Port Hueneme City Council
February 2, 2026

STRATEGIC PLAN:

Primary Strategic Pillar(s) and Initiative(s):

Optimal Levels of Service for Residents and Businesses
• Promote operational excellence in all City functions and embody best practices as a municipality
Safe, Secure, & Beautiful Community
• Upgrade our beach, parks, City-owned facilities and structures to provide a better experience for our residents, employees, commuters, and visitors ATTACHMENTS:

None.

Agenda Item No. 05 Page 2 of 2 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
01497.0005 2079176.2
DATE: February 2, 2025
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: James Vega, City Manager
Charles Peretz, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: INTRODCUTION OF ORDINANCE TO AMEND ARTICLE III, CHAPTER 12, SECTION 3987.1 OF THE PORT HUENEME MUNICIPAL CODE TO

REDUCE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL CANNBIS

BUSINESSES ALLOWED IN THE CITY AND FIND THE ACTION IS

EXEMPT FROM CEQA
RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Open the public hearing and take testimonial and documentary evidence;

2. Close the public hearing and consider the evidence;

3. Introduce an Ordinance of the City of Port Hueneme to amend Article III, Chapter 12, Section 3987.1 of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code to reduce the maximum number of commercial cannabis businesses allowed to operate within the City of Port Hueneme;

4. Make a determination the project is exempt under CEQA; and

5. Take such additional, related, action that may be desirable.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS:

When the City initially approved the cannabis program, the cannabis market was developing and competition was relatively limited in the region. The City’s primary purpose in allowing cannabis businesses was to generate revenue in support of the General Fund. This support was expected to come from the contractual payments required under development agreements, as well as sales tax revenues. Additional benefits included expanded employment opportunities and the requirement that developers contribute 1% of revenues toward community benefits.

Since that time, the cannabis market in Port Hueneme has changed significantly and several factors have adversely impacted cannabis businesses in the City. These include the opening of several competing businesses in Oxnard and Ventura, broader economic changes, high state tax rates, a complicated state regulatory structure, and competition from the illegal sale of cannabis. Collectively, these pressures have adversely affected Agenda Item No. 06 Page 1 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Reduction of Cannabis Caps and Fee Changes
February 2, 2026

01497.0005 2079176.2
local businesses, and as a result, reduced the level of revenue received by the City. For example, in FY 2022 the City received approximately $2.9M in cannabis development agreement specific revenues and in FY 2025, that amount dipped to just over $1M.

These changes have contributed to the closure of several businesses in Port Hueneme and many current operators have indicated that these same factors create ongoing challenges facing their business operations.

Number of Cannabis Allowed to Operate
On October 20, 2025, the City Council unanimously approved a staff recommendation to consider amending Section 3987.1 of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code and return to Council with a proposal to reduce the maximum number of commercial cannabis businesses permitted to operate in the City. This action is intended to avoid the oversaturation of cannabis businesses in the city’s marketplace and help existing operators.

While there is not a single standard for the number of cannabis businesses in a city or regional area, most cities that permit cannabis operations, limit the number of businesses that are allowed.

Some, like the cities of Los Angeles and Jurupa Valley allow licenses based on population ratios. Los Angeles allows one retail license per 15,000 residents and Jurupa Valley allows one retail license per 7,500 residents. The Public Health Institute, which provides a scorecard for cities that allow for the operation of cannabis businesses, award no points to cities that allow cannabis retailers at a density of one retailer per 4,999 residents or fewer, with higher points reflecting more restrictive policies.

Others, like Port Hueneme, establish a fixed cap on the number of cannabis dispensaries.

Caps on the number of dispensaries vary from City to City; for example, the City of Malibu (pop. 10,300) allows a maximum of 2, Santa Barbara (pop. 85,000) allows 3, West Hollywood (pop. 35,000), allows 4, Ventura (pop. 110,000) allows 6, and Oxnard (pop. 200,000) allows 16.

When compared to these examples, Port Hueneme’s current cap of 12 retail cannabis dispensaries is very high. Further, when considering the number of dispensaries in nearby cities of Ventura and Oxnard, it is clear that the local market is saturated. It is recommended that Section 3987.1 of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code be amended to reduce the number of cannabis-based retail dispensaries (which allow for delivery services), delivery-only businesses, and manufacturing and distribution businesses that are allowed in Port Hueneme. The following chart illustrates the current cap, number of existing operators and proposed new cap for each business type:

Agenda Item No. 06 Page 2 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Reduction of Cannabis Caps and Fee Changes
February 2, 2026

01497.0005 2079176.2
Note: Although the proposed cap on retail cannabis dispensaries is lower than the current number of approved businesses, none of the existing businesses would be affected. All businesses approved for operation (or with a complete application under review) as of the effective date of the new cap would be allowed to continue operating. However, no new applications would be accepted unless the number of approved businesses falls below the new cap.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
The project is exempt from CEQA exempt from CEQA pursuant to Title 14 California Code of Regulations Section § 15061(b)(3), which applies where "it can be seen that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” Given that the proposed amendment would decrease the number of allowed cannabis businesses, this project has no possible significant effect on the environment.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Limiting the number of businesses allowed to operate is anticipated to avoid an oversaturation of these businesses, and stabilize revenues provided to the City, as well as providing other opportunities to local businesses in other fields.

STRATEGIC PLAN:

Primary Strategic Pillar(s) and Initiative(s):

Innovation & Opportunity
• Retain and maximize opportunities for local businesses as the backbone of our community
• Leverage the existing programs, facilities and technologies of our stakeholders and partners to build new economic opportunities for all ATTACHMENTS:

A. Ordinance
Agenda Item No. 06 Page 3 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
Agenda Item No. 06 Page 4 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
01497.0005 2079177.2
ORDINANCE NO. ____

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTION 3987.1 OF ARTICLE III CHAPTER 12 OF

THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO AMEND THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CANNABIS

BUSINESSES PERMITTED TO OPERATE IN THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME WHEREAS, on June 5, 2017, the City Council adopted Ordinance 727, which amended Article III, Chapter 12 of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code to allow medicinal cannabis activity within the City; and
WHEREAS, in response to California voter approval of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (“AUMA”), the City Council adopted Ordinance 734 on December 18, 2017, which amended Article III, Chapter 12 of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code permitting medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis activity within the City; and WHEREAS, on June 21, 2021, the City Council adopted Ordinance 780, which amended Article III, Chapter 12, of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code, which further refined the City’s regulations for cannabis activity in the City, including establishing caps for the maximum number of certain types of cannabis businesses allowed in the City, and which superseded Ordinances 727 and 734; and
WHEREAS, on March 7, 2022, the City Council adopted Ordinance 784, which amended Article III, Chapter 12, of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code, which further refined the City’s regulations for cannabis activity in the City, including allowing the establishment of cannabis consumption lounges within, or adjacent to, and operated by, existing retail cannabis dispensaries in the City, and which superseded Ordinance 780; and
WHEREAS, on February 20, 2024, the City Council adopted Ordinance 796, which amended Article III, Chapter 12, of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code, which further refined the City’s regulations for cannabis activity in the City, including allowing for the operation of freestanding cannabis lounges subject to certain requirements within the City, extended operating hours for retail cannabis businesses, and occasional small-scale temporary events at retail dispensaries and consumption lounges in the City, which superseded Ordinance 784; and WHEREAS, on May 20, 2024, the City Council adopted Ordinance 797 which amended Article III, Chapter 12, of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code, which eliminated the requirement for background checks for employees of retail cannabis dispensaries, required armed guards at retail cannabis dispensaries and clarified application requirements for cannabis consumption lounges that will be incorporated into an existing dispensary and those that will be free-standing, which superseded Ordinance 796; and
WHEREAS, the City Council now desires to supersede Ordinance 797 by enacting this Ordinance, which amends the maximum number of cannabis businesses authorized to operate within the City.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: This Ordinance is adopted pursuant to the authority granted by the California Constitution and state law, including, without limitation, Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution; the Compassionate Use Act (CUA), Medical Marijuana Program Act (MMPA), Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA) and Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA).

Attachment A
Agenda Item No. 06 Page 5 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Ordinance No.___, Page 2 of 4
The City Manager is authorized to administer this Ordinance and to promulgate such administrative policies and procedures that may be required to implement this Ordinance.

SECTION 2: Article III, Chapter 12, Section 3987.1 of the PHMC is amended and superseded in its entirety to read as follows:
“3987.1 Maximum Number of Commercial Cannabis Businesses – Density A. The following caps on types of commercial cannabis activities and/or facilities within the territorial jurisdiction of the City shall apply to all commercial cannabis operations in an effort to reduce the incidence of excessive concentration of commercial cannabis activities:

1. Retail Cannabis Dispensaries. There shall not be more than five (5) approved retail cannabis dispensaries approved, located, and operating within the City territorial limits at any time;

2. Delivery Businesses. With the exception of retail cannabis dispensaries, which receive a delivery license upon approval by the City, there shall not be more than five (5) approved delivery only cannabis businesses within the City territorial limits at any time and, in no event, more than ten (10) total delivery business licenses approved, located, and operating within the City territorial limits at any time;

3. Cannabis Lounges. There shall be not more than five (5) cannabis lounges operating within the City territorial limits at any time; and

4. Manufacturing/Distribution Businesses. There shall not be more than five (5) manufacturing licenses and not more than five (5) distribution licenses approved, located, and operated within the City territorial limits at any time.

B. Notwithstanding the preceding subdivision of this section, businesses that have received a Certificate of Approval or have an active application for a Certificate of Approval in process with the City as of February 17, 2026 shall be allowed to continue in the application process towards final approval in compliance with this Chapter and any resolutions for the operation of a commercial cannabis activity and/or facility.

However, no new applications for commercial cannabis activities or Certificates of Approval may be issued at any time the maximum number of activities exceeds the limits contained within this section after February 17, 2026.

C. This Section shall not prohibit an existing and approved commercial cannabis activity or business from changing its location of operation provided all requirements of this Chapter and the Implementing Resolution are fulfilled. Any change in the ownership structure, business entity, ownership, or interest in the commercial cannabis activity or business will be governed by the implementing resolution. Changes in location and in ownership, depending on the criteria identified in the implementing resolution, may require a new Certificate of Approval and may be prohibited by this Section after the effective date of this Section should the number of commercial cannabis activities or facilities exceed the maximum number.”
SECTION 3: This Ordinance is exempt from additional review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations Section § Agenda Item No. 06 Page 6 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Ordinance No.___, Page 3 of 4
15061(b)(3), which applies where "it can be seen that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” SECTION 4: This Ordinance must be broadly construed in order to achieve the purposes stated in this Ordinance. It is the City Council’s intent that the provisions of this Ordinance be interpreted or implemented by the City and others in a manner that facilitates the purposes set forth in this Ordinance.

SECTION 5: If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Chapter is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Chapter. The City Council declares that it would have adopted each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Chapter irrespective of whether one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions of this Chapter be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION 6: All of the provisions of the City of Port Hueneme Municipal Code as heretofore adopted by the City Council that are in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed.

SECTION 7: The City Clerk of the City of Port Hueneme is hereby directed to certify the passage and adoption of this Ordinance and to cause it to be published as required by law.

