Finding the Wright answer

Alternatives to the closure of the Wright Library on the Ventura College campus were presented to the City Council last night. The City Council had asked the city's Library Advisory Commission to come up with ideas and their report sparked a new round of speakers opposing the original recommendation of County Library Director Jackie Griffin that Wright and the downtown Foster Library be consolidated as part of closing the County library budget gap.

Public participation was better informed and less emotional than the outpouring of shock and anger that first greeted the threatened loss of Wright. Almost everyone now has a better understanding of the complex "confederacy" that holds together a system that serves most of the cities and all the unincorporated area of Ventura County -- and the inadequate funding for libraries in today's economic situation. There were, of course, many passionate and sentimenal arguments for why libraries are good for kids, communities and civilization, but many speakers acknowledged much more realistic assessment of the very difficult challenges to keep Ventura's three libraries open in the face of deep cuts in State aid to local libraries.

There were some silly ideas, like the library patron who suggested the County Library system save money by having the County Library Director work out of a home office (was she really serious?) Some speakers demanded the City simply "reorder its priorities" in order find money to restore the loss in State aid and property tax revenue to the County system. But those who know the City has just been through a very painful "reordering of priorities" to slash spending by $11 million next year took a different tack. Perhaps the most compelling speaker was young Esther Gonzalez, a senior at Foothill High who will attend Wellesley next fall. Suggesting corporate sponsorship be explored for the libraries, she concluded: "I am an idealist at heart, but you have to come up with real solutions. I realize that the City Council is in a tough spot because I'm sure you all love libraries, but economically how are you going to solve this issue?"

Currently, the only stable source of funding is a share of property taxes from both the City and its surrounding unincorporated County areas. Without additional State aid, Ventura can't afford to keep its two major libraries open (the third library, a small branch on Ventura Avenue, is almost entirely funded from Federal grants allocated to low-income neighborhoods.) Library Commission chair Marianne Coffey put the issue succinctly: "We need a community dialogue. With the evaporation of State aid, Ventura libraries need a permanent source of adequate funding."

One option advocated by Friends of the Library president Will Thompson is a share of the proposed half cent sales tax recommended for the November ballot by the Blue Ribbon Citizens Budget Committee. There are, however, three obstacles in the way: the Council has not decided whether to place such a measure on the ballot; any tax increase in this economic climate faces an uphill battle to win voter approval; and by law the Council cannot guarantee a portion of the funding would always go to the libraries without raising the requirement for approval from majority vote to two-thirds approval.

So in the meantime, Wright remains endangered. The Library Advisory Commission's best alternative to closing Wright was to alternate days of service between Wright and Foster, an awkward and inefficient stopgap measure at best. The Friends of the Library have done a heroic job of rallying public support and raising $70,000 for their "Save Wright Library" effort. Last night, the Council voted unanimously to use reserves for a loan to the Friends to keep both Wright and Foster open until March 15 of next year. Whether the Friends can raise the remaining $130,000 to meet that goal is uncertain -- so if they fall more than two months behind in reaching that goal, the issue will come back to the Council.

So the future of Wright and the future of libraries in Ventura remains clouded. But the fundraising by the Friends has bought time to continue the "community dialogue." Now is the time to seize that time and find "real solutions" that will ensure that young people like Esther Gonzalez have libraries to help them reach their dreams.

Not the last chapter in Ventura's Walmart saga

Walmart representatives didn't show last night as the City Council wrapped up the Victoria Corridor code, but they were on everyone's mind.

Walmart critics filled the City Council Chambers and more than 20 speakers castigated the world's largest retailer, imploring the Council to prohibit them from opening a store on Victoria Avenue. Only a handful spoke in favor of Walmart coming to town.

At issue were changes to the proposed Victoria Corridor code that would allow new loading docks, energy-saving design features and other minor additions to existing buildings that don't conform to the strict rules of the new code. While the language dealt with the scope of the restrictions and the exceptions for all properties, Walmart opponents branded these provisions as "special privileges" for the retail giant to occupy the now vacant former K-Mart on Victoria.

