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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2025, 7:00 PM
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING 5:00 PM CLOSED SESSION
KENT HALL – CITY HALL CAMPUS – 111 W SANTA ANA ST, OJAI, CA
ANDY GILMAN, MAYOR
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
DISTRICT 1 – LESLIE RULE DISTRICT 3 – ANDREW WHITMAN
DISTRICT 2 – RACHEL LANG, MAYOR PRO TEM DISTRICT 4 – KIM MANG
BEN HARVEY MATTHEW SUMMERS WESTON MONTGOMERY
CITY MANAGER CITY ATTORNEY CHIEF DEPUTY CITY CLERK
VIEWING & ACCESS
THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID MODEL WITH BOTH IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION. TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LIVE VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM, CLICK THIS LINK:
Zoom Link – City Council Regular Meeting – Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
This meeting will also be available for viewing only on the City’s website through Granicus at ojai.ca.gov/525/2968/Public-Meetings, on YouTube at youtube.com/@ojaicity, or on Spectrum Channel 10.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please call (805) 646-5581. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
If you feel that a language interpreter is necessary for you to participate in this meeting, notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements for an interpreter to assure your participation/understanding of this meeting of the City Council.
Si considera que un intérprete de idiomas es necesario para participar en esta reunión, la notificación 48 horas antes de la reunión le permitirá a la Ciudad hacer arreglos razonables para que un intérprete asegure su participación / comprensión de esta reunión del Concejo Municipal.
Para Español por favor llame al (805) 646-5581 ext. 101 o por correo electronico a [email protected]
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Agenda ojai.ca.gov
2 PUBLIC COMMENT
In order for staff to provide the City Council with written public comments timely, written/emailed public comments must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day before the meeting.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
As a government agency, the City of Ojai is subject to the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 6250 et seq.). Please be advised that all communications submitted to City officials and staff are subject to public disclosure under the California Public Records Act. There are limited exceptions that allow the City to redact personal information under the California Public Records Act. If you have concerns regarding privacy, please do not include your personal identifying information, such as your name, e-mail, phone number, and home address in your correspondence to the City, including, but not limited to, public comment.
Members of the public who wish to make public comments may do so in person at the meeting, comment live via telewebinar software, or submit written public comments in advance of the meeting. Written public comment emails should be sent to [email protected]
No pre-registration is required for public comment via telewebinar (Zoom). Instead, during the live meeting, telewebinar participants who wish to speak on an agenda item will be asked to use the Zoom software’s hand-raise function at the beginning of each item.
LEVINE ACT WARNING
Applicants and their agents before the City Council are subject to the campaign disclosure provisions detailed in Government Code Section 84308. No City Council Member may accept, solicit, or direct a contribution of more than $500 from any party or agent for 12 months subsequent to the date a final decision is rendered by the City. This prohibition commences when your application has been filed, or the proceeding is otherwise initiated.
A party to a City proceeding—which includes both applicants and agents--shall disclose on the record of the proceeding any contribution of more than $500 made to any Council Member by the applicant or agent, during the preceding 12 months. No party to a City proceeding, or agent, shall make a contribution to a Council Member during the proceeding and for 12 months following the date a final decision is rendered by the City.
Prior to rendering a decision on a City proceeding, any Council Member who received contribution of more than $500 within the preceding 12 months from any party, or agent, to a proceeding shall disclose that fact on the record of the proceeding and shall be disqualified from participating in the proceeding. However, if any Council Member receives a contribution that otherwise would require disqualification and returns the contribution within 30 days of knowing about the contribution and the relevant proceeding, the Council Member shall be permitted to participate in the proceeding.
If you believe that these provisions apply to you or a Council Member, please inform the City Clerk at the earlies possible opportunity. Failure to do so may affect the City’s ability to process your application.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the City Council after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall during normal business hours (Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Such documents are also available on the City of Ojai’s website at ojai.ca.gov, subject to the staff’s ability to post the documents prior to the meeting.
