Free the Tree

 
Stevenson Ranch, a community unremarkable in most every regard, holds one unique distinction: the Guinness Word Record for largest tree transplanted, Old Glory.[1] At the time it was transplanted, the oak weighed over 458 tons—about the same as 50 bull elephants—and measured 104 feet across, which is twice as wide as a typical Stevenson Ranch lot. The tree's record-breaking move resolved a standoff between tree-sitter John Quigley and the developer who wanted to cut it down for road expansion. Quigley had perched in the tree for 71 days to save it, saying “the tree has a miraculous spirit.”[2] Or, as Dave Bossert chose to remember the events, “local environmental terrorists used the tree as a pawn to prevent the widening of Pico Canyon.”[3]

After its move in the winter of 2003/2004, a chain link fence was built around the oak. Ostensibly, this protected roots sensitive from being transplanted, shielded visitors from limbs which might die and fall as the tree adjusted to its new location, and separated the famed oak fromthose who might want to do it harm. From behind this fence, Old Glory's fans waited anxiously to see if the tree would survive the shock and stress of the move.

 

 

 

It fared splendidly. In 2011, The Signal ran a story explaining that the County of Los Angeles, which manages the park, would be taking down the fence because the tree had received a clean bill of health from the arborists who knew it well.[4]

 

Unfortunately, the fence remains. Arborist Jose Mercado has recommended fencing at every turn. His reasons have included "lessen[ing] the chance of liability in case a limb falls"[5] to "discourag-[ing] any climbing on the old oak."[4] I'm hesitant to cast a villain in this tale of transplantation, but at every turn, Mr. Mercado has seemed determined to keep the oak behind bars. Throughout Santa Clarita, other valley oaks (Quercus lobata) stand unfenced in communities where yes, they sometimes drop limbs, and where yes, they might be climbed, but only Old Glory stands in dreary isolation. Even the Oak of the Golden Dream, California Registered Historical Landmark No. 168 and perhaps the most significant oak tree in the state, is far more accessible to the community, surrounded by nothing but a short, rustic fence that's as much seat as security.

 

The fact that Old Glory remains fenced is a shame. We ought to let the neighborhood that saved it from chainsaws and bulldozers enjoy it unimpeded, to let animals move to and from the tree freely--in short, to let it be integrated into the community.

This "Oak-tober", it’s time to take the fence around Old Glory down. Contact Mike Antonovich's office at LA County. Report chain link fencing as a violation of landscaping codes if you live in Stevenson Ranch. Somehow, let's get the fence down.

 

 

 

[1]Here's the record.

[2]Read the Quigley interview with Leon Worden.

[3]Bossert's clumsy anti-Quigley tirade.

[4]The headline from 2011 reads "Old Glory still glorious"

[5]Mr. Mercado wants to keep a fence between you and your tree

Big Land Purchases, Bob Won't Debate Billboards

I don't think city council meetings leave much in the way of an impression on the scout troops that routinely  lead the pledge.[1] Tonight's cub scout troop wasn't too far from the usual: the leader instructed the kids that they were addressing Mayor Laurene "WEEST" ("I didn't know we had a girl mayor," one scout replied). Their time in city hall was spent saluting the flag, having their parents take pictures of them with a council they didn't know, and listening to some people get upset about billboards for three minutes at a time behind the microphone (they left shortly thereafter). City government must be bewildering with this as the only direct exposure the kids and their parents may ever get in their lives. And sadly, they missed the biggest events of the meeting--two purchases of land, one to hold as open space and the other to use for a Canyon Country community center. The purchases were popular. Indeed, it was a meeting of billboard discord and real estate harmony.

Mayor Weste began the meeting with an invocation on the topic of diversity. She said that "culture [is] a strong part of our lives," and she noted that many different groups would be in the spotlight this month, from Hispanics to Native Americans to Jews. But she was quick to point out, "We are all just human beings," and that we have much in common with one another. This was one of the more thought-provoking and informative invocations that I can recall.

Awards and recognitions went to some people for earning gold medals in an international (USA, Japan, Russia, Canada) karate tournament. They were actually called forward but, since some hadn't arrived yet, sent back to the audience, then invited back up again during public participation when the other couple of winners had finally arrived. Mayor Weste warned that if you enter the arena with any of these formidable folks, "You're in serious trouble." The Rubber Ducky Regatta event to benefit Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers was heralded next. As usual, someone in a large yellow duck costume came forward to accept the proclamation of Rubber Ducky Day. "You gotta love that duck," remarked Mayor Weste.


