Supervisors Meet Tonight in East County

The Board of Supervisors has moved its weekly meeting to Thousand Oaks tonight in an effort to increase access for east county residents.

The meeting, normally held Tuesday mornings in the Hall of Administration building in Ventura, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Supervisors voted earlier this year to hold several meetings at night and at different locations in the county to make it easier for residents to attend. Because regular meetings are on a weekday morning, county officials believe many residents are at work and not able to attend. Supervisors hope the move will encourage more involvement in local government.

At the beginning of each meeting, those attending are given a chance to address board members on various issues.

Supervisor Frank Schillo, who represents the east county, said he’s also hoping the meetings will give people a chance to see what the board does each week.

“The main thing I’ve heard in the six years I’ve been on the board is, ‘What the heck do supervisors do?’ ” Schillo said. “I’d like to give them the opportunity to see us and get some idea of what we actually do.”

Schillo said he plans to use the opportunity to spread the word about $660,000 worth of school readiness programs that will be available each year for the next three years to Conejo Valley families. The programs are part of the Neighborhoods for Learning project, funded through Proposition 10. The 1998 measure imposed a 50-cent-a-pack tax statewide on cigarettes. Classes in literacy, parenting and nutrition will be established in several family resource centers in Thousand Oaks, Westlake and Oak Park as part of the program.

Supervisors hope to rotate a night meeting into each of the county’s five districts at least once a quarter, Schillo said. Tonight’s meeting will be held in the Thousand Oaks City Council chambers at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Meetings will return to Ventura next Tuesday.