Adopt a resolution implementing a previously approved Schedule of Sanitation Service Rates and Fees, consistent with Ordinance No. 1363, and authorizing the County of Ventura to collect residential sanitation service fees on the tax roll for Fiscal Year 2026-27

City of Simi Valley
Staff Report

May 11, 2026

To: City Council

From: Public Works Department
Ron Fuchiwaki, Public Works Director

Subject: Adopt a resolution implementing a previously approved Schedule of Sanitation Service Rates and Fees, consistent with Ordinance No. 1363, and authorizing the County of Ventura to collect residential sanitation service fees on the tax roll for Fiscal Year 2026-27

Staff Recommendation

It is recommended that the City Council adopt R esolution No. 2026-14 (Attachment A) implementing a previously approved Schedule of Sanitation Service Rates and Fees , consistent with Ordinance No. 1363 (Attachment B), and authorize the County of Ventura to collect residential sanitation service fees on the tax roll for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27.

Background

On May 5, 2025, the City Council conducted a Public Hearing to adopt new sanitation rates and fees pursuant to the Proposition 218 process, following the notice and public hearing procedures applicable to property-related fees under Article XIII D of the California Constitution to establish rates for FY 2025-26 through FY 2029-30. The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1363 on May 19, 2025, establishing the Schedule of Sanitation Fees and Charges and providing for the implementation of adopted rates.

The City has previously authorized the Ventura County Auditor-Controller to collect residential sanitation service charges on property tax bill s on behalf of the City to save expenses. Consistent with prior City practice, annual City Council authorization is requested to continue collection of residential sanitation service charges on the tax roll for FY 2026- 27. Ordinance No. 1363 provides that sanitation fees and charges are prescribed pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 5471, which authorizes cities to prescribe, revise, and collect charges for sewer and sanitation services by or dinance or resolution adopted by the legislative body.

Discussion

The adopted five-year rate increase is needed to fund infrastructure rehabilitation projects to maintain facilities and to ensure reliability of wastewater treatment and the collection system. The rates are based on the cost of providing sewer service. Revenues derived from the fees will not exceed the funds required to provide the service and only be used for that purpose.

Agenda Item No.

Impact on Single-Family Rates

The adopted rate for single-family residential sewer service for the current FY 2025-26 is $56.73 per month. Ordinance No. 1363 established the FY 202 6-27 rate at $58.72 per month. Rates for all other customers for FY 2026-27 are outlined in the Schedule of Sanitation Service Rates and Fees of the proposed resolution (Attachment A).

The following provides a comparison of the current and approved sanitation service rates for single-family residences in Simi Valley to be implemented, compared to neighboring communities:

Single Family Residential Rate Calculations based on 10 HCF; Rate for 2026 Single Family Residence (1) Fixed Rate
(2) Variable Rate based upon water usage

Tax Roll Billing

Historically, the City utilizes the Ventura County Auditor -Controller to collect residential sanitation service charges annually on property tax bills to save expenses. Staff recommends continuing this relationship as the cost for the City to implement an annual collection system of our own would significantly increase costs including the need for additional personnel and software.

In order to authorize this continued practice, staff recommends the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2026-14 by a two-thirds vote (four affirmative votes). Authorization of tax roll collection does not establish or increase any rate or fee.

City/District Monthly Sewer
Service Rate
City of Moorpark(1) $ 30.50
City of Port Hueneme(1) $ 36.00
City of Thousand Oaks(1) $ 42.88
City of Simi Valley, Current(1) 56.73$
City of Simi Valley, Proposed(1) 58.72$
City of Oxnard(2) $ 61.91
Ojai Valley Sanitary District(1) $ 64.14 City of Ventura(2) $ 64.11
City of Santa Barbara(2) $ 79.29
City of Camarillo(1) $ 86.19
City of Los Angeles(2) $ 92.80
Las Virgenes MWD(2) $ 114.32
City of Fillmore(1) $ 103.36
City of Santa Paula(2) $ 111.72
Triunfo Co. San. District (Oak
Park)(1) $ 117.97
2026-27 Single-Family Residential Sewer Rates
2 Financial Impact

The County charges a 0.025% fee to collect and distribute the sanitation fees to the City.

This equates to approximately $28,000 per year.

City Council Priority

This item supports the Reliable Infrastructure Pillar of Excellence.

Suggested Motion

I move to adopt Resolution No. 2026- 14 implementing a previously approved Schedule of Sanitation Service Rates and Fees consistent with Ordinance No. 1363, and authorize the County of Ventura to collect residential sanitation service fees on the tax roll for FY 2026-27.

Summary

On May 5, 2025, the City Council conducted a Public Hearing to adopt new Sanitation rates and fees pursuant to the Proposition 218 process , following the notice and public hearing procedures applicable to property-related fees under Article XIII D of the California Constitution, for FY 2025-26 through FY 2029- 30. The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1363 on May 19, 2025, approving the new rates and authorizing the scheduled annual increases to be implemented by resolution of the City Council. It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2026 -14 implementing a previously approved Schedule of Sanitation Service Rates and Fees consistent with Ordinance No. 1363, and authorize the County of Ventura to collect residential sanitation service fees on the tax roll for FY 2026-27.

Prepared by: John Hamilton, Principal Engineer

Attachments:

Attachment A – Resolution No. 2026-14
Attachment B – Ordinance No. 1363

3 R
ESOLUTION NO. 2026-14
A

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

SIMI VALLEY IMPLEMENTING A SCHEDULE OF

SANITATION RATES AND FEES PREVIOUSLY
ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE NO. 1363 AND

AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY OF VENTURA TO COLLECT

RESIDENTIAL SANITATION SERVICE FEES ON THE TAX
ROLL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27
W
HEREAS, on May 19, 2025, the City Council of the City of Simi Valley adopted Ordinance No. 1363, establishing sanitation (sewer) service rates and fees for Fiscal Years 2025-26 through 2029- 2030 pursuant to Section 5471 of the California Health and Safety Code; and
W
HEREAS, Ordinance No. 1363 was adopted following the notice and public hearing procedures applicable to property-related sewer service fees under Article XIII D of the California Constitution; and
W
HEREAS, California Health and Safety Code Section 5473 provides that the City of Simi Valley may utilize the County tax roll to collect sanitation (sewer) service fees; and
W
HEREAS, the County of Ventura requires the City of Simi Valley defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County of Ventura from any challenge in applying California Health and Safety Code Section 5473.

W, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

S
ECTION 1. The Sanitation Rates and Fees shown in Exhibit “A ” are implemented, as previously established under Ordinance No. 1363, effective July 1, 2026, and will be coordinated with regular billing s following the effective date as soon as administratively possible.

S
ECTION 2. The collection of Sanitation (Sewer) Service Fees specified herein to residences shall be made on the FY 2026-27 assessor's tax roll for the County of Ventura pursuant to the provisions of Health and Safety Code Section 5473, et seq. Authorization of tax roll collection under this Resolution does not establish or increase any sanitation service rate or fee beyond the amounts previously established by Ordinance No. 1363 and authorizes only a method of collection for FY 2026-27.

S
ECTION 3. The City of Simi Valley shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County of Ventura and the County of Ventura Auditor -Controller from any action arising from the City of Simi Valley's utilization of the procedure established in Health and Safety Code Section 5473 to collect Sanitation (Sewer) Service Fees. 4 Attachment A
S
ECTION 4. T he City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into all necessary agreements with entities necessary to effectuate this Resolution.

S
ECTION 5. The City of Simi Valley shall file a written report with the City Clerk describing each parcel of real property receiving sanitation services and facilities and the amount charged to each parcel for the year, computed in conformity with the charges prescribed by Ordinance No. 1363.

S
ECTION 6. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the Office of the City Clerk.

PASSED
and ADOPTED this 11th day of May 2026.

A
ttest:

Lucy Blanco, City Clerk Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Mayor of the City of Simi Valley, California
A
pproved as to Form: Approved as to Content:

Algeria R. Ford, City Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director
5 Res. No. 2026-14

EXHIBIT A
SCHEDULE OF SANITATION SERVICE RATES AND FEES AS OF JULY 1, 2026 Monthly Residential ($/month)
Single Family 58.72
Multi Family 44.03
Senior Housing 32.29
Mobile Home 35.23
Monthly Non-Residential ($/month)1
Office with LM (SCD) $58.52
Office without LM (SDL) 46.81
Commercial with LM (SCR) 70.84
Commercial without LM (SRL) 56.68
Restaurant with LM (SRR) 83.16
Restaurant without LM (RRL) 66.53
Café with LM (SRD) 83.16
Café without LM (RDL) 66.53
Commercial Units (SCU) 65.22
Park Landscape with Restroom (SPL) 65.22
Special SAP Conversion (SRS) 65.22
1 Non-residential fixed monthly rates include a billed sewage allowance of 7 hundred cubic feet (hcf).

Other Non-Residential ($/Unit/month)
High Schools ($/Student) 2.53
Other Schools ($/Student) 1.69
Septage Hauling ($/750 Gal Load) 50.79
Monthly Lift Station Charge (In Addition to Normal Rates)2 Wood Ranch/Big Sky SFR Lift Fee $10.82
Multi Family Lift Fee 8.11
2 For customers that benefit from the City's sewer lift stations.

Non-Residential Usage Rates ($/hundred cubic feet)
Office with LM3 (SCD) 8.36
Office without LM (SDL) 6.69
Commercial with LM (SCR) 10.12
Commercial without LM (SRL) 8.09
Restaurant with LM (SRR) 11.88
Restaurant without LM (RRL) 9.50
Café with LM (SRD) 11.88
Café without LM (RDL) 9.50
Commercial Units (SCU) 9.32
Note: One hundred cubic feet equals approximately 748 gallons.

Abbreviations: LM = Landscape Meter
3 The City has two type of non-residential customers: 1) with a landscape meter and 2) without a landscape meter. With landscape meter represents customers that have separate irrigation meter and therefore billable sewage flow is assumed 100% of water consumption. Without landscape meter represents customers that don’t have a separate irrigation meter and therefore billable sewage flow is assumed to be 80% of water consumption.
6 Res. No. 2026-14

High Strength Nonresidential Users

High strength non-residential users:

Industrial, commercial and/or institutional users with a discharge having a BOD greater than 266 parts per million and for a TSS greater than 331 parts per million will be charged using the following formula for each 100 cubic feet or fraction thereof:

$7.02 (0.83 + 0.08 BOD + 0.08 TSS) = monthly fee
266 331

Where:

BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand loading in mg/L (ppm) for extra strength discharger

SS = Suspended solids loading in mg/L (ppm) for extra strength discharger

Service Rate Provisions for Nonresidential Users

i) Service fees shall be due from the owner of the property served but may be billed to and paid by commercial and industrial lessees where the City's Engineer is able to determine a fee for each separate user within a parcel.

Service fees shall be due at the beginning of each month and delinquent if not paid within 30 days.

ii) The monthly charges for commercial, industrial, and institutional users will be based on the total sewered water usage. A standard allowance of 20 percent will be granted where a portion of the metered water usage is employed for landscape irrigation for consumptive purposes.

iii) Because of the higher-than-average landscape irrigation or consumptive usage, some non- residential users may only be discharging a comparatively small portion of their metered water usage to the sewer system. These users may, upon request to the City, be permitted to have the amount of water being discharged to the sewer determined by one of the methods listed below. The specific method to be used will be selected by the City based on consideration of cost of installation and anticipated accuracy of the method. There shall be a $319.53 fee required for any such request to cover the costs of the City in processing following the City's initial determination.

Method 1. The user will install, at the user's expense, a calibrated flume, weir, flow meter, or similar device approved by the Engineer of the City as to type and location to measure the user's wastewater discharge. In the latter case, a flow meter and totalizing register will be required, and measurement to verify the quantity of wastewater flow will be performed on a random basis by the City. The property owner will install, at owner’s expense, a suitable vault for installing the flow meter.

7 Res. No. 2026-14

The vault will be located on the user's sewer lateral or building sewer at a location approved by the City, and City will have access rights in order to read and maintain the meter.

Method 2. The user will install, at the user's expense, a water meter for submetering the water discharging to the public sewer. The property owner will, at his/her expense, do any necessary plumbing subject to City inspection to separate the types of water use and provide for the meter to be accessible to the City for maintenance and inspection purposes.

Method 3. If the City determines that it is impractical for a user to employ Method 1 or 2 as a result of physical difficulty or excessive cost, it may permit the user to estimate the amount of wastewater reasonably anticipated to be discharged to the public sewer.

User's estimate may be based upon average historical water use during the months of December, January, and February, or upon any other reasonable basis, and may be based upon flow meter tests if practical. The City will review the data submitt ed by the user and may modify the user's estimate, where appropriate. The decision of the City shall be final if Method 3 is utilized. If a user is not satisfied with the determination under Method 3, user shall have the right to require, at user’s expense, utilization of Method 1 or 2 for determination of the amount of wastewater discharge to the public sewer.

