Fillmore voters will go to the polls to choose candidates in the city’s first districts election race on November 5th.

The city approved the switch from at-large candidates to districts in December 2023, and Districts 1, 2 and 5 are up for election this year.

One person, Luis Alberto Rodriguez, seeks the District 1 seat. The other two districts have two candidates singly vying to represent each:

District 2-John L. Garnica, Mark Austin (incumbent); District 5-Gary A. Cushing, Christina Villaseñor (incumbent).

Candidate Statements:

Candidate

Mark Austin

District 2

Over the next 4 years, I will concentrate on the local economy, public safety, and repaving of our streets.
Business development, job creation, and tax revenue are extremely important to Fillmore because it creates more opportunities and a better quality of life for citizens. I will continue to work towards streamlining the permitting process to allow businesses to open and locate within Fillmore more quickly. Fillmore needs to cooperate with business owners to develop ways to say yes instead of no to projects that will benefit Fillmore. As your council member, I will continue to make business and job creation in Fillmore a priority.

Ventura County, which includes Fillmore, is recognized as one of the safest counties in the State of California. Over the past 8 years, I have helped to provide the funding needed to maintain service ratios for our police and fire departments. Funds have also been provided to train and graduate 17 reserve fire fighters and install a police station emergency generator. As your council member, I will continue to ensure our public safety professionals are provided with the resources needed to keep our families and community safe.

The repaving and maintenance of streets has been deferred over the years due to City funding issues. With the substantial rain over the last couple of years, our streets are in dire need of repair. We are allotted money from the state in the form of gas taxes, and general sales taxes which do not amount to a lot of money. I plan to tackle this issue over the next 4 years by setting aside general fund reserves each year to be used only for Citywide roadway improvements. I also plan to apply for several state and federal grants available to communities like Fillmore.

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Candidate

Christina Villaseñor

District 5

Dear community, my roots run deep here - I am the granddaughter of farmworkers who came to Fillmore in the early 1930’s. Through hard work and opportunity, they built a bedrock of stability for their family. As someone who has dedicated their career to public service and your Councilmember, my constant goal has been to be responsive to resident needs and to support those windows of opportunity for Fillmore families to thrive and succeed.

My top priority is meeting the needs of our growing community (13% pop. growth between 2013-23). I plan to ensure that 1. Our infrastructure – roads, water and sewer system and power sources – are keeping up with the demand through pro-active monitoring and keeping our “D” St. sewer line expansion moving forward; that 2. We provide quality community programming and recreational and cultural arts opportunities for families, including prioritizing upgrades to Two Rivers and Shiells Parks; that 3. More Fillmore residents invest their time and consumer spending within the city, from seeking both external and internal improvements for businesses to be successful, to forming an exploratory committee to bring back our beloved May Festival, and 4. We are well-prepared for emergencies and extreme weather events.

I’ve served with integrity, respect, a constant curiosity to dig deeper to fully understand the issues and with humility, knowing that I’m part of a team and when we work together, we can achieve great things for Fillmore. We have our challenges and we need sensible, thoughtful, proactive and hard-working leaders to tackle these challenges. My track record shows that I AM this leader and I’m more than up to the task. I humbly ask you to put your confidence in me once again and vote for me, Christina Villaseñor for Fillmore City Council, District 5. Please visit my website: 4more4Villasenor.com.

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Candidate

Gary Cushing

District 5

My name is Gary Cushing. My wife Julie, and I have 8 children and 16 grandchildren.
I have owned Marie Callender’s Restaurant in Camarillo for 34 years.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from California State University Channel Islands, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Cal Lutheran University.

I am currently a Planning Commissioner for the City of Fillmore, on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of the Santa Clara Valley, a member of Fillmore Rotary, on the Vista Real Charter High School Board of Directors and founding Board Member of Miracle League of the 805.

My top priorities are:

Economic Development: The city budget over the last 5 years has risen 32.5%, the amount that has been dedicated to Economic Development has dropped by 50%. Growing our existing businesses and attracting new businesses will help the city budget grow to provide needed services to our citizens.

Highway 126 has 2 problems, the first being the backup of traffic that pushes traffic to the side streets. We need to work with Cal Trans to synchronize the signal lights through town. Secondly, there was a plan to make Highway 126 safer back in 2016, with Cal Trans but it was never implemented. There have been 27 deaths on the 126 in the last 5 years, this is unacceptable. I will advocate revisiting parts of the plan.

Public Safety and Homelessness go together, we need to work with the County to solve the problem, not just rely on the County to fix the problem here. Be proactive in finding solutions. I have spoken to our Police Chief about starting Neighborhood Watch Programs in Fillmore, to help limit crime.

I will bring strong leadership and business experience to the Fillmore City Council.
Gcushing7797@gmail.

