A forgotten piece of Ventura County history (plus a few reporting updates)

The Sespe Dams that never were, and a new venue for the housing fight.

Greetings, readers! Today I’m going to share updates on a few stories I’m following — and a piece of Ventura County history. 

First, if you didn’t see my latest story, an update on homelessness in Ojai and the City’s $12.7 million grant to build permanent supportive housing, check it out! I’ll note that much of this story is behind a paywall (it required about four weeks of work). If you’re interested in a free trial subscription, please send me a note at andra.belknap@gmail.com.

Speaking of our unhoused community — Amy (“Ames”) Weiss, a new member of the camp’s management team, led a community engagement meeting at Kent Hall on July 30th. It was the first time I saw city staff, elected officials, HELP of Ojai staff, law enforcement, City Hall neighbors, and campers come together to openly discuss the goings-on at Ojai’s Tent Town. 

Weiss updated the community about the camp’s new (and enforceable) rules during a two-hour community meeting at Kent Hall.

During the meeting, we learned that…