It was nearly midnight when the Council voted 5-2 for an amendment by Councilmember Neal Andrews giving property owners flexibility for making such changes for the first ten years of the plan. Deputy Mayor Bill Fulton and Councilmember Brian Brennan were on the short end of the vote.

It has been four years since Walmart first expressed interest in replacing K-Mart when their lease expired -- and almost four years since the City Council uanimously approved the 2005 General Plan that called for transforming Victoria's eight lane arterial into "a regional thoroughfare of great and sophisticated diversity" by "eliminating 'big box,' mega-block auto-oriented strip development and the traffic patterns it generates." The General Plan language was clear: "all new commercial development within the Victoria Avenue Corridor must follow this approach."

The vision for revitalizing the corridor has consistently been overshadowed by the controversy over Walmart. On one side have been free market advocates and those who accuse the Council of adding to the City's fiscal woes by discouraging business growth. On the other side have been Walmart opponents who want the City Council to do everything possible to keep the company out of Ventura. For four years, the Council has consistently taken a middle path and it did so again last night.

The City's position has always been that Walmart (or any other legal business) was welcome to build a new store on Victoria, but only if it conformed to the General Plan's vision for Ventura's most congested corridor: "walkable blocks" that are compatible with a business district that targets the kind of high value jobs that Ventura wants to retain and attract. Alternatively, like any other retailer, they were welcome to simply occupy the old K-Mart as a "non-conforming" use.

This has not satisfied either side. The owners of the existing commercial centers have dismissed the new vision for Victoria as impractical and many community voices have called for the City to actively pursue any large business that can bring in additional sales tax revenue. On the other side, the national and local movements that have targeted Walmart insist that the company despoils the environment, crushes local competitors, underpays its workers, frequently engages in illegal practices and outsources American jobs in favor of global sweatshops -- and should be stopped at all costs.

The four year battle is not over. Walmart opponents have qualified an initiative for Ventura's November ballot that bans any store over 90,000 square feet with more than 3% of total square footage devoted to "non-taxable items" (food.) One of the many ironies and ambiguities in this long fight is the "Stop Walmart" ballot measure never mentions Walmart. It would have banned the new Target that has opened in the mall and wouldn't stop Walmart from occupying the old K-Mart store as long as they limited food offerings.

The next move, however, appears to be up to Walmart. They can limit their store to 100,000 square feet under the new Victoria Corridor code and apply to upgrade the old loading docks, add skylights and improve the front entrance to the old K-Mart store. They can go to court to challenge the new rules. They can bust out the existing interior walls on the K-Mart building and occupy the entire 130,000 square foot building -- but under the rules passed by the Council, they are then forbidden from any exterior upgrades. They can also bide their time and wait to see what happens with the voters in November.

The one option that may offer the best solution is unfortunately one that few expect Walmart to embrace. They could "walk the walk" of their new talk about being "sustainable" and build a model new store that conforms to the new Victoria Corridor rules. “At Walmart, we are accelerating and broadening our commitment to bring Earth-friendly living to everyday life, and recognize the importance of offering these choices at budget-friendly prices,” boasts Matt Kistler, senior vice president of sustainability at Walmart. “At a time when shoppers around the world are watching every penny, this is the time to save money and save the planet – two goals that work together.” For more on Walmart's claims to promote "sustainability" check out their website here.

What's been missing so far is the company's commitment to do that in Ventura. At one point they hired a LEED certified architect to work up a new store concept without any surface parking with an ample green space in front of their store and a model "green store." That was contingent, however, on the City Council giving them the go-ahead for a huge Superstore of more than 140,000 square feet, completely out of scale with the "walkable blocks" part of the Victoria vision.

