City Council approves paying for economic analysis of proposed prison hospital
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

The Camarillo City Council unanimously approved last week spending as much as $50,000 on an economic analysis of the proposed maximumsecurity prison hospital just outside Camarillo city limits.

The economic analysis comes on the heels of the city's approving an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and sending a formal letter to Federal Receiver J. Clark Kelso that clearly states Camarillo's opposition to the proposed $1-billion, 1,500-bed prison hospital, which could begin construction as early as 2009.

"This economic analysis is important to see how the change from one kind of institution to another would impact this area, not just the city of Camarillo," Mayor Charlotte Craven said.

The Ventura County Youth Correctional Facility currently sits on the site where the federal prison could be built.

In the economic analysis, The Natelson Dale Group, Inc. will assist the city in examining economic issues regarding the effects of the facility including property values, housing market impacts, labor market effects, urban decay, land availability concerns, and the potential costs relating to displacement of existing Department of Corrections facilities.

"There are economic issues (including) declining home value, restriction of future uses in the area, declining agriculture—all of these will be taken into account," City Manager Jerry Bankston said.

Bankston estimated that 75 to 100 visitors will go to the facility each day. He also said the government would not compensate the city or its citizens for any financial hardship in case the facility is constructed.

According to Bankston, the Natelson group has worked for neighboring cities Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard and Ventura.

Kelso has been charged with reforming California's prison healthcare system by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson. The receiver's office will try to build seven facilities with $8 billion— Kelso has already begun the EIR process with sites in Stockton and San Diego. Camarillo is third on the list, but no action has been taken so far.