Green Party of Ventura

VC GREENS LOCAL POLICY STATEMENT (Draft)

The Green Party of Ventura County advocates the following local policies to be adopted across the county of Ventura:

1. Responsible Growth We envision a slow and responsible growth rate for Ventura County. New development must pay its own way, including costs of additional maintenance on existing infrastructure. Cooperative housing models, such as co-housing, which allow efficient sharing and conservation of resources, should be investigated and given practical incentives by the County government [the County].

2. Affordable Housing We encourage the county and all cities in the county to establish affordable housing construction and retention goals; to expand development of federal, state, and local subsidies for affordable housing construction; to require that the pricing of homes in all new multiple housing developments reflects the rental or purchasing ability of existing Ventura County residents. We encourage the county to streamline the building permit application process and minimize fees for affordable housing projects.

3. Neighborhood Associations We encourage the formation of Neighborhood Associations, the expansion of membership in such Associations to all residents in a region, and active dialogue between these Associations and the County.

4. Energy We urge the County to begin the formation of a Municipal Utility District to curtail ongoing cartel manipulation and to establish the greater use of renewable resources. We encourage the County and all cities in the county to commit to targets and programs for energy conservation, energy efficiency, and use of electricity generated from renewables, and to implement a progressive schedule for fueling the County vehicle fleet with natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells or electricity.

5. Community Based Economics We support the establishment and development of locally owned businesses, particularly cooperatives, worker-owned collectives, community-based non-profits, and environmentally sound independent businesses. We support the publication of a local independent business directory. We encourage the County and all cities within the county to promote local business with measures such as reduced taxes or discount bidding preferences for county contracts.

6. Living Wages We encourage the County and all cities within the county to pass a Living Wage Ordinance, which would give preference to companies that pay living wages to their employees.

7. Ethical Investments We encourage the County and all cities within the county to develop and practice an investment policy that includes social and environmental screening: At minimum, no nuclear, tobacco, or sweatshop-related industries.

8. Ethical Purchasing We encourage the County and all cities within the county to develop a social and environmental purchasing policy similar to that of the City of Santa Monica.

9. Social Support We ask the County and all cities within the country to provide affordable support services and early intervention programs to individuals and families struggling with domestic violence and mental illness. We strongly support treatment programs over incarceration for non-violent drug offenders.

10. Land Management We ask the County and all cities within the county to support sustainable forest and land management practices with particular attention to the restoration and maintenance of species diversity, habitat and water quality. There are 69 endangered species in Ventura County.

11. Waterway Preservation We encourage the County to adopt measures to protect natural waterways and watershed from erosion and from biological and chemical pollutants. We oppose further construction of dams on the County's rivers. We support the establishment of salmon spawning runs to the Ventura River and the ultimate dismantling of the Matilija Dam as soon as possible.

12. Air Quality We encourage the County and all cities within the county to adopt the following measures to safeguard air quality: Set air pollution standards for local industry; Limit use of wood burning stoves (unless it is a home's only heat source) when particulate air pollution exceeds state or federal standards; And establish educational and practical programs to encourage the gradual replacement of outdoor burning with chipping and composting.

13.Transportation Planning We encourage the County and all cities within the county to formulate an efficient transportation plan. To minimize urban sprawl, we encourage the construction of compact, integrated business and residential communities within already developed zones; to require development in new locations to subsidize mass transit to those areas; and to fund the expansion of the County's bicycle lane system.

14. Campaign Finance and Electoral Reform We support campaign finance reform which would limit contributions to candidates for Board of Supervisors and City Councils to $100 per individual with no business or PAC contributions. We ask the County to implement democratic electoral systems such as Instant Runoff Voting, and to model these in internal decision-making processes.