Moorpark City Council

Questionnaires were distributed to candidates last month. Answers have been edited to fit the available space. Ambulance Service Q. Moorpark residents have complained about the service and response times of Pruner Ambulance Co., a county contractor whose facilities are several miles south of the city. Should ambulance service be improved? Brown: The first paramedic service probably should come from the Fire Department since its response time is generally about five minutes or less.

After several years of convening at 6:30 p.m., the City Council is set to discuss starting its regular meetings half an hour later to better accommodate the public. Mayor Patrick Hunter will ask his colleagues tonight if a 7 p.m. starting time would be more convenient for council members and residents.. The City Council meets at the Moorpark Community Center, 799 Moorpark Ave. If the proposal is approved, it would likely take effect in July.

The Moorpark City Council has approved naming of a 1 1/2-acre park--on the south side of Los Angeles Avenue east of Liberty Bell Road--Villa Campesina after the adjacent low-income housing development built there three years ago. Land for Villa Campesina park was set aside by the homeowners in the 62-home development that was built cooperatively with the help of the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, said Councilman Bernardo Perez.

The Moorpark City Council has adopted a resolution backing Ventura County's drive to preserve farmland by vowing not to annex and develop the nearby Tierra Rejeda Greenbelt. Responding to county Supervisor Frank Schillo's request for a written agreement to protect the greenbelt, the Moorpark council proposed that the Board of Supervisors and the three cities bordering the land--Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley are the other two--develop a conservation plan for the area.

The Moorpark City Council tonight will decide the fate of two 90-year-old landmark pepper trees on High Street that an arborist says are ill and in danger of falling. City officials have determined that the trees, which now have large, rotting cavities in their trunks, could collapse and injure a passerby. "The first major wind, and those trees might come down," said Community Services Director Christine Adams.

Contributions have shot up since 1986 in Moorpark, the fastest growing city in Ventura County, a review of campaign finance statements filed this week by candidates for city government posts in the eastern part of the county shows. Paul W. Lawrason, a candidate for one of three seats on the Moorpark City Council, has raised more than three times as much money as the top fund-raiser in the 1986 race. Lawrason, a planning commissioner, has collected $13,792 for the Nov. 8 election.

After an hour of sometimes acrimonious debate, the Moorpark City Council tentatively approved a tough anti-graffiti ordinance aimed at limiting vandals' access to paints, markers and etching tools. Councilman Scott Montgomery cast the lone dissenting vote at Wednesday's meeting and led such a vehement tirade against the local law that Mayor Paul Lawrason at one point interrupted the councilman and told him he was out of line.

The Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources proponents are out in force (to my great joy). Even if one is opposed to the issue, it will be ridiculous if the Moorpark City Council fails to let the public vote in November and instead costs the city the expense of a special election afterward. GILBERT S. BAHN, Moorpark

The Moorpark City Council has endorsed a plan by Supervisor Vicky Howard to stage a telethon in May with proceeds to benefit expansion of the Moorpark Library. The council on Wednesday voted 4 to 0 to back the event, which is tentatively scheduled to be broadcast live from Moorpark City Hall on May 3 by the city's government channel. Council members said they shared Howard's goal of raising enough money to stem a shortfall in funds.

Attorneys for Messenger Investment Co. notified Moorpark City Council members Tuesday that the city will be sued if officials do not allow the company to continue with a 4,300-acre housing project. The project proposed by Costa Mesa-based Messenger would add 3,221 homes on property that would be annexed to the city. The council initially approved the project, known as Hidden Creek Ranch. But in a January referendum, voters rejected the development deal between the city and Messenger.

Welcome to the future, Moorpark. In passing its own growth-control measure and rejecting the 3,221-home Hidden Creek Ranch development, Moorpark aligned its future with the rest of Ventura County's resolve to build a sprawl-free future. About two-thirds of Moorpark voters last week said no to Hidden Creek Ranch and yes to a Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) measure similar to those passed by Camarillo, Oxnard, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks in November and by Ventura in 1995.

Re "Project's Approval by Council Was No Rush to Judgment," Sept. 6. Surely, most citizens of Moorpark share Councilman Bernardo Perez's goal to "guarantee that Moorpark never becomes another San Fernando Valley," but I'm not so sure his claims about the Hidden Creek Ranch development provide that guarantee. Mr. Perez and the other City Council members devoted a great deal of emotional and intellectual time and energy to this decision, but I know that Valley city council members, managers and supervisors devoted a great deal of emotional and intellectual time and energy to their decisions.

The Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources proponents are out in force (to my great joy). Even if one is opposed to the issue, it will be ridiculous if the Moorpark City Council fails to let the public vote in November and instead costs the city the expense of a special election afterward. GILBERT S. BAHN, Moorpark

Things are looking up for Hidden Creek Ranch. The project's developer, Irvine-based Messenger Investment Co., proposes to build 3,221 homes on 4,300 acres north of Moorpark, eventually increasing the city's population by one-third. The most significant battle--getting the City Council to approve the project--ended Wednesday when a key opponent on the council changed his vote.

The City Council will decide tonight whether to officially oppose Proposition 227, which seeks to end bilingual education. During the 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, the Moorpark council plans to vote on whether to approve a resolution against the initiative that will appear on the June 2 ballot. Councilman Bernardo Perez placed the item on the agenda but was not available for comment Tuesday. "I don't know what discussion will take place," Mayor Patrick Hunter said. "I'd like to listen to Mr.

City negotiators have reached agreements with the developer of Hidden Creek Ranch intended to guarantee that the $1-billion project north of town will pay for itself and not become a financial burden to current residents. Irvine-based Messenger Investment Co. has agreed to pay special fees totaling $16,000 per residence in the 3,221-home project if the City Council approves the subdivision--the largest in city history.

This time last year Moorpark was in the middle of an election campaign. Just who were the real winners? We have Debbie Rodgers-Teasley, who describes herself as a "business woman" on the election ballot. As it turns out, she is district manager of Moorpark's largest real estate firm. No big deal, you might say? Well, consider that this month while other cities are celebrating Oktoberfest, Moorpark will be hosting "Developerfest." That's right, this city will be deciding on the single largest project (Messenger/Hidden Creek)