Meeting to Discuss Use of Bond Funds

Ventura County residents who would like a say in determining how millions of dollars in environmental-protection bond funds might be spent are encouraged to attend a Tuesday night meeting of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and advisory committee.

The meeting is to be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the recreation room of the Sycamore Drive Community Center, 1692 Sycamore Drive, Simi Valley. It is the first of eight special hearings for public input before the March ballot, which contains two bond measures for environmental projects.

Propositions 12 and 13 would set aside funding for projects that could benefit the conservancy. Proposition 12 would allocate $35 million to the conservancy for acquiring, preserving or restoring park land. Proposition 13 also contains funding for which the conservancy would be eligible, including protection of rivers and pollution prevention.

Members of the public are encouraged to testify on how they would like to see such funds spent.

“These bond measures offer an incredible opportunity to positively impact the environment here in Southern California, and the conservancy will pull out every stop to ensure that it happens quickly, efficiently and according to the public’s will,” said Joseph T. Edmiston, the conservancy’s executive director.

The conservancy’s current list of projects can be viewed on the Internet at https://www.smmcca.gov.