Council backs concept for Nordoff High climate‑resilience partnership, asks staff to craft scope and budget range

The Ojai City Council on Dec. 2 approved moving forward on a concept to partner with Nordoff High School’s agricultural science program to build local capacity for climate resilience and fire-preparedness training.

Councilmembers Ruhl and Meng outlined a grant-based proposal to fund greenhouse upgrades, increase native-plant production, provide local certifications and internships for students, and deploy student-led home-hardening assessments in the Ojai Valley. Nordoff teacher Miss Cohen told the council the school already grows thousands of native plants across 40 species and wants to increase nursery production, replace aging greenhouses, and make the curriculum locally specific to the community’s ecosystems.

The proposal includes three tiers (essential, enhanced, comprehensive) with varying transportation, certification and internship supports. Council discussed the transportation element at length, including an in-kind donation possibility of small shuttles from Gold Coast and interim borrowing of city recreation vans. Legal and liability considerations for transporting students led staff and council to recommend routing any vehicle donation or transportation responsibility through the school district so the district manages student transport.

Council directed staff to work with Ojai Unified School District leadership to develop a scope of services and return to council with a not-to-exceed funding range in the $22,000–$50,000 band for consideration. The motion passed with one abstention. Councilmembers and public commenters praised the program’s educational and preventative value while asking staff to coordinate county partners and look for matching or in-kind donations.