Council votes to go underground
By Jesse Phelps

Prepare for still more construction on South Montgomery Street in the near future. In a four-to-one vote, the Ojai City Council approved a plan on Tuesday night that calls for all power lines from the corner of Ojai Avenue down past the Los Arboles development to be moved below ground.

It seems the city's plan to do something similar on East Ojai Avenue will have to wait, as funds are not readily available for what would be a bigger, more expensive project. In the case of South Montgomery, city officials said, Los Arboles developers Lance Smigel and Lois Rice have agreed to fund $55,000 of the estimated $484,000 project.

Public Works Director Doug Breeze said that Rule 20-A funds available to the city for just such a project will cover the remaining cost. The city has a current balance of $285,000 ready to go and will need to borrow approximately three years' advance funding to complete the project.

Councilwoman Carol Smith was the lone dissenter on the issue, citing disappointment in the delay in the Ojai Avenue project, her reluctance to borrow from future funds and her opinion that the Los Arboles developers were contributing less than their fair share. "It's only a little over 10 percent of the total," she said.

Ojai Mayor Pro-Tem Sue Horgan agreed that borrowing from the future funding was less than a perfect solution but voted yes based on her take that the new underground utilities "will make a vast improvement to Montgomery, especially the corner of Ojai Avenue and Montgomery."
In earlier action, the council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution supporting a state budget initiative that would protect city revenues, particularly those garnered from sales and property taxes, from the state.

During its current fiscal dilemma, said League of California Cities regional representative David Mullinax, the state has continually "come to the cities to help balance their budget ... We're not trying to turn back the clock," said Mullinax. "We're just trying to keep hold of the funding we've always had."

City Manager Dan Singer said that, should the initiative pass, taxes would not be raised. Should it receive sufficient backing, the initiative will appear on the California ballot this November.

"We're to the point where local governments have no choice," said Mullinax. "We've tried the legislative approach and this is really the last option."

While funding is an issue city governments are having a hard time with, the news wasn't all negative for the council Tuesday night. Organizer Joan Kemper presented plans for the new performing arts center to be built on the campus of Nordhoff and Ojai Valley Unified assistant superintendent Jim Berube detailed plans for new curriculum that will take advantage of the state of the art facilities.

The school board has donated $300,000 to get the planning for the theater, which will include a full scene shop and orchestra pit, off the ground. Berube said dance will be added to Nordhoff's current arts curriculum the school board envisions "courses such as stage design, stagecraft, theater managing and scene design" will be included in the school's curriculum in coming years.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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