Transcript

Order at 4:00. Welcome to the Citizen Advisory Commission. 00:04:18
Madam Clerk, do you mind taking the roll call? 00:04:23
Commissioner Bernie. 00:04:27
Here, Commissioner, saw it. 00:04:31
Vice Chair Burke here, Cheryl Claire here, and let the record reflect. Mr. Moody is absent. Thank you. We're now going to go to 00:04:35
public comment. We'll now hear comments regarding items on the agenda. Comments are limited to three minutes. Does the Madam Clerk 00:04:41
have any public comments? These are items not on the agenda. 00:04:47
Excuse me, items on the agenda. These are there's none for the consent calendar, so I'll hold to the others for when we get to the 00:04:55
item. Thank you. I'll now entertain a motion to. 00:05:00
Approve the consent calendar. Is there a motion? 00:05:07
Move to approve. 00:05:12
Here's my second. The second dude. 00:05:13
All those in favor, please say aye aye. 00:05:16
All those opposed. 00:05:19
Hearing the eyes have it so the motion passes. 00:05:21
So we're now going to go to the. 00:05:26
Public comment. 00:05:30
I think we'll go to that first, or should we receive the public or the staff presentation, the staff presentation, then the call? 00:05:32
OK. Thank you. 00:05:39
Good afternoon, Commissioners and members of the public. 00:05:44
The business item consideration of community benefit fund allocations. 00:05:47
Give a brief overview of the Community Benefit Fund and talk about why we're here and what the purpose of this item is. 2015 00:05:53
settlement agreement between the city and the Port includes the establishment of a Community Benefit Fund. 00:05:59
That agreement calls for the port to contribute $100,000 annually when its gross revenues exceed $13 million. 00:06:06
Both the amount of gross revenues and the amount of the contribution to the Community Benefit Fund are subject to increase 00:06:14
annually by the Consumer Price Index. 00:06:17
The agreement provides for project categories to guide the allocation of the Community Benefit Fund monies and creates a city and 00:06:22
port subcommittee to review and select the projects. 00:06:28
Roject categories include shoreline protection, community development, opportunistic endeavors. 00:06:35
And a fourth category labeled other projects upon which both organizations might agree. 00:06:41
The process for reviewing and making recommendations and eventually finalizing projects to be funded with the Community Benefit 00:06:47
Fund include both legislative bodies, the Board of Harbor Commissioners and the City Council meeting. 00:06:55
Brainstorming come up and coming up with preliminary lists. 00:07:04
Reviewing the city's preliminary list at a public meeting of the Citizen Advisory Commission. 00:07:07
Then followed by a joint meeting of the city and port, and then ultimately the final decisions are made separately. Both bodies 00:07:16
need to approve the list of allocations. 00:07:22
At the April 15th City Council meeting, the Council reviewed, discussed and brainstormed created a preliminary list of projects to 00:07:29
be considered for the upcoming allocation of Community Benefit Fund dollars. 00:07:35
This Commission is now tasked with hosting a public meeting to review and provide feedback on that initial list of projects. 00:07:42
Feedback from this meeting will be provided to the city representatives on the Joint City Port Commission. I'm sorry committee for 00:07:50
discussion. 00:07:55
By that body and ultimately considered as far as part of Council's final. 00:08:00
Approval action. 00:08:06
The aforementioned list of projects is included as attachment A to the report. 00:08:08
And again, this meeting is an opportunity to hear from interested members of the public and also the Commissioners. 00:08:14
As to thoughts and priorities for the allocation of the upcoming years Community Benefit Fund dollars. 00:08:19
So that concludes the brief staff presentation. I know we have some public comments, but I'm also available for any questions that 00:08:28
commissioners may have. Thank you for that staff presentation. Does the Commission have any questions for staff? Again, this is 00:08:35
only questions at this time. Comments and discussion will be heard later in our meeting. Any questions of staff? 00:08:41
OK, so we're now going to move to a public comment or the public comments on this item. 00:08:51
Yes. First one is from Mr. Randall Thomas. 00:08:55
Good afternoon, everyone on the Commission, city employees and neighbors. I'll spare you guys a long history because it was 00:09:05
already given to you by the deputy city manager, so I appreciate that. 00:09:10
So I'm just going to briefly talk about having a community benefit fund advisory committee being created so that way we can have a 00:09:15
more streamlined process of being able to select projects to fund for the community. And some of the ways we can do that is 00:09:22
having. 00:09:29
Individual council members selecting somebody to be appointed to this new advisory committee and then taking the projects to the 00:09:37
council and kind of having a final say through. Because the way that it kind of seems it works is that 2 commissioners and the 00:09:44
mayor and the mayor Pro Tem, you know, kind of get together at the end of the year and the finally select AA project to fund 00:09:52
through this community benefit fund. And the way that I've seen, it just seems like they're just taking. 00:09:59
Money and just throwing it at projects that need to be funded. Otherwise this money just sits in limbo for however long it sits in 00:10:07
limbo. 00:10:11
Some things I'm going to talk about is having this new structure, it'll be more in line with a grant process where funds are 00:10:16
processed and distributed to local nonprofits and community based programs that apply for the fund with the focus and goal to 00:10:22
enhance the quality of life in the community, encouraging matching of funds for projects from local businesses, organizations or 00:10:28
residents. 00:10:33
And those needs may change annually and they can deal with that as those come up. They will also meet annually just as or more 00:11:18
frequently, depending on how necessary it is to meet, just as you all meet and the council and even the port meets. 00:11:25
Some examples that we would be able to fund better would be senior and youth programs. 00:11:33
Safety in our community for more police or canines, coastal programs, environmental projects, city beautification projects, and as 00:11:39
I stated before, more projects to be able to improve the standard of living for everybody here in the city. Thank you very much. 00:11:47
Tom King. 00:11:58
Chair and staff. 00:12:07
Commissioners and neighbors, my comments are going to be a lot less. 00:12:11
Unvarnished and more direct. 00:12:16
Let me just say that I've been in this community for since 2003. I was in the music business for seven years and represented some 00:12:21
very successful singer songwriters and then moved into. 00:12:27
Investment for 42 years. 00:12:35
Fairly successful I would say. 00:12:38
And so it's with that background that I want to speak to you because I think that from. 00:12:41
The way this is being approached. 00:12:48
There could potentially be some issues and problems. 00:12:52
Recently at the well, we'll go back to the April meeting. 00:12:56
There are a number of you that were here and the appearance at least to the public and certainly to me is that yes, there are many 00:13:01
wanting groups for the monies from the from the fund. But it seemed almost arbitrary or impulsive and that doesn't feel right and 00:13:10
it shouldn't be right to this committee and it shouldn't be shouldn't be right to the port. 00:13:19
But second of that, I know Jan was at this meeting, a number of us were at the Oxford Harbor District meeting and this came up and 00:13:29
there was a soccer group that was there, great guys. And they have this trip that they want to take to Hawaii. 00:13:38
And. 00:13:48
They were asking for some money, quite a bit of money. 00:13:50
Mary Ann Rooney, one of the directors, immediately said well. 00:13:53
Community Benefit fund. 00:13:59
Felt impulsive to me. It occurs to me that what should be done is drafting or having some kind of. 00:14:02
Criteria. Some kind of protocol? 00:14:10
Because otherwise favoritism over here. 00:14:14
Not over here. I just think you open a can of worms. And from what I understand from Steve Vega and Jim Vega and. 00:14:18
Also, Kristen Dicus, is that the origin of this? This includes Marianne Rennie. 00:14:29
Is kind of murky in terms of exactly how the money is to be dealt with, so I would. 00:14:38
Suggest that the effort be made to establish some kind of protocol, because there are a lot of wanting groups. 00:14:45
That's it. Thank you. 00:14:54
Joan Tharp. 00:14:59
Good evening, Chair, Vice Chair, Commissioners, staff and neighbors. 00:15:06
I echo the comments that were made before me. I really do feel like this is sort of a hodgepodge exercise. I don't know if an 00:15:13
additional. 00:15:18
Group Commission needs to be formed, but I do think there needs to be. 00:15:24
Some some sort of policy? I like the grant idea, something around something like that, just to tighten things up a little bit. I 00:15:29
also noticed that in the items. 00:15:36
That are the categories for CBF projects. I mentioned shoreline protection and it's probably too late for this year, but I would 00:15:44
really encourage that the items be really focused around the four categories here. Shoreline protection, it's not just about sand 00:15:51
replenishment because that's not always going to be there. The money that would come from the CBF fund is nowhere near enough to 00:15:58
do any sort of comprehensive study or. 00:16:06
Any sort of project around managed retreat or building dunes. But I do think that that should be something that is is. 00:16:13
Necessary that those actually these categories, the projects selected reflect those categories. I also want to mention that there 00:16:23
are two suggested projects on here that involve the the peer signage and the letters city letters. And I would hope that those go 00:16:33
through the Heroes Heritage history policy because one of the statues that was proposed did not it sort of went backwards. 00:16:43
So I think there's just a lot of room to tighten things up that if you're, if you're proposing to put money into something that is 00:16:54
a physical entity that's going anywhere in the city that it runs through that process like maybe first thing. So yeah, just some 00:17:01
suggestions. I think we're all in agreement that it's just not well. 00:17:08
Well, run. Right now, there are a lot of benefits to getting the money, but it does seem like they're just, you know, sort of just 00:17:16
a hodgepodge of whoever is asking for money is going to get money thrown at them. Thank you. 00:17:21
That concludes public comment. 00:17:29
OK, thank you to the members of the public. We're now going to turn to the Commission. Commissioners, what comments and discussion 00:17:33
do we have on this item? 00:17:36
I just have something that's probably. 00:17:41
Because of my lack of experience but. 00:17:44
With I understand. 00:17:48
The purpose of putting out ideas for donating money to these causes, but. 00:17:51
Just looking at it. 00:17:56
From my perspective, it's so general that some of them. 00:17:58
I mean, on its face I would not support period because. 00:18:02
It gives me knowing. 00:18:05
No specifics as to what it's for. 00:18:07
I mean it does in general, but not. 00:18:11
Specifically and I. 00:18:14
I'm assuming that there's going to be more to this than just looking at these. 00:18:16
Topic Headlines. 00:18:20
Yeah, Thank you, Commissioner. I, I, I tend to agree when it comes to, I mean, frankly, the list we received doesn't even have 00:18:28
dollar items associated with it or descriptions for some of these items, so. 00:18:34
I I think that's a point that we can include in our recommendation to staff. 00:18:41
That we just need more descriptions on these these items. Do you have any other additional thoughts on these items? 00:18:46
Commissioner. 00:18:55
Yes, thank you. 00:18:57
Thank you for your comments, I agree. 00:19:00
I think there this the process is is lacking um. 00:19:04
I tend to agree that a more structured process where there's a grant type program. 00:19:08
Don't have to be called a grant, but it's more structured like a grant type program. 00:19:15
And that that the community or the nonprofit comes to the organization or the body. 00:19:21
To request funding for a specific project with specific outcomes. I mean, you know, we're spending $1000 here, $5000 here, and 00:19:28
$1000 to a particular entity. Might just keep the lights on for a month. It's, it's not. 00:19:36
It's not beneficial. I mean, I think. 00:19:46
Commissioner Ramirez said. Where's the quality of life? I'd like to see more quality of life type projects put into our. 00:19:49
Community benefit from. 00:19:57
And you know the homeowners that we've that I've spoken with. 00:20:00
With the Coalition have all really spoken loud and clear that they'd like to see. 00:20:05
A more structured process that provides meaningful outcomes for these various projects. And from looking at the and it was very 00:20:11
helpful to get the the information on the agreement and how this is structured because. 00:20:20
There's been a lot of hearsay of what Council's interpretation, Commissioners interpretation, but it was really helpful to read 00:20:29
through this document and to see where. 00:20:34
