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Port Hueneme Water Agency holds closed session over potential litigation tied to three‑party water‑credits agreement; no reportable action
Summary
At its April 20 meeting the Port Hueneme Water Agency met in closed session under Government Code 54956.9(d)(2) to consider potential exposure to litigation arising from a three‑party water‑credits agreement involving the cities of Port Hueneme and Oxnard and the Cailleagues Municipal Water District; agency counsel later reported no reportable action.
At its April 20, 2026 meeting the Port Hueneme Water Agency convened in closed session under Government Code section 54956.9(d)(2) to discuss potential exposure to litigation arising from a three‑party agreement among the City of Port Hueneme, the City of Oxnard and the Cailleagues Municipal Water District concerning water credits for pumping allocations. Agency attorney read the closed‑session item into the record, saying, "based upon existing facts and circumstances ... significant exposure to litigation exists in the opinion of the agency's legal counsel."
The clerk asked members whether they had any conflicts of interest for the listed closed‑session item; none were disclosed. Chair Thomas recessed the meeting into closed session at about 3:01 p.m. The board reconvened the public meeting at 4:12 p.m., and the agency attorney reported there was "no reportable action" to disclose from the closed session.
Why it matters: disputes over water credits and pumping allocations can affect how much water each agency may pump or credit, with potential operational and financial impacts for member agencies and customers. Because the discussion occurred in closed session the board did not disclose deliberations or legal strategy; the publicly reported outcome was limited to the attorney's statement that no reportable action resulted.
What was on the record: the agency attorney specified the statutory authority for the closed session, Government Code section 54956.9(d)(2), and tied the matter to the three‑party agreement described above. The clerk noted ex officio member Kendall Lawson was absent during the roll call; later in the meeting a speaker who self‑identified as Kendall Lousine, community plans and liaison officer at Naval Base Ventura County, addressed the board on a separate agenda topic (see separate article). The agency recorded no conflicts of interest on the closed‑session matter and took no reportable action.
The agency did not announce any next steps for resolving the underlying dispute during the public session. The meeting's next business items proceeded after the closed session report.
