THOUSAND OAKS : Mayor Tells of Goals for Six-Month Term

After 30 years on the Thousand Oaks City Council, Mayor Alex Fiore still manages to come up with fresh ideas.

And during a lively speech Tuesday night, the newly installed mayor outlined the initiatives he will pursue during his six-month term, as he tries to draw neighbors and council members together in harmony and hard work.

Aside from keeping council meetings short, Fiore’s main goals include:

* Establishing protocol policies for the council and its committees, to avoid the kind of bickering that has characterized recent meetings.

* Writing a “buy-local” ordinance to encourage the city and its citizens to spend money in Thousand Oaks.

* Creating a Neighborhood Watch board of directors to coordinate crime-fighting programs throughout the city.

* Publishing a resource directory to help residents find their way through City Hall.

* Inviting senior citizen volunteers to work as receptionists in the new Civic Arts Plaza.

Fiore also pleaded with candidates in the upcoming city election to “be honest and find out what the facts are before they publish their campaign documents.”

Fiore will not run for reelection and a dozen potential candidates have expressed interest in his seat.

On Tuesday, however, residents and politicians concentrated on celebrating Fiore’s achievements and applauding his goals.