Not only, you know the funding part of it, but how, How? 00:20:40
You know, I've heard, well, if the city and the port cannot agree, then they walk their separate ways with 50% of each of the 00:20:46
funds. Well, that that's sort of true, but not really true because it says in here that after three successive years, if the city 00:20:53
and the port cannot come to an agreement, then they walk away. And it doesn't say you that it's mandated that we have to. 00:21:01
Spend 100,000 or whatever the funds might be every year if we have a larger project. 00:21:09
That requires. 00:21:16
Larger funding? 00:21:18
It says that that project could be put together, planned and paid overtime for a much more robust, bigger project that is 00:21:20
meaningful to whatever it might be, right. So you know the. 00:21:26
To me, the the current program has been sort of. 00:21:35
You know, let's throw the money over here. Let's throw the money over here. And it's been more of a public relations campaign 00:21:39
rather than a community benefit fund, and I'd like to see it be truly meaningful. 00:21:45
In a community benefit in a meaningful way because there's there's a lot going on in our country and our community does need. 00:21:51
Some support in various various projects and if there are nonprofits and social organizations and that are in our community that 00:21:59
need help right now. 00:22:04
Let's look at it. Let's let's see applications that come in from them and if there is a specific projects that can be meaningful 00:22:09
to help them, that's that's great. That's I would feel better about that. 00:22:15
Myself and. 00:22:21
So that's my two cents. 00:22:23
Thank you, Commissioner, the Commissioners. 00:22:28
I just had a few notes on this and I've made it in previous years, but the Port of Boinemia encouraged my colleagues, and I'll 00:22:33
send it to staff too, puts together a really cool report. They recently did one of all the projects that have been funded over the 00:22:41
last few years by the Community Benefit Fund, and I think that's a report like that or that report would be very helpful for this 00:22:48
committee each time this list comes forward because I think it's important to look at what has been funded in the past. 00:22:56
And what has I would like to go even further beyond just say a public PR piece, which is well done, but I. 00:23:04
Should we fund projects like that again? 00:23:15
Right. Is this something that we want to repeat and go back to and fund again to an earlier point, I you know, I have had a 00:23:17
perception for several years that this has been a little bit of a black box. 00:23:24
Whatever pops out on this list pops out on the list, and it's totally subject to the turnover. 00:23:31
Of those that are in that room. 00:23:37
And so as we know here in our City Council, we've had nearly complete turnover since this, I think a complete turnover on our 00:23:39
council since this agreement was signed. 00:23:44
Far less so on the on the port side, but what that means is by the very structure of this agreement, it's highly could be highly 00:23:52
volatile and kind of a. 00:23:56
Vulnerable to this list just kind of being a pet project list of whoever happens to be in the room that day and what they thought 00:24:04
is a good idea. And maybe these are all good ideas. 00:24:09
I think it's important that we also, when we see this, this project list, it would be helpful to me to also see the categories 00:24:16
that these fall into. So really start tracking. Okay, here's not just our cool stuff agenda, but does it connect with the four 00:24:23
categories that's actually in the settlement agreement? 00:24:30
To really ground ourselves in that. 00:24:38
I appreciate the conversation around essentially a community benefit fund. Excuse me a. 00:24:41
Community Funding Review Committee. I think the city of Thousand Oaks has something similar. Excuse me one second. 00:24:48
All right, recovering from a sinus infection, um. 00:24:59
But unfortunately, that's not what we have here, right? What we have here, this plan has been the settlement agreement has been 00:25:02
reached. I think what we do have more flexibility over is how our city shows up in that joint committee room, right? How, when 00:25:08
this, when our list of proposals, again, this is just our list. This is not even the ports list. They will have their own list, 00:25:13
how this list shows up in that room. And I hope that in the future we're involved in it, that we ground ourselves in the 00:25:19
agreement. 00:25:25
You know, more detail and really trying to figure out how do we make it a little bit less of a black box kind of just an arbitrary 00:25:32
list of cool stuff versus this is really what the intent of this was. 00:25:38
And we're being intentional about funding stuff that works. 00:25:46
And and if there's a public grant process for any of it, then then there is. But I was surprised when we saw a couple weeks ago 00:25:50
the academic scholarship application go out, no idea about it. I never heard of it. My first thought was, is that a gift of public 00:25:56
funds? I don't know. That seems kind of interesting. Of course, it's different because of kind of the origins of the revenue, but 00:26:02
at least all kinds of additional questions, right? Like how is the criteria of this scholarship selected? How are the students 00:26:07
recruited? 00:26:13
Are there any academics actually involved in this exercise? Umm. 00:26:20
Or is this? 00:26:26
Good idea, impactful that's been kind of put on staff to implement quickly and. 00:26:27
My sense from at least online, it seems like it might be a little bit more of the latter. And so not saying it's a bad program, 00:26:36
it's just saying even on this list it just says scholarships. We now know. I assume that's the same thing as what I just saw the 00:26:41
other day, which is academic scholarships. But again, the lack of detail. 00:26:47
I think going forward would help us plan. 00:26:54
And I hope that I hope that program is a success. I hope it's not a big strain on staff, but. 00:26:59
I think that's just a specific example of a project that could have come back to this group, because let me tell you, it could be 00:27:05
interesting to actually have a community member as part of that review, maybe partner of Oxnard College Foundation who matches 00:27:11
dollar for dollar scholarship investments, right? So now you've doubled the amount of scholarships being able to donate to. 00:27:17
Give out in the city of Port Hueneme just by partnering with the local Community College. 00:27:24
So all that to say, that would be my my initial thoughts. I don't know if my colleagues have additional ideas from that. I would 00:27:30
just like to comment and say that that the report you're talking about that the staff gave about what we did last year or do they 00:27:36
also show if it was? 00:27:43
Those projects met their goals. 00:27:50
One, I think that's, I think that's the piece that would be really helpful because the the report I saw was put up from the port 00:27:54
of Moanini. 00:27:58
And it's, it's very well designed visually. But I think to your point actually. 00:28:02
You know, was, was this, did this project meet its, its goal right? And so maybe again, looking at the key performance indicators, 00:28:08
what are the performance indicators for these things? I think a previous commissioner had raised the idea of. 00:28:15
You know, some of these projects might be great, but it turns out we didn't allocate and anticipate enough money to actually fund 00:28:25
the project, right. And so it might be possible that we need to go back and review it. And then I call the stack the funding or 00:28:33
roll over the funding. But I think that's where we saw with the the statue situation where yes, it had come to the. 00:28:40
CC earlier, but suddenly a $30,000 statue whatever became an. 00:28:49
I can't remember what is 7590 something $1000 statute? 00:28:55
Yeah, 140, yeah, 100 and over $100,000 statue because the cost just kept rolling over year to year and it wasn't clear that the 00:29:00
end goal is probably going to be there. You know, there's always going to be cost overrun, but. 00:29:06
Is that, is that where you were you were kind of thinking about? 00:29:13
I mean, cost overruns are important, but if they've got a goal like. 00:29:18
I don't know. 00:29:22
Well, like the like the scholarships. 00:29:26
And. 00:29:31
Who did it, how many kids and. 00:29:33
Where they you know. 00:29:37
Some details I mean. 00:29:39
I can't see any organization funding projects that don't have a. 00:29:41
We're successful. 00:29:46
This year we're going to focus on. 00:30:20
The. 00:30:24
What is it? The first topic here? Please explore. 00:30:26
Shoreline protection to Jones point, maybe we're going to focus on. 00:30:29
A serious cleanup and sand dunes or whatever you mentioned there, but it getting into getting into the the details of it and then 00:30:35
saying, OK, what's that going to cost? What's that project look like? And is it a long term project or is it a one off project? 00:30:41
And are there matching funds from some other entities? And so we, we have a more robust and and meaningful program that comes out 00:30:48
of these these efforts. 00:30:54
By the port and the city that that really do benefit the community. So I think that, you know, I think that I would like to 00:31:01
suggest, you know, I don't think we should we we're at a point I think the the the the the community benefit from what is not 00:31:08
quite 10 years old and it's sort of I know there's some cleanup from my understanding that there's some cleanup of funds that 00:31:15
haven't been billed for projects in the past that need to be. 00:31:22
Fixed and cleaned up to to clean up some of the old funds. And I think it would be great if we can get that cleaned up and then 00:31:30
and then let's look at a different process and do we have do we have to make a decision on new projects for this year? 00:31:39
I would say no. I would say let's put it on hold for a little while and let's take, take, take a deep breath and see if we can't 00:31:50
come up with a different process that we can work with the port representatives in the city representatives and, and, and get them 00:31:56
to agree to a. 00:32:01
Look at a different process, so it's not just the pressure on two council members and two port members commissioners that have to 00:32:08
come up with these ideas on a deadline. 00:32:13
And so that we can, if we can say let's pause, there's nothing in this agreement that says that we can't pause. If we could pause 00:32:20
for a little while and come up with a, a new structure, something similar to a grant type application process where the community 00:32:25
comes in and says. 00:32:30
This is what I want and we can come up with some criteria. 00:32:36
I think it would be such a cleaner and it would be so much more successful process going forward. 00:32:41
Just my two cents. 00:32:47
Thank you, Commissioner. 00:32:49
You know, it doesn't make me think. 00:32:53
I think this is. 00:32:55
For my recollection, this has only come back to the CAC. 00:32:57
Twice in the seven years that I've been on the CAC. 00:33:01
And so. 00:33:05
Yes, the last time this came to the CAC I believe was in we were meeting still at the the Community Center maybe 2022, early 2022. 00:33:07
And so. 00:33:22
I think it's one of those things like if the CAC is going to be involved, then we need to be involved. 00:33:25
Right, Because again, I I like to think about like, how does the cities for the City side of this conversation? How do we best 00:33:30
prepare as a city to enter that room at the joint meeting to advocate for the project list, right. I. 00:33:38
And I think that part of that is, is if you say goes to the CAC, bring it through the CAC and not necessarily once the cake was 00:33:48
already baked. And I think both times Becky was was on the Commission at that time. It feels like the list here was already baked, 00:33:55
right? Like this list was already developed by by council, the joint committee I believe is later this week. 00:34:03
So in some ways this cakes already baked right. And that's kind of when I came into this meeting. That's what I see this as it's 00:34:11
like. 00:34:14
Essentially, we're being given a list here with no descriptions. 00:34:18
No actual allocation amounts or requests. No indication about what the fund balance is of the. 00:34:22
Is of the CPF. 00:34:31
Or what categories these items fit into. 00:34:34
And so. 00:34:37
I mean that is what it is at the at the moment and that's not necessarily on staff or anybody else. That's just kind of where an 00:34:40
indication of how this process is going. 00:34:44
To provide some context. Go ahead. Thank you. The tightrope we're trying to walk, you know, we've heard comments about there not 00:34:50
being enough information and then we've heard comments about this. Maybe it's a little bit too cooked and it's a little too far 00:34:55
along in the process. So we're trying to strike the balance. This is the information that was developed by the council of the 00:35:00
April 15th meeting. It's not fully cooked. It doesn't have specific amounts. It has categories, It has agencies that we might 00:35:04
consider funding. 00:35:09
But it doesn't say this is exactly how it's going to be used. It doesn't say this is exactly how much is proposed. So that's the 00:35:16
part where there's a lack of specificity for a reason. We don't want it to be too far along in the process before C has the 00:35:22