Measurement of strengths of BOD and SS in wastewater is the responsibility of the user, and such measurements shall be made from time to time to establish strengths to be used in the above formula. Such measurements need to be made only by those users who are known or believed to be discharging wastewater of greater than base strength.

Measurements shall be reviewed annually or at the request of user or at the option of the City's Engineer, more frequently if there is reason to believe that there has been significant change in the strength.

Random sampling of industrial wastes will also be performed by the City's Engineer pursuant to the monitoring and enforcement provisions of the Environmental Compliance Pretreatment Program.

8 Res. No. 2026-14
ORDINANCE NO. 1363

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

SIMI VALLEY ESTABLISHING A SCHEDULE OF

SANITATION FEES AND CHARGES AND REPEALING
ORDINANCE NO. 1300

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: INTENT
Pursuant to Section 5471 of the California Health and Safety Code, it is intended that this ordinance of the City of Simi Valley establish a Schedule of Sanitation Fees and Charges pursuant to the provisions of Ordinance Nos. 926 and 1170. In addition, it is also intended that this ordinance incorporate the findings of the FY 2025-26 to FY 2029-30 Sanitation Rate Study Report. All applicable rates and charges adopted by previous ordinances and resolutions are hereby repealed upon implementation of the rates and charges provided for in this ordinance. Ordinance No. 1300 is hereby repealed as of the effective date of this ordinance, which shall be the effective date of the fees and charges established by this Ordinance. These rates and charges are in conformance with the provisions of Proposition 218.

SECTION 2: SCHEDULE OF FEES AND CHARGES
The Schedule of Sanitation Fees and Charges, as shown on Exhibits “A” and “B” shall become applicable on the effe ctive date of this ordinance and will be implemented to coordinate with regular b illing schedules immediately following the effective date of this ordinance, or as soon thereafter as is administratively possible.

SECTION 3: PUBLICATION
The City Clerk shall cause this ordinance or a summary hereof to be published in a newspaper of general circulation, published in the County of Ventura, circulated in the City, and, if applicable, to be posted in accordance with Section 36933 of the California Government Code; shall certify to the adoption of this ordinance; and shall cause a certified copy of this ordinance, together with proof of publication, to be filed in the Office of the Clerk of this City.

Attachment B
9 SECTION 4: EFFECTIVE DATE

This ordinance shall go into effect and be in full force and effect at 12:01 a.m. on the thirty-first (31st) day after its passage, and the fees and charges shall apply on the effective date.

PASSED and ADOPTED this 19
th day of May 2025.

ATTEST:

Lucy Blanco, City Clerk Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Mayor of the City of Simi Valley, California

Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:

Algeria R. Ford, City Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager

_________________________________
Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director
2

10 EXHIBIT A

SCHEDULE OF FEES AND CHARGES IN ACCORDANCE
WITH ORDINANCE NO. 926 RELATING TO THE

COLLECTION OF FEES AND CHARGES FOR THE

PROVISION OF SEWERAGE AND RELATED SERVICES

In accordance with Sections 4 and 5 of Ordinance No. 926, the improvement plan processing fee and the permit and construction inspection fee for the sewerage service connection shall be equal to the City of Simi Valley fees for similar services as outlined in the Schedule of Service Fees.

The fees and charges for connection to the sewer system are described in the Tables 1 and 2 shown below:

Table 1, Equivalent Dwelling Unit and Acreage Fees
Sewerage Fees
Connection Fee $6,131 per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) Annexation Fee $2,414 per gross acre of property

Annual fees for Tables 1 and 2 will be adjusted annually using the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index as outlined in Ordinance 926 Section 6.

Table 2, Connection (Capacity) Fees for Specific Connections 3

11 FY25-261
Service Charges $E D U
Residential
Single Family Detached/Attached 6,131 1.000 Single Family Detached/Attached (converting to City sewer system) 3,727 0.608 Multi Family (per unit) 4,599 0.750
Mobile Home & Sr. Citizen Housing (for 35+ dwelling units) 3,678 0.600 A ccessory Dwelling Unit ($/sq. ft of floor area)2,3 2.79 0.00045 Commercial -
Office Buildings (per 1,000 sq ft) -
Medical Office 3,679 0.600
Medical Office Using Digital X-Ray 2,024 0.330 All Other Office Buildings 2,024 0.330
Retail Buildings -
R etail S hops & S tores up to 10,000 sq ft (cost per 1,000 sq ft) 2,024 0.330 Retail Shops & Stores over to 10,000 sq ft (cost per additional 1,000 sq ft) 1,350 0.220 Pet Grooming (per shampoo bowl) 1,226 0.200 Beauty/Barber Shop (per shampoo bowl) 1,226 0.200 Self Service Laundry (per machine) 2,453 0.400 Restaurants -
Restaurants, 42 seats or less 15,941 2.600
Restaurants, per additional seat over 42 384 0.063 Restaurants, Bars, Cocktail Lounges (per seat) 369 0.060 Food Establishments, 50 seats or less & not considered full service restaurants (per seat) 160 0.026 Hotels/Motels -
Hotel/Motel without kitchen (per unit) 2,024 0.330 Hotel/Motel with kitchen (per unit) 3,372 0.550 Automobile Service Station -
Auto Service & Repair (per 1,000 sq ft) 2,024 0.330 Per Restroom 2,024 0.330
Parks -
Per Water Closet or Urinal 2,024 0.330
Schools/Hospitals -
School - Elementary/Nursery/etc, 60 students or less 6,131 1.000 Each Additional Student (cost after 60 students) 104 0.017 School - Junior High School, 50 students or less 6,131 1.000 Each Additional Student (cost after 50 students) 123 0.020 School - High School, 30 students or less 6,131 1.000 Each Additional Student (cost after 30 students) 203 0.033 Hospitals - Includes Admin Office Support (per bed) 3,679 0.600 C
hurches/Theaters/Auditoriums -
Churches/Theaters/Auditoriums of 110 seats 6,131 1.000 Each Additional Seat over 110 seats 56 0.009 2 B ased on 2,200 square foot of the ty pical single family home. 1 T he proposed charges were escalated using the E NR C C I for the L os A ngeles region to Nov ember 2024. T he current y ear was escalated based on the former January 2016 capacity fee implementation date and not 3 A s per S ection 65852.2 of the G ov ernment C ode, an accessory dwelling unit (A D U ) including more than 150 square feet of ex pansion bey ond the same phy sical dimensions as the ex isting accessory structure, or is considered to be a detached unit, is susceptible to being charged a distinctive A DU capacity fee. 4 E DU = E qualvalent Dwelling Unit . E DU will remain constaint for the five year period FY26-FY 30. 4

12 EXHIBIT B

SCHEDULE OF SEWER SERVICE FEES IN ACCORDANCE
WITH ORDINANCE NO. 926, AND 2025 SANITATION RATE

STUDY REPORT

The monthly service fee for each category is as described in the table shown below:

Rates Effective:

July 1,
2025
July 1,
2026
July 1,
2027
July 1,
2028
July 1,
2029
Monthly Residential ($/month)
Single Family $56.73 $58.72 $60.78 $62.91 $65.11
Multi Family 42.54 44.03 45.57 47.16 48.81
Senior Housing 31.20 32.29 33.42 34.59 35.80
Mobile Home 34.04 35.23 36.46 37.74 39.06
Monthly Non-Residential ($/month)1
Office with LM (SCD) $56.54 $58.52 $60.57 $62.69 $64.88 Office without LM (SDL) 45.23 46.81 48.45 50.15 51.91
Commercial with LM (SCR) 68.44 70.84 73.32 75.89 78.55
Commercial without LM (SRL) 54.76 56.68 58.66 60.71 62.83 Restaurant with LM (SRR) 80.35 83.16 86.07 89.08 92.20
Restaurant without LM (RRL) 64.28 66.53 68.86 71.27 73.76 Café with LM (SRD) 80.35 83.16 86.07 89.08 92.20
Café without LM (RDL) 64.28 66.53 68.86 71.27 73.76
Commercial Units (SCU) 63.01 65.22 67.50 69.86 72.31
Park Landscape with Restroom (SPL) 63.01 65.22 67.50 69.86 72.31 Special SAP Conversion (SRS) 63.01 65.22 67.50 69.86 72.31 Other Non-Residential ($/Unit/month)
High Schools ($/Student) $2.44 $2.53 $2.62 $2.71 $2.80
Other Schools ($/Student) 1.63 1.69 1.75 1.81 1.87
Septage Hauling ($/750 Gal Load) 49.07 50.79 52.57 54.41 56.31 Monthly Lift Station Charge (In Addition to Normal Rates)2 Wood Ranch/Big Sky SFR Lift Fee $10.45 $10.82 $11.20 $11.59 $12.00 Multi Family Lift Fee 7.84 8.11 8.39 8.68 8.98
1 Non-residential fixed monthly rate includes a billed sewage allowance of 7 hundred cubic feet (hcf). 2 For customers that benefit from the City's lift stations.

Rates Effective:
5

13 July 1,
2025
July 1,
2026
July 1,
2027
July 1,
2028
July 1,
2029

Non-Residential Usage Rates ($/hundred cubic feet)
Office with LM (SCD) $8.08 $8.36 $8.65 $8.95 $9.26
Office without LM (SDL) 6.46 6.69 6.92 7.16 7.41
Commercial with LM (SCR) 9.78 10.12 10.47 10.84 11.22
Commercial without LM (SRL) 7.82 8.09 8.37 8.66 8.96
Restaurant with LM (SRR) 11.48 11.88 12.30 12.73 13.18
Restaurant without LM (RRL) 9.18 9.50 9.83 10.17 10.53
Café with LM (SRD) 11.48 11.88 12.30 12.73 13.18
Café without LM (RDL) 9.18 9.50 9.83 10.17 10.53
Commercial Units (SCU) 9.00 9.32 9.65 9.99 10.34

1 The City has two type of non-residential customers: 1) with a landscape meter and 2) without a landscape meter. With landscape meter represents customers that have separate irrigation meter and therefore billable sewage flow is assumed 100% of water consumption. Without landscape meter represents customers that don’t have a separate irrigation meter and therefore billable sewage flow is assumed to be 80% of water consumption.

14 High Strength Nonresidential Users

High strength non-residential users:

Industrial, commercial and/or institutional users with a discharge having a BOD greater than 266 parts per million and for an TSS greater than 331 parts per million will be charged using the following formula for each 100 cubic feet or fraction thereof:

$7.02 (0.83 + 0.08 BOD + 0.08 TSS) = monthly fee
266 331

Where:

BOD = Biochemical oxygen demand loading in mg/L (ppm) for extra strength discharger

SS = Suspended solids loading in mg/L (ppm) for extra strength discharger

Service Fee Provisions

i) Service fees shall be due from the owner of the property served, but may be billed to and paid by commercial and industrial lessees where the City's Engineer is able to determine a fee for each separate user within a parcel.

Service fees shall be due at the beginning of each month and delinquent if not paid within 30 days.

iii) Because of the higher than average la ndscape irrigation or consumptive usage, some non-residential users may only be discharging a comparatively small portion of their metered water usage to the sewer system. These users may, upon request to the City, be permitted to have the amount of water being discharged to the sewer determined by one of the methods listed below. The specific method to be used will be selected by the City based on consideration of cost of installation and anticipated accuracy of the method. There shall be a $319.53 fee required for any such request to cover the costs of the City in processing following the City's initial determination.

15 on a random basis by the City. The property owner will install, at owner’s expense, a suitable vault for installing the flow meter.

The vault will be located on the user's sewer lateral or building sewer at a location approved by the City, and City will have access rights in order to read and maintain the meter.

User's estimate may be based upon average historical water use during the months of December, January, and February, or upon any other reasonable basis, and may be based upon flow meter tests if practical. The City will review the data submitted by the user and may modify the user's estimate, where appropriate. The decision of the City shall be final if Method 3 is utilized. If a user is not satisfied with the determination under Method 3, user shall have the right to require, at user’s expense, utilization of Method 1 or 2 for determination of the amount of wastewater discharge to the public sewer.

Random sampling of industrial wastes will also be performed by the City's Engineer pursuant to the monitoring and enforcement provisions of the Environmental Compliance Pretreatment Program.

16 ORD. NO. 1363

CERTIFICATION

I, City Clerk of the City of Simi Valley, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of Ordinance No. 1363 which was adopted by the City Council of the City of Simi Valley, California, at a special meeting thereof held on the 19
th day of May 2025 by the following vote of the City Council:

AYES: Council Members Ayala, Rhodes, Mayor Pro Tem Judge, and Mayor Cavanaugh

NAYS: Council Member Litster

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINED: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Simi Valley, California, dated _______________.

Lucy Blanco, CMC
City Clerk

17 TRAN2504.RES.MG
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-11

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SIMI VALLEY APPROVING THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY’S

TITLE VI PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Secretary of Transportation is authorized to make grants for public transportation projects; and
WHEREAS, the City of Simi Valley/Simi Valley Transit is interested in applying for available Federal funds to support local transit services; and WHEREAS, the contract for financial assistance will impose certain obligations upon the applicant, including provisions for the local share of project costs; and
WHEREAS, it is required by the U.S. Department of Transportation in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in connection with the filing of an application for assistance under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53, the applicant gives an assurance that it will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the U.S. Department of Transportation requirements thereunder; WHEREAS, the City’s Title VI Program expires on July 31, 2025; and WHEREAS, the Federal Transit Administration requires an active Title VI Program.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SIMI VALLEY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The City Council approves the City of Simi Valley’s Title VI Program attached hereto as Exhibit 1, effective from August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028.

