Ojai MSR Resolution 2018 02 21reduced

Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission City of Ojai Municipal Service Review Prepared By: Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission 800 S. Victoria Avenue, L #1850 Ventura, CA 93009 Accepted by the Commission on February 21, 2018 Prepared By Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Profile........................................................................................................................................................ 3 Growth and Population Projections ......................................................................................................... 7 Review of Municipal Services ................................................................................................................... 9 Written Determinations ......................................................................................................................... 15 Introduction Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCos) exist in each county in California and were formed for the purpose of administering state law and local policies relating to the establishment and revision of local government boundaries. According to the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (California Government Code § 56000 et seq.), LAFCo’s purposes are to: • discourage urban sprawl; • preserve open space and prime agricultural land; • ensure efficient provision of government services; and • encourage the orderly formation and development of local agencies. To achieve its purposes, LAFCos are responsible for coordinating logical and timely changes in local government boundaries (such as annexations), conducting special studies that identify ways to reorganize and streamline governmental structure, and determining a sphere of influence for each city and special district over which they have authority. A sphere of influence is a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local agency, as determined by LAFCo (Government Code § 56076). Beginning in 2001, each LAFCo was required to review, and as necessary, update the sphere of each city and special district on or before January 1, 2008, and every five years thereafter (Government Code § 56425(g)). Government Code § 56430(a) provides that in order to determine or update a sphere of influence, LAFCo shall prepare a Municipal Service Review (MSR) and make written determinations relating to the following seven factors: 1. Growth and population projections for the affected area. 2. The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence. 3. Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and infrastructure needs or deficiencies including needs or deficiencies related to sewers, municipal and industrial water, and structural fire protection in any disadvantaged, unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence. 4. Financial ability of agencies to provide services. 5. Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities. 6. Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies. 7. Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by Commission policy. MSRs are not prepared for counties, but are prepared for special districts governed by a county Board of Supervisors. Additionally, while LAFCos are authorized to prepare studies relating to their role as boundary agencies, LAFCos have no investigative authority. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 1 of 22 A MSR was completed for each of nine of the 10 Ventura County cities (a MSR was not prepared for the City of Port Hueneme1) in Ventura County in 2007, and a second MSR for the same nine cities was completed in 2012. This MSR includes an updated examination of the City’s services, as required by LAFCo law. LAFCo staff prepared this MSR for the City of Ojai, using information obtained from multiple sources, including: • 2017 MSR Questionnaire: The City completed a questionnaire, which elicited general information about the City (e.g., its contact information, governing body, financial information), as well as service-specific data; • City Budget: The City’s adopted budget provided information regarding services and funding levels; • General Plan: The City’s General Plan provided information regarding land use, populations, and service levels; • City Documents: Various City documents provided supplementary information relating to service provision; • 2012 MSR: The 2012 MSR provided certain data that remains relevant and accurate for inclusion in the current MSR; • City Website: The City’s website provided supplementary and clarifying information; and • City Staff: City staff provided supplementary and clarifying information. This report is divided into four sections: • Profile: Summary profile of information about the City, including contact information, governing body, summary financial information, and staffing levels; • Growth and Population Projections: Details of past, current, and projected population for the City; • Review of Municipal Services: Discussion of the municipal services that the City provides; and • Written Determinations: Recommended determinations for each of the seven mandatory factors for the City. The Commission’s acceptance of the MSR and adoption of written determinations will be memorialized through the adoption of a resolution that addresses each of the seven mandatory factors based on the Written Determinations section of the MSR. 1 No MSR was prepared for the City of Port Hueneme, consistent with past Commission practice, because: (1) the City’s municipal boundary is coterminous with its existing sphere boundary; (2) the City is nearly entirely surrounded by the City of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean, and (3) the only area available for inclusion in the City’s sphere is the unincorporated community of Silver Strand, which is provided municipal services by the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 2 of 22 Profile Contact Information City Hall 401 S. Ventura Street, Ojai, CA 93024 Mailing Address 401 S. Ventura Street, Ojai, CA 93024 Phone Number (805) 646-5581 Website ojaicity.org Employee E-mail Addresses lastname@ojaicity.org City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 3 of 22 Governance Information Incorporation Date July 26, 1921 Organization General Law Form of Government Council - Manager City Council o Five members. o Mayor elected at-large to a two-year term of office (elections held in even-numbered years).2 o Remaining four City Council members elected at-large to staggered, four-year terms of office (elections held in even-numbered years). Other Elected Officials • City Treasurer and City Clerk elected at-large and serve four-year terms. City Council Meetings o 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Available for viewing on the City’s website upon conclusion of the meeting. Population and Area Information Population Area (square miles) City Jurisdiction 7,4773 4.37 Sphere of Influence Not available 8.10 Services Provided by the City Animal Services4 Police Services5 Cemetery Services Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Services6 Building and Safety Services Storm Drain Maintenance Services Community Development/Planning Services Street Maintenance Services Parks and Recreation Services Transit Services7 Staffing – Full Time Positions8 Departments FY 2012-13 FY 2013-14 FY 2014-15 FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18 Administration 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Community 3.0 2.5 3.0 3.0 4.5 4.5 DFienvaenlcoep ment 4.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 Police 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Public Works 11.0 9.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Transit 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Recreation 5.0 4.0 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 Total 36.0 32.0 37.4 37.4 39.9 39.9 2 Historically, the City Council selected one of its members to a one-year term as Mayor. The 2016 election was the first in which a Mayor was elected directly by City voters. 3 Source: California Department of Finance estimate (January 1, 2016). 4 Service provided by contract with Ventura County Animal Services (County of Ventura). 5 Service provided by contract with Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. 6 Service provided by contract with a private provider. 7 The City’s transit service is limited to the Ojai Trolley. All other transit service is provided by the Gold Coast Transit District. 8 Source: Current and historical City budget documents, and City staff. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 4 of 22 Public Agencies with Overlapping Jurisdiction Casitas Municipal Water District Ventura County Air Pollution Control District Gold Coast Transit District Ventura County Fire Protection District Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency Ventura County Transportation Commission Ojai Water Conservation District Ventura County Watershed Protection District Ojai Unified School District Ventura Regional Sanitation District Ojai Valley Sanitary District Ventura County Air Pollution Control District Ojai Water Conservation District Summary Financial Information9 FY 2013-14 FY 2014-15 FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18 General Fund Revenues Actual Actual Budget Adopted Adopted Property taxes 1,478,161 1,572,362 1,555,710 1,950,100 1,897,800 Sales taxes 1,321,401 1,503,714 1,454,700 1,270,190 1,449,300 Business licenses 151,584 174,799 159,570 178,500 182,070 Franchise fees 376,424 396,699 370,050 386,640 361,640 Trans.Occ.Tax (TOT) & 2,872,000 2,967,451 3,143,220 3,249,150 3,470,280 Prop.Trans.Tax TOT to Capital Improvement Fund (485,995) (589,272) (622,420) (643,000) (691,750) Documentary Stamp Tax10 84,838 100,845 121,904 101,765 112,880 Licenses and permits 344,248 488,788 489,240 717,140 531,860 Fines, forfeitures, & penalties 21,713 18,035 17,790 17,600 26,660 Use of money 9,320 11,364 8,160 12,000 20,000 Motor Vehicle In-Lieu 673,239 705,980 704,200 772,150 799,630 Revenue from other agencies 315,589 367,444 267,000 268,700 318,430 Charges for services 73,182 97,708 88,650 80,530 116,623 Overhead Allocations 284,850 294,959 222,580 273,480 215,210 Gas Tax11 263,236 234,721 163,175 150,219 0 Miscellaneous 87,015 344,784 126,100 135,210 65,000 Recreation 438,463 520,358 417,200 441,350 550,100 Total $8,309,268 $9,210,739 $8,686,829 $9,361,724 $9,425,733 9 Source: FY 2017-18 budget and historical budgets, and City staff. 10 The Documentary Stamp Tax is a real estate transfer tax. 11 “Gas Tax Revenue” in this table refers only to the transfer of Gas Tax revenue to reimburse the General Fund for eligible expenditures incurred in the General Fund. No Gas Tax funds are budgeted for the General Fund for FY 2017-18. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 5 of 22 FY 2013-14 FY 2014-15 FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 FY 2017-18 General Fund Expenditures Actual Actual Budget Adopted Adopted City Council 144,747 146,598 143,900 145,810 130,503 City Manager 525,796 548,866 554,280 545,871 637,482 City Treasurer 1,330 1,339 2,220 1,540 6,433 Finance 530,092 582,929 540,670 652,170 742,348 City Attorney 95,726 103,439 135,000 135,000 159,000 City Clerk 183,795 204,046 207,520 203,360 192,499 Arts Commission 34,374 37,607 52,500 45,014 60,172 Police 3,057,823 3,148,300 3,196,070 2,866,535 3,114,744 Planning Department 294,952 346,314 442,250 669,910 682,363 Building Department 241,889 355,402 225,600 455,530 371,174 Planning Commission 19,343 2,457 22,810 22,770 20,613 Historic Preservation Commission 14,913 5,090 22,220 35,600 23,000 Building Appeals Board 0 0 12,500 12,500 0 Recreation Commission 8,681 7,783 6,450 6,460 7,711 Parks and Recreation 801,595 774,990 846,560 858,360 954,462 Public Works 1,591,840 1,504,920 1,617,440 1,875,240 1,936,541 Capital Improvements Transfer 102,000 71,166 0 37,800 0 Insurance 219,039 336,832 228,050 328,910 133,890 Community Outreach 104,195 55,819 182,100 153,000 124,000 Lighting District 7,809 7,809 7,810 7,810 7,810 Libbey Bowl Management12 0 0 0 0 10,000 Plaza Maintenance District 39,643 39,643 48,880 50,480 53,000 Total $8,019,582 $8,281,349 $8,494,830 $9,109,670 $9,367,745 12 The absence of expenditures during prior years reflects that management of Libbey Bowl was not identified as a separate expenditure line item. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 6 of 22 Growth and Population Projections City Annual Growth Projections According to the U.S. Census, from 2000 to 2010, the City of Ojai’s population decreased from 7,862 to 7,461. The California Department of Finance estimated the City’s population to be 7,477 as of January 1, 2016. Thus, from 2000 to 2016, the City decreased in population by an estimated 385 people, or 4.9% (0.3% annually, on average). The following table reflects the City’s projected population through 2040 based on the estimated annual rate of growth: Year 2016 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Population 7,477 7,387 7,275 7,163 7,051 6,939 Estimate The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (2016 RTP/SCS) growth forecast projects population growth of the City to grow instead, with an estimated population of 8,400 in 2040. The City’s General Plan identifies a maximum population of 8,021 by 2030. The Land Use Element of the City’s General Plan estimates that future residential development within the City would average 11 units per year. Using the 2010 U.S. Census average of 2.43 persons per dwelling, this would result in an annual population increase of about 27 persons. When applying the same average population growth rate using the 2016 population estimate, the population in 2040 is expected to reach 8,125. The following table reflects the City’s projected population through 2040, beginning with the population estimate for 2016: Year 2016 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Population 7,477 7,585 7,720 7,855 7,990 8,125 Estimate The General Plan Land Use Element does not designate land uses outside current City boundaries. It therefore appears that the City does not anticipate annexation of area within its sphere of influence to accommodate future development under the City’s current General Plan. The City’s existing sphere of influence appears to be based on the Joint Resolution of the City Council of the City of Ojai and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Ventura Pledging Cooperation and Establishing Policies for the Review of Land Use Matters in the Vicinity of the City (1984). While the resolution does not provide specific insight regarding the location of the sphere boundary (which extends beyond the areas planned for pursuant to the City’s current General Plan land use map), it does document the City’s and County’s desire to provide the City with opportunities to review, and perhaps influence, land use decisions throughout the Ojai Valley. It appears that designation of the sphere of influence outside the City’s General Plan planning area provides the opportunity for the City to have the desired influence. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 7 of 22 The City’s current boundary and sphere of influence are shown as follows: City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 8 of 22 Review of Municipal Services The review of City services is based on provisions of state law which require LAFCo to make determinations regarding the present and planned capacity of public facilities, the adequacy of public services, infrastructure needs and deficiencies, and the City’s financial ability to provide these services (Government Code § 56430(a)(3)). Cemetery Services The City owns Nordhoff Cemetery, which is operated and maintained by the City’s Public Works Department. The City’s cemetery enterprise fund receives revenues from the sale of cremation sites (all full burial sites have been sold). The City’s expenses are related to burials and regular maintenance. The FY 2017-18 budget estimates $18,000 in revenues and allocates $34,480 in expenditures related to cemetery services, with the shortfall covered by fund balance. Fire Services The City does not provide fire protection and emergency response services. Instead, the Ventura County Fire 1 Station 22 466 S. La Luna Avenue Protection District (VCFPD) provides these services. Two fire 2 Station 21 1201 Ojai Avenue stations serve the City and surrounding unincorporated area, as shown below. VCFPD response time goals and response statistics are based on population density (i.e., suburban areas and rural areas) throughout its service area which includes the unincorporated County area and the cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks. The City contains both suburban and rural areas. Average Response Time Response Time Goal During Last Two Years Suburban 8.5 minutes, 90% of the time 8.5 minutes, 92% of the time Rural 12 minutes, 90% of the time 12 minutes, 90% of the time The VCFPD is responsible for all fire response dispatch within the County. According to a mutual aid agreement between the cities and the VCFPD, the closest available personnel responds to emergency calls for service, regardless of whether the service need is located within the responding agency’s jurisdiction. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 9 of 22 Library Services The Ojai Library is part of the Ventura County Library System. The operation of the Ojai Library is funded, in part, by a special library parcel tax approved by Ojai residents in 1996. The tax, which goes into a special fund overseen by the City, was expected to generate approximately $111,620 in FY 2017-18. During FY 2015-16, the California State Library (a California public research institution) estimated that the Ventura County Library had a per capita cost of $32.25 for library operations. Statewide, the average cost for library operations was $51.21 and the median cost was $32.25. Police Services The City does not provide police services directly. Instead, the City contracts with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for all police services, including administration, patrol, and investigation services. In addition, the Ojai Police Volunteers perform many duties in support of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Present Staffing Levels The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office states that for FY 2017-18, it has allocated 10.5 police positions to the City, including 10 sworn positions (Captain (0.5), Detective (0.5), and Deputies (9)) and 0.5 non- sworn position (Administrative Secretary (0.5)). Other than the administrative secretary, who is employed by the City, all members of the Police Department are furnished by means of a contract with the Sheriff’s Department. Ratio of Sworn Officers to Population Based on current staffing levels and the 2016 population estimate of 7,477, the City provides one sworn officer for every 748 residents. According to the City’s General Plan, the City’s standard for police protection is 1.5 police officers for every 1,000 residents, or 1 officer for every 667 residents (a total of 11 officers for the current population of 7,477). Response Times According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the average response time goals and average response times are as follows13: Average Goal Met During Last Response Time Goal Response Time Two Years Non-Emergency 20 minutes 17.33 minutes 75% Emergency 10 minutes 6.72 minutes 85% 13 The Sheriff’s Office call types have changed. The “Emergency” call category has been replaced with the “Priority 1” call category, which includes a wider range of call situations (e.g., burglary alarm calls, and other in-progress events in addition to traffic accidents, person not breathing, shots fired, battery in progress). City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 10 of 22 Operational Costs The operational cost for the City to provide police service for FY 2017-18 is $2,866,535, a per capita cost of approximately $383. Future Staffing Levels If the City grows according to the SCAG forecast, rather than continuing its decreasing population trend, it will have a population of 8,400 by 2040. In order to achieve the City’s goal of one sworn officer for every 667 residents in 2040, a total of 13 officers would be required. In order to maintain the City’s current ratio of one sworn officer for every 748 residents in 2040, a total of 11 sworn officers would be required. Recreation and Park Services The City provides recreation and park services to residents of the City and surrounding unincorporated area. Present Parkland Level of Service According to the City General Plan Land Use Element, the City’s goal is to provide 4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. To meet this goal for the current population, approximately 30 acres of parkland is required. The City operates the following parks: Sarzotti Park, Libbey Park, Daly Park, Rotary Community Park, Cluff Vista Park, Ojai Skate Park, the Community Demonstration Garden, and the Weinberger Memorial Garden. Together, these parks offer playgrounds, a gymnasium, a recreation center, a soccer and softball field, tennis courts, a bandstand, equestrian paths, bike paths, walking paths, a composting and organic vegetable garden, wildlife habitats, and open space. Additionally, Soule Park, which is owned and operated by the County of Ventura, provides parkland. This 223-acre park, located within Ojai city limits, includes a golf course, a community park, and open space. The community park portion is approximately 25 acres and contains a playground, tennis