Port Hueneme, Calif. — The City Council on Dec. 15 unanimously adopted an amendment to its proposed donation-acceptance policy that requires city officials to complete and submit a donation form before soliciting donations that could obligate the city to future costs.

City Manager Vega said the policy is intended to ensure transparency and protect the city from unplanned ongoing costs: "The policy ensures that the city council gets the information on the donation and has the ability to approve or decline the donation," he said during the consent-calendar discussion. Staff said donations above $5,000 will be brought to the council for review, while small in-kind gifts (for example, bags of dog food) would not automatically trigger council review.

The amendment followed questions from several council members about the timing of council notification for fundraising that could lead to maintenance or other future costs. One council member cited a recent example in which fundraising occurred before council review and said the amendment was meant to prevent repetitions. Staff told the council the procedure is to ask prospective donors to fill out the form and present the request at the next available council meeting. The city manager said the form asks whether there will be ongoing maintenance or replacement costs.

The council also discussed donated services connected with the department’s new K‑9 program. Police Chief Frederico acknowledged community support and named sponsors including REACH, the VFW, Channel Islands Yacht Club, the Osborne Family Foundation, Lucy’s Pet Food and a local veterinary center that has provided medical services. City staff said small-value donations or services (e.g., donated dog food) generally are handled through a simple agreement and do not require council review unless the value or ongoing commitment meets the $5,000 threshold.

During debate, the council added a specific requirement that any city official or elected official complete the donation-acceptance form and submit it prior to initiating any solicitation of funds. The amended resolution was moved, seconded and adopted unanimously.

The council directed staff to return any clarifying language in the formal resolution to explicitly state the pre-solicitation requirement, and staff agreed to follow up with additional guidance on agreements with partners that provide in-kind veterinary or other services.