SECTION 2. The City Manager is hereby authorized to execute and file with such applications an assurance or any other documents required by the U.S.

Department of Transportation effectuating the purposes of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

SECTION 3. It is within the City’s mission to deliver excellent service to the community that is accessible, efficient, and accountable to its citizens.

SECTION 4. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the Office of the City Clerk.

18 TRAN2504.RES.MG
PASSED and ADOPTED this 19th day of May 2025.

Attest:

Lucy Blanco, City Clerk Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Mayor of the City of Simi Valley, California

Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:

Algeria R. Ford, City Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager

Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director

19 RES. NO. 2025-11

CERTIFICATION

I, City Clerk of the City of Simi Valley, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of Resolution No. 2025-11 which was regularly introduced and adopted by the City Council of the City of Simi Valley, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19
th day of May by the following vote of the City
Council:

AYES: Council Members Ayala, Rhodes, Litster, Mayor Pro Tem Judge, and Mayor Cavanaugh

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINED: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Simi Valley, California, dated _____________________.

Lucy Blanco, CMC
City Clerk

20 City of Simi Valley
2025 Title VI Program Update

DRAFT FINAL REPORT
Developed March 2025
To be adopted by the City of Simi Valley City Council
DĂǇϭϵ, 2025
Point of Contact
Ben Gonzales
City of Simi Valley
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063
(805) 583-6482
Prepared by
Moore & Associates, Inc.
25852 McBean Pkwy. #187
Valencia, CA 91355
(888) 743-5977
(;+,%,7
4

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Table of Contents
Section 1 | Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 Section 2 | Title VI Notice and Locations ................................................................ 5 Section 3 | Title VI Complaint Procedures and Form .............................................. 9 Section 4 | Title VI-related Investigations, Complaints, and Lawsuits .................. 15 Section 5 | Demographic Analysis of the Service Area ......................................... 16 Section 6 | Public Participation Plan .................................................................... 25 Section 7 | Four-Factor Analysis .......................................................................... 31 Section 8 | Language Assistance Plan .................................................................. 38 Section 9 | Membership of Non-Elected Committees and Councils ..................... 45 Section 10 | Subrecipient Monitoring .................................................................. 46 Section 11 | Title VI Equity Analysis ..................................................................... 47 Section 12 | City Council Adopting Resolution ..................................................... 48 Section 13 | Fixed-Route Transit Provider Title VI Requirements......................... 50

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Table of Exhibits

Exhibit 1.1 Simi Valley Transit System Map ................................................................................... .......... 2 Exhibit 1.2 Simi Valley Transit Route 10 Service Area Map .................................................................... .. 3 Exhibit 1.3 Simi Valley Transit Service Information .......................................................................... ........ 3 Exhibit 1.4 Simi Valley Transit Fixed-Route Fares............................................................................. ........ 3 Exhibit 2.1 Noticing Locations ............................................................................................... .................. 5 Exhibit 2.2 Title VI Notice to the Public (English) .......................................................................... ........... 6 Exhibit 2.3 Title VI Notice to the Public (Spanish) .......................................................................... .......... 6 Exhibit 2.4 Title VI Notice to the Public (inside buildings) ................................................................. ....... 7 Exhibit 2.5 Title VI Notice to the Public (on vehicles) ...................................................................... ......... 8 Exhibit 3.1 Title VI Complaint Form (English: front) ......................................................................... ...... 11 Exhibit 3.2 Title VI Complaint Form (English: back) .......................................................................... ...... 12 Exhibit 3.3 Title VI Complaint Form (Spanish: front) ......................................................................... ..... 13 Exhibit 3.4 Title VI Complaint Form (Spanish: back) .......................................................................... ..... 13 Exhibit 4.1 Title VI Investigations, Lawsuits, and Complaints Summary Table ........................................ 15 Exhibit 5.1 Location of Service Area ......................................................................................... ............. 16 Exhibit 5.2 Racial Breakdown of Total Population of Service Area ......................................................... 17 Exhibit 5.3 Languages Spoken at Home (Population 5 years and over) .................................................. 18 Exhibit 5.4 Total Population by Census Tract ................................................................................. ........ 19 Exhibit 5.5 Hispanic/Latino Population by Census Block Group ............................................................. 20 Exhibit 5.6 LEP Spanish-Speaking Population by Census Block Group .................................................... 21 Exhibit 5.7 School English Learner (EL) Population ........................................................................... ..... 24 Exhibit 7.1 Language spoken by staff role .................................................................................... ......... 33 Exhibit 7.2 Beneficial materials to assist with LEP communication ........................................................ 34 Exhibit 7.3 Minority vs. non-minority rider trip purpose ..................................................................... ... 35 Exhibit 7.4 Hispanic/Latino vs non-Hispanic/Latino trip purpose ........................................................... 35 Exhibit 7.5 Languages spoken by stakeholder clientele/members ......................................................... 36 Exhibit 8.1 Sample Language Identification Guide ............................................................................. .... 39 Exhibit 8.2 Implementation Plan .............................................................................................. ............. 44 Exhibit 9.1 Non-Elected Committee Membership.................................................................................. 45 Exhibit 12.1 City Council Adopting Resolution ................................................................................ ....... 49 Exhibit 13.1 Vehicle Load Standards........................................................................................... ........... 50 Exhibit 13.2 Vehicle Headway Standards ....................................................................................... ........ 50

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Section 1 | Introduction

The City of Simi Valley operates Simi Valley Transit. The purpose of the City of Simi Valley Title VI Program is as follows:

a. Ensure that the level and quality of public transportation service is provided in a non- discriminatory manner;
b. Promote the full and fair participation in public transportation decision-making without regard to race, color, or national origin; and
c. Ensure the meaningful access to transit-related programs and activities by persons with limited English proficiency.

Pursuant to the Federal Transit Administration's Circular FTA C 4702.1B dated October 1, 2012, Simi Valley Transit is subject to the General Requirements of Chapter III and the system-wide service standards and system-wide service policies set forth for Fixed-Ro ute Transit Providers in Chapter IV. The remaining requirements of Chapter IV are not applicable because Simi Valley Transit does not meet the threshold of operating 50 or more fixed route vehicles in peak serv ice and is not located in an Urbanized Area with a population of 200,000 or greater.

Description of Transit Service
The City of Simi Valley's transit service operates almost exclusively in the City of Simi Valley, as identified in the following map.

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Exhibit 1.1 Simi Valley Transit System Map

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Simi Valley Transit’s Route 10 is specifically designed to improve access to transportation services between Ventura County bus transportation systems and the LA Metro bus system.

Exhibit 1.2 Simi Valley Transit Route 10 Service Area Map

Fixed-route service is provided from 5:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m., with headways (frequency) ranging from 30 minutes during peak hours to 129 minutes on Saturday. Three routes operate Monday through Saturday. Service does not operate on Sunday or designated holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day).

Exhibit 1.3 Simi Valley Transit Service Information
Route Service Days Service Span Minimum
Frequency
Maximum
Frequency
Route
Duration
Number of
Vehicles
Route 10 Mon. – Fri. 5:00 a.m. – 8:08 p.m. 38 min. 100 min. 62 min. 2 Sat. 5:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. 129 min. 62 min. 1
Route 20 Mon. – Sat. 5:30 a.m. – 8:05 p.m. 30 min. 68 min. 54 – 64 min. 2 Route 30 Mon. – Sat. 5:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. 30 min. 60 min. 2

All transit vehicles are fully wheelchair accessible and equipped with bicycle racks. Reduced fares are available for seniors age 65 years and older, persons with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders. The base price for a one-way trip is $1.50.

Exhibit 1.4 Simi Valley Transit Fixed-Route Fares
Fare Type Regular (Full) Fare Reduced Fare
Single trip $1.50 $0.75
Unlimited day pass $5.00 $2.50
21-ride pass $25.00

25-ride pass $15.00
Unlimited monthly pass $50.00 $25.00

Children five years and younger ride free with a fare-p aying parent, guardian, or responsible person age 12 and older. Personal care attendants may accomp any ADA-certified passengers for free. Simi Valley Transit also accepts the VCTC 31-Day Pass.
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Complementary ADA and Senior Paratransit service is provided to locations within ¾ mile of the fixed- route service. The service operates Monday through F riday from 5:15 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 5:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. The one-way fare of two dollars is required of all passengers except personal care attendants for ADA-certified customers.

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Section 2 | Title VI Notice and Locations

Title VI Notice to the Public
The City of Simi Valley Title VI Notice to the Public is currently posted at the locations identified in Exhibit

2.1. Exhibit 2.1 Noticing Locations
Location Address
Simi Valley City Hall 2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley Senior Center 3900 Avenida Simi
Simi Valley Transit 490 W. Los Angeles Avenue
Onboard fixed-route and paratransit vehicles
Simi Valley Transit website https://www.simivalley.org/departments/public- works/simi-valley-transit

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Exhibit 2.2 Title VI Notice to the Public (English)

Exhibit 2.3 Title VI Notice to the Public (Spanish)

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Exhibit 2.4 Title VI Notice to the Public (inside buildings)

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Exhibit 2.5 Title VI Notice to the Public (on vehicles)

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Section 3 | Title VI Complaint Procedures and Form

The City of Simi Valley/Simi Valley Transit is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its services on the basis of race, color or national origin as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended:

x No person or group of persons will be discriminated against with regard to routing, scheduling, or quality of transportation service that Simi Valley Transit furnishes, on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
x Frequency of service, age, and quality of Simi Valley Transit vehicles assigned to routes, quality of bus stops and location of routes will not be determined on the basis of race, color or national origin.

The Complaint Form and Complaint Procedures are available in English and Spanish.

How to File a Complaint
Any person who believes he or she has, individually or as a member of any specific class of persons, been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin may file a Title VI complaint with the City of Simi Valley. The complaint should be submitted by the complainant or his/her designee as soon as possible, but must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination.

The City of Simi Valley's Title VI Complaint Form (Exhibits 3.1-3.4) may be used to detail the complaint, but is not mandatory. Complaint forms may be obtained by calling (805) 583-6739. The City will provide appropriate assistance to complainants who are limited in their ability to communicate in English. Written complaints may be sent to:

City of Simi Valley
Attn: Title VI Officer/Risk Manager
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063

In addition to filing under the Title VI complaint process at the City of Simi Valley, a complainant may file a Title VI complaint with the Federal Transit Administration, Office of Civil Rights, Region IX, 201 Mission Street, Suite 1650, San Francisco, California 94105-1839.

How Complaints are Processed
All complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in services provided by the City of Simi Valley will be investigated promptly. The City will acknowledge, in writing, the receipt of the complaint within ten (10) business days. Based upon the receipt of all information required, the investigation will be completed within ninety (90) cale ndar days of receipt. If the City submits a written request to the complainant to provide additional information, the receipt of additional relevant information may expand the timing of the complaint resolution.

Upon conclusion of the Title VI Officer's investigation, he/she will issue one of two letters to the complainant: a closure letter or a letter of finding (L OF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and 15

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states that there was not a Title VI violation and that the case will be closed. An LOF summarizes the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident, and explains whether any disciplinary action, additional training of the staff member, or other action will occur. If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision, she/he has 10 business days after the date of the letter or the LOF to do so.

Title VI Investigations, Complaints and Lawsuits
To ensure compliance with 49 CFR, Section 21.9(b), the Title VI Officer maintains a log of any active investigations conducted by entities other than FTA, lawsuits, or complaints naming the City of Simi Valley/Simi Valley Transit that allege discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The log includes the date that the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint was filed; a summary of the allegations(s); the status of the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint; and actions taken by the City of Simi Valley in response to the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint. The City’s log for the prior three fiscal years is available in Section 4.

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Exhibit 3.1 Title VI Complaint Form (English: front)

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Exhibit 3.2 Title VI Complaint Form (English: back)

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Exhibit 3.3 Title VI Complaint Form (Spanish: front)

Exhibit 3.4 Title VI Complaint Form (Spanish: back)
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Section 4 | Title VI-related Investigations, Complaints, and Lawsuits

Per Federal Transit Administration Circular 4702.1B, “all recipients are required to prepare and maintain a list of any of the following that allege discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin”:

x Active investigations conducted by FTA and entities other than FTA, x Lawsuits, and
x Complaints naming the recipient (i.e., Simi Valley Transit and/or City of Simi Valley).

Since the development of the prior Title VI Program, there have been no complaints naming the City of Simi Valley/Simi Valley Transit resulting from perceived discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin with respect to service or other transit benefits. Any additional complaints requiring investigation as potential Title VI complaints will be logged using the following matrix.

