Stop the Trucks: Election Year Edition
Do You Support this Vision of Ojai?
Or This Vision?
(A double hopper stuck in traffic at the "Y" heads into the heart of Ojai on Route 150/Ojai Avenue.. Photo credit to Daly road Graphics, Ray Smith Monday, May 6, 2008)
With five candidates competing for two City Council vacancies and several of the MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) seats also facing competitive races, the Ojai "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition is asking everyone running for office to take a few moments to answer a few questions online. We would like each candidate to share their thoughts with the public on the how they intend to deal with the long term threat posed by gravel trucking through Ojai and the blind eye that the Ventura County Planning Division is seemingly paying to regular daily violations of the existing Conditional Use Permits (C.U.P.'s).
(A Gravel Truck heads up Maricopa Highway on Christmas Day. Each double hopper truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds. According to recent Federal government reports one such truck does as much road damage at 9,600 cars. Photo Credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith.)
Background:
There are six mines working or in the application phase. Permits are approved or pending would allow 600-800 gravel truck trips per day through Ojai on both Routes 33 to Ventura & Oxnard and 150 through downtown and the East End to Santa Paula. That is one truck every 3-5 minutes of the day, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
This volume of trucking through Ojai could permanently destroy our three key industries, tourism, agriculture and education, turn our town into an industrial truck road and irreparably transform the valley.
In addition to the danger of having this many trucks on 33 & 150, carcinogenic particulate matter combined with gaseous diesel exhaust will dangerously pollute the fragile Ojai Valley air shed dramatically increasing health concerns for what is already the second worse air quality in Ventura County.
(Monday, 5/19/08 8:05 AM During the morning rush hour, a fully loaded double hopper truck turns at the intersection of Signal & Ojai Ave. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)
A) A recent agreement between the Coalition and the Diamond Rock Mine in the Santa Barbara, clears the stage for the Coalition to focus more of its attention on the operation of the Ozena Valley Ranch Mine in Ventura County.
B) Recently the Ventura County Planning Division acknowledged that no independent review was ever conducted on the prior Ozena Conditional Use Permit (C.U.P.) applications dating back to 2001.
C) In response to a complaint by the Coalition about violations of the existing Ozena permit hours of operation, County Planning Division staff claimed the violations were insignificant and that the Director of the Planning Division will not retroactively enforce violations.
D) Reviewing the same records the Coalition found that of the 649 weigh tickets examined, 476 were for trucks that used Route 33 north or south through Ojai and Casitas Springs. By our count over 268 -- or over 40% of the total, amounting to an astonishing 55% of those going through our valley -- were in apparent violation of Condition No. 72 of CUP 5170.
E) The Coalition has asked Ventura County Executive Marty Robinson to appoint an Ombudsman to investigate the conduct of the entire application process by Planning Division staff and to initiate the termination process due to significant violations of Ozena's existing C.U.P. conditions
(A double hopper cruises down Ojai Avenue during the morning rush hour. Photo credit to Daly road Graphics, Ray Smith. According to Ray, "This afternoon, Wednesday, April 16th, after some shopping at the 'Y', I noticed a tandem turn left instead right of at the light. That's eastward along 150, and not South on 33. So I followed along to see what was up. The truck went past the museum, past the Post Office through the center of town, and on past Ojai Lumber, past Boccali's and up the Dennison grade.)
Our Questions for Candidates:
1) Do you now or have you in the past personally supported "Stop the Trucks!"
2) If so, please give examples of actions you have actually taken.
(The same double hopper attempts to climb the grad past Boccali's. The truck struggles to stay within the lanes. Who says trucks won't cut through Ojai on 150 to get to Santa Paula? Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith)
3) Do you believe the Ojai City Council should take a more active role in the truck campaign, such as providing funding and legal support?
4) If so, can you name specific steps that you believe the City can and should undertake?
(Two Gravel Trucks in a row coming down from Ozena whiz past Nordhoff High School. Photo credit to Rob Varela, VC Star)
5) Do you believe the City should work with Caltrans to permanently ban all thru heavy trucking on Route 33 north of Ojai and on Route 150 through downtown Ojai?
6) If so, what specific steps would you take to see that this is accomplished.
