Public safety, local control among priorities for council next year

Santa Clarita City Hall
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In 2018, the city will make advocating for public safety, opposing wireless equipment and transparency in mobile home park rent adjustments among their top priorities.

At the City Council meeting Tuesday, the council will vote to approve next year’s agenda to support and oppose certain types of state and federal bills.

Among those subjects, the council will support any bills that would increase local involvement in the review and petition of a person’s parole.

“I am very, very conservative in my thoughts on criminal behavior and that’s at every juncture,” Councilman Bob Kellar said. “Everything that we can do locally, always consistent with the law to protect our citizens, I will support.”

Several state bills that lesson some crimes to misdemeanors are “a detriment,” Kellar said.

“There is no doubt in my mind that corrections need to be made,” the councilman said. “It’s extremely problematic for public safety.”

Also, the council will oppose any legislation that limits local control of the installation of cell wireless equipment on public infrastructure.

“We don’t want the telecom industry to be able to place a cell tower in the in the right of way without any say of local government,” Mayor Cameron Smyth said.

In general, the mayor said state and federal governments limiting local control is concerning to him.  

Smyth emphasized that the council is not against cell towers in Santa Clarita, but he is against the city being told where to put them.

“They should be placed where the locals say,” he said.

Additionally, the council will make an addition to their support of bills that bring transparency between mobile home park owners and residents regarding mobile home rent adjustments.

The city saw this in action particularly in May and June when the mobile home park municipal code was up for debate and residents were combatting rent increases on their spaces.

Discussions before the council’s summer hiatus concerning mobile home park politics were made with the expectation that the conversation would continue, Smyth said.

“Mobile home parks will be a continual item,” Smyth said. “We will be reviewing and making adjustments on a regular basis.”

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