During the prior three years there was one complaint wh ich was determined not to be Title VI-related, but was instead related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Exhibit 4.1 Title VI Investigations, Lawsuits, and Complaints Summary Table Case/
Reference
Number
Date

MM/DD/YYYY
Summary (include basis of complaint: race, color, or
national origin)
Current
Status
Action(s)
Taken
Active Investigations
None
Lawsuits
None
Complaints

4. Harding,
Nathan 10/27/2022
Alleges disability discrimination for his children while utilizing transit services on 1) October 26, 2022, 2)
October 27, 2022, 3) November 3, 2022, and 4) May
2022. Determined not to be a Title VI complaint.

Closed Training

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Section 5 | Demographic Analysis of the Service Area

Description of Service Area
Simi Valley is located in the southeastern corner of Ventura County. It is surrounded by the Santa Susana mountain range and the Simi Hills. The primary arterial is State Highway 118, which travels east-to-west through the city. Simi Valley is also served by Metrolink and Amtrak rail via the Simi Valley Station.

Exhibit 5.1 Location of Service Area

The service area for Simi Valley Transit includes the City of Simi Valley as well as the Chatsworth Metrolink Station and Moorpark College. Only Route 10 serves destinations in Chatsworth and Moorpark as part of this intercity route. For the purposes of this Title VI Program, the City of Simi Valley is considered to be the service area.

Service Area Demographics
The service area demographic analysis describes Title VI-protected populations residing within Simi Valley Transit’s service area, including their approximate size and geographic distribution. Title VI-protected populations within the Simi Valley Transit service area include racial minorities and LEP persons. Specific groups considered include Hispanic/Latino residents and Spanish-speaking residents.

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The American Community Survey includes demographic and socio-economic data at various levels on multiple topics. For the purposes of this Title VI program, our assessment utilized the population estimates provided within the City of Simi Valley’s geographic boundaries. Totals may not equal the sum of the individual races/ethnicities due to rounding. Based on this data, approximately 43 percent of residents indicate their race as being minority (e.g., not white alone).

Exhibit 5.2 Racial Breakdown of Total Population of Service Area

Race
City of Simi Valley
Estimate Percent
White alone 70,797 56.6%
Black or African American alone 2,700 2.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 564 0.5%
Asian alone 14,446 11.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 584 0.5% Some other race alone 14,506 11.6%
Two or more races 21,503 17.2%
Total 125,100 100.00%
Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 38,106 30.5%
Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

With respect to the census, it does not differentiate Hispanic/Latino as a separate race. Instead, it allows that a person of any race may identify as Hispanic or Latino. As such, the Hispanic/Latino population is presented separately from the racial breakdown. Approximately 30.5 percent of individuals identify as Hispanic or Latino.

As the American Community Survey data presented in Exhibit 5.3 reveals, 73.7 percent of Simi Valley residents spoke only English at home, while 26.3 percent spoke another language. The Safe Harbor Provision of Title VI requires that translation of vital documents into languages when either five percent of the population or 1,000 residents (whichever is less) speaks English “less than very well.” While this threshold does not automatically trigger the Safe Harbor Provision, it does trigger a closer evaluation of that language via a four-factor analysis.

A total of 9.1 percent of Simi Valley residents speak English “less than very well,” with Spanish (6,788 individuals/5.7 percent) being the most frequently cited language. Spanish is also the only language that meets the Safe Harbor threshold. Other languages with populations speaking English “less than very well” are presented in the table below.

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Exhibit 5.3 Languages Spoken at Home (Population 5 years and over) City of Simi Valley
Population Percent of
Total
Total Speak Only English 88,545 73.7%
Total Speak Language Other than English 31,561 26.3%
Total Speak English "very well" 20,611 17.2%
Total Speak English less than "very well" 10,950 9.1%
Speak English less than "very well" – Detail
Spanish 6,788 5.7%
Other Indo-European Languages 1,428 1.2%
Chinese 753 0.6%
Other Asian and Pacific Islander Languages 487 0.4%
Vietnamese 426 0.4%
Tagalog 417 0.4%
Russian, Polish, or Other Slavic Languages 166 0.1%
Korean 145 0.1%
Arabic 68 0.1%
German or Other West Germanic Languages 34 0.1%
French, Haitian, or Cajun 4 0.0%
Other and Unspecified Languages 234 0.2%
Source: 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables S1601 and C16001.

Changes to the data available through the American Community Survey have made it more difficult to identify potential LEP languages. For the 2023 ACS five-year estimates, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, Korean and German are identified individually. All other languages are grouped into three broad categories: Other Asian and Pacific Islander Languages, Other Indo-European Languages, and All Other Languages. These broad categories include the following languages (among others):

x Other Asian and Pacific Islander Languages: Japanese, Hmong, Khmer, Thai, Lao, Samoan, and Hawaiian.
x Other Indo-European Languages: French, Haitian, Italian, Portuguese, German, Yiddish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Persian/Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Nepali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada. x All Other Languages: Navajo, other native languages of North America, Hebrew, Amharic, Somali, Yoruba, Igbo, Swahili, and Hungarian.

Prior to 2016, the ACS provided a de tailed analysis of English proficiency for speakers of individual languages. Beginning in 2016, this data was st ill available at the state level and for several major metropolitan areas, but not for smaller locations such as Simi Valley. As a result, it is necessary to draw on other localized sources (such as English learner data, discussed later in this section) to identify language needs in the service area.

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Demographics by Census Block Group

Total Population
The census tracts with the greatest population are those which overlap with other geographies and only have a portion located within the city limits. These are located to the north and south of the city. Within the city, the greatest concentrations of population tend to be along Highway 118. Tracts with the lowest population are located in the southern portion of the city, primarily south of Royal Avenue.

Exhibit 5.4 Total Population by Census Tract

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Ethnicity
The Hispanic/Latino population of Simi Valley is significantly larger than any single racial group except for White. More than 30 percent of residents identify as Hispanic/Latino. With the exception of census tracts that overlap other geographies/jurisdictions, the Hispanic/Latino population is primarily concentrated in the center of Simi Valley, particularly in the western and southern portions of the city’s central area.

Service on Routes 10, 20, and 30 is provided in these areas.

Exhibit 5.5 Hispanic/Latino Population by Census Block Group

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LEP Populations
The census block groups with the highest Spanish-speaking LEP populations tend to be located on the edges of the city’s central area, mostly to the east. Some block groups with the highest LEP population are lower density areas, wherein LEP individuals may make up a higher percentage because the overall population is lower.

Exhibit 5.6 LEP Spanish-Speaking Population by Census Block Group

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English Learner Data
In order to better identify the LEP populations within the SVT service area, and to monitor/track changes in those groups, the City reviewed English Learner statistics for students within Simi Valley. Public schools within the California Department of Education (CDE ) must identify and quantify those students who are English Learners – students whose native tongue is a language other than English – as well as which language is their mother tongue. This data is available online via CDE’s DataQuest website, dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/.

The City accessed the available English Learner data for the 2023-2024 school year to complete its demographic assessment of the communities it provides service to, including what LEP populations exist and where these groups may be concentrated. Periodic review of this data enables the City to monitor which non-English languages (other than Spanish) are growing in order to provide appropriate language assistance services.

The Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) had 15,677 students enrolled during the 2023-2024 school year. Of those, 1,599 students (11.9 percent) were considered English Learners.

Consistent with data from the 2023 American Community Survey, the vast majority of English Learner students in the Simi Valley Unified School District speak Spanish (85.6 percent). The next largest non- English-speaking group cited is Persian/Farsi (2.25 percent of English Learners), followed by Vietnamese (1.23 percent of English Learners). As noted with respect to the American Community Survey, it is unlikely that any additional languages will trigger the Safe Harbor Provision prior to the next required updating of its Title VI Plan. Detailed counts and relative percentages for the Simi Valley Unified School District are presented in Exhibit 5.7.

Three schools were identified as having the highest percentage of English Learners: Berylwood Elementary (51.7 percent), Park View Elementary (41.4 percent), and Santa Susana Elementary (39.3 percent). For each of these schools, Spanish-speakers represented at least 90 percent of the English Learners in each school. Simi Valley High School had the highest conc entration of Persian/Farsi-speaking students with a total of five (representing 3.7 percent of English Learners at that campus). Vista Elementary had the highest concentration of Telugu-speaking students with a total of six (representing 10 percent of English Learners). Vista Elementary also had four Hindi-spe aking students, representing 6.7 percent of English Learners. No other campuses had more than three English Learners speaking any other language.

While 2023-2024 data provides a revealing snapshot of English learners in SVUSD, it is also helpful to look at trends across several years. English learners are considered to be English learners until they are reclassified as proficient in English. As a result, a downward trend in English learners can mean some are achieving proficiency and being reclassified, or alternately leaving the district. An increase in English learners would reflect new English learners moving into the district, which can be indicative of an increasing population of speakers of those languages in the community.

Spanish, which has the greatest number of English learners, had a net increase of approximately 4.5 percent over the past six years and a net increase of 0.19 percent over the last three years. Vietnamese experienced a net 38 percent decrease over the past three years, and a net 44 percent decline since 2018- 2019. Persian/Farsi has seen the grea test increase in the past three years, increasing by 68 percent between 2021-22 and 2023-2024. Russian has also experienced growth, increasing 55 percent in six years 28

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and 70 percent in the last three years. Arabic has also seen recent growth, increasing 27 percent in the last three years.

While some of these percentage increases may be large, it is important to remember that these represent changes in relatively small populations and merely indicate trends among school-age populations. Absent a larger trend, they are not large enough to impact the Safe Harbor threshold. 29

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Exhibit 5.7 School English Learner (EL) Population

Language TK K Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Ungraded Total Percent of Total
Spanish; Castilian 85 101 137 141 138 142 124 137 111 117 115 81 73 97 0 1,599 85.60% P e r s i a n ( F a r s i ) 45633233123223 0 4 2 2 . 2 5 % V i e t n a m e s e 31343051001011 0 2 3 1 . 2 3 %
Uncoded languages (Other non-
English languages) 00133101110046 0 2 1 1.12%
A r a b i c 12351211111000 0 1 9 1 . 0 2 %
P a n j a b i ; P u n j a b i 11132332101000 0 1 8 0 . 9 6 % R u s s i a n 21231201100112 0 1 7 0 . 9 1 %
P h i l i p p i n e l a n g u a g e s 10002312210111 0 1 5 0 . 8 0 % A r m e n i a n 25000110011010 0 1 2 0 . 6 4 %
P u s h t o ; P a s h t o 00200301100103 0 1 1 0 . 5 9 % T e l u g u 23301100000000 0 1 0 0 . 5 4 %
H i n d i 12220020001000 0 1 0 0 . 5 4 %
Mandarin (Putonghua, Guoyu) 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 8 0.43% G u j a r a t i 11013001000100 08 0 . 4 3 %
K o r e a n 01200110001010 07 0 . 3 7 %
T h a i 11001110000010 06 0 . 3 2 %
T a m i l 10202000000000 05 0 . 2 7 %
U r d u 11000100001001 05 0 . 2 7 %
M a l a y a l a m 12100000000000 04 0 . 2 1 %
I n d o n e s i a n 00010100010000 03 0 . 1 6 %
C a n t o n e s e 00010100100000 03 0 . 1 6 %
S y r i a c ( A s s y r i a n ) 00010000001000 02 0 . 1 1 % Mon-Khmer languages (Cambodian) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.11% H u n g a r i a n 00010010000000 02 0 . 1 1 %
U k r a i n i a n 00000001001000 02 0 . 1 1 %
F r e n c h 01001000000000 02 0 . 1 1 %
I t a l i a n 10000000000100 02 0 . 1 1 %
H e b r e w 00000001001000 02 0 . 1 1 %
P o l i s h 01000000000000 01 0 . 0 5 %
S w a h i l i 10000000000000 01 0 . 0 5 %
K a n n a d a 10000000000000 01 0 . 0 5 %
O r i y a 00010000000000 01 0 . 0 5 %
U n d e t e r m i n e d 00010000000000 01 0 . 0 5 %
P o r t u g u e s e 00000000000100 01 0 . 0 5 %
G e r m a n 00100000000000 01 0 . 0 5 %
R o m a n i a n ( R u m a n i a n ) 01000000000000 01 0 . 0 5 % 30

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Section 6 | Public Participation Plan

The City of Simi Valley's Mission Statement illustrates the City's commitment to community involvement and accessible government:

To deliver excellent service to our community by providing a safe and healthy living environment, sound fiscal management, responsive customer service, and an atmosphere that encourages community involvement and volunteerism through a local government that is accessible, efficient, and accountable to its citizens.

The City utilizes a variety of public participation models, including traditional and non-traditional public outreach formats. The following pages detail the mechanisms in place for the City to engage the public in the decision-making process, as well as the public outreach efforts undertaken since the last submission of the Title VI Plan to the Federal Transit Administration for review.

Summary of Ongoing Public Outreach

Traditional Public Outreach

1. City Council: The City of Simi Valley utilizes public meetings of the City Council to adopt annual Transit budgets, Program of Projects, transportation planning policies, service reductions, and fare increases as required by applicable Federal, State and local laws.

2. Transit-Focused Advisory Boards: The City Council appoints two members to the Ventura County Transportation Commission's (VCTC’s) Citizen's Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC). The CTAC serves as an advisory panel to VCTC. The Committee includes two non-elected members from each city and Ventura County, two at-large members, and one representative each from Camarillo Health Care District, Commission on Human Concerns, Developmental Disability, St.

John's Medical Center, Public Social Services Agency, and VCTC (as the Consolidated Transportation Services Agency/CTSA). The City also has an Americans with Disabilities Act Paratransit Advisory Committee, which ensures public input into the City related to the delivery of paratransit services to the disabled.

Section 9 depicts the racial membership of the aforementioned non-elected boards and commissions as self-identified by the membership.

3. Population-Targeted Advisory Boards: The City also has seven other advisory boards that provide community input opportunities from targeted populations that have an interest in transit services. While these boards are not focused on transit specifically, and therefore are not subject to the Title VI requirement for reporting racial diversity, they each represent sectors of the community that may use and/or are dependent on the transit services provided by the City. These boards allow for regular and consistent opportunities for community input into the City's decision- making process.

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x The Council on Aging's (COA’s) mission is to identify and serve the needs of Simi Valley seniors through the advocacy, development, support, funding, and implementation of programs, events and services that provide seniors with maximum independence, safety, security, health, and quality of life. (Adopted June 13, 2022) x The Youth Council focuses on issues affecting youth in the community and is comprised of 21 members and up to three alternatives. Each high school and middle school is represented on the Youth Council, as well as the community at large. x The Youth Employment Service Advisory Board is made up of representatives of government agencies, schools, employers, and community members at large to discuss employment issues that relate to youth.
x The four Neighborhood Councils are comprised of residents from defined geographic regions within the City. The Neighborhood Councils act as a link between City government and residents. They advise the City Council and Planning Commission on resident concerns, development projects, and other matters on which the City Council has specifically requested their input. They offer residents a regular opportunity to voice their concerns or ask questions about their neighborhood and city. They work within the City's government structure to develop ideas and recommendations for community concerns related to planning and development projec ts, public safety, traffic issues, community services, etc.

Transit staff members attend COA meetings to maintain strong lines of communication with senior and ADA ridership and allow for continuous feedback to strengthen the quality of services provided. The remaining City population-targeted advisory bodies have the ability to provide input on transit during public statements and have transit-related agenda items when appropriate.

Non-Traditional Public Outreach

1. Website and E-Notifications: The City uses it s website and e-notification system to publicize transit services, public meetings, community events, and opportunities for the public to share ideas and concerns. The e-notification system allows for targeted distribution of materials to community members interested in various subject areas. The targeted distribution allows staff to tailor messages for maximum effectiveness.

2. Social Media: The City utilizes its social media platforms to provide updates to the community about Transit-related items. In addition, social media platforms include a translation feature, which enables information to be translated into the reader’s selected language.

3. Simi Valley Television (SVTV): The City's public, education, and government (PEG) channel provides access to City Council and Planning Commission meetings through basic tier cable service and through streaming video on the City's website. It also provides for outreach opportunities through the community bulletin board which runs on the cable channel and provides a static listing of active postings on the City's website. The community bulletin board allows for multiple message impressions and the ability to redirect viewers to services and resources.

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4. Newsletters: The City Focus Newsletter is a monthly e-newsletter distributed to residents who opt-in via the E-Notify system. Its purpose is to keep residents informed about City programs and services, including Transit. The City's senior newsletter, Senior News, provides a direct mailing and emailing opportunity for seniors within the City. The monthly newsletter has the opportunity for transit information and resources in every issue.

5. Community Events and Partnerships: The City participates in a variety of community events focused on increasing awareness of, participation in, and access to City programs and services.

Through participation in these events, the City has enhanced its community partnerships with community organizations that focus on underserved populations.

6. Print Media: The Simi Valley Acorn newspaper is a weekly newspaper focused on the Simi Valley community. Available in both print and electronic editions, the Acorn also maintains a website, social media, and podcasts. The Acorn offers an important outreach and awareness tool for the City’s Transit program, whether through purchased advertising or earned media.

Summary of Completed Public Outreach

Access to Transit Information for LEP individuals

x Bilingual/Spanish staff is available to answer telephone inquiries for SVT fixed-route information and/or Americans with Disabilities/Dial-A-Ride information. x The Simi Valley Transit webpage features a “Select Language” widget that translates online text into the specified language. (However, it does not translate linked .pdf files into another language.)
x The following service information materials are currently available in both English and Spanish:
(1) fixed-route bus schedule information; (2) transit-related bulk-head information; (3) comment cards; (4) rider surveys; (5) Dial-A-Ride Application, (6) Senior and Disabled Transportation Service Brochure, (7) Fixed-Route Reduced Fare Identification Card Application, (8) Dial-A-Ride (DAR) E- Fare Program, (9) Title VI Complaint Procedures, (10) Title VI Complaint Form, and (11) Connect City-to-City Dial-A-Ride info flyer.
x The following materials are in the process of being translated into Spanish: (1) Bikes on Bus brochure, (2) Connect City to City Senior Dial-A-Ride Application, and (3) ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee Application.

Community Event Participation (2022-2025)
Simi Valley Transit traditionally participates in multiple community events, which historically reached between 350 and 500 community members each year pre-pandemic. Between 2022 and 2025, SVT participated in community events including Transit Travel Training, a Microtransit Community Meeting, annual Senior Health and Wellness Fairs, and annual Si mi Valley Street Fairs. SVT intends to continue participation in community events as more of them resume in the coming years.

Between 2022 and 2025, SVT also participated in ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee meetings, Council on Aging meetings, VCTC’s Unmet Transit Needs process, VCTC Commission Meetings, and VCTC’s Transit Operators Advisory Committee (TRANSCOM) meetings, all of which are open to the public.

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Boards and Commission Meetings

x The ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee meets quarterly in January, April, July and October. x The Citizen's Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) quarterly in January, April, July and October.
x The Council on Aging (COA) meets monthly and participates in the Unmet Transit Needs process annually.
x The four Neighborhood Councils participate annually in the Unmet Transit Needs process.

Service and Fare Changes
There were no services changes or fare changes made subsequent to the 2022 Title VI Plan Update.

Simi Valley Transit is launching a new Microtransit service in the Spring of 2025. The Microtransit service will offer flexible, on-demand transportation service designed to improve mobility within the city and fill gaps in the current transit system, offering point-to-point travel within designated zones. Community outreach included a meeting regarding this service on January 29, 2025, to inform attendees how the service would work and provide input on its development.

Outreach Requirements and Activities
The following activities are intended to serve as guidelines for each tier of outreach to ensure existing and future riders of Simi Valley Transit services are provided with equal access and opportunity to participate in public transit and transportation planning.

Baseline Tier – Minimum Outreach
“Baseline tier” activities include routine service, route, schedule, and system enhancements and revisions.

This tier also includes short-term projects (less than one year in duration) where potential impacts to Simi Valley Transit and its customers should be considered during planning phases. Examples include minor revisions to fixed-route schedules and minor route alignments or stop closures due to construction and/or events. This also includes updates to service branding and fare media and collateral.

x Notice for public events may include car cards, posters, email blasts, media releases to papers, and/or radio announcements as funding allows.
o Any notice for a public event will be posted at least one week prior to said event. x Notices may be posted at the City’s transit offices, at City Hall, onboard service vehicles, at bus stops/shelters as deemed appropriate, and at key community locations with which the City has a relationship.
x Whenever possible, information regarding public pa rticipation opportunities will also be posted on the City’s website at least two weeks prior to a public event. x Comments will be accepted via public outreach ev ents and by email, mail, and phone to ensure that all populations have the opportunity to participate.

Moderate Tier – Minimum Outreach
“Moderate tier” activities include projects involving a year or longer of development and/or implementation where impacts to existing and future riders must be considered. Examples include development and implementation of new/expanded services, development of Short Range Transit Plan, Bus Stop Infrastructure Plan, Marketing Plans, Transi t Master Plan, and facility/storage construction 34

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projects, etc. Any project within this tier to be conducted by a third-party (i.e., consultant or contractor) will include public participation requirements and criteria as part of the RFP process.

x All applicable Baseline Tier elements are included within Moderate Tier projects. x Unique notices/fliers will be developed and po sted a minimum of two weeks in advance for the following outreach activities (as deemed appropriate for each project):
o Focus group participation,
o Stakeholder discussions,
o Community surveying efforts, and
o Customer survey efforts.
x Where more than one workshop or meeting open to the public is planned, the workshops shall be scheduled throughout multiple day-parts (i.e., mornings, afternoons, and evenings) as funding and resources allow maximizing opportunity for participation. x Public participation events shall be held in central locations within walking distance of fixed- routes stops whenever feasible.
x Materials may be developed specifically for public participation including FAQ sheets, presentation slides, newsletters, and media releases.

Extensive Tier – Minimum Outreach
“Extensive tier” activities include projects involving multiple years of development and/or implementation where impacts to existing and future riders must be considered. Examples include Comprehensive Operational Analyses, development and construction of transit center/facilities, transit system redesign (complete overhaul of existing system and operations), transition of administration of services, etc. Any project within this tier to be conducted by a third-party (i.e., consultant or contractor) will include public participation requirements and criteria as part of the RFP process.

x All applicable Moderate Tier elements are included within Extensive Tier projects. x The City shall conduct expanded outreach to community stakeholders and business owners. x The City shall investigate the establishment of a transit-oriented committee to guide the development and implementation of the project and public participation. x The City shall expand regional entity participation, including but not limited to the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC), East County Transit Alliance (ECTA), Metrolink, Amtrak, Gold Coast Transit District, Moorpark Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, and County of Ventura, by seeking comments and participation in project meetings and planning activities.

Currently, the LEP Spanish-speaking population is the only quantifiable population within Simi Valley Transit’s service area that reflects limited English proficiency under the Safe Harbor Provision. The City will continue assessing the language needs of indi viduals in its service area through its Language Assistance Plan. Should another population with limited English proficiency reach or surpass population levels as defined by the FTA Title VI Circular 4702.1B (cu rrently five percent of the total service area population or 1,000 persons, whichever is less), the City will reassess this element of its Title VI program and the strategies presented below.

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Outreach Methods for Engaging Minority and Limited English Proficient Populations

Baseline Tier – Minimum Minority Outreach
x Notices will be bilingual or Spanish-language notices will be developed and posted alongside English notices.
x Spanish-language notices will be posted on all revenue vehicles and at bus shelters that have been identified as key destinations of Limited English Populations (LEP), if such information exists. x Event information on the Simi Valley Transit website will be posted in English and Spanish (or be able to be translated through use of the Google Translate widget). x The City will distribute event information to community groups and agencies that work with LEP populations, including faith communities.
x As identified in its Language Assistance Plan, the City contracts with an interpretation service to provide language assistance telephone customers that are non-English-speaking. x Spanish interpretation or translation at any public meetings or workshop will be provided by City staff as warranted, or a professional translator/interpreter if no qualified staff member is available.

Moderate Tier – Minimum Minority Outreach
x All applicable Baseline Tier elements are included within Moderate Tier projects. x The City will continue cultivating relationships with community agencies that serve LEP populations.
x Public outreach events may include attending existing community meetings and gatherings, such as school meetings, farmers markets, faith-based events, and other community activities, in order to invite participation from LEP populations which are not likely to attend City-hosted public events.

Extensive Tier – Minimum Minority Outreach
x All applicable Moderate Tier elements are included within Extensive Tier projects. x Translated notices will be sent to Spanish-language magazines, newspapers, and/or radio stations as they are identified.
x The City will ensure that professional non-English-language interpretation will be available at any public meeting or workshop associated with an Extensive Tier project as deemed appropriate and necessary.

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Section 7 | Four-Factor Analysis

The U. S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) requires public transit funding recipients to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to programs by limited English proficient (LEP) persons. As a recipient of federal funds, the City of Simi Valley must perform a Four-Factor Analysis to assess language needs and determine what steps it will take to ensure LEP persons can effectively access and utilize Simi Valley Transit services.

Estimating the number or proportion of LEP individuals that may be encountered by Simi Valley Transit will help further identify the populations covered by the USDOT’s Safe Harbor Provision. This provision stipulates that if an LEP group speaking a given non-English language constitutes five percent or 1,000 persons, whichever is less, of the total population of persons likely to be encountered by transit services, the service provider may be required to make the follo wing materials and services available to speakers of that language:

x Documents critical for accessing recipient’s services or benefits, x Letters requiring response from customer,
x Informing customers of free language assistance,
x Complaint forms, and
x Notification of rights.

The size of the population alone does not automatically trigger the Safe Harbor Provision. All four factors must be considered in determining whether a specific language should be included in an operator’s Language Access Plan. The four factors analyzed are discussed below.

Factor 1: The number or proportion of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by Simi Valley Transit services.

