The 64th annual award event, billed as “Best of Santa Paula”, included businesses from Fillmore and Piru. Winners were announced on Thursday, May 14 at the Palazzio Event Center to honor the recipients, celebrating the individuals, businesses, and organizations whose commitment to excellence, service, and community vitality defines what makes Fillmore, Piru and Santa Paula great. The winners were chosen through community-wide public voting. A full list of the winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) is available at www.santapaulachamber.com/best-of-hv-winners. Below is a list of Fillmore/Piru winners.
BEST ACCOUNTING OR TAX SERVICES-FZ Tax Services, BEST ANIMAL SERVICES-Fillmore Animal Hospital, BEST AUTO SALES-Bunnin Chevrolet of Fillmore, BEST BANK-Bank of Sierra-Fillmore, BEST BREWERY/TASTING ROOM/TAP ROOM-Red Engine Brewing Company, BEST CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES/CENTER-One Step A La Vez & Boys and Girls Club of SCV, BEST COMMUNITY EVENT-Cruise Night & 4th of July Fireworks Show, BEST DENTAL SERVICES-Mark Pratt DDS, BEST DINNER-Daniel’s Gourmet Foods Co., BEST ECO-FRIENDLY/GREEN BUSINESS-Bennet’s Honey Farm, BEST FAST FOOD/FRENCH FRIES-McDonald’s Restaurants, BEST FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES-Edward d. Jones Co., BEST HVAC SERVICE-Heritage Valley Air Company, BEST LIVE ENTERTAINMENT-Red Engine Brewing Company, BEST NAIL SALON-Central Nails, BEST NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION-One Step A La Vez, BEST PARK/OUTDOOR SPACE-Lake Piru, BEST PIZZA-Red Engine Brewing Company, BEST REALTOR/REAL ESTATE AGENT-Diamond Realty & Home Grown Realty, BEST THRIFT STORE-Goodwill, BEST TIRE SHOP-Vic’s Tires.
Congratulations to all the winners!

CITY OF FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2026, at 6:30 PM CITY HALL
Final Vote:
4. Approval of the Agenda - Motioned by Christina Villasenor, Seconded by Mario Rodriguez; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
8.A. Approved of Consent Items 8A–8E, Council Member Villasenor abstained from voting on Item 8.E, SD #4 – Riverwalk, and Council Member Rodriguez abstained from voting on Item 8.E, SD #3. Motioned by Mario Rodrguiez, Seconded Christina Villasenor; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.A. Approval of Resolution No. 26-4115: Calling for the Holding of a General Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the Election of Council Members from: one from District 1 for a term of two years; one from District 3 for a full term of four years; and one from District 4 for a full term of four years, and Requesting Consolidation of the Election for These Council Members with the November 3, 2026, Statewide General Election - Motioned by Christina Villasenor, Seconded by Mario Rodriguez; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.B. Approved the first reading to introduce Ordinance No. 26-995 approving ZOA 26-01 and finding of exemption from CEQA.by Christina Villasenor, Seconded by John Garnica; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.C. Approved to adopt the attached plans, specifications, and estimate (“PS&E”) for the Santa Clara Street Water Line Improvements Project (Spec No. 25-08) and authorize advertisement for construction bids. - Motioned Mario Rodriguez, Second John Garnica; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.D. Approved to transfer $220,000 from Fund 503 to Fund 301, and Authorize the Public Works Director to authorize Veolia to proceed with the necessary repairs to the coarse screen and other critical repairs for an amount not-to-exceed $220,000 Motioned by John Garnica, Seconded by Mario Rodriguez; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.E. Approved the appropriation in the amount of $556,486.88 from unallocated funds in the Park Improvement Fund 464 for the purchase, delivery, and installation of sport field lighting for baseball fields at Two Rivers Park known as Project Specification No. 25-13 (“Project”); and Approve a contract, in a form approved by the City Attorney’s office, with Techline Sports Lighting, LLC, (“Techline”) for an amount not-to-exceed $556,486.88 for the Project. Motioned by Christina Villasenor, Seconded by Mario Rodriguez; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.F. Approved Resolution No. 26-4113 adopting the Municipal Cost Allocation Plan, Review and modify, as appropriate, the Preliminary Budget and to be approved Resolution No. 26-4114 adopting the FY 2026-27 Annual Budget. Motioned by Mario Rodriguez, Seconded by Villasenor; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
9.G. Approved the contract amendments with two food services vendors, Azul Foundation and Jordano’s Foodservice, to support the City’s Senior Nutrition Program in the next fiscal year for a not-to-exceed amount of $127,000 and $55,000, respectively, with a combined not-to exceed amount of $182,000 for fiscal year 2025/26, Second, If the fiscal year 2026/27 budget has not yet been approved, appropriate $145,000 for the Senior Nutrition Program for the year; and third, Authorize a one year extension with each contractor in the amount of $100,000 and $45,000, respectively in a form approved by the City Attorney’s office. Motioned by Christina Villasenor, Seconded John Garnica; Pass 4-0, 1 Absent.
