Chris Evans

In the first steps of what could become a crowded race, four people Monday went to City Hall to collect the paperwork necessary to run for mayor. Four others took out forms to file as candidates for the two City Council seats up for grabs in November's election. The filing period, which began Monday, runs until Aug. 9 but may be extended to Aug. 14 if incumbents fail to file before the earlier deadline.

The Moorpark City Council has postponed looking for new ways to maintain city parks until its budget finance committee meets in early December. The rejection of Measure P, an initiative that would have allowed the city to continue taxing residents for park maintenance, failed earlier this month. And because of Proposition 218, which passed last year, the assessment will end June 30 because two-thirds voter approval was required to keep it.

Councilman Chris Evans has delayed the Moorpark City Council's discussion of the prickly issue of mobile home rent control. An amendment of the city's rent control ordinance, which Evans helped craft, was scheduled to be introduced at Wednesday's City Council meeting. But Evans asked his colleagues to pull the item off the calendar and has not penciled in a future date for its review.

Robert Duvall dining at the W Hollywood's Delphine with a pal before heading across the street to the Pantages to catch a production of "Hair" ... Paris Hilton and Cy Waits whooping it up at Playhouse Hollywood ... "Captain America" Chris Evans chilling at a table with Dane Cook at Premiere ... Julia Roberts and Danny Moder making a date night of the Grey Goose-sponsored CAA Foundation celebration at SoHo House ... newly single Zac Efron partying the...

Hoping for compromise, the City Council wants a group of mobile home park managers and their tenants to hammer out a fair way to govern rent increases at the parks. The council Wednesday set up a nine-member committee that will discuss revisions to a city ordinance controlling rent hikes in Moorpark's two mobile home parks. The panel, most of whose membership has not yet been picked, will bring together both sides of the issue.

City Council members are hosting a meeting this morning to discuss plans to lure businesses to the downtown Moorpark area, once a bustling commercial center that witnessed a steady closing of shops in recent years. "We encourage residents to come and talk to the council about any concerns they may have," City Clerk Lillian Hare said. The 9 a.m. gathering at the Red River steakhouse at 233 E. High St.

Seeking approval for Hidden Creek Ranch, a 3,200-home project north of Moorpark College, a developer is offering the City Council an incentive: up to $12.8 million toward construction of a bypass to route California 118 traffic around town. Gary Austin, vice president of Messenger Investment Co., said the development company is negotiating with the city to pay $4,000 per house in fees the city could use for any transportation project. If all 3,200 homes the developer plans are built, the $12.8 million would cover much of the $24 million to $28 million that a bypass is expected to cost.

Looking for ways to balance the city budget, a Moorpark city councilman has suggested eliminating the Planning Commission. The city could also save about $500 a month by asking park and recreation commissioners to serve without pay, Councilman Chris Evans said at the council meeting on Wednesday. Evans said council members could even forgo their own pay. "I have no problem giving up the $300 a month," he said. The council won't approve a final budget until next month.

The City Council tonight will reconsider Hidden Creek Ranch, the largest housing project in the city's history. Councilman John Wozniak, who joined Mayor Pat Hunter in opposing the project July 1, said he will decide during the meeting whether he is willing to change his position, ending a 2-2 deadlock on the 3,221-housing project north of town.

The Moorpark City Council has voted unanimously to oppose Measure O, an initiative that would transfer $260 million in tobacco settlement money from county government to private hospitals. Councilman John Wozniak called the measure, backed by Ventura's Community Memorial Hospital, "robbery" and said it would steal taxpayers' money for private industry. Community Memorial has spent at least $1.6 million campaigning for the measure, which seeks to take settlement money away from the county.