Day laborer issue comes to council
by Chris Wilson

Something has to be done. This was the message that came through loud and clear from a number of different citizens and officials at the Ojai City Council meeting Tuesday evening.
Business property owner Barbara Fitzgerald was among those who spoke. She, along with her husband, owns the Fitzgerald Plaza which is a popular waiting area for day laborers. She wants the city to do something about it and has written letters and had more than one meeting with local police officials and City Manager Dan Singer.
Fitzgerald read the letter she'd written to the City Council concerning the problem she faces with the men who gather in her parking lot in front of the Ojai Brew Pub.
Weekdays between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., between 30 and 40 men gather in the parking lot and flower beds, sitting on the curb and waiting for someone to come along and give them work, she said. On the weekends there are more. She said many come up from Oxnard and "who knows where else," because they know they will make more money here, she said.
Since she purchased the plaza in 1995, the property has been inundated with the day workers, she said.
"They destroy the flowers in the flower beds, they steal our signs and leave litter around," she said. "They leave black marks from their shoes on the walls of the buildings that we are constantly having to repaint." Fitzgerald also noted that the men write graffiti on the bathroom walls, and break the sprinkler heads by standing on them, plus they park their cars in the lot all day - leaving fewer spaces for plaza businesses. "The police can't do anything about it because there is no loitering ordinance," she said.
George Huitrado, a large man with pepper gray hair pulled back in a short ponytail, also stood and spoke to the council about the problem. He said he was from Oak View.
"When I have to walk through there, I'm intimidated," Huitrado said. "Anyone would be intimidated when there is a group of one type of people there. What about the ladies who have to walk through there?"
Huitrado said the City and police need to find a solution and a place where the day laborers can go that isn't right in the middle of downtown. The workers should have a place with shade and a restroom.
Though not at the meeting, Ojai Brew Pub owner Alex Kopf said he too had included a letter to the City supporting Fitzgerald's sentiments.
He raised his hands in questioning disbelief and asked, "Why do they need to be here?" referring to the parking lot in front of his restaurant.
In response to the requests of the property owners, Singer said he, Police Captain Gary Pentis and City Attorney Monte Widders would look into the day laborer problem to seek a solution.
Another, something-has-to-be-done problem addressed that has also been raised at the two previous council meetings is the Pirie Road crosswalk in front of Nordhoff High School, where pedestrians who cross Highway 33, face traffic that doesn't stop or see them. This has resulted in a number of pedestrian related accidents recently and at least one death.
Public Works Director Stan Hakes said Caltrans has agreed to complete a traffic study to determine what corrective measures are needed for the crosswalk intersection. The study will be completed within 60 days, Hakes said. Solutions range from adding new bright green crosswalk signs, pedestrian activated flashing lights in the crosswalk, stop signs, or traffic signals. These could take from three months for simpler solutions such as signs or restriping, to up to three years for a traffic signal to be installed.
Councilwoman Sue Horgan said the only solution she could see was putting in a four-way traffic signal there.
"I know this probably isn't popular because we want our town to stay quaint," Horgan said. "But I don't think the pedestrian activated lights are enough." She also added that she'd like to see the Ojai Avenue crosswalks in the Arcade and in front of the Coffee Roasting Company to be considered in Caltrans' study.
The Council adjourned and then reconvened as the Redevelopment Agency. Despite a protest from second-lowest bidder, Valley Crest Landscaping, the Arcade Plaza redevelopment project was awarded to McGillivray Construction of Ventura. The firm remodeled the Ojai Police station last year. The $1.6 million dollar contract was more than $300,000 higher than consultants had estimated, but Redevelopment Analyst Kathy McCann said there were other funding sources available. Construction is expected to begin on April 29 and completed by Nov. 22, 2002.
Finally, Ojai resident Baer Tobin asked the council to reconsider their decision to leave the one planter on North Montgomery Street directly across from Meg Goodwin's Ojai House. Though Tobin said he thought it was admirable that the city wanted to allow residents to adopt and maintain the one planter, as parking on the street was too precious to give up. He cited the excellent job Goodwin has done with her shop and noted that other live/work businesses along the street and the recently renovated Offices at the Pew need all the parking they can get to encourage tenants and shoppers to patronize the businesses along North Montgomery.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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