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[SCVHISTORY.COM] [OLD TOWN NEWHALL TODAY] [NEWHALL HISTORY]
City Council fills 3 seats with 5 people
By Christine Bitter
Signal Staff Writer
June 8, 2002
hree new members and two alternate members were appointed by the City Council to the Newhall Redevelopment Committee on Tuesday.
Church founder Amparo Cevallos, businessman Arthur Sohikian and former Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Capt. Robert J. Spierer were appointed to the three open seats.
The alternate members will be local attorney John Grannis and Susan Shapiro, community programming manager at AT&T Broadband's public access television studio in Newhall.
At the meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem Cameron Smyth and Councilwoman Laurene Weste were decisive in their votes for Cevallos, Grannis and Sohikian.
Councilman Bob Keller voted for Cevallos, Sohikian and Spierer and commented on their backgrounds.
"(Sohikian) has a very dynamic background," and "(Spierer) is a man who has proven his ability to work with the community," he said.
Councilwoman Marsha McLean warned of appointing anyone who may "play an adversarial part" in the city's interests and emphasized that applicants should be a resident or have business in Newhall.
She voted for Cevallos, Shapiro and Spierer and emphasized Shapiro's marketing abilities and Cevallos' energy as being assets for the committee.
Mayor Frank Ferry said he was pleased with the number of applicants. Ten hopefuls applied for the vacancies, and he voted for Cevallos, Sohikian and Spierer.
Ferry also stressed Grannis' legal background as a potential asset for the committee and voiced support for Shapiro.
"I think Shapiro would be fantastic," Ferry said. "She has a value in her position in Newhall."
Ferry made the suggestion to appoint alternate members.
Laurene Weste put the interest of the council into perspective.
"What we're trying to do here is rejuvenate an area and make it a prize of our historic core," Weste said.
The council agreed to add the two alternate members who will fill vacancies on the committee as they occur.
"It saved us all that learning-curve time," said Weste in reference to alternates appointed to other committees in the past.
Redevelopment committee Chairman Leon Worden praised the council's decision to add more members.
"It's exciting to see so many good people volunteer to help improve our Old Town, and I know we'll benefit from the diversity of ideas and backgrounds," he said.
Alternates are non-voting members until they are given a seat, and will be required to attend meetings.
The redevelopment committee was established in 1996 to advise the Santa Clarita Redevelopment Agency — the City Council — and to promote the revitalization of Newhall.
The committee's list of accomplishments include the creation of a redevelopment plan, promotion of the area through activities such as the Newhall Street Fair, and the establishment of architectural guidelines and a storefront improvement program.
Members of the committee are appointed without term limits, and new members are expected to attend the committee's next meeting on Monday.
The committee meets on the first Monday of each month at City Hall, and meetings are open to the public.
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