Public, private sector dialogue at CLU




SPEAKING OF—From left, moderator Dena Jenson, director of CLU’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership, and city managers Andrew Powers of T.O., Alex Nguyen of Oxnard and Greg Ramirez of Agoura Hills. Courtesy of Brian Stetham/Cal Lutheran

SPEAKING OF—From left, moderator Dena Jenson, director of CLU’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership, and city managers Andrew Powers of T.O., Alex Nguyen of Oxnard and Greg Ramirez of Agoura Hills. Courtesy of Brian Stetham/Cal Lutheran

A panel of four city managers— from Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard and Ventura— gave insight last week into the inner trappings of city government and how the public might be best be served.

The city leaders spoke to more than 200 guests at the Cal Lutheran University Corporate Leaders Breakfast on Sept. 13 about the symbiotic relationship between the public and private sectors and how the two entities work together to solve issues of local importance.

Greg Ramirez, city manager for Agoura Hills, likened his job to being a CEO.

“The largest difference between the private and public sector is, instead of maximizing profits, as a city manager we manage scarce resources and balance budgets. . . . (The challenge) is, how do we deliver those resources to all the shareholders, our residents,” Ramirez said. “They all have opinions on how we should run the organization. The council’s role in establishing policy is extremely difficult, is challenging, and then executing those policies goes along with that.”

Thousand Oaks City Manager Andrew Powers said it’s important for city leaders to be aware of the many business start-ups and failures within their borders to ensure that each city’s economic base remains strong.

“Businesses are making decisions on a daily basis on whether to relocate, to grow, to reinvest in their campuses, and having your finger on the pulse of those needs and those changes and what role the city plays in making that an easier or more difficult process really does matter,” Powers said.

“Not just on an individual business but on all the small businesses that are supported by the salaries paid by those businesses,” he said. “That’s how you create a strong, vibrant local economy, is to ensure that you have a vibrant and diverse mix of businesses in your community.”

The panelists agreed that it’s important to take a regional approach to issues in the community, and that focusing solely on what happens inside one city’s borders does a disservice to the other municipalities around it.

In emergency situations, for example, public agencies must work together to protect property and residents who might land in harm’s way.

The Woolsey fire presented major challenges for Agoura Hills, and Ramirez said he was able to call upon Thousand Oaks for help.

“It was 1 a.m. and we had an assisted-living facility that needed to be evacuated, and it was very urgent. I was able to contact Andrew via cellphone and tell him I needed some buses in the next 20 minutes, and he made it happen,” Ramirez said.

“Having those kinds of relationships are paramount, and people’s lives in that case were at stake. That’s an example of great intergovernmental cooperation.”

The panelists agreed that philanthropy plays a major role in keeping a governments running smoothly.

Powers praised the Ventura County Community Foundation for raising funds for victims’ families in the wake of the Borderline shooting and then immediately starting another fund to help people who had been displaced by the Woolsey fire.

And Ramirez said that without nonprofit assistance, the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing would likely never get built.

The proposed $60-million, 200-foot-long land bridge over the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon will allow animals to cross the roadway safely.

“We’ve been working on that project with Caltrans and various nonprofits for years now. It’s in the design and fundraising phases. It’s moving forward. It’s proposed to be the largest wildlife crossing in the world, I believe,” Ramirez said. “I think it speaks to a larger issue, and that’s our ecosystem in this entire region. This project is a beacon for that.”

The discussion ended with the panelists offering advice on how local corporate leaders can keep their civic leaders engaged so that the broader community remains strong.

“ I understand government speak is often like speaking Greek, so utilize us to help interpret the different rules and regulations on how you can better actively participate in our communities,” Ramirez said.