TO:City Council
FROM:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
DATE:April 8, 2025
SUBJECT: FY 2025-26 Top Ten Priorities & Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 & FY 2026-27
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve City Council Top Ten Priorities for FY 2025-26, Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27, and reaffirm City Council Norms.
2. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Costs for staff time associated with preparing, reviewing, and approving these policy statements are included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
At the March 18, 2025, Citywide Top Ten Priorities and Goal Setting Study Session, City Council received an organizational update and status on citywide priorities.
Following the update, City Council discussed the establishment of Top Ten Priorities for FY 2025-26, reviewed and affirmed both the Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27, and City Council Norms.
FY 2025-26 Top Priorities & Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 & FY 2026-27 April 8, 2025
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DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
City Council Top Ten Priorities for FY 2025-26
Each year City Council sets Citywide Top Ten Priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. These Top Ten Priorities clearly articulate City Council’s objectives and are used to promote accountability.
At the March 18, 2025, Study Session, City Council discussed and reviewed proposed Top Ten Priorities and action items based on ranking sheets completed and submitted by each councilmember. City Council provided direction on establishing final priorities.
Based on City Council direction, staff recommends approval of the Proposed FY 2025-26 Top Ten Priorities as follows (Attachment #1):
1. Homelessness – Open 30 units at “Thrive Grove” navigation center on Lawrence Drive | Carefully oversee and adjust site operations | Evaluate funding opportunities and need for additional entitled 20-unit site expansion | Continue vigorous legal & political engagement related to former Quality Inn “Project Homekey” site | In conjunction with Thousand Oaks Police Department, continue refining enforcement and support strategies at various problematic locations across the community.
2. Downtown Project – Contemplate funding strategies for project design and construction and provide direction | Consider key design and engineering decisions for phased development of Downtown Project | Consider targeted alterations to Thousand Oaks Boulevard within the downtown core | Complete environmental review and prepare for public hearing | Continue robust ongoing community engagement.
3. Fiscal Sustainability – Construct and consider two-year Operational and Capital Improvement Budgets | Commence labor negotiations and consider contract agreements | Complete User Fee study and consider updates | Complete updated Water & Wastewater rate studies | Advocate for creative State and Federal funding sources to support affordable housing production.
4. Housing Production – Meet with each currently entitled major project applicant for a status conference and develop comprehensive update report for City Council | Collaborate with owners to attempt to address any specific City-controlled impediments to construction of their projects | Continue work with People’s Self Help Housing on the affordable for-sale housing project at Hillcrest Drive and Erbes Road to promote funding solutions needed to advance the project | FY 2025-26 Top Priorities & Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 & FY 2026-27 April 8, 2025
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Encourage the development of for-sale in addition to rental housing stock.
5. Economic Development – Identify and hire next Economic Development Manager | Educate property owners on development incentives (i.e. lot consolidation) and modified land use designations | Continue to facilitate investment in the Thousand Oaks biotechnology and aerospace cluster, with specific focus on newly constructed spec-built lab spaces | Complete development hearing for 16-building Shapell industrial project in Rancho Conejo | In conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, streamline filming and special event permit process to better support the unique needs of local non-profits and the film industry.
6. Comprehensive General Plan Implementation – Advance full Zoning Code and Sign Program Update | Proactively work with property owners to better understand new land use designations in the plan | Process development applications and Specific Plan requests for key redevelopment sites (Oaks Mall, Janss Marketplace, former drive-in site, etc.) | Carefully monitor housing production as it relates to Housing Element compliance.
7. Public Safety, Community-Based Emergency Preparedness, & Wildfire Mitigation – Collaborate with the District Attorney’s Office to advance Memorandum of Understanding and site the East County Family Justice Center | Leverage advanced technology to support law enforcement and fire district | Strengthen efforts to promote residential emergency preparedness and home hardening education with Ventura County Office of Emergency Services, Ventura County Fire, and “Ventura County Firesafe Councils” by collaborating to produce effective short form video content and outreach campaigns | Work to incorporate regulatory changes associated with new fire hazard regulations and more modern wildfire preparedness across the community | Further enhance resiliency by installing additional backup power generation to both intersections and water facilities along with reflective traffic signal taping to prepare for prolonged power outages.
8. Environmental Sustainability – Complete the shift of renewable energy projects at Hill Canyon Treatment Plant to City control | Continue Climate and Environmental Action Plan implementation items including encouraging a community reduction in the use of gas-powered lawn equipment | Prepare for large-scale investment in electrical vehicle infrastructure | Connect Active Transportation Plan to targeted investment in enhancing bicycle and pedestrian projects.
9. Public Works Infrastructure Investments – Complete Active Transportation Plan with robust engagement, including citywide bicycle network and exploration and pursuit of grant opportunities | Complete next two-year citywide pavement FY 2025-26 Top Priorities & Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 & FY 2026-27 April 8, 2025
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rehabilitation project | Advance Lynn Road bike lane improvements in conjunction with Caltrans | Rehabilitate damaged areas of sidewalk infrastructure through use of both in-house and contractual resources | Rehabilitate public medians with drought tolerant landscaping | Maintain aging infrastructure.
10. Technology Investments – Begin implementation of City Council adopted Information Technology Strategic Plan | Hire agency’s Chief Information Officer/Chief Technology Officer leadership position and begin departmental migration | Enhance Geographic Information System (GIS) architecture and data with improved features and user interface for the public | Initiate “Enterprise Resource Planning” (ERP) scoping exercise.
Citywide Goals
At the March 18, 2025, Study Session, City Council reviewed and reaffirmed its Citywide Goals (Attachment #2) for FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27. City Council sets broad Citywide Goals to help direct the organization’s work. Goals are reviewed for potential revision every two years consistent with the budget cycle. This year, City Council revised Goal E. to include additional language on wildfire mitigation.
City Council Norms
At the March 18, 2025, Study Session, City Council reviewed and reaffirmed its City Council Norms (Attachment #3) which serve to augment City Council’s Standards of Operation (Resolution No. 2023-008), Municipal Code Ethics Chapter, and related policy documents to provide a more specific “Code of Conduct.” City Council discussed and concurred that the City Council Norms do not have to be reviewed and reaffirmed at each annual Goal Setting Study Session. Staff recommends these items be reviewed as part of the two-year budget process going forward.
Next Steps
After receiving approval from City Council, the City’s Executive Leadership Team will review and develop a plan to implement the new Citywide Top Ten Priorities for FY 2025-26.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, FY 2025-26 Top Priorities & Citywide Goals for FY 2025-26 & FY 2026-27 April 8, 2025
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transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
PREPARED BY: Katie Morris, Administrative Support Supervisor Attachments:
Attachment #1 – FY 2025-26 Top Priorities
Attachment #2 – FY 2025-26 & FY 2026-27 Citywide Goals
Attachment #3 – City Council Norms
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