Public Policy

Comment

Comment by Christine D on January 28, 2010 at 11:41am

Hi Everyone!! If you Twitter I encourage to you follow:

http://twitter.com/santaclarita

http://twitter.com/saugususd

Great way to stayed informed about the City of Santa Clarita and Saugus Union School Board!!

Kudos to both for being on Twitter!

Comment by Christine D on January 21, 2010 at 10:30am

From Today's Signal

By Jonathan Randles
Signal Staff Writer
jrandles@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x519

City Council Candidate forums begin
Hopefuls discuss election plans with audience

bout 70 people grilled three City Council candidates Wednesday night and listened to their plans for Santa Clarita.

College of the Canyons student Harrison Katz, former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Henry Shultz and former City Councilman TimBen Boydston discussed why they were running for a seat on the council and explained what they would bring to the city if elected.

The three engaged prospective voters at a Canyon Country Advisory Committee meeting.

Both Boydston and Shultz said they are concerned about Santa Clarita’s master development plans.

They each discussed problems associated with high-density residential development projects.

Boydston said in an interview that there are numerous problems with Santa Clarita’s development plans; increased traffic and air pollution are two of his biggest concerns.

Schultz told the audience one major problem facing Santa Clarita as it develops is water scarcity; as the population has increased, the amount of available water to Santa Clarita Valley residents has continued to decrease.

In an interview before the forum, Katz said he would look to expand outreach programs targeting gang members in Santa Clarita.

Engaging gang members through social outreach would hopefully reduce crime and graffiti in the city, he said.

Katz also said he would be interested in getting the wheels moving on a community center in Canyon Country.

Last night’s forum was the first of three being held by the advisory committee before the April 13 City Council election.

It is important candidates get out as much as possible and to get an equal opportunity to tell their stories, said Canyon Country Advisory Committee Chairman Al Ferdman.

All but three council candidates had signed up to participate in the forums as of Wednesday, he said.

Councilwoman Marsha McLean, David Gauny and Daniel Henriquez have signed up to participate in the second candidates forum on Feb. 17, Ferdman said.

Johnny Pride has signed up for the final candidate forum on March 17. Councilman Frank Ferry is still deciding on which forum he will participate in, Ferdman said.

Mayor Laurene Weste, David Galvan and Kenneth Mann have not signed up for a forum yet. Ferdman said he expects all three to participate before the election.

Comment by Christine D on January 13, 2010 at 1:21pm

From Today's KHTS Web site!!

Council Injects $100,000 Into Newhall Businesses
Grants benefit 20 local businesses

Written by Jon Dell

The city of Santa Clarita's Redevelopment Agency executed a big piece of a recently passed 21-point economic development plan on Tuesday night, when they awarded 20 local businesses grants of $5,000 each.

The $100,000 total expenditure was designed to stimulate growth and sustainability for small businesses.

The City spread the word by partnering with the Small Business Development Center, SCV Chamber of Commerce, VIA, and the Old Town Newhall Association for outreach and marketing efforts. 27 businesses applied for the grant prior to the November 30 deadline, and 20 were selected to receive the grants after evaluation by a five member panel representing the City, SCV Chamber of Commerce, Old Town Newhall Association, and Newhall Redevelopment Committee.

The businesses who received grant money are as follows:

Bubbles Laundromat
Discoteca Marlene
Friendly Hair Salon
J. Sisters Salon
Lentini Insurance and Investments
Lyons Carwash and Lube
Pilates Teck
Railroad Café
Red's Iron Specialties
Results Fitness
Richan Landscape & Maintenance
Roger Dunn Golf Shop
Sanchez Boutique
Sign-A-Rama
Sofia Baltazar, DDS Inc.
Star Dance Center
Take Two Resale Shop
Valencia Bicycles
VO2 Fitness & Nutrition
Yoga Yoga
The businesses will use the money for in a variety of fashions, from purchasing new equipment to enhancing marketing campaigns.

Comment by Andrea Pohlot on January 3, 2010 at 10:40pm

Thanks, Christine. These are very interesting. I saw that article on the candidates and I'm inspired to add a discussion on this (tomorrow) in this group. Considering our community has seen 215% growth over 10 years, I'm not surprised that folks are wanting to shake things up a bit. I don't know much about Laurene Weste, our current mayor. She might be fabulous, but there is something to be said for fresh ideas from newer residents. They may or may not be the best fit for the city, but they should certainly be considered by voters and community leaders, and not written off.

Comment by Christine D on January 3, 2010 at 11:21am

This was posted on KHTS, our hometown station, web site:

City Awarded $1.5 Million For Green Upgrades

The federal Department of Energy awarded the City of Santa Clarita more than $1.5 million in funding through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The funding will be used to help pay for energy efficient repairs, incentives and upgrades citywide.

The City will utilize funding to retrofit lights on City bridges and public places and create a local green incentive grant program for energy efficiency retrofits and solar installations. Funding will also partially cover the cost of the Newhall Library's green energy efficiency aspects, and implement a volume-based trash rate, allowing residents with less waste to pay lower collection rates.

