Happenings: Goodbyes, Changes, First World Problems

It was a meeting of goodbyes: goodbye to redevelopment, goodbye to former committee assignments, goodbye to a quiet neighborhood… But a goodbye to the recently deceased Clyde Smyth, a major figure in Santa Clarita education, government, and society, was the most profound one of the night.

The meeting began just a bit after six. Councilmember Laurene Weste delivered the invocation. She spent over ten minutes talking about shelter animals, noting that many more may be euthanized if Governor Brown is able to implement budget-cutting measures that shorten how long an animal is held before being killed. She then offered tips—spay and neuter pets, have your contact information on their collars, adopt from shelters—that weren’t exactly news to anyone, but certainly well-intentioned.

Individual reports and updates from the council members weren’t particularly revelatory—Councilmember Kellar spoke about Dionne Warwick’s recent performance, for example. Mayor Laurie Ender, however, took a few moments to talk about her memories of Clyde Smyth. She highlighted his role as superintendent, his championing of Newhall redevelopment, his efforts to build Central Park, and his desire to unify and optimize a transportation plan for the valley. She spoke of his commitment to transparency, one he codified with the statement, “We must do the public’s business in public.”

The council moved onto the consent calendar, which they approved in its entirety. This means that a 285-space park-and-ride lot will be designed for a plot near the corner of McBean and Valencia Blvd.; businesses in Newhall will be able to have bigger signs and some additional outdoor displays; and $215,000 will go to the Performing Arts Center over the next three years for community use of the facility. Cam Noltemeyer felt that the City of Santa Clarita was paying an “outrageous price” for the petroleum-contaminated property that is to become the park-and-ride. She said that her request for documents revealed that appraisal of the property had occurred after it was already in escrow.

Up next, Mayor Ender attempted to condense and more equitably distribute committee appointments among the council members. Before this evening, McLean served on or was an alternate for 20 committees, and Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ferry a mere 7. After she was done rearranging things and bargaining with her fellow council members, positions were spread a bit more evenly, though Ferry still managed to have the fewest. Ender grouped some committees together (e.g., aging and transitional care unit and senior housing committees), showing an eye for concision, and she dissolved some that would no longer be necessary, like the committee for the Santa Clarita Courthouse (now a foregone conclusion thanks to the County of LA). “Staff time means money,” Ender said, explaining that fewer committee meetings would free up staff.

A few of the changes didn’t go over so well. Speaker Duane Harte asked to have Bob Kellar put back on the CEMEX committee, citing his many lobbying trips to Washington and his familiarity with the issues. Laurene Weste would give her spot to Kellar, but she insisted on keeping the North Newhall Specific Plan Committee. Both Weste and McLean were emphatic about the need for this committee and its role in ensuring adherence to certain standards set forth for Newhall. Kellar would say he thought this role wasn’t appropriate for the City Council, suggesting that property rights were infringed upon when council members could all but dictate architectural designs to Newhall property owners. McLean was quite upset at Kellar’s suggestions, and she affirmed her staunch support of property rights.

Back down, Bob, said McLean’s eyes.

McLean had other objections. There was a tense little moment when she said she cared very much about the issue of senior housing, and wanted to be on the committee for it. Mayor Ender said, somewhat snarkily, that McLean caring about senior housing meant there were “five of us who do.” It was not easy to pry appointments from McLean’s grasp, and Ender’s resolve was rather admirable.

There were two items dealing with the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Santa Clarita. The City will be the successor agency, dealing with remaining debts, administrative duties, and the like. The agency has over $90M in total outstanding debt or obligation, but Redevelopment Manager Armine Chaparyan said the payments will have “no impact to the general fund” since funds have already been earmarked. She added that all property acquired by the Redevelopment Agency was now held by the City, simplifying matters somewhat. Still, no one was happy to see the redevelopment agency coming to an end--at least no one at the dais.

Public participation came next. Alan Ferdman encouraged Claritans to provide feedback as the sanitation district begin the EIR process for a new treatment plant. If you have no idea what he's talking about, he has posted a video online[2]. The Lutnesses spoke about rampant foreclosures in Santa Clarita (yes, still) and the rising problem of homelessness among senior and families. Most speakers, though, were upset about tennis lessons happening in their neighbor’s yard. First world problems, anyone?

I shouldn’t make light. Happy Valley residents bought homes in a quiet neighborhood expecting that their neighbor wouldn’t install what they’ve christened a “sports complex.” It includes tennis courts, lighting, athletic fields, unsightly fencing, and cash-only lessons—at least according to an ad in the yellow pages.

“I’m beyond frustrated” said McLean, clearly sympathizing with the community at large. City Attorney Montes couldn’t say much, since complaints from the sports complex operator and neighbors may lead to legal action. However, it was apparent that he knew it was a major concern for local residents and that resolution was a priority.