(Another fully loaded truck crosses the yellow line while coming around a blind curve on Route 33. Photo credit to Forest Watch, Jeff Kuyper)
7) The Ozena mine's county permit states its "normal hours of operation" for trucks traveling on Highway 33 in the Ojai Valley are from 6 to 7 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet they seem to be in violation of these conditions and so far County officials have failed to take any action. What steps should the City take to see that County officials enforce the permit?
8) Would you actively support the Coalition's request to have an independent Ombudsman appointed to not only undertake a further investigation into abuse of CUP 5170 by the permit holders, but also the very operation of compliance monitoring by the Planning Division?
(Photo Credit to Ray Smith, who noted, "The morning traffic jam at the "Y" is getting worse. These two tandems have just cut across Ojai on it's main street, westbound. The red one turned south. The white one headed north.)
9) Given the Planning Division's claim that it is seemingly impossible to monitor C.U.P. compliance, do you agree that the County has no business, under CEQA guidelines, approving the C.U.P. in the first place?
(Each fully loaded double hopper truck weighs close to 80,000 pounds, the same as fifteen SUV's stacked on top of each other. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics. Ray Smith shot this on Friday, August 10, 2007, mid-morning. The truck was going up the Arnaz Grade when the engine quit, blocking the right lane until a tow truck arrived and got it restarted. Afterward, the driver climbed to the top of the hill and used and Dahl Supermarket parking lot to turn his rig around and head down again. The picture shows him in the market parking lot.)
10) Do you believe the County should begin the process to terminate Ozena's current C.U.P.?
11) And if so, how would you persuade the County to accomplish this?
(Traffic backing up behind a gravel truck on Route 33. Photo credit to Daly Road Graphics, Ray Smith.)
We also need the continued support of everyone in Ojai to see that these past travesties do not happen again. Please send your donations to the Stop The Trucks! Coalition – c/o The Ojai Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1134, Ojai, CA, 93024, or you may also walk your contribution into the Chamber’s offices anytime during the business week, at 201 S. Signal Street -- in the Ojai Festivals building -- in downtown Ojai
(The "Stop the Trucks!" Coalition reserves the right to remove any comments that are either off topic or otherwise inappropriate.)
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Comments (5)
Howard Smith requested that I post my Comments.
Response from Ojai City Council Candidate Suza Francina to "Our Questions for Candidates":
1) Do you now or have you in the past personally supported "Stop the Trucks!"
I have read all the editorials, letters and miscellaneous articles by the Stop the Trucks Coalition and have conveyed to family, friends and co-workers that the trucks represent a serious problem for the future of the valley, comparable to Weldon Dump.
2) If so, please give examples of actions you have actually taken.
(See previous response.)
3) Do you believe the Ojai City Council should take a more active role in the truck campaign, such as providing funding and legal support?
Yes! I strongly feel that the City should do much more to support your efforts. It is my understanding that Jere Kersnar and Carol Smith did go to Santa Maria to speak to the County Board of Supervisors. I read the letter dated January, 2007 to the Planning Commissioners, County of Santa Barbara (posted on the City web site) which states the City of Ojai's absolute and unanimous opposition to the proposed Diamond Rock Sand and Gravel Mine.
4) If so, can you name specific steps that you believe the City can and should undertake?
The City should take a leadership role similar to when we fought and defeated Weldon Dump. I believe the City should provide funds for legal fees as this is an investment for Ojai's future that has far-reaching economic effects.
Regardless of who wins the presidency there will be a big push to rebuild the infrastructure of this country. These mines will be an integral part of this rebuilding and without intervention Ojai could see more trucks than currently imaginable.
The Ojai City Council and the citizens of Ojai need to go to Sacramento to lobby the Governor, Caltrans, EPA, Tourism etc. for a Save Our Town lobby day. Make a splash that will attract the press and change the dynamics of this issue in the minds of the government.
In addition, I would explore the following points:
Stop the Trucks needs to go after the press in Los Angeles and Sacramento and get much more publicity. You need B Roll Video Footage for the TV and print for the papers. 30% to 50% of all news comes from groups out side of the newspapers and TV staff. We have to produce the news for the news reporters.
I would want to find out if there is an organization of small towns in California or the US that fights similar scenarios.
