Happenings: Hasley Hills, Suffrage, Contingency

It was a quiet evening[1].

Mayor Marsha McLean began the City Council meeting by speaking about wounded servicemen and an organization—Tempered Steel—that tries to bring the wounded and their stories to the broader public. She addressed a mostly empty chamber and Mayor Pro-Tem Laurie Ender’s empty chair (she was with her son for a national volleyball competition).

Councilmember updates were of the generic sort. Councilmember Laurene Weste reminded the women in the audience to consider turning out for the Fourth of July Parade celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Right to Vote in California. After a proclamation in observance of the centennial, McLean roared meekly, “Yay women everywhere!” “And thank you all the gentlemen who voted for us!” added Weste, who I think has undergone a gradual mental transformation wherein she now sees herself as a suffragette.

The City received a couple of presentations next. First, Darren Hernandez introduced the six librarians that will be managing the libraries for LSSI starting in July. Trotting them out was an absurd, indulgent exercise for Hernandez, who is apparently trying to make up for his earlier incompetence by demonstrating that he can manage floor tile situations (see last meeting and the $300K contingency expenditure this meeting) and basic introductions.

Next, there was a presentation on air quality. It seems fine particulates are the new ozone, and they are being targeted through a variety of programs wherein individuals, government agencies, or businesses can trade in the old for the new. It’s old lawnmowers for quiet electric ones, gas guzzling vehicles out for natural gas powered cars or electric vehicles, and so on. These programs are being actively used or evaluated by the City.

At 6:53, the Consent Calendar was discussed. The City adopted a small grant to support golf’s equivalent of T-ball—a sports program that will teach the young how to golf, an ability that remains annoyingly mandatory for those with a Y-chromosome. There was a second reading of an ordinance to adjust animal keeping/breeding fees. $297,000 from the Contingency Account was dedicated to repairs at the Canyon Country Library, and McLean will serve on the Santa Clarita Library Board of Trustees (a technical reappointment that one man protested, saying that McLean “voted to destroy the library book by book by book,” and that “we do not want you anywhere near the libraries,”—a little dramatic, I know). And the next City Council will officially receive a 10% raise (Kellar dissenting on this item).

Roger Ludwig of Hasley Hills expressed his hope that the City wouldn’t withdraw their annexation application from LAFCO. Ferry made this suggestion at the last meeting, noting that tens of thousands of residents will be added to the City through existing annexations, and that it wasn’t necessary to push through more contentious annexations, like Hasley Hills. Bob Kellar sympathized with those who had worked hard to initiate the annexation process, calling it “downright painful” to have to put a stop to their efforts because of certain, obnoxious power players fighting the annexation (not his exact words). The City Council approved of the withdrawal excepting Mayor McLean, who abstained from voting.

A 2% assessment on hotels to fund the Tourism Marketing District passed easily, and nine parcels were added to the City’s streetlight maintenance district.

There was no Public Participation this evening; a silent end to an uneventful meeting.

[1]Here is the agenda.