Building Bridges : ‘Open House’ Introduces Visiting Russians to Government in Ventura County

As an ecologist, it’s Sergey Simak’s business to ponder the relationship between man and nature.

Until recently, few in his home of Samara, Russia, had given the matter much thought, but it’s his goal to change that.

That is one reason Simak found himself Friday in Oxnard, learning about the city’s zoning restrictions.

“I want to know how this system works,” Simak said. “Specifically, I want to know what the role of the community is in that process and see if there is something we can do that is similar.”

Simak is one of four Russians who will spend the next 10 days in Ventura County learning about government and policymaking as part of the Open House-Open World professional leadership program.

Established earlier this year by the Library of Congress and run in cooperation with the United Methodist Church and the Rotary Club, the program brings as many as 2,000 Russian political leaders and policymakers to the United States each year.

During their stay, participants have the opportunity to learn about this country’s political system, to share information on Russia and build bridges with people here for future cooperation.

“I thought these kinds of international exchanges are very important and valuable not only for those people involved, but for the community too,” said Cloene Marson of Oxnard, who is coordinating their stay. “Everybody learns a lot, and that’s what the program is for.”

The Russians got off to an early start Friday and spent the morning in the office of Oxnard architect Michael Faulconer.

Crowded around a stained wood dining table in Faulconer’s airy Heritage Square office, the program participants listened intently as Faulconer discussed how the city’s master plan and the county’s General Plan work to steer development in the area.

Lyubov Ganabina, a lawyer and City Council member in Kumertow, found it surprising that 50 people collaborated on the city’s master plan.

“In my country, it doesn’t work like that,” she said. “Decisions like that are made by smaller groups.”

She was also surprised to learn the master plan is reviewed and amended every three to five years. Master plans in her country are typically reviewed every 25 years.

“That is something that I would like to change,” she said. “We have to wait too long.”

After the hourlong meeting, group members traveled to the Cal State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, where they toured the grounds as workers scrambled to finish construction before the coming semester.

The campus was chosen to visit because it has dubbed itself “green,” meaning it will be run with the environment in mind.

After a short tour during which the Russians learned about the university and the long road it has taken from concept to reality, the group broke for lunch before touring the Ormond Beach wetlands and Oxnard recycler Willamette Industries.

For the remainder of their stay, the Russians will keep up a similar hectic pace.

Among other things, they are scheduled to visit an earthquake preparedness expo in Oxnard as well as tour the county government building and courthouse and talk solid waste management with Ventura city officials.

Even after a day, many of the participants said the value of this type of exchange is immeasurable.

Some, including Ganabina and Simak, had already come up with strategies on how to better develop policies in their country.

“The importance of this cannot be overestimated,” Ganabina said. “The best thing is that we have another system to compare with.”