Meet Kim Mang, The Unopposed Candidate for City Council
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On August 8th, two-term Ojai Mayor Betsy Stix and three-term City Councilwoman Suza Francina announced that neither will seek reelection. Theirs are the only Council seats up this election cycle. (Remember: a Council term is four years, a mayoral term is two years). The remaining three incumbent Council members, Rachel Lang, Leslie Rule, and Andy Whitman, were each elected in 2022. All will be up for reelection in 2026.1
Now, Kim Mang — an Ojai resident of more than 20 years — is running unopposed to represent Ojai’s District Four (currently represented by Francina).
And while the District Four Council race has a single candidate, the City of Ojai is set for a competitive mayoral race. Michelle Pineiro2 (who ran unsuccessfully against Leslie Rule in 2022, bested by just 17 votes) has filed for candidacy, as has Andy Gilman, who I interviewed earlier this year. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to interview Pineiro as well.3
I had the opportunity to sit down with Mang last week. But before we delve into Mang’s story, I want to share a bit more of Francina’s. Here’s what she told me about her decision against running for a fourth Council term. Remember: Francina lost her District Four housing in 2021.
“The main reason I decided not to run was that I have not been able to find long-term affordable housing in my District that allows two dogs. I'm resilient and adapted to living in a very small space by renting a storage unit and usually taking my dogs with me wherever I go. But the stress of not having my own place became unbearable after three years. I knew I could not go on living like this for another four-year term.”
Francina continued, “The state mandate dividing our small town into four districts combined with the elected mayor has added to the division and contentiousness in our small town. Dividing our 4.4 square mile city into four districts has unintended consequences not only for any renter serving on the Council but also the residents who can no longer elect their representatives at large, with the exception of the mayor.”
“I will continue to attend meetings and give my perspective on issues at the podium. Long before I was first elected [to City Council] in 1996 I was an advocate for sustainable, bicycle/pedestrian-friendly cities. I will continue to speak at the podium and write editorials on why, if we are serious about climate change, we must change our private car-dependent lifestyle, whether powered by gas or electricity.”
“The experience of being temporarily homeless has also made me a much stronger affordable housing advocate. Even after I'm no longer sitting on the dais, I will continue to support services for the homeless at the podium.”
Meet Kim Mang, The Unopposed Candidate for City Council
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and readability. All brackets and parentheses were added in the editing process.
Andra Belknap: Hi Kim! Can you tell me about yourself — where did you grow up?
Kim Mang: So there were five of us. I had two brothers who, unfortunately, are both deceased. I'm the baby. [We grew up in the] San Fernando Valley. Back then it was called Sepulveda. Now it’s called North Hills.
AB: And how did you make your way to Ojai?
KM: I was married at the time. We had a business in Sylmar (a Rayne Water franchise) and my husband (Joe Mang) wanted to wind down. He was older and we had, at the time, two boys, and I was pregnant with my third. He grew up in the country [and wanted the] kids to have that experience.
We moved to Ojai in ‘99 and lived in Upper Ojai. We had an orchard, so the kids on the weekend when they got a little older would weigh [the produce] and charge. It was a cool experience.
My husband passed away in 2007, and then I was on a 10-acre ranch with three boys. It was just too much. So then I got moving into town, and now that I'm here, I wish I would've done it sooner!
It makes me cry when I think about losing my husband and having the community embrace my kids. I'm not going to get that anywhere else.
AB: Can you talk to me about your property management business? (Mang’s bio reads, “For the past 17 years, Mang has managed a family-owned small property management business, leasing, renting, and maintaining several single-family homes and townhouses.”)
KM: [My husband and I] decided to invest in real estate. Our friends were losing in the stock market and all that stuff. So I have a few properties and I have long-term tenants. My last tenant that I just had, he was there for 31 years. My tenants, they've all been there forever.
[I have] four real estate properties. One [is] in the San Fernando Valley, and then the others are in Ventura County, in Newbury Park.
AB: Was there a particular event or vote that inspired you to run for City Council?
KM: Well, when I don't go to meetings, I watch from my living room. And when I would see all of the discord and all that, I would just become so upset — the tension and all of that. So one day my boys were over and I said, ‘Oh City Council time!’ So they all sat on the couch. We're sitting there — and I’m being honest — cussing at the TV.
And my son said, ‘Mom, take a look at yourself.’ I'm like, ‘What?’ And he says, ‘I'm afraid you're going to stroke out.’