Before adjourning the meeting, Marsha McLean recalled raising a family alongside the Smyths, watching their children grow up and go to school together. She said of Clyde, quite simply, “He was wonderful.” The meeting ended a little after 8.

[1]Agenda.

[2]The 500 Million Dollar Invisible Gorilla in the Room, as Ferdman mildly puts it

Happenings: Redev. Extension, Newhall Regulations "Relax"

“OK, here goes.” So began the first Santa Clarita City Council meeting of 2012[1]. The recently enthroned Mayor Laurie Ender said, “I know you’ll give me a break,” a tad anxious as she worked to find her bearings. In anticipation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, she quoted King: “The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.” Ender hoped Claritans would endeavor to find brotherhood with their neighbors despite their differences.

There was a slight divergence from the usual order or things as the council decided to add an agenda item for the evening. City Attorney Joe Montes said that the last-minute addition was OK, even though it couldn’t be publicly noticed. He explained that the item came up after the agenda was made and was considered urgent. Specifically, California Senate Bill 659 (or similar legislation) would allow redevelopment agencies to operate an extra two months after their planned dissolution this February. The bill may be introduced as early as the 11^th and decided before the next council meeting, so the council members voted to add an agenda item offering support for the bill.

Awards and recognition came next. Cross country runners from Saugus (girls team) and Golden Valley (boys team) were cheered as CIF State Champions. Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ferry described the unprecedented six-in-a-row championship of the Saugus team, ordering coach Rene Paragas, his wife (“Get up here, wife!” Ferry bellowed into the microphone), and the assistant coach, Kathryn Nelson, forward to receive credit as well. Mayor Ender said that she was delighted to see the young Golden Valley High School win such a prestigious title.

Comments and committee reports took an unfortunately long time. Councilmember Marsha McLean deserves the credit. She wanted to send an opinion about a draft MOU involving SCAG, the California High Speed Rail Authority, and others. The MOU covers improvements to rail lines and rail-based transportation systems, some of which operate nearby. McLean’s intended message was quickly lost in a lengthy discussion of whether it would be permissible to convey said message without it being approved as an agenda item (but essentially, she wanted to speed up the improvement process with a deadline set before the next regional transportation plan was released, not the proposed 2020 date). Joe Montes said he thought that if a letter was going to be sent on behalf on the whole council—none of the members of which had seen a copy—it should be on the agenda. He vacillated, though, wondering in what capacity McLean was hoping to offer the opinion and what impact such an opinion would have and so on. McLean felt like Montes was wrong and making the letter too much of a “big deal.” Ultimately, it was decided that Joe Montes and Mike Murphy, intergovernmental relations officer, would look it over and allow the whole council to sign or recommend that McLean send the letter on her own.

Councilmember Laurene Weste skipped her turn to offer comments. Ferry spoke about a visit with Jo Anne Darcy, where he learned that the former council member valued the personal relationships she had built more highly than all the plaques and honors she had received while in power. Finally, Ender shared numbers from 2011’s record-breaking year of filming—some 901 film days occurred in Santa Clarita, having a $19M impact on local businesses.

The emergency agenda item concerning redevelopment was considered next. As you likely know, a court decision means that redevelopment agencies will be eliminated in February, at which point successor agencies will take control to continue paying off debts and fully dismantling the operations.

City Manager Ken Pulskamp explained that a bill will attempt to delay the dissociation of agencies until April 15^th of this year in order to give the agencies more time to wrap things up. The whole of the council voted to send a letter in support of such legislation.

Considerable lamentation preceded the vote. Pulskamp said the courts had taken away “absolutely the most important tool in economic recovery and job creation.” Murphy said, “They in essence picked the worst of both worlds,” referring to the court’s decision not to allow redevelopment agencies to operate, even under a “pay to play” plan where they would send some revenue back to the state. Weste, too, was in mourning, noting that the agencies were dearly needed to prevent blight. Mayor Ender soured the mood a bit when she carefully mentioned the abuses of redevelopment agency funds that had taken place, but was quick to note that reform, not elimination of the agencies altogether, was preferable.

The rest of the agenda was approved without much discussion. The Santa Clarita WorkSource Center will be now be operated by COC. Federal lobbying services for transportation-related issues and the Whittaker-Bermite “issue” will be obtained for $77,000. The City will work on agreements with LA County to purchase tax-defaulted property that would be held as open space in the Placerita Canyon area. Cam Noltemeyer said that she hoped the site wasn’t contaminated, as some other open space acquisitions have been.