courts, a softball field, extensive grass area, and a dog park. It appears that the amount of parkland within City limits exceeds the City’s parkland goal. Planned improvements during FY 2017-18 include remodeling of restrooms at Libbey Park ($112,500) and light pole and play court improvements at Sarzotti Park ($106,000). Parkland Operational Costs The Public Works Department maintains the City’s parks. The FY 2017-18 budget allocated $511,497 to operating costs to maintain parks and landscaping. Present Recreation Program Level of Service The Recreation Department provides programs including: aquatics; gymnastics; youth basketball, tennis, soccer, flag football, ultimate frisbee, and dodge ball; adult tennis, softball, basketball, soccer, flag City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 11 of 22 football, and ultimate frisbee; fitness programs; arts and crafts programs, dance, music, and other creative classes; and summer recreation day camps. Non-City residents pay an additional fee of 5%, not to exceed $10 per person per transaction. The Recreation Department is also responsible for organizing and hosting Ojai Day, an annual community event held in Downtown Ojai each October. Recreation Operational Costs According to the FY 2017-18 budget, operational costs for recreational programs are anticipated to be $623,069. Future Levels of Service Based on the maximum population projections contained in the Growth and Population Projection section, approximately 34 acres of parkland will be required to meet the City’s parkland goal by 2040. Based on the amount of parkland that is currently available within City limits, according to information provided by the City, it appears that the City’s goal has already been met. The Recreation Department is operated by three full-time employees, more than 200 volunteers, and more than 150 seasonal and part-time employees and independent contractors. In September 2017, the City adopted the Sarzotti Park Master Plan, which includes the intent to add a water element, expansion of youth and adult sports programs, expansion of class offerings and rentals for community events, provision of paths, improvement and modernization of park layout, and possible replacement of the Jack Boyd Community Center with a new 35,000-square-foot community center complex, totaling $18.8 million in potential park improvements. The City’s Capital Improvement Plan, local organizations, and state grants are expected to fund these improvements. Solid Waste Services The City provides solid waste, green waste, and recycling collection and disposal services through a franchise agreement with a private provider. Streets, Highways, and Drainage Services According to the Circulation Element of the City’s General Plan, the City’s roadway system is composed almost exclusively of two-lane, undivided streets, and four-lane and divided street sections are limited to portions of Highways 33 and 150. The City estimates that it has 66.4 paved lane miles. According to City staff, the City provides street construction, street maintenance, and landscaping maintenance directly. The City’s Public Works staff performs street maintenance (e.g., signs, striping, pothole repair, crack sealing), storm drain maintenance, landscaping, and tree maintenance services. Street lighting and street sweeping are provided by means of a contract. Street Maintenance According to the FY 2017-18 budget (and historical budgets), the City Council is prioritizing street maintenance projects within its capital improvement plan, as City streets are overdue for maintenance. The City spent approximately $1 million on road maintenance and improvements for both FY 2015-16 City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 12 of 22 and FY 2016-17. The City’s capital improvement fund uses 20% of the transient occupancy tax collected within the City, much of which is dedicated to roads maintenance (the capital improvement fund has an estimated $692,000 for FY 2017-18). The City was recently awarded more than $2.5 million for capital improvements including sidewalks and roads, which was matched by the City. In addition, a portion of gas tax revenues collected from the State are dedicated for maintenance, rehabilitation, and improvements of public streets. The City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Fund, funded by Transportation Development Act money, is used for pedestrian facilities and bicycle lane maintenance and improvements. According to the City’s FY 2017- 18 Capital Improvement Plan, the City is planning to provide approximately $744,975 in bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements. According to the FY 2012-13 budget, a 2011 engineering analysis of City streets showed serious deterioration and deferred maintenance of the City’s streets. The analysis concluded that the City would need to invest $500,000 or more per year for several years on overlays and reconstruction to keep the roads from deteriorating further and to begin restoring streets to acceptable maintenance standards. Pursuant to the City’s FY 2017-22 Capital Improvement Plan, the City anticipates road overlay and reconstruction projects totaling $1,528,620 during FY 2017-18, to be funded primarily through grants, gas tax revenues, and transfers from the General Fund. According to information provided by City staff (FY 2017-22 CIP budget), between FY 2017-18 and FY 2021-22, the City anticipates spending $4,611,924 on road overlay and reconstruction. In addition, between FY 2016-17 and FY 2021- 22, the City anticipates expenditures of $5,696,875 for “complete streets,” including the development of a complete streets master plan, and improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Pursuant to the City’s website, during 2015, the City received grant funding from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) for road rehabilitation using automobile tires recycled as rubberized asphalt. Based on the City’s street overlay projects map available on the Public Works Department page of the City’s website, it appears that between 2009 and 2019, at least half of the City’s streets will have undergone resurfacing. Street Sweeping Street sweeping services are provided by means of a contract with a private provider. City streets are swept on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Street Lighting and Landscaping The City’s street lighting district fund is used to pay for street lighting operations and repairs, which are provided by means of a contract. The budgeted cost for street lighting services for FY 2017-18 is $110,505, or $1,664 per lane mile. Street landscaping services are performed by the City as part of overall street maintenance services. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 13 of 22 Drainage The Public Works Department implements the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System14 (NPDES) program. In FY 2017-18, $103,712 is budgeted for NPDES administration. The FY 2017-22 CIP budget identifies $115,000 in capital improvements to the drainage system during FY 2017-18, including an update to the 1979 Citywide drainage study. Transit Services The City of Ojai provides transit service in the form of the Ojai Trolley. The trolley service, which includes a fleet of five trolleys that are operated by over a dozen part-time drivers, runs every half hour on weekdays and every hour on weekends. The route includes areas within the City, as well as the unincorporated areas of Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte. The City’s Public Works Department maintains the trolleys. In addition, the City is provided transit services by the Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD). The GCTD’s service area includes the cities of Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and San Buenaventura, as well as the unincorporated County area. The Local Transportation Fund receives operating funds from the Federal Transportation Act (FTA) and the GCTD as a pass-through of Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds. The ¼ cent sales tax is used for 80% of the City’s transit services. The remaining 20% of the cost of service is collected through farebox recovery (i.e., fares collected by public transit users) and fund balance. According to City staff, for FY 2017-18, approximately $217,000 is budgeted for TDA revenues. Pursuant to the FY 2017-22 CIP budget, the City anticipates expenditures of $128,304 during FY 2017-18, which includes the acquisition of two new trolleys. According to the FY 2016-17 budget, transit fares were increased to keep expenses within available revenues. Wastewater Services The City does not provide wastewater service. Instead, the Ojai Valley Sanitary District provides wastewater collection and treatment services within an area that includes the City and surrounding area. Water Services In June 2017, the Casitas Municipal Water District acquired the Golden State Water Company’s water system in Ojai, resulting in the District providing retail water service to most parts of the City. The change in water providers was prompted by Ojai voters, who desired a reduction in water rates that the District could provide. Bond funding for the $34.4 million purchase is expected to be covered by property tax revenue through Mello-Roos financing. The Ventura River Water District provides water to a neighborhood in the southeast portion of the City. A small residential area in the northeast section of the City receives water service from the Gridley Road Water Group, a private water company. 14 The City participates in the Ventura Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Program (VCSQMP). As a VCSQMP partner, the City works together with other agencies to control stormwater pollution and to ensure compliance under the Ventura Countywide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit, issued by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board under the federal Clean Water Act. The Ventura County Watershed Protection District is the principal NPDES permittee and the City is a co-permittee. In general, the program is funded through grant funding and a benefit assessment imposed on properties. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 14 of 22 Written Determinations The Commission is required to prepare a written statement of its determinations with respect to each of the subject areas provided below (Government Code § 56430(a)). 