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Out of the box

Questions Larry gets asked.

Some came in through the box. Larry writes every answer himself, and new ones go up as they arrive.

Every answer has a number and its own address, so you can send somebody one answer instead of the whole page, and so anything quoted from here can be read back in full. Nothing is edited after it goes up except to fix a typo.

  1. Ask LarryAnswer #22Answered September 7, 2026

    What would you do differently than Rachel?

    Larry says

    I’ve been sitting in the public seats at council meetings since 2020. What I’ve watched, over and over, is a staff recommendation, one question, and a vote. I’d ask the second question. Then the third one.

    That’s the difference, and it has nothing to do with caring about Ojai. It’s about what happens between the recommendation and the vote. What are we actually getting? What’s behind the numbers, and what happens if those assumptions are wrong? I want an answer that holds up, not an answer for the sake of having asked one.

    I spent forty years in commercial real estate and I have an MBA. You learn quickly that an attractive proposal and a good deal aren’t the same thing, and the only way to tell them apart is to do the homework and keep going until the justification stands up on its own.

    A lot of this is just arithmetic. Every dollar we put behind one priority is a dollar that isn’t there for another one, and somebody has to say that out loud before the vote instead of after.

    And when we try something, we ought to be able to say what it was for and whether it worked. Home hardening is the easy example: how many houses got ember-resistant vents that didn’t have them? At the end of the year that either happened or it didn’t. Approving something is the start of the job, not the end of it, and nobody should have to accept “staff recommended it, the council approved it” as the whole explanation.

    None of this is exciting. A resident told me they’d like the council to be boring. I knew exactly what they meant.

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  2. Ask LarryAnswer #26Answered September 16, 2026

    I would like a dog park within Ojai.

    Larry says

    I agree, and I would like one closer in too. Soule Park has a good one, but it sits on the edge of town.

    The first question is always what it costs, and my answer here is that I don’t think the city should buy property for a dog park. That doesn’t make sense to me.

    But before we decide we can’t do it, let’s look at what we already own. Is there a city parcel that isn’t being used for much of anything? Or private land where an easement or a power line makes almost any other use difficult? If we have a piece of non-performing dirt sitting there doing nothing, maybe we can put it to work for the community.

    This does not have to be a major project. Good fencing, double gates, water and a little shade go a long way.

    Look at the land we already have before we talk about buying more.

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  3. Ask LarryAnswer #24Answered September 15, 2026

    What is your viewpoint on the Tent Town tiny homes project?

    Larry says

    I want to be completely pragmatic about this, because the alternative is the attitude that got us here. Do it, it’s the right thing, damn the consequences, ignore the process, leave the details to management. We can do a thing for the right reason and still do it the right way.

    The obligation is real and I am not arguing with it. Tent Town went up on the City Hall parking lot, and taking care of those neighbors became this city’s responsibility. Moving people into a proper shelter was necessary.

    What I want people to see is what we signed up for. The city set aside two million dollars to operate it, five hundred thousand a year for four years. The plan for year five is that county or state money shows up. If it doesn’t, that cost lands on the Ojai budget permanently, and permanent costs don’t stay flat. Nobody has put the year five number in front of the public.

    Then there is how it was done. The Civil Grand Jury found the city did not run a fair and competitive selection process when it picked its development manager. Not once, twice: for the grant application in January 2024, and again for the contract in May 2025. Working through its written response in August, the council agreed.

    I don’t expect a council member to know procurement law. That is what a City Manager and a Community Development Department are for. But not knowing the rules is not the same as following them, and the council is the body that answers for it. Forty years in commercial real estate taught me what a project this size is supposed to look like. This one isn’t open yet and it already has a grand jury report attached to it.

    The fix is structural. I want an independent Grant Review Committee that reviews a grant before the city applies, for the long term consequences, the hidden costs and the operating obligation attached to it. A grant isn’t free money if it commits Ojai to millions in ongoing liability that never went in front of the public. And don’t expect staff, management or the council to do that on their own. Nobody wants to be the one who says in open session that this is a bad grant and here is why we shouldn’t apply.

    larryforojai.com/ask/24

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  4. Ask LarryAnswer #25Answered September 15, 2026

    What is your opinion about the old bowling alley property?

    Larry says

    It has been closed since the late nineties. Coming up on thirty years, empty, on the main road through town. That is bizarre, and it is worth asking why.

