Ventura County Takes Legal Action Against Non-Compliant Businesses

Ventura County has sued six businesses for operating in violation of the state health and closure orders issued by the county health officer, and is preparing to file suit against 10 more.According to the Pacific Coast Business Times, the county filed charges Jan. 8 against five gyms and a restaurant: Oxnard Bootcamp, House of Gains in Port Hueneme, three Fitness 19 locations operated by the same owner and The Original Pizza Cookery in Thousand Oaks.The businesses, which flouted COVID-19 restrictions by continuing to operate indoor workout areas and outdoor dining rooms, have been issued temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions requiring they stop operating altogether. The Original Pizza Cookery also lost its permit to serve food, the news site said.Days later, at the Jan. 12 meeting of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, the board voted 4-1 to commence legal action against another 10 local businesses that were out of compliance with pandemic mandates.They include four Anytime Fitness locations, two additional Fitness 19 locations, a Gold’s Gym in Thousand Oaks, Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut in Oxnard, Allison’s Country Cafe in Ventura and Good Morning Cafe in Camarillo.In a live-streamed announcement of the board’s approval to file suit, County Counsel Michael Walker said the litigation is a response to “repeated violations of the state health order.”It’s not the first time Ventura County officials have sought legal penalties for non-compliant businesses. The District Attorney’s office filed charges in August against BSF Fitness in Ventura for staying open indoors, even seeking monetary damages from the gym.Also in August, the county sued Thousand Oaks’ Godspeak Calvary Chapel and Senior Pastor Rob McCoy for hosting frequent gatherings of as many as 200 people in open violation of state and county health orders.