Advisory Council’s Monico Steps Down

A founding member of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council resigned before the start of the board’s meeting Tuesday night, citing family issues that forced him to move to Thousand Oaks.

Chuck Monico, an Oak Park resident since 1973, reluctantly announced his decision to Ventura County Supervisor Frank Schillo and surprised members of the advisory council.

“It was extremely difficult,” Monico said. “There were a lot of personal factors that came into it.”

Monico, a financial services officer for the Home Mortgage Network in Universal City, served on the advisory council for nearly 14 years and saw Oak Park grow from an isolated village of 400 houses surrounded by grazing land for cows and sheep to a thriving suburban community.

He also was president of the now-defunct Oak Park Civic Assn., which established the Municipal Advisory Council, Oak Park Unified School District and Oak Park’s park and recreation planning committee.

“I’m going to miss living in Oak Park. It’s a unique community and I don’t think there’s another one like it,” Monico said. “There are people on the council whom I’ve had opposite views with over the years, but when it’s all said and done, we’re all one family.”

Members of the council expressed regret and thanked Monico for his many years of service.

“I don’t think there has ever been a person more devoted and more dedicated to this community and its ideals,” said council member George Anterasian. “[Chuck’s] experience in Oak Park was a great asset to this body.”

Ron Stark, Schillo’s assistant and one of Oak Park’s original residents, said the supervisor and the advisory council must now begin the process of selecting an interim member to fill Monico’s position for the next two years.

He recommended that prospective council members submit their resumes to Schillo before Christmas, adding that he expects Monico’s seat to be filled within the next two months.