Countywide : Supervisors Vote to Hire Ombudsman

Calling for improved relations with area businesses, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to hire an ombudsman to listen to complaints and help business owners quickly obtain permits.

The board voted 4 to 0 to set aside $98,700 to hire the business ombudsman and a secretary and to purchase computer equipment.

The idea was proposed by Supervisors Maggie Kildee and Vicky Howard, who said they wanted to make it easier for businesses to weave their way through the county’s complicated permit process. “There needs to be a unified effort,” Howard said. “This is something we can do quickly to give businesses the understanding that we really are working with them.”

Supervisors Maria E. VanderKolk, however, said she had reservations about hiring from outside the staff to fill the position. “I understand the benefits of something like this . . . but we would just increase our costs,” VanderKolk said. “If we have a problem, we just throw another management person at it. I would be in favor of taking a person that already exists and assigning them full time to this.”

VanderKolk agreed to vote in favor of creating the ombudsman position after other board members said they would address her concerns when they finalize criteria for hiring an ombudsman at their meeting Aug. 18.