While the debate over E-Verify provided plenty of good political theater (see story on page 1), two actions taken at Monday’s City Council meeting have the potential for much greater impact on the city and its people.

First and foremost was the announcement that the mayor and city manager plan to begin meeting with every county supervisor and with Waste Management to discuss what Simi Valley stands to gain from the proposed expansion of the landfill—besides more trash.

With the proposal possibly going before the county planning commission in less than six months, residents of Simi Valley and Moorpark, the cities closest to the landfill, have yet to be promised anything more than cheap trash pickup in return for the significant impacts the project will have on the surrounding area.

A state-of-the-art facility to turn refuse into liquefied natural gas is a nice touch but does little to soothe residents who fear the landfill will become a dumping ground for Los Angeles’ trash.

It’s vital that these meetings happen sooner rather than later. Without the backing of at least three of the five board members, Simi and Moorpark won’t have the leverage they need to ensure the giant waste hauler takes their concerns to heart.

Also at the meeting was talk of another expansion—that of city hall. Though falling revenue has forced officials to scale back plans significantly (original plans called for a 59,000- square-foot addition), the city has found a way to move forward with an 8,000-square-foot expansion that will allow the consolidation of city services into one building and the creation of the much-anticipated Under One Roof facility.

The facility, long-spearheaded by Mayor Paul Miller, would house health and human service nonprofits in one location so that they can better serve their clients and the community.

It’s a terrific idea and one that won’t require any new spending because the city has devised a way to pay for the $2.5-million expansion with existing redevelopment funds. See story next week for the explanation.

So while E-Verify made for Monday night’s most passionate debate, let’s not lose sight of the issues that residents should really care the most about.