Oxnard Council hears downtown PBID report, approves River Park project, adopts utility relief plan and several contracts

Oxnard City Council on May 6 received an annual report from the Downtown Oxnard Improvement Association and the Senior Services Commission, adopted proclamations recognizing Older Americans Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, approved several multi-year contracts for city landscaping and parks maintenance, and voted to deny an appeal of a River Park specific-plan project that preserves the Community Development Director’s earlier approval.

The council front‑loaded public proclamations and reports in a largely procedural meeting that nonetheless included one contentious policy moment: an appeal over environmental review and project approvals for a River Park parcel at 2801 N. Oxnard/Ochsner Boulevard. Council also moved to adopt a new “Project Assist” utility relief program funded with late‑fee receipts, and approved a set of capital and professional services actions the council said will support pavement and water‑pipe projects, grant applications and ongoing city operations.

DOIA annual report Albert Maris, assistant director for the Housing Department, introduced the Downtown Oxnard Improvement Association (DOIA) annual update. DOIA’s board representative Angela Wycombe reported the property‑owner funded PBID (property‑based improvement district) was renewed with roughly 88% approval by property owners for a new five‑year term through 2029. Wycombe and DOIA staff highlighted district safety and maintenance programs funded by the assessment and by ARPA funds from the city — including solar compacting “BigBelly” trash/recycling stations (14 units purchased) and a contracted ambassador/clean‑team program. DOIA said its contracted unarmed ambassadors and maintenance “day porter” teams patrol seven days a week. The association also reported investments in branding, a gateway mural at Third Street Bridge, merchant outreach and placemaking events such as a multi‑block car show designed to promote local restaurants.

Why it matters: property‑owner assessments to support downtown services are a long‑running tool to fund targeted street maintenance, safety and marketing. Councilmembers thanked DOIA leaders for the report and discussed streetscape maintenance, public safety staffing and sponsorship opportunities for seasonal lighting and events.

Senior Services Commission report and proclamations Alice Sweetland, chair of the Senior Services Commission, presented the Commission’s annual report and celebrations for Older Americans Month. The commission documented program activity including four senior centers, congregate meal and home‑delivered meal counts (the report lists 21,494 congregate meals and 24,510 home‑delivered meals in the prior period), the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteer totals (tens of thousands of hours), and new “Cyber Seniors” technology education classes. Council issued a proclamation designating May 2025 as Older Americans Month and commended the commission’s volunteer and program work.

The council also presented a proclamation for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month; Panispere, a Filipino‑led arts nonprofit, accepted the proclamation and noted local cultural activities and partnerships.

River Park appeal and environmental review The council heard a formal appeal of the Planning Commission’s action to uphold the Community Development Director’s approval of a planning and design permit for a multi‑family project within the River Park Specific Plan area (project at 2801 N. Ochsner Blvd). The staff recommendation noted that the project was analyzed in the existing River Park Final Environmental Impact Report and subsequent addenda and found the matter exempt from further CEQA review under CEQA Guidelines sections 15162–15164 and 15183.

Appellants filed expert letters raising issues on wildlife observations, air quality modeling, traffic analysis (including vehicle‑miles‑traveled) and indoor air/water risks; the project’s consultants and city staff responded in writing and at the hearing that the project was analyzed as part of the specific‑plan EIR, that the addenda updated technical analyses relevant to the changed plan, and that the city’s substantive environmental determinations were supported by the administrative record. Attorney Joseph Gonzales spoke for the appellants and Meridian Consultants’ Tony Licacciado presented for the applicant. After public comment and legal discussion the council voted 7–0 to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission and Community Development Director approvals.

Why it matters: the council’s ruling ends the administrative appeal and leaves judicial review as the remaining legal remedy for the appellant. The council record shows the decision relied on the existing specific‑plan EIR and addenda and on updated technical work presented during the review process (staff cited the CEQA sections referenced above in the formal motion).

Utility assistance program (Project Assist) Council authorized a Project Assist utility ratepayer assistance program for FY 2025–26 and directed staff to fund the program with $270,000 drawn from late‑fee receipts (non‑rate revenue). The program will offer an up to $25 monthly credit on combined utility bills for qualifying residential customers. Staff said eligibility is based on enrollment in existing utility assistance programs run by Southern California Edison or SoCalGas (the so‑called CARE/FERA enrollment), and the city will notify current qualifying customers and publish application information online. Councilmembers asked staff to return follow‑up data on how many customers currently incur late fees and how the credit is reflected in internal fund accounting; staff said they will report back with detail on reconciliation and the number of late payers.