SECTION 8: This Ordinance will take effect on the 31st day following its final passage and adoption
PASSED and ADOPTED on this ____ day of ______, 2026.

Martha R McQueen-Legohn
Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Georgianna Nicole Alvarez
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
Paul Early
City Attorney
Agenda Item No. 06 Page 7 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Ordinance No.___, Page 4 of 4

CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF VENTURA ) SS.

CITY OF PORT HUENEME )
I, Georgianna Nicole Alvarez, City Clerk of the City of Port Hueneme, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. ____ was introduced at the regular meeting of February 2, 2026, and duly adopted at the regular meeting of February 17, 2026, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

Dated:

Georgianna Nicole Alvarez
City Clerk
Agenda Item No. 06 Page 8 of 8 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
DATE: February 2, 2026
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: James Vega, City Manager
Charles Cable, Deputy Director – City Engineer
SUBJECT: OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL SB 1 SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTION PLANNING GRANT (TRACK 1)
RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that City Council:

1. Adopt a Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Port Hueneme, California, Authorizing the City’s Participation in the Ocean Protection Council SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program (Track 1), Ratifying Submittal of a Grant Application, Authorizing Execution of Grant Documents, and Authorizing Submittal of Future Related Grant Applications,” ratifying staff’s submittal of the City’s grant proposal on December 19, 2025, and authorizing the City Manager (or designee) to execute all grant-related documents if awarded; and

2. Authorize the City Public Works Director (or designee) to apply for and submit future grant applications that are consistent with the Ocean Protection Council SB 1 Program and other related coastal resilience/sea level rise planning and implementation grant opportunities, subject to City Manager approval and consistency with City Council priorities.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS:

1. Overview of the OPC SB 1 Grant Program
The Ocean Protection Council (OPC), within the California Natural Resources Agency, administers the SB 1 Sea Level Rise Mitigation and Adaptation Act (2021) grant program, which provides funding to coastal communities to conduct sea level rise planning and implement coastal resilience adaptation projects. The program emphasizes consistent statewide planning based on OPC’s adopted Sea Level Rise Adaptation Criteria.

OPC’s SB 1 program includes two primary tracks:
• Track 1 – Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning (Phases 1–3): $200,000 to $1,500,000; up to two-year timeline; processed through a rolling, quarterly review approach.

Agenda Item No. 07 Page 1 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
OPC SB1 Grant
February 2, 2026

• Track 2 – Implementation Projects (Phase 4): $1.5 million to $10 million for implementation projects, expected to be competitively awarded.

The City’s current submission is a Track 1 planning proposal.

2. What the City Submitted (December 19, 2025)
On December 19, 2025, the Public Works Department submitted a complete Track 1 proposal titled “City of Port Hueneme Shoreline Resilience Initiative.” The application requests $874,000 in grant funding and proposes a three-year planning initiative.

The proposal selected the following eligible SB 1 Track 1 planning project types:
• Community Visioning (Phase 1)
• Vulnerability Assessments (Phase 1)
Primary Technical Focus Areas
The proposed grant project addresses urgent coastal vulnerabilities and flooding risks along the City’s 1.75-mile shoreline, the Oxnard West Drain outlet (tidal backwater flooding), and the Bubbling Springs Creek outlet and pump station, including discharge constraints into Tsumas Creek under sea level rise conditions.

Proposed Approach and Deliverables
The project integrates and provides funding for:
• Monitoring: biweekly aerial shoreline surveys using the City’s WingtraRay drone and installation of three real-time depth gauges at Oxnard West Drain crossings. • Technical Studies: a two-dimensional flood and tidal analysis of Oxnard West Drain, and a pump station resilience study for Bubbling Springs Creek. • Community outreach / equity: 2–3 public meetings, multilingual materials, surveys, and meaningful consultation with California Native American tribal interests.

Deliverables will include draft and final Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment with GIS products, and a draft and final Shoreline Resilience and Community Adaptation Plan, including adaptation pathways, monitoring strategy, and City Council adoption materials.

The application includes a local consultant partner, Kasraie Consulting, Inc., providing hydrology/hydraulic modeling support.

3. Benefits to the City if Awarded
If awarded, this grant will provide substantial benefits to the City of Port Hueneme:

Agenda Item No. 07 Page 2 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
OPC SB1 Grant
February 2, 2026

• A defensible Sea Level Rise technical basis for future capital improvements. The vulnerability assessment and plan will be science-driven, with flood/tidal modeling and measurable monitoring data to support infrastructure decision-making, capital improvement prioritization, and coastal resilience strategies. • Improved resilience planning for known problem drainage outlets. The study directly addresses flooding mechanisms affecting the City from tidal backwater conditions and pumping constraints in two known areas: Oxnard West Drain and Bubbling Springs Creek pump station.
• Strong positioning for future Track 2 implementation funding. A completed Track 1 vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan will position the City competitively for Track 2 project funding (or other state/federal resilience programs). • Equity-based outreach and coordination consistent with OPC requirements. The program requires engagement with environmental justice communities and tribal consultation. The grant scope includes formal outreach deliverables, strengthening City decision-making and program compliance.

4. OPC Status and Timeline
OPC confirmed receipt of the City’s Track 1 proposal and stated that OPC staff may request follow-up clarifications during the review process. The City can expect a formal decision and potential next steps on or before February 27, 2026.

5. Council Action Needed: Ratification and Future Grant Authority Because the City submitted the application on December 19, 2025, staff is requesting the City Council ratify the submittal of the application and authorize the City’s participation in the grant program and acceptance of funds if awarded.

Additionally, consistent with the City Manager’s direction, the resolution will provide Council authorization for staff to pursue future related grant opportunities in the sea level rise adaptation/coastal resilience space—particularly those aligned with OPC’s SB 1 program structure.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The City submitted a request for $874,000 in grant funding. If awarded, the grant is expected to operate on a reimbursement basis, meaning eligible project costs (including City staff time, consultant services, and approved equipment purchases) would be paid initially by the City and then reimbursed by the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) upon submittal of required documentation and invoices.

No new City funds are being requested at this time. If the grant is awarded, staff will return to City Council, as necessary, to establish the appropriate budget authority and/or Agenda Item No. 07 Page 3 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
OPC SB1 Grant
February 2, 2026

temporary cash-flow allocations needed to administer the project, which would be fully offset by OPC reimbursements in accordance with the grant agreement.

STRATEGIC PLAN:

Primary Strategic Pillar(s) and Initiative(s):

Safe, Secure, & Beautiful Community
• Actively support on-going beach preservation efforts and funding for prevention of erosion
ATTACHMENTS:

A. Resolution
Agenda Item No. 07 Page 4 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
RESOLUTION NO.

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY’S PARTICIPATION IN THE OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL SB 1 SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM (TRACK 1), RATIFYING SUBMITTAL OF A GRANT

APPLICATION, AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF GRANT DOCUMENTS, AND

AUTHORIZING SUBMITTAL OF FUTURE RELATED GRANT APPLICATIONS WHEREAS, the Ocean Protection Council (OPC), within the California Natural Resources Agency, administers the SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program to assist local governments in planning for and adapting to sea level rise; and WHEREAS, the City of Port Hueneme is a coastal community that experiences existing and projected coastal flooding and sea level rise impacts that threaten residents, public infrastructure, and coastal resources; and
WHEREAS, City staff submitted a Track 1 planning grant application to OPC on December 19, 2025, titled the City of Port Hueneme Shoreline Resilience Initiative, requesting $874,000 in grant funding to conduct community visioning and sea level rise vulnerability assessment planning activities; and
WHEREAS, OPC confirmed receipt of the City’s application and stated the City should expect a decision and potential next steps on or before February 27, 2026; and WHEREAS, grant programs of this type require City Council authorization to participate, enter into agreements, and take actions necessary to implement the grant if awarded;

NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: The City Council hereby authorizes the City’s participation in the OPC SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program (Track 1) and ratifies the Public Works Department’s submittal of the City’s Track 1 planning grant application submitted on December 19, 2025.

SECTION 2: The City Manager, or designee, is hereby authorized to execute and submit, on behalf of the City, all applications, assurances, certifications, agreements, amendments, reimbursement requests, and other documents necessary to secure and implement the grant, if awarded.

SECTION 3: If the grant is awarded, the City is authorized to accept grant funds and implement the grant-funded work program in accordance with OPC requirements and the City’s adopted policies and procedures, subject to future budget appropriations as required.

SECTION 4: The City Council hereby authorizes staff to pursue and submit future related grant applications and funding opportunities that are consistent with the OPC SB 1 program objectives and/or other coastal resilience and sea level rise adaptation planning and implementation grant programs, subject to City Manager approval and consistency with City Council priorities.

SECTION 5: This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.

SECTION 6: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and enter it into the book of original Resolutions.

Attachment A
Agenda Item No. 07 Page 5 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
CC Resolution No.___, Page 2 of 3
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED, this ____ day of (month), 2026.

Martha R. McQueen-Legohn, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Georgianna Nicole Alvarez
City Clerk
Agenda Item No. 07 Page 6 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
CC Resolution No.___, Page 3 of 3

CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF VENTURA ) SS.

CITY OF PORT HUENEME )
I, Georgianna Nicole Alvarez, City Clerk of the City of Port Hueneme, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. ____ was duly adopted at the regular meeting of the City Council on the __ day of ____, 2026, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

Dated:

Georgianna Nicole Alvarez
City Clerk
Agenda Item No. 07 Page 7 of 7 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
DATE: February 2, 2026
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: James Vega, City Manager
Brian Popovich, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: REVIEW OF THE CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

AND RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT
RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the City Council consider the attached Policy and Procedures Manual, which includes language for City Council consideration based on feedback from City Council at the January 20, 2026, meeting, and adopt the attached resolution approving the Manual as modified.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS:

It is a good practice for the City Council to adopt a policy and procedures manual which clearly states the standards to which the City Council members will hold themselves to.

Many cities have also implemented a practice of reviewing the policy and procedures manual annually and having each Councilmember acknowledge the manual annually, to ensure awareness of those standards. The City began this practice for 2024 and 2025, and this review leading into 2026 will be the third annual review.

The City Council considered the Council Policy and Procedures Manual at the January 20, 2026 meeting. Prior to this meeting, City staff reviewed the Manual and recommended that City Council consider adopting the following proposed revisions based on the changes reflected in the redline City Council Policy and Procedures Manual.

1. Appointment of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem (Chapter 2, Section II) Update the Manual to specify that the annual appointment of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will occur at the second regular meeting in December, reflecting current practice.

2. Updated Process for Councilmember Agenda Requests (Chapter 3, Section I.C)
Replace the previous agenda request procedure with the newly adopted multi-step process requiring written submission seven days prior to the meeting, inclusion in the agenda packet, preparation of a staff report estimating resources, and brief Council discussion under “Future Agenda Items.”
Agenda Item No. 08 Page 1 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Council Policy and Procedures Manual
February 2, 2026

3. Addition of Levine Act Disclosure Requirements (Chapter 3, Section II.R) Add a new subsection outlining Councilmember disclosure obligations and required recusals under the Levine Act related to campaign contributions from parties appearing before the City.

