A series of presentations are scheduled over the next week and it is very important that you . . . → Read More: CAMROSA Interactive Meeting on Facilities Master Plan]]> The Camrosa Water District has been working on updating their Facilities Master Plan for the last couple of years. It is now in a draft stage that is ready for presentation to the public for comment and reaction.

A series of presentations are scheduled over the next week and it is very important that you plan to attend one of them. The first one is Thursday, April 12, 2012, at the Santa Rosa Technology Magnet School, 7PM, and is especially designed for residents and business owners in the Valley.

The Water District has gone to great lengths to design an interactive environment for this presentation so you will be able to give them feedback on all of the critical issues they will be covering. You will be able to electronically vote showing your reaction to the plan as it is presented.

The projects and operational plans presented during these sessions are possibly the most important infrastructure changes anticipated for the Valley in the next ten years. It is important that you make time to attend.

All Camrosa Water District customers have received multiple mailings on these presentations over the last two weeks and they have been advertised on our Website, but if you have not seen the flier it is available at this link.

Contact Pam at Camrosa for questions and further information. 805-383-4550 X203

The details of the Beautification Day are . . . → Read More: COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION DAY 2012]]> The annual Santa Rosa Valley Community Beautification Day is being expanded this year to include residents of the Home Acres community West of Moorpark.  This is an excellent opportunity to get rid of those hard to dispose of articles in an efficient and simple one stop drop off.

The details of the Beautification Day are contained in an announcement that has been posted on the Santa Rosa Valley Information Website and can be viewed at this link.

FARM WATCH: February – March 2012 Edition WELCOME FARM WATCH READERS!

The overall crime rate for this period vs. the same time period last year shows a decrease, however, we continue to have larcenies that include farm equipment and . . . → Read More: Protect Your Property – Farm Watch Feb-Mar 2012]]> Special Santa Rosa Valley Information Website
Excerpt from the Ventura County Sheriff’s

FARM WATCH: February – March 2012 Edition
WELCOME FARM WATCH READERS!

The overall crime rate for this period vs. the same time period last year shows a decrease, however, we continue to have larcenies that include farm equipment and landscaping tools.

Agricultural Crimes Detective Ray Dominguez had the following update from his activities and investigations:

“Earlier this month we began seeing heavy equipment thefts being reported in the Camarillo area with a Bobcat skid steer and a John Deere tractor being stolen from two different farms. Another victim in Ventura was targeted for two burglaries within a week, and suspect(s) stole an ATV among other equipment and products.

These incidents only highlight the importance of marking and securing your property. The steps you take today to protect your property will pay dividends in the event you become the victim of a crime.

As I have mentioned in past editions of Farm Watch, please mark your equipment and document the make/model/serial number/OAN number somewhere you can easily gain access to it. This information is a critical part of reporting your loss to law enforcement as well as your insurance company. Go a step further and take photos of your property. These can later be used to produce a flyer for dissemination to other law enforcement agencies, Farm Watch members, and various businesses. Upon receipt of this vital information, deputies can enter the data into a national police database. In the event your property is recovered, it can be returned to you in a timely manner.

I can’t tell you the number of times I have conducted probation or parole searches and found property that was suspected of being stolen, but couldn’t be identified as such because the victim was unknown and the items were never properly entered into the police database as stolen. Please do your part to protect and document your property to make it tougher for crooks to steal/sell your property.

Some of you may remember an old automotive repair commercial that espoused “You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” Spending a little time and money now to protect your investment by adding theft deterrent devices such as a quality lock, a kill switch, or a GPS tracking device will provide piece of mind and quite possibly reduce what you will pay to insure your property.

Please don’t forget the simple things you can do that don’t cost a dime. Bring your equipment in at the end of the day and keep it out of sight. This will help prevent thefts from occurring and minimize the chance of damages from vandalism.

I also encourage you to be a good witness in the event you see something that seems out of place. Often times the equipment being stolen is taken after normal business hours and on holidays when many folks aren’t even working. You may notice the equipment is being transported in an unsafe manner because the crooks often load the equipment in a hurry. Because of their haste, suspects often use the wrong type of trailer and fail to properly secure the equipment. If you see something…say something. Call your local law enforcement agency and report it!

If you have any questions about getting an Owner Applied Number (OAN) issued or have an interest in purchasing security products, please contact me at ray.dominguez@ventura.org.”

Geoff Dean – Sheriff
John Crombach and Gary Pentis – Assistant Sheriffs

Through the use of relatively inexpensive two-way radios, individuals can be connected to others in their neighborhood, . . . → Read More: Emergency Radio Network Open Meeting]]> The Santa Rosa Valley has a radio network organized to facilitate neighborhood communications. This network is envisioned to allow every home and business in the Valley to have communications in the event of a major disaster or emergency.

Through the use of relatively inexpensive two-way radios, individuals can be connected to others in their neighborhood, their neighborhood can be connected to all of the neighborhoods in their portion of the Valley (referred to as communities), and all the communities can be connected to key stations that will have access to first responders and government emergency management.