Merchant services (credit/debit convenience fee policy) Council approved agreements to switch point‑of‑sale/online merchant services so the city can pass convenience fees for credit/debit card payments to customers rather than absorb them. Staff said the city previously covered roughly $400,000–$600,000 a year in card processing fees and the change follows prior council direction to stop subsidizing those costs. Council approved contracts to support the legacy utility‑billing environment and the city’s ERP migration (Tyler Technologies); staff committed to public messaging and a transition timeline so customers understand the fee options and lower‑cost payment alternatives (cash, check, bank bill pay, third‑party check‑mailing services). The council vote to authorize the contracts was unanimous (7–0).

Contracts: landscape and parks maintenance Council approved a package of multi‑year contracts with Green Coast Landscapes for citywide street and median landscapes and for General Fund parks maintenance in several regions. Staff explained the city re‑scoped work so vendors could provide more frequent service (weekly rather than twice monthly) and to include trash/debris pickup and additional hardscape maintenance tasks; the new agreements also folded certain palm‑tree pruning and other components into the base work scope. Public Works said the bid results produced lower base monthly costs than the prior contracts while increasing service frequency and that the contracts include inspection requirements, corrective action clauses and deductions for missed or substandard work. The council approved the park and street landscaping agreements by unanimous votes (each 7–0).

Other capital and grant items - The council authorized a third amendment to a professional services agreement with Tetra Tech (engineering services) to support the Kamala/Hobson cast‑iron water‑main replacement project, extending the term and increasing the not‑to‑exceed amount for additional design and federal (NEPA) documentation. Staff said cast‑iron mains in these neighborhoods are about 50 years old and will be replaced with C900 PVC mains; the amendment funds additional environmental and cultural‑resource work required because a portion of project funding comes from federal sources that require NEPA clearance and cultural‑resource consultation. - Council approved a slate of grant nominations to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) competitive program (surface‑transportation block grant and CMAQ) to seek federal funding for neighborhood street resurfacing phases, signal projects and other capital work; staff noted the SCAG round is competitive and awarded funds will require authorization and environmental clearances by program deadlines.

Audits and finance matters The council received the city’s FY2024 single‑audit report presented by external auditors (Eadie & Payne). The auditors issued a clean opinion on the major federal programs in this year’s single audit but listed several findings related to grant compliance reporting and internal control processes; staff described corrective action plans and committed to follow‑up work for those findings. The council also approved updates to the city’s financial/corrective action plan to close outstanding audit findings.

Votes at a glance - River Park specific‑plan appeal (2801 N. Ochsner Blvd.): motion to deny appeal / uphold Planning Commission and Community Development Director approval — outcome: denied appeal; vote 7–0. - Project Assist (utility ratepayer assistance program): adopt resolution and fund with $270,000 in late fees — outcome: approved; vote 7–0. - Merchant services agreements (pass‑through convenience fees; Tyler and legacy vendors): approved contracts to enable pass‑through of card fees — outcome: approved; vote 7–0. - Green Coast Landscapes contracts — street/median landscapes and General Fund parks (several regional agreements, multi‑year): outcome: approved; votes 7–0. - Tetra Tech amendment (Kamala/Hobson cast‑iron replacement design and NEPA work): outcome: approved; vote 7–0. - SCAG grant nominations (STBG / CMAQ project submissions): outcome: approved; vote 7–0. - Appointment: Jose Cano to the Cultural Arts Commission (District 4): outcome: approved; vote 7–0. - Golf management agreement extension with American Golf Corp.: outcome: approved; vote 7–0.

What to watch next - Any court filings related to the River Park appeal (if the appellants pursue judicial review). The council decision leaves judicial review as the remaining avenue for opponents. - Staff follow‑up on the single‑audit corrective actions and the schedule for closure of IT‑related findings. - Public messaging and implementation details for the Project Assist utility relief program and the timing of merchant‑fee rollouts to customer portals and utility bills. - Grant programming: staff will return with applications’ status, SCAG authorizations and any budget appropriations tied to awarded federal funds.

Ending: The May 6 meeting covered a mix of community reports, ceremonial proclamations and a package of operational and capital commitments. Councilmembers repeatedly thanked volunteers and staff for neighborhood and senior services, emphasized safety and neighborhood equity when discussing contracted maintenance, and asked staff to report back with clarifying financial and implementation details on the utility program and audit corrective actions.