If you challenge the actions of the City Council in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in the public notices, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing (Calif. Gov’t Code Sec. 65009).
Any legal action by an applicant seeking to obtain a judicial review of the City Council’s decision on a Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Agenda ojai.ca.gov
3 Hearing listed on this Agenda may be subject to the 90-day filing period of and governed by Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6.
ROLL CALL
ABSENCES
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
COMMISSION REPORTS
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
Public Communications is the time set aside during the meeting for members of the public to address the City Council on items of City business other than scheduled agenda items. Matters raised at this time may be briefly discussed by the Council and will generally be referred to staff and/or placed on a subsequent agenda. Under State law, other than for emergency items, no action can be taken.
CONSENT CALENDAR (Items 1.a – 1.g)
All matters listed on the Consent Calendar are to be considered routine by the governing bodies and will be enacted by one motion in the form listed. There will be no discussion of these items unless, before the governing body votes on the motion to adopt, specific items are removed from the Consent Calendar for separate motions.
1. a) Waiver of Reading in Full of Any and All Ordinances Listed on this Agenda and Provide that they be Read by Title Only and Directing the Clerk to Assign an Ordinance Number Upon Successful Introduction b) City of Ojai Warrants for February 3, 2025 – February 16, 2025 RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file.
c) Minutes of the Ojai City Council from the: February 11, 2025 Regular Meeting; February 25, 2025 Special Meeting Closed Session; and February 25, 2025 Regular Meeting
RECOMMENDATION: Approve.
d) Minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission from the December, 12, 2024 Regular Meeting
RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file.
e) Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Municipal Resource Group, LLC for Human Resources Consulting Services through June 30, 2025 in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Professional Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Agenda ojai.ca.gov
4 Services Agreement with Municipal Resource Group, LLC (“MRG”) allocating an additional $20,000 for amount not to exceed $50,000 and extending the contract term by 5 months to June 30, 2025. f) Second Reading - Adoption of Proposed Moratorium on Roadway Pavement Cuts Ordinance
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the proposed Ordinance amending Section 7-
1.102(d) and adding Title 7, Chapter 1, Article 4 (Moratorium on Roadway Pavement Cuts) to the Ojai Municipal Code to restrict roadway pavement cuts or trenches in City streets within a defined, reasonable time after the pavement is resurfaced or reconstructed.
g) Second Reading - Adoption of Proposed Ordinance amending Sections of the Ojai Municipal Code to reflect increased bidding monetary limits under Uniform Public Construction Cost Account Act (“UPCCAA”) and allowing automatic updates to monetary thresholds with future amendments
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the proposed ordinance amending Sections 7-4.01, 7-4.04, 7-4.05, 7-4.06(f), and 7-4.08 of the Ojai Municipal Code (“Informal Bid Procedures”) to:
1. Update bidding thresholds to align with thresholds allowed by UPCCAA;
2. Allow future updates of the UPCCAA bidding thresholds to update automatically; and
3. Update the Ojai Municipal Code’s definition of a “public project” to define the term per its definition in the Public Contract Code.
DISCUSSION
2. Request for Defense and Indemnification by Councilmember Rule and Consideration of Other Closed Session Matters
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council consider the request from Councilmember Leslie Rule to defend and indemnify Councilmember Leslie Rule under Government Code Section 825 and Section 995 in the Byrne et al. v. Rule et al. lawsuit, Ventura County Superior Court Case No. 2023CUMC008352, Second District Court of Appeal Case No. B332962 and decide among the following options:
