Fox is the point man for residents of mobile homes

By Nancy Needham  nancy@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers MOBILE HOMEOWNER'S JOB IS ALSO HIS HOBBY--Jose Ambriz takes a break from doing yardwork to show the garden in front of his Newbury Park mobile home. Ambriz has lived at the park for about five years. He's happy there and hopes that he won't be forced to move. The faces of concerned parents of babies and schoolchildren and the sadness in the eyes of World War II and Vietnam War veterans and others in the crowd of 200 that filled city hall before Christmas may have moved the City Council to put Councilmember Andy Fox in charge of negotiating their future.

However, the faces in that crowd haven't had any effect on getting anyone to call Dan Douglas, president of the Conejo Mobile Home Park homeowners association.

Fox, City Attorney Amy Albano and Assistant City Manager Linda Pappas Diaz went to the mobile home park on Dec. 28 for what Pappas Diaz referred to as an informal meeting to get to know the area. No other meetings are currently scheduled with park residents.

She said illness and vacations for city officials during December were reasons more hadn't been done on the mobile home park issue that's scheduled for discussion again at the Jan. 22 City Council meeting. Pappas Diaz said she met with the residents she knew and wasn't familiar with Dan Douglas and didn't know how to contact him.

"They're so full of it. I've spoken about a half a dozen times at City Council meetings and left my phone number every time," Douglas said. "I've also shaken hands and left my card with City Council members and called and left messages for every City Council member. The city has also sent me letters as the homeowners association president."

He said he's repeatedly left messages for Fox, who hasn't returned any of his calls.

Penny Mayou, a Conejo Mobile Home Park resident for 26 years and Conejo Valley resident for 35 years, was present when Fox, Albano and Pappas Diaz came to the park.

She was surprised the meeting wasn't more positive after what she'd heard at the City Council meeting, Mayou said.

Mobile home owners had come on a cold, rainy night to the Dec. 18 council meeting during which a city staff report recommended options that council members said they found unacceptable.

"We have a problem with all the options we have before us," said newly sworn-in Mayor Jacqui Irwin at the meeting.

Solutions such as equity sharing, the city purchasing the property with redevelopment money, the city assisting in negotiations between owners and residents and other detailed and creative options needed to be explored, council members said.

Council members voted 5-0 that staff recommendations were unacceptable and sent the issue back to the staff for work, with Councilmember Andy Fox taking the lead in opening formal discussions with residents, owners and city representatives.

"I'm not sure Andy Fox is on board with what the City Council said when we were all there," Mayou said.

Fox didn't return phone calls about this article.

The council plans to revisit the issue that also affects the neighboring Conejo Mobile Home Park, 1200 Newbury Road; and Elms Plaza Mobile Home Park, 1262 Newbury Road, at its Jan. 22 meeting.

A decision on the fate of two other mobile home parks--the Crestview, at 53 N. Conejo School Road, and Twin Palms, at 198 Skyline Drive--was also delayed.

Those who'd like to be included in the mobile home park discussion may call Pappas Diaz at (805) 449-2121 or e-mail her at lindappd@toaks.org.