COMMENTARY COUNCIL, PUBLIC A STRONG TEAM.

It has been almost four months since I joined the Santa Clarita City Council. The work that has been accomplished since the city formed in 1987 is impressive to say the least. Those accomplishments have been made as a result of the community members, the city staff and a listening and caring council working together. Together, this council shall continue making improvements we can all be proud of.

Since taking office I have spent a great deal of time, along with the mayor and my fellow council members, working on the budget, the sphere of influence, the Transit Mixed Concrete project, Whitaker-Bermite property, and roads. Also, a lot of attention has been given responding to questions and suggestions from the public for our community's improvement.

I believe we did very well with the budget and were able to provide funding for additional park space, sports fields, an aquatics center at the sports complex, cultural arts and open space acquisition to name just a few.

The fight to keep TMC out of our area continues and I can assure you that the city is doing everything possible to win this fight. Please do your part and help by writing letters to all of the Los Angeles County supervisors, expressing your concerns regarding this project's devastating impacts on our community.

You can find a list of the supervisors on the city's Web site or by calling the city at [phone]. The address is L.A. County Board of Supervisors, 869 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

The sphere of influence, a designation by the Local Agency Formation Commission that will give our city a voice in development matters directly outside our borders, is so very important to the overall future of our city. Although I understand why developers do not want to support the sphere, I can honestly tell you that by getting this through, we can effectively work and plan for the future of this area. No longer will we as a council tell the citizens of Santa Clarita that we have no voice outside our borders, which by the way, is true without the sphere of influence.

I believe I speak for everyone on the City Council when I tell you how disappointed we were that the recent school bond measure failed to pass. Simply argued, to those that voted ``No,'' politics and sour grapes need to be put aside when it comes to educating our children. The education of our young is the key ingredient to this country's stability, vitality and the high quality of life we as Americans enjoy. Do not criticize your local school boards. They work very responsibly along with school administrators and teachers to maximize the quality of education being given with the resources available.

The Whitaker-Bermite site continues to be a problem for our community. Although measurable progress is being made, all of the answers are still not known. I remain confident this problem is going to be resolved with the cooperation and understanding of private enterprise, along with involvement from the city, state and federal representatives working together. Ignoring this site's land and water contamination will not make it go away.

Because it is obvious we can not strike a compromise and please everyone, there will be some issues that continue to be very difficult in our community. Those include the Calgrove Boulevard/Valley Street blockade and the proposed Recreational Vehicle Parking Ordinance. Regarding the Calgrove gate, I have been waiting on the environmental impact report and other legal information to come forth before developing my opinion. The RV matter is still being reviewed at the request of the council and a determination should be made in September.

In closing, I wish to thank this community for allowing me to be one of your council members. Please continue to give me your input on matters of importance to you and remember that the future of Santa Clarita is the responsibility of all.

Bob Kellar

Santa Clarita City Council