Port Hueneme council clears rules, fees ahead of Bubbling Springs Park reopening

The Port Hueneme City Council on a unanimous vote introduced an ordinance to allow dogs to be off leash in a single designated area of the renovated Bubbling Springs Park and separately adopted new recreation fees for reservable park amenities.

City staff said the park’s opening is expected in the next two months and that the planned dog park—two fenced areas for large and small dogs—cannot operate as designed without a change to the municipal leash law. Deputy City Manager Charles Perritz told the council the proposed ordinance would amend two sections of the municipal code to permit off‑leash activity only inside the designated fenced area and would allow the city manager to adopt administrative rules (for example, how the city will define “small” versus “large” dogs, hours, and other operational details) that will be posted at the site.

Council members also considered a separate public hearing on recreation fees tied to the park. Staff proposed a tiered fee structure: lower resident/nonprofit rates and higher non‑resident rates. Examples in the staff presentation included a resident picnic reservation fee of $60 for three hours and $20 per additional hour and a nonresident rate of $90 for three hours and $30 per additional hour. The new community room adjacent to Ballfield 1 would be charged at roughly one‑half the current rates for comparable rooms because it is significantly smaller than existing rooms at other facilities.

Deputy City Manager Perritz emphasized the proposals apply only to Bubbling Springs Park and do not change leash rules or fees for other city parks. The dog‑park ordinance was introduced for first reading by title only with waiver of further reading; the council also found the project categorically exempt from CEQA as presented. The fee changes were adopted by resolution and were found to be statutorily exempt under CEQA guidelines for rates, tolls, fares and charges.

Council debate was brief; no members of the public addressed either item during the hearings. Both measures passed unanimously with Council Member Grama, Council Member Hernandez, Council Member Perez, Mayor Pro Tem Lopez and Mayor McQueen Lisonbee voting yes.

The city will return with any administrative rules for the dog park (for example, precise size thresholds, hours, and signage) and with the formal resolution language for acceptance of any related grants or agreements needed to implement details of the reopened park. Staff said the city is building the dog‑park fencing and other amenities now and will post operational rules at the park when those details are finalized.