opportunity to provide input, to provide guidance, to provide recommendations as to how the funds may may be used. 00:35:28
So as indicated during the presentation, the process right now as it is, is that Council will develop an initial list, CAC will 00:35:35
provide input, the joint committee will discuss and refine, and then it can come back to Council and the Board of Harbor 00:35:42
Commissioners for final approval. If CSC thinks that there's a different process that works better, it's certainly within your 00:35:48
power to make that recommendation to City Council to amend the process, but that's why it's presented with the lack of specificity 00:35:54
at this time. 00:36:00
Council did not assign dollar amounts and did not assign specificity when it created this preliminary list. So that's what we 00:36:07
wanted to present and get input from the Commission at this time. 00:36:12
Thank you for that. 00:36:18
So does the Commission want to come? So I guess there's two questions. Do we want to as a Commission? 00:36:20
Go through this list and say yes, yes, yes, no, no, no, or do or do we or do we want to push back and point and say let's let's 00:36:27
reboot this program. Let's do it in a more more. 00:36:33
Organized manner that that. 00:36:41
Really does sets this into a new direction where we have. 00:36:44
Outcomes that we can, our reportable outcomes that we can, and set criterias where. 00:36:49
Expectations for what we want to see come out of this funding. 00:36:55
I guess that's that's my question to the. 00:37:00
CAC I just. 00:37:03
I think we need more information to say, you know, yeah, I want to do more police explorer, more guppies or whatever. Mr. Sapola. 00:37:05
Mr. I'm sorry, can you just put the mic a little bit closer? 00:37:12
Maybe that'll help. OK, thank you. I'm sorry. 00:37:21
No, I agree totally with the commissioner said. 00:37:24
If we had more information I'd be more than happy to vote on stuff like this, but right now just in general, I. 00:37:28
I wouldn't be. 00:37:35
Happy voting on any of it, actually. 00:37:37
Personally because I don't know what the heck they want to do but. 00:37:40
I have a couple of questions on some of these. 00:37:44
What is the Washington DC advisory trip? 00:37:49
So that's something that has been funded in the past. It's an advocacy trip where members from the port and from the city travel 00:37:55
to Washington, DC, meet with legislators and talk about potential federal funding that could support both agencies. 00:38:02
OK. 00:38:10
What's the Lego FIRST Robotics Competition? 00:38:15
So again, city have anything to do with that? 00:38:19
In its capacity as being a decision maker along with the port for these funds, it's I think now for two years, if I'm not 00:38:23
mistaken, been a an event held on the port property for various high schools across the country. And part of the funding to 00:38:30
support the program has come from the community benefit fund. 00:38:37
And what's in look at. 00:38:49
That's a youth mariachi organization and again is a group that has been funded through this program in the past. 00:38:53
And that's helpful. 00:39:40
Course it's it's. 00:39:41
It's always interesting to see that number because the list we're looking at is only the cities list. 00:39:44
The port is developing its own list. 00:39:50
And then there's been other projects that have been approved that frankly we're not on any list that I've ever seen and so. 00:39:52
And there's been some indication in the past about rollover funds where the money actually in that pot had been much higher 00:40:03
because it we had unused dollars from prior years. And so I. 00:40:09
I think that's the part that's a little unclear is how much even the actual fund balance is anticipated to be. 00:40:16
But there are not just kind of unencumbered dollars waiting to be assigned. 00:40:57
Yeah, I was going to say we might need those for the statue that's floating around. It needs to be placed. 00:41:02
So, um. 00:41:08
What other feedback, Commissioner, you had shared that you weren't comfortable approving this list as is currently? 00:41:10
I think some of these just on their face it sounds like a good deal, but I. 00:41:20
So did you, did you say that this? 00:41:27
In Lockett, she's for mariachi. Yeah, it's a youth mariachi group, I think. 00:41:30
That's been here, probably want to say 40 years. 00:41:35
They're very active with Oxnard youth. My name is Youth and they, I know I've had programming in Waimea and at the at the port. So 00:41:40
no. But are they Wienemi based? Is it a winemie based organization? This is the, this is the point, this is where I get tangled up 00:41:48
because some of these are not necessarily Wanibi based and I think we've got to be careful. 00:41:56
There may be nice things to do. 00:42:06
But you know, Oxnard has their funds and budgets and we this is a Winnie me specific. So I want to be thoughtful because we don't 00:42:08
have a lot of money and I and I just want to be like, for example, real guppies. We know that's why I named me based the police 00:42:15
and you know, so I'm just going down the list here. Police explorers. Yes, there's Huaniemi based and could we do a canine program 00:42:23
with that? That's a wine Amy base guppies would be wine Amy based. I'm not sure about the mariachis. I'd need more information. 00:42:31
The beach festival, those are certainly windy Me based. The picnic tables the bonfires are pits are already in. I don't know if 00:42:39
that's money that was used previously. 00:42:43
The idea there was to provide funding for additional installations. 00:42:49
So possibly I. 00:42:53
Public art, that's a little vague and I certainly don't want anymore statues at this point in time. I think that we've already 00:42:56
kind of hit that wall and I think that we really need to kind of look at statues in general because they're just not exactly the 00:43:02
things we want to be putting up today in today's society. So I would just put a question mark on that one. I don't think that 00:43:07
we're ready to determine that one. Scholarships, again, I would put a question mark because there's no criteria. I'm just going 00:43:13
down the list real quick. 00:43:18
City Marquee, again, I don't know that that's necessary at this point in time. Learn to swim was a critical thing for our kids 00:43:25
because there are a lot of kids that don't know how to swim. So yes, for Waimea children, I think that's a great idea. The Lego 00:43:31
FIRST Robotics Competition, I think it was fun and it was great. But is it Waimea specific and how does that benefit Wayne? We 00:43:37
only have one hotel and then and I don't know that we really get any economic benefit from that. I mean that's one of the criteria 00:43:43
is economic benefit to our city. 00:43:49
I would say maybe no. 00:43:56
Fun, but I think the port can can take care of that one. 00:43:58
Uh, the tennis backboard wall, maybe? Don't know what that means. Again, question mark, it's a little too vague. 00:44:03
Elementary school programs too vague I'd say. No cat trap and release. I know that's an issue down at the at the. 00:44:11
Lighthouse. 00:44:19
Speaking of lighthouse, we should have something on here for the lighthouse. 00:44:21
That would be a great thing to remodel. 00:44:25
Or open up to the public and make it a tourist destination. It benefits the port, benefits the city. 00:44:28
It's a destination. People walk to the lighthouse all the time. 00:44:35
And then they wouldn't need the cat. Maybe not the Audubon Society. I'm not sure. It says fencing and I'm not sure what that's 00:44:42
about, but it'd be, I'd like to know more. I'd have question mark about that Senior programming. What, where, who? 00:44:52
Museum, I know we want to reopen the museum. What kind of funding do they need? Again, this would be where the application would 00:45:03
be helpful and certainly we'd love to see that museum open. 00:45:08
Boys and Girls Club, I think that they have a lot of national funds that come in. I'd like to see let's, let's focus on local, 00:45:14
local, not national programs. Right now we just don't have the funds. 00:45:19
And we got peer signage, which sounds like the same thing as the city marquee letters, I don't think. 00:45:26
And the DC trip. 00:45:32
Don't know that doesn't, That just seems like a. 00:45:35
Political. 00:45:39
Effort, and I'm not sure if it's necessary. It doesn't. Does it benefit? 00:45:41
Our city. I go back to the name Community benefit fund. 00:45:46
So that's my that's my short list. So thank you, Commissioner, Thank you. 00:45:53
I mean. 00:45:59
For me it's. It seems like we're currently in the process where. 00:46:00
We've been provided categories that. 00:46:05
That and some some of these we have funded in the past. 00:46:09
And we have our council members who will be meeting in about two days, I think with the commissioners and so for the joint 00:46:15
meeting, right, so. 00:46:21
So we have ourselves up against a wall again on these items. 00:46:29
I appreciate. 00:46:36
Some of the comments. 00:46:38
That you made on the items rather the comments you made on some of the items. 00:46:40
And so. 00:46:47
I think that's where the descriptions come in. You know, for example, the Boys and Girls Club, we do have our own Boys and Girls 00:46:50
Club, so I'm sure that funding would be used locally and. 00:46:54
I do. 00:47:00
I always like to reframe when we think about what is wine is specific because we are a regional partner, right? We are a community 00:47:04
partner. I in fact have to drive through Oxnard to get to City Hall and so or I should say, I have the pleasure of driving through 00:47:10
Oxnard. I love that city. And so I. 00:47:16
If things have regional benefits, they have regional benefits, like the Beach Festival and the Banana Festival. 00:47:23
So let's see, Commissioner Bruni. 00:47:31
No, I don't have anything else. 00:47:36
So we need to make. 00:47:40
We need to make a recommendation to go back to council. 00:47:43
Right. 00:47:47
So some of the things that I've heard is. 00:47:49
Additional information on these items. 00:47:54
Categories on how these items relate to what's actually the the goal of the benefit fund. 00:47:58
The if we funded these items in the past. 00:48:06
Chair, I can. Sorry to interrupt you. I can. 00:48:11
Provide this Commission a rundown of which ones have been funded in the past, if that's helpful. 00:48:15
And I can provide a little bit of context about some of that. So the Port Windy Me explorers, the real guppies in the Catch the 00:48:24
Beach festival, the Banana Festival, the 5K event. 00:48:30
Public art projects. 00:48:38
Scholarships, the Lego FIRST Robotics Competition, Cat Trap, and Release Audubon Society in the Washington DC Advocacy trip. All 00:48:40
of those are items that have received funding from the Community Benefit Fund in the past. 00:48:48
There was a another point I was going to make. 00:48:59
Oh, I know what it was. Thank you for that. 00:49:02
Just going to wait for the chair just to come back in. 00:49:09
So with regard to the request or the thought about needing more specificity, again, the list of projects came from the council and 00:49:13
there wasn't necessarily a lot of specificity at that time. I guess my recommendation is if this body thinks that there is 00:49:20
potential support for some of these but wants to ensure that they're used in a specific way. I just heard comments about ensuring 00:49:27
that it's used for our local community. 00:49:34
Boys and Girls Clubs a good example to national organization, yet we have. 00:49:43
A local chapter that provides programming and assistance to folks in South Oxnard and Port Hueneme. If there's a recommendation 00:49:46
that could come from this body that the funding for certain organizations be used in a certain way rather than we just give the 00:49:51
money to them. I will note the the funds from this that are given to organizations like Police Explorers, Real Guppies in Lake 00:49:57
Catch. 00:50:03
The Boys and Girls Club, if that were on the list. 00:50:10
There are agreements that are entered into between the nonprofit and the city, so if there's a recommendation from this body and 00:50:13
if the council were to approve it, it could be that the funds be given but that the agreement specified that they're used in a 00:50:18
particular manner. 00:50:22
OK. Thank you. 00:50:30
Comments from commissioners. 00:50:31
So I'm going to make a motion. 00:50:35
OK, go ahead, Commissioner. 00:50:37
I'd like to make a motion that we. 00:50:39
The Citizen Advisory Council recommends that the city and the port. 00:50:43
Look to restructure. 00:50:54
The process for the Community Benefit Fund. 00:50:58
To. 00:51:02
Be more similar to a grant process. 00:51:05
Where the particular entities of. 00:51:10
Nonprofits or. 00:51:15
Community event Community organizations come to a body. 00:51:16
To be determined. 00:51:22
With an application. 00:51:25
For funding. 00:51:28
With specific criteria and reportable outcomes. 00:51:30
And. 00:51:35
We put on hold. 00:51:37
Recommendations for specific projects for this year? 00:51:40
Because I'm, I'm get, I'm going to pause the, the motion at this point because I'm getting, I'm getting tangled up in the same 00:51:45
situation that the port of the city is right now because I just went through, we just went through this whole list and it's like, 00:51:51
well, maybe this and maybe that, maybe not, maybe, maybe and, and, and it's. 00:51:56
It's backwards. 00:52:02
You know what I mean? It feels so backwards then. 00:52:04