Public Participation

Apart from some words on mobile home park residents from Ray Henry, everyone during public participation spoke about billboards and Measure S, which would swap conventional billboards for new digital billboards along the 5 and the 14.

Speaking in favor of Measure S was Mark Hershey, who said new digital billboards would fund public safety personnel and equipment. Perhaps he doesn't know that others have already unofficially earmarked the anticipated proceeds to, variously, the senior center, buying out remaining billboards, city events and programs, more holiday light displays, and so on. B.J. Atkins didn't seem to know what B.J. Atkins wanted to say, and he rambled vaguely about Measure S, ultimately saying that people will like it. Finally, Glo Donnelly reminded us twice in the span of three minutes that she co-chaired city formation over a quarter of a century ago. She found time between these reminders to say that she supported the take-down of conventional billboards, and said the new digital billboards will only be seen by people on the freeways, whom she apparently doesn't mind forcing to look at them.

Speaking against Measure S were Steve Petzold, Patti Sulpizio, and Al Ferdman. Ferdman estimated $9M in start-up costs for the new digital billboards, and he asked when the city would actually see any share of net revenue flowing into the coffers. He also noted that he had invited Councilmember Bob Kellar, others local billboard advocates, and even individuals from Allvision to debate Measure S at a meeting of the Canyon Country Advisory Committee, but he had been rebuffed by all. What's up with that?, he asked, just not in those words. Sulpizio delivered a powerful rebuke to the council on the topic: "We will vote 'no' on Measure S because you didn't listen to us...because you never asked if we want digital lights in our bedrooms at night...because we know Santa Clarita can get a better deal." Petzold called Bob Kellar's/the City of Santa Clarita's association with the website YesMeasureS reckless and irresponsible, and he said a billboard advertising La Vida Gentlemen's Club would stay up in Santa Clarita even with the billboard swap deal. This was in response to a father who had earlier remarked that he didn't think such billboard content was appropriate and that he worried his children would see it and start asking troublesome questions.


Responses

City Manager Ken Striplin responded to some of the speakers. As is the custom, he told Ray Henry that he and staff are working to update and unify ordinances that govern mobile home parks, and that, contrary to Henry's claims, the City is not working against mobile home park residents. Striplin also mentioned that the City "unfortunately" lacks control over billboard content, like the gentlemen's club ad, because of the First Ammendment. Whether free speech was generally problematic or problematic only in this instance was unclear. 

The updates from council were dull and tedious with few exceptions. Councilmember Bob Kellar said he would make a presentation and field questions on the topic of Measure S, but he refused to enter into a debate. Why ever might that be? Later, Councilmember TimBen Boydston delivered one of the sassiest of backhanded compliments when he told Councilmember Danta Acosta, who spoke at a recent event, that he "wasn't sure" about Acosta's public speaking abilities, but was "proven wrong." That is, Boydston was pleasantly surprised that Acosta could handle himself behind a microphone.


Consent Calendar

The consent calendar included items to improve roads and an item to remove Arundo donax, a noxious invasive weed, from the Santa Clara River. But Item 6, which recommended a $75,000 contract for development of an Arts Master Plan, was the real point of contention. Councilmember Boydston wondered whether the plan proposal was too dismissive of ideas to build arts-supporting spaces like museums and performance centers. Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean was worried whether enough was being spent on the master plan. Indeed, the bid had come in at $94,000, but the budget was set at $75,000, which meant not everything in the initial proposal was guaranteed to make it to the final master plan. A considerable amount of time was spent debating this rather routine negotiation tactic. Arts Commissioners Shapiro and Millar came forward to say they thought it was important to give adequate funding for a complete plan. Mayor Weste said it didn't make sense to be "penny wise and pound foolish" by saving a little only to get an unsatisfactory master plan. These points were countered by the fact that the plan could be reviewed and revisited later, and additional funding could be put forward. In the end, the consent calendar items passed with the recommended actions.


New Business

Parks & Rec Director Rick Gould presented two big purchases to the council under new business. 114 acres adjoining the City's Rivendale Ranch property (Towsley Canyon) were proposed to be purchased with $1.8M in open space preservation district funds. This price is well below the $4.6M the owners listed the property for in 2008. Indeed, for a little over $15,000 an acre, the council voted to acquire the area. Gould helped sell the deal by calling it a "fabulous opportunity", and noting "I don't use the word fabulous very often.


Gould was enthusiastic about the next purchase as well--though he withheld the f-word. It was six-and-a-half acres near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road. The property has some issues, but it's been a parcel many have wanted to purchase and develop, so the City wasn't doing too badly getting it for $4.7M. The land will be used to develop a community center for Canyon Country. Al Ferdman and Glo Donnelly were both quite pleased about the purchase when they have comments on this item. And like the purchase of the land in Towsley Canyon, this purchase was unanimously approved.

The meeting ended with Dorothy White giving a comment in the second round of public participation. She said, "I feel like we've been carpet bombed" regarding all the new traffic clogging roads near the new Albert Einstein Academy location. She said she knew there was little that could be done, however: "As I was researching this as an angry resident, I realized how tied your hands are." City Manager Ken Striplin said the school has taken some measures to try and improve the situation, but apprently these have proven unsatisfactory to White. With that, the meeting ended.

[1]Who's got an agenda? Why the City of SC, that's who. Agenda.

Buying Native for the SCV

A Stephanomeria native to Santa Clarita blooms in the September heat.

Should you replace your lawn with a landscape of plants native to Santa Clarita—or at least Southern California? For me, the answer is an unqualified yes, but that’s because I’m weird and do things like make ink out of the husks of our native walnut, fantasize about stumbling across the new species of sunflower discovered in the SCV, and rejoice in encounters with small indigenous annuals like claspingleaf wild cabbage. These days, though, it’s not just weirdoes like me who have reason to be thinking about our native flora.

With sustained talk of drought, wavering hopes for a strong El Nino, and water districts offering financial incentives to replace lawn with drought-tolerant plants, more people than usual are thinking about giving our local plants a spot in their yards. It’s not quite as easy as walking into a native plant nursery and picking out the pretty ones. “A plant is not a couch,” remarks California plant champion Judith Larner Lowry, reminding us that they’re living things with particular requirements, not mere elements of outdoor design. But it’s easier than ever to learn how to succeed with native plants. Resources abound online, and many excellent books are widely available

Where do you get started? Try immersing yourself in the world of gardening with California native plants starting this weekend. We are entering a season of native plant sales and festivals that coincides (almost) with the start of the rainy season, a time when many species break out of summer dormancy and start putting out new growth. It’s a good time to learn, browse, talk, buy, and dig in. Here’s a calendar of the events closest to Santa Clarita (most are about a half-hour away) with some advice on how to win at each. It all starts this Saturday, so hurry up at the Santa Clarita River clean-up and then head to Westwood to meet Carol Bornstein, a name you'll soon be knowing.

 

 

 

RSABG Grow Native Nursery in the Veterans Garden

Autumn Garden Party
Saturday, September 20, 10am-4pm, Westwood
Details: rsabg.org/gnn-westwood

 

The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is truly an institution--the largest botanic garden focused on California plants--and one of the few good things about Claremont. But who wants to drive all the way out there? Happily, they have a retail space in Westwood that offers beautifully-grown plants. The nursery is quite well organized, easy to navigate, and in a nice little nook a bit north of Wilshire. It's almost a plant boutique--interesting selection but not a ton of any one species--but the prices aren't bad.

Their Autumn Garden Party includes a talk about "Reimagining the California Lawn" by Carol Bornstein (10:30am this Saturday, the 20th), which I suspect just might be based on a recent book of the same name which she co-authored. It will be a timely, trendy talk. If you go, heckle her for not pushing natives only.



Matilija Nursery

Big Fall California Native Flower Arrangement Contest

Saturday, September 27, 10am-4pm, Moorpark
Details: matilijanursery.com/promotions-and-special-offers/

Is there anything more unusual or emasculating than a native flower arranging contest? Oh well, small price to pay for a chance at free plants or discounts from Matilija Nursery. It's out in the boonies and a mostly-one-man-operation that does an interesting side business in non-native irises, but I like it. They have wholesale quantities of many LA and Ventura County native plant staples, the species likely to be the foundation of your native landscape. Plants aren't "over-grown"--they're well rooted but might not have the most luxuriant top-growth--which can be unnerving, but the prices are the best around. It's really economical if you show up for a promotion or buy big sizes, like 5- and 15-gallon plants, which are almost always more pricey elsewhere.

Be sure to browse the inventory online and show up with a list of what you want. This will make Bob Sussman (the man behind Matilija) like you instantly. It really isn't a place where you can show up and browse rows of cute little 4" dudleyas of 18 species like you'd do at Grow Native or Theodore Payne. It's a native plant nursery that, once discovered, will make you feel like you're in the know and a serious buyer more than a dabbler. But I'm sure dabblers are welcome, too. 



Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery
Fall Plant Sale
October 10/11, 17/18, 8:30-4:30, Sun Valley
Details: theodorepayne.org/calendar/fall-plant-sale/

Theodore Payne is very well known and for good reason. It has a long legacy, a vast selection of plants and seeds, beautiful website, and is far more than just a plant shop. But it's not quite plant-shopping paradise. Parking is scarce, many plants can be gotten cheaper elsewhere ($12 for some chamise?), and it sells plants from a pretty broad swath of California, which can lead the uninitiated to make perilous purchases of things like western azalea (a plant of the Sierras) which are probably doomed to failure in the SCV. The clientele is a curious mix of native plant zealots and people walking around staring blankly before finally buying something simply because it happens to be in flower.

 

They have a great selection, and the plant tags are pretty informative so you can go to browse, but try to have a sense of what you want before you arrive, lest you be overwhelmed by too many options. And don't miss out on the plants grown from local LA County stock, a great way to support truly local biodiversity.

 

LA-Santa Monica Mountains CNPS Chapter

California Native Plant Sale

October 25/26, 10am-3pm, Encino

Details: lasmmcnps.org/

 

San Gabriel Mountains CNPS Chapter
Into the Garden: Native Plant Sale 2014

November 8, 9am-2pm, Pasadena

Details: cnps-sgm.org/garden/plantsale.php

 

The California Native Plant Society's LA chapters have sales in the late fall. These things are really hit-and-miss, and it's best to attend knowing that you buying, at least in part, to benefit "the cause". Plants mostly come from commercial growers of California natives, so you might get things that are fairly common in the trade already. Some hardcore, horticulturally-leaning chapter members may have seeds for sale or have grown their own wonderful, obscure, truly local plants, and that's the real reason you go. The trouble is, you're fighting a highly educated group of buyers, so you must act decisively to get the best stuff.

 

Alternatively, you can attend to mingle and talk shop with other native plant fans, browse books, and relive your highs and lows from the 2014 season of native plant bargain hunting.

Worried Neighbors

Tonight’s City Council revealed a community anxious about its neighbors[1]. Residents of Castaic spoke out about the Chiquita Canyon Landfill Expansion planned for next door (figuratively). Residents of Happy Valley spoke out about the apparently thriving rehab facility operating next door (literally). With little of substance on the agenda, these concerns took center stage.

Councilmember TimBen Boydston delivered the invocation, recalling the events of 9/11 in his part-dramatic, part-prayerful, part-statesmanly style. He ended with a flourish of a call to the pledge, asking that we salute the flag of the greatest nation on earth.

As the city council reviewed the agenda prior to the meeting to identify items requiring further discussion, Boydston asked about the “car-free planning” related to Item 4, an update of the Santa Clarita Non-motorized Transportation Plan. He said that cars are important to Claritans because the area is “very rural, very spread out” and has “lots of hills” and high temperatures. He contrasted Santa Clarita with San Francisco, which he said would have an easier time of going car-free because of the high density and abundant public transportation. As Andrew Ye would clarify, cars are still welcome in Santa Clarita, but the City is trying to make other options available.

After this diversion, Mayor Weste could scarcely contain her excitement as she announced the City’s fourth time winning an award for excellence in procurement. Some people in Santa Clarita are just really good at buying stuff-whodathunk? Her excitement only grew as she invited Jackie McNally forward to be recognized for chairing the celebrity waiter auction which benefits the SCV Senior Center. The event raised over $90K for seniors. “All of us are going to be old one day,” said McNally as she took the mic. I don’t know if those words sunk in with our spry, youthful council, but here’s hoping.

Public Participation

Stephen Daniels got tonight’s public participation portion of the meeting off to a lively start. He went after Councilmember Bob Kellar for his stand on digital billboards and the people who oppose them. Daniels reminded the audience that Kellar had suggested that people who signed the petition against the digital billboard deal didn’t understand what they were supporting. Daniels turned Kellar’s argument on its head, suggesting that the people who voted for Bob Kellar (fewer than the number who signed the petition against billboards, incidentally) might not have understood who they were really voting into office. Per usual, Daniels’ words were aggressive and incisive, but the delivery was lackluster, diminishing the overall effect.

A few others spoke out on billboards—Al Ferdman, Steve Petzold—but most people had shown up to speak about a disruption in their Happy Valley neighborhood. As we heard at the last meeting, a sober-living facility (or rehab center or addiction treatment center or whatever it’s currently calling itself; the names and labels change frequently) has sprung up in a home in the quiet neighborhood. So long as there are fewer than six people receiving treatment, the City is essentially powerless to stop the business from operating in the residential area. One couple said the operation meant their dreams of a quiet retirement had gone up in smoke. Jeff Hacker, notorious local attorney, said the City needed to help fight the facility and said they were misrepresenting the true nature of their business, offering services which they are unlicensed to offer. One man actually went after Bob Kellar (it really wasn’t Bob’s night), the real estate agent who brokered the sale of the home from Duane Harte to the current owner, who is using it to help rehabilitate addicts. He asked how much Bob had profited from the transaction.

Reports and Responses

City Manager Ken Striplin was the first to respond to concerned Happy Valley residents. He said, “we have been doing as much as we can,” and reminded the council and audience that their hands were tied to some extent by rather accommodating laws. Nevertheless, he said they were performing inspections, checking out code violations, and monitoring activity at the house. It’s still waiting for a state license, but if the license comes through, there will be even less the City can do. Councilmember Bob Kellar confirmed that he had represented Duan Harte in the sale of his home, but he insisted there was absolutely no way he could have known what was coming. (None at all?) He continued, expressing that he, too, “would be just as livid” as Happy Valley residents are about the business in their residential neighborhood. Mayor Weste called it a “horrific assault on a neighborhood,” and Booydston said “it’s really about the money.” In short, everyone sympathized with the increase in neighborhood traffic and goings-on brought by the sober-living facility, but they agreed little could be done to oppose it.

After these responses, Happy Valley residents left, clearing out about two-thirds of the audience.

The councilmembers offered updates next. There was talk of water conservation and charity events and high-speed rail, but it was Mayor Weste’s tribute to a recently deceased young Claritan student that really stood out. Her voice wavering under emotional weight, Weste spoke about Jenny Stift, the beloved high school athlete who died when a car hit her while running. Weste said she had lived a lot in her seventeen years, but her death remained an unequivocal tragedy.

Consent Calendar

Nina Moskol, chair of the SCV Bicycle Coalition, was the first speaker to address the council during review of the consent calendar. She spoke on Item 4, which approved Santa Clarita’s transportation plan—at least the part not strictly focused on motor vehicles. She said bicyclists need to be accommodated and protected, and she gave some practical ways to achieve this goal, such as use of “sharrows” on intersection corners.

Next came several speakers in support of Item 5, a request for an extension on the review of the Chiquita Landfill expansion EIR. The landfill is in Castaic, but as the nearest neighbor and loyal customer, Santa Clarita has some influence in this realm—certainly more than Castaic residents seem to have themselves. One woman asked where we’d send our trash after Chiquita was filled to capacity from accepting waste from all over LA. At least two speakers complained of major health issues resulting from poor air quality near the landfill. The Santa Clarita City Council was sympathetic to their points, but they didn’t belabor the issue, letting the words of the residents stand on their own.

The consent calendar’s recommended actions were approved in their entirety by a unanimous vote. That meant the non-motorized transportation plan was accepted, a request for more time to review the Chiquita Landfill expansion will be sent, and the City would get a new mower for the Parks Division, among a few other items. As mentioned previously, it wasn’t a particularly substantial consent calendar.

There was no addition official business, but two more public speakers came forward. Larry Murray spoke on behalf of his daughter. He said she was the victim of apparently very serious domestic violence. Choking back tears, Murray said that the SCV Sheriff’s Department detectives had “not taken that seriously”, and had an “almost cavalier attitude.” He said repeated calls to Captain Johnson (who was sitting nearby) had gone unanswered. The council assured Murray some people would speak with him after the meeting. Finally, Evan Decker, a young Claritan history fanatic, called for support in saving the structures of historic Mentryville. He said that the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has done little to restore the mansion and other structures of the town. Decker has a gofundme page for the cause which has currently raised $425 of it’s $500,000 goal.

With that, the meeting ended.

[1]Here's the agenda--read it at your leisure

Measure S (for Silence); Commissioners Appointed

The upcoming Labor Day weekend may mark the end of summer for most of America, but in Santa Clarita, summer's demise arrived tonight, on the wings of the first council meeting since going on hiatus in July (a working-hiatus, Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean would later contend)[1]. The meeting was just under two hours, less than 10% of which was devoted to matters such as the consent calendar, public hearings, and unfinished business. Indeed, most of tonight's meeting was spent listening to the council members speak about pit bulls, drought, and charity dancing events. The usual. For those in the audience, it felt like a bewilderingly long, one-sided catch-up conversation with a casual acquaintance not seen for a while.

The invocation was provided by Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean. She said she was inspired by the "Dancing With Our Stars" charity fundraiser wherein she witnessed, "the true spirit of love and giving from the dancers." She was one of them. Over $100,000 was raised for various Santa Clarita charities, she said, so the event was quite a success.

Tonight's awards and recognitions were actually half interesting. The interesting half was a certificate presented to Casey Fenwick, a local man who helped rescue a swimmer from a great white shark attack at Manhattan Beach this past July. Mayor Weste also noted he had been a bone marrow donor for his father some years ago--what a guy! (Mayor Weste also revealed that she used to be a surfer when she was lauding Fenwick for being brave enough to swim towards dangers rather than away from it). The uninteresting half of awards and recognitions, incidentally, was some girl scouts who spoke to elementary school children about water safety.

Public Participation

Do you remember the news from earlier this month about Natalie Lilley? She's the woman who was horseback riding with her daughter in the Santa Clara River wash of Canyon Country when the two were suddenly chased by a pair of vicious pit bulls. Well, they came to speak before the council tonight. The story was recounted in vivid detail, from their initial confrontation with the dogs to the long chase to the eventual pursuit of one horse by the pits "like lions after a zebra." Lilley said there are so many people living in the wash--many of them with dogs and other pets--and that her run-in should bring attention to this serious issue.

Several speakers tonight spoke about the proposed Chiquita Canyon Landfill expansion; all were opposed. While it lies beyond the boundaries of the City of Santa Clarita, speakers pointed out that increased traffic, potential effects on water quality, and so on meant the expansion was of interest to all Claritans.

Another several speakers addressed Measure S, the billboard referendum vote. Sulpizio, Ferdman, Petzold--you know these names by now--spoke about the many and sundry forms of shadiness surrounding the deal, from $120,000 in expenditures by AllVision's PAC for "voter education" to Councilmember Bob Kellar's less than up-front portrayal of the deal in the ballot language.

Near the end of public participation, one man came forward to talk about an addiction detox/recovery facility which recently began operating out of a home in Happy Valley. He said there was a lot of traffic and individuals coming in and out ("like a hotel"), making it wholly incompatible with the quiet residential neighborhood. Finally, Lynne Plambeck spoke about her opposition to Chiquita Canyon Landfill expansion, drawing parallels to fighting the Elsmere Canyon landfill, and about her concerns over oaks trees being cut down and not replaced in Happy Valley.

City Response, Council Updates

City Manager Ken Striplin responded to public participation speakers first. He said the search for the pit bulls was on-going, and he agreed that the situation of homeless people living in the wash was "out of control." He said there will actually be a special effort during the upcoming Santa Clara River Rally to deal with this issue. As for the residential addiction facility, City Attorney Joe Montes explained that the City has limited options. If it's operating with a state license and has fewer than 6 patients, then it is exempt from any local ordinances (i.e., it should be treated like any other single-family home, even though it's an active facility).

Montes would also clarify the billboard issue. He noted that the council members have to be very careful about being unbiased on the billboard website and when speaking at council meetings. Since the billboard item isn't on the agenda and since it's difficult to speak about it in an unbiased way, it's better to avoid the topic altogether, he advised. Councilmembers Kellar and Boydston, two of the most fervent advocates for/against, took the advice to heart, saying that they had a lot to say but would do so outside of official meetings.

On the topic of oak trees, Striplin said that the City is beaten up on a daily basis by people who don't want to see trees cut down as well as by those who want to see some trees done away with. He assured Plambeck that there is "a great deal of diligence" before oaks are cut down, however.

Responses to public comments blurred with the updates from from the various members of council. The landfill and billboards weren't really addressed, but all members were upset about the pit bull incident and hoped there was something they could do about the detox facility in Happy Valley. Bob Kellar remembered the recently deceased Jim Gibson, a lieutenant with the LAPD. Councilmember Marsha McLean told the community to attend an event about drugs and drug use prevention themed "Pills Kill". As SCVTalk's @SCVTweets amusingly pointed out in light of the Happy Valley facility, "Kids, get off drugs. But not in my backyard." Mayor Weste took some time to speak about Connie Worden-Roberts, an irreplaceable, long-time member of so many parts of the Santa Clarita community. She was choked up as she spoke about her passing and the legacy she left behind; once the meeting concluded, footage aired of Worden-Roberts receiving a key to the city last year.

And suddenly, it was 7:45--nearly two hours into the meeting. Mayor Weste said they'd all been long-winded this evening, so they at last moved onto the real business.

Consent Calendar

All items passed with the recommended actions and without discussion. There were several items relating to the development or submission of grants, including one to acquire over 300 acres to preserve as wildlife habitat. Another item involved a lease of city land to the largest film studio in the valley (it will be used for parking), and another devoted almost $130,000 to holiday decorations for Newhall this year. In short, Santa Clarita may well become a better-funded, easier-to-park-in, and more festive place in the months ahead because of tonight's calendar.

A public hearing on Santa Clarita's congestion management program has no public speakers and attracted no comments fro the dais either.

Nominations

While commission nominations have been the source of conflict in the past--notably when TimBen Boydston's nominations were snubbed in a petty bid for control by certain council members a couple of years ago--tonight's were made and approved without any problems. Though new, Councilmember Dante Acosta tended to stick with past picks when available, and McLean and Weste didn't make any surprise nominations either. (Re-)appointed Planning Commissioners are Tim Burkhart, Lisa Eichman, and Dennis Ostrom; Parks Commissioners are Kevin Korenthal, Dianna Boone, and Ruthann Levison; Arts Commissioners are Susan Shapiro, Michael Millar, and Patti Rasmussen; and Open Space Financial Accountability and Audit Panel members are Wendy Langhans, Sandra Cattell, and Susan Orloff.

Once the spots were filled, there was a bit more public participation to be had. Darryl Manzer, an outspoken critic of the plan to expand Chiquita Canyon Landfill, said it will have a major impact on residents of Val Verde. "They're having it shoved down their throated because the Castaic Town Council likes the money," he said. Perhaps the city council will engage this issue more fully another night, but tonight, they did not.

[1]Here's an agenda, just for you

4th of July Parade Bingo

As much as I love the Santa Clarita 4th of July Parade, sometimes it's nice to spice things up a bit. Bring this BINGO/drinking game with you and discover how much more involved you become in the parade goings-on. Simply copy+paste it into your favorite document program, print, distribute, enjoy. The IHeartSCV contingent will be watching in Newhall, obviously (vic. Lyons/Chestnut). Say hello if you pass by; you shall know us by our hearting of SCV and America. But one way or another, get yourself to the parade. It's the Claritan thing to do.

Big Budget, Billboard Heartbreak

Tonight, there was a discussion of Santa Clarita's $191.5M budget for fiscal year 2014-15, the retirement of Jim Ventress of the Boys & Girls Club, and adjustments to city fees[1]. But what got Councilmember Bob Kellar really worked up was the successful signature-gathering effort for the billboard referendum. Kellar was simply heartbroken over the 11,370 voters who chose to sign petitions opposing construction of three large new digital billboards along SCV freeways. Happily, however, Kellar likes to keep meetings short, so even with his dramatic monologue, the meeting didn't run too long this evening.

And now, a word from your public...

The invocation was offered by Mayor Laurene Weste. As this was an early June meeting, she read from Eisenhower's message to the troops before D-Day. Several would remark appreciatively about her choice over the course of the evening.

Awards and recognitions offered a change to bid farewell to Jim Ventress, Chief Professional Officer for the Boys & Girls Club. He was almost at a loss for words as he reflected on his three decades with the organization, thanking all those who had helped to support its mission. On his way out, Mayor Weste said he told her, "You'll think of things to put me to work," so he'll remain just as active in the community for the foreseeable future, it seems.

Public Participation followed. Steve Petzold spoke about the recently certified singatures for the billboard referendum. This will affect the deal to install large electronic billboards along the freeway in exchange for removing conventional billboards within Santa Clarita. Petzold anticipated and preemptively countered the assertion that petition-signers were not fully informed on the issue. He asked that the council listen to the will of the people. Two speakers addressed the topic of challenges facing mobile home residents, specifically concerns over appeals of board decisions and about tree-trimming and other general property obligations. Finally, both Al Ferdman and Cam Noltemeyer spoke to advocate writing protest letters in response to the proposed sanitation tax increase ("scam", in the words of Noltemeyer) to help Santa Clarita comply with water quality chloride standards.

City Manager Ken Striplin responsed to the concerns from mobile home park residents by reasserting that the City tries to balance to needs of residents as well as park owners; he said an ordinance updating some policies and practices will be coming before the council in the fall. On the matter of the billboard ordinance, he said that the referendum would affect only the billboard agreement, not land zoning and other changes that had been included in the item. Councilmember TimBen Boydston asked for additional clarification on billboards, specifically confirmation that 22 conventional billboards would still be coming down despite the successful signature gathering (these will be removed as part of another agreement). Striplin confirmed, so if voters do weigh in on the billboard deal at an upcoming election, it's a 40 conventional down for 3 digital up swap, not the 62/3 swap it was initially. Of course, voters would see and be voting on the original deal, which complicates things a bit.

In the midst of the billboard discussion, Councilmember Bob Kellar got rather emotional. "There's a variety of opinions...some people may choose to celebrate, I think this is a sad day for us," he said. His voice conveying equal parts sadness and outrage, he said he felt as if paid petition gatherers had "infiltrated" Santa Clarita and gotten their signatures by not telling the public the whole story (i.e., that conventional billboards would be coming down in exchange for putting up the electronic ones). He lamented the fact that Santa Clarita wouldn't get it's (small) cut of the advertising revenue from these boards. Essentially, the 18,000 signatures collected--well over 11,000 of them verified--meant little to Kellar. His reasoning was circular: if people had known what they were signing, they wouldn't have signed it, so the fact that they signed it means they didn't know enough about the billboard swap deal. It seems conversations with some pals who liked the deal and good ol' intuition trump thousands of signatures. He went so far as to say that he'd be asking Scott Wilk about ways to make sure petition gatherers present all the facts before collecting signatures--some kind of signage, I think, was his proposal. In any case, updates and comments from the other councilmembers were boring by comparison.

Ferdman on Consent

The Consent Calendar wasn't too contentious--I gauge that by the number of public speakers, and tonight it was just Alan Ferdman. He spoke on items relating to water use/supply, the re-hiring of landscape contractors who don't do a good job of maintaining medians, and the levy of assessments for special districts. He tied everything together, somewhat, by suggesting that the City is too scattered and inconsistent in its efforts to equitable manage water issues, landscaping, and taxation.

Joe Montes had to guide the City Council through voting on Item 11, which was the levy of assessments for special districts, by having separate votes to prevent councilmembers from voting on those assessments which affect them directly. Within a matter of minutes, the entirety of consent was passed with the recommended actions. As that wrapped up, Councilmember Marsha McLean mentioned increasing the hotel/tourism marketing district tax by 0.25% as a potential way to fund the arts in Santa Clarita. Mayor Weste said it would be better to wait for the arts master plan to weigh in on this, but McLean wanted to get the ball rolling.

A Budget for Everyone
After a bathroom break, a few public hearings were held. First up was discussion of the proposed FY 2014-15 budget, just shy of two-hundred million dollars. Kellar asked that the presentation on this be kept short. City Manager Ken Striplin halfway obliged Kellar, but he couldn't resist running down the list of exciting(?) items included in the budget. With general fund revenues back to pre-recession levels, there was enough to support many project, improvements, and events. For example, there will be $135K to continue fighting CEMEX mining, a little over $750K will be going to the senior center, there will be more funding for the arts, a tennis center at Central Park and upgrades to other local parks, and $80K for holiday decorations in Newhall again.

Not everyone was happy with the budget. Cam Noltemeyer wondered about debt obligations, perceived fiscal irresponsibility, and a lack of transparency. Striplin responded by saying that all of the City's financial information--including debt-related items--is available for citizens to review, but somehow, I don't think Noltemeyer found this answer satisfactory.

The next public hearing was on adjustments to various fees. Though citizens in Santa Clarita appear to be largely misinformed, Kellar asked that the presentation on theses adjustments and ammendments be waived. Maybe people are just misinformed on the billboard issue. As for fee adjustments, some went up, and a few went down, which Councilmember Boydston found remarkable. He said one wouldn't see that at the state level without removing a governor, a suggestion that Councilmember Kellar happily seconded. (At this, Mayor Weste laughed and forbade a roll call on the motion to remove the governor, suggesting it might be beyond the council's jurisdiction.) The changes were approved. The final public hearing on allowing Albert Einstein Academy to operate a school on Rye Canyon Road would be moved to a July meeting as more time had been requested, so with that, the meeting ended.

[1]I have no agenda, but the City of Santa Clarita does.