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Council approves fuel-tank replacement; member presses for clearer historical cost disclosure
Summary
Council approved authorization for the city to proceed with a multi-phase fuel-tank replacement project but Council Member Lopez criticized the presentation of costs "in bits and pieces" and asked staff to include full historical context on future multi-year projects.
Port Hueneme city staff told the City Council on March 2 that a long-running fuel-tank replacement project requires continued phased approvals and that the full project cost is roughly in the half-million-dollar range. The council approved the current item unanimously but one member pressed staff to provide clearer, consolidated cost summaries for multi-year projects.
Council Member Lopez said she felt the recent payment request for consulting and engineering was misleading because the expenditures had been presented in separate increments. "I wish prior to bringing something like this in bits and pieces that you give the council the full picture of at least what we are expecting to fund," she said. Lopez said the chunks of funding made it difficult for the council to understand the project's total cost and urged staff to show options and the comprehensive estimate in future presentations.
City Manager James Vega and Public Works staff explained the timeline constraints: the project involves removing the old single-walled tank (state rules require removal of certain steel tanks), obtaining a replacement with a long lead time, and coordinating county inspections and permitting. Public works staff said the replacement tank is expected to arrive in June and that interim fuel purchases using fuel cards increased operating costs while the city operated without its fueling system.
Staff confirmed the project was previously presented to council with an estimated total cost near $500,000 and reiterated the rationale for retaining an on-site fueling capability: daily oversight, prevention of personal use, and priority access during emergencies. The council approved the item and related contract actions by unanimous vote.
City staff said they will provide the historical staff-report materials and prior approvals to the council member who requested them so the council can track the project costs and approvals in one place moving forward.
