LAWYER TO RUN FOR COUNCIL GRANNIS IN LEGAL BATTLE VS. CITY OVER PORTA BELLA PROJECT.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - John Grannis, a lawyer and community volunteer, announced Tuesday that he will seek a spot on the City Council in the April election. A self-described conservative, Grannis has been active on civic committees, and most recently was appointed to the city's Energy Advisory Committee, serving as vice chairman. ``You can certainly voice your opinion at City Council meetings, but it is more effective if you have a vote to go along with your opinion,'' Grannis said. The 13-year Saugus resident is one of three lawyers who sued the city earlier this year as part of the dispute over the cleanup and development of the former Bermite explosives factory. Grannis called the lawsuit, designed to prompt the city to complete a supplemental Environmental Impact Report on the site, ``friendly.'' The real target is Remediation Financial Inc., the company trying to build the 3,000-home Porta Bella subdivision on the polluted pol·lute tr.v. pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing, pol·lutes 1. To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter. See Synonyms at contaminate. 2. land once it is certified See certification. clean, Grannis said. If elected, Grannis would not be the first Santa Clarita council member to challenge the city in court. He said he would consider dropping out of the legal action if elected, and would recuse To disqualify or remove oneself as a judge over a particular proceeding because of one's conflict of interest. Recusal, or the judge's act of disqualifying himself or herself from presiding over a proceeding, is based on the Maxim himself from any council decisions regarding the lawsuit. Attorneys for the city have asked the judge to dismiss the claims against Santa Clarita, and depositions are scheduled for the beginning of December, Grannis said. Grannis, who is married and has two children, said if he is elected he would push for more to be done to move the cleanup forward. ``I believe in common sense, and would practice common-sense government,'' said Grannis, whose law offices are in Glendale. Several council members have encouraged Grannis' bid, which he began to weigh after Castaic Lake Castaic Lake is a lake on Castaic Creek formed by Castaic Dam, in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, near the town of Castaic. The 323,700 acre foot lake (399,000,000 m³) is the terminus of the West Branch of the California Aqueduct, though some comes from the 154 mi² Water Agency board member Bill Cooper dropped out of the race, Grannis said. Earlier this year, Grannis publicly encouraged the City Council to audit Santa Clarita's trash haulers to make sure that residents are not being overcharged for pickup and recycling recycling, the process of recovering and reusing waste products—from household use, manufacturing, agriculture, and business—and thereby reducing their burden on the environment. services. ``I still have concerns that those rates were improperly im·prop·er adj. 1. Not suited to circumstances or needs; unsuitable: improper shoes for a hike; improper medical treatment. 2. set,'' Grannis said. ``I'm not satisfied that the process will lead to the best rate for residents.'' |
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