Oxnard Council Rebuffs Critics, Will Hold Retreat : Government: Some residents contend that the sessions are costly as well as secretive.

Oxnard leaders will reconvene a $14,000 “team-building” retreat at the River Ridge Golf Course today, despite criticism by some residents that the sessions are costly and allow the City Council to make important policy decisions away from the public eye.

City Manager Tom Frutchey defended the annual retreat, saying it gives Oxnard leaders a chance to discuss plans for the city in freewheeling fashion, without the television cameras and usual public scrutiny.

However, former Oxnard Mayor Jane Tolmach said the lack of public scrutiny is exactly the problem.

“I just disapprove of these retreats and the purpose for them,” Tolmach said of the gathering, which costs $14,000 for the services of retreat facilitator David G. Jones, plus catered meals.

“The staff and (Jones) are trying to get the council to agree on things outside of the public, and that is not correct,” Tolmach said. “It is not televised, and not everyone can spend the day at a golf course with the City Council.”

The city announces the retreats ahead of time and invites the public to attend, because the conferences qualify as a special council meeting under the Brown Act.

This year, the council announced its retreat just 24 hours before it was to start--the minimum advance notice required by California’s public meeting law.

The council actually met at the golf course’s clubhouse for eight hours March 24 and 25, discussing their accomplishments and goals, before postponing the remainder of it because Councilman Andres Herrera was sick and could not attend.

On learning that the retreat is to be reconvened today, Ralph Vester, a member of Oxnard’s Cal-Gisler Neighborhood Council, condemned the City Council for discussing city business in a place not many residents are likely to visit.

“They come out (afterward) to the regular council meeting, and you can tell things have been discussed,” Vester said. “They need to be more aboveboard with the public.”

Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez also has criticized the events, saying the council uses the opportunities to make major policy changes out of public view.

Lopez acknowledged that several recent City Council decisions--such as the dismantling of the Oxnard Planning Commission--originally reached consensus at retreats.

“My concern is that what we discuss should not be cast in stone,” Lopez said. “We cannot treat what we discuss at the retreat like the decision has already been made. We need to go before the public and reopen the debate.”

However, Lopez said he is not opposed to holding retreats. He said the events are well worth the money--if council members take them seriously and work to bridge their differences.

“I think if it makes us better able to cope with the (budget) shortfall and it makes us more efficient, the retreat is a good investment,” Lopez said. “If it helps us work better, I think it’s worth it. . . . If more people went to these things, I think they would see it is a good expenditure.”

Only three members of the public attended the first part of the retreat last month.

Among them was Tolmach, who has organized a petition drive to overturn the City Council’s decision in January to dismantle the Planning Commission.

Tolmach said in addition to circumventing the public forum, the retreat is a waste of money.

Last month’s session is expected to cost $11,000, said City Clerk Daniel Martinez, who coordinated the retreat. Today’s will probably cost another $3,000, bringing the total to about $14,000, he said.

Most of that will be used to pay facilitator David Jones, an expert on government team-building who has conducted almost 500 retreats with various city councils, including the Port Hueneme City Council earlier this month.

Oxnard council members and city staff also plan to go into closed session during the retreat to discuss the performance of Frutchey and City Atty. Gary Gillig.

The City Council will also weigh the salaries and compensation paid to city employees.