01.11.2010 City Council Meeting

The City of Ventura City Council meeting of January 11, 2010, included a unanimous vote approving the consent calendar, which covered several spending and procurement-related items: a waterline replacement change order, Highway 126 landscape improvements, enterprise resource planning implementation, federal justice grants, a golf-fund refinancing plan, and participation in a clean-energy pilot program. No individual contract values or vendors were provided for those consent items. Council members also noted sustainability features in street projects and approved appointments with corrections to committee assignments.

Staff presented the six-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for transmittal; adoption was deferred to a later public hearing. Staff reported 53 projects in design or construction with a combined value just under $200 million, and 12 projects completed in 2009 for $3.7 million. Projects discussed included a $16 million wastewater plant upgrade, an approximately $11 million road extension, and transportation work supported by $3.3 million in stimulus funding, with further funding also reported for energy projects. Staff said bids had been received for downtown parking pay stations and wayfinding signs, with council consideration expected in a few weeks. Public comments raised concerns about local hiring and contractor compliance, but no related policy or procurement action was taken at this meeting.