons at downtown businesses, curb cutouts near Mound School, and repairs to Hill Road and Woodland Drive where a crossing guard was hurt.
Proposed data center at Ventura County fairgrounds
Twelve speakers demanded the city ban data centers after the fair board rejected the GlobalStack proposal that morning. The council approved a letter of accountability and will take up a ban ordinance in early 2027.
Pro housing designation and affordable housing funding
Ventura Housing received a preliminary award of $1.37 million for 33 affordable apartments on Valentine Road, with 25 units reserved for people moving out of Santa Clara River encampments. Construction could start in early 2027.
Three-year parklet license terms downtown
The council adopted the long-term vision for the pedestrianized downtown — activity nodes, mosaics, a stage at California Street — plus a parklet replacement deadline and near-term ADA and furniture spending from ~$600,000 in rollover funds. Farmers market and merchants raised compatibility concerns.
Development review process improvements (Matrix/grand jury)
The council weighed adopting a fast-track, no-public-hearing approval process for affordable housing projects required by state law. Delaying adoption until objective design standards are finished keeps some local control but risks state penalties for housing element non-compliance.
City Hall East Boiler Replacement and Electrification
Staff wanted to replace 30-year-old gas boilers with new gas units, but a wave of climate advocates demanded heat pumps ($2.5 million vs. roughly $500,000). The council pulled the item and sent it to a reactivated environmental committee to explore heat pumps, grants and lifecycle costs before summer break.
Flock Camera Security Breach
A vendor configuration error let two out-of-state police agencies query Ventura's license plate reader data for months in 2025. The chief says pathways are now blocked and daily audits are running, but residents are calling for the contract to be revisited and a human rights commission created.
Rivello Holdings / Vello Retreat Development Access Concerns
Westside residents warned the proposed 117-home development has only one way in and out via Cedar Street in a high fire hazard zone, and the proposed emergency exit onto School Canyon Road conflicts with an existing easement. The environmental document comes out soon; planning commission hearing expected in October.
Proposed GlobalStack Data Center at the Fairgrounds
Residents flooded public comment opposing the proposed AI data center, parking garage, and helipad at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, citing water use, noise, and emergency use of the fairgrounds. The council has already directed staff to bring a letter of opposition on September 15.
El Niño Storm Preparedness
Councilmember Campos said only about 10% of the unsheltered population got hotel vouchers during the Christmas Day storm and called for emergency shelter options like the fairgrounds.
Police-Fire Headquarters Locker Room Renovation
Police officers described raw sewage in showers, one toilet serving the whole women's locker room, and 200+ facility failures — pressing the council to keep the headquarters project funded and on track for fall bidding.
Rental Assistance Program Duration
A public speaker urged the council to extend the rental assistance program beyond three months, citing families facing deportation of breadwinners and impossible choices between rent and food.
East Side to Midtown water interconnect project
Ventura is finally building the pipe to tap its state water allocation — better water quality, drought insurance, and emergency water-sharing with neighboring agencies. Construction starts fall 2026 and wraps in 2029, with noise walls and detours along the route.
City workforce vacancies and retention
The city's vacancy rate averaged 5.6% in 2025, but SEIU 721 flagged eight classifications above the 20% vacancy threshold, four-month average fill times, and 99 separations since 2023 — with contract negotiations coming this year.
Citywide Historic Resources Survey
The first-ever citywide survey — covering about 40,000 buildings with fewer than 400 potentially landmark-eligible — comes to the council for adoption next week. Preservationists are enthusiastic; owners got pink notices in the mail.
City employee labor contracts
Several city employees and union leaders warned that rising healthcare costs and lagging wages are pushing workers out of Ventura. Firefighters, survey staff, housing staff, and water workers urged the council to offer a fair contract during ongoing negotiations.
Housing Element Program 19 — shelters and supportive housing zoning
New zoning rules make room for emergency shelters, supportive housing, and group care facilities where state law requires them — mostly in industrial zones south of the 101 and limited downtown areas.
Main Street Moves Closure Reconsideration
62 downtown businesses signed a petition asking the council to reopen Main Street, saying the closure is killing business. The council declined to revisit it before November, scheduling a full discussion for the first November meeting.
SAFER grant for firefighter staffing
The fire department will apply for $6.6 million in federal funding to keep 11 firefighter/paramedic positions. Without it, the two paramedic squads launched in 2024 — credited with faster response times and big drops in overtime and fatigue — would face elimination.
Camino Real tennis court closure and court allocation
Tennis players packed the chamber demanding the city reopen and rebuild the closed Camino Real courts. The budget includes $840,000 for design work, with about $4 million available in the parks fund for construction in FY 2028. Some speakers asked the city to reopen the cracked courts or open school courts in the meantime.
Historic Preservation Committee's future
The council decided to phase out the Design Review Committee once objective design standards are in place and Coastal Commission approval is secured, while keeping the Historic Preservation Committee in a limited role. Dozens of architects, historians, and preservationists warned that eliminating the expert committees could hurt the city's character and slow nothing.
Water Quality
A resident repeatedly demanded transparency and answers about PFAS 'forever chemicals' in the water supply; the city manager said the water team monitors quality closely with PFAS as a major consideration.
November 2026 municipal election for districts 1, 4, 5, and 6
The council called the election for four council seats; nominations open July 13 and close August 7, with a candidate info session July 13 at 6 p.m.
AB 1572 non-functional turf irrigation ban
A new state law bans watering non-functional grass with drinking water at businesses, HOAs, and government properties starting in 2027. Single-family homes are exempt; the city will fold enforcement into its water waste ordinance.
