Mayor Manuel Minjares

Having recently been selected by our City Council to serve as the City of Fillmore’s Mayor for our Centennial year, I am appreciative of the opportunity to let the citizens of our City, and all of Ventura County, know of the great strides that our community is making, and of our hopes and aspirations for the coming year. As many know, Fillmore has faced some significant financial challenges in the recent past. Rather than simply try to work within the constraints of these challenges, our City Council has worked together cooperatively and collegially to face down and successfully abate these challenges, and we are looking forward to brighter days ahead for our citizens. Our City Council, by continuing to work cooperatively with each other and with those at all levels of government, anticipates the ability to achieve success in many different areas during the coming year.

Through a coordinated effort with the City of Santa Paula, the County of Ventura, and the Ventura County Transportation Commission, we anticipate developing and implementing a seamless system of transit and transportation for those in the Heritage Valley, a system that can become a model for other areas to emulate.

By maintaining a close working relationship with Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean and our Police Chief, Monica McGrath, our City Council has continued to emphasize the value of a safe community and has focused law enforcement and community efforts on both crime prevention and firm, fair enforcement of our laws.

We are also working hard to upgrade the environmental aspects of our community, coordinating with the Chamber of Commerce to attract new business to our downtown area, working with Caltrans to beautify the 126 corridor through town, supporting our Film Commission in their successful efforts to bring more filming to our City, and bringing community groups and economic development together to find common ground for making Fillmore an ever greater City to live in and raise a family.

At the same time that we will be working on these issues, we also realize that there are significant challenges that we still must face on behalf of our residents. Due to federal and state regulations our City was required to build a wastewater treatment plant that although was very sophisticated and expensive for a community of our size, it will perform its needed functions well in the decades to come. Our City Council will be working closely this year with County, State, and federal officials to seek ways to bring our operating costs down for the benefit of our residents, never losing sight of our goal to lower our rates while maintaining all of the required environmental safeguards.

Another challenge that we will face this year is that of finding a way to keep the Fillmore and Western Railroad a viable, operating, and safe tourist train. This train benefits not just the Heritage Valley, but is a major tourist attraction for Southern California. Unfortunately the need for costly maintenance of the tracks and their infrastructure, as well as the needed renewal of the lease for the operating rights on the tracks, have combined to cloud the future operation of this important regional attraction. Our City Council knows of the important economic benefits of Fillmore and Western, yet at the same time we also know the importance of a safe facility and the fiscal viability of the operation.

Our City Council is proud of our community and we know that our residents are proud to call Fillmore their home. Our community continues to be shown in movies and on television worldwide as a picture-perfect downtown setting of small town America. Our shops and businesses are proud of this recognition and we invite all of Ventura County to stroll our downtown sidewalks on any weekend. We’re proud of our community and know that as all of Ventura County gets to know us, that same pride in Fillmore will spread throughout the County.

And to our residents, friends, and governmental colleagues, thank you for your contributions to Fillmore’s first one hundred years. May our next hundred be as successful!!

United Water Conservation District officials are reporting the discovery of an invasive species of mussels at Lake Piru. District personnel discovered what appears to be suspicious aquatic bivalve mollusks attached to settling and monitoring devices placed at various monitoring locations on Lake Piru.

Samples of the suspicious findings were collected by California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and sent to the Bodega Bay marine laboratory for analysis to determine if the samples might be one of two invasive species from the Dreissena family, including the quagga and or the zebra mussel.

Invasive species of mussels have long been a concern of water agencies throughout the Western United States, including agencies such as United Water, because of their impact on water system infrastructures, including piping and pumps. Invasive mussels such as the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) colonize rapidly on hard surfaces and can damage boat motors and clog water intake structures, such as pipes and screens.

Since 2008 United Water has been proactively conducting vessel inspections at Lake Piru to prevent the introduction of invasive aquatic species, particularly that of Dreissenid mussels. Lake Piru staff has conducted tens of thousands of vessel inspections and implemented various monitoring practices, including that of below-surface settling devices as part of their effort to stop the introduction of such species.

Pending lab analysis CONTINUED »

The first Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting of the New Year was completed in 30 minutes. The short session consisted of a discussing an Education Services and Public Comments addressing the Board.

