ORANGE COVE – The city of Orange Cove is working to establish administrative policies that guide staff in their duties and ensure fairness to all involved.
At its April 8 meeting, the Orange Cove City Council approved two new policies, each with a 3-0 vote; Mayor Diana Guerra Silva and Councilmember Cassy Ortiz were absent. The approved policies, one related to nonprofit firework booths and one related to campaign signage, will help formalize city processes, City Manager Sam Escobar said.
“We’ve talked about this before — I’m of the opinion that we need to create policy for all these things so that we’re not having to kind of think about it or have our hearts decide,” Escobar said.
He added later on in the meeting that the city shouldn’t operate in such a way where policies differ based on the people involved in the council or administration and their changing opinions.
“We want to set policy … so it’s straightforward, black and white,” Escobar said.
Regarding fireworks booths, Escobar said the city has historically allowed a single nonprofit safe and sane fireworks booth to sell products at J.O. Eaton Memorial Park.
The park, located in the center of the city, is the only booth location on public land. As the Orange Cove Fire Protection District can only authorize three to four booths each year, the opportunity for nonprofits to raise money through selling fireworks is limited.
Escobar said there has not been a standardized process for who is permitted to sell at the park. This has resulted in one nonprofit being permitted to sell at the park for the past two years simply because it was the first to submit an application.
To give other nonprofits an opportunity to be able to sell from the park, staff wanted to create a policy that would better outline how the city chooses which one can operate the booth at the park.
City staff came up with three possible options, including the creation of an annual lottery system, a set rotating schedule or a shared booth model that would allow multiple nonprofits to share one booth.
Mayor pro tem Gilbert Garcia said he preferred the first option, which would have eligible nonprofit organizations, which includes churches, apply every year and be selected through a lottery process. Organizations that were not chosen one year would receive priority consideration the following year, and city staff would maintain a waiting list.
Other council members and residents agreed, as they felt it would give more nonprofits and churches an opportunity to sell at the park.
Regarding the campaign signage policy, the council approved the policy with little discussion and no public comment.
The policy regulates where and when campaign signs can be displayed and how big signs can be. According to the staff report, the policy will allow signs on private property with the permission of the property owner; signs are not allowed in the public right-of-way or on city property.
Signs on residential cannot exceed an area of 15 square feet, but Escobar said larger signs would be allowed on commercial properties. The combined area of a political sign for any specific candidate on a single parcel cannot exceed 32 square feet.
Political signs are not allowed to block pedestrian and vehicle visibility, obscure fire hydrants or traffic control devices, be posted on trees, fence posts or utility poles or be illuminated.
Residents may only begin to display signs 90 days before an election and all signs must be taken down within 10 days after an election.
Escobar said city staff drafted the policy based on ones from other cities that they thought would fit well in Orange Cove and had detailed guidelines.
Hydrogen blending debate continues
Residents and representatives from the Southern California Gas Company also continued the debate over the hydrogen blending demonstration project proposed for the city.
SoCalGas Public Affairs Manager Miguel Ramirez briefly presented on the project, explaining that SoCalGas is proposing a demonstration project at the direction of the California Public Utilities Commission. Blending small amounts of hydrogen gas into the natural gas supply has been lab-tested to be safe and is one way that the state can reduce its overall carbon emissions.
However, many Orange Cove residents have been objecting to the demonstration project since it was first proposed more than two years ago. At the council meeting, residents spoke about their fears related to how hydrogen blending could impact their health, increase their gas bills and pose a greater safety risk to their entire community.
Beyond safety concerns, residents have also repeatedly told the council that they wish the city had asked for their opinion on participating in the demonstration project and they still want to have a say in the matter.
While no new information or concerns were shared at the meeting, residents, city council members and city staff did once again bring up their desire to have another town hall where they can further discuss the project.
Jamie Zweifler-Katz, an attorney with advocacy organization Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, said Leadership Counsel sent a letter to the city in January raising concerns and offering to bring in experts to answer questions that residents have.
“We just urge the city, based on the concerns of residents, to really reconsider their support for the project,” Zweifler-Katz said.
Escobar urged residents to focus on studies and facts of hydrogen blending, not opinion articles. Fact sheets about hydrogen gas usage and safety from both SoCalGas and the U.S. Department of Energy are available on the SoCalGas website at socalgas.com/orangecove.
