Supervisors Oppose Landfill Initiative

In a vote that echoed countywide divisions, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors registered its opposition Tuesday to a ballot initiative that would allow voters a say on a trash dump at Weldon Canyon.

But even in the purely symbolic vote, the supervisors could not reconcile the split among Ventura communities over the sensitive matter of waste disposal.

The board voted 3 to 2 for a resolution opposing the initiative. The supervisors’ vote has no real bearing on whether the issue reaches the voters. If initiative organizers garnered enough signatures, as they appeared to have done, the board must put it on the ballot.

City leaders in Ojai and, possibly, Ventura plan to file suit to block the initiative, backed by waste management firm Taconic Resources of San Diego.

County Counsel James McBride said last week that the initiative has serious legal flaws, namely that it would grant voters powers reserved for zoning and planning agencies.

Supervisor Susan Lacey repeated those themes Tuesday, arguing that the initiative is merely exacerbating the split among Ventura County’s cities.

Her colleague, Supervisor Vicky Howard, disagreed sharply. “I don’t believe this initiative is driving a wedge between the east and west county,” said Howard, who represents Simi Valley, Moorpark and Somis.

“If there is a wedge, I believe it is because of the inability of the west county to accept its responsibility” on waste disposal, Howard said.

Howard and Supervisor John K. Flynn voted against the resolution. Supervisors Lacey, Maggie Kildee and Maria VanderKolk supported the resolution.

Kildee, who represents Ojai and other west county communities, said officials were looking at recycling and other options to a landfill.

VanderKolk also expressed disgust at the process used to win support for the ballot initiative. Organizers from Taconic Resources hired workers and used misleading tactics to gain the signatures needed to put the measure before the voters, critics have said. Last week they turned in nearly twice the signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot.

A consultant for Taconic said the ballot measure could finally give a voice to voters who want a landfill at the 551-acre site.