During Public Comments Sandy Butts, who teaches 5th grade at Mountain Vista, along with ten other teachers from around the District, address the Board on class size and teachers’ compensation. Many of those teachers wore black t-shirts with a quote from Abraham Lincoln stating, "Education, the most important subject which we as a people engage." Butts wanted to reminded the Board that the average FUSD class size today is 28-29 students (California average is 24 students which is much larger than classrooms throughout the country) and also that it has been almost eight years since the teachers in FUSD have received a pay raise. She gave examples of newspaper articles discussing the teacher pay raises throughout the state and that it is attributed to the passing of Prop. 30.

Butts presented the Board with a chart dated November 10, 2013 from a Ventura County Star article showing average teachers pay scales throughout the county with Hueneme Elementary being the highest at $79,535 followed by Oxnard Union High at $72,646. The lowest paying district was Fillmore Unified at $61,340 preceded by Rio District at $62,284. The chart also listed Ventura County's annual income average for teachers: Elementary $68,653, Middle School $63,325 and High School $66,337. According to the California Department of Education website California average teaching salary is $68,531 and ranks 5th compared to the other 49 states. Just ahead of California is the District of Columbia at an average teaching salary of $68,720 and the highest paid teachers are in New York at $73,398. The average teaching salary throughout the country is $55,418.

California spent $57,923,591,137 on education during the 2011-2012 school year with $17,908,913,160 (30%) going to teachers salary. In 2013, $50,584,391,000 went to k-12 and higher education, which is over 53% of the state's general fund.

The article presented CONTINUED »

Fillmore & Western Railway continues to fight the termination of its lease. Last week a judge refused to block the lease termination which allows the Railway to use the Santa Paula Branch Line.

However, an attorney for the Ventura County Transportation Commission stated that the County will not take any instantaneous action to halt operations of the historical trains.

Fillmore & Western sued the Commission in November 2013, alleging breach of contract. The Railway says the agency did not give a valid cause to break the lease, which was negotiated in 2001, to expire in 2021.

The Commission claimed good cause to end the agreement on Decembers 1, 2013, stating the railway failed to fulfill its maintenance agreement for the line.

Donna Standard, attorney for the Railway, said the Commission expects the Railway to perform maintenance beyond what the lease requires.

Skillin-Carroll Mortuary is Business of the Month.

Located at 600 Central Avenue, Fillmore, Skillin-Carroll Mortuary has supported the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce and been a Member for many years. If you should ever need their services or have any questions for them they can be reached at 805-524-0744.

City of Fillmore

12/31/2013
Search Warrant
400 Blk. Price St.
Theft
200 Blk. Sierra Vista Ave.
Search Warrant
400 Blk. Blaine St.
Search Warrant
800 Blk. 4th St.
Search Warrant
800 Blk. B St.
01/01/14
Shots Fired
600 Blk. Via Rodeo
Violation of Restraining Order
500 Kensington Dr.
Shots Fired
900 Blk. Wileman St. CONTINUED »

Mr. Palmerin was arrested on 12/28/13 at 7 PM at the Fillmore Station, when he turned himself in with his attorney. He was booked into the Ventura County Jail for PC 245(a)(1) - Assault with a deadly weapon.

Police are looking for a man suspected of trying to kill another man with his pickup truck near the Arco Station on Highway 126 in Piru on Thursday afternoon, December 26th.

Authorities said the men had been arguing at about 5:30pm at the gas station, Main Street and Highway 126, when one of the men allegedly ran over the other man with his truck before fleeing the scene. Authorities suspect the argument was over a woman.

The injured man, a 30-year old Fillmore resident, was taken to Ventura County Medical Center with broken legs.

Investigators are looking for a light gray 2004 or 2005 Ford F-150 pickup, license plate number 7F57886. It is believed he was heading eastbound.

Authorities said they suspect Rosario Palmerin, of Fillmore, in his early 30s, of being the driver of the truck.

Palmeria is wanted for Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

A power outage knocked out traffic lights in Piru on Christmas Eve. Caltrans and Southern California Gas Co. were dispatched to fix the problem. Rep’s said few homes were affected. It is unknown how long the power was out.