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Council authorizes REACH nonprofit to remove required city‑council seat on its board
Summary
City staff recommended and the City Council unanimously authorized REACH — the city’s recreation and culture nonprofit — to eliminate a required council‑appointed seat on its board, a move staff said reduces liability while preserving the city’s ability to support the nonprofit through event sponsorship and fee waivers.
The Port Hueneme City Council on Nov. 4 authorized REACH (Recreation, Education, Activities and Culture in Hueneme), a local nonprofit, to remove the requirement in its bylaws that a city council member occupy a board seat. The action passed unanimously.
Staff recommended the change as a best practice to create separation between the city and the nonprofit and to reduce potential liability or Brown Act complications that can arise when councilmembers serve on nonprofit boards. Staff emphasized that the decision to remove the required seat does not prevent councilmembers from attending REACH meetings or the city from sponsoring REACH events; the nonprofit may still request city services or fee waivers like any other nonprofit and the council will consider those requests on their merits.
“Typically, as cities develop, nonprofits separate and remove council members off the board to reduce liability and risk,” a city staff member said in the presentation. Council members asked whether alternate council designees would also be removed and staff said authorization would remove the requirement for an alternate as well.
Motion and vote: The council authorized REACH to eliminate the mandatory city council‑appointed position on the REACH board; the motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: Staff will confirm whether the REACH bylaws and any associated agreements need formal updates and will continue to accept nonprofit requests for facility use and fee waivers through standard channels.
