County Delays Creating Panel to Oversee SOAR

Ventura County supervisors Tuesday decided it was premature to appoint a committee to oversee implementation of the SOAR growth-control initiative.

Instead, the supervisors voted 3 to 2 to direct county staff to study how to turn the voter-approved Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources initiative into land-use policy. The measure prevents politicians from rezoning farmland and open space without the OK of voters.

Supervisors John Flynn and Frank Schillo, both of whom endorsed SOAR in the November election, had initially urged their colleagues to allow them to establish an implementation committee that they would lead.

But Supervisor Kathy Long, who voted against SOAR, argued that the Ventura Council of Governments--made up of city and county representatives--was the appropriate panel to handle the task.

In the end, however, Long agreed with Chairwoman Judy Mikels and Supervisor Susan Lacey that more information was needed before appointing people to an implementation committee.

“I think we’re running head-on to the edge of a cliff,” said Mikels, who agreed to wait on establishing a committee. “The thing is, we’re not in any hurry--the law is already in place.”

Besides, Mikels said, implementing the SOAR initiative, which essentially places the power for rezoning farmland and open space into the hands of voters, is “a moot point.”

More important, she said, is how to proceed with Measure A, a companion advisory measure also approved by voters last month.

Measure A allows local leaders to adopt recommendations by the Agricultural Policy Working Group, which included farmers, environmentalists and business leaders who studied farmland preservation issues for more than a year.

Supervisors directed staff to determine what parts of that advisory measure could legally go forward. They also want to know how much money the county is expected to spend on its implementation.

The working group advised the following:

* A two-year moratorium on changes to the current boundaries of the county’s 10 cities until fixed growth boundaries are established.

* Adopting by ordinance the six existing and five proposed greenbelts, which are described in the county General Plan, as boundaries that would permanently separate the cities and stop urban sprawl.

* Establishing an Open Space Conservation District, which would receive public and private funds, to buy and preserve open space and farmland.

The moratorium is most likely unnecessary, said Senior County Planner Gene Kjellberg.

A special district to buy open space may also not be needed, he said. The greenbelt portion may be more debatable, he said, because as it stands the boundaries are not binding. Also, staff will study the possibility of setting a policy outlining the appropriate usage of greenbelts.

“When we get the report back, then we may have justification to form a small group with city and county officials,” Mikels said. The staff report is due back in January.

But Flynn and Schillo were upset that they would not lead the charge with an implementation committee.

“All we are going to do here is send this off for more delays,” Schillo said.