From: Louise Kelly
Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 11:52 AM
To: City Clerk
Subject: City Council of Public Coments
Aachments: Public Comment Port Hueneme .docx
Dear Georgina,
Here is my public comment for tonight's meeting.
Thanks,
Louise
Louise Kelly, PhD
Professor of Management & Leadership
College of Business and Public Management
Cell:
https://a.co/d/0ejLPrHv
Recent Podcast Interview on Strategic Thinking https://youtu.be/YN0gasA_GR0? si=_MgTo1iDuK3-7Mfn
Forbes article on my research on mindfulness
hps://www.forbes.com/sites/dinahwisenberg/2018/02/26/mindfulness-can-it-help-entrepreneurs-spotopportunity/#3fd8d9772932 University of La Verne
La Verne, California
[email protected]
Office: 909 448 4945
February 3, 2025
Public Comment for City Council Meeting
Good evening, members of the council,
I am here today to discuss the economic impact and public access implications of the recent decision by the Surfside III HOA to impose a 30-day minimum rental policy, effectively eliminating short-term rentals at properties like mine in Port Hueneme. This policy shift is of significant concern not only to property owners but also to the city’s economy, tourism sector, and long-standing public access principles protected under the California Coastal Act.
Short-term rentals have played an important role in supporting local businesses and generating tax revenue. Over the past several years, short-term rental income from properties in Port Hueneme has contributed steady Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) payments, averaging between $500 and $600 per month per rental unit. These funds directly benefit the city and its services while supporting economic growth. Visitors staying in short-term rentals frequent local restaurants, shops, and attractions, bringing consistent revenue to the community.
This model of coastal access is more than an economic advantage—it aligns with the intent of the California Coastal Act to ensure that the public can enjoy the state’s natural resources. Families and tourists who stay in short-term rentals often create lasting memories during their visits, whether they are enjoying the beach, celebrating milestones, or exploring the local culture. Restricting this access undermines a 40-year precedent of supporting tourism and community well-being.
The recent decision by the HOA is based on legal advice suggesting that buildings with CC&Rs recorded before January 1, 1977, may be exempt from the Coastal Act’s short-term rental provisions. However, I seek clarification on whether this interpretation is accurate and whether there is a path to petition for an exemption that could restore short-term rental rights. Maintaining flexibility in rental policies is essential for both property owners and the city’s economic health.
Without the option for short-term rentals, property owners may face financial challenges that could affect property maintenance and even lead to decreased contributions to city revenue. Meanwhile, the local tourism economy could see a decline in visitor spending, affecting businesses that rely on seasonal and weekend travelers.
I kindly request the council’s guidance on how to proceed with a formal petition for exemption and any insights on potential solutions that balance public access, economic sustainability, and the needs of the community.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your support in preserving a vibrant, accessible, and economically sustainable coastal community in Port Hueneme.
Thanks,
Louise Kelly
https://a.co/d/0ejLPrHv
Recent Podcast Interview on
Strategic Thinking https://youtu.be/YN0gasA_GR0?si=_MgTo1iDuK3-7Mfn Forbes article on my research on mindfulness
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dinahwisenberg/2018/02/26/mindfulness-can-it-help-entrepreneurs-spotopportunity/#3fd8d9772932 University of La Verne
La Verne, California
[email protected]
Office: 909 448 4945
Louise Kelly, PhD
Professor of Management & Leadership
College of Business and Public Management
Cell:
From: Dulce S
Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2025 10:39 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: council meeng 2/3/2025 commentary - Agenda item 8 Aachments: 2025_feb03 Commentary in Chamber DS.pdf
Hello,
PDF file attached contains 500-word commentary for your reading pleasure pertinent to Agenda item 8.
Thank you, Georgianna.
Best regards,
Dulce Setterfield
NOTE: if you prefer a certain font or line spacing for ease of reading, Georgiana, let me know. I personally prefer 1.5 line spacing to double spacing for my eyes and habits but you may have a different preference. I'm thinking an attached PDF is better than text typed directly into an Email but you may receive countless comments in that format and be fully accustomed to reading them aloud.
GREETINGS: Mayor & Councilmembers.
Agenda item 8 features a preliminary forecast. Previewing it on the City Website, I felt curious about the sales tax content. Please embrace a more granular look at tax revenue drivers and influencers, going forward.
Shortly after the COVID stay-safe-at-home commencement, almost five years ago, Hueneme Family Pharmacy was shuttered. Owners abruptly relocated to Oxnard. I did not loyally follow, but other customers may have opted for Oxnard.
The wooden building on Hueneme Road did not attract a new tenant. Also vacant for years after an early-COVID closure: a neighborhood 97-Cents Store, at the Beachport Center. Prolonged vacancies can erode expected sales tax revenues.
Decreased revenue from two retail closures is tiny compared to loss of a larger business a couple blocks eastbound on Hueneme Road: corner of Surfside Drive.
Port Hueneme Marine Supply left our city during the pandemic. Industrial customers across the SoCal region rely on that family-owned business year-round.
A sizeable chunk of annual sales tax revenue shifted from our city coffers to Oxnard’s. Our city sports a still-empty building on a high-visibility corner.
My guess about that relocation to Oxnard was wrong. A city employee explained the move-out happened when the property owner figured leasing to a cannabis business would prove lucrative. Years later, no cannabis-player or other commercial interest has yet occupied that building. Question: How large of a cumulative revenue-dent might be attributed to Cannabis Mirage? Nearby, retail offerings on the naval base attract eligible folks. A municipal revenue forecast may benefit from learning if the quantity of base-shopping is expanding. Questions: Are increasing numbers of base-eligible shoppers settling in our city and vicinity? Or is the base-shopper headcount plus the total amount of base spending trending downward?
The Item 8 pillar ends with “Financial Excellence.“ I don’t know what measurable inputs can add up to an Excellence determination, as opposed to lesser thresholds such as mediocrity or an economic cliff. Examples I’ve shared regarding vacated properties illustrate tax revenue shrinkage within a single three-block stretch in just one neighborhood. Not a cliff. But far from excellence, I reckon.
I’m not calling for hyperfocus on locations I’ve highlighted. Examples are meant to spur inclusion of optimal levels of granularity within ongoing fact-finding, analyses, and next steps. There’s much more to discover before that elusive pillar of Economic Excellence can become believable as an achievable reality, not overreach, mirage, or vague rhetoric.
Let’s not forget how unlicensed food-and-beverage vendors swarmed public sidewalks on certain occasions last year. Also, it seems prudent to probe existing inequities between long-established lodging owners who pay licensing fees and taxes, and Short-Term-Rental operations popping up without facing similar requirements. Operators dodge parameters their local lodging competitors abide by.
Mockery of the General Plan arises with insidious growth of under-the-radar lodgings. Steadfast and robust municipal revenue streams are bypassed with fiscal leakage. Let’s stop predatory profiteers from seizing market-share as rogue shapers of our community. They can hurt us far more than dips in tax revenue streams.