B
y Manuel Herrera
Let’s let the truth be told! “DO NOT” let the city lie to you! They have been presented with an offer that meets their requirements. We, the Oxnard PACC board of directors in partnership with Lance Sterling, a well respected promoter and owner of many successful venues including the Canyon club in Agoura, have presented a proposal to the city manager that does not require a subsidy from the city and will allow the PACC to flourish.
Unfortunately, and for whatever unknown reason, this city manager refuses to look at other options. Let’s not forget that since day one as city manager, his goal was to close the PACC but the people spoke up in force and did not allow it. For him to call our historic gem a lemon shows you where his heart is and how disconnected he is with our community… It’s time to rise up again.
Let it also be known that it was city staff who was running the PACC all these years and they are the ones that mismanaged it, not our board of directors. For the last six months since we, the board of directors and our very own staff, have had 100% control of the PACC, we have had many sold out events and we will actually show a profit at the end of December.
So why won’t this city manager allow us to continue our success? Better yet, why doesn’t our city council challenge our city manager and staff and why do they blindly follow him and are afraid of questioning him? He works for them, they don’t work for him.
This fight isn’t over and it’s time for the people to rise again and hold our officials accountable for yet another disastrous decision… I will keep you all posted as to our next step and will ask you once again to unite with us and force them to make the right decision.
We are asking the Citizens of Oxnard to call/email the City Council and Mayor to NOT close the PACC and to accept the operating proposal. Please come to the 12/17 Council meeting to show your support and speak in the Items Not on The Agenda section.
Manuel Herrera is a board member of the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center, founder of Citizens for a Better Oxnard and also a lifelong resident/local civic activist
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What is it with the city of Oxnard? First they run off Amazon who would have provided a lot of jobs, property tax base and support for supplier companies. Then they decide to ignore a proposal to keep PACC open and fulfilling its function, to provide an entertainment forum to the citizens of Oxnard, perhaps exposing them (heaven forbid) to art forms they had not previously experienced, thus widening their appreciation of more than what one finds on the commercial airwaves. I won’t write what I think of the way they are running the city because it involves vulgar language.
Looks like some Citizens have convinced them to give the proposal a hard look. The City Mgr is working hard to eliminate hemorrhaging of cash by things like this. But, if the proposal is viable, it would eliminate subsidies.
Although I am a resident of Port Hueneme I have enjoyed many events at PACC and agree it is a vital part of the greater Oxnard community.
Read the article on 12-17 city council meeting. There is hope.
Some years ago Mayor Flynn wanted to turn this land over to the high school district. Maybe he still holds that dream and the City Manager is a willing scapegoat. The site was gifted to the people of Oxnard to provide for the people’s entertainment, the only area like it here in our city, and if the people have come up with a workable plan then it should be tried. The City exists for the people, not the other way round.
We have asked City Mgr. Alex Nguyen to provide a response. Will keep readers advised of what we learn.
Mayor Flynn told us he’s aware that there’s a proposal, doesn’t know much about it, wouldn’t opine, doesn’t know the status, said it’s the city mgr’s responsibility, thinks that the PACC will be shutting down “on schedule,” which he thought was January. He was concerned about the city bleeding cash on the PACC and did not seem to be aware that it was described by Herrera as a no-subsidy proposal. We have not seen the proposal.