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AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
5. PRESENTATIONS
5.A COMMUNITY ACTON VENTURA COUNTY
5.B THE OXNARD MEXICAN CONSULATE - MEXICAN AMBASSADOR RICARDO SANTANA
5.C PROCLAIMING ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH-MAY 2026
ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH - MAY 2026.PDF
5.D PROCLAIMING AMERICAN STROKE AWARENESS MONTH-MAY 2026
PROCLAIMING AMERICAN STROKE AWARENESS MONTH-MAY 2026
5.E PROCLAIMING IN SUPPORT OF BIODIVERSITY ON CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST-MAY 2026
PROCLAIMING IN SUPPORT OF BIODIVERSITY ON CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST-MAY 2026
6. PUBLIC COMMENTS
7. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS, RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS, COMMITTEE, COMMISSION, AND BOARD REPORTS
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM 8A. THROUGH 8E. IS TO APPROVE BY VOICE VOTE.
8.A MAY 12, 2026 - REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MAY 12, 2026 - REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
8.B ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 26-996: AMENDING FILLMORE MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 7.12,”VENDORS, SIDEWALK VENDORS, AND SOLICITORS” TO ALLOW SIDEWALK VENDORS TO OPERATE WITHOUT OBTAINING A PERMIT
SR- ORD 26-996 SIDEWALK VENDORS (2115716.3).PDF
8.C CITY OF FILLMORE WARRANT REGISTER-MAY 26, 2026
CITY OF FILLMORE WARRANT REGISTER-MAY 26, 2026.PDF
8.D CONSIDERATION OF AN APPROPRIATION FROM WATER RESERVE FUND
504 AND APPROVAL OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH EXODUS WATER SERVICES LLC TO INCLUDE TESTING OF BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLIES AND WATER LOSS AUDIT REPORTING
SR - SECOND AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH EXODUS WATER FOR WATER LOSS REPORT.PDF
8.E ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION TO RESCHEDULE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED ANNUAL LEVY OF ASSESSMENTS FOR THE CITY OF FILLMORE STORM DRAIN MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS
SR - RESCHEDULING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE LEVY OF THE STORM DRAINS FY2627 FINAL.PDF
9. NEW BUSINESS
9.A CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 26-4115, CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND REQUESTING CONSOLIDATION WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION BEING CONDUCTED BY THE COUNTY OF VENTURA THE SAME DAY
SR -CALLING THE 2026 ELECTION (2125191.5).PDF
9.B PUBLIC HEARING: CONSIDERATION OF ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT 26-01, ORDINANCE 26-995, UPDATING THE FILLMORE MUNICIPAL CODE TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAWS REGARDING ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND FINDING OF EXEMPTION FROM CEQA
SR -ORD. 26-995 ADU ORDINANCE
9.C ADOPTION OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND COST ESTIMATE FOR PROJECT SPECIFICATION NO. 25-08, SANTA CLARA STREET WATER LINE IMPROVEMENTS, AND AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE FOR CONSTRUCTION BIDS
SR - ADOPTION OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND COST ESTIMATE FOR PROJECT SPECIFICATION NO. 25-08, SANTA CLARA STREET WATER LINE IMPROVEMENTS, AND AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE FOR CONSTRUCTION BIDS
9.D CONSIDERATION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR VEOLIA TO PROCEED WITH REPAIRS TO THE FILLMORE WATER RECYCLING PLANT
SR - REPAIR OF COARSE SCREEN AND MISCELLANOUS EQUIPMENT AT FWRP. FINAL.PDF
9.E AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR PHASE TWO OF THE SPORTS FIELD LIGHTING PROJECT, PROJECT SPECIFICATION NO. 25-13
SR - TWO RIVER PARK BASEBALL FIELDS LIGHTING PROJECT (SN25-13).PDF
9.F ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. 26-4113 APPROVING THE MUNICIPAL COST ALLOCATION PLAN FOR THE CITY OF FILLMORE AND ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. 26-4114 APPROVING THE FY 2026-27 ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF FILLMORE