He said, ‘I get it. I feel the same way, but you sit here in front of the TV every Tuesday night and do this.’ And they said, ‘Do something.’ I said, ‘Great advice. I’m an empty nester now, I have the time…’
[But], Betsy [Stix], her kids are friends with my kids. And and there's a lot of things that I agree with [her on], a lot of things I don’t. So then I thought, oh my gosh…
[So] I told my kids, ‘Okay, I'm going to do it. Suza's up. It's my district. And I said, ‘If Betsy [Stix]'s the mayor, [and] if I don't agree with her, I don't want to say or do anything that would ruin the friendship you have with her boys, because that's forever.’ And they said, ‘No, Mom, we're all adults.” So I said, ‘Okay!’
So my first thing, I sent an email to [Councilwoman] Suza [Francina] letting her know [I planned to run] because I appreciate [her] time and energy. She's got the experience. I don't have that experience. I've lived here and I see what I see, but the knowledge of hers… So we're going to keep in touch and take it from there.
AB: So you referenced the discord on the City Council.
KM: I felt like [they’re] not really listening with an open ear to people. It's like, ‘Wait, they've taken the time out of their day to come and voice their opinion and you're shutting the door.’
And all of that just happened with the unhoused. So wait, you guys are in a pickle. Somebody wasn't honest with purchasing that property.4 So now it's a big ball of crap. And so you reach out to the community to help you get out of the pickle. And then they come to your meeting and then you say, thank you, and shut the door.
AB: You're talking about the [proposed] ad hoc committees?
KM: [Mang nods]
I'm like, ‘Are you kidding?’
How many times would I keep going back to them (the Council) when they're just… you just only need my information, my input, when you're in a pinch. If there was open, honest communication, there wouldn't be a need for that.
So now my new thing, I got a copy of the [$12.7 million Encampment Resolution Funding — ERF] grant… and it's like it doesn't add up to what the community's been told, first of all. The first time I heard as a community member about the grant, it was temporary, two-year housing.
AB: Right.
KM: So right from the get-go in the grant, it says permanent [supportive housing].
So in my head, I'm like, ‘Okay, which one of you, who was the one that decided we're going to deceive? Strong word, but who's going to be the one to deceive the community to say, ‘No, it's temporary for two years.’
Now I have a special place in my heart [for the unhoused]. [My] brother had mental illness. And when my brother would come to us and say, ‘I need help. I'm starting to cycle.’ And you take him to the doctor, the hospital, and they say, “We're sorry. He doesn't meet criteria.’5
I get that there's services in place [for the camp], but… there's 30 people, if all of those 30 people had mental illness and they needed help, if the police were involved, would they meet the criteria? Because for my brother's 40 years of experience, he had to be rock bottom before they would take him. And then the hospital wouldn't take him. The police were involved. So they take him to jail.
So I don't see how, even if they hired two people from HELP of Ojai, how they can dial it in.6
But in the bigger picture, because I'm truly sympathetic, I understand. And my heart breaks. So what can we do? What do we need to do to focus on [is] how come they're here? Can we prevent it before they get to the spot where they're at? Let's help 'em there.7 And then… what do we do at the end of two years when we don't have any money? (The $12.7 million ERF grant funding must be spent in two years.) So do we get a list of everybody's salaries and all the things that we're doing for Ojai and say, ‘Which [services] do you want to take [out of the budget] to cover that?’
AB: Have you thought about if you would've voted to submit the application without knowing the project budget? (The Council voted 3-2 January 23rd to submit the ERF grant application; the project budget was not complete at the time.)
KM: That's the thing. And I think I would've said, ‘No, let's look at the whole picture to see if it's even worth it going through.’
I [recently] went to the City and said, ‘I need a copy [of the ERF grant] and put in a request. And then they asked me if I wanted it verbally! I said, ‘No, I've been to the meetings. I've heard what they have to say. I'd like a hard copy, please.’ So I did get it. And then [there was] no budget. So I said, ‘You're missing the budget. So they sent me a paper and I said, ‘I appreciate that it has some numbers, but this says this one supersedes the original.’ Where's that? And I still haven't got it.’
And I'm just curious, just for my own knowledge, who was the one to change the language [regarding permanent supportive housing vs. temporary housing] to [make it] seem like it was going to fly?
