Water reliability
Groundwater sustainability, local supply, and infrastructure updates.
CoLAB newsroom
Policy updates, advocacy, and media coverage — all in one place.
Stay ahead of the decisions shaping Ventura County. We track what changes, why it matters, and how to respond.
Water
Housing
Energy
Environment
Land Use
Featured now
July 31, 2024
Leave groundwater management to local water experts
Why local agencies should remain at the center of groundwater management decisions.
April 17, 2024
Fillmore Gazette: Ventura needs reliable water supply
Highlighting the need for durable statewide water infrastructure and local resilience.
November 16, 2023
Help Shape the Vision of the 2020 General Plan Update
Public input opportunity for the County’s Vision and Guiding Principles questionnaire.
Newsroom essentials
Need a quick connection?
Reach the right team fast, then stay connected with the latest briefs.
Issue radar
The beats we track every week.
CoLAB connects leaders across Ventura County so members know how policy decisions intersect.
Housing + land use
Permitting pathways, ag protections, and smart growth decisions.
Energy + environment
Regulatory shifts, cost impacts, and environmental compliance.
Regional economy
Business resilience, workforce policy, and local competitiveness.
Latest updates
Filter by focus.
Find policy updates, event notes, and media items.
July 31, 2024
Leave groundwater management to local water experts
Why local agencies should remain at the center of groundwater management decisions.
Read more
April 17, 2024
Fillmore Gazette: Ventura needs reliable water supply
Highlighting the need for durable statewide water infrastructure and local resilience.
Read more
November 16, 2023
Help Shape the Vision of the 2020 General Plan Update
Public input opportunity for the County’s Vision and Guiding Principles questionnaire.
Read more
July 31, 2019
General Plan Agriculture Element Violates SOAR and the Agriculture Guiding Principle
Concerns about the Agriculture Element conflicting with SOAR and guiding principles.
Read more
December 12, 2018
Agriculture, SOAR and the General Plan Update
When the County SOAR ordinance was passed in 2016, the voters were assured through glossy mailers that the purpose was to "save agriculture" and…
Read more
December 12, 2018
Ojai Valley MAC Subject to New Dark Sky Regulations
In a process beginning at the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC), the County Planning Division proposed new regulations to restrict outdoor nighttime lighting…
Read more
December 12, 2018
Wishtoyo overstates claims in lawsuit against United
Environmental groups quickly declared victory in a recent U.S. District Court ruling over United Water Conservation District's operations at the Vern Freeman Diversion. However,…
Read more
October 16, 2018
Outdoor event ordinance improved through CoLAB engagement
The County of Ventura has imposed a series of new restrictions on large outdoor gatherings on private property in the unincorporated areas of the…
Read more
October 16, 2018
PLF and CoLAB team up to Challenge ESA Listing of the CA gnatcatcher
For those members of VC CoLAB who have been impacted by the possible sighting of a coastal California gnatcatcher, or even the bird's possible…
Read more
October 16, 2018
CoLAB-organized meeting with water users, NOAA sees results
VC CoLAB organized a highly anticipated meeting on August 8 between local water users, businesses, organized labor and managers from the National Oceanic and…
Read more
July 5, 2018
Post Planning Commission – Outdoor Event Ordinance Needs Changes
VC CoLAB expressed our concerns over a new surprise Outdoor Event Ordinance found on the agenda of the June 21st Ventura County Planning Commission.…
Read more
June 29, 2018
Marijuana legalization presents new opportunities and pitfalls
In the wake of the 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in California, cities across Ventura County are grappling with the question of…
Read more
June 29, 2018
LCA Contract Compliance Heading Toward Penalties
There is no doubt that the Ventura County Assessor's office is losing patience with agricultural landowners as the delinquency rate of returning annual Agricultural…
Read more
May 29, 2018
County launches changes to coastal habitat regulations
The County of Ventura is moving forward with a plan to significantly alter the regulations which limit development in the Coastal Zone in order…
Read more
May 29, 2018
County faces two different paths on the housing crisis
Ventura County is suffering from a housing crisis and economic malaise, problems that have roots stretching back decades and based in decisions supported by…
Read more
May 29, 2018
New Dark Sky Ordinance targets Lighting as Pollution
The County Planning Division is preparing a draft ordinance that targets outdoor lighting as "pollution" in the unincorporated areas around the City of Ojai.…
Read more
April 30, 2018
Star, Conservation Groups Take Aim at County Planning
The Ventura County Star published a story on February 27 that called out the Ventura County Planning Division for not ordering a shutdown of…
Read more
April 30, 2018
Board Doubles Down on Failed Housing Policies
Cities and civic organizations across the county are holding sometimes contentious conversations about density, growth and the future of housing in Ventura County. However,…
Read more
April 13, 2018
County Must Clear the Way for New Farmworker Housing Projects
While the severe lack of suitable housing for farmworkers has been a subject of discussion in county meetings for decades, little progress has been…
Read more
March 12, 2018
CoLAB-Supported Changes to General Plan Approved
Ventura County CoLAB scored a series of victories in recognizing the importance of agriculture, water, housing, and land management in the latest round of…
Read more
March 12, 2018
