The Saugus Union School District asset management advisory committee held its final meeting on Wednesday and approved the recommendation report draft for the site of Santa Clarita Elementary School.
During the meeting, Sarine Abrahamian, an attorney with Orbach, Huff & Henderson, said that there were two copies of the recommendation report draft provided because they had gone through another phase of editing between May 2 and Tuesday.
The committee was asked to look over the newly added edits from the most recent draft and add any comments on whether everything was the way they wanted or if they would like to change anything again.
Committee member Kathi Lund led the discussion again in making sure the committee was sticking to remaining transparent. She also said she had fears about the district moving too quickly with its decision because the last recommendation stated that the board move “expeditiously” to prevent the property from sitting vacant.
“That slightly terrifies me, the word expeditiously. It’s bothered me all along,” said Lund.
Superintendent Colleen Hawkins said there was no definitive timeline on how fast or long the governing board would take with its decision for what will happen to the site. She added that the board hasn’t discussed any possibility because the board members have not seen the recommendation report.
Once the draft was approved the next step would be to have chairman James Shea present the findings to the board at a meeting. Shea said he most likely would be able to do it at the July board meeting.
Several other committee members spoke to Lund’s fear, saying they agreed with her that the next process would be scary but at this point they have put all the input into the recommendation report and even after they present it to the board, it doesn’t mean their advocacy has to stop.
“That doesn’t stop just because you guys finalized this report and submit it. It just allows the next phase of it to go on,” said Hawkins.
Committee member Al Reano also said the reality is there might not be a resolution soon. He said it may take a few years for the process to take place, but they will never be able to start until the report is approved and presented.
He added that he plans on still advocating for the site even after the report goes to the board.
Lund asked that the word “thoughtful” be added to the recommendation to ask the board to carefully consider whatever happens to the site.
During the public comment section of the meeting, community members spoke about preserving the school site and hoped that the district would listen to their input.
After the minor edits were agreed to be added, vice chairwoman Lisa Eichman made the motion to approve the recommendation report with the edits from the meeting. Kevin Kim seconded the motion, and the motion passed 7-0.
Committee members Jennifer Larson and Peter Gaytan were absent from the meeting.
