One lone resident was heard during the public speaking section of the budget meeting on Feb. 23, when city staff presented ideas for cutting costs to the T.O. City Council.

Since the mid-term budget update was a department report and not a public hearing, the city’s staff wasn’t required to give two weeks notice to the public.

So it wasn’t provided.

Only residents who knew to look on the city’s website at www.toaks.org on Feb. 19, four days before the Tuesday meeting, and read the City Council agenda were aware that the budget would be discussed.

Nick Quidwai, the Thousand Oaks resident who spoke, said he was at home watching the meeting on TV when he decided to go to the council’s chambers and give his input.

Quidwai said the city would have more tax money coming in if it had approved Home Depot. He also questioned the wisdom of the City Council’s recent decision to spend more than $3 million to buy property on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

For more information from the city about topics of upcoming meetings, call (805) 449-2100.

—Nancy Needham