Port Hueneme council directs staff to draft smoke-free multiunit housing ordinance after public push

Port Hueneme's City Council instructed staff on Tuesday to draft an ordinance that would prohibit smoking in most multiunit residential properties, after a staff briefing, council questions and a stream of public comments urging stronger protections for tenants.

The directive came after Deputy City Manager Charles Perritz presented research on policies used by Moorpark, Ojai and Carpinteria and noted that 85 California municipalities now ban smoking in all rental multiunit housing. Perritz told council staff could draft an ordinance similar to those models, empower landlords to enforce the rules and reserve limited city enforcement for egregious cases.

Why it matters: Council members said secondhand smoke is affecting tenants' health and housing conditions in shared-ventilation buildings and that a local ordinance would give property owners legal backing to address violations. Multiple public commenters, including representatives of Future Leaders of America, argued the change would protect children and people with health conditions and reduce costly turnover for landlords.

Council questions focused on scope and enforcement. Council members asked whether single-family homes would be included, whether owner-occupied units would be subject to the ban, and how separate ventilation systems would be treated. Perritz said existing draft approaches commonly exclude single-family homes and allow limited exemptions for units with separate ventilation; he said those details would be worked out in drafting. City Attorney (name provided in meeting record) and staff said the proposed approach would rely primarily on property owners and managers to enforce the rule while the city would reserve the right to step in for persistent or intentional violations.

Public voices: Dozens of residents and youth speakers supported the ordinance. "Secondhand smoke shouldn't have to be an issue that I have to worry about," said Crystal Cheverria, who identified herself as a resident who lives in multiunit housing. Arlene Garcia, representing Future Leaders of America, urged the council to adopt the ordinance to improve health and make Port Hueneme more attractive to renters and buyers. Several speakers cited turnover costs and health statistics to press for action.

Formal next steps: Councilmember Gama moved to direct staff to draft an ordinance based on the discussion; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Staff will prepare draft ordinance language (definitions of multiunit residence, prohibited locations, treatment of cannabis smoking and ventilation exemptions) and return to council for readings and public hearings.

What remains unresolved: Council left open multiple definition choices—whether to apply the rule to owner-occupied townhomes or individually owned condominium units, how to handle separate ventilation systems, and whether cannabis smoke is treated identically to tobacco. Staff advised that those items will be specified in the draft and vetted in subsequent readings and hearings.

The council's action does not itself change the municipal code; it directed staff to draft an ordinance and bring it back for formal consideration and vote at future meetings.