Patterson Hardware Closes After 105 Years

Patterson Hardware employees Adrian Davis, employed 19 years, and Augie Alfaro, employed 1 year, helped close down the business on Saturday, October 19, 2024, after 105 years of operation in Fillmore. Photo credit Fillmore Gazette Staff.

Partial reprint 2008 article by Joyce Schifanelli

Patterson Hardware has closed its doors after serving the community of Fillmore for 105 years. Patterson Hardware, originally located at 312 Central Ave., had its origins during WWI in 1919. It was one of five hardware stores owned by Hickey Brothers of Ventura. Local Fillmore resident, Harvey S. Patterson was named manager. When the stock market crash of 1929 heralded the Great Depression, 13-year-old Harvey found himself working by his father’s side for half pay. In 1937, Harvey S. and his wife Edith purchased the business from the Hickey Brothers. They renamed the store Patterson Hardware and moved to a newer building built in 1928, its present location, 360 Central Avenue. The Patterson’s took their business very seriously, employing all their children through the years and teaching them the importance of hard work and fine customer service.

Harvey S. Patterson died in 1959 and his son, Harvey F. and his wife Emma purchased the enterprise by mortgaging their home. The couple subsequently purchased the hardware store’s portion of the building in 1976, continuing to work diligently servicing the needs of their growing town. Through the years, Emma and Harvey F. also passed their strong work ethic onto their own children and scores of Fillmore High School students and other employees. Even after 45 years on the job, the Patterson’s daughter, Michelle, was always happy to help customers. Harvey F. worked in the store until around 2012, passing away in January 2013, helping customers, telling his stories and keeping an eye on things.

Patterson Hardware, and the people who made it a pleasure to shop there, will be missed.

A 27-year-old Piru resident was arrested for spray painting graffiti and causing thousands of dollars of vandalism damage within the city of Fillmore and unincorporated community of Piru.

Graffiti vandalism is an eyesore that directly affects the quality of life in our communities. If left
unchecked, graffiti can decrease property values and lead to the deterioration of entire neighborhoods. Graffiti may also be the catalyst for additional, more serious crimes affecting our communities. The removal of graffiti costs homeowners, business owners and taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars each year. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to responding to public concerns in a manner that builds confidence in our agency and strengthens relationships to empower businesses and residents to be the eyes and ears of the community.

On 05/25/24, diligent community members reported graffiti vandalism occurring in the City of Fillmore. Deputies assigned to the Fillmore Patrol Station responded and located t

Mutant City Horror presents First annual Happy Fright Film Festival at the Fillmore Towne Theatre.

Get in on the ground floor and join us October 18-19 for the first annual Happy Fright Film Festival at the Fillmore Town Theatre moderated by Mutant City Horror.

A two-day event celebrating independent horror movies, music, vending, and stand-up comedy.
Friday, October 18, 8pm.

Special screening of George A. Romero’s 1968 iconic: Night of the Living Dead – presented in classic 16mm print courtesy of Record Outlet, Thousand Oaks, Ca.

Saturday, October 19, 12pm – 10pm

All day film festival with special screenings of “Night of the Missing” starring Gigi Gustin, Jenna Kanell (Terrifier), Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses) followed by a live cast and crew Q&A moderated by Mutant City Horror, along with a screening of award winning “Cannibal Comedian” and a variety of horror shorts from independent film makers around the country.
Horror marketplace and vendors with classic arcade pop-up.

Stand up-comedy from Pancho Moler as seen in Rob Zombie’s “31”, and “3 From Hell”.
Live music from psychobilly ghoul rock-band – Six Silver Bullets.
And more…

20% discount to the first 50 buyers! Use code HAPPYFRIGHT. Cost listed online as $7.18.
All films rated R — Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.

On October 3, 2024, over 500 emergency personnel responded to a fire that broke out near lake Piru and quickly grew, burning approximately 367 acres, and as of Monday, at 8:24am, the fire was out per the National Interagency Fire Center. Courtesy https://app.watchduty.org/i/35485. Photo credit Angel Esquivel.
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On Thursday, October 3rd, at 12:45 p.m., the Ventura County Fire Department was dispatched to a reported fire near Lake Piru. Arriving first engine reported a 10-15 acre. By 2:30 p.m. the fire was mapped at 239 acres before it grew to 300 acres by late afternoon. Authorities issued an evacuation order for the Lake Piru recreation area, including Dominguez Canyon, soon after the fire broke out. By 8 a.m. Friday, they downgraded the order to an evacuation warning, meaning people should be prepared to leave. Piru Canyon Road was closed in both directions from Lime Canyon Road to the lake, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services. The hot weather and dry brush made for “an explosive situation” when the fire first took off, said Chad Cook, deputy chief of the Ventura County Fire Department. Flames quickly spread and the fire ran from Lake Piru near the Santa Felicia Dam and jumped Piru Canyon. Flames burned on both sides of the road and made a run up the canyon toward the campground. Roughly 500 fire personnel were involved in battling the blaze, including 250 firefighters, officials said. Additional crews responded from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S. Forest Service. Engine, dozer and hand-crews worked to douse flames on the ground, while helicopters, tankers and other aircraft dropped water and Phos-Chek retardant. By late Thursday afternoon crews had made good progress where the fire started and the entire left flank of the blaze, where flames had potential to head towards the town of Piru, and firefighters made it a priority. Authorities evacuated the campground near Lake Piru early on, said Tony Huynh, risk and safety manager at the United Water Conservation District, which manages the lake and recreation area. Fire engines were assigned to protect structures in the Lake Piru area. People left in the area – park rangers, campground hosts and some guests who had been on the lake fishing or jet skiing before the fire – were sheltering in place in the marina parking lot, according to Huynh shortly after 3 p.m., Thursday. Rangers were able to start escorting guests and visitors out of the area and down Piru Canyon Road after 5 p.m. The National Weather Service said temperatures in the area reached around 100 degrees Thursday. Humidity levels of 15 to 20% and wind gusts up to 20 mph were reported near the lake. Conditions were expected to remain hot and dry through the weekend.

