Oxnard Public Works flags unfunded stormwater permit costs, reports millions of pounds of trash and free mattress drop-off

Michael Wolf, Director of Public Works, told the council that stormwater management falls under the Wastewater Division but is not supported by enterprise fund revenues, and cautioned that state permitting requirements will likely force the city to build structural best-management practices. "This is not one that's an enterprise funded...the state has made this a unfunded mandate," Wolf said.

Wolf also reviewed solid waste operations and illegal-dumping statistics, saying the city collected about 9,600,000 pounds of trash from July 2021 through August 2025 and removed roughly 2,000 refrigerators in that same span. He described the solid waste division as the largest in Public Works, with 182 employees and service to more than 41,000 residential and commercial customers.

When asked about the cost to dispose of a mattress at the Del Norte facility, Wolf said the city participates in a state program that allows free mattress drop-off: "It's free to dump it off." He noted additional free drop-off days and a yearly bulky-item pickup for account holders as disposal options.

Wolf also flagged two compliance challenges that could affect operations and customer education: a state mandate to transition certain larger trucks to zero-emission vehicles and customer-side compliance for organics recycling (SB 1383). He recommended pursuing grant opportunities to reduce rate impacts and increasing customer outreach to boost compliance.

The presentation will continue with further details on grant opportunities, compliance timelines and potential rate implications.