4. Removal of Language Requiring Written Public Comments to Be Read Aloud (Chapter 3, Section III.A.1)
Remove the sentence requiring staff to read written public comments out loud during the meeting, aligning with current public meeting procedures. Copies of written public comments are provided to Councilmembers and are available to the public.

At the January 20, 2026 meeting, following presentation of the report and City Council discussion, the City Council provided additional direction to staff regarding further revisions to the Manual. Based on this direction, the updated redline City Council Policy and Procedures Manual (Attachment A) incorporates the following additional changes requested by the Council:

1. Future Agenda Item Request Form and Clarification of Process (Chapter 3, Section I.C)
Attach the Future Agenda Item Request Form to the Manual and clarify that the agenda request process applies to individual Councilmember requests and not requests from the Council as a whole.

2. Agenda Packet Distribution Timeline (Chapter 3, Section I.C.2) Extend the distribution of agenda packets to seven (7) days prior to scheduled meetings. This additional review time allows Councilmembers to perform more thorough due diligence on complex agenda items, submit technical questions to staff in advance, and help ensure that public sessions remain focused on policy deliberation rather than basic fact-finding.

3. Restriction on Community Outreach During Election Periods (Chapter 6, Section 2, new subsection 3)
Add language stating that, to maintain the impartial use of municipal resources, the City and individual Councilmembers shall refrain from initiating new, nonessential community outreach programs, town halls, or City-funded mass mailings within ninety (90) days of a municipal election in which they are a candidate, while clarifying that routine City newsletters and essential public notices remain exempt and that City-funded mass mailings issued during this period shall not feature the name, photograph, or individual highlights of any Councilmember who is a candidate in that election.

4. Related Timeline Adjustments for Future Agenda Items (Chapter 3, Section I.C)
Clarify associated timelines for Councilmembers to submit Future Agenda Item requests so that the agenda request deadlines align with the earlier seven-day Agenda Item No. 08 Page 2 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Council Policy and Procedures Manual
February 2, 2026

agenda packet release schedule. Requests must now be submitted at least fourteen (14) days before the requested meeting.

5. Removal of Supermajority Requirement to Amend Rules (Chapter 1, Section III)
Remove outdated language requiring a supermajority vote to amend the Council’s rules and procedures so that amendments to the Manual may be adopted by resolution in accordance with applicable law.

All of the January 20, 2026 Council-directed changes listed above, together with the previously recommended revisions described earlier in this report, have been incorporated into the attached redline City Council Policy and Procedures Manual (Attachment A) and the accompanying resolution for Council consideration.

STRATEGIC PLAN:

Primary Strategic Pillars and Initiatives:

Optimal Levels of Service for Residents and Businesses
• Promote operational excellence in all City functions and embody best practices as a municipality
FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no anticipated fiscal impact as a result of the recommended action.

ATTACHMENTS:

A. City Council Policy and Procedure Manual Redline
B. Resolution Adopting City Council Policy Manual
Agenda Item No. 08 Page 3 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
Agenda Item No. 08 Page 4 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Adopted 11.20.20
Rev. 11.7.22
Rev 6.17.24
Rev. 4.7.25

City Council Policy and Procedures Manual
City of Port Hueneme
Attachment A
Agenda Item No. 08 Page 5 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026
Adopted 11.20.20
Rev. 11.7.22
Rev 6.17.24
Rev. 4.7.25

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS i
CHAPTER 1 ‐ INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE 1
CHAPTER 2 ‐ ROLE OF CITY COUNCIL 2
CHAPTER 3 ‐ MEETING RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM____________________________8 CHAPTER 4 ‐ ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 16
CHAPTER 5 ‐ RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT 19
CHAPTER 6 ‐ COMMUNICATION AND REPRESENTATION 24
CHAPTER 7‐ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT _______________________________28 Agenda Item No. 08 Page 6 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

CHAPTER 1 ‐ INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
I. PURPOSE OF MANUAL
A. Compile, Revise and Adopt Rules and Policies. By adopting this Policies and Procedures Manual (“Manual”), the City Council of the City of Port Hueneme (the “City Council” or “Council”) hereby establishes updated Rules of Procedure for the preparation of its agendas, conduct of its meetings and transaction of other City Business. In addition, by adopting this Manual, the City Council further compiles, consolidates, updates, and supersedes any prior Council Policies, Resolutions, rules and related administrative procedures that have been formally adopted by the City Council addressing the subject matter and/or the topics discussed herein.

B. Provide Standards and Guidance. The purpose of this Manual is to set a standard of professionalism for the conduct of the City Council’s business. Port Hueneme has a long and proud tradition of open government and civil, intelligent public discourse. This Manual is intended to enhance public participation and Council debate so that the best possible decisions can be made for Port Hueneme. While attempting not to be overly restrictive, procedures, policies, codes of ethics and conduct are being established and/or clarified so that expectations and practices are clearly articulated to guide City Councilmembers and staff in their day-to-day conduct and actions.

C. Ease of Reference. Having the majority of the rules, procedures, practices and policies (hereinafter collectively “Rules”) of the Port Hueneme City Council consolidated and contained in a single, easily accessible document will clarify expectations and responsibilities and streamline the conduct of meetings and other City Council business in the public interest.

II. EFFECTIVE DATE AND PERIODIC REVIEW/UPDATE OF MANUAL A. Effective Date. The Rules contained in this Manual shall be in effect immediately upon their adoption by City Council resolution and shall remain in effect until such time as this Manual is amended and new Rules are adopted and/or updated by City Council resolution.

B. Review. The City Council may review and/or revise this Manual at such times and with such frequency as it determines.

III. APPLICABILITY
The Rules set forth in this Manual are applicable to all public officials, both elected and appointed, including City Commissions, officers, and employees of the City. Acceptance of these policies shall be evidenced by a signed statement by all those who are affected. The City Council, by resolution and with an affirmative vote of no less than four Councilmembers (above 66 percent or two-thirds majority), shall adopt, periodically review and amend these policies as the Council may deem necessary. The City Council, by resolution, shall adopt, periodically review, and amend these policies as the Council may deem necessary, consistent with applicable law. Any such amendments shall be documented by Resolution and become effective immediately upon adoption.

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CHAPTER 2 ‐ ROLE OF CITY COUNCIL
I. OVERVIEW
A. City Council/City Manager Form of Government. Port Hueneme has a City Council/City Manager form of government, which is typical of the vast majority of cities in California. Every organization needs a single person to manage it. In the Strong Mayor form of government, the Mayor is the chief executive officer, but in our form of government, that person is the City Manager.

This form is predicated on and intended to operate largely like a board of directors/chief executive officer situation in corporations. Just as corporate board members have no role or authority in the daily management of the corporation, Councilmembers have no role in the daily management of the City, the means of implementing Council policy and similar matters. The opportunity to address concerns on such matters comes in public meetings or in certain situations in closed session. As a rule, Councilmembers should not attend meetings of City staff, meetings of City staff with outside parties or other non-public gatherings whereby the business of the City is being conducted, unless specifically invited by the City Manager. Further, a Councilmember should not engage in negotiations of any kind on behalf of the City.

B. City Council, etc. One of the fundamental tenets of city governance is recognizing that the City Council acts as a body. No individual Councilmember has extraordinary powers beyond those of other members. Although the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tempore (“Pro Tem”) have additional ceremonial, parliamentary and administrative responsibilities as described elsewhere in this Manual—with respect to the establishment of policies, voting, and in other significant areas— all members are equal.

C. Establishment of City Policy. City Policy is established, and direction is given to the City Manager by a majority vote of the Council. Neither the Mayor nor the Mayor Pro Tem has veto power or any other policy-making authority beyond that of the other Councilmembers.

D. Decisions of Majority of Body Binding on City Council. While individual Councilmembers may disagree with decisions of the majority, a decision of the majority binds the City Council to a course of action and provides City staff with direction to follow. Similarly, City staff is responsible to ensure that the policy set by the City Council is implemented and upheld consistent with the wishes of the majority. Implementation of City Council policy by staff does not reflect a bias against Councilmembers who held a minority opinion on an issue.

II. COUNCIL ELECTION AND GOVERNANCE
The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will be appointed by a majority vote of the entire membership of the City Council. The City Council shall consider the appointment of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem for one-year terms at the first second regular meeting in December of every year, following the certification of election results and seating of new City Councilmembers, if applicable. The newly appointed Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem assume their positions immediately following the majority vote.

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III. ROLE AND DUTIES OF MAYOR
A. Official Ceremonial Head of City. The Mayor is recognized as the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes and shall perform such other duties consistent with the office as set forth in this Manual and as may be delegated to the Mayor by majority vote of the City Council.

B. Presiding Officer. The Mayor is the Presiding Officer at all meetings of the City Council and acts as the chair, except as specified in Section G below. In this role, the Mayor has authority and discretion to:

1. Preserve order at all Council meetings;

2. Enforce (or cause to be enforced) the Meeting Rules of Conduct and Decorum as set forth in Chapter 3 of this Manual;

3. Determine the order of business, with majority consent, at meetings of the City Council.

C. External Communication of Policy. As the official spokesperson for the City, the Mayor is to faithfully communicate the will of the Council majority in matters of policy.

D. Seating Arrangement for City Council. The Mayor assumes the center chair on the dais and the Mayor Pro Tem sits immediately to his or her (or their) right. The seating arrangements for the remaining Councilmembers shall be as determined among the three of them, except, in the case of disagreement or absence of a Councilmember, the Mayor shall determine final seating. The seating arrangement of the Councilmembers shall be determined, following each Council reorganization of officers necessary or in the change in status of a Councilmember under the provisions of this Manual.

E. Signing Documents. The Mayor, whenever available, shall sign all ordinances, resolutions and other documents that have been adopted and authorized by the City Council which require an official signature. However, the City Manager or another City official may sign certain documents when so authorized by Council action and/or the provisions of the Port Hueneme Municipal Code.

F. Absence of Mayor. In the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem performs the duties of the Mayor, including acting as the Presiding Officer at meetings. When both the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem are absent from any meeting of the Council, the City Clerk shall call the Council to order, whereupon a member of the Council shall be elected temporary Presiding Officer who shall serve until the arrival of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem, or until adjournment, whichever occurs first.

IV. ROLE AND DUTIES OF ALL COUNCILMEMBERS
A. Advance Preparation for Meetings.

1. Prior Review of Agenda Materials. Prior to attending Council and committee meetings, study sessions and/or workshops, Councilmembers shall read or otherwise familiarize themselves with each agenda and supporting documentation for the items thereon.

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2. Seek Prior Clarification of Agenda Materials. Whenever possible, Councilmembers should request answers to questions on agenda items and attachments from the City Manager, to the extent required, prior to the meeting at which they are to be discussed. Resolving questions with City staff prior to each public meeting will enhance and clarify agenda items and move the agenda forward in a timely manner. Councilmembers should refrain from giving direction to any staff member as to do so is outside their authority and undermines the authority of the City Manager. No councilmember has the right to require insertion of particular material in the staff report or agenda packet.

3. Avoid Unfair Surprise. Councilmembers are urged to advise the City Manager in advance of issues or questions they intend to bring up at a public meeting. This refers to issues and questions that City staff would not normally anticipate or have researched for that particular meeting.