AB: I was very curious about this too. So I went and looked at the staff report from the meeting when they introduced the application. This was after Mark Scott left. Carl Alameda was the acting city manager, and he was the one who put together the staff report with the application. And that staff report called the housing a “temporary housing solution.” But then you look at the application that's attached, and it very clearly says permanent housing. So that to me is exactly where it started.
Anyways — since we kind of got into homelessness and the City Hall camp, can you share with me your thoughts on the City's work thus far? Certainly they’ve made a lot of changes to the situation there.
KM: They've definitely made a lot of changes, which are nice. And then I think — because my head goes into a different mode — so with the tent encampment that they have now at City Hall, I'm thinking, ‘Well, I couldn't get insurance on my home. Who insures those tents and all of those things there? Is that on the City? How much does that cost to add that to the insurance with pets — which I think every [camper] has?’ It's wonderful that they have their pets because that's basically all they have. I'm thinking, ‘Wouldn't it be nice if we could include the unhoused with the Humane Society and give them a chore, like a dog to love and train?’
AB: Can you say more?
KM: Unhoused people, when I've talked to them, they said a lot of times, ‘Oh, I'm not going to go to a shelter because I can't take my dog.’ Totally get it. That's your companion.
And that's my thinking… wow, to be in their position, [where someone says], ‘Okay, do you want to stay warm tonight and out of the rain and leave your dog? No.
So why couldn't we do something with the Humane Society? Because we know that all shelters are overbooked… Is there room there? I don't even know if it was an option to put some housing there. And they could take pride in something. This is your responsibility. Here's this. Turn it into a nice dog. They would feel good about themselves because they're giving back. I'm like, that's a win-win situation to me. And I don't know if the City, they've even thought about things like that.
Instead of buying these little — or building — these little cabins, how much would it be to buy a [group] home?
AB: I am curious about your thoughts or any criticism you may have about how the City has managed the camp thus far.
KM: I think it's nice to help [the unhoused]. I think that if [the City] would've reached out to those people surrounding the area because I know it's been an issue… Unhoused [people] going into the neighbors’ yards and all of that. And they're thinking, ‘Wait, I invested all this money to live in Ojai to do this.’ And I know they're sympathetic and they have warm hearts, but when somebody's coming into your space and taking advantage of your stuff…
I know the one night when I left a [City] meeting and it was dark and I was walking down the [Kent Hall] ramp with my cell phone [flashlight] so I could see, and this woman started screaming and I stopped in my tracks, I thought, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what do I do? I said, ‘Should I call 911?’ [Another woman] said, ‘No, she does that every night.’
In my neighborhood, one street backs up to the barranca, and the unhoused were using my neighbor's pool. He just has the home on the weekends… 8 So he had all the ring cameras and he's like, ‘Wait a second, wait a second.’ So he went to the expense to fence in — jack up the fence.9
AB: He added a fence because someone was getting in his yard and swimming pool?
KM: Yeah, he was afraid of getting sued or something.
And then another neighbor said, ‘You know what? It's hot here. You can come and use my hose to fill up your water bottles.’ It was just a couple of days and then there was all these hoses gathered from different areas making it to reach back to [the camp]. And then they're like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. Reel it in.’
So it's like there's no one to police the activity.
AB: So we do have security guards on the property, but they mostly focus on keeping new people from setting up camp there. So you're saying that we need more security?
KM: We need something, and I don't even know if security is the right word. We just need somebody, because I think if somebody's behavior was to get to that point where you had to call the police or whatever, then it goes back to my head, ‘Well, they won't meet criteria’… [so] you just diffuse it for a second. And then if someone's there to make sure that to make sure meet the criteria, is there a checklist like, ‘Oh, I'm sorry, Susie, the police, we've had to call 'em four times for you. You need to go.’ Then where do they go?
So [the City’s] saying, okay, here, there's going to be rules, stipulations, and all of that. That's never been shared with the community.
That could be a thing where if I read [the rules], I’d say, ‘Oh, perfect, you've got it dialed in,’ but with the lack of communication… And when they do communicate, it appears to be dishonest.
(Mang is right that the newly instituted camp rules were not publicly available at the time of our interview, however, I did get a copy of the “Good Neighbor Agreements” August 21st.)
AB: I've heard a couple of City Hall neighbors say that we should give back the grant funding.
KM: I understand that thinking and that's what I thought at first.