Factor 1 looks at the total number of persons with limited English proficiency eligible to be served by Simi Valley Transit. Given the City’s transit program is open to the general public, this factor looks at the total population of the transit service area, which is defined as the city of Simi Valley.

Simi Valley's total population is 125,100, with 120,106 individuals being age five years and over. Of that number, a total of 10,950 persons (9.1 percent) are id entified as having Limited English Proficiency. Of these persons 6,788 (5.7 percent) speak Spanish; 753 speak Chinese (0.6 percent), 426 (0.4 percent) speak Vietnamese; 417 speak Tagalog (0.4 percent), 487 speak other Asian and Pacific Islander languages (0.4 percent), and 1,428 speak other Indo -European languages (1.2 percent). (These last two groups include multiple languages, and as a result are not considered under the Safe Harbor guidelines.)

Factor 1 Finding
While Simi Valley Transit serves a diverse populatio n, historically, Spanish has been the primary non- English language in which customer interactions take place. Given the concentration of Spanish-speaking individuals who speak English less than “very well” (5.7 percent of the population), this continues to be the case. The Safe Harbor Provision calls for translation of written material for each LEP language group that constitutes five percent of the population or 1,000 individuals, whichever is less. Spanish qualifies as 37

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a Safe Harbor language with respect to both thresholds, and the City already treats it as such with respect to transit vital information given the high usage of the program by Spanish-speaking individuals.

Factor 2: The frequency with which LEP persons come into contact with the City’s transit services.

Factor 2 hones in on the frequency with which LEP individuals come into contact with the City’s transit services. This assessment relies on input from two sources: the riders themselves and transit program employees.

Customer Survey (2025)
In order to gain feedback from the riders, the City conducted a short rider survey from March 3-7, 2025.

The survey was made available in English and Spanish, and was available on the transit vehicles as well as online. The purpose of the survey was to determine what LEP individuals were riding Simi Valley Transit, as well as what fare media they used and whether they or others they knew faced any barriers to using transit due to language.

This effort resulted in the collection of 153 responses. Nearly 80 percent of respondents chose to take the survey in English, with the remainder taking the survey in Spanish. Surveys were collected onboard all routes during all day-parts.

As expected, English is the language most frequently spoken at home (77.8 percent). However, 20.8 percent said they speak Spanish at home. One re spondent indicated Farsi/Persian as the primary language spoken at home.

More than 78 percent of respondents indicated speaking English “very well.” Just over 15 percent said they spoke English less than “very well,” while nearly six percent said they did not speak English at all.

Spanish was the most frequently cited language spoken at home among those who speak English less than “very well” (16 responses). Six respondents indicated speaking English less than “very well” despite living in a household where English is spoken. Farsi/Persian was the only other language cited by those indicating they speak English less than “very well.” Among those who said they did not speak English at all, all respondents indicated living in Spanish-speaking households.

More than half of the survey participants (57.4 percent) indicated being a minority race or ethnicity.

Hispanic/Latino was the most common response (56.3 percent), followed by African American/Black (11.0 percent), Asian (8.8 percent), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Native American/Alaska Native (4.4 percent each).

Among the 108 respondents who said they spoke English less than “very well” and also identified their race/ethnicity, 48.1 identified as White, 21.3 percent identified as Hispanic/Latino, and 9.3 percent identified as Asian. Half of the respondents who said they did not speak English at all identified as Hispanic/Latino or declined to state their race or ethnicity.

From this information, we find there are LEP individuals utilizing Simi Valley Transit. Most of them speak Spanish, with the City already providing service information in this language.

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Staff Survey (2025)
Feedback from those who interact with Simi Valley Transit customers is also crucial, as such data cannot be represented in the census or other demographic documentation, and rider surveys only capture those who are willing to participate. Observations from drivers and customer service representatives (and other “front line” staff) can provide a more accurate view of interactions with LEP individuals that cannot be gained in other ways.

Among the 16 staff surveyed, more than 63 percent speak Spanish and 13 percent speak Tagalog.

Exhibit 7.1 Language spoken by staff role
Language Spoken Driver Customer Service/
Dispatcher
Supervisor/
Manager Other
Tagalog 2
Spanish 10 2 1 1
Some staff members may represent more than one role. As such, totals may not be entirely consistent with the paragraph above.

Staff indicated that Spanish-speaking customers are the most frequently encountered, indicated by 75 percent of respondents. Three respondents (19 percent) cited encountering customers speaking Chinese, while one respondent (6 percent) cited encountering customers speaking Tagalog.

Among the 14 respondents identifying as drivers, half indicated encountering five to 10 unique customers that do not speak English well in a given week. Another 21 percent said they encounter less than five unique customers, while 29 percent encounter more than 10 unique individuals each week. Respondents indicating less than five encountered primarily Spanish-speaking customers, with one indicating Chinese.

Those indicating five to ten said they encountered primarily Spanish-speaking customers but also some who spoke Tagalog and Chinese. Those indicting more than 10 only encountered Spanish-speaking customers.

Among the seven respondents who provided an answer to a similar question targeted to customer service representatives and dispatchers, 71 percent indicate d encountering fewer than five unique individuals that do not speak English well in a given week. Only one respondent each indicated encountering five to 10 or more than 10 such individuals.

Half of respondents (50 percent) indicated having occasional communication issues with Simi Valley Transit customers who do not speak English or do not speak English well. An additional 38 percent said they have no issues, while 13 percent indicated frequent issues. Respondents who said they spoke Spanish were most likely to have no communication issues (four responses). Respondents who speak only English were equally likely to have no or occasional issu es (two responses each), and Spanish-speaking and Tagalog-speaking employees also cited having occasional issues (four and two responses, respectively).

All respondents indicated additional materials to assist with communication with LEP individuals would be beneficial. Cell phone-based live-voice transl ation services (56 percent) and translated service brochures in multiple languages (31 percent) were top responses, followed by translation services through call center/dispatch (19 percent). Thirteen percent indicated translated online materials; however, the Simi Valley Transit website already features a translation widget which serves to translate the majority of 39

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service information available online. One driver expr essed concern about the use of translation tools, saying that using such tools would negatively impact on-time performance.

Exhibit 7.2 Beneficial materials to assist with LEP communication

When asked to describe the most common topics during which communication barriers arise, 69 percent of respondents indicated information about routes and destinations. This was followed by how to use the service (44 percent), where to get off or when destinations are reached (31 percent), and fares and how to pay (31 percent). Only one respondent said they had not experienced any language or communication barriers.

Factor 2 Finding
The 2025 customer survey and staff survey both confirmed that Spanish-speakers are the most likely LEP persons to come into contact with Simi Valley Transit. However, there is usage by LEP persons who speak other languages, including Chinese, Farsi/Persian, and Tagalog. Given the frequency of usage by Spanish- speaking LEP individuals, it is essential the City continue to provide vital documents and service information in Spanish, to ensure compliance with the Safe Harbor Provision as well as to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking LEP customers. Providing information in other languages can be done as feasible, but would likely be utilized by a modest population of riders.

Factor 3: The nature and importance of the City’s transit services to affected LEP populations.

Factor 3 assesses the important of transit services within LEP populations located within the service area.

In this factor, we look at the reasons why LEP individuals use transit, and the potential effects of their inability to access transit because of language barriers.

Customer Survey (2025)
The customer survey conducted in 2025 showed that riders use transit to access essential destinations and services. Minority riders (defined as riders who indicated a race other than white), which represented

60.1 percent of the survey sample, were most likely to use Simi Valley Transit to access school or work.

Non-minority riders (those who indicated their race as white) were more likely to access the service for work and other uses, including social/recreational activities and shopping. 56%
31%
19%
13%
13%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Cell phone-based live-voice translation services such as Google Translate
Translated service brochures or brochures in multiple
languages
Translation services through call center/dispatch
Translated online materials
"I speak" cards or common phrase cards
No additional materials/services are needed n = 16
40

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Exhibit 7.3 Minority vs. non-minority rider trip purpose

Riders were also asked, in a separate question, if they identified as Hispanic or Latino. Approximately 57 percent of respondents indicated identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic/Latino riders were slightly more likely to use Simi Valley Transit for school, work, and healthcare, and slightly less likely to use the service for other purposes.

Exhibit 7.4 Hispanic/Latino vs non-Hispanic/Latino trip purpose

As noted in current and prior outreach efforts, the Spanish-speaking LEP population within the Simi Valley Transit service area is more likely to be transit-de pendent than other populations. This is through a combination of factors including language barriers, income, and lack of transportation choices. Therefore, SVT service is deemed to be of significant importance to the Spanish-speaking LEP population with respect to mobility and accessibility. It remains crucial that the City maintain its rigorous standards for accessibility of not only the services offered, but the related service information and notices regarding changes to same. Overall, feedback from City and SVT staff and the general public indicate that while there may be multiple non-English speaking populatio ns throughout the service area, Spanish speakers

22.8%

43.5%

6.5% 6.5% 9.8% 8.7% 5.4%

36.1%

42.6%

18.0%

11.5%

19.7%

11.5%

18.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%
Work School Social or
recreational
activity
Business
appointment/
other errand
Shopping Healthcare Other
Minority riders Non-minority riders

31.3%

48.8%

10.0% 7.5%

12.5% 11.3% 10.0%

29.5%

44.3%

13.1% 11.5%

16.4%

9.8%

14.8%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%
Work School Social or
recreational
activity
Business
appointment/
other errand
Shopping Healthcare Other
Hispanic/Latino Not Hispanic/Latino
41

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are most likely to depend on SVT and face language- related barriers to using the City’s public transit services. In terms of outreach, it is important the City continue its efforts to address language-related barriers faced by the local LEP populations, such as ensuring key written materials such as rider information are translated into Spanish, and that bilingual staff members are available as needed.

Stakeholder Survey (2025)
In order to gain additional information about the im portance of Simi Valley Transit services to LEP communities, we reached out to 19 local organizations with a stakeholder survey. Stakeholders marked with an asterisk (*) returned a completed survey.

x Adventist Health Simi Valley
x Boys and Girls Club of Simi Valley
x Christian Church of Simi Valley
x Cornerstone Church
x Filipino Community of Ventura County, Inc.
x Free Clinic of Simi Valley*
x Islamic Society of Simi Valley
x Kaiser Permanente
x Rainbow Connection Family Resource Center
x Saint Peter Claver Catholic Parish
x Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church
x Sierra Vista Family Medical Clinic
x Simi Valley Adventist Church
x Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce/Simi Valley Hispanic Business Alliance x Simi Valley Mandir ICC - India Heritage Club
x Simi Valley Public Library*
x Simi Valley Senior Center*
x Simi Valley Unified School District
x Simi Valley Youth Council

Of the three organizations, one provides health services and two are municipal organizations.

Spanish is the most common language encountered by stakeholders, with 100 percent of organizations having Spanish-speaking clients or members. Tagalog and Persian were each cited by one-third of the organizations.

Exhibit 7.5 Languages spoken by stakeholder clientele/members Language Frequency Percentage
Persian 1 33%
Spanish 3 100%
Tagalog 1 33%

Stakeholders reported varying language barriers, with one organization indicating language barriers occur occasionally, one indicated rarely, and one indicated often.

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Two-thirds of respondents indicated their clients/members use Simi Valley Transit. Of those, one said fewer than 25 percent of those transit users are non- native English speakers and the other said 51-75 percent. None of these organizations were aware of any barriers to using public transit caused by a language barrier.

Two-thirds of the stakeholders surveyed offer translation services, including in Persian (1) and Spanish (2).

This provides potential opportunity to partner wi th stakeholders when conducting outreach to LEP populations.

Factor 3 Finding
Factor 3 confirmed again that Spanish is the most prevalent language in Simi Valley, and that the transit service is important to many Spanish-speaking customers. Hispanic/Latino and other minority riders use Simi Valley Transit to access essential destinations, including work and school, at a higher rate than other trip purposes. The Factor 3 analysis also reinforced that there are persons speaking multiple languages in Simi Valley. While 67 percent of stakeholders said their clients or members use transit, they do not report any language barriers to using transit.

Factor 4: The resources available to the recipient for LEP outreach, as well as the costs associated with that outreach.

Factor 4 is different from the other factors, as it looks at the capacity and ability of the transit operator to conduct outreach to LEP populations. As noted in Factor 1, the Spanish-speaking LEP population is sufficiently large that the City must take measures to minimize language barriers faced by this group. As a result, the City offers access to Spanish-language versions of documents vital to the use of the transit system as well as access to Spanish-speaking employees or use of a third-party real-time translator for verbal information.

Of the additional languages identified through the four-factor analysis (i.e., Chinese, Tagalog, and Persian), none meet either criteria under the Safe Harbor Provision, even though some LEP members of these populations do utilize Simi Valley Transit. As such, the City is not required to provide vital documents in these languages. However, the City does have transit staff members who speak another language, including Spanish and Tagalog.

Factor 4 Finding
It is the City’s responsibility to ensure vital documents and essential service information (including verbal inquiries) in Spanish are provided. While there may be some cost involved, none of the recommended strategies exceed the City’s likely resources. Providing information in languages other than Spanish, while not required, should be undertaken as resources allow to facilitate use of the transit system by other LEP individuals. Existing or future staff members who speak languages encountered by customer-facing personnel should be called upon to provide interpretation whenever possible.