    The first question is the simple one, and I have not heard anybody ask it: what can go there by right? The city’s own housing site list already has the answer. The bowling alley is site 21, it is zoned General Commercial, and the city puts it at a maximum of twenty six units. The housing is allowed. That part is not in dispute. What the owner wants to do with it, and what we are willing to let happen, is.

    Here is where we have it backwards. We ask an applicant to spend a fortune on plans, studies and consultants before anybody will tell them whether the basic concept even works. There should be a way to have that conversation with the city first. If a project is allowed by right and the numbers work, let the market work. The moment somebody needs something the code does not allow, then it is on them to make the case to the community. That is the right order and we have it reversed.

    If residents decide they don’t want private development there, that is a fair answer and it is a different question. The city could buy it, or negotiate a long term lease, and put a senior center or a youth center there. But then we have to be honest about the rest of the sentence. Residents would be paying for it, and the operating cost goes into the city budget every year after that.

    I have been a commercial real estate professional for forty years and I still am. I have been involved in more than a thousand transactions like this one. The City Manager and the City Council should not be picking the winner before anybody knows what the market will support.

    So we have a choice. We can decide what we want on that corner and go get it, or we can keep it hard enough to do anything that the building is still sitting there in another thirty years. Decide what we want, what we can afford, and what we are actually willing to do about it.

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  5. Ask LarryAnswer #8Answered August 25, 2026

    You are known to be a supporter of Donald Trump. Is this true? If so, what policies of his do you support, and what do you disagree with? For many people, Trump is so repugnant that supporting him is disqualifying. I live in District 2.

    Larry says

    To answer your question directly: I do not disclose or debate my private ballot, nor do I believe national partisan litmus tests have a place in an Ojai City Council election. Preserving the principle of the secret ballot is essential to a healthy democracy, and evaluating candidates based on what they have to offer rather than national party lines is how we keep local government working for everyone.

    Council races here are nonpartisan under California law, and this council does not vote on national policy. It votes on the budget, the streets, the water, and whether this valley is ready for the next fire. That is the job I am asking you for.

    What I actually spend my time on is smaller than your question, and it is the reason I am running. A flashing beacon at the crosswalk on Ojai Avenue. Ember-resistant vents on the houses that still don’t have them. A budget a resident can read without help. Keeping Ojai a place a family can afford to stay in.

    District 2 doesn’t agree with itself about much, and I am asking to represent all of it. If that answer isn’t enough for you, I understand, and I may not be your candidate. I would rather say that plainly than talk around it. If you want to go through any of it in person, the coffee is on me.

    larryforojai.com/ask/8

    Answer #8 on its own page
  6. Ask LarryAnswer #20Answered September 6, 2026

    What do you think of taking over recreation side of Soule Park?

    Larry says

    I believe it would be a fantastic addition to our recreation facilities for our citizens, and we should definitely seize this opportunity.

    We need to be fully aware of our obligations and responsibilities so we will not be caught off guard. Before the city takes it over, it needs a complete understanding of the operating expenses, the deferred maintenance, and what is required for flood mitigation, creek bank stabilization, and stormwater management to protect park visitors and nearby property.

    We need to understand the water needs in the face of future strict water restrictions, groundwater constraints, and high water costs. Is there any infrastructure needed by the golf course or the park that is interconnected?

    Besides team sports using fields that will need to be developed, it could also be the new home of the Public Works yard.

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  7. Ask LarryAnswer #21Answered September 6, 2026

    What would you like to see on the 14 acres across from Nordhoff?

    Larry says

    I would like to see it as part of the Ojai park system. Ideally, a donation from the family, or a partnership with the Land Conservancy and other NGOs, with the city involved.

    The idea is to move quickly, as it could be sold to a developer or an investor.

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  8. Ask LarryAnswer #19Answered September 1, 2026

    What is one policy supported by Republicans that you think would be bad for Ojai?

    Larry says

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which established broad prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting within inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands. In the department’s own words, the intent is to reduce regulatory burden and return the management of these areas to the individual forest plans written under the National Forest Management Act.

    Rolling back the 2001 Roadless Rule could open parts of the Los Padres National Forest to road building and logging that have long been restricted.

    For Ojai, our priority must be wildfire protection. We cannot allow federal resources to go to backcountry extraction while the fuel breaks and forest management right next to our community wait. That is the question I want the city asking on the record, and it is the same reason I have been pushing for a dedicated, fully funded fire clearing and hardening budget at City Hall.