Some trivial (and perhaps one majorish) changes to regulations for Newhall businesses received a lengthy presentation and consideration as a public hearing. Perhaps it’s because I’m not a business owner in Newhall, but these didn’t seem like particularly controversial proposals. Under proposed changes, A-frame signs could be placed on the sidewalk during special events. 25% of a window’s area could be used for advertising, up from 15%. 36-inch lettering could be used on buildings, up from 18-inches, and during special events, some merchandise could be displayed outdoors. Talk about putting the “new” in Newhall! Of course, permits and or review would still be required to take several of these actions. The biggest change, perhaps, was allowing for legal non-conforming use to stand for 60 days, down from 180. This is the provision that allows businesses that don’t conform with the plan for Newhall (e.g., auto repair) to continue to operate. If one such business leaves a space, another business of the same type can lease its space—so long as they do so within 60 days. Thereafter, property-owners could only lease to businesses that conform with the Newhall specific plan. McLean wanted to reduce the allowance to only 30 days despite the fact that Pulskamp and Kellar said that it’s very difficult to lease a property in just one month. She didn’t win support for the 30-day plan, but the rest was approved.

During public participation, Cam Noltemeyer said that she suspected there had been Brown Act violations leading up to Ferry’s acquisition of the mayor pro tem title. She wondered how council members and staff could have known about his plan in advance, and tired of the “petty nonsense” and “arrogance” coming from Ferry et al. Lynne Plambeck, though she differs politically from Kellar, was also dismayed to see Ferry take the title that was supposed to pass to Kellar. Plambeck also mentioned that she’d like to see plastic bags banned in Santa Clarita. McLean responded that she had asked staff to look into such a measure some months ago, but she was waiting on the outcome of a lawsuit in Los Angeles to see if proceeding with a bag ban would be legal. McLean said, “I take cloth bags with me wherever I go.” Weste shared McLean’s enthusiasm for reusable bags, saying, “They’re colorful, they’re tough, they’re really useful.”

The meeting adjourned in the memory of Jeri Bronstrup, owner of the quintessentially Claritan Way Station.

[1]For your convenience and delight, here is the agenda.

Happenings: Beginning of the Ender; Ferry Puts Self First

It was a big night.

While a tribute to Marsha McLean’s term as mayor was touching and Laurie Ender’s ascent was momentous, this was really the night that Frank Ferry snubbed Bob Kellar[1]. In a surprising twist, Ferry nominated himself to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem. While there’s no formal rotation, the informal one is almost always adhered to[2]. Bob Kellar was set to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem in 2011-12 and, it would follow, as mayor from 2012-13. Kellar would not acquiesce to Ferry’s self-nomination power-grab, but Ferry was easily carried by the affirmative votes of the female council members. He would hint obliquely at his motives by the end of the meeting, but we must wait for further explanation and to better understand the implications of this maneuver.

The evening started on an unusual note. The Senior Center Silvertone Singers were seated in the front rows. After several lengthy anecdotes from their director, they sang “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Home for the Holidays.” I couldn’t really hear the singing because the accompanying music was louder than their voices, but no matter—it felt festive.

Ferry's an ambitious fella, fa la la la la, la la la la,

Gonna steal Pro-Tem from Kella, fa la la la la, la la la la...

Out-going Mayor McLean was positively tickled, saying ““Let’s just make it a tradition, right?”

Next, McLean recalled some of the important strides made during her term as mayor. “It has been an incredible year for me and our city,” she began. Notable achievements included: very successful community gardens; Creekside Road streetscape; Fallen Warriors Memorial Bridge; grand openings of the public libraries under local control and issuance of 35,000 library cards; crime reduction; acquisition of Haskell Canyon Open Space; Senses and other events promoting Newhall; the various festivals and events like the marathon, concerts, Cowboy Festival…; city-wide landscaping projects; and keeping the record of passing a “100% balanced and on-time budget.” She closed with flashes of her fighting spirit, promising to keep opposing CEMEX mining and to hasten the clean-up of the Whittaker-Bermite site. She thanked her fellow council members, staff, the community, and her family for their support.

Assistant City Manager Ken Striplin presented McLean with a plaque and a bag she can use to carry all of her papers as she busily commutes to the various boards and committees on which she serves.

Oh, Ken, how ever did you know?

Then it was time for people to thank McLean. Local institutions and representatives from the offices of Buck McKeon, Cameron Smyth, Sharon Runner, and Tony Strickland were present to commend McLean for her excellent service as mayor. When posing for a picture with Marsha McLean, Scott Wilk and Scott Wilk Jr. stood next to Bob Hauter—they're not always the chummiest, especially since the race for State Assembly.

When it was time for nominations for mayor, Frank Ferry jumped in to nominate Laurie Ender, a motion that Marsha McLean seconded. Ferry said that Laurie Ender showed great leadership in pushing for the expansion of the Newhall Memorial Hospital campus and in spearheading the library takeover. Everyone gave their yes (or “aye”, in Weste’s case) to Ender.

