Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) – The City of Port Hueneme, California, has established a new Sister City relationship with Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The City Council adopted a resolution recognizing the new Sister City relationship and authorized the establishment of a Sister City Committee during its April 3 meeting. The decision follows the City’s joining of Sister Cities International on May 21, 2018.
Former Mayor and Council Member Sylvia Munoz-Schnopp played a key role in bringing the Sister City program to Port Hueneme, noting the City’s international focus due to its special districts comprised of Naval Base Ventura County and the Port of Hueneme. Munoz-Schnopp attended conferences and learned about the success of Sister City programs in other communities. She also met with representatives from Sister Cities International and other cities with Sister City relationships to gain insight into the program.
The Port Hueneme contingent group comprised of Michelle Costanak, the former City Clerk, Anna Haney, the Community Services Director, and Munoz-Schnopp attended the Southern California Sister Cities Regional Meeting in Palm Springs in November 2017 to learn more about the Sister Cities Program. There they discovered the various programs that may be considered by each community, such as student exchanges, art programs, cultural exchange, economic development, volunteer involvement, and fundraising.
The City extended an invitation to Ensenada in 2018, but after waiting a year and getting no reply, they suspended those efforts and started pursuing an alternate coastal City in Mexico. In early 2020, Munoz-Schnopp said Mayor Laura Hernandez joined her when she served as the Mayor Pro Tem, jointly offered and signed an invitation to Puerto Vallarta, knowing they’d respond positively.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, and the entire world was on hold indefinitely. The City postponed the Sister City follow-up and the upcoming Quarterly Southern California Meeting for Sister Cities that Spring. Puerto Vallarta, which depends on tourism for a vast portion of its economy, was in dire circumstances. The Santa Barbara Sister City team raised funds to help those who worked in the hotel and tourism industries, those hit the hardest by the shutdowns.
Fast forward to late 2020, news spread about Puerto Vallarta pulling together the new Sister City agreement, and with the new City Council members on board, they could move forward. The commitment was made through a $5,500 one-time grant from the Community Benefit fund, shared with the Port of Hueneme and the City of Port Hueneme.
The Sister City program aims to develop cultural and economic exchanges between different communities in different cultures. Port Hueneme’s Sister City program with Puerto Vallarta presents a unique opportunity for the communities to learn from one another, highlighting their respective amenities, resources, and focus areas. The program is an excellent way to help develop a vast international community of one.
Port Hueneme, California has established a new Sister City relationship with Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Learn about this cultural and economic exchange program, how it came . . .