SR - FY 2026-27 COST ALLOCATION PLAN AND PRELIMINARY BUDGET FINAL.PDF
9.G FIRST AMENDMENT WITH TWO SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM FOOD SERVICES VENDORS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026/2027
SR - 2026 SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAM CONTRACTS FIRST AMENDMENT.PDF
10. CITY MANAGER
CITY MANAGER VERBAL REPORT
11. CLOSED SESSION
12. ADJOURNMENT
MAYOR ALBERT MENDEZ ADJOURNS TO THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING AT 6:30 P.M. ON TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2026, CITY HALL, 250 CENTRAL AVENUE, FILLMORE, CA 93015.

Jamie Arundell Latshaw will be the featured speaker on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25th at 11a.m. Jamie is a Fillmore resident and the daughter of the late Jim Arundell and Diane Arundell of Fillmore. She is an Army veteran, entrepreneur and community member with deep local roots and a 1993 graduate of Fillmore High School.
She graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an officer in the US Army for 8 years, where her assignments included leadership, transportation and military training support roles. During a 1999 deployment in Macedonia in support of Operation Joint Guardian, she met her husband Leroy, who would become her partner in both life and business. Together they co-founded Lexicon, Inc., a company that provides specialized cultural, training and military support services to government and defense related clients. Lexicon has been recognized as one of Inc. Magazines fastest growing companies and was also honored by Goldman Sachs through its Builders and Innovators initiative. Today, she lives in Fillmore with her family and is the proud mother of three children and grandmother of three. On Memorial Day she is honored to share reflections on military service while helping pay tribute to fallen members and to all who served.

Kristian Fonseca, 27

[In the December 16, 2020, and March 14, 2024, editions of the Fillmore Gazette, Kristian Fonseca, 27, was identified as a Fillmore resident by the Ventura District Attorney’s Office.]
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VENTURA, Calif. – Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Kristian Fonseca (DOB 10/07/98) has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 114 years to life for two first-degree murders and other crimes. A jury found Fonseca guilty on March 20, 2026, of killing Jose Estrada and Daniel Zuniga. Fonseca was also convicted of two counts of attempted murder and one count of being in possession of a firearm less than 10 years after a conviction. All special allegations and aggravating factors were found true, including the special circumstance of multiple murders and the personal and intentional discharge of a firearm.
“Fonseca believed he could avoid capture and accountability for his crimes, but through the dedicated work of Detective Anthony Reginato and our law enforcement partners, justice ultimately caught up with him.” said Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Blake Heller. “This sentence ensures he will spend the rest of his life paying for the devastation he caused to these victims, their families, and the community.”
Fonseca’s crimes encompass two separate shootings and four victims. In October 2019, Fonseca was affiliated with a tagging crew based in Santa Paula. On October 12, 2019, Fonseca and two others drove along Ventura Avenue and stopped near a liquor store at East Simpson Street. After observing two men standing near a food truck, one was asked, “Where are you from?” before Fonseca fired multiple rounds from a shotgun.
The two victims of that shooting were not gang members. One victim was struck multiple times and suffered life-threatening injuries, requiring emergency surgery and resulting in long-term medical complications. Surveillance video captured portions of the incident, and officers recovered four spent shotgun shells at the scene.
