Speaker for October 20 - Mary Anne Rooney

Today’s program was from Mary Anne Rooney, Harbor Commissioner for the Port of Hueneme.  Mary Anne is one of five Commissioners, and the first woman to be elected to the position.  She is on the Economic Development Committee for the National Port Association, and the Board of the Association of Pacific Ports, which represents ports all over the Pacific Rim.  Mary Anne was assisted by Will Berg, Director of Marketing and Public Information for the Port.

The Oxnard Harbor District is one of the many Special Districts in the State of California, but they receive no tax revenues.  Rather, their $10 million budget comes from fees from those who use the Port.  Essentially, they are a landlord for the facility.  The harbor is shared with Naval Base, Ventura County, who has the right, if needed, to take possession of all waterways in times of emergency.

The Port of Hueneme is a deep-water port.  Although the depth inside the harbor is about 35’, the depth quickly drops to 700’ upon entering the Pacific Ocean.  There are only nine coastal deep-water ports in California.  The three ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland account for about 98% of the total volume of all ports.  About $7 billion in product comes through the Port of Hueneme annually.  The Port operates a 120 acre terminal.  Their location is convenient for water, rail and freeway access.

About 83% of their revenue comes from cars and fruit.  Bananas are coming in almost daily (Chiquita and Del Monte) and automobiles too (Kia, Hyundai, BMW and others).  The Port operates three cold storage facilities for the fruit, plus off-site prep areas for the vehicles.  Exports consist mainly of GM cars and trucks, and paper products.

Some other information:

·         About 4,500 jobs are directly or indirectly related to the Port’s activities.

·         Security at the facility is tight!  The Port paid for two canines used with the Port          Hueneme Police Department. 

·         In addition to drug-sniffing dogs, everything is checked for radiation.

·         There is a Foreign Trade Zone available for customers who want to delay customs duties until the product can be shipped to customers.

·         To reduce pollution, docked ships are connected to shore power so the ships’ engines can be shut down.

Thank you, Mary Anne, for a very informative presentation on the activities and economic impact of the Port.

Rocky Ludes