Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce officials released their endorsements for a local ballot measure and other issues that affect the Santa Clarita Valley.

Among the items being supported are the Chiquita Canyon landfill expansion, a vehicle license fee measure and Measure S, a controversial billboard plan for Santa Clarita.

Chamber officials are opposing a bill on district-based municipal elections, chloride costs and a bill requiring Native Americans’ input in the development approval process.

Yes on Measure S

Here’s the ballot measure as it’s being presented to voters in November:

“Shall Ordinance No. 14-02 adopting a Development Agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO) for the removal of 62 advertising structures, within the City, by METRO or any other means, and construction and operation of three digital billboards, adjacent to the Interstate 5 and State Route 14 freeways, and the dedication to the City of revenue received from digital billboards, which creates an ongoing revenue stream, be adopted?”

SCV Chamber of Commerce position

When the city’s plan to take down what Measure S supporters call “billboard blight” from Santa Clarita Valley streets and put it closer to SCV freeways, there was concern for Edwards Outdoor Advertising, said Terri Crain, CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The Newhall-based billboard company was being put out of business by the plan, she said. Now that the company has accepted a buyout from the city, the chamber has to look at the beautification side of the city’s goal for Measure S, she explained.

“Moving the billboards to the freeway further enhances the beautification of the community,” Crain said. “The city also has, as part of its plan, negotiated a discounted rate for local businesses.”

(File photo) Jesus Vega runs the new power plant at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill. It turns methane gas into electricity for the cities of Burbank and Pasadena.

Chiquita Canyon landfill expansion

The landfill’s conditional use permit is expected to expire Nov. 24, 2019, unless the landfill gets the approval for an extension it’s seeking.

The Castaic Area Town Council has just agreed to terms with the Val Verde lot, although Val Verde’s representatives have yet to reach terms with Chiquita Canyon officials.

The 639-acre landfill site, which is owned by Waste Connections and permitted for about 257 acres of waste, is looking to double its daily disposal limits, set aside of land for a potential conversion technology site, improve its entrance and support facilities and extend the life of the landfill, to name a few of the project’s goals.

The landfill is located outside city of Santa Clarita limits about three miles west of the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 126.

The proposed project will increase the permitted waste footprint within the existing property line by approximately 143 acres by extending it slightly south toward the existing landfill entrance and to the north and east.

SCV Chamber of Commerce position

“Chiquita Canyon is a good community supporter and they have great community stewardship,” Crain said.

“They’re just being proactive and planning for the future as good business practice,” she said. “They’re doing a widening on (Highway) 126, and where’s our garbage supposed to go? We need to have somewhere for our non-recyclable waste to go.”

Assembly Bill 52 (Passed unanimously by the Assembly and Senate)

From leginfo.org:

“This bill would specify that a project with an effect that may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a tribal cultural resource, as defined, is a project that may have a significant effect on the environment. The bill would require a lead agency to begin consultation with a California Native American tribe that is traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed project, if the tribe requested to the lead agency, in writing, to be informed by the lead agency of proposed projects in that geographic area and the tribe requests consultation, prior to determining whether a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report is required for a project.”

The bill was supported by state Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, and by Sens. Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, and Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills.

SCV Chamber of Commerce position

“The California Chamber came out and had (AB 52) listed as a job-killer bill,” Crain said. “There was some language in it that wasn’t real clear.”

The bill contained language that said all development plans for all development must be approved by the tribes, whether it was on native land or near native land at all, she said.

A tribe known to be native to an area would have to be notified by any lead agency regarding a proposed development, according to the bill.

“It has the potential to impact development in the Santa Clarita Valley,” she said. “It just puts one more onus or one more layer on the approval process on top of an already complicated process for developers.”