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LEST WE FORGET!

From the March 1, 2007 Thousand Oaks Acorn

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HERE WE GO AGAIN!

April 24, 2007

Dear Mayor Fox,

Currently the City of Thousand Oaks plans to not extend Supervisor Parks lease on her office at the Civic Arts Plaza. Since a satisfactory alternative is not immediately apparent, after looking since January, this means when her constituents have business to do with their supervisor they will have to drive to the proposed new office at the County Government Center IN VENTURA, a 50 mile round trip. The stated reason for not extending our Supervisor's lease on her local office is the City needs the space for its growing Human Resources Department. Other tenants who are being allowed to continue renting at the Civic Arts Plaza are a credit union, the New West Symphony, and the Alliance For The Arts, all on month-to-month leases. The credit union pays market rate rent and provides services for City employees, but the New West Symphony is on shaky ground economically, and the Alliance for The Arts has previously paid no rent.

If the City really needs more space for Human Resources, it would be much better to take the space currently occupied by New West Symphony or Alliance for The Arts. Needs met by these entities are less essential than the function of the Supervisor. Seeming of questionable economic viability they are more shaky business prospects, while the County of Ventura will be a fiscally responsible tenant in the future as it has been in the past. If the City needs more space, good business sense suggests retaining the Supervisor’s office as a tenant and letting one or more other businesses go.

In addition to conducting reasonable business operations, the City should operate its resources to provide optimal service to local residents and businesses. The City’s Mission Statement declares “Extraordinary service to the citizens we serve is our purpose and product.” Would not better service to Thousand Oaks taxpayers be provided by facilitating convenient access to our Supervisor, in her current office space?

Extending Supervisor Parks lease would conform well with Citywide Goal A. This objective, confirmed just last January 30, is to “Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives and City staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.”

“Open and responsive to residents” implies giving serious consideration to input such as this letter and others you receive on this issue. More than that, I suggest it means being responsive to the needs of residents. In this case, I believe allowing ongoing facile access to our elected representative to the County government would be the action most responsive to residents needs.

“Cooperative interaction among civic leaders …” and “stability” would both be better served by not forcing the Supervisor into the disruption of her operations imposed by moving. Although I say “her operations”, it is actually “our county government” which will be disrupted. Cooperating by extending the lease would conform to Citywide Goal A.

“Provide municipal government leadership which is ... characterized by ethical behavior...” is a part of Goal A which should not need restating. I presume all are acting ethically. Even so, recommendation R-04 in the Thousand Oaks City Council Grand Jury report last summer states “The City Council should conduct city business in such a way as to inspire confidence, respect and trust from constituents.” Apply this admonition to the current issue. With many solid reasons to extend the lease, from the perspective of good business as well as good service to constituents, to do otherwise could present an aura of unethical influence. Thus, in my opinion, extending the supervisor’s lease would conform to the recommendation of the Grand Jury as well as Citywide Goal A.

For these many reasons, I urge you to support agenda item 13 B and direct staff to extend the County Supervisor’s lease as recommended by Councilmember Bill-de L Peña.

Tom Ritch, President
Thousand Oaks Citizens Action Network

From The Los Angles Times 2/12/07

Rising star caught in turmoil at the LAFD
A deputy chief's job may be on the line because he failed to order a detailed probe of a bias claim.
By Scott Glover, Times Staff Writer
February 12, 2007

For most of his 26 years with the Los Angeles Fire Department, the only heat Andy Fox had to endure came from burning buildings. Not so in recent times.

As the man in charge of discipline within the LAFD, Fox has come under scrutiny for not formally investigating a firehouse prank that escalated into a discrimination case and roiled City Hall, causing Fire Chief William Bamattre to step down.

Although Fox had long been considered a rising star in the department and possible successor to the chief, some insiders now question whether he will retain his position.

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