Downsizing that concept to fit the rules adopted last night by the Council would break the mold of auto-oriented "big boxes" and set a new, higher standard for green building in Ventura. Of course, it wouldn't fix Walmart's much-maligned labor practices, nor reverse the damaging impact of the global supply chain for their products (although they have been in serious dialogue on that issue with Patagonia's visionary environmental leader Yvon Chouinard -- paying multiple visit's to the company's Ventura headquarters to learn more about fundamentally shifting their purchasing practices.) For a revealing view on whether Walmart is serious about changing its ways, see this article in Fast Company: Patagonia Values.

But while it wouldn't overcome every perceived defect, abiding by Ventura's standards with a new "green" version of Walmart would offer tangible evidence that the world's largest retailer is serious about change. It would be a far better response to their critics than slick ads and "public relations." Right now, the silence from Walmart is deafening.

Walmart, are you listening?

Opening Up Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles

Recently, having lunch downtown, I ran into Mike McGuire, CEO of Affinity Bank. We commiserated on the current economy and the challenges the crisis poses for both the bank and the city.

“The heart of the problem,” he told me, “is we have to return to a time when consumer spending made up no more than around 60% of the economy. We’d actually gotten to the place where it was up over 70%. That’s not sustainable.”

President Obama made similar points in his speech on the economy at Georgetown University in Washington:

“We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand. We must build our house upon a rock. We must lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity -- a foundation that will move us from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest; where we consume less at home and send more exports abroad.”

The common message is a sobering one: work harder, spend less. But it is the foundation for ensuring future prosperity, nationally and here in Ventura.

On May 2, the Economic Summit we are co-sponsoring with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce will help us update our local strategy. Ventura is currently guided by a 2005-10 Economic Development Strategy (which is posted here on our web site.) Many of the goals have already been reached and new thinking is necessary in the new era we find ourselves in.

Focusing on “Opening Up Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles,” the Economic Summit will be held at City Hall from 9 AM until 1 PM. After an opening briefing, participants will engage in active discussions around five themes, with the goal of coming up with consensus recommendations for 90 day, 1 year and 5 year strategies around the following five themes:

• Improving the City’s Bottom Line and Fiscal Health

• Fostering Smart Growth

• Greening Ventura’s Economy

• Retaining/Expanding Jobs and Business

• Enhancing our Business Climate

This is an opportunity for a fresh start. There are innumerable definitions of “economic development” and dozens of ideas about how to improve our business climate. There are also stale debates and misleading perceptions that hold us back from working together effectively. The focus on May 2 will be to look ahead - to build on solid rock and “lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity.”

Ventura Economic Summit

The City Council will hold an Economic Summit next month in partnership with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce. The location is being finalized, but the time is set—from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.

The goal is to update our current 2005-10 Economic Development Strategy and work to restore prosperity locally by more aggressive action. The current Economic Development Strategy focused on six areas:

• Auto Center: In the past five years, we successfully regained parity with Oxnard’s auto mall, but the entire industry is now contracting. The next stage for this area is completion of the long-planned Olivas Drive extension to open up major retail opportunities. This month, the Council will also be taking a look at future development along Johnson Drive on the other side of the freeway.
  

• McGrath Property: This was the only one of the “expansion areas” incorporated into our 2005 General Plan and we are moving forward in an active public-private partnership with developers Investec to create a new 80- acre jobs campus in the most job-rich part of our city.
  

• Westside: The bright promise of Westside revitalization has not yet materialized despite a number of positive developments, like Bell Arts factory, new housing and undergrounding of utility lines.
  

• Upper North Avenue: This area is slated for annexation and redevelopment, but the effort has not yet moved forward. It is slated to be launched later this year.
  

• Downtown: Despite some new vacancies in a tough economy, Downtown is probably the biggest success story of the past five years, with strong new tenants continuing to sign leases, an active Downtown Ventura Organization pushing a business improvement district and a new downtown office tower and the WAV project nearing completion. Later this month, the Council is expected to approve a new high-end hotel on the Promenade, part of an accelerating effort to link downtown to the beach, including an ambitious vision of capping the 101 Freeway.
  

