City staff to move into former courthouse
City Hall too crowded, officials say
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

As Camarillo grows, so does the city's staff.

With City Hall filled to capacity, nearly a dozen city employees are expected to begin working in the former Camarillo Courthouse on Ventura Boulevard in Old Town by July. It will cost about $83,000 to make the building ready for occupancy.

According to Richard Petropulos, the city's director of general services, a majority of the workers expected to move already work in the area, so it will be a change of necessity and convenience.

"It's a good space for us to use temporarily," Petropulos said.

Even though she approved the move, Mayor Charlotte Craven thinks City Hall needs to be expanded once again. Built in 1976, the building on the corner of Carmen and Ponderosa drives has been renovated three times in 22 years to accommodate a growing staff, Craven said.

"I want to be assured over and over again that this move would be temporary," she said. "Coming up very quickly, (city staff) needs to present to us plans to do something permanent with the employees. . . . I don't want to set up shop at the courthouse and stay there for years and years."

Last year, Camarillo bought the courthouse for $1.14 million from Ventura County, which vacated the building on March 15.

Four days later, the city performed a walkthrough of the facility, built in 1965, and found it to be in good condition.

Basic services such as phone lines, data switches, furniture and other working equipment will be put in place to prepare the building for city staff. Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long is expected to retain some office space.

Craven and fellow council members want to renovate or tear down the courthouse and build a community theater to complement the recently redeveloped strip of stores along Ventura Boulevard in Old Town.

"We've worked hard to redo that area," Craven said. "I feel that a theater would bring people in at night. It would help restaurants that are down there, and it would certainly be a nice venue for residents of Camarillo to be able to attend musicals and plays here, instead of going to Ventura or Thousand Oaks or even Los Angeles and Santa Barbara."

Before the City Council takes any action, however, it wants to discuss possible changes with the Pleasant Valley School District, which owns nearby property formerly known as Los Primeros Structured School. Los Primeros closed last June.

"They're going to work with us when they're ready," Councilmember Mike Morgan said. "We've been talking about a live theater for the last couple of years. We decided a long time ago to bring a cultural aspect that's needed in Old Town."

A temporary move of employees was discussed during a Feb. 6 goals meeting. At that time, City Manager Jerry Bankston expected the city to add staff in three to five years. There are currently 101 people in City Hall, including 83 employees and five council members. City employees also work at the corporation yard on Glenn Drive, the sanitation plant on Howard Road and the Camarillo Library on Las Posas Road.