Category: Neighborhood Pride

Household Hazardous Waste Event 2.19.22

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Click here to register to dispose of your hazardous waste at the City’s next event on Saturday, 2/19/22.

Materials accepted include:

Aerosol cans, adhesives, batteries, compressed gas or propane tanks under 5 gallons, fire extinguishers, fluorescent tubes and bulbs, fuel additives, gasoline, household cleaners, medical sharps, medications, mercury products, motor oil and filters, paint, polishes, varnishes, paint-related materials, pesticides, pool chemicals, turpentine, transmission fluid, smoke detectors, and thermometers.

Items that are NOT accepted include:

55-gallon drums, compressed gas or propane tanks greater than 5 gallons, commercial and industrial waste, explosives, bullets, fireworks, radioactive material, electronic waste. E-waste can be dropped off for free at Gold Coast Recycling at any time.

2020census.gov

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Screenshot 2020-08-04 at 9.05.21 PM

JULY 27, 2020 — The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will begin emailing households in low-responding areas to encourage them to respond to the 2020 Census.

Millions of emails will be sent this week and then grow in numbers and continue into September. These emails supplement a final campaign reminding people to respond to the 2020 Census on their own, as census takers begin asking households to respond to the census.

 

2020 Census: Emaii example

The messages alert households in low-response areas that time is running out and their response to the 2020 Census is important for their communities. The email messages will invite people to respond online at 2020census.gov.

People who receive the email and haven’t already responded should click on the link provided and complete the census online. It’s easy, safe and important.

The emails will go to all households that the Census Bureau has contact information for in census block groups with a response rate lower than 50%. This will include households who may have already responded. In total, the Census Bureau expects to email more than 20 million households in these low-responding areas.

The email messages will come from 2020census@subscriptions.census.gov and will give recipients the option to opt out of receiving future messages. The Census Bureau is also considering sending text messages to areas that have low response.

The Census Bureau’s recent success with contacting households by email to participate in the Household Pulse Survey prompted the agency to add these methods to support the 2020 Census. This contact method will help increase response rates and reduce the need for in-person follow-up.

The Census Bureau is continuing to review the use of text messages and will make an announcement prior to deploying that outreach. In addition to emailing households, the Census Bureau is increasing other outreach efforts during one last push to encourage everyone to respond to the census online, by phone or by mail. The Census Bureau recently announced that it has launched Mobile Questionnaire Assistance, a program that offers assistance with responding at locations such as grocery stores and pharmacies in low-responding areas.

Additionally, the Census Bureau has expanded its paid advertising—launching a series of new advertisements aimed at increasing online response and expanding to a total of 45 non-English languages receiving some level of paid media support.

Households have until October 31 to respond to the 2020 Census. However, census takers have begun following up with households that haven’t responded yet in select areas and will begin following up with households nationwide in August.

MCC Welcomes New Secretary

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We are excited to announce our newest Montalvo Community Council – District 6 Board member, Lisa Gasaway!

We are lucky to have Lisa join us and bring her talents and ideas to our group.

          Lisa Gasaway moved from the east coast in 1990, and made Ventura her home in 2014.  As a Boston College graduate with a Political Science degree, public service and volunteer work has always been important.  Most of Lisa’s career was in Information Technology, managing security and compliance initiatives, mentoring young professionals and facilitating large groups in quality improvement sessions.  Recently she pursued a lifelong passion for real estate and joined Keller Williams West Ventura County.  Working as a Real Estate agent has provided the flexibility and momentum to get more involved in our local community, including the Montalvo/District 6 Community Council.  She is married to a Ventura local, and is blessed with one son and two stepsons.  To unwind, she enjoys playing music, doing “hot” yoga, hiking, skiing, gardening and just about anything outdoors.

The reason for this announcement is that Montalvo Community Council (MCC) has undergone some recent board member realignment. Our Member At Large – Dan Farmer & his family will be moving from the area and thus vacating his At- Large position on our board. Additionally, our current Secretary – John Richey has work and familial obligations that have been hindering his availability to commit the time needed that the Secretary position requires. John will be filling Dan’s Member At Large position in the interim, and Lisa will be filling John’s Secretary position. These are temporary fillings of elected positions which take place in November annually.

We will have public elections next November for the following board positions:
 Vice Chair, Secretary and Member at Large.
2019 elections were: Chair, Treasurer, Member-At-Large.

Current MCC Board as of 07/20/20

Mark Abbe, Chair
Cassie Lawhead, Vice Chair
Lisa Gasaway, Secretary
Betsey Holt, Treasurer
John Richey, Member at Large

We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to Dan Farmer for his years of help and passion serving our community as a member of this council. If any of you know Dan, you know what a wonderful, helpful and kind man we are losing. He will be greatly missed and we wish him & his family well in their next adventure!

 

If interested in becoming a Montalvo Community Council board member, volunteering for an MCC Committee, have ideas on things you would like to see the MCC do for our community or becoming a member;  please reach out to us: montalvocomcouncil@gmail.com

 

On another note: MCC Public Community meetings have been on hiatus this year so far due to the Covid-19 lockdown. We will be hosting an MCC Public Community meeting soon via Zoom for the community to attend and participate in the near future. We will be posting that information as soon as a date and agenda are confirmed. For community news and upcoming meeting information please revisit this blog for updates.

MCC information is available by email when becoming a registered voting MCC member. We also post on NextDoor, Facebook and soon to be Instagram!

 

 

 

Auto Center Sign

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On Thursday, May 21, 2020

Montalvo Community Council Board Member, John Richey, sent a detailed email to the Ventura City Council Members regarding the newly lit Auto Center sign.