Stop the Trucks and the City of Ojai must to talk to the California Travel & Tourism Commission to find ways to legally protect our tourist economy.
Stop the Trucks appears to be fighting the trucks on the battlefield that best suits the trucking companies. Change the battle field and throw the gravel truckers off balance.
5) Do you believe the City should work with Caltrans to permanently ban all thru heavy trucking on Route 33 north of Ojai and on Route 150 through downtown Ojai?
YES but with possible exceptions for Agriculture, Home movers, Building Supplies, Groceries, etc.
6) If so, what specific steps would you take to see that this is accomplished.
While working on the ban there are some steps that can be taken to complicate the trucks traveling through the valley.
First we should contact the California Department of weights and measures to make sure the scales are accurate and that all gravel trucks meet weight requirements.
Second, we need to know to what degree the dust and diesel emissions add to the valley’s already failing air quality grades from organizations like the American Lung Association.
Third, find out if the trucks are subject to the slow traffic rules that require trucks to pull off the road when there are 5 or more cars behind them. Then find out if they are exceeding the safe speed required for heavy trucks with Cal Trans monitoring units. (You may all ready have this data in your reports) but this seems critical to know.
Fourth, make a point of having the sheriffs department check the driver’s licenses of truck drivers on a routine random basis and also have them check to make sure all gravel trucks meet California safety codes.
The idea is to make gravel haulers trips more difficult, slow them down and make the 33 and 101 uneconomical.
7) The Ozena mine's county permit states its "normal hours of operation" for trucks traveling on Highway 33 in the Ojai Valley are from 6 to 7 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., yet they seem to be in violation of these conditions and so far County officials have failed to take any action.
What steps should the City take to see that County officials enforce the permit?
Contact Cal Trans and ask for copies of the time stamped trip/weight tickets that must travel with each load to make sure the travel guidelines are being followed.
8) Would you actively support the Coalition's request to have an independent Ombudsman appointed to not only undertake a further investigation into abuse of CUP 5170 by the permit holders, but also the very operation of compliance monitoring by the Planning Division?
YES!
9) Given the Planning Division's claim that it is seemingly impossible to monitor C.U.P. compliance, do you agree that the County has no business, under CEQA guidelines, approving the C.U.P. in the first place?
YES, however this is the 21st century, most trucks have or can be equipped with digital monitoring devices. These tracking devices are linked to satellites for real time data so show where each truck is at all times. This is not some new space age technology it’s being used now but most major trucking companies in the world. The Planning Division is either staffed by Luddites’ or they are not being truthful.
10) Do you believe the County should begin the process to terminate Ozena's current C.U.P.? YES
11) And if so, how would you persuade the County to accomplish this?
In the EIR , the analysis concluded that there were negative quality of life impacts to the citizens of Ojai that could not be mitigated.
City leaders and council members should continue to convey their strong opposition backed up with legal teeth. The city should also demand air quality analysis based on the average exhaust and dust emitted by the trucks, then scale up the analysis based on proposed trips in the valley. The federal EPA should also be contacted to enforce air quality standards.
If I were on the Ojai City Council I would leave no stone unturned in solving this problem!
Comment #1 Posted by: Suza Francina | August 26, 2008 07:05 PM
There were two typos in this paragraph. It should read as follows:
"This is not some new space age technology. It’s being used now by most major trucking companies in the world."
Comment #2 Posted by: Correction | August 26, 2008 07:21 PM
And this sentence should read as follows:
"While working on the ban, there are some steps that can be taken to make it more difficult for trucks traveling through the valley."
Comment #3 Posted by: Correction two: | August 26, 2008 07:26 PM
Great answers. The question about any trucks coming through here
should probably state: "Only trucks with an Ojai Valley destination."
Also, I believe that "Stop the Trucks" is a negative name...something
like "Save the Valley" might be better. You may want to suggest that.
Comment #4 Posted by: Dale | August 27, 2008 11:24 AM
It would be surprising that
Jere Kersnar and Carol Smith
spoke out for Ojai at the
meeting- I attended the
one in Santa Maria in May
and did not observe them
amoung the long line of
Ojai and New Cuyama dissenting voices...
Comment #5 Posted by: pete lafollette | August 27, 2008 04:36 PM