MEASURE O

MEASURE O PROJECTS

A financial chart such as the one presented here can provide some insight into how the funds are being spent. It can show which departments are incurring the costs, and the nature of the expenses (labor, operations, capital, etc.), but it does not identify the specific projects that are funded by Measure O. The following projects are included in Measure O expenses (descriptions are from the fiscal year 2022-23 adopted budget):

Ongoing programs for FY 22-23 include:

POLICE, FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE; ANTI-GANG PREVENTION PROGRAMS

Police and Fire Department Enhanced CAD-911/Records Management System (RMS)/Mobile Data

Computers (MDC) Systems: Measure O funds were approved in 2011 to purchase a new computer system that serves three critical public safety functions: computer assisted dispatching, records management, and mobile data communications to improve response times and public safety. We acquired the New World (now Tyler Technologies) product and have been operational with its system since September 2013.

City Corps Townkeeper Program: This program engages at-risk youth through programs that increase residents’ services and neighborhood cleanliness through focused and sustained enhancement activities.

Enhanced Community Policing: The addition of two beats, one each in Districts 1 and 2, allows officers more time to proactively address problems in the beats and better distribute the workload. Smaller areas of responsibility shorten response times and allow for more problem-solving and directed enforcement, including gang suppression and traffic enforcement. These smaller beats allow officers to better practice their community policing philosophy.

Fire Advanced Life Support: Measure O funds were used for the Advanced Life Support (ALS) program, which enhances our emergency medical program by providing a paramedic service. The department is waiting on the outcome of some regulatory changes for cost recovery and billing. Oxnard Fire now provides Basic Life Support as well as ALS.

Fire Handheld Radios: Annual lease payment for the 2018 Bank of America Lease Purchase or Line of Credit for the purchase of eighty-five portable handheld radios for Fire.

Fire Station 8 Lease Debt: The City operates the College Park Headquarters Fire Station Number 8 located on 3.1 acres on the southeast corner of South Rose Avenue and the East Channel Islands Boulevard. The four-apparatus bay station contains 13,036 square feet with living quarters. This is a stand-alone station that has its own fueling and emergency power systems and is designed to be an essential public safety building. Prior to FY 2022-23, Measure O also funded the ongoing operational costs of this station.

Fire Apparatus Replacement: Annual lease payments for a fire ladder truck that replaced an existing 1973 Seagrave Aerial Ladder truck. The new lease began in 2013.

Fire Trucks & Police Dispatch Consoles Line of Credit 2018: Using a line of credit, the City Council approved the purchase of two fire engines and Police dispatch consoles at the mid-year budget in February 2018. This line of credit was beneficial to the City as it conserved cash and rates were below then-current market rates.

STREETS, ALLEYS, AND ROADS IMPROVEMENTS

2014 Lease Revenue Street Bond: This is the debt payment for streets resurfacing improvements. Alley and Roadway Repair: These funds are used to reconstruct badly deteriorated alleys throughout the City and repair badly deteriorated sections of neighborhood and major City streets to avoid costlier reconstruction.

Intelligent Transportation System Annual Maintenance: The Intelligent Transportation System Annual Maintenance contract provides for troubleshooting, monitoring, and repair of: existing ITS software; hardware networking systems, including routers, switches, and fiber optic connections; video detection hardware and software; and Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at intersections. The maintenance contract ensures the functionality and effectiveness of the system to monitor and respond to traffic incidents, hardware failures, and emergency vehicle preemption.

PARKS/OPEN SPACE, RECREATION, AFTER SCHOOL SERVICES, SENIOR SERVICES

College Park and East Village Park Annual Maintenance: Measure O funds are utilized to support the operations and maintenance of College Park and East Village Park. College Park consists of five athletic sport fields with professional lighting; basketball courts, a skate park, a complete kitchen-type concession stand; a group area; ADA-compliant restrooms; a parking lot; security lighting, landscaping and irrigation; a maintenance yard; maintenance equipment; and fencing to protect the investments in this park.

College Park Monitors: It is estimated that within the City of Oxnard there are over 15,000 youth as well as adult soccer players. To help secure their safety as well as a positive environment, the City monitors College Park. The monitoring of College Park includes soccer, flag football, skateboarding and any other recreational program that brings high attendance to the park. The monitors at College Park are also responsible for lining the athletic fields in addition to staffing the snack bar for high attendance events.

Day at the Park-Special Needs: This funding enhances the special populations program by offering additional program days in June through August and a special holiday event in December. Also, this funding supports our Challenger Football program and helps the Challenger Baseball program.

Homework Center Main Library: These funds provide the Homework Center for twenty hours per week year-round. The program consists of a part-time library aide and volunteers.

The Integrated Library System (ILS): The Library’s Sirsi ILS was antiquated and inefficient, which necessitated intensive staff support, as the vendor would no longer maintain it. The implementation of the new Polaris system helped create a more efficient library operation by saving valuable staff time and bringing the Oxnard Public Library into the 21st century with its ease of use and modern technology. Polaris ILS is an automated solution with many versatile modules and features directly linked to the public. The system allows for more efficient check-in and check-out, billing and invoicing, cataloging and public access to the library’s 400,000 volume collection.