Umm, no wonder we're struggling with it we've been sitting here for. 00:52:08
15 minutes, 15 minutes, so almost. And we're still kind of going back and forth and back and forth and I think it just seems so. 00:52:13
Such a backward process that that. 00:52:20
I'd like to restructure it so. 00:52:23
Doesn't feel so awkward. 00:52:27
So that that's my motion. 00:52:30
My emotion, my emotion. OK, so just to restate your to restate your motion. 00:52:31
What staff may have captured. 00:52:39
The recommends that the city and port look to restructure the process for the CBF to be more similar to a grant process, where the 00:52:47
particular entities, nonprofits or community organizations come to a body to be determined with funding and more specifics and put 00:52:53
on hold recommendations for specific projects this year. 00:52:59
OK, one second. 00:53:07
There's a second. 00:53:09
We're now going to move to discussion on this item. 00:53:13
While I appreciate the motion. 00:53:18
I want to be mindful of the fact that some of this, so changing it to a grant based model process et cetera would be ideal, but we 00:53:24
are bound by what is in the settlement agreement in the process that's currently there and so. 00:53:33
And so when we come to how the city prepares itself to enter into that meeting, I think is is something I would like to see. 00:53:46
And what's within our purview to address, right? How does our mayor and our mayor Pro Tem, which will change next year? 00:53:54
Enter into this process in future years especially. 00:54:02
Umm, you know I I can't. 00:54:09
I have a hard time thinking of some of these programs and activities that we fund having to wait while we reconstruct and 00:54:10
reimagine a new process. 00:54:16
Umm, what I am comfortable doing is recommended recommending the council, which is again what our our purview is that a list more 00:54:22
complete list comes back to the CAC in the near future. That includes the categories that these items fit in a description. 00:54:33
Anticipated cost. 00:54:45
And whether or not the project had been funded previously. 00:54:52
I am prepared to make that as a substitute motion, um. 00:54:58
At this time. 00:55:01
Is there a second to that motion? 00:55:04
I'll second it. 00:55:10
OK. So it's been moved and seconded. So we're now on the substitute motion. So we'll handle that first and if that passes then 00:55:13
we'll we'll move forward. If not, then we'll return to the main motion which was yours. 00:55:19
Now the substitute motion replaces. If it passes, would replace the motion. 00:55:26
No. So during that discussion, thank you for your question. So during. 00:55:32
Yes. So that would be the substitute motion and the substitute motion would be voted upon 1st and if it fails then it would go 00:55:38
back to the main motion. 00:55:42
And I just want, I want to comment on that before there's a vote on that because it does not say that there is no we are bound 00:55:46
that the process does say that the city, district and district shall appoint. 00:55:52
3 representatives. 00:55:58
But it doesn't say anything about and it's from from the district in the city. 00:56:01
But it does not say that there can't be 1/3 body that can recommend recommendations to the city in the port to then. 00:56:05
Deliberate on which items they will choose from. 00:56:15
It's, I still think it's backwards regardless and I think that if we we try to go go forward with, with the current program as it 00:56:19
is without. 00:56:23
A. A. 00:56:30
A process. We're going to end up in this process as a mess every year. 00:56:31
Thank you, Commissioner. 00:56:38
Are there comments? 00:56:41
So my my intention with this motion would be that, um. 00:56:45
You know the council will receive feedback from us. I know staff has been taking notes as well about some of the concerns we've 00:56:50
been making raising rather I know I'm sure there's several council members who've been watching this Commission meeting. I. 00:56:58
But the hope is that this item will come back to us. I don't know if that's something that could be done. 00:57:07
I don't know what the timing funding timetable is of the port. So they have their joint meeting on Friday staff, if you mind just 00:57:13
explaining kind of the next steps in the process. So, so. 00:57:20
The port and the city meets this week and then what happens after that? So the. 00:57:27
The Subcommittee of the Port and the. 00:57:35
City Council would meet this Thursday the 30th. 00:57:38
Depending on the outcome of that meeting, there may be a need to reconvene that group for further discussion, but whenever 00:57:43
deliberations among that group have reached its end, assuming that there's a mutual agreement. 00:57:49
Both bodies would have list of projects presented to the full body. The full. 00:57:56
Board of Harbor Commissioners and the Fall City Council for their final approval. 00:58:02
And because we've been talking about timing and and. 00:58:07
Process ideas. I'll just remind everybody that what the agreement calls for is within 180 days of the start of the fiscal year. 00:58:10
Both bodies shall take action to approve the list of projects. So while it's always beneficial to get ahead of the game and have 00:58:19
decisions made and, and I'll be on the same page, we do have some time. This would be 180 days after July 1st would be our our 00:58:24
deadline to make sure we meet that. 00:58:28
Thank you SO. 00:58:34
So there is a possibility there, not that we can require it here, that perhaps that list can come to us before it goes to Council 00:58:36
at the final and then. 00:58:41
And then Council will have our feedback on that fuller list, Is that right? 00:58:48
That that's a possibility. 00:58:52
OK. 00:58:53
Commissioners, what are the thoughts do we have so? 00:58:55
That's what I would like to see is that list to come back to us, that the list of the cities list, the ports list together comes 00:58:59
back to us for feedback before it goes to council for this round. And perhaps in that meeting we can also provide feedback on what 00:59:05
we would like to see in future years around the use of the monies. 00:59:11
Commissioners. 00:59:20
I agree with her. 00:59:22
I agree with her motion. 00:59:26
OK. So, so we're on the substitute motion right now. And so would you like to read this substitute motion? 00:59:28
And then we'll entertain a vote on that. 00:59:37
OK. So I'll go ahead and state the motion that is currently on the floor and that is to. 00:59:39
For council to receive feedback and come back with a more complete list. 00:59:48
Well, and come bring it back to CAC with a more complete list with both sides, city and the port. 00:59:53
I think that was it correct? 01:00:04
I had as part of that motion, specifics would include which categories within the agreement each project is assigned, which 01:00:09
projects were previously funded, more detail about each of the proposed projects, and amounts to be funded for each project. 01:00:16
That's the, that's the motion. 01:00:23
OK, hearing no more discussion. We'll go to a vote on that motion. OK, we'll do a roll call vote. So Commissioner Savala, 01:00:26
Commissioner Bruni, Yes, Vice Chair. 01:00:33
Burke Yeah, I'm sorry. 01:00:42
Can you repeat the motion once? 01:00:47
Can you repeat the motion for me one more time because it seems like you kind of got a little bit of a so I'm going to start. He's 01:00:51
going to finish the question. So it is to have council receive feedback and to bring a more complete list back to CAC in the 01:00:58
future, including both sides from the city and the port. 01:01:04
With information about which categories each project aligns with which projects were previously funded, more detail about each 01:01:12
project, and the amount of funding proposed for each project. 01:01:17
Can I amend that? 01:01:27
We can finish this boat since we're currently voting on it and then. 01:01:32
And Commissioner, I'm sorry, Chair, Eau Claire. 01:01:39
So we currently have two no votes and two yes votes. Thank you. So that substitute motion is not successful, does not pass. We can 01:01:44
return to the main motion I. 01:01:50
You know at the main motion the original motion made and we can also entertain substitute motions which you were saying. So I 01:01:57
wanted to to. 01:02:02
Dovetail off of. 01:02:08
Claire's. 01:02:12
Commissioners eclairs motion. I would like to include in that motion that that. 01:02:14
Including in that process that we. 01:02:21
Restructuring of. 01:02:25
The Community Benefit Fund process. 01:02:27
Be revisited. 01:02:31
To include. 01:02:34
A grant like program again to to. 01:02:37
Have the the community organizations and nonprofits submit. 01:02:43
There are applications to a body. 01:02:48
And it could be the CAC, it could be a different. 01:02:53
Combined body between Portland and city. 01:02:59
To. 01:03:02
For future. 01:03:05
Community Benefit. 01:03:07
Fun projects. 01:03:09
So basically it's a 2 stepper. 01:03:14
Two steps, One, we will look at what we've got on our plate right now and secondly, look to our future projects. Consider. 01:03:16
Staff have clarity on that or questions? I wanted to make one comment before the Commission votes. All great ideas. 01:03:29
The motion, I think, as it stands, includes the CAC's review of projects discussed by both the city and the port. 01:03:39
And I'll just point out, I think that the concept behind the agreement is that there's two autonomous groups going through their 01:03:48
own processes and at the end they come together. So I'm not sure the ports expectation would be that the CAC would review. 01:03:55
Project ideas created by the port. That doesn't mean that this body can't make that motion. I just wanted to point out I think 01:04:03
that the port sees its process as an autonomous process, and the city sees its process. 01:04:08
As a separate process, so I just. 01:04:14
Feel free to take action on the motion as you wish, but if you wish to stay just on the City side, we can amend the motion 01:04:17
accordingly. 01:04:20
Thank you. Yeah, I think when I was making that motion, what I'd imagined was. 01:04:24
That just giving us a fuller idea of how the funds are used, not necessarily that we're going to tell the port, you know, this is 01:04:30
how you should reach your, your end goal or this is how you should come up with your list. 01:04:36
I think it'd just be good to see kind of overall how are the funds being used and what are the goals that we have with that. 01:04:43
What comments do commissioners have on the substitute motion? 01:04:50
Well, I support the substitute motion. 01:05:00
OK. 01:05:04
I'll just note that I think this allows us to move forward. We've laid some stuff out for staff to kind of. 01:05:06
Compile and have an idea if if they have an opportunity to provide that feedback up. 01:05:18
Up the chain of command there, um. 01:05:24
And I will be supporting your substitute motion as well. 01:05:29
Commissioner O'Brien, do you have any comments? 01:05:34
OK. I think we're ready for the roll call. 01:05:36
Commissioner Savala. 01:05:40
I support the motion. 01:05:43
Commissioner Burning. Yes, Vice Chair Burke. 01:05:46
Yes. And Tara, Claire, Yes. Motion passes. 01:05:50
OK, the motion has passed. We're now going to move to the next item, which is staff Common. Does staff have any comments at this 01:05:57
time? 01:06:00
No comments. I just wanted to thank you all for your your deliberation, your thoughtful process and as the Chair indicated. 01:06:07
We will take the recommendation forward as indicated. The next step is that there is a joint meeting later this week and we will 01:06:15
be sure to share with the city representatives the opinion and the forthcoming recommendation from this body. 01:06:21
Thank you. 01:06:29
We're now going to go to commissioner comments. Does any, do any of the commissioners have comments? 01:06:30
Well, first, thank you all. I just was, I think this was a good process and I think it was a healthy process to go through taking 01:06:39
some baby steps forward and trying to. 01:06:44
Build more collaboration with the port and with our city. Umm. 01:06:49
But I also want to say thank you to the city for a beautiful Memorial Day event yesterday. It was very touching. 01:06:55
And a class act. 01:07:05
At the beach yesterday on the pier. 01:07:08
So again, thank you to the staff and council members who organized that and thought of that. It was a lovely event, one of the 01:07:11
best I've been to. 01:07:16
Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner comments. 01:07:22
I just want to also appreciate staff. I know Mr. Vega also has been in communication about some of these items, and there's a lot. 01:07:26
There's a lot going on in our county and in our city. 01:07:36
For the month of June, I hope everybody participates in Juneteenth. There'll be a celebration happening in Oxnard again on the 01:07:41
coming month, and it'll be just another wonderful ceremony at Plaza Park. 01:07:47
For Pride month, I hope everybody enjoys that and I know the city will have some activities and ultimately with the goal of. 01:07:54
Celebrating those members of our communities and hopefully saving some lives as well in the process. 01:08:04
So with that, we're now going to go to the adjournment. The meeting is adjourned. The next regular quarterly meeting of the 01:08:10
Citizen Advisory Council is scheduled for Monday, July 8th, 2024 at 4:00 PM here at the City Hall. The meeting is now adjourned. 01:08:16
The time is 5:06. Thank you, commissioners. 01:08:22
