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Thousand Oaks Council finalizes top 10 priorities, adopts city goals and norms
Summary
After staff briefings and extended discussion, the Thousand Oaks City Council voted 5-0 to adopt a ten-item priority list for 2025–26 and to approve citywide goals and norms, keeping homelessness and downtown planning among the top items.
The Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday adopted a 10-item set of priorities for 2025–26 and approved citywide goals and norms, voting unanimously on both measures.
City Manager Drew Powers said the priority-setting exercise is intended to align council direction with staff work plans. "This exercise is really one of alignment more than anything else," Powers said as he described how the executive team would treat the adopted priorities during the budget year.
The council debated a slate of 12 candidate priorities before agreeing to a final list of 10. The adopted priorities include addressing homelessness, downtown planning, fiscal sustainability, general plan implementation, housing production, economic development, technology investments, environmental sustainability, public works and infrastructure (including the Active Transportation Plan), and public safety. During the discussion council members repeatedly noted the items are interrelated: housing, general plan implementation and economic development were described as tightly linked, while the Active Transportation Plan was folded into the public works priority for this cycle.
Mayor Newman and council members said homelessness remained a top focus as the city prepares to open a navigation center and continues work on permanent supportive housing. Several council members said fiscal stewardship and economic development are essential foundations that make other goals possible.
The council also reviewed and approved a set of citywide goals and governance norms. Council members amended language on open-space stewardship to emphasize wildfire mitigation alongside conservation: the goal now reads that the city will "complete the ring of open space around the city, protect and preserve ridgelines, natural habitat and designated open spaces, while balancing wildfire mitigation." Several members noted that new wording reflects changing fire risks and the need to manage fuels and resources in addition to preserving acreage.
Votes at a glance - Motion to adopt the 10 priorities for 2025–26: passed 5–0 (Mayor Newman — yes; Council Member Engler — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Taylor — yes; Council Member Gutierrez — yes; Council Member Adam — yes). - Motion to adopt the citywide goals and governance norms (including the amended open-space language): passed 5–0 (same votes).
Council members and staff said the adopted priorities will be carried into the two-year budget cycle and tracked by the executive team. Powers noted the adopted list serves as a direction-setting document; work on non-priority items continues but the priorities receive additional executive focus and reporting.
The council adjourned after approving the priorities, goals and norms and confirmed it will return for regular business on March 25, 2025.
