Amendment Would Help Local Groups

Hoping to make it easier for Oxnard residents to form new neighborhood councils, city leaders tonight are expected to amend Oxnard’s General Plan.

Oxnard now has 36 neighborhood councils across the city intended to promote the interests of residents and provide an opportunity for them to organize Neighborhood Watch programs.

Under existing guidelines, a new council cannot form unless the neighborhood is listed in Oxnard’s General Plan.

As the city has grown, community boundaries have changed and new neighborhoods have sprouted, yet the planning document has not kept pace with the changes.

City officials said they want to eliminate the requirement that neighborhoods appear in the General Plan before forming councils. They are also expected to approve a change in the bylaws that allow adjustments in neighborhood boundaries without amendments to the plan.

If city leaders approve the changes, boundaries of at least two neighborhood councils will grow. And a new council called the Five Points Northeast Neighborhood will form downtown to include residents living in new developments.

Officials said the councils are an important way for residents to influence the character of their neighborhoods.

“They allow residents to come together in an organized way to take a look at what their needs and priorities are,” said Jim Faulconer, Oxnard’s community affairs manager.