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Section 8 | Language Assistance Plan

This Language Assistance Plan was developed concurrent with the City of Simi Valley’s Title VI Program to ensure Simi Valley Transit services are accessible to Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Right Act is one of two federal mandates that guarantee the provision of meaningful access to federally-funded services for LEP individuals:

x Title VI of the 1964 Civil Right Act prohibits federally-funded agencies from discriminating against individuals based on race, color, and national origin and includes meaningful access to LEP customers.
x President’s Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency” (August 11, 2000), instructs federal agencies to improve access to services by mandating that any federally conducted or assisted programs of activities (e.g., recipients of federal funding) must provide meaningful access to LEP customers.

The City of Simi Valley Title VI Program was original ly prepared in August 2019 in accordance with FTA Circular 4702.1B, Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients, October 1, 2012.

The City’s Title VI Program Administrator is:

Ron Fuchiwaki, Public Works Director
City of Simi Valley
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063
(805) 583-6808
Email: [email protected]

Additional information regarding the Simi Valley Transit Title VI Program is available at:
https://www.simivalley.org/departments/public-works/simi-valley-transit.

Language Assistance Goals
One of the overarching goals of the City’s Title VI Program is to provide meaningful access for LEP customers to Simi Valley Transit services, information, and materials through the creation of a Language Assistance Plan and by periodic evaluation of the associated outreach methods and strategies.

Language Service Provision

Bilingual Services
Whenever possible, the City will use bilingual employees to address the needs of LEP individuals. The City maintains a list of designated bilingual/Spanish employees for City Hall, the Public Services Center (PSC), and the Police Department. These employees can be called up to speak with customers in person or by phone in Spanish. In addition, Spanish-speaking transit employees will interact with Spanish-speaking LEP customers in their language as needed. Bilingual employees who speak other languages will provide support as available.

Interpretation/Translation Services
44

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When no Spanish-speaking employees are available, or if verbal communication is needed in a language other than Spanish, the City utilizes a third-party telephone interpretation service (TeleLanguage) to provide real-time interpretation. The City is currently in the process of getting transit employees trained in its use.

Drivers and other customer-facing personnel will be provided with a language guide to help identify languages used by LEP individuals. The guide offers a phrase such as “I speak [language]” or “point to the language you speak” in that language, with an identifier in English so the driver or other personnel can identify the language. This will enable use of telephonic interpretation as well as assist in the documentation of the LEP assistance provided for future updates to the Language Assistance Plan.

Exhibit 8.1 Sample Language Identification Guide

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Real-time interpretation at public events will be determined on a case-by-case basis by examining several factors:

x The type and size of the event,
x The availability of a City staff member to interpret, or x The availability of a staff member of a host organization to interpret.

For small outreach events, such as Baseline Tier activities, proactive outreach, or smaller transit awareness events, bilingual staff members will assist with translation where appropriate and feasible, or professional interpreters may be retained if no staff member is available. For Moderate and High Tier public outreach events, where it is appropriate and necessary to do so, the City may arrange for a professional interpreter.

Before utilizing in-house staff for translation of vital documents or interpretation at public events, the City will develop a policy regarding evaluation of the competency of potential translators or interpreters. Not all individuals who speak a language have the ability to accurately translate vital documents or interpret technical language, so knowing which of the City’s employees has these abilities and having a policy in place will assist in the City’s decisions regarding the engagement of professional translators or interpreters.

Translation of Vital Documents
Based on the results of the Four Factor Analysis, the following vital documents and relevant information will be made available in Spanish, the only identified LEP language within the Simi Valley Transit service area. (Items marked with an asterisk are in the process of being translated into Spanish.)

Vital Documents

1. Title VI Program
x Title VI Notice to the Public
x Complaint form
x Complaint procedures (online using a Google Translate widget)

2. Service Information
x Fixed-route service brochures
x Dial-A-Ride handbook
x Online service information (using a Google Translate widget) x Onboard notices related to service information
x Comment card
x ADA and senior transportation brochure
x Dial-A-Ride application
x Reduced fare application

Additional considerations

1. All translated vital documents will be posted on the Simi Valley Transit website.

2. Specific customer communications (such as letters) will be provided in both English and Spanish, or in another language if the letter is addressed to a specific individual who is known to have limited English proficiency.

3. The City will ensure all translations are done professionally prior to being made available to the public. If possible, all translated materials should be reviewed by a native speaker familiar with 46

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transportation-related terminology to ensure the translation accurately reflects idiomatic language as well as language conventions of the local population.

In the future, the City will translate and produce written documents on a case-by-case basis, after assessing all elements presented in the Four-Factor Analysis. If deemed a vital document under the Safe Harbor Provision, the relevant information will be translated into Spanish.

Strategies for Future Consideration
While the strategies listed above include all necessary actions for Title VI compliance, the City may wish to consider the following non-essential activities as time and resources allow. While low priority, they would enhance the City’s ability to better serve its LEP populations that do not meet the Safe Harbor threshold.

x Actively recruit bilingual customer service and dispatch employees, particularly those who speak Spanish.
x Provide customer-facing personnel with the opportunity to learn basic Spanish, either through subsidizing enrollment in a language class or providing resources such as “Basic Spanish for Transit Employees.”
x Create “evergreen” service information guides in Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Persian/Farsi. These guides would not include fare or specific service information (which would require more frequent updating) but could include rules of the road, pass information, regional connections, holidays, etc. They could be provided along with the English service brochure and/or refer to information on the website (which includes a translation feature). x Prepare videos on how to ride the bus that can be maintained on the City’s website. These can be created in English and either subtitled or voiced over in Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Persian/Farsi to provide additional information to current and future LEP customers.

Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the LAP
A thorough review of this Language Assistance Plan will be undertaken every three years concurrent with updating and submitting the City’s Title VI Program. At that time, the LEP population will be reassessed to ensure all significant LEP languages are included in the City’s language assistance efforts. The following reoccurring reporting and evaluation measures will be used to update the Language Assistance Plan.

The City of Simi Valley will regularly assess the effectiveness of how it communicates with LEP individuals by:

x Including questions about language assistance and information needs on any community surveys; x Holding conversations with stakeholders, organizations, and entities which work with LEPs; and x Conducting as-needed outreach with LEP groups.

The City will monitor its language assistance efforts, including:

x Recording and reporting on customer service interactions with LEP individual, x Reviewing any applicable interpretation service reports, x Incorporating discussion of Title VI into regular operations meetings, and x Updating the Language Assistance Plan based on public feedback. 47

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Should this monitoring of the City’s language assistance efforts identify any challenges or deficiencies, the City will refine its existing customer service procedures to address specific Title VI issues.

Staff Training
During the orientation and training period, new hire dispatchers who do not speak Spanish are trained to report Spanish-language calls to the supervisor on duty. The supervisor then contacts a Spanish- speaking representative from the PSC Department to take the call, or the supervisor will take the call themselves if they are Spanish-speaking.

With respect to the third-party telephonic translation service, dispatch and customer service staff training will include instructions on how to use the service. If the service is used infrequently, “refresher” training will be conducted annually.

Given the increasing presence of other languages in the Simi Valley Transit service area, additional training will be conducted specific to Title VI across the next three years. This includes ensuring all staff have an understanding of Title VI and what types of protections it affords. This will help staff recognize Title VI- related requests as well as provide deeper understanding of what protections Title VI offers and what it does not cover.

Dispatchers and customer service representatives, as well as other staff as deemed necessary, will receive training in:

x How to respond to LEP callers,
x How to respond to correspondence from LEPs,
x How to respond to LEP customers in person,
x How to document LEP needs,
x How to identify a complaint as a civil rights/Title VI issue, and x How to respond to civil rights complaints.

Drivers will also receive additional training regarding how to effectively interact with LEP customers onboard transit vehicles, as well as how to document encounters and requests for information. Drivers and other customer-facing personnel will receive training on the language guide cited above as part of their initial training, and “refresher” training will be provided annually.

Four-Factor Analysis Findings
Considering the significant population of persons speaking Spanish who speak English less than “very well,” combined with this population’s propensity to use transit in Simi Valley, the City should provide vital documents and service information in Spanish per the Safe Harbor Provision.

The following specific documents used by the City of Simi Valley are available in English and Spanish, with the documents either posted to the website or directions on how to obtain the documents posted to the website:

x Title VI Notice to the Public
x Complaint form
48

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x Complaint procedures (online using a Google Translate widget) x Fixed-route service brochures
x Dial-A-Ride handbook
x Online service information (using a Google Translate widget) x Onboard notices related to service information
x Comment card
x ADA and senior transportation brochure
x Dial-A-Ride application
x Reduced fare application.

Implementation Plan
The matrix below presents an implementation Plan for ensuring the Language Assistance Plan is effectively and efficiently implemented.

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Exhibit 8.2 Implementation Plan
Goal Task Date
Assess LEP population in
Simi Valley Transit
service area
Demographic analysis Completed FY 2025
Staff survey Completed FY 2025
Stakeholder survey Completed FY 2025
Onboard (rider) survey Completed FY 2025
Title VI Four-Factor Analysis Completed FY 2025
Develop Language
Assistance Procedures
Refine existing customer service procedures to
better address Title VI complaints and concerns As needed Develop City policy regarding competency of Title VI
translations and interpreters FY 2025
Staff training
Identify Simi Valley Transit staff with likely contact
with LEP individuals Completed FY 2025
Develop Title VI training program for Simi Valley
Transit employees FY 2025
Train Simi Valley Transit staff regarding Title VI and
LEP customer service procedures Ongoing
Develop Title VI refresher training schedule for
employees FY 2025
Develop Language Guide FY 2025
Notification to LEP
persons of Title VI rights
and materials
Inventory existing notification methods and/or
locations Completed FY 2025
Post Title VI notices in English and Spanish in public
locations Completed FY 2025
Ensure all vital documents are professionally
translated into Spanish Completed FY 2023
Ensure service information is professionally
translated into Spanish and readily available Completed FY 2023 Undertake targeted outreach to LEP populations Ongoing
Implement low-priority strategies to enhance access
by non-Spanish-speaking LEP individuals.

As resources are
available
Monitor and update
Language Assistance
Plan
Develop process for obtaining feedback on language
assistance measures and monitor FY 2020; ongoing
Regularly review ACS and Census demographic data Completed FY 2025 Receive and review feedback from interpretation
providers Ongoing
Incorporate discussion of Title VI into regular
meetings with operations contractor Ongoing
Update Language Assistance Plan based on feedback
received Ongoing

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Section 9 | Membership of Non-Elected Committees and Councils

City of Simi Valley has established or participates in two non-elected committees, the CTAC and the ADA Paratransit Committee, to provide public input into the City’s transit programs.

The Citizen’s Transit Advisory Committee (CTAC) serves as an advisory panel to the Ventura County Transportation Commission. The Committee includes two non-elected members from each city and Ventura County, two at-large members, and one representative each from Camarillo Health Care District, Commission on Human Concerns, Developmental Disability, St. John's Medical Center, Public Social Services Agency, and VCTC (as the Consolidated Transportation Services Agency/CTSA). The City is responsible for appointing two representatives and one alternate, for a total of three members. All members must be residents of Simi Valley. However, because the City does not have control on appointing members, this requirement to provide information regarding the racial/ethnic identities of CTAC members does not apply to the City of Simi Valley.

The ADA Paratransit Advisory Committee consists of seven individuals who hold quarterly public meetings to review and discuss ADA Paratransit issues such as service policies, service availability, accessibility, safety, and training. Members must be residents of Simi Valley and meet at least one of the following criteria to serve on the committee:

x Have an ADA disability,
x Live in a household with someone with an ADA disability, or x Are associated with an agency supporting the disabled.

A summary of the racial/ethnic identities of committee members is provided in Exhibit 9.1.

Exhibit 9.1 Non-Elected Committee Membership
ADA Paratransit
Total Count 7
American Indian Count 0
Percent 0.0%
Asian Count 0
Percent 0.0%
African American Count 0
Percent 0.0%
Hispanic/Latino Count 1
Percent 14.3%
Caucasian Count 6
Percent 85.7%
Decline to State Count 0
Percent 0.0%

The City uses its website, public postings, press re leases, email, community bulletin board postings, and announcements at various meetings to recruit potential members for these committees. Spanish- language information is posted to attract minority applicants. 51

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Section 10 | Subrecipient Monitoring

The City of Simi Valley has no subrecipients, and therefore does not have a developed monitoring program.

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Section 11 | Title VI Equity Analysis

The City of Simi Valley has not constructed any new facilities since the submission of its last Title VI program, and therefore was not required to conduct an equity analysis.

Title VI regulations require the completion of an Equity Analysis whenever a recipient or subrecipient begins planning the location and construction of a new transit facility (not including bus shelters, transit stations, power substations, or other facilities already evaluated through NEPA).

