First Bardsdale School, c 1900, which was on Ventura Street between Bardsdale Avenue and Pasadena Street. The school eventually needed more space and a new school was built on the same site. Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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Pictured above is the Bardsdale Oil Derrick back in 1890. Today most of the crops grown are avocados, lemons, oranges and vegetables. Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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This fertile valley had been home to indigenous peoples since long before Portola traversed the valley in 1768 and named it for St. Clare. Spanish control brought the construction of the missions and the subjugation of the indigenous people. The Mexicans living under Spanish rule rebelled in 1821 and took control of California until 1848. This was the time of the great Ranchos such as Rancho Sespe. During this period and into the period when California became independent and then a state, there was continuous westward movement of Americans many of whom settled in the Santa Clara River Valley.
During the Spanish period, the area of the Santa Clara River Valley which would become Bardsdale and Fillmore was primarily owned and controlled by Don Juan Carlos Antonio Carrillo from his headquarters in Santa Barbara. The Rancho was given to him as a reward for his service to the Mexican government. It extended from Santa Paula Creek on the west to Piru Creek on the east and from mountain top to mountain top.

In 1853 after Carrillo’s death the ranch was sold to Thomas More and his brothers. While the More family controlled the ranch, they were unable to control the increasing arrival of settlers from the eastern regions of the United States who were looking for land to homestead. The arrival of these settlers caused great tension which culminated in the murder of Thomas More in 1877. (See “Sespe Gunsmoke” written by Charles Outland.)
With More’s murder, his children inherited the property and began to sell off tracts of land to pay debts. The Town of Fillmore would be developed on the tract purchase by Sespe Land and Water Company in 1882.
Also in 1882, the tract which would become Bardsdale was purchased by Thomas Bard from More’s daughter Mattie Mae More Storke.

In 1887, Royce Surdam purchased 1500 acres of the land from his partner, Thomas Bard. To honor his partner, Surdam named the soon to be developed city, Bardsdale. In 1887 the town was platted and approved by Ventura County. As part of the plan, lots were designated to be homes, schools, and churches. Streets will sound familiar to those of you who travel south on Hwy 23 over Grimes Canyon. They are Pasadena Ave., Riverside St, Bardsdale Ave, Ojai St, Simi St, Santa Paula St., Chambersburg, Las Posas, Gerberding, Surdam, Blanche, Berle. What? What are those last five names? They are names for streets that were never built. Unfortunately for the developer, the railroad laid its tracks on the north side of the river and the town of Bardsdale died on the vine along with all those undeveloped streets and lots that were never sold for housing.

Yes, there are houses there now but many of them were built by the farmers who bought larger tracts of land to produce at first, beans, alfalfa, potatoes, cattle and sheep. Surdam sold the land in 5, 10, 20, 40 and larger acres to farmers who moved here for the fertile soil and mild weather.

Some of the earliest families to move to Bardsdale immigrated from Germany. Their names included Haase, Baldeswieler and Bartels. There were no stores built, but a school was built to educate the farmers’ children. The first school was on Ventura St between Bardsdale Ave and Pasadena St. Soon the school needed more space and a new school was built on the same site. This school operated until the mid-1960s when it was determined to be unsafe in an earthquake and the children were bussed to Fillmore schools. The school still stands but today is a private home.

Religion was a priority for these families so in 1882 they built the first church on the south side of the river on land donated by Thomas Bard. On Sundays they walked to the simple building on what would become Owen St. This was the German Evangelical Church.

In a short time more farmers purchased land and built homes. They also used the little simple church. Services were in German in the morning and in English in the afternoon. By 1898 the membership had grown enough that a larger church needed to be built. This church, still stands today, also on land donated by Bard, on the corner of Bardsdale Ave and Ventura St. Originally it was known as the Bardsdale Methodist Episcopal Church. Today it is the Bardsdale Methodist Church. Services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. in English and Spanish. The church is “carpenter gothic” in design and is registered Ventura County landmark #50.

Today Bardsdale is still agricultural. Over the decades the dryland crops transitioned to walnuts and apricots. These gave way to citrus, both oranges and lemons. Today the crops are primarily avocados, lemons, oranges and vegetable crops.
The Bardsdale hillsides are dotted with oil derricks. Oil was discovered in 1890 and is still a major industry today
For many in our larger community, Bardsdale is the final stop in their life. Perched on a hillside just off of South Mountain Road is the Bardsdale Cemetery. The Cemetery is the final resting place for residents of the entire area of Fillmore, Bardsdale and Sespe and Piru. It has the most beautiful view of the mountains to the north of any location in this valley.

In the early days before TV and all the activities which fill our time, families would pile into the family car and drive through Bardsdale to enjoy its serenity, its scenic views and the smell of orange blossoms in the spring. It is currently spring. Give it a try.

Established in 1991 by Raelene Chaney to keep FHS graduates safe in celebration, Grad Nite Live continues today for Fillmore youth. A cruise ship complete with “gambling”, dancing, food and fun times is offered to all graduating seniors. Transportation provided. All donations welcomed to support our seniors! A tri-tip dinner fundraiser is being held on Friday, May 19, by the FHS Athletic Boosters Club, from 3:30pm-6:30pm, $50. More information can be found on the page 4 flyer. For more information on how you can help, you may contact Jenny Andrade at 805-340-3601
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In May 2019, a plea to the Fillmore Community was released by the Fillmore District Safe Graduation Grad Nite Live Non-Profit, asking for donations to help offer the FHS Class of 2020 Grad Nite Live Cruise. The following is an updated version of that plea for the Class of 2023:

Dear Community of Fillmore,
In 1991 Raelene Chaney, co-founded what was once Grad Nite Live. The purpose of Grad Night Live was to have the students in our community celebrate a safe and sane graduation.
In 1990 James Anderson, an 18-year-old graduate planning on joining the US Marines, was killed in a car accident after hitching a ride with a former classmate after a late-night party. The 20-year-old classmate was later sentenced to six years in prison for DUI (alcohol and cocaine) and crashing his car into a power pole outside of Fillmore, killing Anderson. This was the catalyst for Grad Nite Live.

This nonprofit organization ran for over 26 years (as of night 2019). It was not until Mrs. Cheney’s health took a turn that she could no longer run the non-profit.

To make this happen in 2023 they need the community’s help. A large deposit is required to make this happen and unfortunately, they do not have the funds as of yet. They are asking for support from our amazing community to help offer this opportunity to the graduating students. Please help them make this happen for the graduating Class of 2023.
A tri-tip dinner fundraiser is being held on Friday, May 19th, by the FHS Athletic Boosters Club, from 3:30pm-6:30pm, $50. More information can be found on the page 4 flyer.

For more information on how you can help, you may contact Jenny Andrade at 805-340-3601.

On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 11:15am, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a suspicious vehicle at the 1100 block of Mockingbird Lane and Sierra Vista Avenue, with a male and female subject inside, the male exhibiting indecent exposure. A Fillmore deputy arrived on the scene and contacted the subjects, with the male, Juan Torres, 28 of Oxnard, providing a false name, then fleeing the area. According to a passerby the subject was observed running northbound on C Street before taking an unknown direction. Fillmore deputies were advised on where the subject was last seen but units were unable to locate him. The female, Victoria Nunez, 19 of Camarillo, was arrested, and the vehicle was towed from the scene and impounded. At 4:10pm, deputies arrested Torres in the Rite Aid parking lot, after a short foot pursuit. Torres was booked at the Pre-Trail Detention Facility for evading arrest, trespassing, providing a false name, and residential burglary. He remains in jail awaiting his court appearance with bail set at $40,000. Photo credit Angel Esquivel-AE News.
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Fillmore Patrol Deputies arrested a wanted felon who was on probation and fled from deputies, committing several other crimes in the city of Fillmore.

On the morning of April 19th, 2023, a resident called our dispatch center to report two suspicious subjects loitering in a parked vehicle at Mockingbird Lane / Sierra Vista Avenue in the city of Fillmore. When patrol deputies arrived to investigate, a male party provided a false name and immediately fled on foot. The male suspect was identified as Juan Torres, a wanted felon who was on probation for vehicle theft. The female in the vehicle was identified as Victoria Nunez. Nunez was subsequently arrested for possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Nunez was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for narcotics violations.

Deputies coordinated a search and were unable to locate Torres. Several hours later, another resident called and reported seeing Torres on their property via a surveillance camera in the 400 Block of B Street. Deputies returned to search for Torres who fled again on foot and ran into the yards of several residences. Deputies coordinated a search and watched as Torres ran into the Balden Towne Plaza shopping center. Deputies contacted Torres and were able to take him into custody.
During the investigation, a resident in the 1100 block of Mockingbird Lane called and reported a burglary at their residence. The investigation revealed Torres was the suspect, and he illegally entered the victim’s residence and stole personal items, including a bicycle. Torres was in possession of the stolen property, which was returned to the victim. The victim’s bicycle was also recovered.

