Will Port Hueneme Pier be renamed Sharkey Pier? City Council to decide
Gretchen WennerThe Port Hueneme City Council will consider renaming the city's pier after former council member Jonathan Sharkey at Monday night's meeting.
The idea was floated last fall by Councilmember Sylvia Muñoz Schnopp, according to a staff report. At that time city officials were preparing farewell honors for Sharkey, whose 24-year tenure on the council ended in December.
The report from City Manager Rod Butler says the pier — referred to as the Port Hueneme Pier on the city's web page and the Hueneme Beach Pier in the staff report — could be dedicated in honor of Sharkey and designated "Sharkey Pier" for "relatively little expense." A bronze plaque, as well as a "small seating and reflection area" are options.
No costs were listed in the report. If the council approves the idea, city staff would provide a budget and timeline down the road.
Port Hueneme, a city of about 23,929, does not have a formal policy concerning name changes and dedications of its facilities, Butler wrote. Generally, dedications have honored council members "who served with distinction for extraordinarily long periods of time," such as past member Orvene Carpenter, the report says.
"Ultimately, it is up to a majority of the City Council to decide whether the facility dedication and renaming is appropriate at this time," Butler wrote.
The pier was originally built in its current location in 1956 as a construction trestle when the city installed a sewer outfall pipeline that extended some 650 feet from shore, according to the city's description. The pier was extended and modified over the years and is now 1,250 feet long.
The Port Hueneme City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall chambers at 250 North Ventura Road.