[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6485007,"mediaKeyId","5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0","parentId",5530832,"title","Simi Valley officials and residents demand transparency, hate‑crime review after Regal Plaza assault","audioSeconds",6394,"startMs",696000,"endMs",7090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0&start=696&end=7090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0/thumbnail_696000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6485007/Simi-Valley/Ventura-County/California/Simi-Valley-officials-and-residents-demand-transparency-hatecrime-review-after-Regal-Plaza-assault","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485007-b5fb21a41d21b1d4b4e0951ee3e307f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770492755&Signature=Os8A3zo0H6X0oNdmwKAsefdKiiJqig4vmwO9ZCNVA8vRPx4e~IEtRjpPUkqgTOuDOsIqhqAOOYDZtX4XEqQpEkqHmhKiGGd-YObtuZ19uNnYzWLgGhLa6kzN~cP0X-8wydG7jOR5LwGgHQFYwFRv7HHzN8ME2UbkUihtpNOIszgJtKRrr8dxrHsS1V99l5cLEWOmDwXqJFTAQdesaMYlYKGq8qp2BpFxF6CQF6MeT1VLaTSSSffbxCi75EAXWptHD6pnFx82Pz2yWQkCCo6dLnor~XxcXFK5kvJdWyfnSQr0mbkxEOXJXx3sby0aGD-A~L0MhLCdBfdd5BQBASDN1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Simi Valley","date","2025-08-05T05:37:50Z","article","Simi Valley — Hundreds of residents pressed the Simi Valley City Council on Aug. 4 to treat the Aug. 1 attack in the Regal Plaza parking lot as a hate crime and to provide transparent, urgent follow‑up after videos of the incident circulated online.

Mayor Ruth Kavanaugh opened the meeting by describing the episode and the city’s response: “As of today, 4 juvenile suspects have been identified and arrested for battery,” she said, adding that the Simi Valley Police Department was working “with integrity, professionalism, and transparency” and coordinating with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

The comments that followed came largely during the public‑statements portion of the meeting. Speakers said the video footage showed a group of teens assaulting a Black teenager while making racial slurs, and urged the DA to seek hate‑crime charges and the police department to explain the timeline of arrests and any staff involvement. “What I saw on social media broke my heart,” resident Lana Zakhovsky said, describing the footage and identifying one person in the video as the son of a city police officer. Giovanna Pitts, president of the Black Student Union at Moorpark College, told the council: “This was a targeted, racially motivated attack. Michael was chased from corner to corner, surrounded, and hunted down by more than 8 individuals.”

Speakers pressed several specific concerns: why, they said, arrests and stronger charges did not happen immediately; whether any on‑duty officers or police‑department employees had ties to suspect families; whether the DA would pursue hate‑crime enhancements; and whether the police department would release full information about the investigation. Multiple speakers asked for an independent or outside review and for safeguards to protect victims and witnesses.

Council members and the mayor responded on the record. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Judge told those in the chamber: “Nothing is gonna be covered up,” and said the department would provide updates through the city’s Nixle alert system and other channels. Council member Vanessa Ayala said she and other council members were monitoring the investigation and that patience was necessary given the juvenile status of some suspects. “I know we want instant gratification, but the only way that it works correctly is if we allow everything to play out,” Ayala said.

The Simi Valley Police Department and Ventura County District Attorney’s Office have not announced charges beyond the battery charges Mayor Kavanaugh referenced on Aug. 4. The mayor also gave a public contact for people with information: Sergeant Rick Morton at (805) 583‑6950.

The meeting record shows the council did not take formal action on policy changes tied to the incident that night; council members said staff and investigators would continue to develop the case and report back. Several community groups present asked the city to pursue additional training, restorative and prevention programs for youth, and an independent review of how law enforcement handled the incident.

For now, the immediate next steps publicly listed by city leaders remain investigative: the police department’s continuing probe, cooperation with the Ventura County DA, and the council’s pledge to share updates as they become available.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Simi Valley Mayor Ruth Kavanaugh and dozens of residents on Aug. 4 focused the City Council’s public‑comment period on a violent Aug. 1 parking‑lot assault at Regal Plaza that many speakers called a hate crime and urged the Ventura County District Attorney and Simi Valley Police Department to pursue hate‑crime charges and full transparency.","taxTitle","Simi Valley, Ventura County, California","taxId",3724,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6484994,"Simi Valley council adopts nine near‑term priorities; adds housing language to community theme",1138,12798000,13936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0&start=12798&end=13936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0/thumbnail_12798000.jpg","/articles/6484994/Simi-Valley/Ventura-County/California/Simi-Valley-council-adopts-nine-nearterm-priorities-adds-housing-language-to-community-theme","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484994-be65d69f50d343c75b10e93b30835d80/orig.mp4?Expires=1770492755&Signature=ZiZ9C7MuwaCaUDAb6boK~4auYM64CuOTYj597xsPkX-08NbzTDDzzrom-wlTaxlYXVfqN3DRwJhGWlyIt~k6psNoAbPQQLIkgipyUyUJrAXJKcpQH6-lQeskUfEOBko-I0mXto4DENH5Rv-CnCxmMWGM-P7JkBrIxwPzmGtHgCWeNOkm6KBPccPvLZ3AQjG6jTtzQa-zFuiKZunUyXtBaDTN65OOKsE6o82ATU1NxyIRSqqqdZv2Bnlt1JuqfNNwdtcoQWO~vBn4-8pHXdx8JoyK63LB3n4BE0f2yLk~e6GxrKqF~ACUSxkGV817AS-WmJN3f93al66vx2ZVWzZ4Kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Simi Valley — The City Council on Aug. 4 adopted a set of nine short‑term priority focus areas developed at a June 10 council retreat and organized under six strategic themes intended to guide staff work through December 2025.