1. Agree to pay Council Member Rule’s defense costs, and decide timing of the payment(s);
2. Decline to pay Council Member Rule’s defense costs;
3. Defer decision until there is a final non-appealable decision in Byrne v. Rule;
4. Take other action as desired.
Separately and additionally, the City Council may choose to consider any agenda items from today’s closed session in open session, as follows:
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Agenda ojai.ca.gov
5 Conference with Legal Counsel; Anticipated Litigation (Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) & (d)(3))
A point has been reached where, in the opinion of the City Council on the advice of its legal counsel, based on the below-described existing facts and circumstances, there is a significant exposure to litigation against the City:
The following facts and circumstances known to plaintiff or plaintiffs regarding a Transactional Occurrence Request for Defense and Indemnity by Leslie Rule in the case of Byrne, et al. v. Rule, et al., Ventura County Superior Court Case No. 2023CUMC008352,
Second District Court of Appeal Case No. B332962. (Gov. Code Section 54956.9(e)(2))
Receipt of Claim pursuant to Tort Claims Act or other written communication threatening litigation (copy available for public inspection in City Clerk’s office). (Gov. Code § 54956.9(e)(3)) Name of Person or Entity Threatening Litigation – Leslie Rule on (12/01/23 and 05/03/23) and John Drucker as legal counsel for Leslie Rule (2/17/25 and 2/28/25)
Statement made by in an open and public meeting threatening litigation on a specific matter within the responsibility of the legislative body (Gov. Code § 54956.9(e)(4)):
Leslie Rule, John Drucker, and Steven Johnson at Regular Council Meeting on February 11, 2025
Conference with Legal Counsel; Initiation of Litigation (Gov. Code § 54956.9(d)(4))
Number of Potential Cases: 2
3. City Council Goals
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Discuss and determine proposed City Council Goals and corresponding tactics;
2. From the results achieved at this meeting, direct the City Manager to work with City staff to contemplate the City Council’s proposed goals, offering additions and/or revisions to proposed tactics; and
3. Return with a proposed final draft of City Council goals and tactics at a nearterm City Council meeting for review and adoption.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Agenda ojai.ca.gov
6 4. Adoption of a Resolution Approving the Employment Agreement for Interim Finance Director
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution No 25-XX, Approving the Employment Agreement for Christy Billings, as Interim Finance Director.
5. Pickleball 90-Day Update/Return
RECOMMENDATION: Receive the update regarding the City's pickleball courts.
6. Resolution No. 25-XX of the City Council of the City of Ojai, California Repealing and Replacing the City’s Boards, Committees and Commissions Handbook
RECOMMENDATION: Receive public comment and consider adoption of Resolution No. 25-XX of the City Council of the City of Ojai, California Repealing the Boards, Committees and Commissions Handbook as Revised March 2016 and Replacing Same with the Updated Boards, Committees and Commissions Handbook as Revised March 2025.
7. Two Council Member Request - Consider Amending Commission Appointment Rules for All Commissions OR Appoint a New Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission
RECOMMENDATION: Consider whether to:
1. Direct staff to return with ordinances for the City’s five commissions to, at a minimum, remove the Chair from participating in the nomination committee and selection processes of commissioners; or
2. Appoint a new Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission and remove the current Chair.
PUBLIC HEARING
8. Resolution Placing Lien on Real Property for Non-Payment of Administrative Citation Regarding the Advertising for Unlawful ShortTerm, Transient, or Vacation Rental in Violation of Ojai Municipal Code Section 4-24.01, et seq. Property Address 414-A, 414-B & 414-C Buena Vista Drive; Accessor Parcel Number: 022-0-024-020; Property Owner:
Peyman Rahpeymaei; Zoning Classification: R-2; General Plan Land Use Designation: Medium High Density; City Initiated.
RECOMMENDATION: Consider adopting a resolution authorizing the City Clerk to record a lien with the County Recorder against real property (414 Buena Vista Drive, Ojai CA 93023) for unpaid administrative penalties related to violations of the short-term rental rules in Title 4, Chapter 24 of the Ojai Municipal Code.
COUNCIL MEMBER’S REPORTS
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Agenda ojai.ca.gov
7 ADJOURNMENT
AGENDA POSTED MARCH 7, 2025, 5:00 PM
Weston Montgomery
Chief Deputy City Clerk