CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2025, 6:00 PM
KENT HALL – CITY HALL CAMPUS – 111 W SANTA ANA ST, OJAI, CA Additional Teleconference Meeting Location Available to the Public to Accommodate Teleconferencing Council Member Leslie Rule, per California Government Code § 54953(b)(3):
901 Portal Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
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
Mayor Gilman called the Regular Meeting of the Ojai City Council to order on March 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
On the call of the roll, the following were present in the Kent Hall Council Chambers: Mayor Gilman, Mayor Pro Tem Lang, and Council Members Whitman and Mang. Council Member Rule was present remotely per California Government Code § 54953(b)(3).
Also present in the Kent Hall Council Chambers: City Manager Harvey, Assistant City Manager Alameda, City Attorney Summers, Chief Deputy City Clerk Montgomery, and Community Development Director Seibert.
ABSENCES
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Chief Deputy City Clerk Montgomery led the Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ojai.ca.gov
2 Motion:
It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Lang, with a second by Council Member Mang, to approve the Agenda of the March 25, 2025, Regular Meeting.
Roll Call:
On the call of the roll, the vote was five (5) in favor and zero (0) against.
Ayes: Gilman, Lang, Rule, Whitman, Mang
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
MOTION PASSES
PRESENTATION
Outgoing Ojai Chief of Police Trina Newman was honored for her term of service and promotion to Commander for West County Patrol. Outgoing Fire Chief Barry Parker was also honored for his term of service and promotion
COMMISSION REPORTS
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
CONSENT CALENDAR (Items 1.a – 1.i)
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 17, 2025 – March 02, 2025 RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file.
c) February 2025 Treasurer’s Report of Cash and Investments for the City of Ojai
RECOMMENDATION: Receive and file.
d) Minutes of the Ojai City Council from the March 11, 2025 Special Meeting for Closed Session and the March 11, 2025 Regular Meeting RECOMMENDATION: Approve.
e) Citizen’s Option for Public Safety Funding FY 2024-25 RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution allocating available Citizen’s Option for Public Safety funds for fiscal year 2024-2025 to address community safety concerns.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ojai.ca.gov
3 f) Receive and File the City’s 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report RECOMMENDATION: Receive the General Plan Annual Progress Report and direct staff to file the General Plan Progress Report with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
g) Review of the City’s Housing Element Annual Progress Report and Authorization for the Submittal of the City of Ojai’s 2024 Housing Production to the State Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the Department of Housing and Community Development
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council authorizes the Community Development Director to submit the Housing Element Annual Progress Report for 2024 to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
h) Two Council Member Request: Reinstatement of Suzi Taylor as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission
RECOMMENDATION: Reinstate Suzi Taylor as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
i) Authorize Mayor Gilman to Sign a Letter of Support, on Behalf of the City of Ojai for the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Proposed Education Space at Ojai Meadows Preserve, and Grant Application to T-Mobile’s “Hometown Grant”
RECOMMENDATION: Reinstate Suzi Taylor as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Mayor Pro Tem Lang pulled Item 1.h for discussion.
Council Member Rule pulled Item 1.b and Item 1.g for discussion.
Motion:
It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Lang, with a second by Mayor Gilman, to approve the March 25, 2025, Regular Meeting Consent Calendar (except pulled Items 1.b,
1.g, 1.h), as recommended.
Roll Call:
On the call of the roll, the vote was five (5) in favor and zero (0) against.
Ayes: Rule, Whitman, Mang, Gilman, Lang
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
MOTION PASSES
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ojai.ca.gov
4 Motion:
It was moved by Mayor Gilman, with a second by Council Member Whitman, to approve Item 1.b, as recommended.
Roll Call:
On the call of the roll, the vote was five (5) in favor and zero (0) against.
Ayes: Lang, Whitman, Mang, Rule, Gilman
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
MOTION PASSES
Motion:
It was moved by Council Member Rule, with a second by Mayor Pro Tem Lang, to approve Item 1.g, as recommended.
Roll Call:
On the call of the roll, the vote was five (5) in favor and zero (0) against.
Ayes: Whitman, Lang, Gilman, Rule, Mang
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
MOTION PASSES
Motion:
It was moved by Council Member Rule, with a second by Mayor Gilman, to approve Item 1.h, as recommended.
Roll Call:
On the call of the roll, the vote was five (5) in favor and zero (0) against.
Ayes: Mang, Lang, Gilman, Whitman, Rule
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
MOTION PASSES
PUBLIC HEARING
2. Design Review Permit (DRP 24-006) | Regarding a proposed permanent supportive housing project located at 408 South Signal Street [Current Use = Public Works Yard], consisting of approximately 30 single-story units, onsite parking and other onsite modifications; Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN): 023-0-120-020; Zoning Classification is Public/QuasiPublic (P-L); General Plan Land Use Designation is Public (P); Property Owner: City of Ojai; Applicants: City of Ojai and DignityMoves; Representatives: Joanne Price and Jeff Gaddess, President & Vice President of DignityMoves.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Approve the proposed Lower Public Works Yard project site as the location for the Cabin Village Project contingent upon the City entering into a Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Ojai City Council Regular Meeting Minutes ojai.ca.gov
5 Development Management Agreement to develop the Cabin Village Project on that site and approval of the Design Review Permit;
2. Continue the hearing on the Design Review Permit until such time as the City Manager brings back the negotiated Development Management Agreement; and
3. Direct the City Manager to negotiate a Development Management Agreement with DignityMoves for the design and construction of the Cabin Village Project on the Proposed Project Site, present the negotiated Development Management Agreement, Design Review Permit, the associated CEQA environmental findings and determinations to the City Council for its consideration and possible final approval at a future meeting of the City Council, and any other necessary approvals.
Mayor Gilman opened the Public Hearing, took public comments, and closed the Public Hearing.
Motion:
It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Lang, with a second by Mayor Gilman, to approve Item 2, as recommended.
Roll Call:
On the call of the roll, the vote was three (3) in favor and two (2) against.
Ayes: Lang, Rule, Gilman
Noes: Whitman, Mang
Abstain: None
Absent: None
MOTION PASSES
COUNCIL MEMBER’S REPORTS
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Gilman adjourned the March 25, 2025, Regular Meeting at 10:45 p.m., until the April 8, 2025, Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Prepared by: Weston Montgomery, Chief Deputy City Clerk