1. Growth and population projections for the affected area According to the U.S. Census, from 2000 to 2010, the City of Ojai’s population decreased from 7,862 to 7,461. The California Department of Finance estimated the City’s population to be 7,477 as of January 1, 2016. Thus, from 2000 to 2016, the City decreased in population by an estimated 385 people, or 4.9% (0.3% annually, on average). The following table reflects the City’s projected population through 2040 based on the estimated annual rate of growth: Year 2016 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Population 7,477 7,387 7,275 7,163 7,051 6,939 Estimate The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (2016 RTP/SCS) growth forecast projects population growth of the City to grow instead, with an estimated population of 8,400 in 2040. The City’s General Plan identifies a maximum population of 8,021 by 2030. The Land Use Element of the City’s General Plan estimates that future residential development within the City would average 11 units per year. Using the 2010 U.S. Census average of 2.43 persons per dwelling, this would result in an annual population increase of about 27 persons. When applying the same average population growth rate using the 2016 population estimate, the population in 2040 is expected to reach 8,125. The following table reflects the City’s projected population through 2040, beginning with the population estimate for 2016: Year 2016 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Population 7,477 7,585 7,720 7,855 7,990 8,125 Estimate The General Plan Land Use Element does not designate land uses outside current City boundaries. It therefore appears that the City does not anticipate annexation of area within its sphere of influence to accommodate future development under the City’s current General Plan. 2. The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence A disadvantaged unincorporated community is defined as a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80% of the statewide annual median household income City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 15 of 22 (Government Code § 56033.5). No disadvantaged unincorporated communities are located within or contiguous to the City of Ojai’s sphere of influence.15 3. Present and planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services, and infrastructure needs or deficiencies Cemetery services: • The City owns, operates, and maintains Nordhoff Cemetery. The City’s cemetery enterprise fund receives revenues from the sale of cremation sites. Police services: • The City provides police services by means of a contract with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. • Based on the 2016 population estimate of 7,477, there is one sworn officer for every 748 residents (10 sworn officers). • The City’s standard for police protection is 1.5 police officers per 1,000 residents, or one officer for every 667 residents. Eleven officers would be necessary to meet the standard for the current population of 7,477. • In order to maintain the current ratio of one officer for every 748 residents for the highest projected population in 2040 (a population of 8,400), a total of 13 officers would be required. • Over the last two years, police response time goals were met 85% of the time for emergency calls, and 75% of the time for non-emergency calls. Recreation and park services: • The City provides a wide range of park facilities and recreation programs. • The City’s park facilities and recreation programs are available to both City residents and non- City residents. • The City’s goal is to provide 4 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, or approximately 30 acres. The amount of available parkland within City boundaries (operated by both the City and the County) exceeds the City’s parkland goal. Solid waste services: • Solid waste collection and disposal services are provided in the City by means of a franchise agreement with a private operator. Customers are charged a fee by the service provider for these services. 15 According to Ventura LAFCo Commissioner’s Handbook Section 3.2.5, Ventura LAFCo has identified Nyeland Acres (within the City of Oxnard’s sphere of influence to the north of the city) and Saticoy (within the City of San Buenaventura’s sphere of influence to the east of the city) as disadvantaged unincorporated communities. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 16 of 22 Streets, highways, and drainage services: • The City provides street construction, street maintenance, and landscaping maintenance directly. Street sweeping services are provided by means of a franchise agreement with a private company. • Street lighting and street sweeping are provided by means of a contract. • City streets have experienced deferred maintenance. Transit services: • The City of Ojai provides transit service in the form of the Ojai Trolley. • In addition, the City is provided transit services by the GCTD. The GCTD’s service area includes the City of Ojai, City of San Buenaventura, City of Oxnard, and City of Port Hueneme, as well as the unincorporated County area. 4. Financial ability of agencies to provide services • The City has a balanced budget. • It appears that the City has the ability to finance the services it currently provides. Staffing was maintained at very lean levels for several years until FY 2016-17 when additional staff was hired to ensure that adequate levels of City services could be provided. • The City continues to prioritize street maintenance within its capital improvement plan, and dedicates 20% of its transient occupancy tax to capital projects. • The City relies on the General Fund to cover future street improvement costs. Reliance on the General Fund reduces the available General Fund money that is available to other services and City operations. The City may wish to consider alternative funding options to reduce or eliminate reliance on the General Fund for subsidies. • The City’s goal is to maintain a contingency reserve equivalent to 50% of the General Fund expenditures. The City’s cash reserve balance is currently at 44%. The City expects any loan repayments received by the Redevelopment Successor Agency to be added to reserves. 5. Status of, and opportunities for, shared facilities • A formal Memorandum of Understanding exists between the City and the County of Ventura for the operation of the Ojai Library, which is partially funded by the City. • The City has a Cooperative Agreement with the County of Ventura for the Ojai Trolley to serve unincorporated areas of Ojai. • The VCFPD provides fire dispatch service for the unincorporated County area as well as all cities within the County. 6. Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies • The City is locally accountable through an elected legislative body, adherence to applicable government code sections, open and accessible meetings, and dissemination of information. • The City maintains a website that includes basic information about the City, a directory of City services, the current City Council and Planning Commission agendas, City Council and Planning City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 17 of 22 Commission meeting minutes for the past four years, and a bi-weekly update from the City Manager. • The City’s website contains a feature that allows its visitors to translate web content to Spanish. • For FY 2017-18, the City revised the format of its budget, which greatly improved the readability and availability of budget information. • The City recently improved its website for the purpose of accountability for service needs by providing an archive of current and historical adopted budgets in addition to the proposed budgets for FY 2015-16, FY 2016-17, and FY 2017-18). If, in the future, the City Council delays adoption of its budget as it did for the FY 2017-18 budget cycle, the City should indicate this fact and include an explanation on its website. • City Council meetings are broadcast live on the City’s government cable channel and are available for viewing on the City’s website upon conclusion of the meeting. Archived videos of City Council meetings are available for viewing on the City’s website. • The City could improve its accessibility by providing a live webcast of its City Council meetings. • According to the proposed budget for FY 2016-17, the City has operated over the last several years with “lean levels” of staff. The FY 2017-18 budget includes the addition of positions that would allow the City to maintain its operations at acceptable levels. The City has also restored a traditional five-day work week (from a four-day work week). • The City could improve the information provided on its website by adding a link for the Ojai Valley Sanitary District (the local sewer service provider) under the Community tab of its website (Utilities link). • The City achieves operational efficiencies through contracts or franchise agreements with various service providers, including for police, fire protection, animal control, street lights, street sweeping, and solid waste collection and disposal. • The City achieves operational efficiencies through its participation as a co-permittee in the Ventura Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Program. Under this program, the City works with other agencies to control stormwater pollution and to ensure compliance under the Ventura Countywide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit. 7. Any other matter related to effective or efficient service delivery, as required by Commission policy Opportunities exist for better regional coordination of the many transit services within the County. The following discussion includes a summary of existing public transit services within Ventura County, current public transit inefficiencies and limitations on regionalization, progress toward public transit coordination, and opportunities for further public transit coordination. Some cities prefer to control and operate their own transit systems in order to provide service focused on users within their jurisdictions; however, the following discussion is based on the idea that a more coordinated, regional perspective on public transit will result in improved service for public transit users. