Council Lists Top 10 Issues to Address in 2-Year Period : Thousand Oaks: One councilwoman worries that the priorities are dominated by easily attainable goals. Selling the old City Hall site ranks first.
The Thousand Oaks City Council on Monday released a list of 10 top issues to tackle over the next two years, ranging from more efficient transportation for senior citizens to better sports facilities for teen-agers.
But some longstanding concerns failed to make the cut.
Preventing the growth of gangs, for example, ranked below building high school auditoriums and finishing a master plan to revitalize Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
Because anti-crime efforts are ongoing, gang-busting did not qualify as a two-year goal, council members said. Neither did preserving open space, which citizens consistently rank as a critical concern.
“It’s a given--an ongoing goal,†veteran Councilman Alex Fiore said. “We fight crime year in and year out, and we will be doing that for the next 5,000 years.â€
Although she agreed with that rationale, new Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski worried that by emphasizing easily attainable goals, the council might slight important long-term aims.
“It seems like we tried to set goals that were achievable, rather than what’s on most people’s minds,†Zukowski said. “I just hope citizens do not see a City Council that’s out of touch.â€
One ongoing project--providing affordable housing--did make the list. The council also emphasized the need to complete master plans for Thousand Oaks Boulevard and for the city as a whole.
Topping the list of priorities--drafted during a three-day goal-setting session last week--was a matter of immediate fiscal importance: selling the old City Hall building at 401 Hillcrest Dr. Thousand Oaks planners are counting on getting $15 million for it to help finance the Civic Arts Plaza.
The parcel has been on the market for several years, but the only offers have come from developers hoping to build high-density projects that council members have found unacceptable. To attract realistic proposals, the council will rezone the property, now designated simply “public land,†for specific purposes and densities.
“It’s important that everybody agrees that’s what we should be doing†with the Hillcrest property, Councilman Frank Schillo said, explaining why such a limited objective topped the council’s list of priorities. Another short-term goal on the list is completing the Civic Arts Plaza, which will house City Hall and two theaters when it opens in October, 1994.
In addition to formulating concrete goals, city leaders articulated a few fuzzier objectives--such as “develop plan to foster community identity,†which ranked third on the list.
That goal has become a catchall for some pressing issues that the council must consider over the next few years, lawmakers said.
Maintaining Thousand Oaks’ semirural character, for example, would bolster the city’s identity. But to acquire more open space, the council may have to raise taxes or float bonds.
“So far, we’ve been able to exact land from developers. Now, we have to decide whether we want to pay for land. That would be a big step,†Schillo said.
As part of big-picture plans to “foster community identity,†Schillo hopes to gather input about whether new sports facilities or community centers are needed.
And to nurture a small-town atmosphere in the city of 106,700, the council plans to appoint a citizens committee of 100 residents, chosen randomly from the applicant pool, to recommend development plans for eight vacant acres on the former Jungleland site, next to the Civic Arts Plaza.
“It might be a little unwieldy, but I’m anxious to see if it works,†Fiore said, noting that similar groups helped draft the city’s General Plan in 1970 as well as more recent proposals for the Civic Arts Plaza.
As the council formulates a plan to strengthen the city’s identity, it may consider adding amenities to attract tourists, business people and conventions, Fiore said.
That would help turn Thousand Oaks into a “destination community that people would come to because there’s something to do,†he said. “We’ve got the makings of that already, with our auditorium and (Simi Valley’s) presidential library.â€
Aside from list making and goal setting, last week’s session also allowed City Council members to discuss their ideals for the first time since the November election, which unseated Mayor Robert Lewis and brought Zukowski on board.
“I discovered that there are a lot of things council members have in common,†said Zukowski, who sometimes finds herself on the losing end of 3-2 votes. “It was the first time I had come to realize that.â€
THE TOP 10 GOALS
Thousand Oaks City Council goals for 1993 to ‘95:
1: Sell the old City Hall.
2: Complete school auditoriums for Thousand Oaks High School and Newbury Park High School.
3: Develop plan to foster community identity.
4: Complete plan for unused land at Civic Arts Plaza.
5: Develop plan for transportation services.
6: Develop plan for open space, recreation, sports, community facilities and possible bond program.
7: Complete Civic Arts Plaza.
8: Continue affordable housing programs.
9: Complete Thousand Oaks Boulevard Master Plan.
10: Complete General Plan review.
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