Beaming with nervous energy, Ender called her family to stand next to her as she was sworn in. Ender made a crack about her son being so excited to have to stand with her, and Ferry jumped in to further embarrass the lad, saying, “He was flirting next to a cute girl and you interrupted him.” He has such a way with youth.

For a City Council that has, for so long, seen the same faces in different chairs, it was truly momentous for Laurie Ender to be taking on the role of mayor, even if the title is largely symbolic in importance. After the hugs and applause and handshakes, she joked that “The gavel may come in handy since I have three teenage boys!” Her first joke as mayor, awww!

When asked for nominations for Mayor Pro-Tem, Ferry very quickly nominated himself. There was a brief pause as people took in this unexpected power play. McLean was the first to respond, seconding the nomination. Mayor Ender asked for other nominations, but Bob Kellar did not nominate himself—nor did anyone else. He expressed his unhappiness at Ferry’s bold move by refusing to support Ferry’s nomination. “I would prefer to go with the usual progression,” he said, voting no. But everyone else said yes, so Frank Ferry is now Mayor Pro-Tem. This move distanced Kellar from the rest of the City Council to perhaps a greater degree than ever before. Ferry’s mention of HMNMH expansion and the library takeover, both of which were questioned by Kellar, seemed all the more meaningful in light of this maneuver.

Cake—and presumably some very strained conversations—followed.

The meeting resumed around 6:20. Mayor Laurie Ender presided over a couple of rather memorable acknowledgements. The first was so because it involved a vast sea of student volunteers in the “Safe Rides” program, the teens who drive their drunk peers safely home from parties[3]. McLean and Ferry were particularly adamant about thanking this group.

Bill Kennedy and his wife, Kathy, were recognized next. The pair has been a community fixture for just over a decade. Bill Kennedy’s work on the Planning Commission and his involvement in business and philanthropy were noted. Kennedy called his departure “bittersweet” because, while he’s losing the community he has been so involved in, he and his wife are moving to be closer to their grandsons. Kennedy had many kind words for Councilmember Kellar, by whom he was appointed to Planning Commission.

During reports and updates from the council, there was a little of everything. Kellar plugged Sake Bistro & Sushi. He has an old-timey sort of affinity for the entertainer, “Jimmy,” and made the joint sound like a swell place for you and your gal on a Sunday night. Ferry thanked Santa Clarita’s arborists for pruning trees so that recent windstorms didn’t topple them over, as happened in other Southland communities. McLean encouraged everyone to see the moving exhibit “Highwire Act: Insights into Substance Abuse”, at the town center through early January.

The Consent Calendar was approved without discussion or public comments. This meant that measures allotting funds for concrete repair and accepting a mini-grant to fund twelve sobriety checkpoints were approved.

Falling under New Business were the mid-fiscal-year budget review and adjustments. Ken Striplin said that despite the fact that that State of California is vying for local funds and has not reimbursed the City for certain expenses, the budget isn’t in fine shape. New spending would take place to fund a Canyon Country Community Center, improve the accessibility of open spaces, beautify Railroad Avenue, design more parking spaces for the Valencia Library, support community group use of the Performing Arts Center, and other sundry projects. $140K was allocated to improvements to the first floor of City Hall, including the council chambers.

In what probably should have been a separate item, staff also proposed establishing a trust to cover post-retirement health care benefits. Striplin said that the City is unique in being able to cover these liabilities without going into debt; the same cannot be said of other municipalities.

There were no speakers from the public. Councilmember Weste asked about staffing for the Canyon Country Center, and Striplin said it would be covered by full-time staff already under the employ of the City, with new part-time staff hired as needed and volunteers making up the difference. The recommended actions on budget adjustments and benefit funding were taken.

During Public Participation, the sole speaker was Berta Gonzalez Barbier. “I am a little confused as to how this works,” she said, referring to the fact that Bob Kellar hadn’t been voted Mayor Pro-Tem. “Just from a casual observer [her observations are hardly casual, most would agree], it sort of appears to me there’s been an effort to marginalize Bob.” Exactly. She said she wasn’t happy about the fact that he has lost his seat on some committees, and she was even less happy to have seen him skipped over at tonight’s meeting.

Ferry decided to respond. In a rambling, wide-ranging, unstructured, generally incoherent speech, he said that his life has changed a lot this year. He awoke from the coma, his sons are finishing school, and he may be getting ready to marry his partner. He said that after much “reflection and re-prioritizing”, he decided he really wanted to be mayor for his sixteenth year on the City Council. “I am looking forward to my life for what my future may hold,” he said. His speech was chock-full of “me”s and “my”s and mine”s. It was, truly, all about him (or his family, a more generous listener might contend).

