OJAI : Landfill Petition Is Called Invalid

A petition to place the Weldon Canyon landfill initiative on the November ballot should be denied certification by the county clerk because it is special legislation being used for the gain of a private corporation and because the petitions failed to include the complete texts of the county ordinances it would amend, Ojai’s city attorney said.

In a letter sent this week to the county clerk, City Atty. Monte L. Widders calls the petition “procedurally defective” and urges the clerk not to certify it.

“As far as procedural issues are concerned, that is his job,” Widders said Friday. “If it is procedurally flawed . . . he has the administrative duty not to certify.”

The petition was submitted by Taconic Resources of San Diego County last week with nearly twice the number of signatures as required. The clerk has 30 business days to certify it.

The measure asks voters to amend the county’s General Plan and certain zoning ordinances to allow construction of a landfill and recycling center on 551 acres in Weldon Canyon, which lies between Ventura and Ojai.

But Widders said the petition violates the elections code by not containing the full text of the ordinances it proposes to amend.

“How can someone intelligently sign a petition without knowing what they are changing?” Widders asked. “I don’t think anybody knows what portions of the plan and ordinances they want changed.”

The letter also states that the initiative would give a private corporation--Taconic Resources--special benefits, which is unlawful according to the California Constitution, the city’s lawyer said.

Officials with Taconic Resources said they are confident the petition is legally valid.