| If you are planning to move to Santa Clarita, | | | | "We're young, new, adventurous and daring," said |
| there are certain things you should know about | | | | City Councilwoman Jill Klajic, before boasting of |
| the community. It is a good time to be a renter in | | | | hiring the psychic and reminding a reporter of the |
| this California city, and it is also a good time to be | | | | semiannual pajama parties she threw for female |
| a resident, as the eccentric cast of characters | | | | campaign supporters and others as a |
| that make this cityÕs fabric are a strong bunch | | | | councilwoman in the early 1990s. |
| of local people who care deeply about where they | | | | "There's nothing at all wrong with that." |
| live. | | | | Offered City Manager George Carvalho, "Maybe |
| Its reputation for offbeat--the critics said | | | | there are a lot of left-brain people here." |
| bizarre--public policy innovations made it the stuff | | | | In a more serious vein, he suggested the quirks |
| of jokes on late-night TV shows. | | | | stem from the city's atmosphere, encouraging an |
| City officials once gathered local barbers and | | | | unfettered flow of ideas. |
| beauticians to learn what really was on residents' | | | | "With idea people, you're not going to always bring |
| minds, figuring that most people reveal what | | | | up good ideas," Carvalho said. "You throw up a |
| they're really thinking to the person who does | | | | bunch of ideas, and if you get several of them |
| their hair. City Council members attended funerals | | | | that work, you're much better off." |
| for felled oak trees, hired a psychic to help | | | | Historical note: Belying his conservative |
| protect a canyon from dumping and talked of | | | | appearance, it was Carvalho who dreamed up the |
| outlawing possession of veal with intent to cook. | | | | hairdressers' lunch. |
| "No one ever forgets the veal ban," sighed city | | | | Ortiz said the city manager and dozens of other |
| spokeswoman Gail Ortiz recently when asked | | | | staffers attend brainstorming sessions twice a |
| about the measure, which never came to a vote | | | | year. And when it rains, it pours. |
| on the City Council. | | | | "What you want to do is create an environment |
| Councilwoman Jan Heidt, now mayor, proposed | | | | where people . . . are encouraged to come |
| the measure to protest production of veal, which | | | | forward," Carvalho said. "I've been in cities where |
| animal lovers say is cruel to calves. | | | | you get beat up for your ideas." |
| And as Santa Clarita marks 10 years of | | | | The fact that it has grown in 10 years from a |
| existence, the contrarian streak continues, as | | | | handful of employees and a $29-million annual |
| witnessed by raucous City Council meetings that | | | | budget to 200 workers spending $84.8 million a |
| end after midnight and often feature | | | | year, with no serious municipal difficulties, allows |
| near-shouting matches over issues large and small. | | | | the city to experiment, city leaders say. |
| But the city's relative maturity has minimized the | | | | So there you have it, a one of a kind city with |
| number of truly outrageous concepts such as | | | | much to offer. If you are planning to rent or |
| council members' storied--if failed--attempts to | | | | move here, be sure to spend some time before |
| change every one of the city's 60,000 street | | | | you go. As any interesting place, Santa Clarita is |
| addresses, or persuade former Soviet leader | | | | loved by some and not by others. |
| Mikhail S. Gorbachev to fly in and address the city. | | | | |