HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2025 0806 CC SPC ITEM 08A SUPPLEMENTALMOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
SUPPLEMENTAL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: PJ Gagajena, City Manager
DATE: 08/06/2025 Special Meeting
SUBJECT: Review and Prioritize Existing and Proposed Capital Improvement
Program Projects
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
Subsequent to the publication of the staff report, the attached correspondence was
received from members of the public.
Attachment: Three emails
Item: 8.A.
SUPPLEMENTAL
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From:Roseann Mikos
To:Jeremy Laurentowski; Brian Chong; Jessica Sandifer; City Council & City Manager; Daniel Kim
Subject:Letter to City Council and staff re: CC Items 8B and 8A for aug 6th meeting
Date:Wednesday, August 06, 2025 12:31:43 PM
Attachments:Letter to CC from Mikos for 080625 meeting-re Library and CIP final.pdf
Greetings Everyone!
Please see the attached letter re: the CIP and Library items for Wed. ight meeting.
Thanks in advance for your thoughtful consideration. I apologize for the length and
wish i could have gotten it done sooner for you.
See you tonite!
Best regards, respectfully,
Roseann Mikos, Ph.D.
Moorpark, CA 93021
ATTACHMENT
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Roseann Mikos, Ph.D.
• Moorpark, CA 93021 •
Honorable Moorpark City Council, City Manager and Staff
City of Moorpark
323 Science Drive
Moorpark, CA 93021
August 5, 2025
RE: August 6, 2025, Meeting of the City Council of Moorpark, Items 8A (Capital Improvement
Program) and 8B (NEW City Library); (sent via email).
Dear Mayor, Councilmembers, City Manager and Staff,
Please accept these comments to explain why the city council MUST accept the Low bid for the NEW
Library and the entire staff recommendation relative to the LIBRARY. Please also accept a few
comments about the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for Item 8A.
Background
On July 16, 2025, the city council surprised our community by delaying the vote to a special meeting of
CC this Wednesday (August 6th) so some of them could study further if we should accept the low bid
and move forward now despite bids coming in higher by 10% than was initially estimated; or
(inexplicably, in my humble opinion, spend that extra 10% on some other project in the CIP!).
It is about $3M more than projected. The city has the money to do THIS LIBRARY without jeopardizing
the city's financial reserves inappropriately. This is the only shovel ready project that can move
forward NOW by spending this extra $3M (or so) amount ON THIS LIBRARY.
Spending that extra 10% money on something else that has not been programmed at all yet in detail
(like the library has) and is not shovel-ready, won't get the something else done! It would only stop the
library from moving forward and being constructed if the city did that, since there would not be enough
money fully appropriated to fully fund the library--meaning we could not sign a contract for the lowest
bid proposed, nor could be begin the project.
It could be, if this city council does that, the NEW Library project could be stopped in its tracks, wasting
a lot of money already spent and committed from grants that would ALL be lost. All the rest of the
money for the library was unanimously approved by this city council on June 18th when you approved
the city budget for 2025-2027 and the five-year capital improvement program for 2025-2030!.
Make no mistake, you ALREADY APPROVED ALL BUT THE $3,218,516.00 that needs to be
augmented from the Special Projects Fund and is part of the staff recommendation for Item 8B on the
August 6th agenda! The only things you have NOT done yet is appropriate the already approved
money with this small augmentation and accept the low bid, award, and sign the contracts so
that the “shovel-ready” NEW Library can begin NOW!
Public Investment to Improve Moorpark (Especially in Downtown)
This NEW LIBRARY has been the last big building on our current capital improvement program that
has not yet been built from those listed on the city's ADOPTED goals and objectives to do since 2007-
2008 and EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN! The City invested in Downtown and our city before almost
anyone else would—by design—to help the private sector see how our downtown can thrive!
The city has built (or purchased/refurbished) and opened all of the following buildings with CASH and
not having to borrow any money to do them (or ask for new taxes for it from residents) since I was on
the council from 2000-2020, due to the fiscal responsibility and good fiscal management of our city:
• Police Services Center
• Public Services Building/Corporation Yard
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To: Honorable City Council, City Manager and Staff Page 2 of 5
From: Dr. Roseann Mikos
Date: August 5, 2025
RE: August 6, 2025 special meeting of the Moorpark City Council, Items 8A and 8B
• One of the upgrade phases (cannot remember which one) of the Arroyo Vista Community
Park Recreation Center Complex
• Ruben Castro Human Services Center
• High Street Arts Center and multiple ancillary buildings (to be linchpin of High Street
renovation/revitalization)
• maybe more.....