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 18 of 22 Existing Public Transit Services in Ventura County: • The City of Ojai16 and the City of Simi Valley each provide transit service, with City employees operating and maintaining the vehicles. • The City of Camarillo provides transit service by means of a contract with a private operator (i.e., Roadrunner Shuttle). • The City of Thousand Oaks provides transit service by means of a contract with a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • The City of Moorpark provides transit service by means of a contract with the City of Thousand Oaks, which holds a contract for service with a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • Under a cooperative agreement amongst the County of Ventura, the City of Santa Paula, and the City of Fillmore, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC)17 administers public transit service in and surrounding the Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Piru areas of Ventura County (i.e., the Valley Express). The service is provided by means of a contract with a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • The County of Ventura contracts with the City of Thousand Oaks, which contracts the service to a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation), for the operation of the free Kanan Shuttle service between the unincorporated area of Oak Park and the City of Agoura Hills. The service is provided fare-free as the required 20% farebox recovery18 required by the Transportation Development Act (TDA) is provided by local contributions from Ventura County Service Area No. 4, the Oak Park Unified School District, and, most recently, the City of Agoura Hills. • Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) provides local and regional fixed-route and paratransit service in the cities of Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County. Service is provided on 20 fixed routes, with a fleet includes 56 buses and 24 paratransit vehicles. GCTD directly operates its fixed-route service and contracts its paratransit service to a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • The VCTC provides regional service, by means of a contract with a private provider, which consists of the following routes: (1) Highway 101/Conejo Connection (serving the section of Highway 101 between Ventura and the San Fernando Valley), (2) Highway 126 (serving Fillmore, Santa Paula, Saticoy, and Ventura), (3) Coastal Express (serving Ventura County and Santa Barbara County), (4) East County (serving the Simi Valley, Moorpark, and Thousand Oaks area), (5) Oxnard/Camarillo/California State University at Channel Islands Connector (serving the Camarillo and Oxnard area), and (6) East/West Connector (serving Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura, as of November 2017). • The ECTA was formed in 2013 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) amongst the City of Camarillo, City of Moorpark, City of Simi Valley, City of Thousand Oaks, and the County of Ventura for the eastern portion of unincorporated Ventura County. ECTA was formed to better coordinate transit services among these agencies. In August 2015, ECTA initiated a service 16 The City’s transit service is limited to the Ojai Trolley which operates within the City, and the unincorporated communities of Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte. The Ojai Trolley service operates within the GCTD service area, but is operated directly by the City. 17 VCTC is the regional transportation planning agency of Ventura County, and oversees a large part of the distribution of public funds for transportation and transit within the County. 18 TDA funding provided by the State to local jurisdictions may not exceed a certain percentage of the cost to provide public transit service (i.e., 80% for urban areas and 90% for rural areas). The remaining percentage of the cost (i.e., 20% for urban areas and 10% for rural areas) must be covered locally through some other means, known as “farebox recovery.” Note that funding sources other than rider fares may qualify as “farebox recovery.” City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 19 of 22 known as “CONNECT City-to-City” which offers Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Senior intercity dial-a-ride service under a single paratransit system.19 The City of Thousand Oaks administers the service, which is contracted to a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). Current Public Transit Inefficiencies and Limitations on Regional Coordination: • According to the Ventura County Regional Transit Study (VCTC, April 9, 2012)20, public transit within the County was found to be disjointed. Public transit service providers have varying schedules (i.e., days and hours of operation, frequency of buses (headways)), and fares (including different eligible ages for senior fares (e.g., a lower qualifying age for seniors in the City of Camarillo)), and maintain separate websites and bus books. No single agency or website provides a complete guide for public transit users who wish to plan interagency trips. The study concluded that “This makes connections difficult and service confusing, especially for the infrequent or new rider. While VCTC and the operators have attempted to improve connections through coordinated fare media and scheduling software, progress toward truly integrated service has been minimal.” • Limited access to non-TDA funding for transit restricts the ability of cities and other public transit operators to increase revenue service hours and still meet TDA farebox recovery requirements. Because of the minimal levels of service currently provided in some areas of the County, regional travel times are often lengthy and opportunities for passengers to connect between buses are few. Shorter headways and total trip times depend on increased transit funding under the current funding distribution structure or a different method of distribution for the County’s transit funding. Inability to access funding for transportation also limits implementation of improvements for fleet expansions, pedestrian infrastructure, and street lighting. • While some of the individual transit-serving agencies have made efforts to improve coordination among systems (e.g., through the formation of the GCTD (formed in 2013), and the ECTA (created in 2013)), public transit in the County overall is divided into separate, often unrelated, transit systems. The Ventura County Regional Transit Study acknowledged the challenges in establishing a coordinated system, including the fact that Ventura County consists of “widely spaced, diverse communities and centers where geographic areas do not share common economic, social, and transportation service values.” • While it is the intent of ECTA to move toward further consistency and regionalization of services in the eastern portion of Ventura County, the existing local transit programs of two ECTA member agencies are limited in their ability to fully participate in the regional ECTA programs: o The City of Simi Valley operates fixed route transit service using City personnel and City- owned equipment. o The City of Camarillo receives contributions from local funding partners (e.g., the Leisure Village retirement community for residents age 55 and older). For the purposes of City of Camarillo public transit, riders aged 55 and older qualify to ride as senior fares, whereas 65 is the qualifying age for seniors on other transit systems. 19 The City of Camarillo does not participate in the CONNECT service because: (1) the City already provides regional ADA and Senior intercity service throughout the East County ((this enables the City to provide senior service to more riders within the City by allowing a lower qualifying age limit of 55 years (rather than 65 years)), and (2) Camarillo ADA and senior riders have the benefit of using just one dial-a-ride system for both local and regional service. 20 The study included consultation with VCTC commissioners, city managers, local public transit providers, and the public. City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 20 of 22 • Senate Bill 325 (1971) established State transit funding (TDA funding) for the purpose of directly supporting public transportation through the imposition of a ¼-cent local sales tax beginning in 1972. An exception was included for rural counties (i.e., counties with populations of fewer than 500,000, based on the 1970 U.S. Census), in general, to also allow use of the funding for local streets and roads if the transportation planning agency finds that there are no unmet transit needs. Through Senate Bill 716 (2009), the law was modified, and specified that the exception now applied to: (1) rural counties (i.e., counties with populations of fewer than 500,000 (based on the 2010 U.S. Census), and (2) cities within urban counties (i.e., counties with populations of 500,000 or more, based on the 2010 U.S. Census) with populations of 100,000 or fewer. Ventura County has a population of more than 500,000 and therefore qualifies as an urban county; however, several of its cities are eligible to use TDA money for streets and roads projects, provided that they: (1) have a population of 100,000 or fewer, (2) are not within the GCTD service area, and (3) do not have an unmet transit need. Because Ventura County cities with populations of more than 100,000 are restricted to using all their TDA money for public transit purposes regardless of the extent of need for public transit, these cities cannot use TDA funding for streets and roads projects. Progress Toward Regional Coordination of Public Transit: • On October 3, 2013, Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 664, which formed the GCTD to include five members: four cities and the County. AB 664 also authorized the remaining cities in Ventura County to request to join the GCTD in the future. Prior to the formation of the GCTD, local TDA funding for operating costs and capital projects was provided to Gold Coast Transit (operating as a Joint Powers Authority (JPA)) by its member agencies, allocated by a formula based on the percentage of revenue miles of transit service provided within each participating jurisdiction. As a district, GCTD has the ability to implement service improvements and meet the public’s transit needs from a systemwide perspective, and distributes TDA funds to its members for transit-related purposes such as bus stop construction and transit-related maintenance needs. Following the formation of the District, the GCTD also adopted the following planning documents to further improve the delivery of service to GCTD members: GCTD Service Planning Guidelines (Adopted February 2014), Bus Stop Guidelines (Adopted June 2015), Short Range Transit Plan (Adopted November 2015), and Fleet Management Plan (October 2016). Additionally, in May 2017, GCTD began construction of a new Operations and Maintenance Facility in the City of Oxnard. Once built, the 15-acre facility will allow GCTD to maintain a fleet of up to 125 buses and will include an administration and operations building, an 8-bay maintenance and repair building, a compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel station and bus wash. The facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. • GCTD’s Short Range Transit Plan identified recommended service improvements such as implementing: (1) additional service to Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, (2) express service between Oxnard and Ventura, and (3) increased service frequencies on its core routes. While funding for these improvements is not in place, service improvements could potentially be funded through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) (FTA Section 5310/5307 program). • ECTA is the result of greater awareness for