This program is a grass roots effort organized by members of the community. The group is holding an open meeting on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at the Rancho Santa Rosa POA Clubhouse, 11701 East Las Posas Road which will include a demonstration of some of the equipment that is available for use in the program, and the general public is invited.

If you have an interest in learning more about how you can be part of the Network, you are encouraged to attend. The only thing being sold here is the concept of you being involved in protecting your family.

This event will consist of an unstructured equipment demonstration period starting at 7:30 p.m., with a meeting of the current participants discussing future plans starting at 8:00 p.m. Attendance at the meeting will allow you to learn all about the Santa Rosa Valley – Emergency Radio Network (SRV-ERN) and how it can be part of Neighborhood Watch, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) activities. Demonstrations will resume after the short meeting and will continue as long as people are interested.

Additional information on the SRV-ERN can be found on-line at:

http://SantaRosaValley.US/srv-ern.htm

Participants in the SRV-ERN are also eligible for inclusion in the SRV-Alert Community Alerting System. Be sure to ask about this service at the meeting.

Please share this message with your neighbors who may not be on the Santa Rosa Valley Announcements List.

Thank You,

Jim Fortney, Coordinator
SRV-Emergency Radio Network

************************** On November 9, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. PST the first ever nationwide testing of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place. You may be familiar with the local or state level EAS because it is used to broadcast weather . . . → Read More: National Emergency Alert System Test]]> The following announcement has been issued by the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services:

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On November 9, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. PST the first ever nationwide testing of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place. You may be familiar with the local or state level EAS because it is used to broadcast weather emergencies, child abductions or to conduct weekly/monthly tests of the system.

The National-level EAS is a public alert and warning system that enables the President of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies. Much like local EAS tests, the nationwide test will involve broadcast radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline providers across all states and territories.

The nationwide test is being conducted to ensure that the system will work as intended in the event public safety officials ever need to send an alert or warning to a large region of the United States.

The test is estimated to last approximately 30 seconds. An audio message will include “this is a test;” however, the video message appearing on screen may not be the same and may not indicate “this is a test.” Because of this, and to allay any concerns or misunderstandings, we ask that you pass this information on to your families, co-workers who have no access to email and any others who may not receive advance notice of the test.

This event also serves as a reminder that everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit and emergency plan for themselves, their families, communities, and businesses. For more information on how to prepare, please visit the Ready Ventura County website at: www.readyventuracounty.org.
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Being prepared also means participating in the local Santa Rosa Valley – Emergency Radio Network (SRV-ERN). This capability allows every home and business in the Valley to be “connected” when the “big one” hits. The Network includes an Alerting System to advise you of local emergency issues via your PDA or Smartphone.

If you are not part of the SRV-ERN, I encourage you to look at our Webpage and get involved.

The use of this palm tree . . . → Read More: Tropical Paradise or Neighborhood Nuisance]]> The September SRV Municipal Advisory Council (SRV-MAC) Meeting was attended by an exceptionally large number of residents. Most of them were there to complain about the operation of Tropical Paradise (TP), a wedding and party venue on the South side of Santa Rosa Road just East of Yucca St.

The use of this palm tree lined property for public events was approved in 2009 after the owner was required to obtain a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the County. Not only was a hearing held by the County Planning Department, but the issue was discussed by the SRV-MAC at two of their regular meetings. Prior experience with a similar CUP request from Maravilla Gardens, which has gone without issue, provided a baseline for requesting mitigation measures.

During the CUP Request processing numerous concerns were identified relating to obnoxious and harmful impacts on the neighborhood from noise and traffic. This resulted in the County including several severe mitigation measures in the final approved CUP. It looks like the County found a good balance between respecting the property rights of the Tropical Paradise owner, and protecting the rights of the adjacent neighborhood. Basically, if the owner maintains control over use of the venue within reasonable limitations, he will be allowed to operate his otherwise non-conforming business. If he does not and fails to respond to legitimate complaints from his neighbors, he will be further conditioned or lose his CUP. The CUP includes provisions for prompt (less than 30 minute) resolution of issues raised by impacted neighbors. A PDF copy of the CUP Approval Letter with all of the Conditions is available at this link.

The residents at the SRV-MAC meeting complained of a variety of possible violations regarding noise, facilities use, traffic, and alcohol use. Their complaints included an instance were a large number of people were singing a song containing a large quantity of extremely foul language so loud that it could be heard over a mile away. Specifically they indicated they believed Conditions 1, 20, 22, and 29 of the CUP were being violated. Unfortunately, it did not appear that any of the complaining parties were familiar with the Complaint Process defined in the CUP (despite the fact that Rosemary Allison had distributed it to her email list), and were instead trying to involve Law Enforcement who only has limited authority over this type of matter.

The neighbors concerned about the impact of this business have now gained some direction and not only are expected to use the Complaint Process if the issues arise again, but they have submitted complaints to the Planning Director who has the responsibility to monitor CUP Condition compliance. The County should not have any excuse for not monitoring the situation since the CUP includes a condition that TP pay for compliance monitoring in the case of legitimate complaints.

Individuals interested in this issue and wishing to let their opinions be known are invited to add constructive comments to this thread.

- Jim Fortney