Additionally, during that same timeframe, we started planning the civic center complex which initially
we thought would allow two brand new buildings: the New Library and a New City Hall. After I left the
council, the then city council and staff realized that building TWO new buildings at the same time
would require more cash than we had in our reserves (due to higher projected costs give the economic
climate). So since the public wanted the library more than the city hall, at the civic center, we kept the
NEW library in the civic center plan and looked for another building for city hall (to replace the old
dilapidated city hall that was coming apart at the seams!).
The city bought a building on Science Drive for about $5-5.5 M, knowing it would need extensive
tenant improvements to become a viable city hall. Even still, it took way more time and way more
money to complete--to the tune of about $16M overall (about twice what they initially projected),
including the purchase AND the tenant improvements. (The building turned out to be in much worse
shape than you could tell from the first inspection.)
Nevertheless, even spending all that, that still left us enough cash to do the NEW library with our
special projects fund and a number of other funds (and grants) to place in the Civic Center, where it
belongs—all without jeopardizing the city’s long term financial future.
The city HAS the money to do this NEW library as proposed, WITHOUT having to deplete our
reserves as some people in the public right now are erroneously alleging (including, it seems, even
some members of this city council based on their comments at the July 16th meeting!).
I tell you this with 20 years experience on the CC after approving 20 consecutive city budgets and 20
consecutive CIPs. While I am not perfect, I think I understand this stuff better than most people do.
Your city council RIGHTLY did significant community outreach about the NEW Library and the whole
community got on board and voted for the (more expensive) Agrarian Design building and you already
voted to honor their wishes. It is too late to change to a cheaper design now since we cannot change
construction drawings to a cheaper design now. We are a VERY financially strong city that has
planned well to be able to afford this, and has set the stage to increase funds over time in the Special
Projects and other largely CIP funds. You can add new projects in the future to CIP but all those
buildings I mentioned could not be built in one year. Each one had to wait its turn. Other future
projects will have to wait their turns too.
Do not believe the naysayers who tell you that if you spend this money on the library now, you will
never be able to do anything else in the future for other desired projects. IT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE!
Maintenance Costs Vs. Capital Improvement Costs/Structural Deficit
Please do NOT confuse ongoing city maintenance costs with capital improvement costs, as many in
the public are now doing (on social media) based partly on some comments from some city
councilmembers at the July 16, 2025 city council meeting.
These two sets of costs are funded from entirely DIFFERENT funding sources. The NEW library has
nothing to do with the city’s structural deficit.
The structural deficit The Moorpark Acorn referred to (as I said) has nothing to do with CAPITAL
projects, but instead with ongoing regular expenses (not one time planned capital improvements like
the library). That structural deficit that is projected to happen in several years is in the General Fund (a
different fund for day to day expenses, not for capital projects) and relates primarily to 2 things (1) park
maintenance costs; and (2) landscaping and lighting assessment district costs.
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To: Honorable City Council, City Manager and Staff Page 3 of 5
From: Dr. Roseann Mikos
Date: August 5, 2025
RE: August 6, 2025 special meeting of the Moorpark City Council, Items 8A and 8B
Park assessment fees are paid partially by fees from residents (on their property tax bill) that only
pays about 20% of the actual ongoing park maintenance costs each year and city has to supplement
from general fund to pay the balance or else consider closing portions of parks or park programs
(which we have never yet done); or getting permission from voters to charge more to better cover
those costs (which we have not yet done).
When we became a city there were only a few parks and a low population of 7-9k people. Now we
have about 19 parks and about 35K in population. Each family only pays about $55 -$65 I think this
year toward park maintenance and the amount of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) allowed based on
the vagaries of the state law when our voters passed the park assessment district in 1999 does not
allow a large enough increase each year to cover the new costs — unless we went back to voters to
ask for an appropriate increase. Similarly, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that a fee that was
based on maintenance for 5-10 parks is not going to be able to pay for maintenance on 19 parks!
Landscape and lighting (LL) assessment district fees are to pay for the day-to-day upkeep of
landscaping in street medians, slopes, etc. and the maintenance of certain lights in all the different LL
district areas all over the city, of which there are dozens of them: some very old ones from beginning
of city and some newer based on new development.
For the oldest such districts: back then, due to state law then that forbid having ANY COLA
adjustments to compensate for higher costs over time, we are PROHIBITED (without a vote of the
people to raise the fees at all-without a new vote of the people!).
For newer LL districts, the others, they do allow some COLA but usually not enough COLA to cover
the real costs…again, unless the city goes out to voters and gets permission through a vote to charge
more, to get closer to the real costs that need to be paid. The city has been subsidizing the shortfall for
years from the general fund, as with the Park Maintenance fees.