B. Councilmember Appointments And Assignments. Councilmember nominations for appointment to City boards, commissions and committees, must be confirmed by an affirmative vote of not less than three (3) Councilmembers. Such approval is also required for Councilmember appointments to boards, commissions and committees of outside agencies on which Councilmembers serve as representatives of the City.

C. Council Vacancies. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of a City Councilmember, the City Council will fill the vacancy by appointment or special election in accordance with the procedures set forth in Government Code section 36512 or the provisions of any ordinance adopted by the City Council thereunder.

D. Leadership, Goals and Policy. City Councilmembers are elected to provide leadership in setting goals and in formulating policies. The City Council is the focal point for identifying and interpreting the wishes of the residents and translating these into specific programs. Successful goal setting and policy formulation largely depend on a good working relationship amongst the Council and between the Council and the City Manager. Under the City Manager’s direction, staff can provide assistance in analyzing the City’s needs, suggesting action programs, and calculating the costs of proposals. However, the Council has the final responsibility for establishing local policies and determining services and budget levels appropriate for the City.

E. Engaging in Legislative and Quasi-Judicial Decisions/Acts. Almost all actions or decisions made by the City Council fall into one of two categories: legislative or quasi-judicial.

1. Legislative. These actions/decisions formulate rules to be applied to all future cases.

Examples include, but are not limited to: adoption and amendments to municipal codes; general plans; zoning codes; and personnel regulations. These actions are generally taken by ordinance or resolution.

2. Quasi-Judicial. While legislative actions establish public policy and rules applicable to groups of property or people, quasi-judicial proceedings affect individual properties or parties.

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Quasi-judicial proceedings involve the application of established standards to individual facts to determine specific rights or to take specific actions under existing law.

3. Due Process. The distinction between these two types of acts/decisions comes into play in the due process afforded to parties in quasi-judicial actions (particularly in the public and appeal hearing context).

V. CODE OF ETHICS FOR COUNCILMEMBERS
A. Intent and Purpose. To assure public confidence in the integrity of local government and its effective and fair operation, this Code of Ethics provides a framework for day-to-day actions and decision-making by Councilmembers and represents a commitment to uphold a standard of integrity beyond that required by law. The residents and businesses of Port Hueneme are entitled to a fair, ethical and accountable local government which has earned the public’s full confidence for integrity, and to ensure the effective functioning of democratic government, the City Council requires that:

1. Public officials, both elected and appointed, comply with both the letter and spirit of the laws and policies affecting the operations of government;

2. Public officials be independent, impartial and fair in their judgment and actions;

3. Public office be used for the public good, not for personal gain; and

4. Public deliberations and processes be conducted openly, unless legally confidential, in an atmosphere of respect and civility, both as between Councilmember and between the City Council and other peers, staff and the public.

B. Principles and Standards. The principles and standards of ethical conduct for Port Hueneme City Councilmembers are hereby established as set forth below.

1. Act in the Public Interest. Recognizing that stewardship of the public interest must be their primary concern, Councilmembers will work for the common good of the people of Port Hueneme and not for any private or personal interest, and they will assure fair and equal treatment of all persons, claims and transactions coming before the Port Hueneme City Council.

2. Comply with the Law. Councilmembers shall comply with the laws of the nation, the State of California and the City of Port Hueneme in the performance of their public duties.

3. Councilmember Conduct. The professional and personal conduct of Councilmembers must be above reproach and by the law must avoid even the appearance of impropriety, which is critically important for maintaining a positive and productive image of city governance. While it is understood that Councilmembers enjoy First Amendment rights, they should practice civility and decorum in discussions, debate, and activities and communications both inside and outside of City Council meetings, and must refrain from abusive conduct, personal charges of Agenda Item No. 08 Page 11 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

unsubstantiated allegations, disclosure of confidential information or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other members of the Council, boards, commissions, staff or the public which has the effect of disrupting the City's business and bringing the City’s government into dispute.

4. Respect for Process. Councilmembers shall perform their duties in accordance with the processes and rules of order established by the Council governing the deliberation of public policy issues, meaningful involvement of the public and implementation of policy decisions of the Council by City staff.

5. Decisions Based on Merit. Councilmembers shall base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations. Councilmembers are free to apply personal ideology to their deliberations but shall not allow personal feeling about an applicant or matter before the Council affect their judgment.

6. Conflict of Interest. In order to assure their independence and impartiality in the City’s best interest, Councilmembers shall not use their official position to make or influence decisions in which they know of, or have reason to know of, a conflict of interest of any nature. The provisions of this Section are in addition to the requirements of the Political Reform Act (Gov.

Code §§ 81000 et seq.) and regulations enacted by the Fair Political Practices Commission (‘FPPC”).

7. Confidential Information. Councilmembers shall respect the confidentiality of information concerning the property, personnel or affairs of the City. They shall neither disclose confidential information without proper legal authorization, nor use such information to advance their political, personal, financial or other private interests.

8. Use of Public Resources. Councilmembers shall not use public resources, such as City staff time, equipment, supplies or facilities, for private gain or personal purposes.

9. Advocacy. Councilmembers shall represent the official policies or positions of the Council, to the best of their ability when designated as delegates for this purpose. When presenting their individual opinions and positions, Councilmembers shall explicitly state they do not represent the opinion of the entire Council.

10. Positive Workplace Environment. Councilmembers shall support the maintenance of a positive and constructive workplace environment for City employees, fellow members of the City Council, members of the public and businesses dealing with the City. Councilmembers should always address City employees, whether in public or in private, with courtesy and respect. Any concerns which a Councilmember may have regarding the performance of a City employee should only be raised in private with the City Manager. Councilmembers have no legal right or authority to act as the superior, employer or supervisor of any City employee.

Individual Councilmembers shall direct all concerns through the City Manager.

11. Policy Role of Councilmembers. Councilmembers shall respect and adhere to the CouncilManager structure of Port Hueneme City government. In this structure, the City Council Agenda Item No. 08 Page 12 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

determines the policies of the City with the advice, information and analysis provided by the public, boards and commissions, and City staff. Councilmembers shall not interfere with the administrative functions of the City or the professional duties of City staff, nor shall they impair the ability of staff to implement Council policy decisions.

12. Substance Policy. Recognizing that a Councilmember should at all times have their intellectual and cognitive functions unimpaired, and should set examples of responsible leadership for the entire community, Councilmembers shall refrain from the use of any substance, legal or illegal, which is known to impair judgment, including, without limitation, alcohol, cannabis products, prescription drugs which result in impaired abilities or substances illegal under the laws of the State of California or the ordinances of the City, and shall do so for a period of not less than twelve hours before performing any duty or obligation of a Councilmember.

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CHAPTER 3 ‐ M EE T I N G R ULES O F C ON DU CT A N D D E CO R UM I. PARLIAMENTARY RULES AND GENERAL AGENDA ITEM PROCESS
A. Rosenberg’s Rules. Except as otherwise provided in this Manual, the proceedings of the Council at meetings shall be generally guided by the latest revised edition of Rosenberg’s Rules of Order.

However, no ordinance, resolution, proceeding or other action of the City Council shall be invalidated, or the legality thereof otherwise affected, by the failure or omission to observe or follow said rules.

B. General Process for Handling Agenda Items. The following process is the normal order of business for agenda items, except for public hearings.

1. Presiding Officer announces the current agenda item.

2. Staff presents its report (as needed), either by way of a written staff report or by in-person oral presentation.

3. Councilmembers may ask questions of staff if they so desire.

4. The Presiding Officer opens the item for public comment.

5. The Council asks any follow up questions of staff.

6. The Council discusses, deliberates, and takes action through a valid motion as described in this Chapter. Thereafter, a vote of the Council carries the motion, as described herein.

C. Councilmember Agenda Requests. To place an item on a future agenda, individual Councilmembers shall follow the process outlined below. This process replaces and supersedes the previous agenda request procedure and applies to individual Councilmember requests rather than requests from the Council as a whole.

To place an item on a future agenda, any Councilmember (including the Mayor) may make a motion or request to do so during the “Request for Future Agenda Items” portion of the Agenda, which shall be the last item on the agenda pursuant to the following rules:

1. At Least 147 Days Prior to a Meeting: Submission of Request. If a Councilmember wants to put an item on the agenda, they shall provide it in writing to the City Manager and City Clerk at least sevenfourteen (714) days before the requested meeting, using the attached form (Attachment A).

The request will be included with the agenda packet as an attachment for consideration under the “Future Agenda Item” portion of the upcoming City Council meeting.

1. 2. Approximately 7 Days Prior to a Meeting: Agenda Packet Preparation and Distribution. Agenda packets for regular City Council meetings will generally be distributed seven (7) days prior to the scheduled meeting to allow Councilmembers additional time to conduct a comprehensive review of complex agenda items, submit technical questions to staff via email, and help ensure that public sessions remain focused on policy deliberation rather than basic fact-finding. In connection with the ‘Future Agenda Items’ portion of the agenda, the City Manager will prepare a staff report for each meeting, and the requesting Councilmember’s form will be attached to that staff report. The City Manager’s staff report will not fully analyze the items, but will simply provide an estimate of resources and staff time for each request, ensuring that significant staff time is not utilized until Agenda Item No. 08 Page 14 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

the City Council considers and approves the item.

2. At the City Council Meeting: Consideration of Requests. The Mayor will introduce the Future Agenda Item report and will note each item, along with which Councilmember is responsible for placing the item on the agenda. That Councilmember would be responsible for explaining why they are requesting the item on a future agenda, what they are recommending, etc. Questions regarding necessary resources or legal considerations may be asked of the City Manager and/or City Attorney. The City Council will then vote on whether to add each item to a future agenda.

Second and Majority Vote Required. For a requested item to appear on a future City Council Agenda, a motion for the item must receive a second and be approved by a majority of the Council.

3. 3. After Approval: Scheduling of the Item. Once the City Council approves an item, staff will proceed with the item at a future meeting, based on availability on upcoming Council agendas. It should be noted that Council agenda items are scheduled based on priority, and the City is typically planning several meetings ahead to meet all applicable deadlines. For this reason, as stated in the City Council’s policies and procedures, the City Manager retains discretion over the timing and placement of such items on upcoming agendas, taking into consideration overall agenda management and organizational priorities.

4. No Discussion. There may be no discussion of the substantive merits of the requested item and no discussion regarding possible action related to the requested item. The only action to be taken is a second followed by a vote to determine whether the item will be included in a future agenda.

5. 6. Timing Direction. Requests should avoid a proposed timeframe unless absolutely necessary. The City Manager shall have discretion in determining an appropriate time to schedule requested agenda items after considering priorities, personnel resources, and budgetary considerations. If a motion on a requested item includes a specific timeframe by which to have the item placed on an Agenda, the City Manager shall be consulted before the vote is taken. A date specific scheduled item should only be considered if failing to do so would create an unacceptable financial or legal risk. No substantive discussion of the item may occur except to advise the Council on the ability to meet the timing request.

7. 8.4. Requests for Recurring Agenda Items. Requests to have recurring agenda items or reiterated requests for the same item are strongly discouraged and will not be permitted, unless a recurring request is approved by a majority vote of the Council.

