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APCD staff tell Ventura County air board they face retaliation, urge independent investigation
Summary
Multiple APCD employees and union representatives told the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board they have faced retaliation, cited a pattern of unaddressed complaints, and asked the board to appoint an independent external investigator and to strip named managers of investigatory authority.
Several current and former staff of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District told the Air Pollution Control Board they have faced long‑running retaliation and retaliation-related coverups and asked the board to order an independent external investigation.
Laura Kranzler, an APCD air quality engineer, told the board that staff have repeatedly reported retaliation and that internal reporting has not produced meaningful outcomes. “I assure you nothing has been resolved,” Kranzler said, describing more than 550 public comments and saying investigators did not contact key witnesses or access district servers in some prior inquiries. She asked the board to appoint “an independent external investigative body” not affiliated with APCD or county HR, temporarily remove investigatory authority from the managers named in complaints, require transparent investigation procedures and timelines, and institute structural reforms to protect employees from retaliation.
Neil Hamill, a supervising inspector, and Hayden McPherson, speaking for SEIU members across the county, urged the board to order a separate salary study for technical APCD positions and criticized the county’s decision to compare APCD technical staff to Resource Management Agency environmental health classifications. McPherson said members delivered a petition on June 24, 2025, requesting management training and anonymous staff assessments; Hamill and others said a 2022 memo recommending a district-specific compensation study was disregarded.
Board members did not take immediate formal action on the investigation requests during the meeting. The chair and staff acknowledged the concerns and heard questions but did not announce a binding next step; multiple public speakers asked for transparent, independent review and for temporary administrative safeguards while investigations proceed.
The board will consider staff testimony alongside pending agenda items. Kranzler and union representatives said they plan to continue pressing the board for action at future meetings.