Therefore, those who live in the oldest LL Districts in Moorpark pay the same annual assessment fee
for that now that was paid in mid 1980’s just after Moorpark became a city. That is not sustainable (for
either set of fees) and something needs to be done about it. But stopping the library WILL NOT FIX
THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT for either the Park Maintenance Fees or the LLD fees. It would be
fiscally irresponsible to use capital improvement funds for day-to-day expenses to run the city because
of I hope obvious reasons.
Over time, former city councils started trying to address this with carefully planned methods that would
inform the public about this by having a professionally moderated MONTHS LONG CONVERSATION
with the public to learn about the budget, the CIP, and funding sources and where we stand to have
THEM (the Public) help us decide how to address this. Twice during my tenure, once prior to the 2008
financial crisis and later I think near when the COVID crisis hit, we were poised to BEGIN that citywide
conversation but due the nationwide financial emergencies, we realized we had to delay those
conversations with the public to a future time.
Let me be clear: there is no way that you can fully educate the public about the city budget, the
CIP, and how to address a structural deficit in one single City Council meeting like the one you
are having on August 6, 2025. That would be IMPOSSIBLE. We still need to do it, as a city, but it
needs to follow similar guidelines that former city councils were starting to put in place but got stymied
in doing by national emergencies affecting our whole country.
It is technical and not simple to address these kinds of problems, but with continued planning and
respecting the public by having them join in on helping us solve this problem, we can do it! BUT
STOPPING THE LIBRARY NOW IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THAT PROBLEM.
Capital Improvement Program (Item 8A)
While the city council has the authority to change every project on the CIP at any time, it would not be
wise to make wholesale changes to the CIP at this time, given that you adopted it about ONE MONTH
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To: Honorable City Council, City Manager and Staff Page 4 of 5
From: Dr. Roseann Mikos
Date: August 5, 2025
RE: August 6, 2025 special meeting of the Moorpark City Council, Items 8A and 8B
AGO, unanimously. Having said that, the more financially prudent thing to do with it, respectfully, is
this (in my humble opinion):
• Direct staff to spend time in the next few coming months to flesh out in more detail ONE
project that in my opinion is the only one that needs a more detailed plan now for the next five
years than what was adopted. This is CIP Project #C0004 (Moorpark Ave. Widening Project).
This is a highly complicated multi-year project that will require an estimated 2-year
environment impact report to be done AND beginning plans and estimates, and likely a small
part of the construction, sooner rather than later—followed later by the rest. The whole project
is probably likely to take at least 5-10 years to fully complete.
Additionally, all the funding sources appearing on the current version of the plan for this
project are NOT PRESENTED! Years ago, the city negotiated and signed a settlement
agreement with one or more of the gravel mines north of the city so they wo uld have to
contribute funds to help compensate for the damage they did to Moorpark Ave. in Moorpark.
There is an estimated $1M -$2M of funding they have to pay us for this.
HOWEVER, the city has to show a certain level of progress at beginning this project PRIOR to
them having to give us their all of their contractually agreed upon payment(s). There is a
deadline by which if we do not complete sufficient progress toward doing certain parts of that
project, they could be “off the hook” to pay their agreed upon fees toward it. That year is some
time in the early 2030’s as I recall. You cannot wait till 2030 to begin doing something. That
would be too late. Staff can tell you when that is, but no matter what year it is, you need to
program out the next five years to 2030 now with better estimates.
In my opinion, that is the ONE project that you should direct the city engineer and other staff to
flesh out in the next several months so that we know what HAS to be done by when to NOT
lose that money, AND so that we can show the details for the next five years (through 2030)
based on better estimates than we have right now. This in on page 365 of the adopted CIP
from the June 18, 2025 CC Meeting. I have spent considerable time talking to our new
current city manager, in person, to inform him about this.
• Wait until the mid-year budget revisions for Year One of your adopted two-year budget to
consider any other adjustments to the CIP you may want to consider , following the normal
standard practices to look at these things approximately every six months, rather then try to
change everything only one month after you unanimously gave the whole CIP your “vote of
confidence” by adopting it on June 18, 2025! That means you would likely do that either the
2nd meeting in December 2025 or the 1st meeting in January 2026, or soon thereafter.