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Transcript

Order at 4:00. Welcome to the Citizen Advisory Commission. 00:04:18
Madam Clerk, do you mind taking the roll call? 00:04:23
Commissioner Bernie. 00:04:27
Here, Commissioner, saw it. 00:04:31
Vice Chair Burke here, Cheryl Claire here, and let the record reflect. Mr. Moody is absent. Thank you. We're now going to go to 00:04:35
public comment. We'll now hear comments regarding items on the agenda. Comments are limited to three minutes. Does the Madam Clerk 00:04:41
have any public comments? These are items not on the agenda. 00:04:47
Excuse me, items on the agenda. These are there's none for the consent calendar, so I'll hold to the others for when we get to the 00:04:55
item. Thank you. I'll now entertain a motion to. 00:05:00
Approve the consent calendar. Is there a motion? 00:05:07
Move to approve. 00:05:12
Here's my second. The second dude. 00:05:13
All those in favor, please say aye aye. 00:05:16
All those opposed. 00:05:19
Hearing the eyes have it so the motion passes. 00:05:21
So we're now going to go to the. 00:05:26
Public comment. 00:05:30
I think we'll go to that first, or should we receive the public or the staff presentation, the staff presentation, then the call? 00:05:32
OK. Thank you. 00:05:39
Good afternoon, Commissioners and members of the public. 00:05:44
The business item consideration of community benefit fund allocations. 00:05:47
Give a brief overview of the Community Benefit Fund and talk about why we're here and what the purpose of this item is. 2015 00:05:53
settlement agreement between the city and the Port includes the establishment of a Community Benefit Fund. 00:05:59
That agreement calls for the port to contribute $100,000 annually when its gross revenues exceed $13 million. 00:06:06
Both the amount of gross revenues and the amount of the contribution to the Community Benefit Fund are subject to increase 00:06:14
annually by the Consumer Price Index. 00:06:17
The agreement provides for project categories to guide the allocation of the Community Benefit Fund monies and creates a city and 00:06:22
port subcommittee to review and select the projects. 00:06:28
Roject categories include shoreline protection, community development, opportunistic endeavors. 00:06:35
And a fourth category labeled other projects upon which both organizations might agree. 00:06:41
The process for reviewing and making recommendations and eventually finalizing projects to be funded with the Community Benefit 00:06:47
Fund include both legislative bodies, the Board of Harbor Commissioners and the City Council meeting. 00:06:55
Brainstorming come up and coming up with preliminary lists. 00:07:04
Reviewing the city's preliminary list at a public meeting of the Citizen Advisory Commission. 00:07:07
Then followed by a joint meeting of the city and port, and then ultimately the final decisions are made separately. Both bodies 00:07:16
need to approve the list of allocations. 00:07:22
At the April 15th City Council meeting, the Council reviewed, discussed and brainstormed created a preliminary list of projects to 00:07:29
be considered for the upcoming allocation of Community Benefit Fund dollars. 00:07:35
This Commission is now tasked with hosting a public meeting to review and provide feedback on that initial list of projects. 00:07:42
Feedback from this meeting will be provided to the city representatives on the Joint City Port Commission. I'm sorry committee for 00:07:50
discussion. 00:07:55
By that body and ultimately considered as far as part of Council's final. 00:08:00
Approval action. 00:08:06
The aforementioned list of projects is included as attachment A to the report. 00:08:08
And again, this meeting is an opportunity to hear from interested members of the public and also the Commissioners. 00:08:14
As to thoughts and priorities for the allocation of the upcoming years Community Benefit Fund dollars. 00:08:19
So that concludes the brief staff presentation. I know we have some public comments, but I'm also available for any questions that 00:08:28
commissioners may have. Thank you for that staff presentation. Does the Commission have any questions for staff? Again, this is 00:08:35
only questions at this time. Comments and discussion will be heard later in our meeting. Any questions of staff? 00:08:41
OK, so we're now going to move to a public comment or the public comments on this item. 00:08:51
Yes. First one is from Mr. Randall Thomas. 00:08:55
Good afternoon, everyone on the Commission, city employees and neighbors. I'll spare you guys a long history because it was 00:09:05
already given to you by the deputy city manager, so I appreciate that. 00:09:10
So I'm just going to briefly talk about having a community benefit fund advisory committee being created so that way we can have a 00:09:15
more streamlined process of being able to select projects to fund for the community. And some of the ways we can do that is 00:09:22
having. 00:09:29
Individual council members selecting somebody to be appointed to this new advisory committee and then taking the projects to the 00:09:37
council and kind of having a final say through. Because the way that it kind of seems it works is that 2 commissioners and the 00:09:44
mayor and the mayor Pro Tem, you know, kind of get together at the end of the year and the finally select AA project to fund 00:09:52
through this community benefit fund. And the way that I've seen, it just seems like they're just taking. 00:09:59
Money and just throwing it at projects that need to be funded. Otherwise this money just sits in limbo for however long it sits in 00:10:07
limbo. 00:10:11
Some things I'm going to talk about is having this new structure, it'll be more in line with a grant process where funds are 00:10:16
processed and distributed to local nonprofits and community based programs that apply for the fund with the focus and goal to 00:10:22
enhance the quality of life in the community, encouraging matching of funds for projects from local businesses, organizations or 00:10:28
residents. 00:10:33
And those needs may change annually and they can deal with that as those come up. They will also meet annually just as or more 00:11:18
frequently, depending on how necessary it is to meet, just as you all meet and the council and even the port meets. 00:11:25
Some examples that we would be able to fund better would be senior and youth programs. 00:11:33
Safety in our community for more police or canines, coastal programs, environmental projects, city beautification projects, and as 00:11:39
I stated before, more projects to be able to improve the standard of living for everybody here in the city. Thank you very much. 00:11:47
Tom King. 00:11:58
Chair and staff. 00:12:07
Commissioners and neighbors, my comments are going to be a lot less. 00:12:11
Unvarnished and more direct. 00:12:16
Let me just say that I've been in this community for since 2003. I was in the music business for seven years and represented some 00:12:21
very successful singer songwriters and then moved into. 00:12:27
Investment for 42 years. 00:12:35
Fairly successful I would say. 00:12:38
And so it's with that background that I want to speak to you because I think that from. 00:12:41
The way this is being approached. 00:12:48
There could potentially be some issues and problems. 00:12:52
Recently at the well, we'll go back to the April meeting. 00:12:56
There are a number of you that were here and the appearance at least to the public and certainly to me is that yes, there are many 00:13:01
wanting groups for the monies from the from the fund. But it seemed almost arbitrary or impulsive and that doesn't feel right and 00:13:10
it shouldn't be right to this committee and it shouldn't be shouldn't be right to the port. 00:13:19
But second of that, I know Jan was at this meeting, a number of us were at the Oxford Harbor District meeting and this came up and 00:13:29
there was a soccer group that was there, great guys. And they have this trip that they want to take to Hawaii. 00:13:38
And. 00:13:48
They were asking for some money, quite a bit of money. 00:13:50
Mary Ann Rooney, one of the directors, immediately said well. 00:13:53
Community Benefit fund. 00:13:59
Felt impulsive to me. It occurs to me that what should be done is drafting or having some kind of. 00:14:02
Criteria. Some kind of protocol? 00:14:10
Because otherwise favoritism over here. 00:14:14
Not over here. I just think you open a can of worms. And from what I understand from Steve Vega and Jim Vega and. 00:14:18
Also, Kristen Dicus, is that the origin of this? This includes Marianne Rennie. 00:14:29
Is kind of murky in terms of exactly how the money is to be dealt with, so I would. 00:14:38
Suggest that the effort be made to establish some kind of protocol, because there are a lot of wanting groups. 00:14:45
That's it. Thank you. 00:14:54
Joan Tharp. 00:14:59
Good evening, Chair, Vice Chair, Commissioners, staff and neighbors. 00:15:06
I echo the comments that were made before me. I really do feel like this is sort of a hodgepodge exercise. I don't know if an 00:15:13
additional. 00:15:18
Group Commission needs to be formed, but I do think there needs to be. 00:15:24
Some some sort of policy? I like the grant idea, something around something like that, just to tighten things up a little bit. I 00:15:29
also noticed that in the items. 00:15:36
That are the categories for CBF projects. I mentioned shoreline protection and it's probably too late for this year, but I would 00:15:44
really encourage that the items be really focused around the four categories here. Shoreline protection, it's not just about sand 00:15:51
replenishment because that's not always going to be there. The money that would come from the CBF fund is nowhere near enough to 00:15:58
do any sort of comprehensive study or. 00:16:06
Any sort of project around managed retreat or building dunes. But I do think that that should be something that is is. 00:16:13
Necessary that those actually these categories, the projects selected reflect those categories. I also want to mention that there 00:16:23
are two suggested projects on here that involve the the peer signage and the letters city letters. And I would hope that those go 00:16:33
through the Heroes Heritage history policy because one of the statues that was proposed did not it sort of went backwards. 00:16:43
So I think there's just a lot of room to tighten things up that if you're, if you're proposing to put money into something that is 00:16:54
a physical entity that's going anywhere in the city that it runs through that process like maybe first thing. So yeah, just some 00:17:01
suggestions. I think we're all in agreement that it's just not well. 00:17:08
Well, run. Right now, there are a lot of benefits to getting the money, but it does seem like they're just, you know, sort of just 00:17:16
a hodgepodge of whoever is asking for money is going to get money thrown at them. Thank you. 00:17:21
That concludes public comment. 00:17:29
OK, thank you to the members of the public. We're now going to turn to the Commission. Commissioners, what comments and discussion 00:17:33
do we have on this item? 00:17:36
I just have something that's probably. 00:17:41
Because of my lack of experience but. 00:17:44
With I understand. 00:17:48
The purpose of putting out ideas for donating money to these causes, but. 00:17:51
Just looking at it. 00:17:56
From my perspective, it's so general that some of them. 00:17:58
I mean, on its face I would not support period because. 00:18:02
It gives me knowing. 00:18:05
No specifics as to what it's for. 00:18:07
I mean it does in general, but not. 00:18:11
Specifically and I. 00:18:14
I'm assuming that there's going to be more to this than just looking at these. 00:18:16
Topic Headlines. 00:18:20
Yeah, Thank you, Commissioner. I, I, I tend to agree when it comes to, I mean, frankly, the list we received doesn't even have 00:18:28
dollar items associated with it or descriptions for some of these items, so. 00:18:34
I I think that's a point that we can include in our recommendation to staff. 00:18:41
That we just need more descriptions on these these items. Do you have any other additional thoughts on these items? 00:18:46
Commissioner. 00:18:55
Yes, thank you. 00:18:57
Thank you for your comments, I agree. 00:19:00
I think there this the process is is lacking um. 00:19:04
I tend to agree that a more structured process where there's a grant type program. 00:19:08
Don't have to be called a grant, but it's more structured like a grant type program. 00:19:15
And that that the community or the nonprofit comes to the organization or the body. 00:19:21
To request funding for a specific project with specific outcomes. I mean, you know, we're spending $1000 here, $5000 here, and 00:19:28
$1000 to a particular entity. Might just keep the lights on for a month. It's, it's not. 00:19:36
It's not beneficial. I mean, I think. 00:19:46
Commissioner Ramirez said. Where's the quality of life? I'd like to see more quality of life type projects put into our. 00:19:49
Community benefit from. 00:19:57
And you know the homeowners that we've that I've spoken with. 00:20:00
With the Coalition have all really spoken loud and clear that they'd like to see. 00:20:05
A more structured process that provides meaningful outcomes for these various projects. And from looking at the and it was very 00:20:11
helpful to get the the information on the agreement and how this is structured because. 00:20:20
There's been a lot of hearsay of what Council's interpretation, Commissioners interpretation, but it was really helpful to read 00:20:29
