KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The Santa Clarita City Council has wrapped up a bid to place more restrictions on where serious convicted sex offenders can live in the City. The council action expands on current state law, which prohibits sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks and other places where kids assemble. This ordinance will also outlaw the offenders from living within 2,000 feet of trails and paseos as well.
The Council passed the ordinance onto a second reading two weeks ago and officially established it as law with a vote Tuesday.
In other Council news:
Local Republican party members, led by Paul Strickland, presented an economic stimulus proposal for the City to begin offering gift cards for people who purchase vehicles from local car dealers. The program will be analyzed by City staff.
The City heard public testimony regarding a move to potentially extend eminent domain authority in the Newhall redevelopment area until 2021. While the authority doesn’t specifically authorize any property acquisitions, it would extend the ability for the City to use eminent domain to acquire properties through the next 12 years. Their authority to do that was set to expire in July of this year.
Several property owners in the redevelopment area expressed concern about their properties being taken, however City Manager Ken Pulskamp said that eminent domain is only used as a last resort, and that this particular authority is almost entirely for commercial properties. Two specific residences near Magic Mountain Parkway and Bouquet Canyon Rd. are the only residences included in this authority.
No plans for any acquisitions are in place at this time and no action will be taken on this matter until the May 26th meeting.
An emergency motion was passed to join the California League of Cities in expressing concern over Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s threat to seize property tax monies from local governments if the state budget deficit is not resolved.
The landscape in Old Town Newhall continues to change, as the City council authorized roughly $140,000 to install a traffic circle at Main Street and 5th street. The intersection is also the point where Newhall Avenue comes to a 90 degree turn, so city staff hopes that the traffic circle will help ease the flow of traffic through the Old Town Newhall area.
The Council took a few moments to honor Richie Contreras, a local man who won the chance to play in the AT&T Champions Classic in March.