Torres was booked at the Pre-Trail Detention Facility for evading arrest, trespassing, providing a false name, and residential burglary. Torres remains in jail awaiting his court appearance with his bail set at $40,000.
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 Twitter @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.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has also established a secure database to log information about who has surveillance systems. If you would like to register your surveillance information and allow authorities to contact you, should a crime occur in/or near where your cameras are installed we kindly ask that you email the Fillmore Police Department at FillmorePD.CameraShare@ventura.org.

Prepared by: Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting Captain Eduardo “Lalo” Malagon, Fillmore’s New Chief of Police, gave a presentation to encourage the city to purchase four Giant Talon eBikes for the Fillmore Police Department.
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9A. Approved 3-2
9B. Approved 3-0 (2 recused themselves)
9C. Approved 5-0
9D. Approved 5-0
9.A CONTINUATION OF PROPOSITION 218 HEARING FOR WATER AND SEWER RATES FOR 2023 THROUGH 2027.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that City Council accept the results of the Proposition 218 Hearing regarding the City’s 2023-2027 water rates by adopting Resolution No. 23-3914. Further, staff recommends that City Council accept the results of the Proposition 218 Hearing regarding the City’s 2023-2028 sewer rates by adopting Resolution No. 23-3915.
9A. Approved 3-2

9.B REQUEST Approve Resolution No. 23-3925 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FILLMORE ACTING IN ITS CAPACITY AS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF CITY OF FILLMORE COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICT NO. 5 (HERITAGE VALLEY PARKS) ON BEHALF OF IMPROVEMENT AREA B, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDED INDEBTEDNESS IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $21,000,000 TO FINANCE PUBLIC FACILITIES, EXECUTING CERTAIN DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDING FOR THE SALE OF THE BONDS AND TAKING CERTAIN OTHER ACTIONS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH

RECOMMENDATION: Approve Resolution No. 23-3925 of the City Council of the City of Fillmore acting in its capacity as the legislative body of the City of Fillmore Community Facilities District No. 5 (Heritage Valley Parks) on behalf of Improvement Area B, authorizing the issuance of bonded indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $21,000,000 to finance public facilities, executing certain documents and providing for the sale of the bonds and taking certain other actions in connection therewith.

9B. Approved 3-0 (2 had to recuse themselves)

9.C CONSIDERATION OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATES, INC. (WRA) FOR EVALUATING THE VIABILITY OF WELLS AND PREPARATION OF TECHNICAL BID SPECIFICATION PACKAGE.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Approve a reallocation of $39,600 within line item 453-6850-0046-765 from the Well 5 rehab project for this contract; and 2. Authorize the Mayor to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Water Resources Associates for an amount not-to-exceed $39,600.

9C. Approved 5-0

9.D PURCHASE OF FOUR GIANT TALON E BIKES
REQUEST That the City Council approve the purchase of four (4) Giant Talon E Bikes.

The Fillmore Police Department (“FPD”) is requesting the Fillmore City Council consider authorizing the purchase of four (4) E-Bikes to be used by members of the FPD to enhance the services provided to our residents here in Fillmore. The bicycles would augment uniformed patrol services throughout the city by allowing deputies to undertake bicycle patrols. The implementation of bicycle patrols will offer benefits to the community, including high visibility, and engagement with our community members. Patrolling on bicycles makes our deputies more accessible and personable to the public and will help facilitate more proactive and positive police contacts with members of our community than can occur with deputies in motor vehicles. The bicycles will also allow our deputies easier and more efficient access to areas throughout the city that are not patrolled as often due to difficult accessibility by motor vehicles.

Staff contacted Newbury Park Bicycle Shop and obtained a quote for the purchase of four (4) EBikes. The total cost of the E-Bikes with the needed accessories is $12,226.29. The custom vinyl wrap for the bicycles is $2,788.50. The total purchase price for the E-Bikes and vinyl wrap is $15,014.79.

RECOMMENDATION That the City Council authorize the purchase of four (4) E Bikes to enhance patrol services to the residents of Fillmore using money already allocated and budgeted for traffic enforcement. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no new fiscal impact to the city as sufficient funds exist in the traffic enforcement line item in the approved budget to fund this purchase.

9D. Approved 5-0