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TO council votes to hold off on development initiative position
STORY TOOLS 
More from Other NewsThe Thousand Oaks City Council or certain council members may not write an argument against a controversial initiative that will go to voters in June, following a decision by the council at its meeting Tuesday night.
The council voted unanimously, in a 5 to 0 decision, to refrain from submitting an argument for the sample ballot sent to voters.
The initiative calls for a public vote for any large development, if it would add significant traffic congestion to any street or intersection before any street improvements provided by the developer are considered. It was submitted to the city by two Thousand Oaks residents who said they feared traffic an proposed Home Depot might bring. The initiative's main financial backer is another store, the Do it Center, which has backed initiatives in other cities, including Agoura Hills, when other stores wanted to move in.
"Since there are bona fide opponents and proponents of the initiative, I see no reason for the City Council to issue an argument," Councilman Dennis Gillette said.
Gillette said that holding back on submitting a ballot argument should would not preclude the council from taking a stance on the initiative in the future.
Before the council voted on the issue, Conejo Valley Unified Schools Superintendent Mario Contini spoke against the initiative. He said that after reading an analysis on the impacts the initiative would have on the city if its approved he feared the school district would lose vital revenues from property taxes and redevelopment funds.
"We don't see a whole lot of benefit in this initiative," he said.
Posted by koolwhazzup on February 13, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now the CVUSD Superintendent is a "stooge" for the City Council-what a ridiculous argument!
School districts have first call on all tax revenue-I suppose that the Superintendent thinks that more traffic and more big box stores means more money for schools-what a stretch!!!
Posted by Poppa on February 13, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If this initiative is passed it will lead to Thousand Oaks becoming run down as money for vital repairs and services evaporates. If this is passed, within five years Oxnard and the San Fernando Valley will be looking like paradises compared to the Conejo Valley. There are dark forces at work behind this initiative and it is much more to protect the wallets of a few at the expense of many!
Posted by jeff93024 on February 13, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I always thought that it was banks, developers, Chambers of Commerce, and some newspaper publishers who posed the greatest threat to open spaces, but apparently school administrators -- and not a few teachers -- are right up there with them.
Are school officials just shills for the Building Industry Association of America and the rest of the Pave-it-Over crowd? It would seem that way.
I wonder what the schools are teaching the kids about the value of parkland, greenbelts, agricultural land and open space? Are they teaching them that it would be better for us to emulate Orange and Los Angeles counties with their More People = More Money = Yay!! attitude?
Posted by koolwhazzup on February 13, 2008 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Another uninformed comment by Mr. "Doc"!!!
What are the "dark" forces? Get a life!!
Posted by JoJoTO on February 13, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Again: I sure hope that TO residents realize that this initiative has nothing to do with traffic. It’s all about a large corporation that doesn't want to deal with potential competition and a loss of profits. They are willing to take a wrecking ball to our community in order to help their bottom line.
Read the impact analysis. Better yet, read the Committee Campaign Statement (state form 460) and find out exactly how this campaign was financed by one corporation to the tune of over $200,000 (so far). Also, please realize that the folks that gathered your signatures on the petition work for a company that is paid to do so by the very same corporation. And finally, read the initiative itself! It has absolutely nothing to do with "Saving Open Space" or somehow "preventing traffic congestion".
Posted by koolwhazzup on February 13, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm retired, live in TO and donated $150.00 to
this campaign-since the current City Council is
against this, then I'm for it!!
JoJoTO, You must work for Home Depot!!
Posted by fish on February 13, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Screw this money wasting initiative !
I dont want to have to go to Newbury Park everytime I need materials or tools. Especially once the new Costco opens next to the existing Home Depot...traffic is gonna be a b---- ! Why do we need so many big box stores next to each other?
The proposed location for the new Home Depot is perfect ! Freeway adjacent and no other big box stores near.
I say...lets build a BIGGER home depot in T.O.
Posted by Poppa on February 13, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well if this passes and we are all dodging pot holes the size of Volkswagons I bet the same people who support this bad initiative will also be the first ones crying about the pot holes, the increased crime, the lack of City services, crumbling schools etc. Anyone want to bet?
Posted by TONative on February 13, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If we're going to have to vote on everything in the city, why are we paying to have a city council? This is stupid. Let our elected officials do their job. If you don't like how they are doing it, vote them out or recall them. If you think that can't be done, call Grey Davis.
This is going to SUCK if it passes. We will be living in a perpetual campaign season with constant junk mail and constant phone calls. Developers aren't going to stop developing. It just means that all the money they would have spent on parks and turn signals and street widening is now going to go to lawyers and campaign consultants.
I'm all for slowing down growth and keeping us from turning into LA, but I'm a little sceptical of anything funded by a large corporation like the Do It Center.
TO is a great place to live. Maybe we should keep running it the way we have been - that's worked so far.
Posted by JoJoTO on February 13, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don’t work for Home Depot, “koolwhazzup”. I have never worked for Home Depot. I don’t even know anyone that works for Home Depot, although I will admit to spending some money there. I do not care if Home Depot moves into the old K-Mart building.
Bigger picture: We have a corporation misusing the initiative process in order to avoid competition. The only winners (if there are any) will be the attorneys. Our community will be the loser. I certainly hope you enjoy the sound of your tax dollars being flushed down the toilet.
As resident of TO for over 35 years, I find this whole “Right to Vote on Traffic Congestion” initiative process disgusting, dishonest and WRONG.
Posted by koolwhazzup on February 13, 2008 at 7:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To Mr. "Doc" -
Another pathetic response - do you really believe what you are writing - how paranoid!!!
To JoJoTO - how about reading the initiative and becoming informed for a change? Are you that gullible and believe what our City Council says?
Posted by TONative on February 14, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I notice that koolwhazzup never refutes the arguments, but only attacks the people making the arguments.
I've read the initiative it it strikes me as being a horribly inefficient way to run a city. The whole purpose of having a representative democracy is that we don't have to spend the time getting up to speed on highly complicated issues and voting on each issue. We hire people to do that.
Additionally, if we don't like a decision our representatives make we can either 1) vote them out; 2) recall them; or 3) use a referendum to undo the action they took. That way we only have to spend money on elections occassionally rather than constantly.
Look closely at who is funding the initiative. Do you think you are better off trusting the City Council, who is accountable to you, or the Do It Center? Of course, koolwhazzup is probably the paid hack who argued with the Council when they asked if he was a lobbyist.
Posted by koolwhazzup on February 15, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To TONative-
Your naivete is showing - you need to know the history of the shenanigans the TO City Council
has pulled off lately.
No special election to fill the late Ed Masry's seat.
A $12 million giveaway (tax payer dollars) to the developer of the Lakes.
Allowing a multi-story parking structure at the Auto Mall in violation of height restrictions.
You mention a referendum-well what do you think this traffic INITIATIVE is for?
You sound like a "paid hack" for the "gang of 4" on the council-I'll take my chances with the Do It Center!!
Posted by insideinfo on February 18, 2008 at 3:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting. Trustee Dunn gets censored for asking PTA presidents to poll their members on options regarding how to balance the budget. How much do you want to bet nothing happens to Contini for illegally representing the school district. The word you are thinking of is hyprocrisy.
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