And that's when I thought, ‘You know what?’ Instead of saying, ‘Here, take it back.’ Let's look at the budget and say, ‘Okay, this is going to cost us $2 million a year after the [grant] money's gone.10 Here are our expenses as a city, as a community — when we need that $2 million — what do you want to take off the budget? Do you want the streets to be worse? Do you want to lose a city manager? What do you want?’
AB: That’s totally valid.
KM: [We don’t want to] invest all of this money for two years to have it go to hell in a handbasket. What's the point? Nobody's better off. It's just worse.
AB: I'm going to go onto a different topic now. Have you run for elected office before?
KM: I've always been PTA president11, all that type of stuff, Pony baseball. I was the mom when there was a field trip or they needed chaperones, and I’d fill up the car with all the kids. But never… I didn't have the time with kids
But now that my kids are all gone, I have plenty of time.
AB: I'm also curious about your history of engaging with the City Council. Are there any particular issues that you've engaged on?
KM: I usually send emails or call somebody.
I will be honest with the whole ceasefire thing12. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I get it.’ But really for our small town, the amount of time and energy… what are we going to do? To be an elephant sanctuary?13 Like are you kidding me?
The rat traps,14 when that passed, I said, ‘Betsy, I'm still going to use them. I'm a single girl.’ I said, ‘I'm scared to death of those metal things because I'm afraid I'm going to break my fingers off when I'm trying to set it.’ Then I thought, ‘Okay, don't be that girl.’ So now I have a monthly service from Ojai Pest so I don't have to deal with it.
AB: So it sounds like you've been commenting on their priorities generally.
KM: [Mang nods]
Then, when we were going through the school district, with all the stuff with [former OUSD Superintendent] Tiffany Morse15 knowing that Betsy was, her little side gig was working with OUSD (as a City Council liaison). So I'd be like ‘Betsy, big meeting tonight at Matilija.’
We need to rebuild that relationship [between the City and the school district] because if the school district wants workforce housing and so does the City, why don't we work together?
AB: I know that's a priority for Andy Gilman as well.
KM: Yeah, it makes sense. Why wouldn't you do that to benefit everybody?
AB: So you’re running unopposed to represent District Four on the Ojai City Council. Can you talk to me about how you might differ from Suza Francina?
KM: I think my first thing to do is open, honest communication. And there may be things that I think, ‘You know what, this is how I want it for District Four,’ but then I'm going to reach out to my constituents, say, ‘What do you feel?’ And we work together to do that.
Because it seems to me, and I'm not pointing out Suza at all, they have their own hidden agenda. Like Suza with her bikes… I don't ride a bicycle because usually when I'm in my car, I'm going into Ventura. I have something to do. And when I'm around town, I'll walk. So it's like, ‘Okay, so I get that,’ and here's how my brain thinks:
‘So when you hired Ben Harvey, why'd you give him a car allowance? Why didn't you get him a damn bicycle?’
AB: If Suza had her way, she probably would have. So you feel like the talk is not reflected in the action?
KM: No. You don't see it very often. I would love to see that. And it's like, why don't [they] reach out and why when you send an email or a text or call a council member and they don't [respond].
I'm still shocked that council members [said], ‘I don't have the [ERF] grant.’ Are you kidding me? Are you doing your job?
Basically, it's open, honest communication. I think if the City were to release their agenda, say like Wednesday, and then you tell the community, ’Here, you have till Friday to tell us what you think.’ And then I could report from my district or whatever. Or I've told everybody I've talked to, so I know when they televise their meetings, and there's a lot of people that are at home and they raise their hand [via Zoom] to speak. Wonderful, glad for the engagement. I said, ‘But what about those people who are timid, shy, or afraid of their English language?’
[Furthermore] I was shocked at the amount of people that were not aware of the homeless camp when they first had that meeting, and when they purchased that property that fell through.
Why aren't people informed? That's a huge thing that could make a huge difference.
AB: The City did put out their new newsletter.
KM: And you've heard the backlash for that, right?
AB: I know, people are mad about the paper use…
KM: I'm like, ‘Okay, they're reaching out. It's a step. You're being informed. Let's embrace this.’
And that's what I'm saying with the unhoused, if you say, ‘Give the money back,’ you're going to have all of those [unhoused] people, no matter what you do. You’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don't. So that's why I thought, ‘Okay, if you're going to return the money, let's show them, as a community, what you cut when we need $2 million.’16 And then don't bitch about it.
I would always tell people at PTA meetings and stuff, “I'll take your negative input, say whatever you want to say. But for every three negatives, I want a positive and something to do. An action.’
