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Council looks at ways to improve city
Some council members apprehensive about humane issues with proposal
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More from Other NewsThe Oxnard City Council reacted with a mixture of interest and caution Tuesday to a proposal by Councilman Tim Flynn that the city revisit the "safe, clean, attractive, prosperous neighborhoods" policies it adopted in 2005.
The city has made a lot of progress with safety and cleanliness over the past four years, but should consider what more might be done to promote more attractive neighborhoods, Flynn said.
He would like the city to hire more code compliance officers to deal with substandard housing and help neighborhood councils deal with beautification issues.
Flynn said his proposal was motivated by concerns expressed by residents about too many people living in garages, shacks and trailers, as well as too many cars parked on streets.
"If we don't have the numbers (of compliance officers) there, it's going to be very difficult to reach the goals the council has gotten behind," Flynn said.
"The next step is a strategic planning session in the next few months where we revisit our vision and see what has to be changed and engage our neighborhoods," Mayor Tom Holden said. "It's time to do that."
Councilman Dean Maulhardt told Flynn his proposal has "potential" and "it's definitely worthy of discussion." However, he warned that no discussion of the problem of overcrowding and substandard housing can exclude the subject of development limits.
"We have to have an open discussion of what people mean when they say they don't want growth," he said.
Any discussion of reducing overcrowding and substandard housing will need to include what to do about the people now living in such housing, Councilman John Zaragoza said.
"What do we do with displaced families? It's a humane issue," he said, adding that there are already 4,000 people on a waiting list for Section 8 subsidized housing.
Councilman Andres Herrera said he agrees with Flynn's concept of strength through beauty, but added that the moral imperative is that we treat others how we wish to be treated.
"Who are we to tell people how to run their homes," he said, adding that there is a thin line between legitimate beautification efforts and Big Brother telling you what to do.
Posted by gingerlou on May 8, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Grow up Hererra & Zaragoza! Yes, you are big brother and it's your responsibility...remember.
Are you really more concerned for those who aren't able to understand it's illegal to live "illegally" than those who pay their bills, taxes (taxes that come to the city & create a nice community, schools, etc) and then want a clean and safe place for their families. Stop paving the way for people to come to areas they can't afford. These people don't get it & they add to the violence in Oxnard. You are just setting them up for continued failure if you don't say no!
Ok John, do you think these people think about others when they are stealing or taking advantage of the city?
It's a choice, true, but it needs to be made or it wouldn't be such an issue!
It's really time to do something!!!!
Posted by shaver_one on May 8, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"...too many cars parked on streets."
Where are they supposed to park? Not everyone has a garage. It is illegal to park on your lawns. It is already a violation to leave non-functioning vehicles on the streets. Besides, the streets were designed to accomodate parked cars.
If city employees would just use that parking garage built in Downtown for their parking, while working for the city, a lot more open parking on the streets would be made available. But, no. They choose to park on the street, or in public parking lots. They should be forced to use either Oxnard's new Civic Center parking lot, or that multi-storied parking garage.
Posted by SMITH on May 8, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
gingerlou- Your insensitive & prejudice remarks are right in line with Tim Flynn. Ignorance is no excuse, quit writing trash.
Posted by coastalslinger on May 8, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Personally, I'd rather see them deal with all the strip malls that lay empty, or are left with just a few stores.
My husband and I were driving through town the other day, and it looks filthy! The council has no pride in our city, or how we appear to anyone visiting
Since Safeway left the Carriage Square shopping center it has gone downhill. The median on Gonzales between "C" Street, and Ventura Road looks like it's only there to harbor rats.
The strip mall on the corner of Hemlock, and Victoria is nothing but a hang out now for drug dealers, and the homeless. Yet right across the street they're building all new VERY EXPENSIVE homes, and another strip mall.
I have lived in Oxnard since the early 60's. I have watched it grow, and it disgusts me. Soon there will be no Strawberry Festival since there will be no more farms. We continue to build instead of making what we have acceptable, and clean.
Our Harbor is beautiful and quaint, but instead of cleaning it up, and bringing it back to how it was....let's just tear it all down, and build MORE condos.
I have always loved this city, and defended it with every breath I've had, but I have now had enough. Maybe Joni Mitchell saw in one of her songs of the 60's what the council fails to see, even today.....
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.
Posted by SMITH on May 9, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
coastalslinger- Get informed, if you just take the time and look there are plans to re-do all the worn down area’s, it’s open to the public. But instead, it's people like you who give the Oxnard a bad name by mis-informing the public with your negative remarks. If you are not happy, move out!
Posted by rjeremy on May 9, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With all due respect, I agree with the very first comment. Also, overcrowding is a public health concern for all and has nothing to do with race or "insensitivity".
From the tone of the article by comments made by some members of the city council, the council is already making excuses why things cannot be done. Again, Mr Flynn's good intentions and passion for the city is met with resistance. And we wonder why the city is in such dire straights and the joke of the county?
Posted by SMITH on May 9, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rjeremy- WHo are Flynn's drinking buddy?
Posted by coastalslinger on May 9, 2008 at 7:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Smith- I have spent most of my 45 years of living here defending Oxnard, so don't assume anything. How long have you been here?
I stopped defending them when all I see is new building going on, day after day.
YOU need to get informed sir/madam. They have been promising "sprucing" up the areas that need it for many, many years. A new council comes in, the same promise is made, and here we sit.
I have seen an Oxnard that was so special that when you spoke to someone around your neighborhood, you either knew them, or someone they knew, or were related to. And that was a city of 150,000.
An Oxnard that was so unique that you could drive ANYWHERE in town and be able to stop at a local produce stand from the farm right there. Now we have about 10 (if that many) in the whole city.
I understand growth. What I don't understand is promoting growth so badly that you let the rest of the city, which don't have million dollar, new homes, go to pot.
What I don't understand is how anxious they are to approve new projects, without seeing they are doing nothing but making us the next Los Angeles.
That may be good for some, but the reason most of us live here is because we didn't want to be in L.A.
And sir/madam, address your nasty comments to the appropriate people. I'm not the one making Oxnard look bad. Blame the city council which has let the city run down while they concentrate on all the new EXPENSIVE homes.
Posted by SMITH on May 10, 2008 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
coastalslinger-
LET'S TALK EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JOHN FLYNN MAKES OVER $100,000 A YEAR-
HAS MADE OVER $3,000,000 IN HIS 32 YEARS IN OFFICE.
WHO'S THE ONE GETTING OVER ON THE PUBLIC, TIM & JOHN FLYNN CAN'T EVEN HELP THE VERY PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT!
WHAT A WASTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by coastalslinger on May 11, 2008 at 8:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What? Now you're not allowed to be in office unless you cry poverty.
All I'm seeing is someone who obviously has a grudge against the Flynn's, and thinks because he uses the typewriter as a verbal weapon, everyone should assume he knows what he's talking about.
You fool few sir/madam.
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