Ventura County Public Facilities

In a cost-cutting move, the Simi Valley City Council voted Monday to join Thousand Oaks and Ventura County in financing a series of hazardous waste collection events for east county residents. Simi Valley's last hazardous waste roundup in May, 1990, arranged solely by the city, served 1,475 households and cost $214,545. By entering into a joint collection agreement with Thousand Oaks and the county, Simi Valley will be able to cut this expense to about $85,000 per roundup.

For more than a decade, Oxnard's elected officials have been playing golf for free at the city's only publicly owned golf course, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars and possibly violating state law. Free golf privileges are written into the management contract for River Ridge Golf Course and offered to the elected officials, their guests and even former Councilmen Michael Plisky and Andres Herrera, course manager Otto Kanny confirmed.

Soon after darkness falls, a cool green glow can be seen in the hills above this Ventura County town. The light is visible for miles along California 126. Theories of its origin have run the gamut from UFO landing site to experimental oil rig. In fact, it's an illuminated sculpture, the brainchild of artist Steven A. Simon. Simon wanted to make sure his 30-foot-tall, 18-inch-wide sculpture was noticed when he set it up three months ago. Mission accomplished.

Soon after darkness falls, a cool green glow can be seen in the hills above this Ventura County town. The light is visible for miles along California 126. Theories of its origin have run the gamut from UFO landing site to experimental oil rig. In fact, it's an illuminated sculpture, the brainchild of artist Steven A. Simon. Simon wanted to make sure his 30-foot-tall, 18-inch-wide sculpture was noticed when he set it up three months ago. Mission accomplished.

His hands spread out on a five-foot-wide map, Ron Blakemore explains how he envisions getting people out of their cars and onto a proposed 200-mile-long system of trails. "It's kind of like that old movie thing," Blakemore said. "If we build it they will come. If people have the facilities, they will use them."

Cal State University trustees have decided to wait at least two months before seizing farmland near Camarillo for a public university so that state officials can make sure local governments will help pay for water, sewer and road improvements to the site. "We're not the big banker in the sky," said David Leveille, Cal State's director of institutional relations. "We cannot take care of all of these things."

Ventura County officials have formed a committee to create a network of trails across the county, officials said Monday. The Regional Trails Advisory Committee, formed by the supervisors following complaints that the county needs a more complete trail system, will meet for the first time on April 28. The 33-member panel includes supervisors Maggie Kildee and Vicky Howard, other community leaders, business members, hikers, equestrians and cyclists.

In a major step toward a final vote on the proposed Weldon Canyon landfill, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to recommend that the county Planning Commission approve an environmental impact report on the project.

Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District officials said they do not want to let public park lawns die, cut back swimming hours or switch off the tennis court lights at Rancho Simi Community Park. But the parks stand to lose up to $2.5 million of their $6.8-million budget under Wilson's plan to shift local property taxes to education, and would not be able to continue operating at full strength, said Jerry Gladden, its general manager.

For more than a decade, Oxnard's elected officials have been playing golf for free at the city's only publicly owned golf course, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars and possibly violating state law. Free golf privileges are written into the management contract for River Ridge Golf Course and offered to the elected officials, their guests and even former Councilmen Michael Plisky and Andres Herrera, course manager Otto Kanny confirmed.

His hands spread out on a five-foot-wide map, Ron Blakemore explains how he envisions getting people out of their cars and onto a proposed 200-mile-long system of trails. "It's kind of like that old movie thing," Blakemore said. "If we build it they will come. If people have the facilities, they will use them."

Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District officials said they do not want to let public park lawns die, cut back swimming hours or switch off the tennis court lights at Rancho Simi Community Park. But the parks stand to lose up to $2.5 million of their $6.8-million budget under Wilson's plan to shift local property taxes to education, and would not be able to continue operating at full strength, said Jerry Gladden, its general manager.

Ventura County officials have formed a committee to create a network of trails across the county, officials said Monday. The Regional Trails Advisory Committee, formed by the supervisors following complaints that the county needs a more complete trail system, will meet for the first time on April 28. The 33-member panel includes supervisors Maggie Kildee and Vicky Howard, other community leaders, business members, hikers, equestrians and cyclists.

In a cost-cutting move, the Simi Valley City Council voted Monday to join Thousand Oaks and Ventura County in financing a series of hazardous waste collection events for east county residents. Simi Valley's last hazardous waste roundup in May, 1990, arranged solely by the city, served 1,475 households and cost $214,545. By entering into a joint collection agreement with Thousand Oaks and the county, Simi Valley will be able to cut this expense to about $85,000 per roundup.

In a major step toward a final vote on the proposed Weldon Canyon landfill, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to recommend that the county Planning Commission approve an environmental impact report on the project.

Cal State University trustees have decided to wait at least two months before seizing farmland near Camarillo for a public university so that state officials can make sure local governments will help pay for water, sewer and road improvements to the site. "We're not the big banker in the sky," said David Leveille, Cal State's director of institutional relations. "We cannot take care of all of these things."

Sue Chadwick, vice president and area manager of the Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura offices of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, has been elected president of the Ventura County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Other new officers include Jim Inman of Oxnard, who will serve as commissioner, and Kevin Jillson of Camarillo, chief financial officer at Camarillo Community Bank, who will serve as treasurer and vice president of finance.

Citing a number of problems that could drive up the project's costs, Ventura County's Public Facilities Corp. decided Monday to delay at least until March the sale of bond-like certificates to fund a $51-million expansion at the county hospital. The county, which initially planned to issue certificates of participation as early as February, has until September to do so. "There's a lot of money involved," said Facilities Director Norman Blacher.