AB: I want to go back to how you might differ from Councilwoman Francina. Are there any particular votes she took that you really disagreed with?
KM: I really can’t. There's nothing that sticks out in my mind. I'm sure I didn't agree on everything, but nothing like, ‘Oh my God, a red flag. I can't believe she would do that.’ And I know she's got a love for bicycles and animals.
Everybody says, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do?’ I'm like, ‘Yeah, I'm one of those ones who love a challenge.’
AB: So it sounds like when you decided to run, you weren't necessarily challenging Suza specifically.
KM: Like I said, we'll stay in contact because she's got, what, 16 years of experience.
I want to continue to tap into that. And she's got a different spin. I keep in touch with [former Councilmen] Bill Weirick and Randy Haney [too], like, Hey, what do you think?
AB: This council as it exists currently, they've struggled with a lot of interpersonal conflict. How would you navigate through that?
KM: I’ll use my words, of course. I’ll choose them widely.
When [Councilmembers] — I won't pick [one] — go off on their tangent, like, time’s up. The speaker gets three minutes and you're going to go blather for 45 minutes and say nothing. [I’m] over it.
Let's be productive. If you took out all of the blathering, I mean, they could have those meetings done in an hour and a half.
AB: Ok, let’s talk about policy stuff. You listed a number of issues on your website, and we already talked about homelessness. Your first priority issue is traffic control and in-town parking. Tell me more about that.
KM: Well, on the weekends I don't even drive in through the arcade, it's crazy.
I always thought if the City would purchase [that property] next to the Art Center, and you can kind of go a little underground and you could have [paid parking, like] in Ventura where you have the thing and you put in your number and it can generate a little bit of money. Probably — I don't know how many years it would take to gain back what you purchased the property for.
AB: So you’re thinking, add a parking lot, add paid parking.
KM: Something. Something's got to give. And I don't know what the answer is… but the arcade is crazy.
Is there an incentive? You can get a small discount from shopping in the arcade if you park your car at Nordhoff? Or pay the schools a little bit of money to let us park there?
And then now getting that [Planning Commission] approval for the Capri [Hotel to host additional events on-site], I'm thinking, ‘Okay, so if 75 people are coming from out of town to do yoga, how are we going to accommodate this?’ And then once the hotels open and all of, you know what I mean? It's going to be a lot. And what are we going to do? Traffic is crazy now.
AB: Not to mention the 153 units17 of housing the Council approved last year. (Thirty-three of these units are pre-existing).
KM: That's the other thing too. And with the housing, the [50-unit] development that they're going to do on Bryant, that worries me. Because obviously if it's for lower-income [individuals], I'm sure there's going to be children. So are you going to put children on the street with no curbs, no anything, where there's breweries, there's the tow yard that's going to bring cars in at 3 a.m., beep beep beep beep… the dogs barking [at the Humane Society]…
Are they going to put a signal at the end of Bryant? Because when those children have to go to school and then you're going to add to the Capri, it just seems like they haven't thought about the bigger picture. Is this really the right thing to do?
AB: So you're thinking about a parking lot. Any other traffic-calming things that you've thought about?
KM: What if we did something and it would ease up traffic for local people. If we you know like Santa Monica where my boys are, you pay for a permit, a parking sticker, and then, oh, you can only park here if [you’re a resident].
AB: Let me ask you just kind of for your general thoughts about affordable housing in the community and how you'd address it.
KM: That's a tough one.
Because having rental properties — I'm not a gouger…. I'm not going to rake you through the coals because I know I can. That's why I have 30-year tenants.
And it's ridiculous, over like 55% of Ojai are renters. So who owns all of the [housing stock]? It can't all be L.A. the people owning it.
But I do see, just in my neighborhood, there's a house in my neighborhood, cute, cute little young couple in their thirties, two small kids. They live in Washington. They paid a pretty penny for their house. They're soaking a bunch of money into it. And then on the weekends when you see different license plates in the garage on the driveway. So it's like, wait, it's a vacation rental.
AB: So you have one illegal vacation rental in your neighborhood that you're aware of or you suspect?
KM: I'm pretty certain. I think there's more than one.18
AB: Wow. That says a lot. Ok — let’s go back to affordable housing.
KM: Yeah. What do you do? And honestly, I don't know the answer. Because then you feel bad. Me being an investor, investing in property, I get it. I don't know.
