Camarillo council directs staff to work with county foundation on neighbor support fund after ICE raids; no funding approved tonight

The Camarillo City Council on Aug. 27 directed the city manager to work with the Ventura County Community Foundation to return to the council with a proposal for a potential city contribution to the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund, with an initial negotiating cap of $50,000 and a stated emphasis on mental-health support for minors who live in ZIP codes 93010 and 93012.

The move follows weeks of community protests and local public comment after large-scale immigration enforcement operations in the region. Supporters at the meeting urged the council to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and legal aid; several speakers asked the council to allocate $100,000. Opponents warned of legal and fiscal risks and urged private donations instead.

Carmen Nichols, the city’s assistant city manager, told the council that the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund is managed by the Ventura County Community Foundation and that ‘‘100% of the funds that have been donated, there is no we take no overhead at VCCF. Everything that comes in goes out,’’ according to Vanessa Bechtel, VCCF president and CEO, who appeared before the council. Bechtel said the fund had already provided…