Main Street revitalization
The council adopted the long-term vision for the pedestrianized downtown — activity nodes, mosaics, a stage at California Street — plus a parklet replacement deadline and near-term ADA and furniture spending from ~$600,000 in rollover funds. Farmers market and merchants raised compatibility concerns.
E-bike harassment and safety at Kimball Park
A fire captain described targeted harassment of swim families by a group on e-bikes and asked for an emergency ban. The police department is developing ordinance upgrades, and the council referred the e-bike issue to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Potential half-cent sales tax ballot measure
A second survey shows 51-60% likely support for a general sales tax, just above the 50% needed. Streets and roads topped resident priorities, fueling debate over whether the tax should be general or earmarked.
Monmouth Way sewer line repair
A gasoline-contaminated sewer line near Harbor Boulevard will be replaced starting mid-June, with lane closures, detours, 24-hour construction, and possible noise through late July.
Ministerial affordable housing permitting
The council weighed adopting a fast-track, no-public-hearing approval process for affordable housing projects required by state law. Delaying adoption until objective design standards are finished keeps some local control but risks state penalties for housing element non-compliance.
Camino Real Park tennis courts closure
Residents pushed hard to reopen the closed tennis courts, calling it a failure of social infrastructure. The council referred the issue to the Parks and Recreation Commission and added $840,000 in the budget for new court design.
Pavement and sidewalk maintenance backlog
Major corridors including Thompson, Telegraph, Main, Kimball and Telephone get a $3.07 million slurry seal starting early 2026. It should add 7-10 years of pavement life, though residents flagged missing sidewalks and confusing worn lane markings near Buena High.
Kratom and nitrous oxide sales bans
Two new ordinances ban retail sales of nitrous oxide and kratom, aimed at youth misuse, while leaving personal possession legal. Chronic-pain patients pushed back hard on the kratom ban, asking for regulation of dangerous 7-OH synthetics instead.
Downtown paid parking expansion
Downtown business owners, organized in a chat of nearly 100 merchants, unanimously oppose expanding paid parking, arguing it will deter the weekday quick visits that sustain small businesses. The city manager confirmed a paid parking presentation will come to the council April 14.
Eminent Domain for Ventura Water Pure Injection Wells
The city is using eminent domain to buy a vacant 2.43-acre parcel near the Auto Center for groundwater injection wells required by a federal consent decree. Some councilmembers worried about taking land in the city's top sales-tax-generating area.
Harbor/Sinclair fuel remediation
Staff reported the stormwater intrusion is fixed, water tests remain non-detect, Monmouth Way has reopened except one lane, and remediation — about 1,000 gallons removed so far — should take about two years.
Street conditions and pavement funding equity
Residents showed Montalvo and Hummingbird streets scoring worse than areas getting big overlays, asking the city to spread the ~$16 million street investment more evenly. Staff pointed to the pavement management plan due in May.
2025 Crime Trends and Homelessness Response
Crime dropped 12.3% to near-record lows; property crime fell 16.4%, though crimes against persons rose 12.7% on more assaults on officers and domestic violence. Homelessness-related calls fell 18.2%, with 132 people reconnected to services.
Surfers Point Managed Retreat Phase 2 Funding Gap
The award-winning coastal retreat project ran $1.5 million over its contingency due to bad soils, failing sewer laterals, and electrical upgrades discovered during construction. The council approved the extra money, expecting reimbursement from the state Coastal Conservancy, but not before a heated debate over staff spending without authorization.
VUSD School Closure Process
Ventura Unified is losing about 300 students a year — roughly $3.6 million annually — and its closure advisory committee starts meeting March 19. Any closure wouldn't take effect until the 2027-28 school year, and the superintendent credited the city's housing policy for informing enrollment projections.
City finances: clean audit but $26.4M general fund dip
Ventura's FY 2024-25 audit came back clean, but the general fund balance dropped from $61.4M to $35M — mostly one-time spending like an $8M CalPERS payment, storm repairs, and a closed golf course. The CFO says revenues are rebounding and no alarm bells needed.
Trade Desk headquarters renovation and Main Street entrance dispute
The Trade Desk wants to turn the vacant old Bank of America building at Main and California into its headquarters with a rooftop deck — but without a main entrance facing Main Street. Preservationists say that makes it the first 'backwards building' downtown and weakens the design rules that made downtown thrive; the company says security rules require a single controlled entrance.
Monarch habitat tree removal at KB Home development site
Ventura Coastal LLC cut roughly 35 mature trees at a monarch overwintering site over a holiday weekend without permits to clear the way for a 15-acre KB Home project. Speakers demanded penalties, restoration, or a land-trust purchase to create a monarch preserve.
Trade Winds Apartments tenant conditions and garage-to-ADU conversions
Tenants allege pressure tactics, defective notices, retaliation, and unresolved life-safety hazards while the new owner converts garages to ADUs. They're asking the city to suspend construction.
Storm flooding and homeless shelter capacity
Councilmember Campos said only about 10% of the unsheltered population got hotel vouchers during the Christmas Day storm and called for emergency shelter options like the fairgrounds.
Civil Rights Ordinance
Ventura is passing a new ordinance to protect LGBTQ+ individuals and immigrants, creating a local safe haven. This is a direct response to potential federal policies that could impact these communities.
City Attorney Termination
Ventura's city attorney was fired following an investigation into indecent exposure allegations at a local Chick-fil-A. This shocking incident raises questions about leadership and public trust within the city government.
City Management Hiring
Ventura's got a new City Manager, and it's the former Sheriff! This leadership shake-up means big changes are likely coming to how the city is run.