This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. on May 16th to include a statement from the City of Ojai and once again at 3 p.m. to include a statement from Mayor Andy Gilman.
RE: Carl Alameda & the Ojai Cabin Village grant process
When I was following your reporting on the grant for Ojai Cabin Village, I kept wondering if the city entered into this grant because someone at city hall had been bribed. I noticed that the grant process seemed to be pushed ahead during a time when the city was between city managers, so I wondered who was keeping the process going. I was suspicious about who, on behalf of the city, was agreeing to things that many citizens might object to if they had been given proper notice. I wondered why Dignity Moves had been written into the grant as the entity that would construct the project. The whole thing seemed fishy to me.
Now Carl Alameda, who was acting city manager during some of the grant development process, has been fired for alleged financial misconduct at his previous employer.
You are the only one who has ever put together a timeline of the cabin village grant process. I know there were times during that process when Carl Alameda was acting city manager. Can you figure out from your data collection efforts what aspects of the Cabin Village process Alameda might have handled? I feel like someone should look into this and I fear the CPA audit of city finances in the wake of Alameda's termination will not investigate this angle.
Hi Kathy — my understanding is that former Interim manager Mark Scott is the one who pushed this grant opportunity forward, along with the unhoused taskforce (a group of local volunteers). My perspective from observing this project is that the grant application wouldn't have moved forward if not for Scott, the taskforce, and Jennifer Harkey from the Ventura County Continuum of Care.
See this City staff report from Sept. 2023, written by Scott: "With assistance from Ventura County Continuum of Care Coordinator Jennifer Harkey, there
is a very admirable effort being advanced by local citizens (Ruth Miller, George Gaines,
It is true that Alameda was in the interim CM position when the Council voted to submit the grant application. I absolutely intend to keep following this in great detail.
RE: Carl Alameda & the Ojai Cabin Village grant process
When I was following your reporting on the grant for Ojai Cabin Village, I kept wondering if the city entered into this grant because someone at city hall had been bribed. I noticed that the grant process seemed to be pushed ahead during a time when the city was between city managers, so I wondered who was keeping the process going. I was suspicious about who, on behalf of the city, was agreeing to things that many citizens might object to if they had been given proper notice. I wondered why Dignity Moves had been written into the grant as the entity that would construct the project. The whole thing seemed fishy to me.
Now Carl Alameda, who was acting city manager during some of the grant development process, has been fired for alleged financial misconduct at his previous employer.
You are the only one who has ever put together a timeline of the cabin village grant process. I know there were times during that process when Carl Alameda was acting city manager. Can you figure out from your data collection efforts what aspects of the Cabin Village process Alameda might have handled? I feel like someone should look into this and I fear the CPA audit of city finances in the wake of Alameda's termination will not investigate this angle.
I wonder if you think this worth looking into?
Hi Kathy — my understanding is that former Interim manager Mark Scott is the one who pushed this grant opportunity forward, along with the unhoused taskforce (a group of local volunteers). My perspective from observing this project is that the grant application wouldn't have moved forward if not for Scott, the taskforce, and Jennifer Harkey from the Ventura County Continuum of Care.
See this City staff report from Sept. 2023, written by Scott: "With assistance from Ventura County Continuum of Care Coordinator Jennifer Harkey, there
is a very admirable effort being advanced by local citizens (Ruth Miller, George Gaines,
Betsy Vanliet and others) to secure grant funding that would allow development of physical housing (transitional and permanent) for some percentage of Ojai's growing unhoused." https://drive.google.com/file/d/11fdDwoOxuUwbTgcru6ge9drZvOAmaMyr/view
It is true that Alameda was in the interim CM position when the Council voted to submit the grant application. I absolutely intend to keep following this in great detail.