One logical interpretation of his train of thought was that this was Ferry saying his life is moving onto a new phase. He either wants to go out as mayor, leaving on a high point (he did stress how very long he’d been at City Hall), or he’s seeking mayorhood as a means of reaching higher office and wants to have the big title while he pursues his ambitions. And of course, he has to get back at Kellar for his support of David Gauny, who almost took Ferry's seat, and who has fought Ferry and the rest of the council on a number of items. More clarity will emerge soon.

[1]This was definitely not on the agenda.

[2]Leon Worden goes over a couple of exceptions at SCVNews.

[3]I know, they’ll also drive people home who are just in unsafe situations and are not drunkards, too. And yes, I quite agree it's better they drink and call than drink and drive.

Happenings: Smart Meter Scares, Open Space, and a Plaque

The two biggest points of contention at tonight’s City Council Meeting were not agendized: (1)A local advisory committee felt ignored and disrespected, and (2)The mayor expressed serious concern over the impending installation of smart meters by Southern California Edison.[1]

The meeting began, as usual, with an invocation. “Thursday’s Thanksgiving,” revealed Councilmember Bob Kellar, who then gave a brief overview of the religious, familial, and political implications of the observance.

After the flag salute, the City Council applauded seven awards from the International Festival and Events Association. They included recognition for excellent events for children, stellar event websites, and even a bronze for the “Best Pin or Button” category (Cowboy Festival, in case you were wondering. I still have mine—it‘s a fine pin).

When each member of the City Council had a chance to share updates, Councilmember Ferry passed. Mayor Pro-Tem Laurie Ender spoke about Thanksgiving dinner at the community center; over 600 people came. She also highlighted Santa Clarita Public Library’s support of book clubs, and she expressed her delight that a number of students from Valencia High School were attending the City Council meeting for class. Councilmember Bob Kellar lauded the annual Festival of Trees, benefiting the Boys & Girls Club. Councilmember Laurene Weste reflected on the death of Alan Mootnick, the man who ran the Gibbon Conservation Center in Saugus.

Mayor Marsha McLean focused her comments on the installation of smart meters throughout Santa Clarita. Southern California Edison is adding the electricity-monitoring devices in the valley beginning this month. They're "smart" because they can transmit electricity usage information remotely. McLean expressed some anxiety over what installation means for people on life support equipment, since power is briefly disrupted to install the device. She also mentioned concerns about the safety and security of transmitting information about energy use. McLean encouraged residents to visit the SCE website or call their hotline if they wished to be put on a delay list out of concern over power disruption, radio wave emissions, etc. Her main issue was a lack of earlier notification of installation, and Councilmember Weste was sympathetic to her concerns[2].

The Consent Calendar wasn’t very substantial. Two items improved traffic signals and safety on Carnegie/Barcotta as well as Seco Canyon Frontage Road.

Another item recommended purchasing about 18-acres in Placerita Canyon to set aside as open space. Including fees and improvements, the price tag was $90,000. Cam Noltemeyer said of the property “It’s probably worthless in this market,” citing personal concerns over contamination from oil and the Whittaker-Bermite site. Jim Farley, who maintains that the assessment funding open space acquisition is improper/illegal, said that he thought the acquisition would be of limited benefit to the community. Rather than contributing to a green belt around the city, he said the property merely provided a site for Placerita Canyon horse owners to go trail-riding.

Finally, per the requirements of the Maddy Act, the last item presented a list of local appointments to various commissions, committees, and boards. Staff recommended it be made available in local libraries for review. Cam Noltemeyer saw the list as a reminder that term limits might be useful (some appointments have been in place since the 90s).

A motion to take the recommended actions for the six Consent Calendar items was seconded and passed with a unanimous vote.

During Public Participation, Anna Frutos Sanchez, representing SoCal Edison, was eager to set the record straight about smart meters. She said that she was there to share information and correct the rumors (it was reminiscent of how the CC addresses purportedly misinformed citizens). “Given the technological changes it is understandable that some people may have questions,” she said. However, she asserted that the smart meters raised no privacy concerns, had been tested for safety, and were no cause for alarm. Mayor McLean thanked Sanchez for her message, but closed the topic by re-stating the number to delay installation of a smart meter at one’s home. It was clear that McLean had not been convinced.

