PORT HUENEME : Firm Hired to Fight Navy Base Closings

A group of Ventura County defense-industry executives and community leaders who are fighting the possible closure of the county’s two Navy bases announced Monday that a Washington lobbying firm will represent them in their efforts to keep the facilities open.

Members of the BRAC ’95 Task Force announced that the firm of Copeland, Hatfield, Lowery and Jacquez will represent the group in its fight to keep the Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station and the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Port Hueneme off the federal Base Realignment and Closure list, which is due to be released in March.

The lobbying firm was one of seven firms interviewed for the job and will be awarded a contract of $240,000, said Cal Carrera, co-chairman of the BRAC ’95 Task Force.

“They seemed to present the right combination of experience and know-how in dealing with the BRAC process,” Carrera said. “If we can get out the message of the military value of these bases, I think we’ll have a good chance of keeping them open.”

On Monday, Carrera said that Santa Paula resident William Simmons has been chosen to head the task force as its administrative director. Details of his salary have yet to be worked out, but he is expected to lead the group through next spring, Carrera said.

Carrera said that the task force has collected more than $175,000 in pledges from cities in Ventura County. The group will ask the Port Hueneme City Council to contribute to the campaign during its meeting tonight.

Last month, the city balked at contributing to the effort, saying that task force members had not adequately explained where their money would go in the fight to save the bases.