COUNCIL TO TACKLE FULL, VARIED AGENDA SMOKING BAN ONE OF THE ITEMS ON LIST.

Byline: Daily News

The Santa Clarita City Council has a busy agenda tonight, reviewing a range of plans from creating a committee to helping preserve wilderness to banning smoking in public recreation areas.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in City Hall council chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd. The agenda can be found online at santa-clarita.com.

Committee to preserve undeveloped land: Having lost an effort to establish an assessment district to buy open space, the city, spurred by some residents, will consider assigning Mayor Laurene Weste and Councilman Bob Kellar to a committee to study ways to preserve undeveloped land. The council is being asked to approve $100,000 from its contingency fund for consultant services.

Materials recovery facility: The council is scheduled to open a public hearing on an appeal to plans for a large recycling center in the proposed Gate-King business center in Newhall. No action will be taken because the applicant, Burrtec Waste Industries, is considering alternative sites. The public hearing will continue Jan. 23.

Sign ordinance violations: In a follow-up to an August meeting where signs at seven businesses were found to violate the city's sign ordinance, the council will consider ordering the offending signs removed. If property owners do not act, the city may remove the signs and charge the property owners for the work. The violators are a gas station at a mini-mart, a Carl's Jr. and an auto shop, all on Soledad Canyon Road, according to a staff report.

Banning smoking at parks: Citing health concerns, the city parks staff recommends approval of an ordinance to prohibit smoking at city parks and along trails and bike paths. Smoking already is banned near playgrounds, but the city Parks and Recreation Commission has endorsed approval of a complete ban at city public recreation areas.