This letter is about the Santa Clarita City Council agenda item July 8 to remove Denise Lite from the Planning Commission:
Initially, I would like to commend the City Council in general. I have lived in Santa Clarita since 1983, excluding the seven years I spent in the military and four years attending law school and living in Lincoln, Nebraska. I graduated from Canyon High. My wife graduated from Valencia High. Our children were born here. It is the best city in Los Angeles, hands down. And, during these many years, our City Council has done an outstanding job of making sure our city is safe for children, for families and for all of us. So, from the Hatami family, we say, “Thank you.”
However, I’m a little disappointed with this latest issue regarding the Planning Commission. My family and I have known Denise Lite for almost five years now. I know all of you already know that she is a leader, she really cares about our Santa Clarita community, and she is an asset to our Planning Commission. What you may not know is that she also fights for victims of domestic violence every day as a family attorney. Many times, we have talked about protective orders and how she can protect her clients from harm. She cares about the most vulnerable in our community. She cares about being honest. She cares about transparency. What I am trying to say is, she cares about all of you. And she is willing to dedicate her time to help all of us by volunteering for the Planning Commission. That means a lot to me. Someone who is willing to stand up and fight for the most vulnerable among us.
I know that a council member gets to select their planning commissioner. I realize that. And I respect that. However, once someone is on the commission, I firmly believe they then represent all of us – the community. And Denise only did what she believed was best for our community. I do not believe that she should be punished for that. I am not saying anyone is at fault. I am not saying anyone is wrong. I am simply saying, as a long-standing member of Santa Clarita, I am asking that you keep Denise on the Planning Commission. My family wants her there. We all do.
Jonathan Hatami
Santa Clarita
