Council deliberates carefully on response to [Ventura County] grand jury

Reportfinds fault with cities’ bus systems

The Camarillo City Council was reluctant to make any sort of a commitment in its response to a grand jury report that found seniors have a hard time getting around the county using public transportation.

The Ventura County grand jury released the results of its yearlong investigation in May and made five recommendations.

The grand jury cannot force the county or cities to do anything, but city councils and the county Board of Supervisors are obligated to respond to the report.

The Camarillo City Council agreed earlier this month that the city’s response letter should be carefully worded and not include phrases such as “committing to.”

A draft of the letter was reviewed by the council July 10, and the letter was approved during the council’s July 24 meeting.

The jury’s report states there is little to no coordination among cities’ public transportation services and schedules, making it “difficult, if not impossible” for senior citizens to travel easily within the county.

The report focused on senior citizens who may be unable to drive due to medical conditions or don’t have access to a vehicle.

While it’s relatively easy for a resident to travel in Camarillo using local bus services, it could take hours for a person to travel from Camarillo to Ventura, which is normally a 20-minute drive.

The jury’s report asked the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to allocate more funding toward coordinating transportation between the cities.

Councilmember Bill Little said the recommendation is directed at the county Board of Supervisors and doesn’t understand why the city has to comment on a recommendation the city has no control over.

“Basically, if the county wants to increase their funding, we have no comment on it as long as they can afford it,” Little said.

The jury suggested the county create a nonelected administrator position to oversee the programs and serve as an advocate for senior transit riders.

The council disagreed with the proposal and said the Ventura County Transportation Commission already has staff to handle such efforts.

The jury also recommended a countywide transportation plan for seniors, with help from the Ventura County Transportation Commission and the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging.

Mayor Charlotte Craven said plan administrators could ask Camarillo to make its bus prices and hours the same as other cities, something the council shouldn’t agree to do.

Councilmember Jan McDonald agreed with Craven and said the county and other agencies shouldn’t have the ability to dictate how much the city charges for its services.

“The Ventura County Transportation Commission or the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging doesn’t have the ability to come in and tell us what to do or how to run it,” McDonald said. “We are our own entity.”

The council’s response letter states Camarillo will continue to improve programs aimed at senior riders within the city.

Council members pointed to the recent decision to add hours to the city’s Dial-A-Ride program, a service that picks up residents from their homes and charges seniors $1.50 per trip.

The city expanded hours on Saturday evenings and added Sunday services, improvements that will cost the city $80,000 a year to operate.

Cities and the county have until the end of the month to respond to the grand jury’s report and recommendations.

Camarillo Acorn
By Stephanie Guzman
August 3, 2013