Conclusion, Recommended Next Steps
FIRST: Adopt all staff recommendations for Item 8B on the August 6, 2025 agenda item:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (ROLL CALL VOTE REQUIRED)
1. Approve the plans and specifications for the New Moorpark City Library Project; and
2. Award bid to AMG & Associates, Inc. for a total contract value of $29,901,300; and authorize City
Manager to sign the Agreement, subject to final language approval of the City Manager; and Authorize
City Manager to approve Change Orders up to the contingency amount of $2,718,300; and
3. Approve Agreement with Carl Kim Geotechnical for Geotechnical Inspection and Testing Services
for a fee of $280,860 plus a contingency of $18,000 for a total not to exceed fee of $298,860; and
authorize City Manager to sign the Agreement, subject to final language approval of the City Manager;
and
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To: Honorable City Council, City Manager and Staff Page 5 of 5
From: Dr. Roseann Mikos
Date: August 5, 2025
RE: August 6, 2025 special meeting of the Moorpark City Council, Items 8A and 8B
4. Approve Agreement with NV5, Inc for Special Inspection and Materials Testing for a total fee of
$132,603 plus a contingency of $13,000 for a total not to exceed fee of $145,603; and authorize the
City Manager to sign the Agreement; subject to final language approval of the City Manager; and
5. Adopt Resolution No. 2025-____, amending Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget by allocating $3,205,820
from the Special Projects Fund (3004) to fully fund the project.
SECOND: for Item 8a on the August 6, 2025 agenda item:
• Direct staff to spend time in the next few coming months to flesh out in more detail ONE
project that in my humble opinion is the only one that needs a more detailed plan now for the
next five years than what was adopted. This is CIP Project #C0004 (Moorpark Ave. Widening
Project ( SEE the details about this earlier in this letter).
• Wait until the mid-year budget revisions for Year One of your adopted two-year budget to
consider any other adjustments to the CIP you may want to consider , following the normal
standard practices to look at these things approximately every six months after they were
already adopted.
I apologize for the lengthy email, but it seemed that the history about all these issues has been left too
unexplained and I felt a responsibility to try to provide as much historical information and context as I
felt was needed.
Respectfully and Sincerely,
Roseann Mikos, Ph.D., Former Moorpark City Councilmember (2000-2020)
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From:Dave Yagers
To:City Council & City Manager
Subject:Moorpark Parks Pickleball community maintenance, repair and budget items necessary for safety, health and
environmental protection.
Date:Wednesday, August 06, 2025 1:32:02 PM
Dear Mayor Chris Enegren and all city council members, my name is Dave Yagers. I moved
to Moorpark three years ago and really enjoy Moorparks magnificence, great weather and
friendly people. I am retired from Metropolitan Water District of So Ca where I worked 32
years and was a Team Manager IV over a 16 person mechanical team. I was responsible for
billions of dollars of water treatment assets and had a multi million dollar annual budget to
balance and manage.
I play pickleball in Moorpark at all of the parks. The concerns and recommendations I would
like to point out are safety, health and environmental concerns.
Also one traffic concern about traffic lights that dont seem to have sensors for traffic. With
additional traffic growing in Moorpark we definitely need our traffic lights synchronized with
traffic congestion and patterns. Motorists and bicyclists are constantly waiting at red lights
without any cross traffic because of pre-timed traffic coordination. Roads like Moorpark Rd,
Lynn Rd, Hillcrest Drive, Rancho Conejo blvd and Avenida de Los Arboles and Thousand
Oaks blvd in Moorpark need more actuated control with either embedded loop sensors or
traffic sensing technology. Hopefully this is already budgeted for and in the works.
So with wildfire ashe being a major particulate safety breathing concern for all people at the
courts including high school athletes and coaches, cleaning of tennis/pickleball courts is more
of a necessity than a luxury. Ashe from wildfires has been linked to more risk for heart
attacks/strokes, reduced lung function and copd.
Wildfire ashe can contain asbestos, arsenic and other harmful contaminents. Outdoor
surfaces can be sufficiently cleaned with a machine that you walk behind. Outdoor surface
sweepers are available for rent or purchase if not already in the cities asset inventory.
If a library is about to be approved and built for 29 million with 6 million of secured grant
funding included, will there be any capital improvement money left or minor capital budget
money left on the table for any other smaller projects over the next 6 to 12 months? Budget
money for cleaning and repairing tennis/pickleball cracked courts?
Cracked playing surfaces lead to foundation undermining and tripping hazards for players,
high school athletes and others who visit our courts. No AEDs at any of our parks for heart
attack victims when neighboring cities have them to ensure safety for community park
participants and athletes. Poorly constructed temporary pickleball nets that do not play like
standard regulation net frames. Tennis players have these standard playing type nets but the
parks don't extend the same good quality net frames for pickleball community members. Alot
of these pickleball players are parents of the high school students and athletes and more and
more younger people are now coming to our parks to play pickleball because the younger
generation sees more opportunity in professional pickleball than professional tennis because
theres more money paid out in professionalpickleball now than tennis. Court surfaces and
lines will need maintenance and repairs frequently at all of the parks. Better regulation type
pickleball nets cost $1,500 to $1800 per net and 10 are needed at Arroyo Vista park and Miller
Park.
