Home » Santa Clarita News » Politics » Santa Clarita City Council » Santa Clarita City Council Approves Year-Round Homeless Shelter, Climate Change Letter

Santa Clarita City Council Approves Year-Round Homeless Shelter, Climate Change Letter

The Santa Clarita City Council approved the purchase of land near Bridge to Home for a year-round homeless shelter and drafted a letter in support of climate change Tuesday night.


Sponsored Articles


Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox.

The city council purchased one acre of land in Saugus for $511,000, during the Feb. 13 meeting, and is set to transfer the ownership of the property to Bride to Home, according to the agenda.

The current Santa Clarita Valley Temporary Emergency Winter Shelter Program, operated by Bridge to Home, is located next-door to the property on Drayton Street.

The shelter started operations at the Golden Valley Road property during the 2007-2008 winter season and remained at that location until March 2010.

During the 2010-2011 winter season, the shelter moved to the current property located on Drayton Street.

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), all new funding for shelter programs will be for organizations operating 24-hours and 365 days per year.

There is available funding through Measure H specific to shelter operations, according to city officials.

See Related: Santa Clarita To Discuss Purchasing Land Near Bridge To Home For Year-Round Homeless Shelter

The council also had some “Unfinished Business” from the previous meeting regarding a letter to encourage legislators to address the issue of climate change.

The city council approved, 3-2 in favor, drafting a letter to both of California’s Senators, Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein, as well as Congressman Steve Knight.

“This is not political — It’s a fact,” said Mayor Laurene Weste. “Climate change is affecting the health of our families and children.”

The letter encourages the lawmakers to support policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts, causes, and challenges of climate change in a “clear, transparent, and effective way.”

Two members voted against drafting the letter, including Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean and Councilman Bob Kellar.

“When I was younger pollution was so bad, you could cut the air with a knife,” said Kellar. “We have already made improvements to the environment, I don’t see the need for this letter. ”

McLean cited concerns with some of the wording in the document and the potential connotations it may have to local residents and businesses.

At the Jan. 9 regular City Council meeting, Council Member Cameron Smyth requested that the city council discuss sending a letter related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions to the City’s Federal Legislative Delegation.

The city council reviewed a letter on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions at the Jan. 23 meeting, and requested that staff revise the letter and present the letter.

Several Santa Clarita residents spoke in front of the council in support, including John Musella representing the Chamber of Commerce. Only one resident spoke against the proposed action.

See the full letter on the Santa Clarita City Council agenda here.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!

Santa Clarita City Council Approves Year-Round Homeless Shelter, Climate Change Letter

3 comments

  1. Devon Miller failed to report the intense discussion among council members whether to amend the letter . Cameron Smyth wanted to add the words “serious threat” to the letter. Smyth’s motion was defeated and a second motion was made to include the word “threat”. This motion passed 3-2 with Councilman Miranda changing his original inclination to send the letter without the the wording “threat” or “serious threat”.

    We note that Bill Miranda is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and serves as a leader in the Latin Business Alliance of said organization.

    For the record Steve Petzold is the resident who spoke in favor on not sending a letter.

  2. The more “progressive” decisions this city makes the more likely I am to leave when I retire. I suspect many will follow.

    Maybe if this city starts supporting the tax paying residents they will think about staying.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Devon Miller

Devon Miller was born and raised in Santa Clarita. He joined KHTS Radio as a digital marketing intern in September of 2017, and later moved to news as a staff writer in December. Miller attended College of the Canyons and served as the Associated Student Government President. Miller is now News Director for KHTS, covering breaking news and politics across the Santa Clarita Valley.