Pam Hogan, of Veterans Memorial Committee, Inc., spoke about a subject that clearly upset her. A pedestal/plaque was recently added to the Veterans Historical Plaza. It honors State Senator Pete Knight, an accomplished Air Force vet who helped secure funding for the plaza before his death in 2004. The trouble was, Hogan and other members of the Veterans Memorial Committee didn’t want the plaque. As summarized in an agenda item from August of this year, “SCV Veterans Memorial, Inc. considered the proposal, and prefers that the recognition for Senator Knight be consistent with the recognition for Assemblyman Runner, as both gentlemen were pivotal in securing funding for the purchase of the property that became the Plaza.[3]” In other words, they wanted Knight’s name on the donor wall, not on a special plaque. Hogan and her husband, a Vietnam vet,felt that the City Council had seriously disrespected them by ignoring their opinion on the plaque. I’m not clear on why the recognition was so contested and the cause for so much offense (comment if you know), but you can read the old agenda item for more information[3].

Before the meeting adjourned, Laurie Ender turned to Frank Ferry and reminded him that he came very close to death due to surgical complications this time last year (she used different words, obviously). “Of the many things I’m thankful for, a year later, you’re still here,” she told Frank.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[1]Here's a very small agenda

[2]Common questions about smart meters, answered

[3]Here's the item

Happenings: Cam Takes a Stand, Pulskampery Ensues

They got their voting stickers: did you?

Our City Council, august and meticulous as it is, sometimes appears to just rubber-stamp staff recommendations. Despite the fact that millions of budget dollars, tens of thousands of people, and hundreds of acres of land were affected by this evening’s Consent Calendar[1,2], no one on the City Council had anything to say except Mayor Marsha McLean, who made a brief remark about permeable pavement. The lack of discussion was of concern to beloved/maligned local activist Cam Noltemeyer—a concern she made apparent with her unique brand of civic theatrics.

Rather little happened before the Consent Calendar portion of the meeting. The invocation was Councilmember Frank Ferry’s. He read a nice prayer in honor of Veterans Day. The sole presentation came from Southern California Edison/Edison International. It was a proclamation detailing SoCal Edison's greatness and its appreciation that Santa Clarita does business with such a great company. Handshakes and pictures followed.

Mayor McLean asked if there were any items that public speakers wanted pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion. The City Clerk rattled off a list that may have been longer than McLean had expected. The Mayor’s visage and voice sank ever so slightly as she accepted the stack of speaker cards with a drawled “OoooK.”

Public comments on various items followed. By public comments, I mean comments by Cam Noltemeyer. She decided to take a stand against hasty agenda approval this evening by forcing attention on several items for at least her three minutes of allotted speaking time. Lynne Plambeck would assist in this endeavor.

First up was a $60,000/year recurring advertising campaign on behalf of local auto-dealers, part of the “shop local” program. In case you didn't know, local purchases generate local tax revenue that is spent--you guessed it--locally. Here, it was Noltemeyer versus Fleming. (I issued a FlemWatch Alert on Friday; I hope you took heed.) Noltemeyer pointed out that $50,000 was given to Hart Baseball at the last meeting, but it was contingent on delivering concrete results (i.e., specific numbers of hotel rooms had to be booked for baseball tournaments). She wanted to know why the auto dealers weren’t being compelled to deliver similarly concrete results.[3]

In support of the advertising plan was Don Fleming of Valencia Acura, as if you didn’t know. He said a lot of words about partnering and community and trying to do a billion dollars in sales on auto row.

It was satisfying to hear City Manager Ken Pulskamp directly respond to a public question on this matter. Cam had asked “Where are the goals that they’re required to meet?” When it was his turn to respond, Pulskamp replied “There’s a very clear goal: explain to the public the benefits of shopping locally.” OK, so the actual content of the reply wasn’t particularly satisfying, but you take what you can get. He went on to claim that for the $60K investment, the City makes back “$3,822,000 and some change.” Obviously, this is baloney. The total amount of tax revenue from auto dealers is about $3.8M for the year. Unless everyone who bought a car in Santa Clarita did so because of the annual $60K shop local advertising campaign, that’s a grossly inflated figure for return-on-investment.

More items on the Consent Calendar slowly ticked by, marked by Noltemeyer's approach and retreat from the microphone. In many instances, it was the principle of an item—rather than the specific item itself—that was cause for concern. Regarding a plan to reimburse a developer for road construction, Noltemeyer expressed her dismay that taxpayer dollars are used to help build roads and bridges that will make the Mission Village development feasible. “Lennar should have paid for it”, she said. (The item in question was unrelated—a road construction reimbursement going to Williams Homes for work on Sierra Highway.)

When it came to the question of whether to purchase land for a park-and-ride, Lynne Plambeck was pleased with the idea of promoting the use of public transportation, but she wasn’t keen on the location. The proposed site comprises 6.4 acres of oak savannah by McBean and Valencia Boulevard for a price of $1.2M. Plambeck suggested a multi-story structure could be installed closer to the mall in order to keep a remnant of valley oak savannah from being paved over. She also wondered about the status of CEQA planning and compliance for the project, since it will be destroying a small but significant chunk of wilderness. The next speaker was a man who works at Boeing. He was wholly supportive of the park-and-ride. He described the difficulties of finding a parking lot that can accommodate the vehicles from his daily 14-person vanpool. He pointed out that the proposed site was rather ideal in that it would be safe and convenient, located near both transit facilities and the freeway.

