Dulce Sutterfield highlights Surfside 3 infrastructure concerns ahead of anniversary celebration

The Port Hueneme City Council convened on March 18, 2025, to address several key issues impacting the community, including grant opportunities for public employment generation and infrastructure concerns related to storm preparedness.

The meeting began with a discussion on available grants aimed at enhancing public employment. A speaker highlighted multiple grants from the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), emphasizing their potential to generate significant funding for local initiatives. The speaker encouraged council members to review the grant information that would be shared via email, noting that these opportunities could lead to substantial benefits for the community.

Following this, Dulce Sutterfield addressed the council regarding the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Surfside 3 Owners Association. She expressed concern over unanswered questions from a previous meeting, particularly regarding the city's approach to storm preparedness and the use of sandbags. Sutterfield pointed out that while sandbags were promoted as a solution, there was a lack of proactive infrastructure planning on the city’s website. She urged the council to consider new goals for enhancing infrastructure, suggesting the addition of a catchment basin along Surfside Drive as a strategic improvement.

Sutterfield's remarks underscored the need for the council to recognize the concerns of condo homeowners and to move beyond temporary solutions like sandbags. She called for a more comprehensive approach to storm preparedness that includes long-term infrastructure planning.

The meeting concluded with a call for further exploration of these issues, highlighting the importance of addressing community needs through effective planning and resource allocation. The council's next steps will likely involve reviewing the proposed infrastructure enhancements and considering the grant opportunities presented.