Council reviews FY27 draft work plan; asks staff for clearer metrics, housing emphasis and community programs

Assistant City Manager Carlen Saxton and Senior Management Analyst Katrina Titus presented the city’s draft fiscal year 2027 work plan, which staff said aligns proposed projects with council strategic priorities including climate and environmental stewardship, economic vitality, housing and homelessness, infrastructure, and public safety.

"This plan is what will be started on July 1st of this year," Saxton said, summarizing the expected implementation window and the October reporting cadence. Staff highlighted several items for next year’s work plan: a Clean Power Alliance municipal building electrification agreement (estimated at about $250,000 over three years), the launch of a citywide community academy to prepare residents for boards and commissions, continuation of the Ventura Housing Connection workshop series and a deferred‑maintenance inventory aimed at prioritizing and accelerating work.

Council members broadly supported the priorities but pushed for clearer, measurable metrics and timelines. Several recurring requests emerged during extended deliberations and public comment:

- Housing and homelessness: multiple council members asked for more frequent, accessible reporting on the types of housing being permitted and built (ADUs, JRUs, multifamily, tiny homes) and suggested moving or emphasizing 'housing' within a combined "Housing and Homelessness" strategic priority for better alignment with the housing subcommittee.

- Business retention and incubation: council asked staff to add specific retention outreach and consider incubator or small business support to help existing local businesses survive and grow.

- Climate and stewardship: council members asked for measurable targets tied to emissions savings or other outcomes (for example, reporting replacement counts in electrification and progress on a sand management plan for coastline preservation). Several members also asked staff to explore watering/maintenance strategies to ensure newly planted street trees survive.

- Public safety and technology: the police chief and council discussed data‑driven deployment of cameras and a public rollout of the police strategic plan dashboard; members asked for clearer public information on camera locations, privacy safeguards and performance metrics. Ebike enforcement and education also drew attention as a priority for targeted enforcement combined with outreach.

- Main Street Moves and infrastructure: staff will return with more specific proposals and budget implications after the March 24 meeting; council asked for measurable pavement targets and clearer sequencing.

Public commenters urged inclusive climate committees, better evacuation planning for disabled residents and stronger coordination with county partners on homelessness programs. Saxton told the council staff would incorporate the edits and return with revised language; councilmembers generally asked that several of the suggestions be elevated into either the work plan or the upcoming budget discussions so measurable commitments can be tracked.

Why it matters: The FY27 work plan frames budget requests, program launches and measurable deliverables for the coming fiscal year. Council’s requested emphasis on measurable targets, housing reporting, business retention and accessible communications reflect priorities that will shape staff budget proposals and follow‑up reporting over the year ahead.