A year later on October 24, 2020, Fonseca attended a front yard gathering in Santa Paula when three rival tagging crew members approached from down the street after a day of escalating verbal confrontations. The encounter turned physical when one of the individuals fought Fonseca in the street. Following the fight, Fonseca retrieved a firearm and opened fire on the three men. Two of the victims shot by Fonseca died of their injuries. The third victim was injured but survived.
Evidence showed Fonseca continued firing at close range after the victims had fallen.
Officers recovered ten 9mm shell casings at the scene, most were near the two victims who died. Fonseca was arrested three days later. The firearm used in the shooting was never recovered.
Case: 2020012933
Defendant Information:
Kristian Fonseca (DOB 10/07/98) Oxnard
Charges:
• (2 counts) PC 187(a) – Murder
• (2 counts) PC 664/187(a) – Attempted murder
• PC 29805 – Own/possess/control firearm less than 10 years after misdemeanors
Special allegations:
• PC 189(a) – 1st degree murder
• PC 190.2(a)(3) – Commission of more than one murder
• PC 12022.53(d) – Personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury
• PC 664(a) – Premeditated attempted murder
• CRC 4.421(a)(1) – The crime involved great violence
• CRC 4.421(a)(2) – The defendant was armed with and used a weapon
• CRC 4.421(b)(1) – Defendant has engaged in violent conduct
***
Contact: Joey Buttitta
Title: Communications Manager/PIO
Phone: (805) 767-3400
Email: Joey.Buttitta@venturacounty.gov
Approved: RD
Date: May 14, 2026
Release No.: 26-062

On 05/17/2026, 49-year-old Fillmore resident, (S) Enrique Garcia, was arrested for agricultural thefts.
On 05/17/2026, a patrol deputy from the Fillmore Sheriff’s Station observed Garcia exit an agricultural orchard located in the 700 block of Oak Road. Garcia was carrying evidence indicating that an agricultural theft had likely occurred. An investigation ensued which determined Garcia had committed an agricultural theft which resulted in him being arrested for Penal Code § 484(a) – [Theft of Agriculture Items] and Penal Code § 647(h) – [Loitering on Property to Commit a Crime].
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to being present and available for the communities we serve. In addition to vigilantly patrolling our agricultural areas, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to provide the community with the following crime prevention tips:
• Note any suspicious vehicle or person that you notice on or around your property and send the information to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Call Sheriff’s Dispatch immediately if the subjects are still present or nearby. Emergency: 911 or Non-Emergency: (805) 654-9511.
• Install a surveillance camera system to monitor structures, sheds, container boxes, and entrances and exits. Preferably a system that can be live streamed and monitored remotely for the greatest coordination between law enforcement.
• Consider installing a fence, or other barrier, around your property to limit and control avenues of ingress and egress. These physical barriers not only serve as a deterrent, but also significantly reduce a suspect(s) ability to enter and exit the property, on foot or in a vehicle, without being noticed by employees or captured on an accompanying surveillance camera system.
The Fillmore Patrol Station encourages the agricultural community to utilize “Farm Watch,” a partnership between the farming community and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Farm Watch is a county-wide electronic neighborhood watch program that is distributed to several hundred farms, ranches, nurseries, and supply houses. This program provides information to ranchers on agriculture crime trends and on how to react and treat the crime scene so that potential evidence is preserved for immediate processing by deputies of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. For more information about Farm Watch please feel free to contact Detective Mitch Peterson at (805) 384-3728.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Fillmore Police Department are committed to increasing and strengthening community partnerships and utilizing technologies and evidence-based practices to enhance collaborative efforts at reducing crime and improving public safety of all residents by continued community partnerships. Join us in the fight on crime by following us on “X” @VENTURASHERIFF, Facebook, Instagram @ VCSHERIFF, and with Nixle by texting your zip code to 888777 to receive local law enforcement and public safety alerts and advisories.
Prepared by: Sergeant Jarrod Foote
News Release Date: 05/18/2026
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon
Booking Photo Release: NO 1
***
Nature of Incident: Agriculture Crime Arrest
Report Number: 26-62882
Location: Agricultural Orchard north of 700 block of Oak Road, Unincorporated Fillmore
Date & Time: 05/17/2026 @ 09:36 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Resources
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence, Age
(S) Enriguez Garcia, Unincorporated Fillmore, 49