"The City of Santa Clarita is committed to environmental awareness and sustainability, and received the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding because of its continued green efforts," said Mayor Laurene Weste. "Funding will help the City further reduce emissions and energy costs, as well as encourage residents to adopt greener practices."

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, providing funding for projects designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption and fossil fuel emissions.
For more information on the City's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding, please contact Heather Merenda, Sustainability Planner for the City's Environmental Services Division, at (661) 284-1413, or visit greensantaclarita.com.

Comment by Christine D on January 3, 2010 at 11:19am

Article from today's Signal regarding the pool of candidates running for the three City Council Seats...

Candidates have wide range of experience, tough competition
So far, three have filed paperwork to run for City Council, along with three incumbents

The pool of candidates running for three city council seats includes Santa Clarita residents who have never run for public office before. Their experience spans the professional spectrum: from a retired Navy Lt. Commander to a part-time model.

The candidates are up against some stiff competition. The incumbents - Mayor Laurene Weste, and Councilmembers Frank Ferry and Marsha McLean - combine for more than 25 years worth of experience on City Council.

None of the incumbents running for re-election won a seat on the council on their first go-around.

Both Weste and Ferry, who were each elected in 1998, lost to incumbents when they ran for the first time in 1996. McLean was elected in 2002 after coming up short in '98 and 2000.

While they know it will be an uphill battle, all said they believe they have what it takes to get elected and have obtained nomination papers from the City Clerk.

Officials from the clerk's office said all potential candidates need to do to get on the ballot is fill out the proper paperwork and get signatures from at least 20 Santa Clarita residents.

The potential candidates likely will need more than 5,000 votes to get elected.
The Navy veteran
Daniel Henriquez, 43, used to decipher codes for the Navy as an intelligence officer during the first Gulf War. He said the discipline and organization he learned during his 20 years in the service will translate to public office, and getting new people on the council would be positive for the city.

"I believe these seats need to be rotated out so the city gets new ideas, fresh ideas," Henriquez said. "You don't want government to become stagnant."

Henriquez retired from the military in 2005 as a Lt. Commander, he said. He has lived in Santa Clarita for 10 years and now works as an accountant.

Besides bringing a new perspective on city issues, he said he is running to bring a level of transparency that has been missing on issues like annexation and taxation.

Henriquez was born and raised in Louisiana, got a degree in finance from the University of New Orleans and also has a Master's in business and tax law.

"Hopefully name recognition isn't the only thing that's going to win an election," Henriquez said.

Homeless youth advocate
David Galvan, 23, works as an administrator for a charitable organization that provides food and shelter to homeless children in Los Angeles.

Galvan said he likes the "business model" of Santa Clarita's government with the council providing direction for staff and City Manager Ken Pulskamp.

He said if elected he would want to spearhead improvement projects in Canyon Country, similar to the work the city is doing in Newhall, he said.

"Canyon Country needs something along the lines of a Newhall beatification project," Galvan said. "It's not a bad area but people don't prefer to live in that area."

He said he realizes going against three incumbents, and being relatively young, will make getting elected difficult. He said he's going to reach out to young voters and try to get them engaged in their local government - something that he says has been difficult so far.

Galvan has an associates degree in criminal justice from ITT Technical Institute in the San Fernando Valley. He is currently working toward a bachelors degree in the same field.

The model
Johnny Pride, 25, is a male model and actor. He grew up in Santa Clarita and graduated from Canyon High School.

He said his lack of personal commitments gives him plenty of time to work on city issues if elected.

"I'm not married and I don't have kids," Pride said. "I have a lot of time on my hands and I'm motivated."

Pride said he has been to a couple of city council meetings several years ago. He has modeled for and managed three tanning salons in the valley, he said. He did not attend college he said.

Johnny Pride is his legal name, he said.

"I get that question a lot," Pride said.

Comment by Christine D on November 2, 2009 at 6:55am

Good information article from today's Signal

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/20254/

Comment by Andrea Pohlot on October 17, 2009 at 2:52pm

Thanks for this, Christine! This is great!

Comment by Christine D on October 17, 2009 at 2:02pm

Voter registration deadline Monday

y Signal Staff
Posted: Oct. 16, 2009 10:44 p.m.
POSTED Oct. 17, 2009 7:30 a.m.

Los Angeles County residents have until Monday to register to vote for the Nov. 3 election.

Individuals who wish to register must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day a U.S. citizen and resident of Los Angeles County, and not in prison or on parole for conviction of a felony.

If the voter has recently moved, made a legal name change, or wishes to change political party affiliation, the voter must re-register to vote.

Online voter registration forms are available at www.lavote.net by clicking the Register to Vote button located in the Quick Links box of the main page, or by calling the Voter Registration Request Line, 1(800)481-VOTE(8683).

Voter registration forms are also available at more than 1,240 locations across the county, including Department of Motor Vehicles offices, libraries, fire stations, post offices and city clerk offices.

Comment by Christine D on October 16, 2009 at 8:16pm

I wanted to share that I while I was on the KHTS web site early today I saw that they have come out with their endorsements for candidates in the November races. Here is the link:

http://hometownstation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18100:endorsements-election-clarita-2009-10-16-15-21&catid=26:local-news&Itemid=97

Don't forget to vote on November 3rd!!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page