# 05.29.2008 City Council - Special Meeting


**Body:** City of Ventura
**Date:** November 12, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Construction & Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure


The City of Ventura City Council’s special meeting on May 29, 2008, included a downtown parking-management discussion and follow-up actions on the FY 2008–09 budget. Council approved a revised set of parking recommendations, directing staff to work with stakeholders on a downtown commercial parking district, continue evaluation of potential sites for structured parking with adjacent property owners, and develop related funding and code proposals for later consideration. The plan contemplated modern pay-by-space meters, potentially solar-powered and wireless, but no meter or construction contract was awarded; implementation and pricing decisions were to return to Council. Any parking-fee revenue would be restricted to downtown uses. The parking motion passed with Council Member Andrews dissenting.

On the budget, Council approved the final package unanimously after amendments: the proposed $40,000 cut to cultural-arts grants was reversed, funding for downtown police foot patrol and police training was restored, and the visitor bureau reduction was set at $60,000. The discussion also addressed maintaining the Westside community resource presence and negotiating implementation of a proposed 9/80 schedule and winter holiday shutdown with bargaining units. Staff reported a projected $93 million budget and 12 fewer full-time staff. Separately, staff presented the homelessness strategy and sought an ongoing $100,000 annual allocation—$50,000 for case-management work and $50,000 for social-services initiatives—building on an FY 2007–08 allocation; the transcript does not clearly record a vote on that request.

**Source:** City of Ventura