FILLMORE : Council Joins Fight With Harbor Panel

Two coastal cities gained another ally in their bid to force concessions from the Oxnard Harbor District as the Fillmore City Council voted to support a plan to restrict port boundaries.

The struggle between Oxnard and Port Hueneme and the district trustees, who run the Port of Hueneme, should climax later this month when a county agency choses between rival proposals for the port’s future.

Fillmore, at a council meeting Tuesday, joined Simi Valley and Ojai in endorsing a plan to reduce harbor district boundaries to coincide with those of Oxnard and Port Hueneme. District boundaries now include both cities, Camarillo and portions of Thousand Oaks.

In contrast, the district has proposed that its boundaries be expanded to include all of Ventura County. Both proposals are pending before the Local Agency Formation Commission.

Officials in Oxnard and Port Hueneme, complaining of traffic and other effects of the port, hope to make the district board more responsive to their needs.

Fillmore Councilman Roger Campbell said he drove city streets in Oxnard and Port Hueneme to investigate harbor traffic.

“I don’t think it’s a concern for us--but it’s certainly a concern for them. Their streets are really taking a beating,” Campbell said. “If we were on a City Council in either of the two cities, I think the decision would be very clear.”’