City Manager Arderbright told the council the priorities were grouped under fiscal stability, economic vitality, public safety, thriving community, excellent city government and reliable infrastructure. The nine short‑term focus items include evaluating service‑delivery efficiencies and cost recovery, pursuing economic development and town‑center revitalization, promoting film and tourism, strengthening code enforcement, ensuring competitive compensation and succession planning for public safety, exploring use of artificial intelligence tools to improve services, and investigating local water‑source development.

Council member Pauline Litster and others raised the recurring topic of housing and asked how ad‑hoc housing requests would fit into the priorities framework. The council voted unanimously to adopt the priorities and modified the “thriving community” theme to explicitly include housing so that future housing‑related items would clearly fall within the adopted framework.

City staff will assign team leads to each focus area, evaluate resource needs and financial impacts, and report progress to the council twice a year. The manager asked council members to be mindful of the adopted priorities when requesting new agenda items and to use a reprioritization process for major new initiatives.

The council’s adoption gives staff a formal directive to align departmental planning, the upcoming budget workshop and future agenda items with these priorities.","At a retreat the council identified nine priority focus areas across six strategic themes. On Aug. 4 the council formally adopted those near‑term priorities to guide staff work through December 2025 and modified the community theme to explicitly include housing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6484998,"Council delays vote on a proposed 3.5% annual water‑rate plan, asks staff for project spending detail",1913,10778000,12691000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0&start=10778&end=12691","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0/thumbnail_10778000.jpg","/articles/6484998/Simi-Valley/Ventura-County/California/Council-delays-vote-on-a-proposed-35-annual-waterrate-plan-asks-staff-for-project-spending-detail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484998-cf4b04fb288c8ea9c953cc7d68e873a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770492755&Signature=n5eZsQFWSqYpvCzMph2dmJaKhWSh55tnmzFWtmNrGW~RgyA8tvg6PMz4lpxRoPZ4TpC4NyP3lB1s8kgkUOvEFdZ4l9fi40Nz-RbYKZvhwaREV3LpmNv18Rurvt1rQ4RqI8HqnCks78KUDMjpK5pjSL3CY7b1ss3YXx-JNDh5GIo5sYDzl6Y2nz7LkTKEoZ0lkAvi3xwHiF8-pBUmuHDUn9U6hoq8f6xP-sijdC58141nzV1PCOlZ68uXWLOVxxm9-3roQX3tbNH3XXw~bCAp~QvgXu381RQYqMsmUdpiBAgM1pvWw1nYoAOogNTnWWSpGsqPSxr7hcP0fOaYUBjJUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Simi Valley — City staff recommended that the Waterworks District adopt an average annual water‑rate increase of 3.5% for five years and begin the Proposition 218 notice and protest process. Council members instead directed staff to return with a clearer accounting of current capital commitments and encumbrances before asking ratepayers for new increases.

Public Works staff told the board that the water enterprise maintains 357 miles of pipe, 22 pump stations and 43 storage reservoirs and serves roughly 26,000 connections. The department estimated about $51.8 million in capital needs across the next five years and said the 3.5% annual increase would help match revenues to forecasted operating and capital costs. Staff also described the Proposition 218 notice and hearing process and suggested a public hearing on Oct. 20, 2025.

Several council members pressed staff on whether the proposed increase was necessary now. Council member Vanessa Ayala said the district has produced multi‑year surpluses and noted a healthy replacement fund balance; she said she would support the city passing through any immediate wholesale cost increases (the Cayegas pass‑through noted in staff slides) but was not prepared to approve a multiyear increase while funds already appeared available. “To ask the residents to pay additional money at this point when I see there’s money in both the surplus and in the reserve… I don’t think I can support that,” Ayala said.