City Manager Ken Pulskamp’s response proved unsatisfying from an ecological perspective. First, he deigned not to respond to a direct question about CEQA. Regarding the chopping down of three stately Valley Oaks, he said that it was three oaks cut and 87 oak saplings planted for “a net gain of 84 oaks.” .” Technically, he’s right. But then, so too would be someone who claimed that chucking a trio of Picassos for 87 Thomas Kinkades would be a net gain of 84 paintings.[4]

Public Participation followed the City Council’s unanimous, discussion-less approval of the Consent Calendar. It served as a forum for an elderly man to convey the need for a local police department. More focused comments came from Doris and Kent Carlson. They complained about filming companies getting carte blanche with their filming permits. Kent Carlson related an incident where he was bothered by extremely bright filming lights at night. He said that he spoke to a deputy from the Sheriff’s Department (paid $802 for the night by the film company, Carlson claimed) who was dismissive and told him to move along when he asked to see the filming company’s permit and asked questions about permit enforcement. Pulskamp asserted that filming is an important and valued industry in Santa Clarita, but that they work to be mindful of homeowner needs as well.

The meeting ended at 7:20.

[1]Here's the agenda.
[2]No, those numbers are not employed rhetorically. Millions of dollars: land purchases, road projects, and so on add up to millions of dollars for tonight's various items. Tens of thousands of people: land purchases and tax-dollar expenditures affect all residents directly or indirectly. Hundreds of acres of land: zoning and annexation for 540 acres in Sand Canyon for pre-zoning/annexation.
[3]Furthermore, the Hart money came only from a special tax on hotels. When Cam went to return to her seat, the Mayor said she should stay up front since she had turned in a number of speaker cards and would be at the microphone again soon. Noltemeyer kept walking, which caused Mayor McLean to say “Well we’ll start your time from when you walk up.” When Noltemeyer returned, she would snap back by saying “Don’t yell at people when they come here.”
[4]Pulskamp’s style of answering questions will be immediately familiar to anyone who has watched the Republican debates or interviews with legislators or White House briefings—he responds like a politician. Questions are met with over-simplified statements and generalizations, and he simply doesn’t answer the ones he doesn’t like.

Happenings: Baseball Tourism, Historic Indecision

Tonight: the City Council acted as middleman in a tourism deal, the southern Sand Canyon area is all but annexed, and history hangs in the balance (well, at least historical structures)[1].
Councilmember Laurene Weste delivered the invocation. She made an appeal to support the Homes for Heroes program which is doing a major renovation of a local veteran’s home as its November 5th kick-off event. The primary sponsors are the Southern California Gas Company in partnership with KHTS[2].

What would a City Council meeting be without awards and recognition? Shorter. In any event, the ladies of Soroptimist International were on deck this evening. I learned that there are two distinct chapters—one for Santa Clarita Valley and the other for Greater Santa Clarita Valley. These competing factions called a truce to support the “Color Me Pink” and “Color Me Purple” campaigns. Pink (and the month of October) are devoted to the fight to end breast cancer, and purple (and November) to the fight to end domestic violence. A sea of soroptimists flooded the dais to receive the recognition, each member insisting on giving hugs to each and every council member. It took a solid two minutes.

Next, the new director of the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center, Rachelle Dardeau, introduced herself. She was gracious and warm, thanking the City for their support of the center’s important mission to nourish the oldies with food and friendship.

General comments from council members were given next, and they would take up a hefty chunk of the evening. Councilmember Frank Ferry recalled asking staff to provide resources for resolving neighborly disputes, which have been increasingly common and violent of late. There is now a page on the City’s website that links you to resources about how to talk to a neighbor you’re having problems with. To meet Ferry's request, staff apparently Googled "neighbor disputes" and pared down the results for Claritans in crisis.

I like the ironic modifier: "Neighborly Disputes".

Ferry also suggested that families visit Saugus Speedway to catch a glimpse of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. The piney cadaver will be placed on big trucks and carted into town on its way to Washington, D.C. If you’ve never seen a large, recently felled tree lying on its side in a truck, here’s your chance[3]. A food drive is also part of the event, and sounds decidedly more worthwhile. Mayor Pro-tem Laurie Ender had no comments apart from wishing Councilmember Weste a happy birthday. In a charming moment, Frank told everyone Laurene was turning 29 years old.

Perhaps because she was reminded of her own mortality—that’s what birthdays are for, right?—Weste devoted her comments to preserving Santa Clarita’s historic structures. She said that she wanted staff to do a study of what communities have done “across the nation” to preserve their local history.

