Supervisor Urges Oak Park Residents to Support Annexation : Communities: Maria VanderKolk says those living in the unincorporated area should vote on June advisory ballot to join Thousand Oaks.

Supervisor Maria VanderKolk is urging Oak Park residents to vote for annexation to Thousand Oaks in a June advisory ballot measure--a position that has angered leaders of the unincorporated community.

The ballot measure is intended to allow Oak Park residents an opportunity to state their preference from among three options: incorporation as an independent city, annexation to Thousand Oaks, or continuation as an unincorporated community. The results will not be binding on the Board of Supervisors or the Thousand Oaks City Council.

Members of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council, an elected body that advises the county on Oak Park issues, said VanderKolk’s decision circumvents the intent of the ballot measure.

“The politicians should keep out of this and give a chance for the people to decide for themselves,” said Ron Stark a longtime member of the council. “From what I know about Oak Park, this is the least attractive alternative. We don’t want to be a part of Thousand Oaks and they don’t want us. I think it’s the worst idea in the world.”

VanderKolk said she was not circumventing voters. On the contrary, she said, it was she who first pushed for the ballot measure seeking voters’ sentiments on the issue. She made her decision to write a ballot argument in favor of annexation purely out of fairness, she said.

“I’m aware of one individual arguing for incorporation, and I’m assuming the MAC (advisory council) is going to take a position,” she said. “We needed someone in favor of annexation for balance, and I do believe that (annexation) is the best course of action.”

VanderKolk, who is not seeking reelection, emphasized that the vote will be purely advisory and will simply be used by her successor and the advisory council to determine Oak Park’s future.

“To be honest, I have no idea what the people there want, and I don’t think anyone else really does either,” she said. “That’s why we’re doing the measure.”

Two candidates vying to replace VanderKolk on the Board of Supervisors questioned her decision to argue for annexation.

“If it’s an advisory vote, why take a position to influence the public when you’re trying to gauge their opinion?” said Frank Schillo, a Thousand Oaks councilman running for supervisor.

Schillo had argued against the ballot measure when VanderKolk brought it before supervisors in January. He said the $8,500 cost was a waste of money.

H. Jere Robings, also running to replace VanderKolk when she leaves the board in January, 1995, said her decision does not reflect the desires of Oak Park residents.

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“I have no basis to understand why she decided in favor of annexation,” he said. “I assume she’s talked to the same people I have in the community, and of the hundreds of people I’ve talked to, annexation is the least favorable alternative.”

But Madge L. Schaefer, another candidate for the supervisor’s seat, said she had no quarrel with VanderKolk’s decision to take a stand on the issue.

“The most important thing is that the people who are affected by this make the decision,” Schaefer said.

Supervisor candidate Trudi K. Loh could not be reached for comment.

Oak Park leaders and county officials have been struggling for years to determine how best to provide basic services to the community of about 15,000 just east of Thousand Oaks, said Dr. George Anterasian, another member of the Municipal Advisory Council.

Anterasian said the community has felt left out by the county, and has complained for years about a lack of community services. The three options presented on the ballot are considered the best alternatives to address that concern, he said.

“All three options have their advantages and disadvantages. But there is no clear-cut best option. Most people that I know do not favor annexation,” he said. “It is difficult to believe that the concerns of our small community would be well-addressed by a city of 100,000.”

While the advisory council has struggled with the issue--often criticizing VanderKolk and the county for allegedly ignoring its concerns--it has made little progress toward solutions. A year ago, the panel recommended against incorporating as an independent city because it would require residents to pay higher taxes.

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VanderKolk said she decided to seek the ballot measure after years of frustration on how to solve Oak Park’s problems.

“They are not happy with the status quo. They are like the county’s unrecognized stepchildren. They don’t get the same level of service of other cities,” VanderKolk said. “But they want things, like a new ZIP code, that I can’t give them. County budgets continue to shrink and I am just one voice on a board of five.

“Something has to change. The people have to make a choice about what to do.”