II. RULES OF DISCUSSION AND DEBATE
A. Discussion Procedure. While discussing any question under consideration by the Council, it shall be the duty of the members thereof to remain seated and address their remarks to the Presiding Officer and their fellow members. Any remarks or orders to the audience shall be addressed by the Presiding Officer, or with his/her permission, by members of the Council.

B. Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer shall have the authority to prevent the misuse of the legitimate form of motions, the abuse of privilege of renewing certain motions, or the obstruction of the business of the City Council. The Presiding Officer may preserve orderly business by ruling such motions out of order. In so ruling, the Presiding Officer shall be courteous and fair and shall presume that the moving party is making the motion in good faith. The Presiding Officer may Agenda Item No. 08 Page 15 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

move, second, debate and vote from the chair and may adjourn a meeting by a simple declaration thereof in the absence of a protest by any Councilmember.

C. Councilmembers to Address Presiding Officer. Every Councilmember desiring to speak shall first address the chair, gain recognition by the Presiding Officer and shall confine himself/herself to the question under debate, avoiding personalities and crude language.

D. Questions to Staff. Every Councilmember desiring to ask questions of city staff shall, after recognition by the Presiding Officer, address his/her question to the City Manager or the City Attorney, who shall be entitled either to answer the inquiry him/herself or designate a member of the staff for that purpose.

E. Germane Comments/Time Limit for Council. Councilmembers shall limit their comments to the subject matter, item, or motion being currently considered by the Council. A determination of relevance shall be made by the Presiding Officer, but may be appealed to the full Council within the limitations of the Brown Act. Councilmembers shall govern themselves as to the length of their comments. No Councilmember shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any particular item until every other Councilmember desiring to do so shall have spoken.

F. Interruptions. A Councilmember, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless one of the following occurs: they are called to order by the Presiding Officer; a point of order or point of privilege is raised by another Councilmember; the speaker chooses to yield to a question by another Councilmember or for such other reasons as set forth in Rosenberg’s Rules. If a Councilmember is called to order while speaking, he/she shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined; and if interpreted to be in order, may proceed. Members of the city staff, after recognition by the Presiding Officer, shall hold the floor until completion of their remarks or until recognition is withdrawn by the Presiding Officer.

G. Point of Order. Any Councilmember may require the Presiding Officer to enforce the rules of the Council by raising a point of order. The point of order shall be ruled upon by the Presiding Officer, subject to the right of any Councilmember to appeal the ruling to the City Council. If an appeal is taken, the question shall be, "Shall the decision of the Presiding Officer be sustained?" The motion must be seconded to put it before the Council. A majority vote shall conclusively determine such question of order. The motion is debatable, and the Presiding Officer may participate in the debate.

H. Point of Privilege. Any Councilmember can raise a Point of General or Personal Privilege.

1. Point of General Privilege. Appropriate points of general privilege relate to anything that would interfere with the normal comfort of the meeting (such as the temperature of the room, or a malfunctioning microphone). If raised, the Presiding Officer would then ask the interrupter to “state your point.”

2. Point of Personal Privilege. The right of a Councilmember to address the Council on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which his/her integrity, character, or motives are questioned or where the welfare of the Council is concerned. A Councilmember raising a point of personal privilege may interrupt another Councilmember who has the floor only if the Presiding Officer recognizes the privilege.

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I. Privilege of Closing Debate. Any Councilmember shall have the privilege of closing debate by calling or moving the previous question. Such a motion requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council to pass, which in councils having five (5) members is considered to require four (4) affirmative votes.

J. Motion to Reconsider. A motion to reconsider may be made only by a member who voted in the majority on the original motion. Such a motion may only be made at the same meeting as the original item, and only to correct inadvertent errors or to consider new information not available at the time of the vote. If the motion to reconsider passes, then the original matter is back before the Council, and the matter may be discussed and debated as if it were on the floor for the first time. After the reconsideration of the item has been acted upon, no other motion for reconsideration thereof will be made without the unanimous consent of the Councilmembers present. Matters which are quasi-judicial in nature or matters which require a noticed public hearing cannot be reconsidered.

K. Remarks of Councilmembers and Synopsis of Debate. A Councilmember may request through the Presiding Officer the privilege of having an abstract of his/her statements on any subject under consideration by the Council entered into the minutes. If the Council consents thereto, such statements shall be entered into the minutes.

L. Protest Against Council Action. Any Councilmember dissenting from or stating his/her protest against any action of the Council may request to have such dissent or protest entered into the minutes. Such dissent or protest to be entered into the minutes shall be in the following manner:
"I would like the minutes to show that I am opposed to this action for the following reasons …" M. Seconding of Motions Required. A motion by any Councilmember, including the Presiding Officer, may not be considered by the Council without receiving a second.

N. Other Procedural Matters.

1. Time Limits. Each Councilmember should voluntarily abide by a five (5) minute time limit on all matters of discussion, including presentation items and comments made during “Reports from Councilmembers.”

2. Vote Unless Disqualified. All Councilmembers present at a meeting, when a question comes up for a vote, should vote for or against the question unless he/she is disqualified from voting by reason of a conflict of interest and abstains because of such disqualification. (a) A Councilmember stating disqualification will not be counted as a part of a quorum and will be considered absent for the purpose of determining the outcome of a vote on the matter.
(b) Any Councilmember who abstains for reasons other than disqualification in effect consents that a majority of the quorum may decide the question being voted upon, and any Agenda Item No. 08 Page 17 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

Councilmember so abstaining will be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum, but such abstention will not be considered an affirmative vote. The “present and voting” rule as described in Rosenberg’s Rules of Order applies. Unless a Councilmember states that he/she/they is/are abstaining due to a conflict of interest or other legal basis requiring disqualification, silence shall be recorded as a negative vote.

3. Presiding Officer to Call for Vote. The Presiding Officer shall call for the vote which shall be taken by voice affirmation or roll call at the Presiding Officer’s discretion, unless a recorded (roll call) vote is required by law. Except for action on certain matters specified by State law (e.g., Government Code section 36936 requiring a recorded affirmative vote of a majority of the entire membership of the body to adopt resolutions, orders for the payment of money, and non-urgency ordinances) a motion carries with a majority vote of a quorum of the City Council.

4. Tie Votes. Tie votes will be lost motions and may be reconsidered at a subsequent meeting upon a motion passed by the Council to reconsider the item at a subsequent meeting. If the matter involves an appeal, and an affirmative vote does not occur, the result is that the decision appealed stands as decided by the decision-making person or body from which the appeal was taken.

5. Changing Vote. A Councilmember may change his/her vote only if he/she makes a timely request to do so immediately following the announcement of the vote by the City Clerk and prior to the time that the next item in the order of business is taken up. A Councilmember who publicly announces that he/she is abstaining from voting on a particular matter shall not subsequently be allowed to withdraw his/her abstention.

Q. Conflict of Interest. Any Councilmember who has a conflict of interest regarding any matter being considered by the Council shall, in compliance with the provisions of the Political Reform Act and other applicable laws, declare the conflict, state the reason for the conflict, and leave the room during the discussion of that particular agenda item, unless it is a Consent Calendar item. When a Councilmember has a conflict regarding any item(s) on the Consent Calendar, they will abstain from voting on those specific items, and a separate vote will be conducted.

R. Levine Act Requirements. The Levine Act (Gov. Code, § 84308) requires any Party, Participant, or Agent in a Proceeding, as those terms are defined in Government Code section 84308 and Title 2, California Code of Regulations, Sections 18400 et seq., before the City of Port Hueneme that involves any action or consideration to their contract, license, permit, or other entitlement for use to disclose any campaign contributions made to City elected or appointed Officers totaling more than $500 within the 12 months prior to the City decision. Any City elected or appointed Officer who has received a contribution totaling more than $500 within the preceding twelve (12) months from a Party, Agent, or Participant, shall disclose that fact on the record of the proceeding and shall not make, participate in making, or in any way attempt to use the Officer’s official position to influence the decision.

III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND RULES OF DECORUM FOR COUNCIL, PUBLIC, AND STAFF.

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A. Public Participation.

1. Manner of Addressing Council. To facilitate the orderly conduct of meetings, physical or otherwise, persons wishing to speak during public comment periods and at public hearings are requested to fill out speaker cards, email comments per City Clerk guidance, and provide them to the City Clerk prior to the start of the meeting or before a public hearing item is announced.

It should be noted that a speaker may not be required to submit a card or even to identify themselves. For physical meetings, during public comment periods and public hearings, each person desiring to address the Council should be requested to step up to the microphone at the podium, state his/her name for the record, state the agenda item he/she wishes to discuss, state whom he/she is representing, if he/she is representing an organization or other persons, and unless further time is granted by a majority vote of the Council, shall limit his/her remarks to three (3) minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a whole and not to any member thereof and no questions shall be asked of a Councilmember or a member of the City staff or member of the audience without permission of the Presiding Officer. No person shall address the Council without first being recognized by the Presiding Officer. For digital remote virtual meetings, the Presiding Officer or City Clerk will read public comments through the first 500 words of text (three (3) minute equivalent).

2. Spokesperson for Group of Persons. To expedite matters and avoid repetitious presentations, whenever any group of persons wishes to address the Council on the same subject matter or item, it shall be proper for the Presiding Officer to request that a spokesperson be chosen by the group to address the Council; and in case additional matters are to be presented by any other member of said group, to limit the number of such persons addressing the council. In situations where more than ten (10) people wish to speak on an item, the Presiding Officer may place reasonable limits on the Public Comment period, including reducing the time allotted to each speaker to two (2) minutes and/or a specific time limit for the total presentation. Such time limits shall allow for full discussion of the item by interested parties or their representative(s). The purpose of this limitation is to ensure the Council can address its agenda and avoid repetitive comments and presentations.

3. After a Motion. After a motion has been made or a public hearing has been closed, no member of the public shall address the Council from the audience on the matter under consideration without first getting permission to do so by a majority vote of the City Council.

B. Rules of Decorum for Council, Public and Staff. Meetings of the City Council shall be conducted in an orderly manner to ensure that the public has a full opportunity to be heard and that the deliberative process of the Council is retained at all times. The Presiding Officer of the Council shall be responsible for maintaining the order and decorum of meetings. While any meeting of the City Council is in session, the following rules of order and decorum shall be observed:

1. Councilmembers. While the council is in session, the members must preserve order, and decorum; and the members shall neither by conversation or otherwise delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the council nor disturb any member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the Presiding Officer.

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(a) E-Communication Prohibited. Except as specified in subdivision (b) below, Councilmembers shall not use E-Communication at any time during any meeting, including but not limited to, Open and Closed Sessions of the City Council. The use of Ecommunication is prohibited during Council meetings so that Councilmembers may remain attentive to members of the public, staff or others as they are speaking to the City Council.