In January 2024, the Simi Valley City Council approved a conceptual plan for a Transit Center at the intersection of Tapo Canyon Road and Avenida Simi. By implementing the transit center, the City will make transit service more convenient and safer, and, at the same time, help implement the zero- emissions mandate. It will also reduce the need for the City funds to make these improvements by maximizing state grant funds. A Title VI Equity Analysis for this site will be not be required if the development of the Transit Center is evaluated through NEPA.

If in the future the City begins planning for the development and construction of a new transit facility that does not require a NEPA evaluation, it will conduct an equity analysis prior to the selection of a construction site inclusive of the Title VI requirements below:

a. The City shall complete a Title VI equity analys is during the planning stage with regard to where a project is located or sited to ensure the location is selected without regard to race, color, or national origin. The City shall engage in outreach to persons potentially impacted by the siting of facilities. The Title VI equity analysis shall compare the equity impacts of various siting alternatives, and the analysis shall occur before the selection of the preferred site. b. When evaluating locations of facilities, the City shall give attention to other facilities with similar impacts in the area to determine if any cumulati ve adverse impacts might result. Analysis shall be done at the Census tract or block group where appropriate to ensure that proper perspective is given to localized impacts.
c. If The City determines that the location of the project will result in a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, or national origin, the City may only locate the project in that location if there is a substantial legitimate justification for locating the project there, and where there are no alternative locations that would have a less disparate impact on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The City shall show how both tests are met; it is important to understand that in order to make this showing, the City must consider and analyze alternatives to determine whether those alternatives would have less of a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and then implement the least discriminatory alternative.

The equity analysis shall be completed and submitted as part of the City of Simi Valley’s next Title VI Program update.

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Section 12 | City Council Adopting Resolution

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Exhibit 12.1 City Council Adopting Resolution

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Section 13 | Fixed-Route Transit Provider Title VI Requirements

Recipients of Federal transit funding which operate less than 50 fixed-route vehicles during peak revenue service and are not located in an Urbanized Area (UZA) with a population of 200,000 or more are required to provide additional information with respect to service standards and service policy to ensure Title VI compliance.

Effective Practices to Fulfill Service Standard Requirement Service Standards are divided into four primary categories: Vehicle Load Standards, Vehicle Headway Standards, On-time Performance Standards, and Servic e Availability Standards. Simi Valley Transit ensures Title VI compliance by adhering to the following:

Vehicle Load Standards
The City calculates vehicle load as the total number of ambulatory passenger seats available on a revenue vehicle divided by number of passengers.

The average passenger load for Simi Valley Transit s ervices during all operating periods (peak and off- peak) should not exceed the following load factors (by vehicle type).

Exhibit 13.1 Vehicle Load Standards
Vehicle Type
Average Passenger Capacities
Seated Standing Total Maximum
Load Factor
New Flyer 40’ Bus 38 35 73 1.7
New Flyer 35’ Bus 32 30 62 1.4

Vehicle Headway Standards
Vehicle headways are defined as the total amount of time between revenue vehicles on a fixed-route traveling in the same direction. As defined in the City’s 2019 Short Range Transit Plan, the minimum standard is 30 minutes for local routes during peak periods and 60 minutes during off-peak periods and Saturdays. For the commuter route between Chatsworth and Moorpark (Route 10), the minimum standard is 60 minutes. It should be noted that these standards were established prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and service demand and delivery has been impacted by the pandemic. As such, only Route 30 is currently in compliance with vehicle headway standards.

Exhibit 13.2 Vehicle Headway Standards
Route Type Maximum Headway
(in minutes)
10 Commute 100 weekday
129 Saturday
20 Local 68
30 Local 30 weekday
60 Saturday

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On-time Performance Standards
Simi Valley Transit fixed-route on-time performance is defined as follows:

x On-time: Departing a published time-point zero minutes before and fewer than seven minutes after the published departure time.
x Early: Departing a published time-point at any time prior to the published time. x Late: Departing a published time-point seven or more minutes after than the scheduled time.

The City of Simi Valley’s on-time performance objective is 75 percent or greater. The City continuously monitors on-time performance during operational hours.

Service Availability Standards
Local bus stops shall be approximately one-quarter to one-half mile apart along routes within the city limits and no more than three-quarters of a mile apart.

Effective Practices to Fulfill Service Policy Requirement Service Policy requirements are divided into two primary areas, Vehicle Assignment Policy and Transit Amenities Policy. The City ensures Title VI compliance by adhering to the following policies.

Vehicle Assignment Policy
Vehicles are assigned to routes on a rotating basis. Bus assignments take into account the mechanical and operating condition of vehicles, which are matched to the operating characteristics of the routes.

Transit Amenities Policy
Installation of new transit amenities along bus routes is based on the number of boardings at stops along those routes.

74 RESOLUTION NO. 2025-12

A RESOLUTION AUTH ORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE

THE CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES AND APPOINT

AUTHORIZED AGENT FOR ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE

PURPOSE OF OBTAINING THE LOW CARBON TRANSIT OPERATIONS

PROGRAM (LCTOP) FUNDS
The City Council of the City of Simi Valley does resolve as follows:

SECTION 1: Findings. The City Council finds and declares as follows:

A. The State of California has made $20,726 available to the City of Simi Valley though the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) for transit projects; B. Eligible recipients are transportation planning agencies and transit operators eligible for State Transit Assistance (STA) funds per Public Utilities Code § 99313 or § 99314. The City of Simi Valley is an eligible project sponsor and may receive state funding from the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) for transit projects;
C. The statutes related to state-funded transit projects require a local or regional implementing agency to abide by various regulations;
D. Senate Bill 862 (2014) named the Depar tment of Transportation (Department) as the administrative agency for the LCTOP; and
E. The Department developed guidelines for the purpose of administering and distributing LCTOP funds to eligible project sponsors (local agencies).

SECTION 2: Eligible Project. In accordance with the Department Guidelines (p.9), the City Council finds as follows:
x Project Name:

Free Fare Transit Programs Supplement
Short description of project:

The project will supplement the $20,726 to support the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) Free Fare Transit Programs. These programs allow youth and college students to ride for free and provide free fare days for certain selected dates throughout the year. Currently, the reimbursement provided by VCTC covers only 75% of the total fare costs. Therefore, the requested amount of $20,726 will be used to address the shortfall in these reimbursements. x Amount of LCTOP funds requested:
$20,726

75 x Amount to benefit Priority Populations:

All youth and college students will benefit from the program.

SECTION 3: Authorizations.

A. The City of Simi Valley wishes to delegate authorization to execute all required documents of the LCTOP program, including any amendments with the Department, to Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager

B. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to execute all required documents of the LCTOP program, including any amendments with the California Department of Transportation, to individuals listed on the Authorized Agent form.

C. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to accept and spend the grant monies identified in this Resolution for the purposes set forth herein.

D. The City Council of the City of Simi Valley agrees to comply with all conditions and requirements set forth in the Certification and Assurances and the Authorized Agent documents and applicable statutes, regulations and guidelines for all LCTOP funded transit projects.

SECTION 4: The City Council amends or supplements the City’s Budget for fiscal year 2025-26 to appropriate the monies identified herein to pay for the items proposed by the City in support of its grant application. The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to implement the purpose of this section.

SECTION 5: This Resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption.

PASSED and ADOPTED this 19th day of May 2025.

Attest:

Lucy Blanco, City Clerk Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Mayor of the City of Simi Valley, California

Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:

Algeria R. Ford, City Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager

Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director

76 RES. NO. 2025-12

CERTIFICATION

I, City Clerk of the City of Simi Valley, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of Resolution No. 2025-12 which was regularly introduced and adopted by the City Council of the City of Simi Valley, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19
th day of May by the following vote of the City
Council:

AYES: Council Members Ayala, Rhodes, Litster, Mayor Pro Tem, and Mayor Cavanaugh

NAYS: Mayor Pro Tem Judge

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINED: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Simi Valley, California, dated _____________________.

Lucy Blanco, CMC
City Clerk

77 RESOLUTION NO. 2025-13
RESOLUTION DECLARING THE CITY COUNCIL’S INTENT TO LEVY
AND COLLECT ASSESSMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 IN SIMI VALLEY LANDSCAPE DISTRICT NO. 1 PURSUANT TO STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE § 22624 AND SETTING A TIME AND PLACE FOR A

PUBLIC HEARING
The City Council for the City of Simi Valley does resolve as follows:

SECTION 1: The City Council finds as follows:

A. The City Council seeks to levy assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-26 pursuant to Streets and Highways Code §§ 22500, et seq. for Simi Valley Landscape District No. 1 (“District”); and
B. The District is exempt from the procedures and approval process of California Constitution art. XIIID, § 4 pursuant to California Constitution, art.

XIIID, § 5(a).

SECTION 2: An Engineer’s Report (“Report”) was prepared pursuant to Streets and Highways Code § 22624 for Fiscal Year 2025-26. While the Report is too voluminous to be reprinted with this Resolution, it is available for public inspection with the City Clerk and incorporated by this reference as if fully set forth.

SECTION 3: After reviewing the Report, the City Council finds as follows:

A. The Report sufficient meets the requirements set forth in Streets and Highways Code §§ 22565, et seq.

B. The Engineer's estimate of the itemized costs and expenses of said work, as contained in the Report is preliminarily approved and confirmed.

C. The diagram, showing the boundaries of the land within the District referred to and described in the Report is preliminarily approved and confirmed.

D. The proposed assessment upon the land in the District is in proportion to the estimated special benefit to be received by said land, as contained in the Report, is preliminarily approved and confirmed.

E. The Report may be used for the purposes of all subsequent proceedings pursuant to the proposed benefit assessment.

SECTION 4: The City Council directs the City Clerk to give notice that the City Council intends to undertake proceedings for levying and collecting of special assessments for Fiscal Year 2025-26 on real property within the District for the continual maintenance of

78 certain improvements as shown and deli neated on a map previously approved by City Council and on file with the City Clerk which is available for public inspection and incorporated into this Resolution as if fully set forth (“Map”) pursuant to Streets and Highways Code § 22508. Any proposed changes to the map, maintenance, and assessments are set forth in the Report.

SECTION 5: On June 23, 2025, the City Council will consider ordering the annual assessment recommended by the Report. The annual assessment proposed in the Report is $790,267.00 for Fiscal Year 2025-26, no increase from Fiscal Year 2024-25.

SECTION 6: If approved, the assessment levied and collected is for the installation of planting and of landscaping, the installation or construction of water lines, sprinklers, irrigation systems, and other facilities necessa ry or convenient for the maintenance or servicing of such landscaping, and the maintenance and servicing of any and all of the foregoing, as set forth in the Report, referenced and so incorporated herein.

SECTION 7: If approved, the County Auditor/Controller must enter on the County Assessment Roll the amount of the assessments and collect such assessments at the time and in the same manner as County taxes are collected. After collection by the County, the net amount of the assessments, after the deduction of any compensation due to the County for collection, must be paid to the City Treasurer for purposes of paying the costs and expenses of the District.

SECTION 8: All monies collected for such assessments must be deposited in a special fund known as "Assessment." Payment may be made out of said fund only for the purpose provided for in this Resolution and as set forth in an appropriate resolution on or about June 6, 2012.

SECTION 9: Any public property included within boundaries of the District are exempt from assessment.

SECTION 10: The public hearing to consider levying the assessments identified in this Resolution will take place on June 23, 2025, or as soon thereafter as is practicable, at a regular meeting of the City Council at the Council Chamber, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA 93063.

SECTION 11: The City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to publish this Resolution pursuant to Government Code § 6061 and Streets and Highways Code § 22554.

SECTION 12: A majority protest from the property owners may cause any proposed increase of assessment for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year to be abandoned. Written protest must be submitted to the City Clerk's office at City Hall, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley CA 93063, before the close of the public hearing on June 23, 2025. Each written protest must state the grounds of objection and contain a description of property owned.

79 SECTION 13: For any and all information relating to the proceedings, protest procedure, any documentation and/or information of a procedural or technical nature, your attention is directed to the below listed person so designated:

Dylan Gunning
Senior Management Analyst
(805) 583-6427
[email protected]

SECTION 14: This Resolution takes effect immediately upon its adoption.

PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 19th of May 2025.

Attest:

Lucy Blanco, City Clerk Dee Dee Cavanaugh, Mayor of the City of Simi Valley, California

Approved as to Form: Approved as to Content:

Algeria R. Ford, City Attorney Samantha C. Argabrite, City Manager

Ronald K. Fuchiwaki
Public Works Director

80 RES. NO. 2025-13

CERTIFICATION

I, City Clerk of the City of Simi Valley, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of Resolution No. 2025-13 which was regularly introduced and adopted by the City Council of the City of Simi Valley, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19
th day of May by the following vote of the City
Council:

AYES: Council Members Ayala, Rhodes, Litster, Mayor Pro Tem Judge, and Mayor Cavanaugh

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTAINED: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Simi Valley, California, dated _____________________.

Lucy Blanco, CMC
City Clerk

Simi Valley City CouncilMay 11, 2026

Simi Valley City Council
May 11, 2026