    From what I have read, if this rollback moves forward, Ojai and Ventura County should pursue Cooperating Agency status and the Good Neighbor Authority, so that forest management around Ojai prioritizes protecting our community from catastrophic wildfire. Cooperating Agency status is how a local government asks for a formal seat at the table when a federal forest plan is written. It is granted at the lead agency’s discretion, so we would have to ask for it and make the case for why Ojai belongs in the room. The Good Neighbor Authority is the tool that lets local crews do the actual brush clearing work on federal land, and in California it runs through the state and the county, so we would need Ventura County or CAL FIRE alongside us.

    You do not have to wait for the city to act on this. Anyone can file a comment with the Forest Service, and the comment period closes on September 21, 2026.

    larryforojai.com/ask/19

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  9. Ask LarryAnswer #18Answered September 1, 2026

    Your signs are appearing on the lawns of neighbors who support Trump. Are your politics in line with his?

    Larry says

    My priorities are strictly focused on Ojai. By California law, city council elections are strictly nonpartisan because the challenges we face at the local level aren’t partisan issues. I only care that residents are committed to preserving and protecting our town in the face of all the issues that threaten to change it.

    Going door-to-door, we talk about our fiscal viability, balancing tourism with the needs of actual residents, and aggressive fire safety so our town doesn’t turn to ashes. We also discuss infrastructure, youth activities, traffic, development of all kinds, and housing for our children.

    I welcome the involvement of any Ojai resident, regardless of their national party affiliation, who is willing to make the future of our town their top priority.

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  10. Ask LarryAnswer #9Answered August 30, 2026

    Does anyone on the City Council actually look at the consequences of taking grant money before staff applies?

    Larry says

    I have been going to City Council meetings for almost six years and I have not heard that happen. Every grant the city wants to apply for should be reviewed by the Council for the consequences of receiving it, before staff puts the application in.

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  11. Ask LarryAnswer #10Answered August 30, 2026

    What are your thoughts on Requests for Proposals that carry excessively high pre-qualification requirements?

    Larry says

    We need to ensure that RFPs have pre-qualifications that leave room for attracting qualified local applicants. Because that creates more competition, it should give us competition on price without sacrificing expertise.

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  12. Ask LarryAnswer #11Answered August 30, 2026

    What is your opinion on a vendor raising costs year to year when it was never negotiated in a multi-year contract?

    Larry says

    Any increase in invoices over the prior year should be reviewed, and any increase has to be justified with an acceptable reason. You don’t just pay it because asking your vendor is inconvenient and time consuming.

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    Answer #11 on its own page
  13. Ask LarryAnswer #12Answered August 30, 2026

    What do you do with ordinances the city cannot enforce but that are still in the manuals?

    Larry says

    I would take ordinances off the books that cannot be legally enforced. By their very existence they chill the public, because residents are left afraid they will be unfairly affected by them later.

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    Answer #12 on its own page
  14. Ask LarryAnswer #13Answered August 30, 2026

    Would you support a law that is written for the whole city but only reaches a small number of properties each year?

    Larry says

    I would not support an ordinance that reaches only a few dozen properties a year when the stated goal is the entire city. If the whole city is the intent, we need a mechanism that makes it faster, affordable, realistic, and, more importantly, attainable inside the time frame allotted. Anything less than that is perfunctory virtue signaling.

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  15. Ask LarryAnswer #14Answered August 30, 2026

    How do we keep the sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and drainage lines properly maintained and still cover critical community safety needs?

    Larry says

    Public Works needs a realistic, fully funded, dedicated budget with annual increases, one that cannot be cut unless there is a real crisis. Roads, sidewalks, drain lines, and the rest of it have to be maintained, upgraded, and replaced using the best practices Public Works identifies.

    The same dedicated approach has to apply to a fire clearing, mitigation, and fire hardening budget, including essentials like ember screens, and that money has to actually be spent doing the work, whether or not the cost is reimbursed by the property owner.

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    Answer #14 on its own page
  16. Ask LarryAnswer #15Answered August 30, 2026

    What is your position on the Channelkeeper lawsuit?

    Larry says

    The only real position is whether we stay in and keep paying, or drop out and stop paying. The Ventura River Watershed Adjudication website says it plainly: “Failing to participate in this lawsuit could have a significant adverse effect on any right to pump or store groundwater that you may have.” I have not done a deep dive into the legal filings or read through every official court notice, but the previous Council got us involved in this for a reason, right or wrong, and from what I have read and understand, walking away is not a neutral choice.