E-Communication is defined as "electronic text, audio, or visual communication and attachments distributed via e-mail, telephonic service, websites, instant messaging, text messaging, twitter or comparable services."
(b) Exceptions for Emergencies. The limitation specified in subdivision (a), above, shall not apply to receipt of telephone calls or text messages from family members in the event of an urgent family matter. Councilmembers wishing to respond to such a message during the meeting shall do so during a recess, or shall excuse him or herself from the meeting after receiving permission of the Presiding Officer to place the return call or text in a manner that does not disrupt the meeting.
(c) Leaving Seats. Councilmembers shall not leave their seats during public hearing matter where the City Council is acting in a quasi-judicial manner, since to do so may cause the member to miss important evidence or testimony, without first obtaining the permission of the Presiding Officer which shall be reasonably given. If such permission is given, the Presiding Officer should halt the public hearing during the absence of the member. (d) Packing of Audience. It is inappropriate for a Councilmember to pack the audience for a specific agenda item.
(e) Exceptions for Digital Remote Virtual Meetings. The limitation specified in subdivision (a), above, shall not apply to receipt or transmission of telephone calls or text messages from or to City Staff when encountering technical issues during digital remote virtual meetings.

2. City Staff Members. City staff members and employees shall observe the same rules of order and decorum as are applicable to the City Council, with the exception that City staff members and employees may leave their seats during a meeting without first obtaining the permission of the Presiding Officer and they may also use e-communication tools as required to coordinate and facilitate meetings.

3. Persons Addressing the Council. The primary purpose of public comment periods at City Council meetings is to allow residents the opportunity to formally communicate with the City Council as a whole, but these comment periods should not be utilized as a substitute for any item that can be handled during the normal working hours of the city government. Each person who addresses the Council shall do so in an orderly manner and shall not make direct threats to any member of the Council, staff or general public. Any person who makes threatening statements or engages in any disorderly conduct which disrupts, disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of any Council meeting shall, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer or a majority of the Council, be barred from further audience before the Council during that meeting.

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4. Members of the Audience. No person in the audience at a Council meeting shall engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct, including the utterance of loud, threatening or abusive language, whistling, stamping of feet, excessive clapping, or other acts which disturb, disrupt or otherwise impede the orderly conduct of any Council meeting. Any person who conducts him/herself in the aforementioned manner shall, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer or a majority of the Council, be barred from further audience before the Council during that meeting.

C. Enforcement of Decorum. The rules of decorum set forth above shall be enforced in the following manner:

1. Warning. The Presiding Officer shall request that a person who is breaching the rules of decorum be orderly and silent. If, after receiving a warning from the Presiding Officer, a person persists in disrupting the meeting, the Presiding Officer shall order such person to leave the Council meeting. If such person does not remove himself or herself, the Presiding Officer may order any law enforcement officer who is on duty at the meeting as sergeant-at-arms of the Council to remove that person from the Council Chambers.

2. Removal. Any law enforcement officer who is serving as sergeant-at-arms of the Council shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the Presiding Officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Council meeting. Upon instruction of the Presiding Officer, it shall be the duty of the sergeant-at-arms to remove from the Council meeting any person who is disrupting the proceedings of the Council.

3. Motion to Enforce. If the Presiding Officer of the Council fails to enforce the rules set forth above, any member of the Council may move to require him or her to do so, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the Council shall require him or her to do so. If the Presiding Officer of the Council fails to carry out the will of a majority of the Council, the majority may designate another member of the Council to act as Presiding Officer for the limited purpose of enforcing any rule of this section which it wishes to enforce.

4. Adjournment. If a meeting of the Council is disturbed or disrupted in such a manner as to make infeasible or improbable the restoration of order, the meeting may be adjourned or continued by the Presiding Officer or a majority of the Council, and any remaining Council business may be considered at the adjourned or next meeting.

D. Public Communications. At a duly noticed meeting of the City Council, the Council shall not take action on matters brought up during Open Forum. The Council may, however, ask questions, express opinions (without engaging in deliberation) and direct City Staff to agendize the matter for formal consideration at a future meeting pursuant the process outlined in Chapter 3, Section I.

C. of this Manual.

1. For properly noticed agenda items, the Council shall give due consideration to all public communications received before taking action.

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2. The City Manager or his/her designee shall take appropriate action on matters raised during Open Forum. This may include direct communication with the public speaker, and/or providing an action status summary to the Council as appropriate.

3. Although responses aren’t allowed during general public comments, responses to noticed agenda items are discouraged if public comments constitute a matter of opinion or raise questions unrelated to the City.

CHAPTER 4 ‐ ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
I. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
General staff and administrative support to members of the City Council is provided through the City Manager’s Office. Administrative services including scheduling of appointments, receipt of telephone messages, and word processing related to city business matters are available as needed. Sensitivity to the workload of support staff members in the City Manager’s Office is appreciated. Please note that individuals may have other work assigned with higher priority.

II. MAIL, DELIVERIES AND E-MAIL
A. Correspondence from the Public. The City encourages the public to send correspondence to the entire City Council, either by traditional post or by e‐mail. Correspondence addressed to the City Council, which is received by the City Clerk or by any other officer or employee of the City, shall be deemed a public record upon receipt, except as set forth in the Public Records Act (California Government Code § 6250 et seq.) or other applicable law.

1. Authority of City Clerk. The City Clerk is authorized to open and examine all mail or other written communications addressed to the City Council and to give it immediate attention to the end that all administrative business referred to in said communication not necessarily requiring Council action may be acted upon between Council meetings. (a) The City Clerk maintains an office mailbox for each member into which written correspondence shall be placed and Councilmembers should check frequently. (b) The City Clerk may provide for a city courier to deliver materials to the homes of Councilmembers when materials are time sensitive.

2. Councilmember Responsibilities. If correspondence is received directly by a Councilmember without the City Clerk having opened and examined same, such Councilmember shall be responsible for providing such correspondence to the City Clerk that is required to be included with agenda materials, as set forth in the Brown Act. All such communications shall be deemed a public record upon receipt, except as set forth in the Public Records Act or other applicable law.

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B. City-Issued E-mail Address. Each Councilmember is provided with a City of Port Hueneme domain e-mail address to receive e-mail from constituents, other members of the public, government agencies and for other City-related business purposes.

1. Status as Public Record. Pursuant to the Public Records Act, any e‐mail sent or received by Councilmembers using the City-issued domain e-mail address may constitute a public record and be disclosable upon the City’s receipt of a Public Records Act request.

2. Privacy Limited. Councilmembers have no reasonable expectation of privacy in any e‐mail correspondence received by them at their City of Port Hueneme domain e‐mail address.

C. Communications Using Non-City Accounts/Devices. Messages or communications received by Councilmembers on their personal electronic devices or personal e-mail accounts concerning City business may also be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act. Additional rules are set forth in Section IV, below.

D. Other Rules Relating to Correspondence. Any written correspondence or other materials, when distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the members of the City Council by any person in connection with a matter subject to discussion or consideration at a public meeting, are disclosable public records under the California Public Records Act and shall be made available upon request without delay, with the exception of communication from the City Attorney which are privileged.

Writings that are public records and that are distributed during a public meeting shall be made available for public inspection at the time of the meeting if prepared by City staff or a member of the City Council, or after the meeting if prepared by some other person. All writings referenced herein shall be provided to and documented with a received/filed date by the City Clerk.

E. Privileged Communications. Communication from the City Attorney to any Councilmember, staff member or consultant/agent of the city is normally privileged (i.e., not disclosable to third parties).

The same is true of written or oral communication made or received during Closed Sessions of the City Council. These privileges are “owned” by the City and may only be waived by a majority vote of the entire Council. A councilmember improperly releasing privileged information may be excluded from Closed Sessions by an order of the Superior Court concerning the case of Closed Session information, or removed from the distribution list of City Attorney communications if the City Attorney determines that removal is appropriate.

III. CITY-ISSUED EQUIPMENT
A. Equipment Provided. To enhance Councilmembers’ ability to communicate with staff and the public, city‐purchased equipment may be provided, such as computers, cell phones and access to City fax machines and e-mail system.

B. Limitations on Use.

1. Brown Act Considerations. The use of technological devices to communicate with a majority of other Councilmembers on any official action to be taken falls within the provisions of the Brown Act. Technological devices include, but are not limited to, phones, faxes, Agenda Item No. 08 Page 23 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

computer e‐mail, public access cable TV, and video. Use of such devices to pass information for the purpose of developing concurrence on action to be taken outside of a public meeting is prohibited.

2. Other Prohibitions. Personal use of City-issued equipment is prohibited in accordance with Government Code section 8314, except for such minimal and incidental use as specified therein.

3. Social Media. A member may not directly respond to a social media post regarding agency business that is made, posted, or shared by another member of the same legislative body, unless they are answering a public question, providing public information, or soliciting public information, and as long as majority of the legislative body do not use social media to discuss agency business among themselves, including commenting, replying, sharing, reacting or using digital icons such as emojis of GIF’s. This applies to personal electronic devices and accounts as well.

IV. USE OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTS AND PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR

CITY BUSINESS
A. Status as Public Records. Text messages, emails, and other electronic communications that deal in some substantive manner with the conduct of City business created on, stored on, and/or transmitted by personal accounts or personal electronic devices may be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act.

B. Limitations and Rules on Use. To the extent feasible, City-issued email accounts and electronic devices shall be used to conduct City business. Limited use of a private device or account for public business by Councilmembers is permissible, but discouraged. The following rules should be observed.

1. Urge Use of City Electronic Devices/Accounts. Councilmembers should urge persons sending electronic communications regarding City business to a personal account or device to instead utilize the City of Port Hueneme domain e-mail address, City-issued cell phone number or other official City electronic messaging account provided to the Councilmember.

2. When Communications Received on Personal Accounts/Devices. If Councilmembers receive electronic messages regarding City business on their personal electronic messaging account or device, or circumstances require them to conduct City business on a personal account or device, Councilmembers are urged to either:
(a) Copy ("cc") any communication from the City official's personal electronic messaging account or device to his/her City electronic messaging account; or (b) Forward the electronic communication to his/her City account as soon as feasible after the original creation or transmission of the electronic communication.

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C. Compliance and Additional Policies. The City Council should comply with the above provisions and any additional administrative policies the Council adopts for City-wide application regarding procedures to be followed with respect to communications received on personal accounts and devices when Public Records Act requests are made.

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CHAPTER 5 ‐ RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT
I. RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT WITH CITY MANAGER
A. The City Council and City Manager Work as a Team. The City Council establishes policies for the overall operation of the City. The City Manager directs and is responsible for the day‐to‐day operations of the City.

B. Productive Relationship Requirements. To facilitate a productive relationship with the City Manager, the City Council shall:

1. Except for the purpose of requesting general information or assistance, deal with the administrative service under the City Manager solely through the City Manager.

Councilmembers should recognize that communications from individual councilmembers often carries the implication of an order or demand, even if made in the form of a request.