Thomas Fire Exposes East County Wildfire Risk
Nearly a decade ago, prior to the Thomas Fire, Ventura County fire agencies prepared Wildfire Protection Plans identifying risks, funding priorities, and programs to…
Read more
March 12, 2018
Wastewater injection ruling creates new questions about groundwater management
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently released a potentially wide-ranging decision that declared that wastewater injection wells can violate the Clean Water Act…
Read more
January 20, 2018
Retired Fire Chief Bob Roper tells why
In 2009, the Ventura County Fire Protection District produced a Fire Management Plan that identified the "Ventura Fuel Bed" (see map) as part of…
Read more
January 19, 2018
County Provides Relief to Homeowners in Wake of Thomas Fire
In the wake of the destructive impact of the Thomas Fire, the County of Ventura has made initial steps toward helping affected residents and…
Read more
December 14, 2017
County Launches Pre-Approved Building Plans for Farmworker and Accessory Dwellings
The County of Ventura unveiled three standard building plans for single-family homes at a Board of Supervisors meeting in October. These "pre-approved" plans will…
Read more
December 14, 2017
County creates a new economic plan at just the right time
In the midst of a dramatic contraction of Ventura County's economy, the County of Ventura assembled its first ever Economic Vitality Strategic Plan. This…
Read more
October 23, 2017
Local natural gas production reduces out-of-state imports
Did you know that, "Besides having the most expensive electricity west of the Mississippi River in the continental U.S., California already has the least…
Read more
October 23, 2017
ADU, Housing, Ventura County CoLAB
Ventura County faces fundamental threats to the future of local agriculture if limitations to water diversions from the Santa Clara River are continued, according…
Read more
October 23, 2017
County expands housing opportunities through new granny flat ordinance
Ventura County's ongoing housing shortage continues to be a significant drag on the local economy. Multiple local economists such as Mark Schniepp from the…
Read more
September 19, 2017
Despite Progress, Wildlife Corridors Could Threaten Farmers, Ranchers and Public
The County of Ventura offered further clues to what landowners, farmers and ranchers can expect from the proposed Wildlife Corridor regulations during a second…
Read more
September 19, 2017
County CEO talks dollars and cents at Taxpayers Association Luncheon
The County of Ventura continues to experience a positive budget outlook, although the County still faces challenges from unfunded state mandates and pension obligations,…
Read more
September 19, 2017
Energy Future Depends on Local Oil Reserves
A recent Letter to the Editor by Kimberly Rivers (executive director of CFROG) in the VC Star claimed that drilling new wells in existing…
Read more
July 21, 2017
Wildlife Corridors Are Already Wild
The County Board of Supervisors is considering the adoption of a Habitat Connectivity Overlay Zone, which would impose new regulations on agricultural and open…
Read more
July 21, 2017
VC CoLAB Supports the CA Water Fix
On July 5th, Randy Record, Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, sent a letter to County CEO, Mike…
Read more
July 17, 2017
Water for Oxnard, Camarillo and Moorpark Farms Subject to Allocations
New pumping allocations are being considered for groundwater basins underlying Oxnard, Camarillo, Moorpark and surrounding agricultural areas that could restrict water for farms and…
Read more
April 24, 2017
Puente Power Project brings benefits, protests to Oxnard
The Puente Power Project to replace the aging Mandalay and Ormond Beach power plants in Oxnard promises to deliver significant benefits to the region,…
Read more
March 21, 2017
Ventura LAFCO Persists with “Analysis Paralysis”
The Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) was true to form with a 4-3 split vote on February 15th, continuing the delay for the…
Read more
March 21, 2017
Economic Vitality Strategies Considered by County CEOs Office
Ventura County CoLAB was invited to participate in the County of Ventura's Economic Vitality Summit, allowing input into an Economic Strategic Plan to be…
Read more
March 21, 2017
Despite Drought Relief, Water Infrastructure Challenges Remain
The recent heavy rains have relieved drought conditions across the State, but they have also highlighted how much work needs to be done to…
Read more
February 13, 2017
CoLAB Push to Improve Surveyor’s Office Gets Results
The Ventura County Surveyor's Office has made improvements in speeding up approval of important survey map documents, leading to a faster experience for businesses,…
Read more
February 13, 2017
When is Enough, Enough?: Wildlife Corridor Proposal Would Add More Regulations on Agriculture
At a packed Board meeting on January 24th filled with CoLAB members and other representatives from the agricultural and business community, the Ventura County…
Read more
February 9, 2017
County Land Conservation Act Questionnaires Due on April 1st
The Ventura County Assessor mailed out their Annual Agricultural Preserve Questionnaires to current Land Conservation Act (LCA) contract holders in December, with a filing…
Read more
January 9, 2017
County Supervisor Targets OBGMA
Seeking to extend County authority over water, Supervisor Steve Bennett is targeting the Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency (OBGMA), with authority that could be…
Read more
January 9, 2017
Parting Thoughts From Matt Guthrie
Prior to joining VC CoLAB, my exposure to the organization was limited mostly to occasional policy committee meetings at various advocacy organizations. I would…
Read moreNewsletter
Get a monthly policy roundup.
One email with what changed and what to watch next.