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Ojai council tasks city attorney to draft response to Ventura County grand jury on supportive housing
Summary
After a staff briefing on a Ventura County civil grand jury report criticizing the process used to select Dignity Moves for a permanent supportive‑housing project, the Ojai City Council directed the city attorney to draft a consolidated city response for council review, with staff and manager input.
The Ojai City Council instructed the city attorney on July 14 to prepare a consolidated draft response to a Ventura County civil grand jury report that reviewed the selection process for the city’s permanent supportive‑housing project and raised findings about procurement and process clarity.
The civil grand jury’s report, released June 25, included findings and recommendations about how the city selected Dignity Moves as development manager and the approvals tied to a development management agreement. The city attorney explained the statutorily prescribed response format: for each finding the city must either agree or disagree (in whole or in part) and provide explanations and plans to address recommendations.
Council members sought clarity about the process: which findings require a city council response, which are directed to the city manager, and whether the council should issue a single consolidated response or separate statements. The attorney recommended a single consolidated city response prepared for council review, with staff input where findings pertain primarily to management practices.
Multiple speakers urged the council to treat the grand jury’s oversight seriously and to use the process to improve procurement and transparency. Council instructed the city attorney to prepare a draft response, coordinate with the city manager, and return it to council in open session for line‑by‑line consideration. The council approved that direction by majority vote.
Councilmembers also discussed using this review as a case study to identify process improvements (procurement templates, thresholds for competitive bidding, clearer timelines for council engagement) and a potential subcommittee or workshop process to examine the document in detail. The attorney said timing would aim for initial draft availability by the early August special meeting cycle but cautioned some staff timing constraints due to vacation schedules.
The council’s direction does not yet constitute the city’s final answers to the grand jury; it authorizes staff and legal counsel to prepare a draft response for discussion and a subsequent council vote.