    I have talked with people who follow this closely. The bottom line seems straightforward. The court is going to make decisions that affect water rights across the watershed whether we are participating or not. Walking away does not make the issue disappear, it means giving up some of our ability to influence the outcome and advocate for Ojai. It comes down to weighing the real consequences of dropping out to stop the legal bills against staying in, paying the costs, and arguing for what is best for the city. We need to know what control we would be giving up, and what the cost burden actually is.

    larryforojai.com/ask/15

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  17. Ask LarryAnswer #16Answered August 30, 2026

    What will we do with the pending lawsuit regarding Leslie Rule?

    Larry says

    Regardless of how we are involved, I favor settling the lawsuit to stop the financial drain and restore mutual respect on the Council, provided we update any municipal policies and account for the legal precedents involved. If the Council continues spending instead, leadership needs to give taxpayers all the reasons why prolonging that spending is better for the city than settling. Then maybe my opinion changes.

    Going forward, I expect direct, proactive, unreserved guidance from the City Attorney to make sure our legal strategy genuinely safeguards public funds and prevents future liability.

    larryforojai.com/ask/16

    Answer #16 on its own page
  18. Ask LarryAnswer #17Answered August 30, 2026

    How can the city end up in fewer lawsuits?

    Larry says

    I am not an attorney, but from my own experience and from listening to lawyer friends, two things are clear. You can never completely stop somebody from filing a lawsuit. And if the city follows the rules and engages with people before a dispute escalates, we should be able to reduce our legal exposure. A few of the measures they gave me:

    Strict adherence to the Brown Act.

    Pre-litigation mediation, to try to resolve a dispute before it becomes a case.

    Code and permitting standards that are unambiguous, defensible from the facts, consistent, and predictable.

    Contract oversight, where procurement rules are followed, every dollar is tracked, and dispute resolution and indemnification are spelled out.

    Independent legal and business review of high risk ordinances before they are approved.

    Human resources protocols with clear, tiered discipline, neutral grievance channels, and strong anti-retaliation and whistleblower protections for city staff.

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  19. Ask LarryAnswer #7Answered August 22, 2026

    Who won the 2020 presidential election?

    Larry says

    I know why you are asking me this, and this is what I will tell you: I believe Joe Biden won the 2020 election and I believe Donald Trump won the 2024 election. I have voted for Democrats and Republicans and cannot say that at this point in time I feel completely aligned with any national political party. I am a registered independent who wants to focus my time and energy on making Ojai a better place for us all. I will vote for issues based on their merit rather than their alignment with political parties.

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  20. Ask LarryAnswer #5Answered August 11, 2026

    What do you honestly think about the permanent supportive housing project?

    Larry says

    My problem isn’t the intent. The need is real, and we have a responsibility to it. My problem is the process. How was the site chosen? How was the funding approved, and when? What did the public get to see before the vote, and how long did they have with it? Asking how a decision got made is not the same as trying to undo it.

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    Answer #5 on its own page
  21. Ask LarryAnswer #6Answered August 11, 2026

    What is your position on short-term vacation rentals?

    Larry says

    I support keeping the ordinance we have. A house on a residential street should be a home for somebody who lives here. I’m not looking to reopen that, and I wouldn’t vote to weaken it.

    larryforojai.com/ask/6

    Answer #6 on its own page
  22. Ask LarryAnswer #1Answered August 1, 2026

    Are you against tourism?

    Larry says

    The opposite. Our weekends pay for our weekdays, and I’m grateful for every visitor. I want them to keep coming, and I want the people who live here to be able to park downtown on a Saturday. Finding that balance is the job.

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    Answer #1 on its own page
  23. Ask LarryAnswer #2Answered August 1, 2026

    You’ve only been here nine years. Why should we send you to City Hall?

    Larry says

    Nine years, nearly every council meeting since 2020, a commission seat, CERT, the library, the schools, the Scouts. I didn’t just move here. I moved in.

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    Answer #2 on its own page
  24. Ask LarryAnswer #3Answered August 1, 2026

    Why won’t you argue with people online?

    Larry says

    Because I’d rather answer you myself than in a comment thread. Put it in the box and you’ll get a real answer, out loud, from me.

    larryforojai.com/ask/3

    Answer #3 on its own page
  25. Ask LarryAnswer #4Answered August 1, 2026

    What’s the fastest thing you’d change about how the city runs?

    Larry says

    Post the agendas one day earlier. Right now they land too late in the week to make the paper before the meeting, so people read about a decision after it’s made. Moving the post date costs nothing and changes who gets to show up.

    larryforojai.com/ask/4

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