Solvang City Council Denies Banners, Colored Crosswalks for Pride Month

Public comment split on proposal by founders of Rainbow House nonprofit

By Mike Chaldu michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

In an item that elicited a good amount of public comment, the Solvang City Council voted to deny a proposal to display pride banners and rainbow-colored crosswalk on two of the city’s intersections to mark Pride Month in June as well as the second Pride Parade and Festival in Solvang on June 24.

During the regular council meeting on Monday, Feb. 27, Kiel Cavalli asked the council to approve his request to have pride banners hung on the city streetlights and the crosswalks on two Copenhagen Drive intersections (1st and 2nd streets) to be painted in rainbow colors during the month of June.

Kiel Cavalli and his husband Matthew are founders of the Rainbow House nonprofit and own the children’s toy shop ONEderChild at Copenhagen and 2nd Street.

The decision facing the council about the proposal was whether the pride banner is allowed under the city’s Banner Policy, which reads: “The purpose of the Streetlight Banner Program is to assist in the advertising and promotion of destinations or events that support tourism in the City of Solvang. Approved as part of the Streetlight Banner Program are City of Solvang sponsored “Special Events” and designs promoting Solvang’s Danish theme. This program is NOT intended to support political or religious purposes or purposes primarily involving private financial gain that do not promote tourism or the City of Solvang.”

Public Works Director Rodger Olds told the council the issue was “Is this proposal for promoting tourism for Solvang? Can it be defined to support political or religious views? We feel it is promoting the city?”

Councilmember Robert Clarke pointed out the the applicants sold pride flags in their store, which could be considered against the "financial gain" part of the policy.

Councilmember Claudia Orona asked Olds what other banners have been placed on the streetlights, and Olds ran off a list of entities, including city events like Julefest and the Scarecrow festivals, but also the Elverhoj Museum and PCPA.

In public comments, Kiel Cavalli, the applicant, was the first to speak, explaining his reasons for the request.

"Your approval of the banners and crosswalks would send a message to the community and beyond that the city of Solvang sees us, hears us and supports us," he said.

After Cavalli spoke, Jessie Bengoa was next at the podium to express her opposition at the proposal. Describing herself as a brand marketing executive, local property owner and fifth-generation Solvang resident, Bengoa focused on Solvang's identity.

"I am not here in any capacity whatsoever to judge or admonish the LGBTQ+ community, and I think that's important to say," she said. "That said, our town has a culture, it has a heritage. We have a brand that's unique. It's the first rule of branding to know who you are and unwaveringly stick to it. You don't confuse, you don't divide, you don't alienate visitors or potential visitors by suddenly waging a woke cam -

paign that not inclusive — it's divisive."

Damian Kriteman, who said he's Solvang resident since 2012, was also opposed to the idea on many fronts, claiming that it is a political declaration and sets a precedent for other political causes, the applicant has much to gain financially from it, and it can bring civil lawsuits.

"This application fails every policy in place," he said. "There is no choice but to deny."

Speaker Charlotte Becerra brought up another issue, this one having to do with the colored crosswalks: They could spook the horses that sometimes come through town, and the horses that drive the Solvang Trolley.

"Horses don't have detailed eyesight; they could see the stripes and balk," said Becerra, whose husband Ramon is a noted local horseman. "If horses are spooked and someone is injured, who is liable?"

Among those supporting the proposal was Pastor Chris Brown of Bethania Lutheran Church, who reacted to some of the comments from speakers before.

"I'm hearing some comments, and we can talk about Solvang being a welcoming place," Brown said. "But just last year, a couple of young individuals took two pride flags down and the filmed themselves burning them and saying that was gay people's futures. So we can't say Solvang is a welcoming place when our own citizens are making it feel dangerous for a portion of our society. It is important for us to show that we see people who historically have not been seen."

David Silva, who spoke after his husband Jason Stone, disagreed with the idea the pride symbols were a political statement.

"My existence is not a politicial statement; it's who I am," Silva said. "I have a right to exist, and I have a chance to say Solvang stands with its gay community; we spend money, we're here."

As the issue moved back to council, Mayor Pro Tem Elizabeth Orona wondered if the crosswalk modificiations could be made at intersections where horses wouldn't necessarily walk by.

"Come back with a different location," she said. "Reapply where it's not a safety issue with the horses or trolley."

Councilmember Claudia Orona said she believed the banner policy should be looked at.

"Banners promoting Solvang events are fine," she said. "I don't think it falls under political, but banners like PCPA or Wildling [which have been displayed] aren't expressly for the city."

Ultimately, Clarke, Mayor Mark Infanti, and Councilmember Dave Brown decided that the proposal wasn't in line with the policy.

