Mayor says city has a fresh new spirit of cooperation

The state of the city is great and the future looks bright, thanks to a team effort by council members, management and staff, and others who've worked together to accomplish their goals, according to Mayor Dennis Gillette.

The mayor spoke to a sell-out crowd of more than 260 people during the annual "State of the City" address at the Los Robles Greens banquet center. The annual event was hosted by the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce.

His 40-minute presentation, accompanied by a PowerPoint slide show, was attended by leaders of the community and others who paid $49 each to dine on salad, chicken, vegetables and cheesecake and hear how the city is doing.

"I spoke longer than I usually do because we've had so much success developing and executing strategies to meet our objectives and goals," Gillette said after the event.

He focused on the spirit of collaboration and how it's absolutely necessary for the city and all the institutions, public and private, to come together in a cooperative environment, he said.

During the address Gillette applauded how well the council works together.

"With our different experiences and unique skill sets, we come together on Tuesday nights to share perspectives to form one cohesive body where consensus, cooperation and good policy making depend upon maintaining a team effort," Gillette said.

He was also positive about the "new team" of city executives: City Manager Scott Mitnick, City Attorney Amy Albano, Assistant City Manager Linda Pappas Diaz, Police Chief Dennis Carpenter, Fire Division Director Mike LaPlant, Public Works Director Mark Watkins and City Clerk Linda Lawrence, who all were placed in their positions within the last two years.

"At this time, the city's executive team is solid, cohesive and working very well together to implement City Council's direction," Gillette said.

A 22,000-square-foot library expansion, a low crime rate, open-space preservation and an open and responsive government were included in the city's accomplishments over the past year, he said.

Recently protected open space, he said, includes the Mount Clef Ridge acquisition that kept a vital wildlife corridor safe, 20 acres in the Vallecito area and 5 acres near Wildwood Park.

Neighborhood issues not yet resolved, such as the Lynn Road traffic and noise problems, and groundwater seepage on Kevin Street and surrounding areas, were mentioned as examples of how officials are working with residents and other government agencies for long-term solutions.

The partnership between California Lutheran University and the city to complete improvements at the campus and enhance the quality of life in Thousand Oaks was also noted.

Businesses working side by side with the city to improve Thousand Oaks Boulevard is another example of how the city is working with others to make improvements that will be appreciated in the future, Gillette said.

Already, Thousand Oaks Boulevard brings in 11 percent of the city's $29 million in annual sales tax revenues. The Oaks mall brings in 9 percent. The auto mall was given credit for one-third of the city's annual sales tax revenues, he said.

Though the mayor warned sales tax revenue might be leveling off, the plan to build a Costco store and gas station in Newbury Park would be helpful, he said. There are also plans to build a shopping center in the long-empty former Home Depot site in Newbury Park, Gillette said.

He also noted that Hyatt Westlake Plaza has proposed improvements that include adding 64 rooms and a 10,000-square-foot ballroom. Those proposals will be going before the planning commission.

"It was so interesting to hear about the city's goals that have been met and their plans for the future," said Jan Smith, governmental and economic development manager for the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce.