Happenings: Bag Ladies, Bay, Books

Viewed in isolation, this evening's city council meeting would make you think that, environmentally, we're one of the most forward-looking communities in the nation[1].  One-third of the meeting was spent discussing the legal viability of a plastic bag ban; the "Bay Delta Conservation Plan" was agendized and supported; and council members rallied Claritans to support public transportation and celebrate the preservation of Elsmere Canyon.  If you pay more attention to personal politics than issues, things were a little bumpier.  Mayor Ferry, ever self unaware, lectured Cam Noltemeyer on the importance of paying attention, and Boydston's still working out how to do what he does without grating on nerves.  In any case, this wasn't one of the more pivotal meetings.

Tonight’s recognitions went out to an Eagle Scout candidate who raised money to install a “fitness zone” in Central Park.  Next to be honored were the dentists and dental staff that support the Foundation for Children’s Dental Health.  Mayor Ferry remembered that, while working as an educator in Santa Clarita, there was a girl with very bad teeth whose appearance got her into frequent fights.  With help from the foundation, things (i.e., her teeth and tendency to fight) got better.  Ferry called forward the dentists who donate their time to serve the toothy needs of Clarita’s youth, one of whom happened to be his fiancé.  We learned that the foundation has served 70,000 children since 1993, and a spokesdentist said that they are mostly children of Clarita’s working poor.  

Mayor Ferry now has a policy of kissing those receiving awards and recognition from the City (at least when they're his fiancé).

During round one of public participation, two women pointed out the dangers facing drivers and pedestrians at the intersection of McBean and Decoro.  They asked that the City focus its attention on this area and implement changes like a lower speed limit, right-hand-only turning lane, and longer pedestrian crossing time.  Next, Sandra Cattell spoke about her plastic bag colletion in astonishing detail.  She gave a brief comment about the need for reusable bags, but her real passion shone as she pulled bag after bag out of a large reusable bag, noting the event at which the bag had been received.  For most of her speaking period, she credited several river rallies, some informational events, and local institutions for her impressive reusable bag collection.  It seemed her point was that it’s not difficult for an active community member to collect a lot of reusable bags—in Cattell’s words, a “plethora of bags!”—that can replace disposable bags.  Mayor Ferry was laughing as the exercise continued and continued, asking Cattell if she would be offended at being called a bag lady.  Lynne Plambeck spoke on the same topic next, but with more tell and less show.  She offered to loan a copy of Bag It, a 70-minute film on the problems with plastic bags, for the City’s use in educating the public.  At least one council member (Weste) seemed keen on the idea.

City Attorney Joe Montes dampened the enthusiasm.  He said there are several lawsuits regarding plastic bag ordinances in process.  The suit for LA is being appealed, and there are suits in San Francisco and Marin County.  He noted that a Manhattan Beach lawsuit had suggested that a city the size of Santa Clarita would need an EIR before implementing a bag ban (there may be environmental effects like increased demand for paper bags, he speculated).  In any case, the council seems to be supportive of the bag-banning sentiment.  Councilmember Marsha McLean said she has “no doubt” the City will implement an ordinance once legal concerns are cleared up, and Councilmember Boydston said he was “in McLean’s corner” on the issue of discussing ways to limit plastic bag use.  Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar said he wanted to be sure the public’s sentiments were heard, but did not seem entirely opposed to the idea.    

At 6:41, bag talk ended.  Council members offered updates, with most at least mentioning the Fourth of July Parade (Boydston called it “world famous.”)  McLean, per usual, had the most to say, asking residents to get informed on the ½-cent sales tax associated with Measure R coming up for review; to attend a celebration of the protection of Elsmere Canyon; and to get informed about the Orange Line’s proposed commuter rail project. 

The consent calendar passed with just a few hiccups.  Council decided to support the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which supports constructing a peripheral canal (or some similar new means of water-routing) that would, in theory, help with both environmental needs of the bay-delta region and secure water supplies for Santa Clarita.  Cam Noltemeyer and Lynne Plambeck said that the council should have a study session before supporting this plan, which is not without controversy.  City Manager Ken Pulskamp and a representative from the Castaic Lake Water Agency assured the council that they the plan was sound and important, and it ultimately received less discussion by council than the issues relating to plastic bags.  In response to a question, Pulskamp said a new conveyance plan would help Santa Clarita with chloride issues, although a new canal wouldn’t likely be built until the mid-2020s, rather past the window we have to address chloride issues.

Councilmember Boydston made a point to ask why some streets were being repaired and others weren’t in the street slurry program.  Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar noted that the question is answered almost every couple of years, and it was again this year.  Essentially, it’s a really complicated selection process, but it’s mostly dictated by a software program that assesses road quality and repair priorities.   

Finally, Cam Noltemeyer wondered why funds under the umbrella of construction were being used to beef up the Newhall Library’s opening day materials collection.  It was explained that all the accounting practices were standard and sound, and adding books, CDs, and DVDs (or as written on the agenda, “CD’s” and “DVD’s”) was a fundamental part of building the new library. 

Acting in his mayoral capacity, Ferry decided to offer some constructive criticism for Cam Noltemeyer while the council voted to support the consent calendar’s items.  He told civic-minded high school students in attendance that “all the negativity and attack that she made on the Council was not for the purpose of creating change.”  This was all because Noltemeyer usually leaves the chambers after making her comments.  Ferry, who is widely praised for his spotless attendance record and for the rapt attention he affords speakers, was challenged by Boydston who noted that “Sometimes they [speakers] can’t stay,” and suggesting that Noltemeyer had started some important discussions with her comments.  A discussion was bubbling between Ferry and Boydston, but Weste stepped in to end it by motioning approval of the consent calendar items (excepting the library one, where she had to abstain due to her proximity to the project). 

The meeting ended at 7:35.

[1]Here's the agenda.

Happenings: Sign Jail, Boydston/McLean Tensions

Apologies for my absence: now to business[1].  Tonight’s meeting included Frank Ferry telling TimBen Boydston “You got screwed,” open space acquisitions in Agua Dulce, and updated committee assignments.  While TimBen Boydston continues to clash more or less spectacularly with most of his fellow members, it's the McLean/Boydston dynamic that remains least friendly.  Tonight didn't help.

Mayor Frank Ferry added some rhythm to the gavel banging that signals the start of the meeting.  It positively delighted City Manager Ken Pulskamp[2].  But the levity was short-lived, as Councilmember Marsha McLean decided to issue a patriotic challenge—a call to arms, if you will—during her invocation.  “I was shocked at the answer when I asked my granddaughter if she recited the pledge…she said her teacher apparently told her there was no time,” McLean explained.  She was worried that no time for the pledge of allegiance signaled we may be “in deep trouble as a country”, and asked anyone with children or grandchildren to inquire about their classroom pledging habits. 
 
Awards came next, and Councilmember Laurene Weste was recognized as LA County’s Volunteer of the Year.  A representative from Supervisor Mike Antonovich’s office highlighted Weste’s commitment to important political, environmental, social, and historical causes.  A tearful Weste gratefully accepted the honor and praised Antonovich for being supportive and always taking her calls.
 
Public Participation began with words from Steve Petzold.  He gave a shout-out to former Claritan and current pledge of allegiance supporter Roger Gitlin.  Then he got to his real passion and invited the council to attend a special event at the Valencia Library featuring a film about the dangers of light pollution.  Rather than dwelling on the profound notion that to see the light of stars we must pursue darkness, Petzold used the balance of his speaking term to enthuse about a book on sniping and its availability at local libraries[3].

Cam Noltemeyer spoke next and used her three-minutes to talk about all of the environmental issues that remain unresolved in Santa Clarita.  These range from noise and air pollution problems created by the proposed high-speed rail to the toxins from Whittaker-Bermite to OVOV’s air quality issues. 

The last public speaker was Karen Hudson, who expressed concern about cuts in the number of meals delivered by the SCV Senior Center.  During his response, City Manager Ken Pulskamp seemed to favor an approach of talking with the center, but City Councilmember TimBen Boydston asked if the council would be in favor of acting right away to send $5000 to help support meal programs.  “We have to be careful there,” said McLean, who noted that previous donations from the City of Santa Clarita had led to an equal amount of financial support being withdrawn by other parties, leading to no net gain for the seniors.  Councilmember Weste and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar also encouraged speaking with the center before taking action, leading Boydston to relent for the time being. 

The public had spoken, and now members of the City Council took to the mics for their own causes and updates.  Weste talked about the new trailhead over the Santa Clara River.  She paid tribute to the recently deceased Reverend Monsignor Renahan, leader and counsel to Claritan Catholics for decades.  Marsha McLean was impressed by how well her grandchildren and their classmates sang at a recent performance.  Boydston asked to agendize a timeline to switch library board positions from the council to members of the public.  He also asked for a delay in the discussion of benefits for councilmembers out of legal caution; Boydston has been inquiring about the disparity between his benefits and those enjoyed by his fellow council members.  Boydston said that he received a memo from Mayor Frank Ferry about concerns over “talking to lawyers”, and Boydston said it was no big deal to talk (he clarified that he hadn’t retained a lawyer), saying that Ferry himself has a law degree but Boydston still talks with him.  Kellar congratulated  Bill Reynolds and Stanley Cockerell for their Bronze Stars after service in the Vietnam War.  Kellar hopes to bring the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall to Santa Clarita some time next year.  Comments concluded when Mayor Ferry spoke about meeting with local school kids about Santa Clarita’s 25^th anniversary as a city.

The consent calendar’s biggest item was adoption of the 2012-13 budget of some $183M and associated plans for capital improvements and employee compensation.  Councilmember Boydston has requested line item breakdowns of the City’s various contracts and budget items and thanked staff for providing 18 pages worth of these details.  After perusing the line items, his few issues were quickly resolved.  Speaker Alan Ferdman was pleased to see that Canyon Country was getting some attention in the budget, but worried about employee benefits. 

Boydston was concerned about another item on the consent calendar pertaining to acceptance of large-scale projects.  Currently, the City Council accepts/approves these projects, but the item would allow the City Manager to act in this capacity instead.  That would shorten the time it takes for contractors to be paid (they have to wait for project acceptance), but Boydston worried that the public wouldn’t be able to speak out against project acceptance as effectively if there were problems.  Councilmember McLean challenged him to produce an example where the public discouraged project acceptance, and Boydston said a less-than-satisfactory road repair job in Canyon Country led to complaints.  That would have been a case where he would have delayed project approval by the council.  Regardless, McLean and Pulskamp said that they usually hear about problems with big projects, and the item passed with a vote from everyone save Boydston.

An open space acquisition piqued the interest of speaker Cam Noltemeyer.  She wondered about the purchase of open space in Agua Dulce using Claritan tax dollars since most of the area is located miles east of Santa Clarita’s easternmost boundary.  She also said that the map of areas to be purchased was vague as to whether 600 residential units would still be built or whether the land they were going to be built on was part of the acquisition.  Pulskamp would clarify that the City purchased the land that would have held these units and that it would, indeed, become open space.  Thus, with the exception of the item pertaining to purchasing policy updates (specifically the city manager’s ability to accept public works projects), the consent calendar passed with recommended actions.  

Discussion of political signs came next.  It stretched on for quite a while and revealed that there are still raw nerves following the most recent election, with words growing especially contentious between Councilmembers McLean and Boydston.  Not helping matters was a video that Boydston had put together to describe the history of political sign policy in Santa Clarita—essentially clips of people talking about signs at past meetings.  Mercifully, Mayor Ferry asked to stop the video and simply talk 6 minutes in (there is nothing worse than watching stale council footage nearly two hours into a live council meeting, and Ferry said the video was half-an-hour long).  There was a long debate over the efficacy of fines, the cost-benefit analysis of printing small signs and putting them in out of bounds areas, and the ability to control sign placement activates by volunteers.  McLean recalled an instance of pro-Boydston signs being bolted to live trees.  When Mayor Ferry said Boydston wouldn’t do that himself, McLean snapped back that they really had no idea which person it was doing the tree damage.  She was not pleased with Boydston and what she called his efforts to embarrass her and Laurene Weste on the video.    

In a moment that must have been gratifying for TimBen Boydston, Ferry said “You got screwed,” when it came to sign policiy in the past.  He admitted that Boydston had played by the rules and paid for little signs when bigger signs were not allowed in the policy, but sitting council members had printed bigger signs knowing they wouldn't face stiff consequences.

Ultimately, the council decided to get rid of fines to reclaim signs and instead implement a “sign jail” policy.  Any signs placed in the public right-of-way will be seized and held until after the election, and the city attorney will clarify an appeals process to be approved at a future meeting.  Everyone was in agreement.

The meeting ended with Ferry’s allotment of committee appointments to council members.  It was all fine and good until Alan Ferdman asked the council to more carefully consider Laurene Weste’s service with regard to sanitation distrcits.  He implied that she was too closely associated with parties pushing sanitation policies that will cost Claritans a lot of money.  Boydston decided to push Ferdman’s suspicions and questioned Weste, who clarified that she had indeed attended events and associated with many governmental and non-governmental groups interested in water policy.  She said it was important to build and maintain these contacts, and Ferry defended her actions. 

[1]Here's the agenda.

[2]At leas that’s whose giggle I thought I heard.

[3]The title, apparently, is unavailable at LA County libraries.

No CC Update Tonight

It's going to be an important City Council meeting (changes to public participation and the mayoral rotation are being discussed) but there are at least 28 reasons why I can't recap it tonight; apologies.  Fear not, though, as I'll be council-watching again at the next meeting.

Here's the agenda.

Happenings: Boydston's Back

In a performance that likely delighted his supporters and aggravated his detractors, Councilmember TimBen Boydston was very much himself this evening[1].  He was the sole dissenting vote to appoint Frank Ferry as mayor; explored the loftiest of rhetoric in his acceptance speech; challenged a staff member’s salary directly with said staff member; and offered to visit a council-weary family’s home personally.  The spotlight, in short, was his this evening.

But first Boydston had to make an entrance.  The process began at 5pm, with Frank Ferry not so subtly sitting in the mayor’s chair and Laurie Ender absent for roll call.  Ferry congratulated Bob Kellar and TimBen Boydston on their recent election victories, and there was nearly a minute of congratulatory applause for them, concluding with a standing ovation.  The men were sworn in with their families by their sides.  Kellar even received a booming hip-hip-hooray! after his oath. 

Next came acceptance speeches.  Boydston began with rather formal, artfully-inflected words of gratitude.  (They seem to have prompted someone off camera to mutter an annoyed “Oh my God…”, as picked up be some stray microphone).  He accepted the “sacred trust of representing you,” and quoted Abraham Lincoln and adopted rhetoric typically associated with higher political offices.  He pledged to listen, respect, and help the people of Santa Clarita.  He said he would serve everyone from the apartments of Jake’s Way to the ranches of our canyons, an allusion to former Mayor Ender’s marginalization of the Jake’s Way community. 

The speech offered by Bob Kellar was far less affected with fewer formalities and fewer words.  He thanked everyone and said “I love this city and I love everybody in it.”

Kellar nominated Mayor Pro Tem Ferry to be mayor, and he was seconded by Laurene Weste.  Ferry asked for comments, and Boydston asked Ferry to make a commitment to respect everyone and not call people names.  Ferry ignored the request by asking, “Any other comments?”  There were none, and for the vote, everyone gave Ferry their support except Boydston.  It was a 5-0 vote, however, to appoint Bob Kellar as mayor pro tem. 

Once these votes had taken place, Councilmember Boydston suggested that the mayoral term be extended for Ferry until April, at which point terms would change coincidentally with elections.  “I think it’s working just fine,” said Councilmember Marsha McLean, saying the “founding fathers set it up that way for a reason.”  She was not opposed to discussion, however. McLean would join her fellow members of council in acknowledging Laurie Ender’s service, and she indirectly challenged Boydston’s acceptance speech by emphatically pronouncing her promise to “continue” (vs. “start”) serving the people of Santa Clarita.  Mayor Frank Ferry had some comments as well, including a response to Boydston’s earlier request for a promise of respectful language.  Ferry claimed that people in the community and "five or six blogs" hit him with attacks like a “machine gun”, and that it can be, at times, hard to take.  He compared himself to Boydston, saying both were extremely passionate people, and offered that much of the time, people were seeing “not disrespect but disagreement” in his comments. 

Public comments followed and they were short and generally constructive.  Valerie Thomas received applause for a suggestion to change the timing of elections to increase turnout. 

There was a brief intermission before the usual meeting began at 6pm.

Councilmember Laurene Weste, whose tone was noticeably amiable and upbeat this evening, highlighted Santa Clarita’s great natural heritage and assets during her invocation.  Mayor Ferry efficiently zipped through the other formalities and before you knew it, it was time for general council comments all over again, this time on non-election topics.

McLean complained about the hoops that homeowners must jump through to get their SoCal Edison smart meters removed; Laurene Weste fondly remembered Judy Riley; TimBen Boydston cheered local churches for helping to feed the hungry as part of a national effort; and Bob Kellar  encouraged residents to support CEMEX solutions as well as Measure CK for Sulphur Springs. 

The Consent Calendar was passed with only one minor hiccup on Item 7.  That item proposed using $325,000 to purchase just over an acre of land in Sand Canyon for road improvements.  Lynne Plambeck wondered why the City was purchasing the land when she said the developer of Vista Canyon, whose development the purchase stands to benefit, hadn’t yet put money into the Eastside Bridge and Throroughfare District.  “Things are being done for the developer that the developer ought to be funding,” she argued.  City Manager Ken Pulskamp said the developer will still have to pay into the B&T District and that the timing and price were too good to pass up.  This and other items on the Consent Calendar were unanimously approved. 

There was new business concerning the administrative budget for the redevelopment successor agency.  This is the body that must see to fulfilling the various obligations left in the wake of the dissolution of Santa Clarita Redevelopment Agency.  Armine Chaparyan presented information on the budget, payment schedules, and other successor agency particulars.  After her presentation, Councilmember Boydston noted that the budget included more than $300,000 in salary and benefits for two full-time employees and some part-time work.  He wondered if that wasn’t excessive, prompting Chaparyan to politely reassert the validity of her position and compensation.  During comments, Alan Ferdman would likewise wonder about using more than half-a-million dollars to administer the debt between personnel and other costs.  Ultimately, however, the City Council was approving of the budget--for the most part.

Some other redevelopment topics arose during discussion.  City Attorney Joe Montes said that it’s not yet clear what will happen to buildings purchased by the City during redevelopment.  City Manager Pulskamp said he would be giving the council an item at some point in the future that would entail demolishing the City-owned buildings so as to prevent any undesirable (i.e., County) use of the properties were they to fall out of their direct ownership and control.

During Public Participation—which will likely be moving to a new format in future meetings based on all indications tonight—the Losorelli family complained about tennis lessons taking place in their neighbor’s yard.  Surely, dear reader, you recall this situation (massive tennis courts used for lessons installed in a quiet neighborhood, destroying quality of life).  Mr. and Mrs. Losorelli complained about issues with lights, grunting tennis players on weekend mornings, water damage, and more.  They said they would be forced to pursue additional (legal) action if the City didn’t act to help them.  Other comments during public participation included concerns about Colony Collapse Disorder of honeybees; the format of public participation, congratulations on the election, and Dr. Gene Dorio’s worries about the outlook for the SCV Senior Center.   

Refreshingly, Ken Pulskamp responded to all comments (even the one about the bees, saying he didn’t know if a particular pesticide blamed for the disorder was used by the City).  Councilmember TimBen Boydston said he would like to come see the Losorelli house to better understand their problems.  Councilmember Weste shied away from this idea, citing the threat of impending legal action, but Boydston insisted he would visit only to learn more and would not make any assurances.

The meeting ended at 7:33.

[1]Here's the agenda.  Read at will.

Happenings: Trains Killing Kids, Insecure Ballots, and Sundry Other Concerns

There wasn’t much on tonight’s agenda[1], so a discussion of hypothetical fears filled the void. California's proposed high-speed rail plan was attacked on the grounds that trains traveling close to Sulphur Springs Elementary would endanger children. Many speakers wondered whether mail-in votes were being appropriately secured. And Cam Noltemeyer voiced concerns about the oil pipeline running near the YMCA. Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ferry, absent from tonight’s meeting, missed out.

Mayor Ender had the invocation tonight. “It’s time to line up the puck and take the shot,” she said, employing a hockey metaphor to encourage people to accomplish things they’ve been putting off.

Next, it was time for the flag salute. Without the usual scout troop to take the lead, Ender gamely recruited a few kids from the front row to help out.

Then, of course, it was time for awards and recognitions. Mayor Ender observed that the incidence of autism in Santa Clarita is high: 1 in 67 children are diagnosed. She applauded the efforts of the Santa Clarita Autism Asperger Network and made a proclamation for Autism Awareness Month. After their official photo, families from SCAAN were leaving the chambers and a little boy ran up to the dais to interrupt the mayor during her Arbor Day announcement, saying “Thank you, Mrs. Ender.” It was cute. Thereafter, recognition of Santa Clarita’s Tree City USA award and of a landscaping award for the Northbridge area reinforced Santa Clarita’s verdant image.

Individual updates from the members of the City Council were quick—Councilmember Marsha McLean met with the Governor’s Office regarding chlorides and now feels more optimistic about handling our water problems. She didn't offer up many details, however. Both she and Councilmember Laurene Weste spoke about hikesantaclarita.com, which, as its name subtly implies, directs visitors to local trails.

The Consent Calendar was modest in length and scope. Among the items were appointments to oversee the overseers of the end of the Santa Clarita Redevelopment Agency. Legislation dictates that a seven-member panel must be appointed to serve in an oversight capacity for the redevelopment successor agency. While most of the members are appointed by LA County, the mayor is directed to make two appointments. Deputy City Manager Darren Hernandez and Assistant City Manager Ken Striplin were recommended by staff and ultimately selected. During comments, Cam Noltemeyer expressed continued concerns over debt and the need for transparency when it comes to City business in Newhall. Alan Ferdman wondered about conflicts of interest at having City employees overseeing an agency comprising the City Council. With all the operations and oversight in-house, he called the set-up “incestuous.”

Another agenda item sought to alleviate the burden of heavy truck traffic. Three sections of road in the Bridgeport area and four sections of road in the Friendly Valley area will no longer permit vehicles exceeding 14,000 pounds. This presumes the item will be passed during a second reading at the next meeting.

The City Council accepted guidelines for accepting art loans and donations to enhance the beauty of public spaces. From review of the art to deciding where it goes to installation to maintenance, the three-page proposal could be summed up in four words: “Staff will do it.”

Finally, Crimson California Pipeline, which purchased and operated a pipeline in 2005, entered into a franchise agreement with Santa Clarita for 20 years. “I see huge safety issues with this pipeline,” said Cam Noltemeyer, noting that it runs close to the YMCA. Her fears were dismissed by City Manager Ken Pulskamp, who said that the pipeline is well-built and that a very strong, pipe-damaging earthquake is “an unlikely possibility.” The pipe has been in place for years and runs underground.

The meeting would have been over, but there were 13 cards for public participation. Speakers opined on high-speed rail, election security, or both (there was also one guy upset about overly zealous code enforcement regarding weeds). The high-speed rail crowd included Alan Ferdman, Michael Hogan, and even Sulphur Springs Assistant Superintendent Vicky Myers. Their message was that high-speed rail will be a big drain on California’s resources and will provide no special benefits for Santa Claritans. Furthermore, the proposed rail line’s proximity to Sulphur Springs would potentially endanger children and prove annoying to residents because of all the noise. Speakers wanted the City Council to take a formal position on HSR before an April 19^th meeting during which it is presumed the rail authority will start the EIR process for the section from Palmdale to Sylmar. Transportation maven Marsha McLean said, “The high-speed rail folks know me very well,” but neither she nor others seemed to mind taking a more formal stance. Ken Pulskamp’s idea to have the rail authority conduct a meeting in Santa Clarita was a popular one.

More speakers yet had something to say about election security. They said that the large number of absentee votes might not be as secure as they ought to be. Alan Ferdman, Valerie Thomas, and others felt that there should be two keys held by two different people required to access the room where the votes are stored. Carole Lutness of SCV Fair Elections made it clear that there were no allegations of corruption or wrong-doing. Rather, the idea that votes might not be totally secure was problematic in and of itself.

“The ballots are extraordinarily secure,” responded City Manager Pulskamp. He said the votes are in a locked cabinet inside a locked room, but was vague about how many people could access the room, the presence of non-lock based security, etc. Speakers had hoped there would be immediate security measures taken after their comments this evening. However, both Pulskamp and Mayor Ender told speakers that the City Council could not take action on items brought up during Public Participation. This was an objectively stupid response. The City Manager wouldn’t need to get council consent to add an extra lock or a camera outside the ballot-counting room.

Councilmember McLean was concerned that rumors about a lack of ballot security might spread “like wildfire” through social media. She suggested that staff be proactive in getting out the message that votes are indeed secure.

The next Santa Clarita City Council meeting isn’t for another month. Two Tuesdays from now, we should know who will be filling the contested council seats.

[1]Did somebody say agenda?

Happenings: Blessed Business, Damn RVs

This evening's meeting of the 12^th City Council of Santa Clarita was unremarkable, but that’s never stopped me from remarking, has it[1]? As a result of tonight’s actions, legislation pertaining to redevelopment has been supported, buses will get on-board visual display monitors, and economic growth will be fostered—at least theoretically.

Councilmember McLean began the meeting by reusing one of her past invocations. “When you’re smiling, the whole world really does smile with you…happiness is contagious,” she said. McLean summarized a scientific study revealing that people with happy friends are more likely to be happy themselves. (What does it mean if hearing about happy people makes you scowl?)

Several community groups were recognized next. Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles were honored for reaching this, their hundredth year. During photos, Mayor Pro Tem Ferry stepped forward as an authority on proper Girl Scout cookie consumption: “You’re supposed to freeze the thin mint cookies.” The recently dissolved Newhall Redevelopment Committee was recognized next. Phil Ellis said that while the committee is gone, they’ll continue to meet informally. His announcement was met with applause. Councilmember Weste commented for the umpteenth time in as many weeks about the importance of the redevelopment process in California. She said that without it, places like Pasadena (“POS-uh-dee-nuh”) would have been "left behind". Weste was front and center for the final recognition as well, this time extended from the Domestic Violence Center to the councilmember. Weste has been a big supporter, and they thanked her.

The consent calendar’s items were approved. The council will support three bills that clarify the roles of redevelopment agencies and their successor agencies while allowing cities to retain affordable housing funds. Santa Clarita has nearly $9M in these funds. Another item unified areas throughout the Santa Clarita Valley at large to comprise the new SCV Enterprise Zone. It was mentioned that some 330 businesses have taken advantage of enterprise zone tax savings. Buses are set to get on-board visual displays for information and advertising. And that, in essence, was it.

As for new business, City Manager Ken Pulskamp presented an economic growth program. Measures ranged from subsidizing the annexation of movie ranches to making a master plan for a conference center to reducing filming fees to a “business incubator” program. To pay for these incentives and programs required $110,000 from the general fund and another $140,000 from other sources. The City Council, SCV Economic Development Corporation, and the Chamber of Commerce were all enthused, shocking many. The economic growth program was adopted with a modification to extend a development fee deferral program through 2014.

A Newhall woman and her husband spoke during public participation. She had a lot to say in her three minutes, all of it pertaining to the plague of RVs parked along streets in Newhall. She said that she wanted to follow the model of Simi Valley and to get RVs off the street.  The woman proposed allowing them to be parked for no more than 24 hours and creating a “volunteer neighborhood watch” to deal with the grave problem. “Newhall is turning into the low class RV capitol of California,” she warned. Her husband held a board with photos of RVs parked throughout Newhall neighborhoods. Mayor Laurie Ender asked staff to start discussions with the couple.

Also speaking was Bruce Boyer of Lone Star Security. He is currently in a case against the City regarding its prohibitions of some advertising on/with vehicles. Boyer said that not only was the City violating his right to free speech, but it was wasting taxpayer dollars in mounting a legal defense. The city attorney refused to comment on the matter as it involves pending litigation. The meeting ended shortly thereafter, at 7:22.

[1]And here's the unremarkable agenda to go with it.

Happenings: Grants for Art and Service, Indecision

Modest Mayor Ender does not approve of showy engagement rings.

At tonight's meeting[1], a very small arts grant received more discussion than a two-million dollar purchase for local libraries, a five-million dollar contract for new buses, and a new planning commission appointment combined. Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ferry announced that he is engaged, and we can all look forward to welcoming the quaint sounding Phantom Terrace Associates to the community. In short, the City Council was decisive about the big stuff and indecisive when it came to the details.

The meeting began at 6:11, with Councilmember Bob Kellar delivering the invocation. He spoke about a woman from Canyon Country with a rundown home. Its condition was brought to the attention of city inspectors, one of whom—John Robinson—was able to solicit help from the community to fix her electricity, windows, and other problem areas. “Because of this, this lady is going to be able to keep her home,” Kellar said, suggesting we all try to be good neighbors.

In keeping with the theme of improvement, Santa Clarita was recognized for reaching the silver level in the California Green Communities Challenge. Partners SoCal Edison, Green Seal, and the Environmental Media Association lauded the city for implementing improvements in ten areas relating to sustainability, like waste reduction, green building, and efficient transportation. The hype bordered on the excessive: a Green Seal official from D.C. came in just to give his blessing, a flag was proffered, a large glass plaque was bestowed on City Hall, and there were promises of much more media coverage for Santa Clarita as a model of green city living[2].

The next presentation to the city was decidedly leaner. Chris Fall, vice chair of the Parks Commission, read seven goals for 2012. They were rather generic—maintain parks, promote facility use and program involvement, support trail system, etc.

Next, council members provided updates. Councilmember Marsha McLean said that the SCV Senior Center grossed $115,000 with its celebrity waiter event, which McLean participated in. She was also quite excited about the first meeting of the SCV Transportation Coalition, which unites stakeholders and will give Santa Clarita a stronger voice in regional transportation issues. Councilmember Laurene Weste spoke about the “iron horse” bridge connection that has been in development and will be a critical juncture in our trails system. Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ferry announced that Mori Rouhani is (1)An excellent local dentist, and (2)His fiancé, as of Valentine’s Day. Ferry’s revelation wasn’t delivered very smoothly and it took a second to realize what he was announcing, but it would have been nice if the audience had clapped more. Finally, Mayor Laurie Ender spoke about the Santa Clarita Emergency Expo[3] coming up in March, a chance to build emergency kits and meet first responders.

Discussion of the consent calendar followed.

Marilyn Hackett spoke on an item relating to support for the arts. The Arts Commission recommended that the City Council give five organizations funds with which to present ballets, concerts, dramatic performances and the like. Hackett asked that they also support the SCV Veterans’ plans for a Wartime Romance performance. The Arts Commission had ranked this group/performance lowest of all applicants with a score of 55.6/100 (all funded groups scored in the 80s or 90s).

Marsha McLean thought this was clearly a mistake and fretted for a long while about how to set things right. She thought that if groups had been given a maximum of $5000 instead of $7500, there would have been enough money to spread to all applicants. However, she was worried that groups counting on $7500 would be adversely affected if they lost some money in order to give money to the SCV Veterans. Making an exception might set a dangerous precedent too, she and others thought. And perhaps more time was needed to review the decision made by the commission. After a while, Ferry interrupted her and laid out the possible actions clearly: accept that not every group can be funded and move on; take money recommended for other groups and give it to Wartime Romance; or allocate contingency funds to support the project. But fretting continued until, at long last, Ferry and Kellar put forward a motion to simply go with the recommendations of the Arts Commission.

It passed with everyone’s vote—even McLean’s, who wanted to show she supported funding the arts even if one group wasn’t included. Apparently, City Manager Ken Pulskamp will look to see if the City can sponsor Wartime Romance in some other way.

Community services grants were awarded with far less discussion, though Laurie Ender and Laurene Weste had to sit out the vote since they sit on boards of some of the organizations in line to receive grants. A total of $72,000 was given out for everything from fencing for a horse therapy ranch to a Hart Park historical film series to dementia care intervention at the senior center.

Alan Ferdman was a little annoyed that one item relating to library upgrades was tucked away on the consent calendar rather than itemized as new business. $1,981,800 in contracts were proposed for library furniture, electronics, and design services. Highlights included 104 public access computers for the library-to-be in Newhall. Ferdman pointed out that Canyon Country and Valencia libraries serve larger communities than Newhall, yet they are receiving a smaller share of the upgrades. Ken Pulskamp would respond by saying that resources are going to go elsewhere, too, and this improvement project did not preclude future improvements from happening in Canyon Country or Valencia.
In all, the items on the consent calendar were approved without any dissent.

A public hearing involved a pre-annexation agreement between Santa Clarita and a group hoping to build out properties in Copperhill, Phantom Terrace Associates. Apart from building 29 single-family homes, Phantom will dedicate 67 acres as open space.

Under new business, Bob Kellar selected Charles “Chuck” Heffernan to serve on the Planning Commission, replacing Bill Kennedy. Heffernan emerged after a rather rigorous candidate selection process involving a community panel. The other members of the council consented to the choice, and Heffernan, a longtime community member and civic engineer, will now be a commissioner.

More time was devoted to the art, specifically a blueprint for future growth and activities produced by the Arts Commission. Everyone was impressed except Councilmember McLean, who wondered about funding and a foundation to secure donations that could support plans for a scholarship program and other capital-intensive activities. McLean also asked why she didn’t get to see any Oscar-winning movies in Santa Clarita, echoing sentiments that have been appearing in The Signal’s letters to the editor.

Finally, the City Council agreed to send letters to Lee Baca, LA County supervisors and others to ask for a place at the table in discussions of Santa Clarita’s present and future sheriff station(s). Marsha McLean also asked that staff keep an eye on agendas so the City isn’t caught off guard the next time its fate is decided by the County.

Comments during public participation were two. A man who takes the bus to UCLA said a three-minute change in pick-up times makes it difficult to arrive to the university on time, and asked that the time be changed back. Finally, Alan Ferdman announced that the Santa Clarita Community Council (another group, yes) will help sponsor a candidate debate on March 7th.

[1]Here is the agenda for you.

[2]California, how green thou art.

[3]Emergency Expo info