Ken Striplin

As we begin our new fiscal year at City Hall, I am pleased to share with you a number of projects and programs we have planned for the coming year.

Right now, we are finishing up some key projects including a field expansion at Central Park that also includes a new basketball court and 170 more parking spaces.

We are nearing completion of the expansion of McBean Parkway with a wider bridge and new bike path across from the post office. Starting in January, we will begin widening the Golden Valley bridge over State Route 14 in Canyon Country, providing additional travel lanes and a new bike path in that area of town.

In Valencia, we’ve already completed replacement of five paseo bridges with three more to come. As part of the new budget, we will be starting design of a new tennis complex at Central Park. For our transit service, the city is investing in five new buses, four new Dial-a-Ride buses and a new trolley — all using clean burning CNG fuel. In partnership with other agencies, we are looking to add new public electric vehicle charging stations in the city.

Planning for future needs in the community is a high priority for the city, and that starts with talking to our residents about their opinions. Within the next couple of months, the city will be conducting a series of outreach efforts aimed at learning the community’s thoughts and ideas for future infrastructure projects. Some of these may include a new library and community rooms in Saugus, a new and permanent Community Center in Canyon Country, and future planning for the Sheriff’s Department in the city.

As always, thank you for your interest in our city. Please feel free to email me directly at kstriplin@santa-clarita.com.

Ken Striplin is city manager of the city of Santa Clarita.