City Of Moorpark: Moorpark, Simi Valley, And Thousand Oaks Awarded $98,975 In State Emergency Planning Grant Funding

Press release from the City of Moorpark:

August 11, 2021

The Cities of Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks are pleased to announce they have been awarded $98,975 in grant funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development toward emergency management, planning, and public safety projects.  The three cities had jointly prepared an application for the competitive grant in January as part of the state’s $22.4 million Resilience Planning and Public Services Program.

“Public safety remains a top priority for all communities, and the City of Moorpark embraces this public safety partnership with Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks and looks forward to the full execution of this grant funded public safety program,” Moorpark Mayor Janice Parvin said. 

Over the past several years, these three Cities and the County of Ventura have been impacted by the Thomas Fire, Easy Fire and Woolsey Fire, in addition to ongoing wind events that have resulted in frequent Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). “Keeping all three cities safe and prepared takes cooperation and vision. Simi Valley is proud of this partnership,” Simi Valley Mayor Keith L. Mashburn said. 

In response to a multi-jurisdictional need, the Cities of Moorpark, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks partnered to submit an emergency management grant application that includes the following:

• Creation and implementation of a regional evacuation plan and procedures, including training for City and partner agency staff.
• Implementation of a bilingual public outreach emergency preparedness campaign.  

“The jurisdictional boundaries should never limit the efficient use of resources and equipment needed to keep residents of all three cities safe,” noted Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Mayor of Thousand Oaks. The $98,975 in awarded grant funds will be shared evenly between the three cities, with the City of Moorpark serving as the Fiscal Agent. 

This press release was produced by the City of Moorpark. The views expressed here are the author’s own.