Thank you for taking the time to email me regarding Main Street Moves. I truly appreciate hearing your perspective. I know this is an issue that many people care deeply about, and I want you to know that I am listening to voices on all sides of the conversation.

My position is this: I believe we need to have an open and honest public conversation about the future of Main Street.

I have heard from many residents who love the current pedestrian-only experience and want it to remain as it is. I have also heard from a growing number of businesses and property owners who are concerned about the long-term economic impacts. Currently, there are nearly 90 businesses and over 50% of affected property owners asking that we revisit the issue. At the same time, downtown sales tax revenue has been down over multiple quarters, and there is currently no identified funding source for the estimated cost of fully completing the long-term Main Street project.

To me, this is exactly why dialogue is important.

Good governance means we should not avoid difficult conversations. We need to be willing to bring people together, listen respectfully, look honestly at the data, and have a transparent discussion about what is working, what is not, and what the best path forward may be for our downtown and our community.

Having a public conversation does not mean the outcome is predetermined. It simply means we are willing to listen, ask questions, and work toward a thoughtful solution together.

Thank you again for reaching out and for caring about our city.

Blessings,

Jim Duran
Council Member - District #6
City of Ventura

[Note: The Change.org Civic Engagement Team reaches out to decision makers to let them know about petitions in their community and to help facilitate engagement with supporters. The above was an email response we received regarding this petition.]