New City Council Chambers Open : Thousand Oaks: Little Leaguers also honored as city shows off its energy-efficient headquarters.

Inaugurating the new City Council chambers with a broad grin, Thousand Oaks Mayor Alex Fiore slashed a ceremonial red ribbon on Tuesday evening and welcomed a crowd of looky-loos and Little Leaguers into the Civic Arts Plaza.

“This is a magnificent moment in the history of this city,” Fiore said, “a time when we can come together to reflect on this extraordinary facility, which will be uplifting spirits for years into the future.”

To bursts of applause, Fiore introduced two Thousand Oaks Little League teams: the 9- and 10-year-olds, who won the state championship this year, and the older Junior Division all-stars, who took the world title.

The baseball players, clad in their black-green-and-white uniforms, arrived at the 2-day-old City Hall shortly before the 5 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony after a triumphant motorcade through Thousand Oaks’ downtown corridor.

Proudly, the players joined a throng of well-wishers in packing the council chamber’s 280 russet-colored seats to watch beaming politicians and bureaucrats ascend to the dais. The theatrical council chamber doubles as a community auditorium; the dais sinks into the basement on coiled springs to be replaced by a parquet stage.

After welcoming the crowd, Fiore rededicated 16 seats named for outstanding citizens of Thousand Oaks. Most of the seats were originally dedicated a decade ago, in the city’s first government center at 401 Hillcrest Drive.

“It’s an exciting moment for all of us,” Councilwoman Judy Lazar said. “This is your facility. Please enjoy it and please come down and use it all the time.”

About a dozen county and state officials attended the ceremony, including California’s First Lady Gayle Wilson.

When the hoopla died down, Fiore accepted a rebate check from Southern California Edison worth $95,301 in recognition of energy-saving features built into the Civic Arts Plaza.

Southern California Edison hands rebate checks to all home or business owners who incorporate energy-efficient equipment during new construction. Each state-of-the-art lighting system or air-conditioner is worth a certain dollar amount, and Edison will tally up the total and cut a check after construction is complete, said Division Manager Tom Bryson.

The Edison rebate check will be credited to the Civic Arts Plaza’s construction budget.

Thousand Oaks’ $64-million Civic Arts Plaza incorporates the latest energy-saving insulation, lighting and window glazing, officials said.

But the most unusual feature is the air-conditioning system.

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During off-peak hours such as nights and weekends, when energy prices are lower, the system works full blast to cool water in an underground storage tank. This ice water then circulates through the air-conditioner fans during daytime hours, saving the city big money.

Edison estimates that the Civic Arts Plaza’s various energy-saving devices will cut the annual bill by about one-fifth--saving the city $61,000 a year.

“This building was built in 1994, so from glass and door seals to the insulation in the walls, everything about it is energy-conservation minded,” agreed Bill Huston, who is supervising construction of the Civic Arts Plaza.

Although the high-tech devices cost a little more, “I’m sure they’ll make that up with their energy savings in five years or so,” Huston said.