Oxnard Council Hears Department Heads’ Wish Lists

When it comes to improving Oxnard, city department heads are never short on ideas.

During a three-hour budget meeting Tuesday, they got a chance to pitch their wish lists to the City Council before it signs off on a final spending plan in late June.

The lists included a trolley to shuttle tourists from downtown to the beach; new after-school programs for youngsters; public restrooms that are open more than two days a week.

But with analysts predicting that Oxnard will take in $1.3 million less than projected earlier this year, department chiefs might be short on money to pay for their proposals.

“My crystal ball is as good as yours,” Karen Burnham, Oxnard’s recreation superintendent, said about a proposal to set up six more after-school programs at Oxnard schools.

The city could probably count on federal money to pay some of the $180,000 cost, Burnham said, but the city would have to provide up to $120,000 for the programs.

“It offers supervised after-school activities and programs to hopefully catch [youngsters] before they become involved in more negative activities,” Burnham said.

But with a tight budget, such prevention programs could lose out to calls for beefing up public safety efforts.

At a similar budget meeting last week, residents urged city leaders to funnel more money to the Police Department after several assaults and homicides--many involving youths--earlier this year.

Police Chief Harold Hurtt has made several proposals, including a plan to establish a permanent anti-gang task force at a first-year cost of about $546,150.

With police officials asking for more money, parks chief Michael Henderson said it could be hard to get the $300,000 he needs to keep more than 20 public restrooms open seven days a week.

“If the [city] revenue is not coming in, I think it could be difficult to find $300,000 in the budget,” said Henderson, who did not address the council Tuesday. “But I know the City Council really wants to open restrooms.”

The council will face tough choices before it adopts Oxnard’s 1996-97 spending plan of about $60 million.

Financial analysts plan to release a proposed budget May 21, and the city is set to hold its first public hearing on the spending plan June 4.

Councilman Tom Holden said it is still too early to rule out any of the wish list items.

“You have to look at priorities,” Holden said. “Obviously, public safety is a priority. So we will be looking at that and other things too.”

Councilman Dean Maulhardt suggested that Oxnard consider charging a fee to Oxnard library patrons who live outside the city.

His comments came as Oxnard library official Wendy Penrose pitched a proposal to overhaul the facility’s computer system at a first-year cost of $197,500.

The proposal calls for about $67,500 from the city’s general fund--more than half in the form of a loan--with the rest coming from state grants.

Not all the proposals from department heads asked the council for more money.

Code enforcement officers presented plans for cracking down on businesses that operate without licenses and other proposals that could pay for themselves through fees.

Ruben Mesa, Oxnard’s solid waste superintendent, said his department could drastically increase the number of homes where it picks up yard waste at no extra cost to the city.

Mesa said it would be cheaper to recycle the yard waste than take it to the dump, providing the city with savings to buy more containers for residents.

“No additional funds,” Mesa said. “We could just do it in-house.”