This is particularly true of requests for information on a matter where the Councilmember has a recognized position for or against the matter. Such requests should be made through the City Manager. Neither the City Council nor any member shall give orders to any subordinates of the City Manager, either publicly or privately. Contact may be made directly with Senior Management for the purposes of requesting information or assistance, as long as a copy of the communication is forwarded to the City Manager. Senior Management shall inform the City Manager of all Councilmember contact and should not interpret direct communication as an order;

2. Treat staff professionally and refrain from publicly criticizing the performance of, or belittling individual employees. Specifically, the City Council is expected to conform its conduct to the City’s anti-harassment policies as follows:
a. Individuals have the right to work in an environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, ridicule, insult, or fear of reprisal/retaliation. Harassment is misconduct that can decrease work productivity, decrease morale, cause emotional damage, and/or cause physical damage. These negative effects can lead to serious economic implications, including, without limitation, high staff turnover, ineffective use of staff time, costly salary expenditures due to paying for ineffective use of staff time, employee absence due to the processing of staff complaints and personal leave, and withdrawal of federal or state funding, etc.;
b. The City Council shall refrain from unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, physical, or visual conduct of a sexual nature that constitutes sexual harassment in violation of state and federal law; c. The City Council shall refrain from verbal harassment, which includes, but is not limited to, use of epithets, derogatory or lewd comments, slurs, jokes, putdowns, and Agenda Item No. 08 Page 26 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

criticism that does not serve any constructive purpose or advance the City’s mission in providing services to residents;
d. The City Council shall refrain from physical harassment, including, without limitation, assault, offensive touching, impeding or blocking free movement of any individual, physical interference with a member of staff in the performance of his or her duties, or any threat to accomplish same;
e. The City Council shall refrain from any visual forms of harassment, including, without limitation, offensive or obscene gestures, display of sexually suggestive materials, and other materials that do not serve any public interest; and f. Staff is strongly encouraged, but not required, to immediately inform the Councilmember harassing him or her that the behavior is unwelcome, offensive, or inappropriate, and to immediately report such conduct to the City Manager and/or City Attorney. Upon receipt of any complaint, the City Manager and/or City Attorney will immediately inform the City Council via memorandum of the received complaint with the complainant’s identifying information excluded. The City Council may request a future agenda item pursuant to the terms of this Policy and Procedures Manual for the purpose of enforcing Chapter 7 of this Manual.

3. Avoid involvement in personnel issues, except during City Council Closed Sessions regarding City Council‐appointed staff (City Manager and City Attorney), including hiring, firing, promoting, disciplining and other personnel matters;

4. Discuss directly with the City Manager any displeasure with a department or staff;

5. Understand that all written informational material requested to be prepared for individual Councilmembers shall be submitted to all Councilmembers; 6 Refer complaints to the City Manager and/or the City’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for further processing. Staff shall be given adequate time to investigate and respond to such complaints;

7. Receive from the City Manager timely information regarding unusual events that the public would be concerned about; i.e., anyone wounded by gunfire, area cordoned off by police or fire, significant event, etc.

C City Manager – City Council Relations. The City Manager shall exhibit equal treatment, open access and uniform communication among all Councilmembers and City Staff with the goal of fostering the core values of trust, honesty and teamwork. The City Manager shall instill (and actively promote) these same principles among the department heads and City Staff.

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D. Council Communications. The City Manager shall keep the City Council apprised of significant community, organizational, political and media issues through such means as periodic newsletters, Council agenda reports and e-mail communications. Issues of particular interest include: (i) Claims against the City with the potential for signifcant adverse impacts to financial resources and/or the public perception of the City, (ii) major organizational changes including promotions, resignations, new hires and retirements; and, (iii) public safety/infrastructure events such as crimes and utility interruptions.

E. Media Protocols. The City Manager or his/her designee shall serve as the first point of contact for all media inquiries and shall issue press releases as circumstances warrant. All press releases, editorials and similar public pronouncements shall be shared with City Council prior to distribution.

II. RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT WITH STAFF
A. General considerations. City staff s h o u l d seek to provide Councilmembers free access to information from the City and to ensure that such information is communicated completely and with candor to those making the request. To carry out this responsibility, however, Councilmembers must avoid intrusion into those areas which are the responsibility of staff. This is necessary to protect staff from undue influence and pressure from individual Councilmembers, and to allow staff to execute priorities given by management and the Council as a whole.

B. Responses to Requests. City staff should make every effort to respond in a timely and professional manner to all requests made by individual Councilmembers for information or assistance. Requests of the City Attorney‘s office are to be submitted directly to the City Attorney. All other requests of staff are to be submitted through the City Manager’s office.

C. Issues of Pressure or Influence. Individual City Councilmembers should not make attempts to pressure or influence staff decisions, recommendations, workloads, schedules, and department priorities.

1. If a Councilmember wishes to influence the actions, decisions, recommendations, workloads, work schedule, and priorities of staff, that member must prevail upon a majority of the Council at an open meeting to do so as a matter of Council policy.

2. The City Council recognizes the primary functions of staff as executing Council policy and actions taken by the Council as a body and in keeping the Council informed.

3. Staff is directed to reject any attempts by individual members of the Council to unduly direct or otherwise pressure them into making, changing or otherwise influence recommendations, and to immediately report such conduct to the City Manager.

D. Cooperation. Individual Councilmembers, as well as the Council as whole, shall receive the full cooperation and candor of staff in being provided with any requested information.

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E. Meeting Conduct. Mutual respect shall be shown during public sessions from both Council Members and City Staff regarding their respective roles and responsibilities. City Staff shall maintain a professional demeanor in presenting issues to the Council. City Staff Members shall make every reasonable effort to avoid engaging members of the Council or public in a debate at Council meetings.

F. Staff Presentations. All written and verbal staff reports shall be prepared and presented in an objective, disimpassioned and unbiased manner, providing a clear connection between the facts and findings upon which staff recommendations are based. The City Council has final decision-making authority and staff shall diligently and in good faith implement and adhere to the actions taken by the Council.

III. REQUESTS FOR RESEARCH OR INFORMATION
A. General Considerations. A Councilmember may request directly from department heads answers to routine questions or information on a given topic when it will require little or no research and have little or no impact to City operations (less than thirty (30) minutes). The Councilmember should also advise the City Manager of this request. City staff shall inform the City Manager of all Council contact.

B. Time-Consuming Requests. Requests for information or research by either Councilmembers or members of the public (except those otherwise governed by law, such as Public Records Act Requests) that are anticipated to take staff more than thirty (30) minutes to complete will be brought to the City Manager for approval.

C. Policy-Related Requests. All Council requests dealing with policy and those requests which may be construed as direction shall be directed to the City Manager, except for routine general inquiries or questions that will not disrupt City operations, in which case, the City Council may go to Senior Management. Councilmembers may also contact the City Attorney.

D. Funding Requests. Any request from City Council requiring funding must be addressed with the City Manager. The City Manager shall respond in a timely manner.

E. Written Requests Preferable. To assist the City Manager, requests for information are best tracked if submitted in writing, either in memorandum form or through e‐mail. And to ensure proper responsiveness, Councilmembers are asked to copy the City Manager on all correspondence with staff.

IV. RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT WITH CITY ATTORNEY.

A. General Provisions. The City Attorney provides legal counsel on issues associated with Council decision making and general City operations. In this role, the City Attorney does not make policy but may provide advice and make recommendations based upon his or her knowledge and experience. The City Attorney does assist with implementation of Council policy through contract Agenda Item No. 08 Page 29 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

negotiation, procedural compliance, regulatory adherence, document preparation and court filings.

The City Attorney’s responsibilities are as provided in his or her contract, the Municipal Code, state law and the obligations incumbent upon him or her by virtue of the rules of the California State Bar.

B. Claims Assessment. All legal proceedings and insurance claims filed against the City, that have a high potential for public interest, shall be reported to the City Council as soon as reasonably possible. Additional claims will be included periodically in summary format. Any legal proceeding or insurance claim filed against the City which names the City Manager, City Attorney, or any other Council Member (hereinafter collectively “Executive Claim”) shall be referred to the City Council and scheduled for closed session discussion at the earliest possible date. Nothing in this Section shall preclude or affect the City Attorney’s duty to call a closed session meeting to bring to the Council’s attention any new or threatened litigation and to secure Council direction regarding same.

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CHAPTER 6 ‐ COMMUNICATION AND REPRESENTATION
I. REPRESENTING MAJORITY VS. INDIVIDUAL OPINION
A. Dual Roles of Councilmembers. A person elected to the City Council plays two roles: a member of a body elected to represent the City in its entirety and a private resident of the City.

The second role is not relinquished when the first role is assumed. It is important to distinguish between the two roles at all times and to conduct business in one role separately from the other.

The elected Councilmember retains the right to speak as an individual, but must make it very clear that he/she speaks on his/her own behalf and not as a member of the City Council. This is because when the Council acts, it acts as a whole, not as a group of individuals.

B. General Policy Considerations. An important function of a Councilmember is communication—communication with the public to assess community opinions and needs and communication with staff to provide policy direction and to gain an understanding of the implications of various policy alternatives. Because the City Council acts as a body (that is, acting based on the will of the majority as opposed to individuals), it is important that general guidelines be understood when speaking for the Council. Equally important, when members are expressing personal views and not those of the Council, the public should be so advised.

II. CORRESPONDENCE FROM COUNCILMEMBERS
A. Stationery Use and Related Guidelines.

1. Use of City Letterhead. City letterhead shall be used by the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and City Council for official City business, communication of adopted City policies and positions, correspondence, and any related communications. All Councilmembers and City Manager should be copied on correspondence signed by the Mayor or other Councilmember. Use of City letterhead on personal matters (those not related to official city business) is not permitted.

2. Personal Stationery. Personal stationery that employs the use of the City’s official seal or any copyrighted logo or insignia of the City shall not be used by any member of the City Council to communicate individual positions, conduct personal correspondence, or communicate positions that may be in opposition to established City Council positions or decisions. Personal stationery shall be printed at the expense of the individual Councilmember, and the aforementioned types of communications shall be mailed at the individual Councilmember’s expense. Councilmembers should use the following disclaimer for individual communications in which they identify themselves as a Councilmember: I am speaking in my individual capacity and the statements conveyed in this communication do not necessarily represent the official position of the City of Port Hueneme.

3. Correspondence Public Record. If a Councilmember (including the Mayor) wishes to write a letter or press release on City letterhead that is related to City business, he/she shall inform the Council (in writing or verbally at an open meeting) what the letter or press release is about Agenda Item No. 08 Page 31 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

and seek Council concurrence that the letter or press release may be written on City letterhead.

Permission should only be sought and acted upon by the rest of the Councilmembers in open session to avoid violations of the Brown Act.

4. Permission Required. Whenever the Mayor wishes to write a letter on City letterhead that expressly affirms and furthers policy adopted by a majority vote of the City Council (e.g., support of grant applications), he or she shall have the authority to do so without prior City Council approval provided that copies are furnishes to the City Council at the same time the letter is mailed.

B. Prohibitions on Use of Public Resources for Personal or /Campaign Purposes.

1. Letterhead and Staff. City letterhead and staff support cannot be utilized for personal or political purposes. The use of the City Seal, logo, or other insignia on personal matters and correspondence is not permitted.

2. 2. Council Chambers and Staff Photos. The City Council Chamber cannot be used as a location for taking campaign photos. The use of photos with current City staff in election materials is prohibited.

3. Restriction on Community Outreach During Election Periods. To maintain the impartial use of municipal resources, the City and individual Councilmembers shall refrain from initiating new, non-essential community outreach programs, town halls, or City-funded mass mailings within ninety (90) days of a municipal election in which they are a candidate. Routine City newsletters and essential public notices shall remain exempt. However, any City-funded mass mailing or publication issued within ninety (90) days of such an election shall not feature the name, photograph, or individual highlights of any Councilmember who is a candidate in that election.