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1. At Arroyo Vista tennis courts/ pickleball courts there is no AED available for anyone at the
whole park area like there is in Camarillo at Bob Kildie community park.
2. At Arroyo Vista tennis courts/ pickleball courts there is no use of the nearby in building
bathrooms on weekends. This encourages outdoor bathroom activities in landscape areas etc.
On one occasion we had a player friend who was feeling ill and had to walk all the way to the
East bathrooms and we had to send people to check on him before calling an ambulance to
give him medical attention. If the building bathroom was available he would have had medical
attention sooner. He lived and had symptoms similar to a heart attack.
3. At Arroyo Vista tennis courts/ pickleball courts there appears to always be leaves, dirt and
dust making it more slippery and getting dirt airborne into the breathing zone of tennis and
pickleball players. There are floor machines that can be rented to clean outdoor surfaces to
eliminate these hazards similar to street sweepers but as a walk behind application. AED
recommended to be on-site with a cabinet with a combination lock. Currently there is a need
for six quality net frames at approximately $1400 x 6 = $8,400. Four permanent pickleball
courts are needed especially when 5 courts are frequently rented for lessons. A training ball
wall needs to be reinstalled and has been removed for an extended time.
4. At Tierra Rejada Park pickleball courts, the side fencing needs padding on the vertical posts
so when players hit live balls off court and hit the posts with their extremities they don't injure
themselves. I personally had an xray taken of my right ulna to see if it was fractured.
Bathrooms are far away from the courts and a porta bathroom near the East parking lot is
encouraged for health and safety. Net pull down straps need replacement on a 2 to 3 year
cycle. Expensive sound deadening materials there are not working and keep the courts
significantly warmer. Cracks on court surfaces have been evident for over 2 years. Court
surfaces also need a regular cleaning from dirt and leaves and debris. AED recommended to
be on site in a cabinet with a combination lock. Larger paddle saddle has been needed for
overflow days.
5. At Miller park pickleball net frames are inadequate and courts often need cleaning and
surfaces need maintenance and repairs. Net pull down straps need replacement on a 2 to 3 year
cycle. Resurfacing and new lines will be needed every few years. Court surfaces need a
regular cleaning from dirt and leaves and debris. AED recommended to be on site with a
cabinet with a combination lock. There is a need for four quality net frames at $1400 × 4 =
$5600.
Lastly I just want to say that libraries are a nice city facility that is used for many purposes
from educational purposes to cooling centers and also an emergency shelter among many
things. I personally have not gone to a library in over 40 years. Im just asking for some of the
funds to be reappropriated if possible for current and future pickleball/ tennis safety, health
and environmental maintenance and improvements. I understand how contractors can override
especially when they see what's available. I can and will support a library project that can
come within a budget especially if there is additional budget money for the pickleball/tennis
community. Thank you for your valuable time.
Thank you,
Dave Yagers
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From:steve lousen
To:City Council & City Manager
Subject:good afternoon, from Parks and Recreation Commissioner Steve Lousen
Date:Wednesday, August 06, 2025 4:37:24 PM
A tremendous thanks to all who put so much time, effort, diligence , cross checking, into all
these reports . Kudos !!!!
Its a big job and challenge in keeping Moorpark where it is today as we head to the future with
the capitol improvements as well as the new Library...Its not easy and with the funds available
its truly a challenge...
My concerns with the Library is the overall cost, while noting how things have gone up.. this
new Moorpark Library could be one of the most expensive to build in so cal and ventura
county. WE NEED A LIBRARY. Its important for our younger generations to come to learn
and grow from... but we have to be careful of the costs...and the future costs of maintaining
this facility.. etc etc
There are many projects that need to be done thru out the city especially with all our beautiful
parks .. The future youth sports, care facilities, an now the fastest growing sport in the USA
pickleball. While the AV multi courts , Miller courts and Tierra Rejada are always being
used, the number of people coming here to play just this sport is growing day by day... Its
amazing, and a new challenge as well..
suggestion with all the hard courts thru out Moorpark....please steam clean twice a year to
prevent injuries and liabilities, please staff the Av center for the weekends so the bathrooms
can be available, this has been a huge issue long before pickleball with the tennis players will
gladly chime in,.. this will go a long way in promoting pickleball tournaments that raise a lot
of money for the City of Moorpark and individual entities, ( thus new people to Moorpark,
visiting and spending monies )
Thanks all for those long hours...Feel free to contact me at anytime
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