• Anticipate our Future: This looked forward to the emerging new economy, but it’s been challenging focusing on tangible targets. This thrust represents the most exciting opportunity for us to deliver on the General Plan’s emphasis on “high value, high wage jobs.” Our incubator and foray into venture capital investment earned us ranking as #61 on Fortune Small Business’ list of cities “to live and launch.” With America going green, our area is primed to be a center of green business. Last year, our own Patagonia made the cover of Fortune Magazine as “The Coolest Company on the Planet.” While our location on the Central Coast makes us a higher cost place to do business, it also earns us a higher quality of life rating, which is important to green entrepreneurs. All businesses will be increasingly focusing on sustainability strategies.
  

These six elements by no means exhaust our opportunities. Our Visitor Bureau actively promotes tourism opportunities, not only downtown, but also at the harbor and as part of the larger regional draws in Ventura County and the Central Coast. Pacific View Mall continues to be our number one tax generator and we continue to pursue development of the eyesore at the north end of the mall. The bankruptcies of national retailers like Mervyn’s and Linens ‘n’ Things leave both empty storefronts and opportunities to attract national retailers like Best Buy.

And then there is the complex and emotion-laden issue of Walmart.

What’s critical, however, is that we refocus on what matters most and the upcoming Economic Summit is a major step in charting the strategy for the next five years. Old dividing lines are increasingly irrelevant in the new economy. The Council will be discussing staff’s recommended redesign of our Economic Development thrust as part of their follow-up to the recently completed budget discussions. We’ve done our share of cutting. Now we must look forward to protecting, strengthening and expanding the economic and revenue base of our community and city government. Opportunities often come disguised as problems. This economic downturn is one of those.

A strong turn-out is important not only from business interests, but other elements of the community as well. We not only need an Economic Development Strategy that makes sense for today’s challenges, but one with strong support throughout Ventura. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the May 2 date.

Sustainability

How easy is it to start a successful restaurant? A friend of mine who pioneered fine dining in Old Pasadena shared with me a this Persian proverb: "The first hundred years are the hardest."

What if you set out not only to make your customers happy, but to be a model for serving delicious, healthy, local food?

That's the challenge for Main Course California, a brand new Ventura business tucked into a business park on Donlon behind the Main Street Target.

Founders Rachel Main and Robert Jacobi boast superb credentials. Rachel has been an executive chef to a billionaire, founded a private high school culinary program and honed her skills in the kitchens of prestigious restaurants. Robert is certified in Hospitality Management by the legendary Le Cordon Bleu, living and working in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Greece, with an impressive list of hotels and restaurants on his resume.

Yet their goals are down to earth: serve food with all the flavor and environmental appeal of this slice of paradise we call Ventura County. Right now, Main Course California is a growing catering and modest take-out operation with maybe four tables all told. But in a tough economy, they are doing what is so desperately needed, putting people to work providing long-term value.

As Mayor Weir noted in this year's State of the City talk, we all "must look beyond our reduced 'financial portfolio' to an expanded 'life portfolio' of stronger family, friends, business and government relationships." It turns out that the churning drive to meet Wall Street's quarterly expectations produced a heady, but phony prosperity.

It was not sustainable.

Now more and more individuals, families, businesses and governments are digging in. No more junk bonds or junk food. Turning to back yard gardens, going to Farmer's Markets, appreciating the flavors produced by local soils and our local seasons.

There will always be glitz and froth and get rich quick schemes -- overnight sensations that make a big splash and then fizzle. But whether it is launching business or living a meaningful life, there really are no shortcuts. And there are no guarantees the world will reward you with wealth and recognition. Virtues like hard work, rock solid values and a generous heart are their own reward.