"The proposal, the symbolism doesn't advance what you think it does," Brown said in making a motion to deny. "I don’t think it meets the tourism and economic advantage it claims."

Clarke seconded Brown's motion after taking issue with public comments saying that Solvang wasn't a welcoming community.

"When people want to disparage this town; I take offense to that," said Clarke, who noted he voted to approve last year's pride parade. "This is the friendliest God d--- town I've ever been in. Everybody is welcoming to everybody."

The motion to deny passed 3-2, with Elizabeth and Claudia Orona both dissenting.

The next Solvang City Council meeting will be Monday, March 13, at 6 p.m.

Re-Commissioning Diablo Canyon

By Blake Ashley Frino-Gerl

Last year it was acknowledged that Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant would not decommission its units by 2025 but rather be relicensed through at least 2030.

Pursuing the extension of the plant’s operations is due to the California Energy Commission determining the extension will "improve statewide electric system reliability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while additional renewable energy and carbon-free resources come online,” according to Suzanne Hosn, Sr. Manager of Marketing and Communications at PG&E.

The Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel was convened by PG&E as a volunteer, non-regulatory group to engage and encourage open public communication through involvement and education. The organization is to engage with the community, and the public has taken the initiative to learn — both good and bad. The public “was informed of a crack in a weld causing a leak in the Unit 2 reactor coolant system that was discovered in October 2022 and reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2022,” as stated in the comment area on diablocanyonpanel.org. The website states that PG&E claims the cause of the weld defect was fatigue.

In addition to the facilities needing updates, it is within 12 miles of a fault line. If an earthquake occurs without those safety upgrades, it is unknown what ramifications could occur.

A petition was created by the Mothers For Peace, Friends of the Earth, and Environmental Working Group organizations in opposition to a timely renewal of licenses. Renewal applications are supposed to be submitted at least five years before their licenses expire. While these groups want those involved to abide by the law, they oppose the safety and environmental hazards that they see correlating with the power plant. In the petition, found at fingfx.thomsonreuters. com, it states that the NRC should not violate the law “in considering whether to grant PG&E’s request for an exemption from the timely renewal rule” because of their ineligibility due to the risks.

The petition also states that the NRC has no legal validity to give PG&E an exemption that could allow Diablo Canyon to keep running with expired federal licenses. The NRC postponed a decision on the exemptions until March, according to ewg.org. Therefore, by requiring PG&E to submit an updated and complete relicensing application, it will be rest assured that the NRC has sufficient information to reach a determination.

According to ewg.org, PG&E has admitted that the application was severely outdated and could not be updated or completed until late 2023 — a year before Unit 1 reactor license expires. Reflecting on that makes it appear that PG&E may have to close Diablo Canyon when its licenses expire in fall 2024 for Unit 1 and spring 2025 for the Unit

2 reactor. Therefore, it will stay closed until the NRC approves a new license renewal application. The NRC also acknowledged that PG&E requested an exemption from regulations that would require the reactors to shut down in 2024 and 2025 unless the licenses had been renewed by then.

In contrast, the Biden administration, along with state and federal governments, support nuclear plants for their significant source of energy to curb climate change. In November, such support was demonstrated when the U.S. Department of Energy approved funding of up to $1.1 billion to prevent closure of Diablo Canyon through a $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit program focused at helping struggling nuclear power reactors stay open.

As of now, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) still shows that the Unit 1’s license expires Nov. 2, 2024, and Unit 2 license ends Aug. 26, 2025. According to NRC Sr. Public Affairs Officer

Victor Dricks, PG&E has not filed a license renewal application with the NRC. Hosn says PG&E requested that the NRC staff resume review of the License Renewal Application (LRA) previously filed in 2009 and suspended in 2016, or issue an exemption allowing the plant to operate until the NRC completes its review of a new LRA. On Jan. 24, NRC clarified the regulatory path will be for PG&E to submit a new LRA, but will be able to leverage previous work associated with the original license renewal application.

“PG&E intends to submit a new application by the end of 2023,” Hosn says. They are developing application materials and supporting documents for the filing.

“PG&E is committed to complying with current legislative policy to ensure the State of California has the option to keep DCPP online past the current expiration date of the licenses to ensure electricity reliability as California continues toward its clean energy future,” Hosn adds. Licenses need to be renewed to keep the DCPP running, so it just appears that the clock is ticking.

By L ee Pitts Columnist

Tmyself, or in this case, owned me, was the meanest show steer in existence I named him Abe in honor of my idol Abraham Lincoln, and I want to take this opportunity to apologize to our 16th President for desecrating his name in such a manner.

Abe was an Angus steer my teacher picked out for me and I learned my lesson right there to never let another person buy livestock for me, and in 40 years of trading cattle, I never did.

I don't want any Angus breeders getting