City of Westlake Village has door-to-door collection of hazardous waste products
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

A door-to-door hazardous waste removal program is something Thousand Oaks residents only dream about, but Westlake Village Mayor Susan McSweeney reminded her citizens that their city already has such a program.

"Just call, then put out computers, computer screens, paint and other things collecting in your garage that you've been thinking, 'What am I supposed to do with that?' and they'll take it," McSweeney said.

She and Thousand Oaks City Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña recently spoke to members of the Westlake Joint Board of Homeowners Associations.

McSweeney also mentioned that the city is spending $600,000 to update parks and is close to passing an ordinance to prohibit smoking at parks.

Sites for a farmers' market in Westlake Village are being considered, she said.

"People love fresh food and flowers and the feeling of community a farmers' market brings," she said.

Then she brought a message from the sheriff's department. "Almost all crimes in our city are crimes of opportunity," she said.

That means they can be prevented with locked doors- locked car doors, closed garage doors, she said.

Also, if anyone spots someone who looks suspicious, they should call the police. In Thousand Oaks or Westlake Village, the police appreciate citizens who call to report suspicious characters, she said.

"They'll come out and say, 'What are you doing?' No one gets their feelings hurt, and it keeps us safer," she said.

Bill-de la Peña was asked about development of Lang Ranch park. A joint board member wanted to know if the Conejo Recreation and Parks Department had to approach the city like a commercial development to get approval before a project is built.

The council member explained that the parks department is its own entity, like Conejo Valley Unified School District, and works with the city out of courtesy and a long-established spirit of cooperation. Still, the city is not "over" the parks department.

"They own the land and can do whatever they want to do," Bill-de la Peña said.

Another person asked if Thousand Oaks ever considered passing a no-smoking ordinance for outdoor areas, and she responded that the city hadn't considered that.

The city, Bill-de la Peña said, has prohibited smoking in 50 percent of low-income government housing apartments and will consider increasing that figure to 100 percent.

The Sunrise Senior Living builder who has proposed developing the old Westlake Village hospital site presented a slide show. Sunrise would consist of 170 independent living units with social activities, transportation, meals and other services offered to seniors.

The Westlake Joint Board consists of about 40 member homeowner associations representing more than 7,500 homes. It meets at the North Ranch Community Center, 1400 N. Westlake Blvd.

Cathy Schutz of the Westlake North Homeowners Association is president.