AB: I appreciate the honest answer. This is another housing question. So over the past year, the City approved — by my count — 120 new units of housing. That includes the Becker projects, Habitat for Humanity, and the Bryant Street Project. Eighty-one of those units are at least moderately affordable, which a lot of people don't agree is affordable. Is that too much or not enough?
KM: For the amount of people that you hear don't have a place to live and are pushed out of their homes for whatever reason? Obviously it's probably not enough. But then once again, so yes, you build them. We're looking at traffic again, parking, everything that comes with it. That hasn’t been addressed.
AB: So we have two candidates for mayor. I'm curious if you're publicly supporting either of them.
KM: I go to as many meetings of Andy's as I can think. He's got great ideas. A lot of the things we're totally in agreement on. So I’m excited for that. He's been in Ojai forever, which is another encouraging thing. Michelle, I don't know. I did a little researching on her social media. Nothing's current. It seems like it's all on the platform that she used when she was running against Leslie. And I've never seen her, not that it means anything, never seen her at any functions or anything where Andy's everywhere.
AB: Is there anything I haven't asked you about that you want the community to know about you or your campaign?
KM: I'm just an open, honest [person]. If you give me a task, I'm going to do it one hundred percent. I don't have a hidden agenda. I'm here for the community to build for hopefully one day — it makes me cry — hopefully one day my kids will be able to enjoy the life that I've provided for them with their children. That would be a perfect life. That would be my goal.
Interested in more reading? My dear friend and fellow Ojai girl Emma Bailey recently launched a newsletter of her own: 10,000 Books. There, she shares author conversations and insight into the books she sells at Bart’s Books. Happy reading!
But will any of them choose to seek reelection?
Pineiro was part of a “Ojai Climate Voters” slate of candidates, alongside Stix, Lang and Whitman in 2022. A competing group — including Rule, Anson Williams, Randy Haney and Renee Roth — were supported by the Ojai Democratic Club, which stated its candidates were endorsed by “Ojai’s real climate voters.” One split between these two factions emerged in the debate over Ojai’s building reach codes.
Pineiro has not yet responded to my interview requests.
Mang’s referring to the City’s failed purchase of 601 E. Ojai Avenue for the state-funded Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) housing project to accommodate Ojai’s chronically homeless population.
She’s referring to “meeting criteria” to be admitted to a mental health facility.
The Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) grant provides funding for two case managers for two years.
This is the goal of HELP of Ojai’s homeless prevention rental assistance program. Strangely, the City states in its most recent Housing Element that it provides financial support to the rental assistance program. HELP of Ojai staff say this is incorrect.
I’m flagging this for readers as an example of a housing unit that serves as a vacation home.
Mang clarified that this incident occurred many months ago — prior to the addition of Secural Security and St. Francis Challenge services to the camp.
To be clear: we don’t know what it will cost to maintain the ERF project at this point — given the lack of project location and design. Here’s what the City has said on the topic: “The first two years of operations are covered by the Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Grant. There will be ongoing case management, security and utilities which could be paid through 30% income received as rent from residents. In addition, future grants through the Ventura County Continuum of Care and State funding from Proposition 1 will also be available for a portion of the Cabin Village/Permanent Supportive Housing Project population. Ventura County Community Foundation has been identified as a potential source of locating funding, and there will be opportunities for HELP of Ojai to apply for grants for the purpose of the supportive services. The City is developing a cost model, which will identify any portion of funding gap within the project after the Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Grant has completed in two years.”
Mang served as PTA President at Topa Topa Elementary, Matilija Junior High School (RIP) and Villanova Preparatory School’s Parent’s Guild.
The Council voted 3-1 in February 2024 in favor of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, after months of contentious debate.
Indeed, the Council voted 4-1 in September 2023 to grant bodily autonomy to elephants.
The Council voted unanimously in March 2024 to ban the use of glue traps.
For insight into this saga, check out my OUSD, Wtf?! series.
She’s referring to the funds needed to sustain the ERF project — $2 million is a purely speculative number.
This number comes from the City’s recent newsletter, it includes 50 multi-family units on Bryant Street, 12 units on West Aliso Street (8 of which are pre-existing), 58 on Mallory Way (25 of which are pre-existing), 13 on East Ojai Avenue, 15 on South Montgomery Street and 5 on North Montgomery Street.
For the record: this is how you report violations of the Ojai Municipal Code. I also want to flag this for readers as another example of a housing unit that (allegedly) serves as a vacation home.