Port Hueneme advisory commission recommends beach cleanup crew for 2026 Why Nimi Hero Award

The Port Hueneme Cultural Arts Commission on June 8 voted unanimously to recommend that the Hueneme Beach Cleanup Crew be recognized as the city's 2026 Why Nimi Hero Award recipient, forwarding the advisory recommendation to the Port Hueneme City Council for final action at its June 15 meeting. The commission amended the recommendation to list Many Mansions, an Oxnard affordable‑housing provider, as the backup choice if the council declines.

Staff briefed the commission on the nomination process and background policy. "The policy includes the standards and procedures for the annual Hero Award," a staff member told the commission, noting the city adopted the Heroes History and Heritage policy in 2020 and that a more recent amendment restricts recognition to no more than one individual or organization per year. Staff said outreach for nominations began April 13 and the commission received three submissions this year.

The three nominees described in the staff report were: Many Mansions (nomination submitted by Judith Garcia), described as a 40‑unit affordable housing facility serving veterans in Ventura County; Steven Gama (nomination submitted by Juliet Rodriguez), cited for leading weekly beach cleanups at Hueneme Beach; and Stephanie Kimberling (submitted by Becky Kimberling), noted for work assisting people experiencing homelessness and for fundraising efforts supporting local churches, police, schools and arts programs. Staff said it contacted nominators to gather clarifying information where needed but was unable to confirm some residency or service‑area specifics.

Commissioners discussed whether to single out an individual or recognize the broader volunteer group behind the beach cleanups. Several commissioners said past practice had sometimes recognized groups of volunteers rather than an individual leader. Commissioners also raised procedural and optics concerns about recognizing a sitting or recently campaigning public official during an election year; those concerns were discussed but not raised as a formal barrier to the recommendation.

A commissioner moved to recommend recognizing the Hueneme Beach Cleanup Crew as the award recipient and to forward Many Mansions as a secondary recommendation for council consideration. The motion was seconded, put to a roll‑call vote and passed unanimously. The commission's recommendation is advisory; City Council will make the final selection and issue the award proclamation. Staff told the commission that awardees are typically recognized at the Hueneme Beach Festival and have their names engraved on the city's Hueneme Heroes plaque at City Hall.

The commission conducted routine business before and after the award discussion: it reorganized leadership, electing Jan Burke as chair and Becky Bruning as vice chair; approved the consent calendar; and heard staff announcements about local events including a Miranda Park ribbon cutting, the Movies in the Park series beginning June 27 and the Hueneme Beach Festival on July 11–12. The meeting adjourned at 4:33 p.m.

Next steps: the commission's advisory recommendation will be transmitted to the Port Hueneme City Council for final action at its June 15 meeting.