The Santa Clarita City Council will discuss Tuesday establishing a process for naming city facilities, after Councilwoman Laurene Weste suggested naming City Hall after one of the city’s founding fathers in June.
Weste asked during the June 11 meeting to consider agendizing an item “that would say that we could name the City Hall after him: Carl Boyer Santa Clarita City Hall.”
Boyer, who died May 29 at the age of 81, helped found the city Dec. 15, 1987, and was elected to the first City Council. He would serve as a council member and twice as mayor until 1998.
Council members supported opening up a discussion but were not immediately sold on the idea of renaming City Hall after Boyer. Councilman Bob Kellar suggested they “give it a little thought,” while Councilman Bill Miranda said the building’s name should remain untouched as Boyer “already has a street name(d)” after him.
While city facilities have been named after individuals in the past, such as the Canyon Country library after former council member Jo Anne Darcy, there is no official naming process, according to Kevin Strauss, a city communication specialist.
“There is currently not a set process for naming city facilities, but in the past, this has been done on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “Buildings have been named for an individual who has a connection to the facility, either by being involved in its construction or championing causes related to the community it serves.”
Tuesday’s meeting will allow for said discussion as, historically, the city has recognized individuals in one of three ways: through the creation of plazas, the placement of memorials, or by naming a city facility or amenity, according to a staff report.
Streetlight contract
Council members also will look into awarding a three-year $750,000 contract to replace streetlight poles after Santa Clarita’s purchase of the streetlight system from Southern California Edison in May 2018, which makes the city responsible for maintenance such as streetlight knockdowns resulting from vehicle collisions.
“While the city’s knockdown experience during the first six months of ownership has been limited, with a system encompassing more than 16,500 streetlights, staff forecasts replacing 50 to 100 pole knockdowns each year,” the report reads.
The City Council is also expected to proclaim September as Hispanic Heritage Month and receive a presentation on Los Angeles County’s new voting experience known as Voting Solutions for All People.