the need to improve coordination amongst transit systems in the eastern portion of the County, and has initiated programs to simplify interjurisdictional trips for riders in the eastern portion of the County (e.g., CONNECT City-to- City). The cities of Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks are each in various stages of completing strategic plans for transit, including improved regional coordination with regard to City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 21 of 22 hours of operation, route schedules and connectivity, fares, senior age criteria, and consistency of policies. • Technological advances have provided opportunities for improved regional trip-planning resources for riders. GCTD, VCTC, and Thousand Oaks Transit have schedules available on Google Maps. By the end of FY 2017-18, information about other fixed-route transit services countywide is expected to be available on Google Transit (a web application that assists riders in accessing transit schedule information and planning public transit trips). GCTD launched Google Maps Online Trip Planner in 2014, and recently launched a mobile ticketing application. • Transfer agreements and fare media (GO Ventura 31-day pass) including the installation of the GFI Genfare system on all transit vehicles have helped improve coordination between systems. However, fare discrepancies and fare policies still need to be addressed. • VCTC’s Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan (April 2017) identifies strategies to address gaps or deficiencies in the current public transit system in meeting the needs of senior, disabled, and low-income populations in Ventura County. One of the strategies identified in the plan is the implementation of a countywide “one-call/one-click” transit information center intended to simplify and improve trip-planning and access to information about public transit services. Funding has not yet been identified for this service, but the service could potentially be funded through the FTA. Opportunities for Further Regional Coordination of Public Transit: • It is clear that constraints to regionalizing public transit exist within Ventura County, and that local jurisdictions have identified opportunities (and implemented some improvements) with respect to local public transit. The City may wish to continue its dialogue with the County and the other cities to further improve connectivity within Ventura County and simplify customers’ public transit experiences, including (but not necessarily limited to) the following discussion topics: o Identify one agency as the regional transportation authority to oversee and implement the majority of public transit within the County; o Encourage cities that are not currently members of the GCTD to request to join the GCTD, or contract with GCTD for some or all of their planning or operational needs; or o Establish a new transit district that would complement the GCTD’s service area and provide service within areas not currently served by the GCTD in the East County (the formation of ECTA was a step toward potentially realizing this opportunity in the eastern portion of Ventura County). City of Ojai – Municipal Service Review February 21, 2018 Page 22 of 22 RESOLUTION OF THE VENTURA LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION DETERMINING THAT THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FOR THE CITY OF OJAI IS EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT, ACCEPTING THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FOR THE CITY OF OJAI, AND MAKING STATEMENTS OF DETERMINATION WHEREAS, Government Code§ 56425 et seq. requires the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo or Commission) to develop and determine the sphere of influence of each local governmental agency within the County; and WHEREAS, Government Code§ 56430(e) requires each LAFCo to conduct a municipal service review before, or in conjunction with, but no later than the time it is considering an action to establish or update a sphere of influence; and WHEREAS, the Ventura LAFCo has approved a work plan to conduct municipal service reviews and sphere of influence reviews/updates, and the municipal service review for the City of Ojai (City) is part of that work plan; and WHEREAS, LAFCo has prepared a report titled "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review" that contains a review of the services provided by the City; and WHEREAS, the "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review" report contains recommended statements of determinations related to the City, as required by Government Code § 56430; and WHEREAS, the "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review" including the recommended statements of determination were duly considered at a public hearing on February 21, 2018; and WHEREAS, the Commission heard, discussed, and considered all oral and written testimony for and against the recommended exemption from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review" report and the written determinations, including, but not limited to, the LAFCo staff report dated February 21, 2018, and recommendations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, DETERMINED AND ORDERED by the Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission as follows: (1) The municipal service review report titled "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review", including the related statements of determination, are determined to be exempt from CEQA pursuant to§ 15061(b)(3} of the CEQA Guidelines, and LAFCo staff is directed to file a Notice of Exemption as the lead agency pursuant to § 15062 of the CEQA Guidelines; and (2) The Commission accepts the "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review" report as presented to the Commission on February 21, 2018, including any modifications approved by a majority of the Commission as a part of this action. The Executive Officer is authorized to make minor edits to the report for accuracy and completeness; and (3) The LAFCo staff report dated February 21, 2018, and recommendation for acceptance of the "City of Ojai - Municipal Service Review" report are hereby adopted; and (4) Pursuant to Government Code§ 56430{a), the following statements of determination are hereby made for the City: a. Growth and population projections for the affected area. [§ 56430(a)(1}] According to the U.S. Census, from 2000 to 2010, the City of Ojai's population decreased from 7,862 to 7,461. The California Department of Finance estimated the City's population to be 7,477 as of January 1, 2016. Thus, from 2000 to 2016, the City decreased in population by an estimated 385 people, or 4.9% (0.3% annually, on average). The following table reflects the City's projected population through 2040 based on the estimated annual rate of growth: Year 2016 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Population 7,477 7,387 7,275 7,163 7,051 6,939 Estimate The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (2016 RTP/SCS) growth forecast projects population growth of the City to grow instead, with an estimated population of 8,400 in 2040. The City's General Plan identifies a maximum population of 8,021 by 2030. Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 2 of 12 The Land Use Element of the City's General Plan estimates that future residential development within the City would average 11 units per year. Using the 2010 U.S. Census average of 2.43 persons per dwelling, this would result in an annual population increase of about 27 persons. When applying the same average population growth rate using the 2016 population estimate, the population in 2040 is expected to reach 8,125. The following table reflects the City's projected population through 2040, beginning with the population estimate for 2016: Year 2016 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Population 7,477 7,585 7,720 7,855 7,990 8,125 Estimate The General Plan Land Use Element does not designate land uses outside current City boundaries. It therefore appears that the City does not anticipate annexation of area within its sphere of influence to accommodate future development under the City's current General Plan. b. The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence. [§ 56430(a)(2)] A disadvantaged unincorporated community is defined as a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80% of the statewide annual median household income (Government Code§ 56033.5). No disadvantaged unincorporated communities are located within or contiguous to the City of Ojai's sphere of influence.1 c. Present and planned capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services, including infrastructure needs and deficiencies. [§ 56430{a)(3)] Cemetery services: • The City owns, operates, and maintains Nordhoff Cemetery. The City's cemetery enterprise fund receives revenues from the sale of cremation sites. Police services: • The City provides police services by means of a contract with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. • Based on the 2016 population estimate of 7,477, there is one sworn officer for every 748 residents (10 sworn officers). 1 According to Ventura LAFCo Commissioner's Handbook Section 3.2.5, Ventura LAFCo has identified Nyeland Acres (within the City of Oxnard's sphere of influence to the north of the city) and Saticoy (within the City of San Buenaventura's sphere of influence to the east of the city) as disadvantaged unincorporated communities. Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 3 of 12 • The City's standard for police protection is 1.5 police officers per 1,000 residents, or one officer for every 667 residents. Eleven officers would be necessary to meet the standard for the current population of 7,477. • In order to maintain the current ratio of one officer for every 748 residents for the highest projected population in 2040 (a population of 8,400), a total of 13 officers would be required. • Over the last two years, police response time goals were met 85% of the time for emergency calls, and 75% of the time for non-emergency calls. Recreation and park services: • The City provides a wide range of park facilities and recreation programs. • The City's park facilities and recreation programs are available to both City residents and non-City residents. • The City's goal is to provide 4 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, or approximately 30 acres. The amount of available parkland within City boundaries (operated by both the City and the County) exceeds the City's parkland goal. Solid waste services: • Solid waste collection and disposal services are provided in the City by means of a franchise agreement with a private operator. Customers are charged a fee by the service provider for these services. Streets, highways, and drainage services: • The City provides street construction, street maintenance, and landscaping maintenance directly. Street sweeping services are provided by means of a franchise agreement with a private company. • Street lighting and street sweeping are provided by means of a contract. • City streets have experienced deferred maintenance. Transit services: • The City of Ojai provides transit service in the form of the Ojai Trolley. • In addition, the City is provided transit services by the GCTD. The GCTD's service area includes the City of Ojai, City of San Buenaventura, City of Oxnard, and City of Port Hueneme, as well as the unincorporated County area. d. Financial ability of agencies to provide services. [§ 56430{a)(4)] • The City has a balanced budget. • It appears that the City has the ability to finance the services it currently provides. Staffing was maintained at very lean levels for several years until FY 2016-17 when Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 4 of 12 additional staff was hired to ensure that adequate levels of City services could be provided. • The City continues to prioritize street maintenance within its capital improvement plan, and dedicates 20% of its transient occupancy tax to capital projects. • The City relies on the General Fund to cover future street improvement costs. Reliance on the General Fund reduces the available General Fund money that is available to other services and City operations. The City may wish to consider alternative funding options to reduce or eliminate reliance on the General Fund for subsidies. • The City's goal is to maintain a contingency reserve equivalent to 50% of the General Fund expenditures. The City's cash reserve balance is currently at 44%. The City expects any loan repayments received by the Redevelopment Successor Agency to be added to reserves. e. Status ot and opportunities for, shared facilities. [§ 56430(a)(S)] • A formal Memorandum of Understanding exists between the City and the County of Ventura for the operation of the Ojai Library, which is partially funded by the City. • The City has a Cooperative Agreement with the County of Ventura for the Ojai Trolley to serve unincorporated areas of Ojai. • The Ventura County Fire Protection District (VCFPD) provides fire dispatch service for the unincorporated County area as well as all cities within the County. f. Accountability for community service needs, including governmental structure and operational efficiencies. [§ 56430(a)(6)] • The City is locally accountable through an elected legislative body, adherence to applicable government code sections, open and accessible meetings, and dissemination of information. • The City maintains a website that includes basic information about the City, a directory of City services, the current City Council and Planning Commission agendas, City Council and Planning Commission meeting minutes for the past four years, and a bi-weekly update from the City Manager. • The City's website contains a feature that allows its visitors to translate web content to Spanish. • For FY 2017-18, the City revised the format of its budget, which greatly improved the readability and availability of budget information. • The City recently improved its website for the purpose of accountability for service needs by providing an archive of current and historical adopted budgets in addition to the proposed budgets for FY 2015-16, FY 2016-17, and FY 2017-18). If, in the future, the City Council delays adoption of its budget as it did for the FY 2017-18 Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 5 of 12 budget cycle, the City should indicate this fact and include an explanation on its website. • City Council meetings are broadcast live on the City's government cable channel and are available for viewing on the City's website upon conclusion of the meeting. Archived videos of City Council meetings are available for viewing on the City's website. • The City could improve its accessibility by providing a live webcast of its City Council meetings. • According to the proposed budget for FY 2016-17, the City has operated over the last several years with "lean levels" of staff. The FY 2017-18 budget includes the addition of positions that would allow the City to maintain its operations at acceptable levels. The City has also restored a traditional five-day work week (from a four-day work week). • The City could improve the information provided on its website by adding a link for the Ojai Valley Sanitary District (the local sewer service provider) under the Community tab of its website {Utilities link). • The City achieves operational efficiencies through contracts or franchise agreements with various service providers, including for police, fire protection, animal control, street lights, street sweeping, and solid waste collection and disposal. • The City achieves operational efficiencies through its participation as a co-permittee in the Ventura Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Program. Under this program, the City works with other agencies to control stormwater pollution and to ensure compliance under the Ventura Countywide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit. g. Any other matter related to effective and efficient service delivery, as required by commission policy. [§ 56430(a)(7)] Opportunities exist for better regional coordination of the many transit services within the County. The following discussion includes a summary of existing public transit services within Ventura County, current public transit inefficiencies and limitations on regionalization, progress toward public transit coordination, and opportunities for further public transit coordination. Some cities prefer to control and operate their own transit systems in order to provide service focused on users within their jurisdictions; however, the following discussion is based on the idea that a more coordinated, regional perspective on public transit will result in improved service for public transit users. Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 6 of 12 Existing Public Transit Services in Ventura County: • The City of Ojai2 and the City of Simi Valley each provide transit service, with City employees operating and maintaining the vehicles. • The City of Camarillo provides transit service by means of a contract with a private operator (i.e., Roadrunner Shuttle). • The City of Thousand Oaks provides transit service by means of a contract with a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • The City of Moorpark provides transit service by means of a contract with the City of Thousand Oaks, which holds a contract for service with a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • Under a cooperative agreement amongst the County of Ventura, the City of Santa Paula, and the City of Fillmore, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC)3 administers public transit service in and surrounding the Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Piru areas of Ventura County (i.e., the Valley Express). The service is provided by means of a contract with a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • The County of Ventura contracts with the City of Thousand Oaks, which contracts the service to a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation), for the operation of the free Kanan Shuttle service between the unincorporated area of Oak Park and the City of Agoura Hills. The service is provided fare-free as the required 20% farebox recovery4 required by the Transportation Development Act (TDA) is provided by local contributions from Ventura County Service Area No. 4, the Oak Park Unified School District, and, most recently, the City of Agoura Hills. • Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) provides local and regional fixed-route and paratransit service in the cities of Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County. Service is provided on 20 fixed routes, with a fleet includes 56 buses and 24 paratransit vehicles. GCTD directly operates its fixed-route service and contracts its paratransit service to a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). • The VCTC provides regional service, by means of a contract with a private provider, which consists of the following routes: (1) Highway 101/Conejo Connection (serving the section of Highway 101 between Ventura and the San Fernando Valley), (2) 2 The City's transit service is limited to the Ojai Trolley which operates within the City, and the unincorporated communities of Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte. The Ojai Trolley service operates within the GCTD service area, but is operated directly by the City. 3 VCTC is the regional transportation planning agency of Ventura County, and oversees a large part of the distribution of public funds for transportation and transit within the County. 4 TDA funding provided by the State to local jurisdictions may not exceed a certain percentage of the cost to provide public transit service (i.e., 80% for urban areas and 90% for rural areas). The remaining percentage of the cost (i.e., 20% for urban areas and 10% for rural areas) must be covered locally through some other means, known as "farebox recovery." Note that funding sources other than rider fares may qualify as "farebox recovery." Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 7 of 12 Highway 126 (serving Fillmore, Santa Paula, Saticoy, and Ventura), (3) Coastal Express (serving Ventura County and Santa Barbara County), (4) East County (serving the Simi Valley, Moorpark, and Thousand Oaks area), (5) Oxnard/Camarillo/California State University at Channel Islands Connector (serving the Camarillo and Oxnard area), and (6) East/West Connector (serving Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura, as of November 2017). • The ECTA was formed in 2013 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) amongst the City of Camarillo, City of Moorpark, City of Simi Valley, City of Thousand Oaks, and the County of Ventura for the eastern portion of unincorporated Ventura County. ECTA was formed to better coordinate transit services among these agencies. In August 2015, ECTA initiated a service known as "CONNECT City-to-City" which offers Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Senior intercity dial-a-ride service under a single paratransit system.5 The City of Thousand Oaks administers the service, which is contracted to a private operator (i.e., MV Transportation). Current Public Transit Inefficiencies and Limitations on Regional Coordination: • According to the Ventura County Regional Transit Study (VCTC, April 9, 2012)6 , public transit within the County was found to be disjointed. Public transit service providers have varying schedules (i.e., days and hours of operation, frequency of buses (headways)), and fares (including different eligible ages for senior fares (e.g., a lower qualifying age for seniors in the City of Camarillo)), and maintain separate websites and bus books. No single agency or website provides a complete guide for public transit users who wish to plan interagency trips. The study concluded that "This makes connections difficult and service confusing, especially for the infrequent or new rider. While VCTC and the operators have attempted to improve connections through coordinated fare media and scheduling software, progress toward truly integrated service has been minimal." • Limited access to non-TDA funding for transit restricts the ability of cities and other public transit operators to increase revenue service hours and still meet TDA farebox recovery requirements. Because of the minimal levels of service currently provided in some areas of the County, regional travel times are often lengthy and opportunities for passengers to connect between buses are few. Shorter headways and total trip times depend on increased transit funding under the current funding 5 The City of Camarillo does not participate in the CONNECT service because: (1) the City already provides regional ADA and Senior intercity service throughout the East County ((this enables the City to provide senior service to more riders within the City by allowing a lower qualifying age limit of 55 years (rather than 65 years)), and (2) Camarillo ADA and senior riders have the benefit of using just one dial-a-ride system for both local and regional service. 