Simi, Thousand Oaks to Get SOAR Issue

The cities of Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks are expected to decide next week whether to place the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources initiative on their November ballots.

On Monday, the Simi Valley City Council will vote whether to place its version of the farmland-protection measure on the ballot, or to adopt provisions of the initiative instead. To place the measure on the ballot would cost about $20,000.

The council will not consider any alternatives to SOAR.

The Thousand Oaks City Council will meet Tuesday to also decide whether to put the growth-control initiative before voters. The council also has the option of introducing SOAR as an ordinance within the next 10 days and adopting it.

The council’s final option would be to send the proposed initiative to city agencies for a report on fiscal impact and the effect the measure might have on city planning and zoning.

Such a vote is necessary because of a ballot-gathering snafu that occurred earlier this week.

SOAR organizers in both cities gathered enough signatures to qualify the initiative for fall ballots.

But the cities then received a letter from an attorney asking that the initiative be disqualified because the petition included the words “as registered” next to the residence address spot on the form.

Officials in both cities hope to avoid a legal challenge by placing the initiative on the ballot independent of the SOAR petition.