Council rejects Dignity Moves’ submitted budget; requests more detailed contractor bids and a focused review

The Ojai City Council on Sept. 9 declined to accept a pro forma budget and schedule from Dignity Moves for a 30‑unit permanent supportive housing project that would house residents from the Ojai tent community.

Dignity Moves representatives presented a design‑development budget that the group said it had compiled from four prequalified general contractors and a design‑development set of drawings. Maureen Boyer, project lead for Dignity Moves, told council the group was contractually obligated to deliver a project within a $9.5 million construction cap backed by an Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) grant; the total ERF grant amount and city soft‑costs were summarized in the materials.

Concerns and context: Several council members and many members of the public raised substantive objections to the budget and schedule as presented. Commenters and some council members pressed Dignity Moves on multiple points: large items proposed for removal as cost‑savings (roof tile and certain natural building materials), whether sewer connection fees were correctly estimated, potential long‑term operational costs, and whether the chosen maintenance‑yard site or an alternative such as the Honor Farm should be pursued.

Council action: After extended public comment and council discussion, the council considered a motion to "receive and file" the submitted budget and schedule but substituted that motion with one to not receive and file the budget and instead require additional work. The substitute motion passed on a 3–2 roll call (Council member Whitman: yes; Council member Meng: yes; Council member Ruhl: yes; Mayor Pro Tem Lang: no; Mayor Gilman: no). The council directed Dignity Moves to continue developing construction documents, said staff would schedule a detailed drawings “page turn” with council in October for closer review, and asked for firm contractor bids to follow the permit and bidding schedule.

What the council required next: Dignity Moves told council it plans to finish construction documents and submit for building permits on Nov. 7, then put the project to bid to the pool of prequalified contractors. Council members asked for a formal review of the near‑final construction documents before bids are finalized and made clear they wanted more detailed, firm pricing on which to rely before approving a construction contract. Council did not terminate the city’s development management agreement with Dignity Moves; the decision was limited to rejecting the budget as presented and requesting further detail.

Why it matters: The project is tied to state ERF grant timelines and to a local tent‑encampment population the city has been seeking to house, but council members and community members said the budget lacked sufficient contractor bids and excluded items they considered essential for long‑term durability and dignity. Several public commenters urged consideration of the Honor Farm site and other county‑ owned properties; city staff noted county real‑estate constraints and that county officials had previously signaled difficulty committing those properties.

Ending: Dignity Moves representatives said they would proceed with the construction‑document and permitting schedule and return with more detailed contractor bids and a staff‑facilitated document review in October. Councilmembers who opposed the submitted budget said the extra review was required to ensure the project met the community’s standards and the ERF grant conditions.