through this document and to see where. 00:20:34
Not only, you know the funding part of it, but how, How? 00:20:40
You know, I've heard, well, if the city and the port cannot agree, then they walk their separate ways with 50% of each of the 00:20:46
funds. Well, that that's sort of true, but not really true because it says in here that after three successive years, if the city 00:20:53
and the port cannot come to an agreement, then they walk away. And it doesn't say you that it's mandated that we have to. 00:21:01
Spend 100,000 or whatever the funds might be every year if we have a larger project. 00:21:09
That requires. 00:21:16
Larger funding? 00:21:18
It says that that project could be put together, planned and paid overtime for a much more robust, bigger project that is 00:21:20
meaningful to whatever it might be, right. So you know the. 00:21:26
To me, the the current program has been sort of. 00:21:35
You know, let's throw the money over here. Let's throw the money over here. And it's been more of a public relations campaign 00:21:39
rather than a community benefit fund, and I'd like to see it be truly meaningful. 00:21:45
In a community benefit in a meaningful way because there's there's a lot going on in our country and our community does need. 00:21:51
Some support in various various projects and if there are nonprofits and social organizations and that are in our community that 00:21:59
need help right now. 00:22:04
Let's look at it. Let's let's see applications that come in from them and if there is a specific projects that can be meaningful 00:22:09
to help them, that's that's great. That's I would feel better about that. 00:22:15
Myself and. 00:22:21
So that's my two cents. 00:22:23
Thank you, Commissioner, the Commissioners. 00:22:28
I just had a few notes on this and I've made it in previous years, but the Port of Boinemia encouraged my colleagues, and I'll 00:22:33
send it to staff too, puts together a really cool report. They recently did one of all the projects that have been funded over the 00:22:41
last few years by the Community Benefit Fund, and I think that's a report like that or that report would be very helpful for this 00:22:48
committee each time this list comes forward because I think it's important to look at what has been funded in the past. 00:22:56
And what has I would like to go even further beyond just say a public PR piece, which is well done, but I. 00:23:04
Should we fund projects like that again? 00:23:15
Right. Is this something that we want to repeat and go back to and fund again to an earlier point, I you know, I have had a 00:23:17
perception for several years that this has been a little bit of a black box. 00:23:24
Whatever pops out on this list pops out on the list, and it's totally subject to the turnover. 00:23:31
Of those that are in that room. 00:23:37
And so as we know here in our City Council, we've had nearly complete turnover since this, I think a complete turnover on our 00:23:39
council since this agreement was signed. 00:23:44
Far less so on the on the port side, but what that means is by the very structure of this agreement, it's highly could be highly 00:23:52
volatile and kind of a. 00:23:56
Vulnerable to this list just kind of being a pet project list of whoever happens to be in the room that day and what they thought 00:24:04
is a good idea. And maybe these are all good ideas. 00:24:09
I think it's important that we also, when we see this, this project list, it would be helpful to me to also see the categories 00:24:16
that these fall into. So really start tracking. Okay, here's not just our cool stuff agenda, but does it connect with the four 00:24:23
categories that's actually in the settlement agreement? 00:24:30
To really ground ourselves in that. 00:24:38
I appreciate the conversation around essentially a community benefit fund. Excuse me a. 00:24:41
Community Funding Review Committee. I think the city of Thousand Oaks has something similar. Excuse me one second. 00:24:48
All right, recovering from a sinus infection, um. 00:24:59
But unfortunately, that's not what we have here, right? What we have here, this plan has been the settlement agreement has been 00:25:02
reached. I think what we do have more flexibility over is how our city shows up in that joint committee room, right? How, when 00:25:08
this, when our list of proposals, again, this is just our list. This is not even the ports list. They will have their own list, 00:25:13
how this list shows up in that room. And I hope that in the future we're involved in it, that we ground ourselves in the 00:25:19
agreement. 00:25:25
You know, more detail and really trying to figure out how do we make it a little bit less of a black box kind of just an arbitrary 00:25:32
list of cool stuff versus this is really what the intent of this was. 00:25:38
And we're being intentional about funding stuff that works. 00:25:46
And and if there's a public grant process for any of it, then then there is. But I was surprised when we saw a couple weeks ago 00:25:50
the academic scholarship application go out, no idea about it. I never heard of it. My first thought was, is that a gift of public 00:25:56
funds? I don't know. That seems kind of interesting. Of course, it's different because of kind of the origins of the revenue, but 00:26:02
at least all kinds of additional questions, right? Like how is the criteria of this scholarship selected? How are the students 00:26:07
recruited? 00:26:13
Are there any academics actually involved in this exercise? Umm. 00:26:20
Or is this? 00:26:26
Good idea, impactful that's been kind of put on staff to implement quickly and. 00:26:27
My sense from at least online, it seems like it might be a little bit more of the latter. And so not saying it's a bad program, 00:26:36
it's just saying even on this list it just says scholarships. We now know. I assume that's the same thing as what I just saw the 00:26:41
other day, which is academic scholarships. But again, the lack of detail. 00:26:47
I think going forward would help us plan. 00:26:54
And I hope that I hope that program is a success. I hope it's not a big strain on staff, but. 00:26:59
I think that's just a specific example of a project that could have come back to this group, because let me tell you, it could be 00:27:05
interesting to actually have a community member as part of that review, maybe partner of Oxnard College Foundation who matches 00:27:11
dollar for dollar scholarship investments, right? So now you've doubled the amount of scholarships being able to donate to. 00:27:17
Give out in the city of Port Hueneme just by partnering with the local Community College. 00:27:24
So all that to say, that would be my my initial thoughts. I don't know if my colleagues have additional ideas from that. I would 00:27:30
just like to comment and say that that the report you're talking about that the staff gave about what we did last year or do they 00:27:36
also show if it was? 00:27:43
Those projects met their goals. 00:27:50
One, I think that's, I think that's the piece that would be really helpful because the the report I saw was put up from the port 00:27:54
of Moanini. 00:27:58
And it's, it's very well designed visually. But I think to your point actually. 00:28:02
You know, was, was this, did this project meet its, its goal right? And so maybe again, looking at the key performance indicators, 00:28:08
what are the performance indicators for these things? I think a previous commissioner had raised the idea of. 00:28:15
You know, some of these projects might be great, but it turns out we didn't allocate and anticipate enough money to actually fund 00:28:25
the project, right. And so it might be possible that we need to go back and review it. And then I call the stack the funding or 00:28:33
roll over the funding. But I think that's where we saw with the the statue situation where yes, it had come to the. 00:28:40
CC earlier, but suddenly a $30,000 statue whatever became an. 00:28:49
I can't remember what is 7590 something $1000 statute? 00:28:55
Yeah, 140, yeah, 100 and over $100,000 statue because the cost just kept rolling over year to year and it wasn't clear that the 00:29:00
end goal is probably going to be there. You know, there's always going to be cost overrun, but. 00:29:06
Is that, is that where you were you were kind of thinking about? 00:29:13
I mean, cost overruns are important, but if they've got a goal like. 00:29:18
I don't know. 00:29:22
Well, like the like the scholarships. 00:29:26
And. 00:29:31
Who did it, how many kids and. 00:29:33
Where they you know. 00:29:37
Some details I mean. 00:29:39
I can't see any organization funding projects that don't have a. 00:29:41
We're successful. 00:29:46
This year we're going to focus on. 00:30:20
The. 00:30:24
What is it? The first topic here? Please explore. 00:30:26
Shoreline protection to Jones point, maybe we're going to focus on. 00:30:29
A serious cleanup and sand dunes or whatever you mentioned there, but it getting into getting into the the details of it and then 00:30:35
saying, OK, what's that going to cost? What's that project look like? And is it a long term project or is it a one off project? 00:30:41
And are there matching funds from some other entities? And so we, we have a more robust and and meaningful program that comes out 00:30:48
of these these efforts. 00:30:54
By the port and the city that that really do benefit the community. So I think that, you know, I think that I would like to 00:31:01
suggest, you know, I don't think we should we we're at a point I think the the the the the community benefit from what is not 00:31:08
quite 10 years old and it's sort of I know there's some cleanup from my understanding that there's some cleanup of funds that 00:31:15
haven't been billed for projects in the past that need to be. 00:31:22
Fixed and cleaned up to to clean up some of the old funds. And I think it would be great if we can get that cleaned up and then 00:31:30
and then let's look at a different process and do we have do we have to make a decision on new projects for this year? 00:31:39
I would say no. I would say let's put it on hold for a little while and let's take, take, take a deep breath and see if we can't 00:31:50
come up with a different process that we can work with the port representatives in the city representatives and, and, and get them 00:31:56
to agree to a. 00:32:01
Look at a different process, so it's not just the pressure on two council members and two port members commissioners that have to 00:32:08
come up with these ideas on a deadline. 00:32:13
And so that we can, if we can say let's pause, there's nothing in this agreement that says that we can't pause. If we could pause 00:32:20
for a little while and come up with a, a new structure, something similar to a grant type application process where the community 00:32:25
comes in and says. 00:32:30
This is what I want and we can come up with some criteria. 00:32:36
I think it would be such a cleaner and it would be so much more successful process going forward. 00:32:41
Just my two cents. 00:32:47
Thank you, Commissioner. 00:32:49
You know, it doesn't make me think. 00:32:53
I think this is. 00:32:55
For my recollection, this has only come back to the CAC. 00:32:57
Twice in the seven years that I've been on the CAC. 00:33:01
And so. 00:33:05
Yes, the last time this came to the CAC I believe was in we were meeting still at the the Community Center maybe 2022, early 2022. 00:33:07
And so. 00:33:22
I think it's one of those things like if the CAC is going to be involved, then we need to be involved. 00:33:25
Right, Because again, I I like to think about like, how does the cities for the City side of this conversation? How do we best 00:33:30
prepare as a city to enter that room at the joint meeting to advocate for the project list, right. I. 00:33:38
And I think that part of that is, is if you say goes to the CAC, bring it through the CAC and not necessarily once the cake was 00:33:48
already baked. And I think both times Becky was was on the Commission at that time. It feels like the list here was already baked, 00:33:55
right? Like this list was already developed by by council, the joint committee I believe is later this week. 00:34:03
So in some ways this cakes already baked right. And that's kind of when I came into this meeting. That's what I see this as it's 00:34:11
like. 00:34:14
Essentially, we're being given a list here with no descriptions. 00:34:18
No actual allocation amounts or requests. No indication about what the fund balance is of the. 00:34:22
Is of the CPF. 00:34:31
Or what categories these items fit into. 00:34:34
And so. 00:34:37
I mean that is what it is at the at the moment and that's not necessarily on staff or anybody else. That's just kind of where an 00:34:40
indication of how this process is going. 00:34:44
To provide some context. Go ahead. Thank you. The tightrope we're trying to walk, you know, we've heard comments about there not 00:34:50
being enough information and then we've heard comments about this. Maybe it's a little bit too cooked and it's a little too far 00:34:55
along in the process. So we're trying to strike the balance. This is the information that was developed by the council of the 00:35:00
April 15th meeting. It's not fully cooked. It doesn't have specific amounts. It has categories, It has agencies that we might 00:35:04
consider funding. 00:35:09
But it doesn't say this is exactly how it's going to be used. It doesn't say this is exactly how much is proposed. So that's the 00:35:16
part where there's a lack of specificity for a reason. We don't want it to be too far along in the process before C has the 00:35:22