6 The study included consultation with VCTC commissioners, city managers, local public transit providers, and the public. Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 8 of 12 distribution structure or a different method of distribution for the County's transit funding. Inability to access funding for transportation also limits implementation of improvements for fleet expansions, pedestrian infrastructure, and street lighting. • While some of the individual transit-serving agencies have made efforts to improve coordination among systems (e.g., through the formation of the GCTD (formed in 2013), and the ECTA (created in 2013)), public transit in the County overall is divided into separate, often unrelated, transit systems. The Ventura County Regional Transit Study acknowledged the challenges in establishing a coordinated system, including the fact that Ventura County consists of "widely spaced, diverse communities and centers where geographic areas do not share common economic, social, and transportation service values." • While it is the intent of ECTA to move toward further consistency and regionalization of services in the eastern portion of Ventura County, the existing local transit programs of two ECTA member agencies are limited in their ability to fully participate in the regional ECTA programs: o The City of Simi Valley operates fixed route transit service using City personnel and City-owned equipment. o The City of Camarillo receives contributions from local funding partners (e.g., the Leisure Village retirement community for residents age 55 and older). For the purposes of City of Camarillo public transit, riders aged 55 and older qualify to ride as senior fares, whereas 65 is the qualifying age for seniors on other transit systems. • Senate Bill 325 (1971) established State transit funding (TDA funding) for the purpose of directly supporting public transportation through the imposition of a X cent local sales tax beginning in 1972. An exception was included for rural counties (i.e., counties with populations offewer than 500,000, based on the 1970 U.S. Census), in general, to also allow use of the funding for local streets and roads if the transportation planning agency finds that there are no unmet transit needs. Through Senate Bill 716 (2009), the law was modified, and specified that the exception now applied to: (1) rural counties (i.e., counties with populations of fewer than 500,000 (based on the 2010 U.S. Census), and (2) cities within urban counties (i.e., counties with populations of 500,000 or more, based on the 2010 U.S. Census) with populations of 100,000 or fewer. Ventura County has a population of more than 500,000 and therefore qualifies as an urban county; however, several of its cities are eligible to use TDA money for streets and roads projects, provided that they: (1) have a population of 100,000 or fewer, (2) are not within the GCTD service area, and (3) do not have an unmet transit need. Because Ventura County cities with populations of more than 100,000 are restricted to using all their TDA money for public transit purposes regardless of the extent of need for public transit, these cities cannot use TDA funding for streets and roads projects. Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 9 of 12 Progress Toward Regional Coordination of Public Transit: • On October 3, 2013, Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 664, which formed the GCTD to include five members: four cities and the County. AB 664 also authorized the remaining cities in Ventura County to request to join the GCTD in the future. Prior to the formation of the GCTD, local TDA funding for operating costs and capital projects was provided to Gold Coast Transit (operating as a Joint Powers Authority (JPA)) by its member agencies, allocated by a formula based on the percentage of revenue miles of transit service provided within each participating jurisdiction. As a district, GCTD has the ability to implement service improvements and meet the public's transit needs from a systemwide perspective, and distributes TDA funds to its members for transit-related purposes such as bus stop construction and transit-related maintenance needs. Following the formation of the District, the GCTD also adopted the following planning documents to further improve the delivery of service to GCTD members: GCTD Service Planning Guidelines (Adopted February 2014), Bus Stop Guidelines (Adopted June 2015), Short Range Transit Plan (Adopted November 2015), and Fleet Management Plan (October 2016). Additionally, in May 2017, GCTD began construction of a new Operations and Maintenance Facility in the City of Oxnard. Once built, the 15-acre facility will allow GCTD to maintain a fleet of up to 125 buses and will include an administration and operations building, an 8-bay maintenance and repair building, a compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel station and bus wash. The facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. • GCTD's Short Range Transit Plan identified recommended service improvements such as implementing: (1) additional service to Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, (2) express service between Oxnard and Ventura, and (3) increased service frequencies on its core routes. While funding for these improvements is not in place, service improvements could potentially be funded through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) (FTA Section 5310/5307 program). • ECTA is the result of greater awareness for the need to improve coordination amongst transit systems in the eastern portion of the County, and has initiated programs to simplify interjurisdictional trips for riders in the eastern portion of the County (e.g., CONNECT City-to-City). The cities of Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks are each in various stages of completing strategic plans for transit, including improved regional coordination with regard to hours of operation, route schedules and connectivity, fares, senior age criteria, and consistency of policies. • Technological advances have provided opportunities for improved regional trip planning resources for riders. GCTD, VCTC, and Thousand Oaks Transit have schedules available on Google Maps. By the end of FY 2017-18, information about other fixed-route transit services countywide is expected to be available on Google Transit (a web application that assists riders in accessing transit schedule Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 10 of 12 information and planning public transit trips). GCTD launched Google Maps Online Trip Planner in 2014, and recently launched a mobile ticketing application. • Transfer agreements and fare media (GO Ventura 31-day pass) including the installation of the GFI Genfare system on all transit vehicles have helped improve coordination between systems. However, fare discrepancies and fare policies still need to be addressed. • VCTC's Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan (April 2017) identifies strategies to address gaps or deficiencies in the current public transit system in meeting the needs of senior, disabled, and low-income populations in Ventura County. One of the strategies identified in the plan is the implementation of a countywide "one-call/one-click" transit information center intended to simplify and improve trip-planning and access to information about public transit services. Funding has not yet been identified for this service, but the service could potentially be funded through the FTA. Opportunities for Further Regional Coordination of Public Transit: • It is clear that constraints to regionalizing public transit exist within Ventura County, and that local jurisdictions have identified opportunities (and implemented some improvements) with respect to local public transit. The City may wish to continue its dialogue with the County and the other cities to further improve connectivity within Ventura County and simplify customers' public transit experiences, including (but not necessarily limited to) the following discussion topics: o Identify one agency as the regional transportation authority to oversee and implement the majority of public transit within the County; o Encourage cities that are not currently members of the GCTD to request to join the GCTD, or contract with GCTD for some or all of their planning or operational needs; or o Establish a new transit district that would complement the GCTD's service area and provide service within areas not currently served by the GCTD in the East County (the formation of ECTA was a step toward potentially realizing this opportunity in the eastern portion of Ventura County). Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 11 of 12 This resolution was adopted on February 21, 2018. AYE NO ABSTAIN ABSENT @ D D D Commissioner Freeman 0 D D D Commissioner Parks Commissioner Parvin ~ D D D D D D Commissioner Ramirez ~ D D D Commissioner Rooney ~ D D D Commissioner Ross ~ [a" D D D Commissioner Zaragoza D D D D Alt. Commissioner Bennett D D D D Alt. Commissioner Bill-de la Pena D D D D Alt. Commissioner Richards D D D Alt. Commissioner Waters ~ ~~~/?-1-z- '2:J{ ){)(~ Date Linda Parks, Chair, Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission C: City of Ojai Resolution Municipal Service Review Report - City of Ojai February 21, 2018 Page 12 of 12