Councilmember Bob Kellar emphatically disagreed with Laurene’s plan for additional research. “At some point in time we have to say, ‘We’ve done our homework.’” He contended that that time was now, noting that the City has been working on a permanent ordinance for historic preservation for half-a-decade. Ferry weighed in next, saying he would require a clear definition of what makes a structure historic, the ability to opt-in to a listing program rather than be forced into it, and an emphasis on pursuing public ownership of valuable, historic buildings. Mayor Marsha McLean said that she agreed with Weste that more study was needed and wanted the Planning Commission to reconsider the issue.

At this suggestion, Ferry said “I have no idea what the Planning Commission did. I don’t watch them…” (Shocker.) McLean explained that they had essentially de-fanged the ordinance, making historic listing a strictly opt-in process. There was considerable discussion of this, and City Attorney Joe Montes was visibly uncomfortable. He reminded the Council that they could only discuss whether to instruct staff to perform more research, since the topic of historic preservation was not on the agenda for the evening. Everyone but Kellar agreed to more study, which City Manager Ken Pulskamp said would take about six months.

Some, like Laurie Ender and Bob Kellar, were worried about how owners of the 49 listed properties would deal with the financial burdens of being unable to modify their property and having to disclose the possibility of historic designation to interested buyers for at least six more months. In a rare moment of empathy with the affected owners, Pulskamp said that he imagined the people on the list would feel that their property values were being adversely affected. Unfortunately, he immediately followed this statement by equivocating on whether they’d be right or wrong about feeling a financial burden.

Once this discussion was over, the Consent Calendar was approved in its entirety. There was some interest in an item to give Hart Baseball $50,000 (and up to another $50,000 per year for the next three years). The funds will be used to improve the fields and facilities in order to support tournaments that bring with them out-of-towners who spend money on hotels, at restaurants, and so on. Alan Ferdman objected to using taxpayer dollars to benefit baseball players and hotel owners. However, Pulskamp said the money would be coming from a tax that Claritan hotels pay expressly in order to boost tourism. In short, the City is the middleman, taking money from hotels and giving it to Hart baseball so that visiting ball players’ families will make more money for hotels. Dana Cop of the SCV Chamber of Commerce gave the proposal her full support. City Manger Pulskamp said this was a key way to get families to start “spending a whole lot more money” by being required to stay one or more nights in Santa Clarita. The goal is to have eight tournaments hosted in Santa Clarita by year four of this tourism partnership.

There was also a bit of discussion of Agenda Item 3, which renewed a contract with Data Ticket, Inc., a private parking enforcement company. Mayor McLean said that she wanted a bit of “discretion” in how harshly parking was enforced. She relayed an email from a man who was literally forced to carry his daughter from his car and who parked where he oughtn’t for a mere five minutes. Ferry and Ender pointed out that showing discretion in such circumstances is a very hard thing to do. One can’t tell if a car is parked illegally for the worst or best of intentions; red zones exist for a reason; etc. McLean was forced to be satisfied with the recommendation that special circumstances be handled in an appeal at court. The City Manager also promised to remind the company that it use good judgment when enforcing parking. The parking program is revenue-positive for the City ($300,000 in expenditures, $450,000 in revenue, of which $125,000 goes to the State). Furthermore, people in Santa Clarita love to help enforcers. 2,523 eService requests were completed, most for parking enforcement or abandoned vehicle requests.

Per usual, road maintenance and beautification projects provided additional, comment-free bulk to the Consent Calendar. Once those items were approved, a measure to approve the annexation and pre-zone of nearly 700 acres in south Sand Canyon was passed to a second reading. There is a movie ranch overlay zone to accommodate the Sable Ranch and Rancho Deluxe movie ranches. In case you had forgotten, the Santa Clarita Economic Development Corporation reminded us that movies are a big industry in the SCV.

Public participation followed. Alan Ferdman, who is nothing if not persistent, spoke about sanitation fees and board meetings. He was concerned that Santa Claritans have not been afforded a convenient opportunity to speak out against the millions of dollars being spent to comply with questionable chloride limits. He reminded the audience that more than $20M will be spent on planning a treatment plant alone; implementation and operation of the plant would cost many times more. A woman named Jennifer Adams also spoke. From her mobility scooter, she said that sidewalks near her home are in poor repair and make it difficult for her to get around. Pulskamp was distressed (embarrassed?) that she had felt compelled to come to City Hall to make this appeal and said a simple call would have received a response. Apparently there is a “pot of money” for just such unforeseen repairs.

The meeting adjourned at 7:27.

[1]Care to read the agenda? You can.
[2]Homes for Heroes
[3]That’s really the event. Read more here and here.