Good evening distinguished council members,
I got my first impressions of the new sign tonight. It lights up two of my bedrooms and back yard, and its NOT an overcast night. And if you walk over to James Street, all I have to say is I’m thankful that large tree in front of the church exists! I appreciate the need for the Auto-Center to have the sign. But I would also appreciate them being respectful of the nearby residents at night. Especially after center closing hours.
I was under the impression at the public meeting that the point (where the two sides meet) of the sign was to face Montalvo and some dimming sensors installed to be less bright in the evenings, thus mitigating light pollution. One side of the sign appears to be perpendicular and VERY bright. I am very disappointed by how invasive it is. Judging by the public comments on NextDoor in the last hour alone, you may want to expect some community noise headed your way over this. You might want to reach out to the owners to help find some common ground (incorporating mitigation) per Section D of the project’s Environmental Checklist below. It appears that the 14 day clock to dial in the sign’s settings as started (highlighted below). I hope the city works with the Auto-Center on behalf of Montalvo residents to make that happen, so everyone (if possible) is pleased with the outcome.
Regards,
John Richey (Affected Montalvo Resident)
Inline image
Inline image

From page 24 of the MND report:

The proposed 82-foot tall freeway sign would be thirteen feet lower than the identification sign currently allowed under the Specific Plan. The proposed sign, however, would have a larger illuminated screen area of approximately 20 feet high by 60 feet wide, compared to the currently allowed 23-foot high, 34-foot wide screen area. The screen would produce a new source of light for drivers on U.S. 101, nearby commercial businesses, and residential areas to the north of the Auto Center on the other side of U.S. 101.

The nearest residences are in the Montalvo neighborhood, approximately 1,000 feet to the north of the Auto Center, at an elevation of 102 feet. Further to the north, approximately 3,000 feet from the Auto Center, the elevation rises to 146 feet. The top and bottom of the sign screen would be at elevations of 164 feet and 137.5 feet, respectively. Although separated from the Auto Center by U.S. 101 (130 feet elevation), the sign would be visible from residential areas to the north, as shown in Figure 7. The screens, however, would be oriented towards the freeway and away from the residential areas, so there would be minimal light and glare from the screens directed at the residential areas.

During the day, the illuminated sign would create a minimal source of light that would blend in with the surrounding area. However, at night and during inclement weather, the sign would create a 1,200 square foot-area of light adjacent to the freeway that may result in light and/or glare impacts on views from the freeway.

Implementation of Mitigation Measures AES-1 and AES-2, below, which requires that the Specific Plan includes standards for the brightness of electronic signs and prohibits animation, flashing, scrolling, etc., and requires City approval of the sign brightness would reduce impacts for both drivers and residents to the north to a less than significant level.

POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT UNLESS MITIGATION INCORPORATED

Mitigation Measures
AES-1: Electronic Sign Brightness. The Auto Center Specific Plan shall include the following standards for the Auto Center freeway sign and Auto Center entry sign:

• Lighting levels on the digital sign shall not exceed 0.3 foot candles above ambient light from a distance of 250 feet, as measured according to standards of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.
• Brightness shall not exceed 800 nits (candela per square meter) from sunset to sunrise. At all other times, brightness will not exceed 7500 nits.
• Illumination shall be directed such that minimal light spill will occur on either side or the top or bottom of the sign face.
• A light sensor shall be installed with the sign to measure ambient light levels and to adjust light intensity to respond to such conditions. The light sensor adjusts the sign’s brightness in order to compete with ambient light. The darker the surrounding ambient light, the less bright the sign is.
• The sign shall not display any moving, flashing, scrolling, fading, brightening or animated text or video.
• Signage shall be controlled remotely and include remote maintenance software.
• LED lighting has a directional nature, and the projected viewing angle values for this sign shall be ± 30° vertically and ± 60° horizontally. Louvers shall be located above each row of lights to prevent light from projecting upward into the sky.

AES-2: City Approval of Brightness. Within 14 days of the freeway sign being operational, the applicant shall submit to the satisfaction of the Direction of Planning and Building the following information:
• A third-party test conducted after installation to verify that the billboard complies with the requirements not to exceed 0.3 foot-candle above ambient light at 250 feet from the face of the freeway sign. If the value exceeds industry standards, additional lighting output reduction shall be required until the 0.3 foot-candle requirement is satisfied.

On Saturday, May 23, 2020

Ventura Mayor, Matt LaVere replied.

John,

Thanks for your email. I heard the Auto Center Freeway Sign was activated, and by all reports, the nighttime brightness level was not adjusted down as required by the City approval.  We are in communication with the operator to ensure the brightness is immediately addressed.  I believe there were issues with the first day of activation, and I have been told the sign is currently being re-calibrated to fix these issues.  I know the impact to a wide range of residents is significant, so we have encouraged the operator to shut the sign down in the evening until they can implement the nighttime brightness reduction. The operator has agreed to shut the sign down at 10pm (only two hours after sundown) until it can be fully recalibrated. The City will receive a third-party report on the lighting levels within 14 days of activation. Please let me know if this continues to be a problem once these issues have been addressed. Thanks and I hope you have a good long weekend.

-Matt

Matt LaVere

Mayor

City of Ventura

The MCC will continue to follow up on this issue and keep our residents updated.

You can catch up on our history with this sign here

Free Mulch

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mulch

Ventura residents are invited to attend a FREE home-composting workshop on March 7th at Cornucopia Community Garden. Workshop attendees will take home premium mulch & compost. There will be three 30 minute workshops starting at 10:00 am, 10:30 am, and 11:00 am.  Residents that are already experts at home composting are also welcome to pick up free mulch and compost after completing an on-site survey. If able, please bring your own shovel and containers. Limit 150 gallons per household. Free material subject to availability.

https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=259