Ojai Valley News Blog

City comes up with $13k, OUSD with $28k

By Sondra Murphy
The city of Ojai and Ojai Unified School District took some steps toward a more amiable relationship Tuesday. At issue were agreements between the two entities regarding the school resource officer at Nordhoff High School and the recreational use of Nordhoff’s swimming pool.

It was standing room only in the Ojai City Council Chambers, as community members came to voice their support for retaining a campus deputy for the remainder of this year.

“We have bumped up against something that many partnerships formed on handshakes sometimes do,” said city manager Jere Kersnar. “In time, that handshake agreement gets transformed and changes over time and what you find out in hindsight is that you need a formal agreement in both the issue of the pool and the school resource officer.”

The resource officer is a deputy of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department who is contracted to work primarily at the high school during the 180 instructional days of the school year.

The city and school district have shared the cost for the past nine years and this year’s bill totaled $162,000, or $900 a day. The Sheriff’s Department pays for the same officer to patrol the valley during the summer months at about $26,000.

Ojai Police Chief Capt. Chris Dunn confirmed the current annual cost is $188,317 for the school resource officer and said the cost would be greater if the city was not already a contractor with the Sheriff’s Department.

Salary and benefits use $148,812 of the amount. Department-shared costs are personnel, $3,107, business office, $946, informational services, $926, crime analysis, $1,829, training, $2,398 and supplies and services at $3,690. Divisional shared costs are division supervision, $8,600, clerical, $1,376, dispatch, $10,247 and supplies and service, $6,386.

OUSD received $53,000 in funding toward its $81,000 portion, leaving $28,000 remaining. The report explaining the district’s shortfall came before the council April 14, with staff recommending it pay for the remainder. At that time, a miscalculation led to the city thinking the cost would be $31,000.

The City Council declined to pay the leftover amount and the SRO position ended that week. Many people voiced displeasure over the decision and the April 26 gang-related murder of a 16-year-old OUSD student by a 14-year-old alleged suspect heightened emotions on campus and throughout the community about the issue of student safety in school and out.

Kersnar explained the city contracts for the SRO with the Sheriff’s Department and then bills OUSD for half. The city and school district had been in negotiations about the SRO agreement, as well as the city’s use of Nordhoff’s pool in its summer recreation programs when staff brought the SRO shortfall request to council members last month. A billing dispute over last summer’s use of the pool by the city had yet to be resolved, leaving a $17,500 tab unpaid to the district.

After the item was voted down last month, Tim Baird, OUSD superintendent, prepared a new proposal addressing both contracts. After its receipt Monday, Kersnar was able to arrange a special meeting the next day seeking the council’s approval on Baird’s proposal.

In it, Baird requested the city pay $13,240.46 to OUSD for the use of the pool last year, while the district agreed to pay the remaining $28,000 cost of the SRO for the rest of the school year.

“I’d like to assure the crowd that this evening’s discussion with the council is not to make sure the school resource officer is on campus for the rest of the school year, because we have already committed to that,” said Baird. “This is really about communication and trying to mend fences.”

Baird added that the district has been asking for a contract for the SRO to improve its budgeting process and had indicated last spring the pool cost would increase. This prompted the city and district into negotiations over working out the legalities. “My strong hope is we will do that with the city as a partner and clear the slate and start over with a clear understanding for the pool and the school resource officer. I would hope our long-standing, close relationship with the city will continue,” Baird said. “The resource officer will be there the rest of the year.”

Before the city voted on the matter it heard nearly an hour of commentary from 16 speakers regarding both the SRO and gang issues in the Ojai Valley. Most were pleased to learn that the district had figured a way to pay its share for the officer, but expressed concerns about retaining the SRO in future years.

Many speakers from Heal the Community addressed the council, requesting it work with residents in addressing racial and gang issues in the valley. Primarily parents, the group members have been meeting since the tensions began at Nordhoff following the murder, and researched other community SROs and school administrator opinions on the success of having such officers on campus.

“The SRO is very important, but we need to focus on the gang problem,” said Dusty Fernandez. “Please put the gang issue on an agenda so we may address it and come up with a plan.”

Cindy Sauceda pointed out that, during crisis situations on campus, SROs run toward the danger while other staff members are focused on securing student safety. “When a student was shot at E.O. Green, staff was busy on lock down, but the resource officer knew the kid and was able to apprehend him two blocks away,” she said. She also cited incidents where trained officers are better able to calm emotionally distraught students and detect others carrying concealed weapons.

John Obraza spoke of the need for a full-time gang officer in the Ojai Valley. Using the Oak View Park and Resource Center as an example, Obraza suggested that residents may support a parcel tax to help fund such an officer. “With 8,239 parcels in the Ojai Valley, from Casitas to Upper Ojai,” said Obraza, “just $30 each is about a quarter of a million dollars.” 

Councilwoman Carol Smith reminded the speakers that OUSD just had a parcel tax initiative narrowly defeated in November. “That has to pass with a two-thirds majority,” said Smith. She told listeners that the passing of Proposition 13 transferred control of public schools to Sacramento and only 1 percent of housing taxes go to schools. She said that with a large number of seniors in the valley, it is questionable whether another parcel tax would garner enough support to pass. She encouraged people to rethink their negative views on taxes.

Representing herself and principal Dan Musick, Nordhoff assistant principal Susana Arce addressed the issue of the SRO. “I want to thank the city for the good relationship we’ve had over the years and especially for the school resource officers over the past nine years. It’s made a big difference,” said Arce. 

She said that campus security should be the first priority of a school and, an SRO’s presence at games, dances and other events helps avoid trouble. “If not the SRO, we would have to hire a different officer at each event, who doesn’t know the students. With the SRO we have consistency.” Arce said the officer is known and trusted by students, allowing for optimal communication and response to potentially dangerous situations.

Fernandez told the council that Heal the Community is attempting to organize a town hall meeting about local gang issues and how to counter violence. Dunn requested the group consult with him in order to schedule a meeting when he would have staff available to attend.

Dunn said that West Ventura County has eight gang unit officers that cover Fillmore, El Rio, Silverstrand and the Ojai Valley. Larger stations, such as Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, have their own gang units and are available to assist this area, as needed. “That’s what you saw right after this incident and previous incidents,” said Dunn.

This support helped increase patrols of marked and unmarked vehicles since the murder. Dunn encouraged citizens to join the City Watch program that alerts citizens to crime issues and allows people to submit information and get questions answered, and he reminded people about the anonymous crime tip hot line. That number is (800) 78-CRIME. To sign up to be involved in the City Watch program, e-mail OjaiValley.CityWatch@ventura.org.

The council members voted unanimously to accept Baird’s proposal, directing staff to make the pool payment and receive payment from OUSD for the SRO.

“That’s great, I was really happy,” said Nordhoff senior Cole Bettles, when he heard the news while checking out colleges on the East Coast. Bettles addressed the school board members last week, urging them to rethink their decision not to fund the SRO. “I was a little bummed that I was not able to be at the council meeting, and while I can’t take credit for it, I feel like I was a driving force in getting it through.”

There is no plan to use the pool for city recreational services this summer. The SRO will be a campus presence for the remainder of the school year, with OUSD, city staff and the Sheriff’s Department all examining ways to fund the position for the 2009-2010 school year.