Thousand Oaks Residents Weigh in on Public Works Projects

The city of Thousand Oaks, a planned community just north of Los Angeles, is known for low crime rates, high property values, and of course, their many oak trees. According to deputy public works director Jay Spurgin, "T.O.," residents are regularly asked to weigh in on planning public works projects. Spurgin shared some recent examples of how the city is reaching out to solicit educated public input while planning neighborhood improvement projects.

• A street widening project designed to alleviate traffic congestion has engaged affected residents in public meetings with city staff to work together on specific design elements. At these meetings, city staff explained the project to people living on the streets involved, showed some possible design layouts, and solicited input on design elements such as the best way to reposition driveway layouts.
• Another recently completed traffic project was shaped by the input of residents who participated in a community dialogue in 2005. A stretch of Borchard Road with a steep grade had been built with a temporary "K Rail" barrier to prevent head-on collisions. This rail was meant to eventually be replaced with a more permanent landscaped median and guardrail. In order to see what resident priorities and ideas were regarding this project, a well publicized two hour meeting was held at a public library. City staff made sure to promote the event widely and to make sure that newer residents as well as more established residents were involved. Over 40 residents were presented with ten different design alternatives at this meeting. They were able to ask questions of city staff and discuss the merits and drawbacks of each alternative.

Public works staff took notes of the majority and minority opinions expressed during the meeting, and made a report to the city manager and the city council with recommendations based on the group consensus. As a result, the city council decided to choose a rustic timber guardrail that was more expensive, but also more aesthetically pleasing to residents. Spurgin says that his department has gotten a lot of positive feedback about the new guardrails.

Although these examples of traffic improvement projects are relatively minor and mundane examples of decisions that city staff face, they illustrate a pattern of public involvement in local government. Perhaps this kind of inclusive decision making has contributed to the development of a scenic and peaceful community that was recently rated one of the best places to live in America by Money Magazine.

For more information, contact Jay Spurgin, City of Thousand Oaks Deputy Public Works Director: jspurgin@toaks.org or 805-449-2444.