John Garnica was one of many citizens who spoke on the direction the LBGTZIA+ agenda is taking in Fillmore. Garnica is running for Fillmore City Council Seat District 2, against incumbent Mark Austin.
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CITY OF FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2024
6:30 PM CITY HALL

All items passed 5-0, except 9A – which NO Action was taken.
AGENDA

1.CALL TO ORDER

2.PLEDGE OF ALLE-GIANCE

3.ROLL CALL

4.APPROVAL OF AGENDA

5.PRESENTATIONS

5.A MOMENTUM WORK, INC. PRESE-NTATION

6.PUBLIC COMMENTS

7.CITY COUNCIL REPORTS, RECOMME-NDATIONS, AND COMMENTS

8.CON-SENT CALENDAR RECOMME-NDATION FOR ITEM 8A. THROUGH 8C. IS TO APPROVE BY VOICE VOTE.

8.A SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 - CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 - CITY COUNCIL REGUALR MEETING MINUTES.PDF

8.B CITY OF FILLMORE WARRANT REGISTER-OCTOBER 8, 2024

CITY OF FILLMORE WARRANT REGISTER-OCTOBER 8, 2024.PDF

8.C ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING FILLMORE MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 15.39 TO INCREASE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE PROHIBITIONS ON DANGEROUS FIREWORKS

SR FIREWORKS ORDINANCE 24-975.PDF

9.NEW BUSINESS

9.A CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON AB 1955 - SUPPORT ACADEMIC FUTURES AND EDUCATORS FOR TODAYS YOUTH ACT
SR - AB1955 DISCUSSION.PDF

RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council discuss AB 1955 and provide feedback and direction: 1. Direct staff to prepare a resolution in support of AB 1955. 2. Direct staff to prepare a resolution in opposition to AB 1955. 3. Do not do anything. 4. Provide other directions to staff.

9.B AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR DELORES DAY PARK RESTROOMS, PROJECT SPECIFICATION NO. 24-04

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council: 1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to sign a contract with Public Restroom Company for the purchase and delivery of a modular restroom building for Delores Day Park, and 2. Approve and authorize the City Manager to sign a contract with Wyatt Trapp, Inc. for the demolition of the existing structure, pad preparation, and final tie-in of utilities to the modular restroom building at Delores Day Park.

SR - AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR DELORES DAY PARK RESTROOMS.PDF

9.C CONSIDERATION OF SOLID WASTE SOLUTION INC. (SWS) CONTRACT AMENDMENT FOR SERVICES STATE MANDATES AND ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORTING

SECOND CONTRACT AMENDMENT TO SOLID WASTE SOLUTIONS.PDF

RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council award a three year contract extension (as a Second Amendment) to Solid Waste Solutions Inc. to continue to assist the City with implementation of the solid waste laws and mandates set forth by the State.

9.D CONSIDERATION OF A FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE PROPERTY REMEDIATION AGREEMENT FOR 461 CENTRAL AVENUE (DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 21-02 AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 21-02)

SR-GLASSCOCK - REMEDIATION AGREEMENT AMENDMENT NO. 4.PDF

RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that City Council: 1) Approve the Fourth Amendment to Property Remediation Agreement with 461 Central, LLC to extend the Conditions of Approval completion deadline to October 20, 2025.

10.COMMITTEE, COMMISSION, AND BOARD REPORTS

11.CITY MANAGER

CITY MANAGER VERBAL REPORT

12.CLOSED SESSION

12.A OCTOBER, 8, 2024 - CLOSED SESSION OCTOBER 8, 2024 - CLOSED SESSION.PDF

13.ADJOURNMENT

MAYOR CARRIE BROGGIE ADJOURNS TO THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING AT 6:30 P.M. ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024, CITY HALL, 250 CENTRAL AVENUE, FILLMORE, CA 93015.