ARTICLE
In years past, the Oxnard Chamber drafted a set of recommendations to the city council for a business friendly and efficient local government. Since the city of Oxnard has been in a state of restructure, the last set of Chamber recommendations were delivered in 2012. We decided to dust them off, update them, and provide them to the current council members. Interestingly one of the 2012 recommendations was, "Water and wastewater facilities should be reviewed annually to assure major improvements will not be required all at one time. Rates for water and wastewater should also be reviewed annually to assure they are both sufficient and competitive." Apparently the 2012 council did not heed our advice, and the city is now grappling with large rate increases, a local measure to repeal the rate increase for wastewater, and a lawsuit over the measure. The Chamber only included "water and wastewater facilities" in 2012 because the city was not operating the Del Norte Recycling facility. It was operated by a private company. Here are the 2017 recommendations: City Policies: • All decisions by the City Council should consider impacts on well-paying job creation and retention, as well as financial benefits for the community. • The City should encourage and support enhanced communication, collaboration, and coordination between federal and state regulatory agencies in order to expedite the delivery of vital public works projects and minimize regulatory redundancy, process inefficiencies, and city conflicts. • The City-Chamber Business Visitation Program should initiate changes to current codes and/or requirements. • The City should provide/require customer service training for all public contact (counter) and Code Compliance personnel. • The City should establish a policy that all phone calls are returned within two business days. • Oxnard Police Department and Code Compliance officers are normally present at the Neighborhood Council meetings. The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce applauds the City for this policy and encourages it to continue this and other policing efforts. • Maintenance of landscaping and roadways throughout the City should be a top priority. Litter removal needs to be addressed as well. Land Use, Planning and Housing: • Review City's development fees at least every three years to assure they are competitive with neighboring/comparable communities in Southern California. Assure fees are aligned with City's actual costs to provide services. • Services need to be compatible with residential uses and located close to housing. • Compatible future development must be considered when projects are presented to the Planning Commission and City Council. (School sites have been recently permitted in close proximity to restaurants that serve alcohol, as well as agricultural uses. As those restaurant sites turn over, there will be resistance to allow ABC licenses close to schools. Ag uses would be required to provide buffer setbacks at the landowners' expense.) • Oxnard should preserve industrial zoned parcels for current and future development; thus, ensuring current and future job creation. • The City should have a working group to maximize the commercial vitality and meet the future needs of the Port of Hueneme. • The City should develop incentives for homeowners to revitalize older neighborhoods (generate pride of ownership). • Homelessness needs a permanent solution that must be addressed on a regional / countywide basis. • City should ensure that sufficient land is identified to meet the development needs of the community for the next 20 years, with "ready to go" projects/properties adequate for the next 10 years including residential neighborhoods, specialty, downtown, community, regional and specialty retail, office uses, and industrial uses. Eliminate parcels that are deemed likely to not develop from this inventory. City staff should certify this inventory to the Council annually. • Permit "viable" retailers to populate urban villages. Research should be done for workable, successful retailers. • Businesses locating in Downtown should be given flexibility for corporate logos and trademarks with signage. Downtown Design Criteria needs to be updated and conform with state law. The City should solicit public input for this process. Infrastructure: • Complete the development of and fund the ongoing operation of the Intelligent Traffic System. • Developer/Project obligations need to be incrementally sized considering the scope of future development/redevelopment, assigning risk to applicable parties. (Example: one project that would impact a water line capacity slightly should not bear the burden of future development that may require significant increased water line capacity.) • City Council and planning staff should focus on improving the city entrance corridors, as well as improvements to Oxnard Boulevard. • Incentives should be offered for new businesses locating in Downtown Oxnard. The façade improvement program should be revisited and utilized. • Water, wastewater, and environmental resources facilities should be reviewed annually to assure major improvements will not be required all at one time. Rates for water, wastewater, and trash should also be reviewed annually to assure they are both sufficient and competitive. General Recommendations: • At a minimum, the City needs to re-establish the Measure O Oversight Committee. The City also needs to establish a transition plan for ongoing public safety and other funding commitments. Repayment of borrowing from Measure O must be documented and reported to the public. • City should establish concierge service to lead applicants through all required processes and permit requirements; streamlining should be at the forefront. • City should prioritize strategies and programs to assist business recruitment, retention and/or growth. An overall economic development program needs to be established. • Streamline Business Tax Certificate application process. Business Tax Certificate Department should communicate the requirements of other city departments. The Chamber provided the recommendations in the hope that the city council would consider our concerns when making decisions. It is the Chamber's opinion that it is better to be proactive than reactive as issues arise.