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Mayor Young: Okay, Mr. Santos. <br />Tony Santos: Yeah, as I'm attempting to digest what has been commented upon, <br />my view is that it's very, very vital for the City, and the City <br />Council, to be on top of this particular matter. I think some of us <br />have been around long enough to have seen a number of school <br />sites leave this community, which created a great deal of problems <br />for the past City Councils. And I believe the community out there <br />is quite anxious for us to have some involvement with the various <br />school districts, and whether or not the language needs to be <br />revised. <br />But I'd like to remind the audience, and us sitting up here, we have <br />lost Halcyon School, we have lost Kennedy School. They bought a <br />site to build a so-called Hillside School. We've lost two high <br />schools in town: Pacific High, Marina High School, Grover <br />Cleveland School, and that on my fingers total eight right now, <br />which created tremendous problems for the past City and City <br />Councils. So there ... and Madison, which has been reopened to a <br />degree. So, there's nine are gone ... ten, and on and on. <br />So, we need to have some type of reference, whether it's this <br />wording, or if anybody can come up with any additional wording, <br />that's fine, but we need to have some reference in this City Council <br />which would allow a sitting City Council to have some input as to <br />what goes on to those school sites. Because I have to tell you, <br />having been there, the political ramifications of school closings, <br />and other types of development coming forward, can create a lot of <br />problems for the sitting political body. <br />So, I think it's very, very important and imperative that we have <br />something in here referencing schools, so I'll leave the language to <br />others. <br />Mayor Young: Mr. Badger. <br />"OB" Badger: Thank you. I am all for the City being involved, because I know a <br />town can die on its school reputation. And as I walk around town, <br />there are times that people will stop me and ask me why doesn't <br />the City Council do something about it. And from time to time, I <br />have to remind them that the school trustees are an elected board. <br />So, I understand where everyone is coming from, and I'm sure that <br />Councilmember Grant is all for the City helping where it can, but I <br />think her objection is that it appears that they're making us <br />4 <br />