Conejo Post

This morning I served for the first time as an alternate to the Ventura Regional Sanitation District (VRSD) board meeting.  One representative from each city  in Ventura County serves (except for Simi Valley and Moorpark) and the Conejo Valley representative from Thousand Oaks is Mayor Dennis Gillette. 

As chair of  the Triunfo Sanitation District, I am an alternate representative for six sanitation districts scattered around the County, and Nancy Acosta from Montalvo is the regular representative.

I do find it curious that the board is made up this way, with eight cities each sending a board member, and six special districts only sending one.  Triunfo serves a wastewater district of approximately 30,000 people, while the city of Ojai only serves about 8,000 people, Fillmore at the last census, a little under 14,000, and Santa Paula in the 2000 census, a little under 29,000.  Of course, Oxnard, with only one representative,  is the most populous city in the County, with approximately 170,000 in the census, and they now estimate their population at 200,000.  So, I guess it is evident that seats are not allocated by population, but I do find it strange that special districts are put in a different category from cities with less representation.

The challenge of being an alternate, is that one is supposed to be seen and not heard, just like the old saying about children, when I was growing up.  That is hard for me, as any of my friends could tell you!  There is a solution though.  That is for me to submit speaker cards to the board on items I want to talk about, and do that as a member of the public.  So, I do have a voice after all, thank goodness! 

Anyone want to join me at the next board meeting in January?  Email me if you would like to.

Posted by Janna Orkney