Planning Official Collapses at Meeting

Ventura Planning Commissioner Tim Downey was in critical condition at a Ventura hospital Tuesday night after collapsing during the agency’s biweekly meeting.

Downey was in the coronary-care unit at Community Memorial Hospital after suffering an apparent heart attack at the meeting.

Members of the audience of about 150 gasped and several--including three public health nurses--jumped out of their seats to assist Downey as he slumped in his chair.

Patty Knight, one of the public health nurses who helped administer CPR to Downey before Ventura County Fire Department paramedics arrived, said Downey showed signs of having suffered a heart attack about 8:25 p.m.

But a hospital spokeswoman said she could not confirm that late Tuesday.

Another public nurse, Leaf Monroe, said Downey’s pulse had stopped before paramedics arrived.

Downey was one of the leaders of the successful public referendum urging the city to build a desalination plant rather than contract for state water. The measure passed by a 55% to 45% margin.

Steve Bennett, another leader on the desal effort, said he heard about Downey’s collapse after returning home about 9:30 p.m.

“He’s just golden,” Bennett said. “He’s just a fantastic person and I think he has a lot of impact on a lot of people that he works with. A lot of people are going to be hurting tonight.”

Downey is president of VenVirotek, a Ventura company that specializes in the recycling of oil-field wastes.

“We were on the same side of many issues,” Councilman Gary Tuttle said of Downey. “We’re both longtime Venturans and we really love Ventura.”

Ventura City Manager John Baker said he got a call from city Planning Director Mitch Oshinsky shortly after Downey collapsed.

Baker said he had seen Downey shortly before the meeting in the hallway outside the council chambers and had spoken with him briefly.

“We stopped and talked about what’s going on in the city. We were kind of sharing ideas,” Baker said. “I’ve been around him a fair amount lately. (He’s) a very dedicated, thorough individual ... He has a real interest in what’s best for the city.”

The planning commission meeting, which was being held in the City Council chambers, was packed by youths in support of the Mayfair Theatre, which had come under criticism by neighbors for noise and rowdiness.

The commission was scheduled to vote on whether to revoke the theater’s permit to operate, but had not gotten to the item before Downey’s collapse.

The meeting was canceled after the incident.

Heredia is a Times staff writer and Maiella is a correspondent.