Council members also questioned project timelines and urged staff to accelerate deliveries where feasible. Staff replied that many water projects are technically complex—tanks, pump stations and hydraulic designs require longer engineering lead times than streets projects—but confirmed that a more up‑to‑date accounting of current encumbrances and projects could be provided.

After discussion, a motion to continue the item so staff could return to council with a detailed list of projects in process, committed expenditures and an updated spending timeline passed (council member Anthony Rhodes voted no). The council did not initiate the Proposition 218 notice at the Aug. 4 meeting.

Staff will provide the requested project‑level detail and an updated fiscal model before the council considers starting the Proposition 218 process.","Staff recommended a 3.5% annual average water rate increase for five years and beginning a Proposition 218 protest process; council members expressed concern about recent surpluses and reserves and asked staff to return with a detailed list of capital projects and committed spending before moving forward.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6485002,"City council directs staff to study state bill and begin steps to collect STR lodging tax",3696,3529000,7225000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0&start=3529&end=7225","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5530832-8ff4875acae9fbbf83f17d634b9e6ea0/thumbnail_3529000.jpg","/articles/6485002/Simi-Valley/Ventura-County/California/City-council-directs-staff-to-study-state-bill-and-begin-steps-to-collect-STR-lodging-tax","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485002-9beb7045cbb87d5a37d0433785437802/orig.mp4?Expires=1770492755&Signature=kkI0GZLw0n52X3asRh30bbcnVFawD8ykas-w6L2hH5E-EJe8IfKfvt8qUk~lMK77Rcezxpjt~Aqp7c5m6c4TwoPq4ehfqn4Z0cZm7Nx9T891Pl-UWrgh1AF2aVw92ftrG1s0FnScqsklrblMBJLyzUAJ9MD7UKFUKqfdaGflmqACv7hL6Af7A2wm9O7GCLi4nOmT5N6Ij96etOotZUD0aNiiuFnAlzOEUzXm8GoGZQHhHkj57tQQAFjdR0o3VuAV1T~hJQs1auYpLSh5lbeCAOQb5-MsNqUQ6atfxcLIbpJr9Jn5xY2nk8J9o-r1vpkVIU1t-okob6AH6uy7WWIWeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Simi Valley — The City Council on Aug. 4 directed staff to study pending state legislation and to prepare code changes so the city can collect transient occupancy tax (TOT) on short‑term rentals while the council considers broader regulation.

Deputy Environmental Services Director Sean Gibson told the council that recent staff research and third‑party listings identified “a little over a 100 short‑term rentals in the city,” and that the city’s options included maintaining the status quo, adopting an ordinance to allow and regulate STRs, or adopting an ordinance to ban them outright.

Public commenters who live near short‑term rentals described party noise, parking overflow, vandalism and repeated disturbances. “Sometimes there’s 100 cars in the neighborhood. Sometimes there’s 150 cars in the neighborhood,” said resident John Burns, describing a house he said is repeatedly rented for events. Other residents urged an outright ban; some suggested targeted enforcement such as parking restrictions for affected blocks.

Council debate focused on enforcement practicality and fiscal implications. Council member Anthony Rhodes noted the scale the staff cited and did a quick comparison: “Roughly, how many single‑family homes do we have in Simi Valley? ... about 31,000. A hundred divided by 31,000 is 0.003% of our housing being offered as an STR,” he said, arguing the problem is localized but still deserving of tools for enforcement.

Council members discussed whether to require a city ordinance to collect TOT and whether the pending California bill commonly referred to in the meeting (SB 346) would change the municipal process. Staff said Chapter 5 of the municipal code would likely need updates for TOT collection and that the state bill—if enacted—could grant cities an easier mechanism to obtain operator lists and improve tax remittance compliance.

Council member Rhodes moved and Council member Pauline Litster seconded a direction that staff monitor and evaluate SB 346 (as it is enacted) and return with recommended ordinance language, and that staff also proceed immediately to modify Chapter 5 to enable collection of TOT from short‑term rentals (but not to change the Tourism Business Improvement District rules at this time). The motion passed with Mayor Ruth Kavanaugh voting no.

The council did not adopt regulatory specifics at the meeting. Staff will return with legal drafting options, fiscal estimates and enforcement scenarios that would spell out permit fees, a “good neighbor” policy and escalating fines for repeat violators if council elects to regulate rather than ban STRs.","After public testimony about neighborhood impacts, the Simi Valley City Council directed staff to analyze pending state legislation on short‑term rentals and to start adding short‑term rentals to the city's Chapter 5 rules for transient occupancy tax collection, while leaving further regulatory choices for later.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Simi Valley officials and residents demand transparency, hate‑crime review after Regal Plaza assault

Simi Valley council adopts nine near‑term priorities; adds housing language to community theme

Council delays vote on a proposed 3.5% annual water‑rate plan, asks staff for project spending detail

City council directs staff to study state bill and begin steps to collect STR lodging tax