opportunity to provide input, to provide guidance, to provide recommendations as to how the funds may may be used. 00:35:28
So as indicated during the presentation, the process right now as it is, is that Council will develop an initial list, CAC will 00:35:35
provide input, the joint committee will discuss and refine, and then it can come back to Council and the Board of Harbor 00:35:42
Commissioners for final approval. If CSC thinks that there's a different process that works better, it's certainly within your 00:35:48
power to make that recommendation to City Council to amend the process, but that's why it's presented with the lack of specificity 00:35:54
at this time. 00:36:00
Council did not assign dollar amounts and did not assign specificity when it created this preliminary list. So that's what we 00:36:07
wanted to present and get input from the Commission at this time. 00:36:12
Thank you for that. 00:36:18
So does the Commission want to come? So I guess there's two questions. Do we want to as a Commission? 00:36:20
Go through this list and say yes, yes, yes, no, no, no, or do or do we or do we want to push back and point and say let's let's 00:36:27
reboot this program. Let's do it in a more more. 00:36:33
Organized manner that that. 00:36:41
Really does sets this into a new direction where we have. 00:36:44
Outcomes that we can, our reportable outcomes that we can, and set criterias where. 00:36:49
Expectations for what we want to see come out of this funding. 00:36:55
I guess that's that's my question to the. 00:37:00
CAC I just. 00:37:03
I think we need more information to say, you know, yeah, I want to do more police explorer, more guppies or whatever. Mr. Sapola. 00:37:05
Mr. I'm sorry, can you just put the mic a little bit closer? 00:37:12
Maybe that'll help. OK, thank you. I'm sorry. 00:37:21
No, I agree totally with the commissioner said. 00:37:24
If we had more information I'd be more than happy to vote on stuff like this, but right now just in general, I. 00:37:28
I wouldn't be. 00:37:35
Happy voting on any of it, actually. 00:37:37
Personally because I don't know what the heck they want to do but. 00:37:40
I have a couple of questions on some of these. 00:37:44
What is the Washington DC advisory trip? 00:37:49
So that's something that has been funded in the past. It's an advocacy trip where members from the port and from the city travel 00:37:55
to Washington, DC, meet with legislators and talk about potential federal funding that could support both agencies. 00:38:02
OK. 00:38:10
What's the Lego FIRST Robotics Competition? 00:38:15
So again, city have anything to do with that? 00:38:19
In its capacity as being a decision maker along with the port for these funds, it's I think now for two years, if I'm not 00:38:23
mistaken, been a an event held on the port property for various high schools across the country. And part of the funding to 00:38:30
support the program has come from the community benefit fund. 00:38:37
And what's in look at. 00:38:49
That's a youth mariachi organization and again is a group that has been funded through this program in the past. 00:38:53
And that's helpful. 00:39:40
Course it's it's. 00:39:41
It's always interesting to see that number because the list we're looking at is only the cities list. 00:39:44
The port is developing its own list. 00:39:50
And then there's been other projects that have been approved that frankly we're not on any list that I've ever seen and so. 00:39:52
And there's been some indication in the past about rollover funds where the money actually in that pot had been much higher 00:40:03
because it we had unused dollars from prior years. And so I. 00:40:09
I think that's the part that's a little unclear is how much even the actual fund balance is anticipated to be. 00:40:16
But there are not just kind of unencumbered dollars waiting to be assigned. 00:40:57
Yeah, I was going to say we might need those for the statue that's floating around. It needs to be placed. 00:41:02
So, um. 00:41:08
What other feedback, Commissioner, you had shared that you weren't comfortable approving this list as is currently? 00:41:10
I think some of these just on their face it sounds like a good deal, but I. 00:41:20
So did you, did you say that this? 00:41:27
In Lockett, she's for mariachi. Yeah, it's a youth mariachi group, I think. 00:41:30
That's been here, probably want to say 40 years. 00:41:35
They're very active with Oxnard youth. My name is Youth and they, I know I've had programming in Waimea and at the at the port. So 00:41:40
no. But are they Wienemi based? Is it a winemie based organization? This is the, this is the point, this is where I get tangled up 00:41:48
because some of these are not necessarily Wanibi based and I think we've got to be careful. 00:41:56
There may be nice things to do. 00:42:06
But you know, Oxnard has their funds and budgets and we this is a Winnie me specific. So I want to be thoughtful because we don't 00:42:08
have a lot of money and I and I just want to be like, for example, real guppies. We know that's why I named me based the police 00:42:15
and you know, so I'm just going down the list here. Police explorers. Yes, there's Huaniemi based and could we do a canine program 00:42:23
with that? That's a wine Amy base guppies would be wine Amy based. I'm not sure about the mariachis. I'd need more information. 00:42:31
The beach festival, those are certainly windy Me based. The picnic tables the bonfires are pits are already in. I don't know if 00:42:39
that's money that was used previously. 00:42:43
The idea there was to provide funding for additional installations. 00:42:49
So possibly I. 00:42:53
Public art, that's a little vague and I certainly don't want anymore statues at this point in time. I think that we've already 00:42:56
kind of hit that wall and I think that we really need to kind of look at statues in general because they're just not exactly the 00:43:02
things we want to be putting up today in today's society. So I would just put a question mark on that one. I don't think that 00:43:07
we're ready to determine that one. Scholarships, again, I would put a question mark because there's no criteria. I'm just going 00:43:13
down the list real quick. 00:43:18
City Marquee, again, I don't know that that's necessary at this point in time. Learn to swim was a critical thing for our kids 00:43:25
because there are a lot of kids that don't know how to swim. So yes, for Waimea children, I think that's a great idea. The Lego 00:43:31
FIRST Robotics Competition, I think it was fun and it was great. But is it Waimea specific and how does that benefit Wayne? We 00:43:37
only have one hotel and then and I don't know that we really get any economic benefit from that. I mean that's one of the criteria 00:43:43
is economic benefit to our city. 00:43:49
I would say maybe no. 00:43:56
Fun, but I think the port can can take care of that one. 00:43:58
Uh, the tennis backboard wall, maybe? Don't know what that means. Again, question mark, it's a little too vague. 00:44:03
Elementary school programs too vague I'd say. No cat trap and release. I know that's an issue down at the at the. 00:44:11
Lighthouse. 00:44:19
Speaking of lighthouse, we should have something on here for the lighthouse. 00:44:21
That would be a great thing to remodel. 00:44:25
Or open up to the public and make it a tourist destination. It benefits the port, benefits the city. 00:44:28
It's a destination. People walk to the lighthouse all the time. 00:44:35
And then they wouldn't need the cat. Maybe not the Audubon Society. I'm not sure. It says fencing and I'm not sure what that's 00:44:42
about, but it'd be, I'd like to know more. I'd have question mark about that Senior programming. What, where, who? 00:44:52
Museum, I know we want to reopen the museum. What kind of funding do they need? Again, this would be where the application would 00:45:03
be helpful and certainly we'd love to see that museum open. 00:45:08
Boys and Girls Club, I think that they have a lot of national funds that come in. I'd like to see let's, let's focus on local, 00:45:14
local, not national programs. Right now we just don't have the funds. 00:45:19
And we got peer signage, which sounds like the same thing as the city marquee letters, I don't think. 00:45:26
And the DC trip. 00:45:32
Don't know that doesn't, That just seems like a. 00:45:35
Political. 00:45:39
Effort, and I'm not sure if it's necessary. It doesn't. Does it benefit? 00:45:41
Our city. I go back to the name Community benefit fund. 00:45:46
So that's my that's my short list. So thank you, Commissioner, Thank you. 00:45:53
I mean. 00:45:59
For me it's. It seems like we're currently in the process where. 00:46:00
We've been provided categories that. 00:46:05
That and some some of these we have funded in the past. 00:46:09
And we have our council members who will be meeting in about two days, I think with the commissioners and so for the joint 00:46:15
meeting, right, so. 00:46:21
So we have ourselves up against a wall again on these items. 00:46:29
I appreciate. 00:46:36
Some of the comments. 00:46:38
That you made on the items rather the comments you made on some of the items. 00:46:40
And so. 00:46:47
I think that's where the descriptions come in. You know, for example, the Boys and Girls Club, we do have our own Boys and Girls 00:46:50
Club, so I'm sure that funding would be used locally and. 00:46:54
I do. 00:47:00
I always like to reframe when we think about what is wine is specific because we are a regional partner, right? We are a community 00:47:04
partner. I in fact have to drive through Oxnard to get to City Hall and so or I should say, I have the pleasure of driving through 00:47:10
Oxnard. I love that city. And so I. 00:47:16
If things have regional benefits, they have regional benefits, like the Beach Festival and the Banana Festival. 00:47:23
So let's see, Commissioner Bruni. 00:47:31
No, I don't have anything else. 00:47:36
So we need to make. 00:47:40
We need to make a recommendation to go back to council. 00:47:43
Right. 00:47:47
So some of the things that I've heard is. 00:47:49
Additional information on these items. 00:47:54
Categories on how these items relate to what's actually the the goal of the benefit fund. 00:47:58
The if we funded these items in the past. 00:48:06
Chair, I can. Sorry to interrupt you. I can. 00:48:11
Provide this Commission a rundown of which ones have been funded in the past, if that's helpful. 00:48:15
And I can provide a little bit of context about some of that. So the Port Windy Me explorers, the real guppies in the Catch the 00:48:24
Beach festival, the Banana Festival, the 5K event. 00:48:30
Public art projects. 00:48:38
Scholarships, the Lego FIRST Robotics Competition, Cat Trap, and Release Audubon Society in the Washington DC Advocacy trip. All 00:48:40
of those are items that have received funding from the Community Benefit Fund in the past. 00:48:48
There was a another point I was going to make. 00:48:59
Oh, I know what it was. Thank you for that. 00:49:02
Just going to wait for the chair just to come back in. 00:49:09
So with regard to the request or the thought about needing more specificity, again, the list of projects came from the council and 00:49:13
there wasn't necessarily a lot of specificity at that time. I guess my recommendation is if this body thinks that there is 00:49:20
potential support for some of these but wants to ensure that they're used in a specific way. I just heard comments about ensuring 00:49:27
that it's used for our local community. 00:49:34
Boys and Girls Clubs a good example to national organization, yet we have. 00:49:43
A local chapter that provides programming and assistance to folks in South Oxnard and Port Hueneme. If there's a recommendation 00:49:46
that could come from this body that the funding for certain organizations be used in a certain way rather than we just give the 00:49:51
money to them. I will note the the funds from this that are given to organizations like Police Explorers, Real Guppies in Lake 00:49:57
Catch. 00:50:03
The Boys and Girls Club, if that were on the list. 00:50:10
There are agreements that are entered into between the nonprofit and the city, so if there's a recommendation from this body and 00:50:13
if the council were to approve it, it could be that the funds be given but that the agreement specified that they're used in a 00:50:18
particular manner. 00:50:22
OK. Thank you. 00:50:30
Comments from commissioners. 00:50:31
So I'm going to make a motion. 00:50:35
OK, go ahead, Commissioner. 00:50:37
I'd like to make a motion that we. 00:50:39
The Citizen Advisory Council recommends that the city and the port. 00:50:43
Look to restructure. 00:50:54
The process for the Community Benefit Fund. 00:50:58
To. 00:51:02
Be more similar to a grant process. 00:51:05
Where the particular entities of. 00:51:10
Nonprofits or. 00:51:15
Community event Community organizations come to a body. 00:51:16
To be determined. 00:51:22
With an application. 00:51:25
For funding. 00:51:28
With specific criteria and reportable outcomes. 00:51:30
And. 00:51:35
We put on hold. 00:51:37
Recommendations for specific projects for this year? 00:51:40
Because I'm, I'm get, I'm going to pause the, the motion at this point because I'm getting, I'm getting tangled up in the same 00:51:45
situation that the port of the city is right now because I just went through, we just went through this whole list and it's like, 00:51:51
well, maybe this and maybe that, maybe not, maybe, maybe and, and, and it's. 00:51:56
It's backwards. 00:52:02
You know what I mean? It feels so backwards then. 00:52:04
