Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ojai commissioners back consultant-led update to historic resources survey; staff urges fuller scope and budget
Summary
The Historic Preservation Commission asked the council to direct a consultant-led update to the city’s historic resources survey, which is 14 years out of date; staff recommended a larger survey and an RFQ process with an estimated, more comprehensive cost.
The Historic Preservation Commission asked the council to support a consultant-led update to Ojai’s historic resources survey, which the commission said was last revised 14 years ago and is now outside recommended five-year review cycles.
"The state of California strongly suggests an update to the survey every 5 years. It was last completed 14 years ago, and we are now out of compliance," Chair Gina McCatton said, asking council to accept the city manager’s suggestion to commission a comprehensive update.
Commissioners said a reliable inventory helps planners and property owners by removing uncertainty about whether a property merits historic review. "If you don't have a good survey, then you get one of these situations where ... everybody starts speaking up and you've got a controversy," Commissioner Walker said, urging a professional update.
The HPC previously sought $8,000 for a basic update to bring the survey into compliance. City Manager Harvey told the commission that a proper, outreach-heavy inventory done by an outside consultant would likely cost more and recommended an RFQ to identify a qualified firm. "We were going to do this exercise. It is more than an $8,000 effort ... It's probably more to the tune of, you know, dollars 50,000 if you're gonna be doing it properly with the amount of education and outreach and research that's required," Harvey said.
Harvey recommended the HPC refine the proposed scope and return a recommendation so staff can develop an RFQ and include the work in next year's budget. Commissioners supported sending a scoped recommendation back to council and stressed that an outside consultant can make the survey appear less political and add credibility.
No formal appropriation or contract was approved at the meeting. The council and commission agreed the HPC will prepare scope language and propose a funding request for the FY 2025–26 budget cycle.
The matter was discussed during a joint special meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission and the Ojai City Council.
