Oxnard, Port Hueneme May Share Services : Budgets: Suffering from cuts, the two cities consider jointly using fire, police protection and water, trash operations.

Oxnard and Port Hueneme--two cities with a lot in common, including a history of money troubles--laid the groundwork Wednesday to start sharing a variety of services, including fire and police protection and water and trash operations.

Both cities have suffered severe budget cutbacks in recent years and have been forced to close facilities and reduce services. City leaders convened the joint meeting to explore whether sharing services would save money.

The concept that drew the most attention was a proposal to share police services.

Of the five Ventura County cities that have their own police departments, Oxnard and Port Hueneme have the worst ratio of officers to residents.

Oxnard Police Chief Harold Hurtt explained that under the proposal, officers would retain their department’s uniforms and police cruisers, but would be free to patrol and answer calls across city lines.

But Port Hueneme City Manager Dick Velthoen warned there could be resistance.

“I think everybody needs to realize that the major reason Port Hueneme was incorporated in the first place was to provide its own police service,” he said. “But it’s because the city may not be able to afford its own police department that we’re looking at every opportunity to reduce costs, even if it reduces services that are nearest and dearest to the hearts of our residents.”

While the talks were strictly preliminary, officials in both cities agreed that the joint meeting marked a new spirit of cooperation.

“Anything Oxnard does in a way affects Port Hueneme, and what Hueneme does affects Oxnard,” said Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez. “It’s very important that whatever we do, we do with the idea that we are not alone.”

The cities haven’t always gotten along so well.

Conflicts have existed since the turn of the century, when the settlement of Oxnard along a rail line allowed it to become a commercial hub and drain business away from Port Hueneme.

In later years, tensions arose as Oxnard talked about annexing its southern neighbor.

“I can remember when there was a lot of distance between the two cities,” Port Hueneme Mayor Orvene Carpenter said. “And not only farmland, but a lot of distance between the two city councils.”

On Wednesday, city leaders tried to put all that behind them.

Oxnard officials talked about their efforts to establish a regional recycling and waste transfer station on the city’s southeast side. The City Council on Tuesday approved the sale of $25 million in bonds to finance construction of the facility.

Oxnard and Camarillo are competing to build the first such facility in the county. Oxnard officials have invited Port Hueneme and other cities to use their complex once it is built.

On Wednesday, leaders of Oxnard and Port Hueneme also talked about sharing fire services. Port Hueneme officials asked for Oxnard’s help in improving water quality.

And representatives of both cities discussed the idea of forming a joint nonprofit foundation to keep the city’s cultural arts centers open.

“We are establishing a campaign over the next three years to generate some capital for our center,” explained Councilman Andres Herrera during the meeting held at Hueneme’s Dorill B. Wright Cultural Center, closed indefinitely this month. “If you look at the western county, the best venues we have for performing arts are in our cities.”

In the coming week, staff members from both cities will meet to further refine the proposals before they go back to elected leaders.