OJAI : Council Seeks Way to Pay for Crossing
Responding to Caltrans’ refusal to install a warning light for pedestrians next to Nordhoff High School, the Ojai City Council decided Tuesday to ask county and state officials for help.
Unsure how to proceed, the council asked City Manager Andrew Belknap to meet with Ventura County and Ojai Unified School District officials to come up with a way to pay the $18,000 needed to install a flashing signal that students could activate to cross California 33.
“I want to see us do it, even if we have to pay the entire cost ourselves,” Councilman Joseph DeVito said.
In another matter, acting as the Ojai Redevelopment Agency, the council asked Public Works Director Stan Moore to invite construction bids to strengthen the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce building to withstand earthquakes.
The city leases the unreinforced masonry building to the chamber. The chamber may need to relocate during the work, which is scheduled to begin July 9 and finish by Aug. 22.
Moore was authorized to meet with utility company officials to plan a two-year project to place power cables underground along Ojai Avenue from Canada Street to Country Club Drive.
The council also held a final vote to amend the city’s plumbing code to conserve water during the drought. The code requires ultra-low water consumption toilets and shower heads in all new or remodeled buildings after June 7.
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