III. SPEAKING FOR “THE CITY”
A. Issue Position Statements. When members are requested to speak to groups or are asked the Council’s position on an issue, the response should reflect the position of the Council as a whole taken in open session. It is permissible, however, for a Councilmember to clarify his/her vote on a matter by stating: “While I voted against ‘X’, the City Council voted in support of it.” When representing the City at meetings or other venues, it is important that those in attendance gain an understanding of the City Council’s position rather than that of an individual member. In situations where Council has not taken a position on a particular issue, any communications sent by a Councilmember shall indicate that the Council has not expressed its point of view and that any comments represent the opinion of that particular individual.

B. Communication of Council Policy. The Mayor and individual Councilmembers are not authorized to speak on behalf of the City or the City Council with regard to City or City Council policy or positions, except when such policy or position has been clearly established or when the Mayor or Councilmember has been designated as a spokesperson on a given subject.

Otherwise, the Mayor or Councilmember should advise that the Council has not yet adopted Agenda Item No. 08 Page 32 of 42 CC Agenda 02-02-2026

an official policy or position. Statements of the official’s personal views should be clearly indicated as such.

C. Supporting State or Federal Legislation. The City Council may be requested to formally support or oppose state or federal legislation. In considering whether or not to take such action, it is Council policy to determine first if the legislation involves matters pertaining directly to the City of Port Hueneme or its residents as a whole. If the subject matter does not relate directly to City business or to local residents, then the City or City Council can decline to take a position. If the legislation could be expected to affect the City or its residents, then the Council may elect to take a position. All correspondence articulating the City’s position on state and federal legislation shall be handled in a manner consistent with the City Council’s adopted Legislative Platform. This Platform shall be subject to periodic review by the City Council to ensure it accurately reflects the City’s positions.

D. Representation at Ceremonial Functions.

1. City Sponsored Events. The Mayor, or Mayor Pro Tem in his/her absence, shall represent the Council at ceremonial functions organized by the City. The Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem may, at his/her own discretion, ask another Councilmember to represent the Council at that function when neither is available. Staff shall also include any Councilmember who has promoted a project or event in any program or agenda for such a function.

2. Non‐City Sponsored Events. Staff shall invite all Councilmembers to attend non‐City sponsored events. As a general rule, the Mayor, or Mayor Pro Tem in his/her absence, shall represent the Council at these functions. If neither the Mayor nor the Mayor Pro Tem is available to attend a non‐City sponsored event, they shall designate a replacement. Nothing in this provision is meant to preclude a Councilmember from representing the Council at a ceremonial function where the event organizer has requested that a specific Councilmember attend the function, or from attending any event as an individual councilmember.

E. Appearances before Agencies and Organizations. If a member of the City Council appears before another governmental agency or organization to give a statement on an issue affecting the City, the Councilmember should first indicate the majority position and opinion of the Council. Personal opinions and comments may be expressed only if the Councilmember clarifies that these statements do not represent the position of the City Council.

F. Participation in Community Activities. From time to time, Councilmembers may choose to participate in community activities, committees, events, and task forces. When a Councilmember participates in these types of activities, the Councilmember is acting as an interested party rather than acting on behalf of the City Council. Acting or participating on behalf of the City Council is limited to those instances when the Council has formally designated the Councilmember as its representative for the matter.

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1. Council Members may attend and participate in public events to which the Council as a whole have been invited (e.g., ribbon cutting for new businesses, charity fundraising, community/civic functions, etc.). Members who choose to attend any such event shall serve in a ceremonial capacity without authority to represent the Council as a whole.

2. Council Members, regardless of appointment status, may attend and participate in private events regardless of whether the whole of a Council has been invited (e.g., homeowner association gatherings, political action meetings, etc.) Members who choose to attend any such event shall: (i) serve in a personal capacity without association to the City Council; and (ii) be ineligible for monetary compensation for such involvement (e.g., reimbursement for travel or direct costs).

G. Volunteers and Commissioners. Non-elected volunteers and appointees who participate in civic activities supported by the City (e.g., Historical Museum, Orvene Carpenter Community Center, etc.) shall not independently represent the City in any public communication (including press releases, social media announcements, etc.) except or unless authorized by the City Manager.

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CHAPTER 7 ‐ ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. Statutory Conflicts. If there is any conflict contained in this Manual with Federal or State law or with the City of Port Hueneme Municipal Code, such laws shall prevail.

B. Uniform Application. The City Manager, City Staff, City Professional Service Providers, City Attorney, and Appointed Volunteers shall be held to the same standards of personal conduct, professionalism and public decorum as that which applies to the City Council as described in this Manual.

II. IMPLEMENTATION
A. City Council. Should any of the Rules contained in this Manual be violated by a Council Member, the following provisions shall apply:

1. Based on substantial evidence supporting the facts, any Council Member may initiate a Reprimand Resolution for consideration by the Council as a whole.

2. A Reprimand Resolution, if approved by a four-fifths majority of the Council, shall stipulate the basis of its action and provide for one or all of the following penalties:
a. Removal from any or all Council Appointments.
b. Demotion from the appointed person of Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem. c. Suspension of budgeted amounts for conference and travel. d. Exclusion from receiving confidential City Council communications. e. Prohibited attendance at Closed Sessions by order of the Superior Court.

3. If a Councilmember improperly releases privileged information, such Member may be excluded from Closed Sessions by an order of the Superior Court concerning the case of Closed Session information or removed from the distribution list of City Attorney communications if the Council so determines that removal is appropriate.

B. City Manager and City Attorney. Should any of the Rules contained within this Manual be violated by the City Manager or City Attorney, employment contracts shall govern.

C. City Staff. Should any of the Rules contained within this Manual be violated by a City Staff Member, adopted personnel policies shall govern.

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D. City Volunteers. Should any of the Rules contained within this Manual be violated by a City Volunteer, remedies shall be those prescribed in the Municipal Code, bylaws governing committee/commission operations and/or removal by the majority vote of the City Council.

III. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT AND UNDERSTANDING OF MANUAL Upon first entering office, or whenever this City Council Policy and Procedures Manual is updated by City Council Resolution, every Councilmember shall sign a statement affirming that they have received, read, understood and will abide by the provisions set forth in this Manual. Regardless of whether any individual intended to be covered by this Manual executes this acknowledgement, such individual shall nevertheless be bound to them.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I hereby acknowledge that I have received, read and understand the City Council Policy and Procedures Manual.

Signature: _____________________ Date:________________
Name (Print): ___________________________
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• Please see policy for submittal requirements.

Request From: Request Date:

Requested Meeting Date:

Deadlines Associated with this Agenda Item:

Description of Agenda Item (need detailed information):

Recommended Motion (i.e. action you want Council to take, or are you just presenting information, etc.):

Notes/Questions:

Please Submit to:

[email protected]

PORT HUENEME CITY COUNCIL

AGENDA ITEM & REQUEST FORM
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This Page Intentionally Left Blank
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RESOLUTION NO. _____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME,

CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL
WHEREAS, in February of 2001, the City Council adopted the Council Norms and Protocols, which had undergone revisions during the years; and WHEREAS, the necessity of a more robust Council Policy and Procedures Manual became apparent with the City Council requesting a new and comprehensive Manual in 2019; and WHEREAS, on October 19, 2020, the City Council requested the development of a Council Policy and Procedures Manual including a streamlined process to request agenda items, and such Manual was adopted by resolution of the Council on November 16, 2020; and WHEREAS, on September 19, 2022, the City Council requested revisions to the City Council Policy and Procedures Manual to address the issues of bullying and harassment; and WHEREAS, a revised version of the City Council Policy and Procedures Manual, incorporating anti-bullying and harassment language, was adopted by resolution on November 7, 2022; and
WHEREAS, a revised version of the City Council Policy and Procedures Manual, was reviewed on June 3, 2024, modified and adopted on June 17, 2024, which included modifications focused on Councilmember Conduct, Positive Workplace Environment and City Council Communications (letterhead and identification processes); and WHEREAS, on April 7, 2025, the City Council conducted its annual review of the Manual and adopted Resolution No. 4529, revising the Manual to expressly state that it applies to City Commissioners, along with other clarifying changes; and WHEREAS, it is best practice for the City Council to conduct periodic reviews of this Manual; and
WHEREAS, City staff conducted a redline review of the Manual in December 2025 and recommended several modifications for Council consideration, including updating the timing of the annual appointment of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, revising the process for Councilmember agenda requests, adding a new section outlining disclosure and recusal requirements under the Levine Act, and removing outdated language requiring written public comments to be read aloud during Council meetings, and
WHEREAS, at its regular meeting on January 20, 2026, the City Council reviewed the proposed redline revisions and directed that the Manual be updated to attach the Future Agenda Item Request Form and clarify that the agenda request process applies to individual Councilmember requests, extend the agenda packet distribution timeline to seven (7) days prior to regular meetings and adjust related request deadlines, add a 90-day pre-election restriction on new, non-essential outreach, town halls, and City-funded mass mailings by Councilmembers, and remove the supermajority requirement to amend the Council’s rules and procedures; and Attachment B
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WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and considered these proposed modifications and finds that the updates improve clarity, reflect current practices, and support effective governance.

NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: The above recitals are true and correct and hereby incorporated by this reference.

SECTION 2: The revised City Council Policy and Procedures Manual attached hereto as “Attachment A,” together with such modifications may be made during discussion by a majority of the City Council prior to adoption of this Resolution, shall be the official manual for all subjects relating to the City Council covered therein.

SECTION 3: The City Manager, or his designee, shall make any grammatical or nonsubstantive changes to this Manual as may be required from time-to-time without the consent of the City Council. Any substantive change may only be accomplished through Resolution.

SECTION 4: This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage.

SECTION 5: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and enter it into the book of original Resolutions.

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED, this 2
nd day of February, 2026
Martha R. McQueen-Legohn, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Georgianna Nicole Alvarez
City Clerk
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Attachment A
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CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF VENTURA ) SS.

CITY OF PORT HUENEME )
I, Georgianna Nicole Alvarez, City Clerk of the City of Port Hueneme, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. ____ was duly adopted at the Regular meeting of the City Council on the 2
nd day of February, 2026, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

Dated:

Georgianna Nicole Alvarez
City Clerk
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DATE: February 2, 2026
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: James Vega, City Manager
SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT TO CITY/PORT COMMITTEE AND

DISCUSSION OF COMMITTEE GOALS
RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the City Council continue this item until such time that the City receives and can review the proposal from the Port of Hueneme/Oxnard Harbor District to modify the Community Benefit Fund Process, and/or Joint Committee.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS:

On January 20, 2026, the City Council made their annual appointments to various city committees. At that time, the City Council determined that a future item should be scheduled at the February 2 City Council meeting to discuss the City/Port Joint Committee appointment and goals for the committee.

Following that meeting, City staff was notified by Port of Hueneme staff that the Port is preparing a proposed amendment to the settlement agreement that would modify the Community Benefit Fund process, and would also likely modify the scope and meeting frequency of the Joint Committee. As of the time of publishing this agenda, City staff has not yet received the potential amendment, therefore staff recommends that City Council continue this item until the City receives and reviews the proposal.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Unknown at this time, pending receipt of proposal.

ATTACHMENTS:

A. None.

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