Port Hueneme | New Mayor and Council Members

By Tom Dunn

Laura Hernandez, Richard Rollings and Steven Gama were sworn in for a four year term as Port Hueneme City Council members.  Will Berg was voted by the council members to be Mayor and Laura Hernandez was voted to be Mayor Pro Tem both for one year term.  Welcome to all and residents hope that all of you will do your best for the city with transparency, open door policy, fiscal responsibility that benefits all Port Hueneme residents.  Uphold the oath you took and hopefully 2019 will be a great year for all.

Mayor Will Berg stated he would focus on the following issues he considers to be most important to the welfare of Port Hueneme:  Budget, water rates, implement remainder of Strategic Action Plan and add new plans that would address new issues that have arisen, implement Measure U and how to use it (takes effect 4/1/2019 and first revenues to the city occur 7/1/2019), sale of city owned properties, work with and update cannabis industry as needed, work with Port of Hueneme which had its best year in 2018, work on capital improvement such as streets, upgrade city buildings and infrastructure, upgrade current business plan to be more business friendly and attract new business, increase traffic enforcement by the PHPD and implement new technology, continue to make improvements at Hueneme Beach and all parks, restructure city administrative staff to be more efficient and cost saving.

Kristan Decas, Port of Hueneme mad a presentation stating that the Port had its best year in 2018, bringing in 1.6 million tons of product, $1.6m revenue goes to the city and 2018 income to the city was a 71% increase from 2012.

Public Works Dept Director Don Villafona’s quarterly report stated one additional employee would be added to his crew and would focus on graffiti, grocery cart roundup, park and beach cleanup and other needed jobs that occur.

PH Police Dept Chief Andrew Salinas reported that November was the lowest crime month since he became Chief of Police with 19 crimes reported.  The PHPD also purchased about 600 toys for the Cops for Toys Event that took place on December 21.  Almost 1,000 have signed up and all will receive a gift  Supporters include Walmart, PHPD, Lujan Transportation, REACH Foundation, law office of Charles Green, cannabis operations Hueneme Patient Collective, Safeport and Tradecraft Farms.

In open forum a group of young adults that represent Alma Rose, a community center for teenagers and young adults, to come to and meet others, discuss various issues personal, family, social and self help guidance.  They are currently located in the Marine Supply building that has been purchased by a cannabis operation and must move out by the end of December.  They are looking for another space to operate out of and the City Council they would meet with Alma Rose’s directors to assist the group in reestablishing another meeting place.  About a dozens people that use Alma Rose spoke about their experiences and how much they had been helped and stated the group was an asset to the community because there is no other venue that work with young adults in Port Hueneme.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season and follows City Council Meeting Review in 2019.  Tom Dunn – Publisher Port Hueneme News     ([email protected])

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