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Subject: Agenda Item F2
From: "Friends of Ormond Beach Oxnard, CA" <[email protected]> To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 2:52:04 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 2:52:19 PM GMT-07:00 Dear Oxnard Mayor, City Council Members, and City Manager:
On behalf of Friends of Ormond Beach, I want to thank you for fighting for the restoration of Ormond Beach.
Members of our organization were elated when we learned that the city manager brokered a deal with GenOn to fund the remediation of the area once the power plant is fully decommissioned. Members also appreciate the city manager's efforts to work with GenOn to secure additional funds for Ormond Beach should the power plant remain in use beyond 2023.
Friends of Ormond Beach want to make sure that the city of Oxnard works closely with the three partners of the OBRAP so that the funding (if procured) be used in a way that aligns with the mission and vision of the OBRAP.
Members of our organization also kindly ask that the city of Oxnard work closely with the Ventura Audubon Society which is working tenaciously to protect the nesting and breeding sites of threatened and endangered bird species. Based on the video that I watched, the public access point that was discussed runs very near those nesting and breeding sites. Moreover, establishing a park near those breeding sites is problematic as predation of these species may increase due to the trash left in the area.
Finally, members of Friends of Ormond Beach request that the city of Oxnard stick to city ordinance 2906 that applies to Ormond Beach. A park at the GenOn site may be problematic if dogs are permitted and/or if the city allows the homeless to set up encampments. Friends of Ormond Beach are confident that the city understands that it is vital to procure a land manager for Ormond Beach to ensure that the area can be enjoyed by the public while at the same time be a sanctuary for migratory bird species of global significance.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Christina Zubko
Co-Founder, Friends of Ormond Beach
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Subject: Agenda Item F2
From: Joan Tharp <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 10:14:38 AM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 10:14:52 AM GMT-07:00 Dear Mayor, Council members, City Manager and staff,
I am extremely grateful that the city manager has secured funding for the remediation and restoration of the power generating site once it’s decommissioned. I am also very happy to see that he wants to ensure additional funding if the power plant continues to operate past the end of next year.
However, as a long time Hueneme resident and a volunteer for several non-profits that support the restoration and preservation of the Ormond Beach wetlands and dune environment, I have concerns and questions about using the additional funds to creat a park at the Gen On site. 1-will the original funds agreed upon several years ago be enough to cover the initial restoration of the site, and if not can the additional funding, if approved, be used for this purpose rather than to create a park? 2-what is the definition of a park and has the park design been conceptualized, and does it fall within the OBRAP or will there be a separate review?
3-much of the area around the power plant is sensitive habitat and an extremely rare endangered plant has been found in the area.
4-the nesting sites of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover and the California Least tern are within close proximity of this site. Human activity attracts bird predators such as Crows and Ravens which are responsible, through egg depredation, for most of the nesting season failures for these birds. 5-human activity has been a serious threat to the nesting success as well. Year after year, ATVs, motorcycles, bicycles, and humans on foot have disturbed nesting and chick- rearing activities. There is currently very little the city or US Fish and Wildlife Services has been able to do to prevent or punish people that disturb the habitat, and the acquisition of a land manager to enforce the laws and ordinances has so far not happened.
While coastal access is important, I hope you consider the unintended consequences of putting a park in this area without proper review and management.
Best regards,
Joan Tharp
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