Umm, no wonder we're struggling with it we've been sitting here for. 00:52:08
15 minutes, 15 minutes, so almost. And we're still kind of going back and forth and back and forth and I think it just seems so. 00:52:13
Such a backward process that that. 00:52:20
I'd like to restructure it so. 00:52:23
Doesn't feel so awkward. 00:52:27
So that that's my motion. 00:52:30
My emotion, my emotion. OK, so just to restate your to restate your motion. 00:52:31
What staff may have captured. 00:52:39
The recommends that the city and port look to restructure the process for the CBF to be more similar to a grant process, where the 00:52:47
particular entities, nonprofits or community organizations come to a body to be determined with funding and more specifics and put 00:52:53
on hold recommendations for specific projects this year. 00:52:59
OK, one second. 00:53:07
There's a second. 00:53:09
We're now going to move to discussion on this item. 00:53:13
While I appreciate the motion. 00:53:18
I want to be mindful of the fact that some of this, so changing it to a grant based model process et cetera would be ideal, but we 00:53:24
are bound by what is in the settlement agreement in the process that's currently there and so. 00:53:33
And so when we come to how the city prepares itself to enter into that meeting, I think is is something I would like to see. 00:53:46
And what's within our purview to address, right? How does our mayor and our mayor Pro Tem, which will change next year? 00:53:54
Enter into this process in future years especially. 00:54:02
Umm, you know I I can't. 00:54:09
I have a hard time thinking of some of these programs and activities that we fund having to wait while we reconstruct and 00:54:10
reimagine a new process. 00:54:16
Umm, what I am comfortable doing is recommended recommending the council, which is again what our our purview is that a list more 00:54:22
complete list comes back to the CAC in the near future. That includes the categories that these items fit in a description. 00:54:33
Anticipated cost. 00:54:45
And whether or not the project had been funded previously. 00:54:52
I am prepared to make that as a substitute motion, um. 00:54:58
At this time. 00:55:01
Is there a second to that motion? 00:55:04
I'll second it. 00:55:10
OK. So it's been moved and seconded. So we're now on the substitute motion. So we'll handle that first and if that passes then 00:55:13
we'll we'll move forward. If not, then we'll return to the main motion which was yours. 00:55:19
Now the substitute motion replaces. If it passes, would replace the motion. 00:55:26
No. So during that discussion, thank you for your question. So during. 00:55:32
Yes. So that would be the substitute motion and the substitute motion would be voted upon 1st and if it fails then it would go 00:55:38
back to the main motion. 00:55:42
And I just want, I want to comment on that before there's a vote on that because it does not say that there is no we are bound 00:55:46
that the process does say that the city, district and district shall appoint. 00:55:52
3 representatives. 00:55:58
But it doesn't say anything about and it's from from the district in the city. 00:56:01
But it does not say that there can't be 1/3 body that can recommend recommendations to the city in the port to then. 00:56:05
Deliberate on which items they will choose from. 00:56:15
It's, I still think it's backwards regardless and I think that if we we try to go go forward with, with the current program as it 00:56:19
is without. 00:56:23
A. A. 00:56:30
A process. We're going to end up in this process as a mess every year. 00:56:31
Thank you, Commissioner. 00:56:38
Are there comments? 00:56:41
So my my intention with this motion would be that, um. 00:56:45
You know the council will receive feedback from us. I know staff has been taking notes as well about some of the concerns we've 00:56:50
been making raising rather I know I'm sure there's several council members who've been watching this Commission meeting. I. 00:56:58
But the hope is that this item will come back to us. I don't know if that's something that could be done. 00:57:07
I don't know what the timing funding timetable is of the port. So they have their joint meeting on Friday staff, if you mind just 00:57:13
explaining kind of the next steps in the process. So, so. 00:57:20
The port and the city meets this week and then what happens after that? So the. 00:57:27
The Subcommittee of the Port and the. 00:57:35
City Council would meet this Thursday the 30th. 00:57:38
Depending on the outcome of that meeting, there may be a need to reconvene that group for further discussion, but whenever 00:57:43
deliberations among that group have reached its end, assuming that there's a mutual agreement. 00:57:49
Both bodies would have list of projects presented to the full body. The full. 00:57:56
Board of Harbor Commissioners and the Fall City Council for their final approval. 00:58:02
And because we've been talking about timing and and. 00:58:07
Process ideas. I'll just remind everybody that what the agreement calls for is within 180 days of the start of the fiscal year. 00:58:10
Both bodies shall take action to approve the list of projects. So while it's always beneficial to get ahead of the game and have 00:58:19
decisions made and, and I'll be on the same page, we do have some time. This would be 180 days after July 1st would be our our 00:58:24
deadline to make sure we meet that. 00:58:28
Thank you SO. 00:58:34
So there is a possibility there, not that we can require it here, that perhaps that list can come to us before it goes to Council 00:58:36
at the final and then. 00:58:41
And then Council will have our feedback on that fuller list, Is that right? 00:58:48
That that's a possibility. 00:58:52
OK. 00:58:53
Commissioners, what are the thoughts do we have so? 00:58:55
That's what I would like to see is that list to come back to us, that the list of the cities list, the ports list together comes 00:58:59
back to us for feedback before it goes to council for this round. And perhaps in that meeting we can also provide feedback on what 00:59:05
we would like to see in future years around the use of the monies. 00:59:11
Commissioners. 00:59:20
I agree with her. 00:59:22
I agree with her motion. 00:59:26
OK. So, so we're on the substitute motion right now. And so would you like to read this substitute motion? 00:59:28
And then we'll entertain a vote on that. 00:59:37
OK. So I'll go ahead and state the motion that is currently on the floor and that is to. 00:59:39
For council to receive feedback and come back with a more complete list. 00:59:48
Well, and come bring it back to CAC with a more complete list with both sides, city and the port. 00:59:53
I think that was it correct? 01:00:04
I had as part of that motion, specifics would include which categories within the agreement each project is assigned, which 01:00:09
projects were previously funded, more detail about each of the proposed projects, and amounts to be funded for each project. 01:00:16
That's the, that's the motion. 01:00:23
OK, hearing no more discussion. We'll go to a vote on that motion. OK, we'll do a roll call vote. So Commissioner Savala, 01:00:26
Commissioner Bruni, Yes, Vice Chair. 01:00:33
Burke Yeah, I'm sorry. 01:00:42
Can you repeat the motion once? 01:00:47
Can you repeat the motion for me one more time because it seems like you kind of got a little bit of a so I'm going to start. He's 01:00:51
going to finish the question. So it is to have council receive feedback and to bring a more complete list back to CAC in the 01:00:58
future, including both sides from the city and the port. 01:01:04
With information about which categories each project aligns with which projects were previously funded, more detail about each 01:01:12
project, and the amount of funding proposed for each project. 01:01:17
Can I amend that? 01:01:27
We can finish this boat since we're currently voting on it and then. 01:01:32
And Commissioner, I'm sorry, Chair, Eau Claire. 01:01:39
So we currently have two no votes and two yes votes. Thank you. So that substitute motion is not successful, does not pass. We can 01:01:44
return to the main motion I. 01:01:50
You know at the main motion the original motion made and we can also entertain substitute motions which you were saying. So I 01:01:57
wanted to to. 01:02:02
Dovetail off of. 01:02:08
Claire's. 01:02:12
Commissioners eclairs motion. I would like to include in that motion that that. 01:02:14
Including in that process that we. 01:02:21
Restructuring of. 01:02:25
The Community Benefit Fund process. 01:02:27
Be revisited. 01:02:31
To include. 01:02:34
A grant like program again to to. 01:02:37
Have the the community organizations and nonprofits submit. 01:02:43
There are applications to a body. 01:02:48
And it could be the CAC, it could be a different. 01:02:53
Combined body between Portland and city. 01:02:59
To. 01:03:02
For future. 01:03:05
Community Benefit. 01:03:07
Fun projects. 01:03:09
So basically it's a 2 stepper. 01:03:14
Two steps, One, we will look at what we've got on our plate right now and secondly, look to our future projects. Consider. 01:03:16
Staff have clarity on that or questions? I wanted to make one comment before the Commission votes. All great ideas. 01:03:29
The motion, I think, as it stands, includes the CAC's review of projects discussed by both the city and the port. 01:03:39
And I'll just point out, I think that the concept behind the agreement is that there's two autonomous groups going through their 01:03:48
own processes and at the end they come together. So I'm not sure the ports expectation would be that the CAC would review. 01:03:55
Project ideas created by the port. That doesn't mean that this body can't make that motion. I just wanted to point out I think 01:04:03
that the port sees its process as an autonomous process, and the city sees its process. 01:04:08
As a separate process, so I just. 01:04:14
Feel free to take action on the motion as you wish, but if you wish to stay just on the City side, we can amend the motion 01:04:17
accordingly. 01:04:20
Thank you. Yeah, I think when I was making that motion, what I'd imagined was. 01:04:24
That just giving us a fuller idea of how the funds are used, not necessarily that we're going to tell the port, you know, this is 01:04:30
how you should reach your, your end goal or this is how you should come up with your list. 01:04:36
I think it'd just be good to see kind of overall how are the funds being used and what are the goals that we have with that. 01:04:43
What comments do commissioners have on the substitute motion? 01:04:50
Well, I support the substitute motion. 01:05:00
OK. 01:05:04
I'll just note that I think this allows us to move forward. We've laid some stuff out for staff to kind of. 01:05:06
Compile and have an idea if if they have an opportunity to provide that feedback up. 01:05:18
Up the chain of command there, um. 01:05:24
And I will be supporting your substitute motion as well. 01:05:29
Commissioner O'Brien, do you have any comments? 01:05:34
OK. I think we're ready for the roll call. 01:05:36
Commissioner Savala. 01:05:40
I support the motion. 01:05:43
Commissioner Burning. Yes, Vice Chair Burke. 01:05:46
Yes. And Tara, Claire, Yes. Motion passes. 01:05:50
OK, the motion has passed. We're now going to move to the next item, which is staff Common. Does staff have any comments at this 01:05:57
time? 01:06:00
No comments. I just wanted to thank you all for your your deliberation, your thoughtful process and as the Chair indicated. 01:06:07
We will take the recommendation forward as indicated. The next step is that there is a joint meeting later this week and we will 01:06:15
be sure to share with the city representatives the opinion and the forthcoming recommendation from this body. 01:06:21
Thank you. 01:06:29
We're now going to go to commissioner comments. Does any, do any of the commissioners have comments? 01:06:30
Well, first, thank you all. I just was, I think this was a good process and I think it was a healthy process to go through taking 01:06:39
some baby steps forward and trying to. 01:06:44
Build more collaboration with the port and with our city. Umm. 01:06:49
But I also want to say thank you to the city for a beautiful Memorial Day event yesterday. It was very touching. 01:06:55
And a class act. 01:07:05
At the beach yesterday on the pier. 01:07:08
So again, thank you to the staff and council members who organized that and thought of that. It was a lovely event, one of the 01:07:11
best I've been to. 01:07:16
Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner comments. 01:07:22
I just want to also appreciate staff. I know Mr. Vega also has been in communication about some of these items, and there's a lot. 01:07:26
There's a lot going on in our county and in our city. 01:07:36
For the month of June, I hope everybody participates in Juneteenth. There'll be a celebration happening in Oxnard again on the 01:07:41
coming month, and it'll be just another wonderful ceremony at Plaza Park. 01:07:47
For Pride month, I hope everybody enjoys that and I know the city will have some activities and ultimately with the goal of. 01:07:54
Celebrating those members of our communities and hopefully saving some lives as well in the process. 01:08:04
So with that, we're now going to go to the adjournment. The meeting is adjourned. The next regular quarterly meeting of the 01:08:10
Citizen Advisory Council is scheduled for Monday, July 8th, 2024 at 4:00 PM here at the City Hall. The meeting is now adjourned. 01:08:16
The time is 5:06. Thank you, commissioners. 01:08:22