Oxnard Council OKs Evening Sessions

Responding to residents’ demands for more voice in government, the Oxnard City Council on Tuesday agreed to move its meetings from afternoon to evening.

Under the proposal, recommended by City Manager Tom Frutchey, the public portion of the council meetings would begin at 7 p.m., effective Jan. 10, to allow residents to comment on city business. Councils in all other Ventura County cities now meet at night.

Oxnard council members will meet three Tuesdays each month. Under the new rules, no discussion will be initiated after 11 p.m., and closed sessions will begin at 6 p.m., or in rare instances at 5 p.m.

Also, items deemed to be of great urgency or importance will be dealt with before more trivial city business to ensure that they are discussed that night.

The council now holds its meetings at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays. The city initiated the afternoon starting time because of the large number of items under discussion and the time needed for closed sessions, Frutchey said in a city report.

But meetings have become shorter recently because of a sharper focus on the issues instead of bickering, he said. A reduction in closed sessions--due to revisions in the Brown Act and the resolution of several longstanding lawsuits against the city--has also contributed to the shorter sessions, Frutchey said.

Moreover, less city department business requires council approval now because of recent changes in procedure.

“I think we’ll be able to get a new audience that was heretofore unable to come to meetings because they work,” Councilman Andres Herrera said. “And more people will be able to watch on television as well.”