Library Wi-Fi Operational: Measure O supports Wi-Fi availability at the Main Library, South Oxnard and Colonia Branch Libraries during all library open hours. Wi-Fi allows electronic devices to exchange data wirelessly over a computer network. Wi-Fi expands computer access to Oxnard residents.

Mobile Activity Center (MAC): The MAC serves as a mobile recreation center. The Mobile Activity Center currently visits 16 parks (two per week) over an eight-week summer period. The staff engage the neighborhood youth in various activities such as crafts, board games, sports, other recreational games, a jolly jumper and the City Corps Wagon Train.

Oxnard Afterschool: Funding supports after school program fixed cost for 20 local schools. The program serves over 1,500 children grades 1-8.

Police Activities League (PAL): Measure O helps provide a ten-week summer basketball program that serves over 200 children. The monies also provide the Summer Lunch Program in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at three sites (Southwinds, PAL, and Colonia), which serves over 1,300 children daily for ten weeks. The funds are also used for the Movies in the Park program, which reaches over 4,000 residents, and for a year-round Youth Directors program that teaches youth leadership and life skills. Measure O funding pays for the PAL boxing tournament, which allows Oxnard boxers to compete in a National PAL competition, and for an increase in staff levels during the school year because of the high attendance of youth at the PAL facility.

Pre-School To You: This program operates during the regular school year (September through June). The staff conduct classes in a neighborhood park or recreation center at different locations throughout the City. This provides an opportunity for preschool-age children to participate in activities that prepare them for enrollment into kindergarten. Teachers work with the children on developing fine motor skills, recognizing letters and numbers, nutrition, physical fitness, social skills, and other relevant skills that will help with their successful transition into elementary schools. This program also offers a summer session that focuses on recreational themes and continuing to develop relevant social skills.

Recreation Services: Funding supports after school program fixed cost for 10 local schools. The program serves over 1,000 children grades 1-8.

Senior Nutrition Program Enhancement: Senior Services provides a daily average of fifty to sixty congregate meals at two locations--the Wilson Senior Center and the Palm Vista Senior Center--five days a week. In addition to the congregate meals served daily, Senior Services administers a home delivery program for homebound seniors. Through a contract with Food Share, seniors receive ten frozen meals biweekly at their homes. The City currently serves between 90 to 105 homebound seniors. FoodShare stores the meals and delivers them. This program is available for seniors who are at least 60 years of age and is in partnership with the County of Ventura’s Area Agency on Aging.

OTHER USES

Homeless Program: Funding supports operational costs for a year-round shelter facility for the homeless. This includes contracting with an operator agency to staff and manage the facility. The shelter is a navigation center with 24 hour security, sleeping, hygiene and nutrition services. Shelter participants will also receive medical referrals, social services, and mental health services, along with bridge and permanent housing opportunities. Other services will include street outreach, workforce training and educational programs in order to establish pathways out of homelessness. Annual operational costs are nearly twice this amount. However, additional funds will be provided by the County of Ventura, grants, State and Federal funding, and private donors.

Ormond Beach Enhancement: Measure O funding provides for ongoing enhancement activities to the Ormond Beach wetlands area, which includes: maintenance of a City installed swing-arm gate at Arnold Road and the Navy Base perimeter road to prevent illegal activities in the parking spaces; the fabrication and installation of directional signage for the area; maintenance of the caretaker’s mobile home and office (inclusive of electricity); and the cleaning and pumping of sewage from portable restrooms.

Safe Homes Safe Families: Funding provides for the salaries of one code compliance inspector, one administrative technician, and support from the City Attorney’s Office to operate the Safe Homes Safe Families program. The program focuses resources and efforts on existing code compliance cases and will include education, outreach, conducting research, meetings with affected parties, inspections, and enforcement of City codes.

Spanish Language Interpretation of Council Meetings: Measure O funds language interpreting and translating provided on-location, conference English-Spanish/Spanish-English interpretation services for City Council meetings and broadcasting over the City’s government channel SAP system and for members of the public in attendance at the meetings. Interpretation services are provided at regular and special City Council meetings.

Measure O Audit: The Measure O ordinance requires the revenues and expenditures related to Measure O be included in the City’s annual financial audit. The City’s external auditor, Eadie & Payne, performs the agreed-upon procedures on Measure O revenues and expenditures. Starting FY 2019-20 these procedures were incorporated as part of the annual financial audit of the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

ONE-TIME INITIATIVES/EXPENDITURES FOR FY 22-23:

In recognition that the funds provided by Measure O will cease to be available in 2029, or sooner if the provisions of Measure N are triggered, the City has made a conscious decision to begin weaning ongoing operational programs from Measure O and moving the funding of those programs to the General Fund so as not to impact the continuing provision of those ongoing services. For FY2022-23, the operating costs of Fire Station #8 were transferred to the General Fund. These continuing expenses are being replaced in Measure O with one-time projects and initiatives.

Citywide Alleyway Resurfacing: These one-time funds will be used to resurface badly deteriorated alleys throughout the City.

Fire Station 8 Lease Debt: Early paydown of debt for fire station eight that will result in interest savings.

Technology Equipment Upgrade: Replace old, outdated equipment to improve functionality and security.

Library Technology Infrastructure Refresh: A technology infrastructure refresh providing the foundation for future library services and to enable delivery of service enhancements for residents.