BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: SCR 30
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: SIMITIAN
VERSION: 4/13/09
Analysis by: Mark Teemer FISCAL: YES
Hearing date: May 12, 2009
SUBJECT:
Betty Meltzer Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution names a portion of State Route 82 in the City of
Palo Alto as the Betty Meltzer Memorial Highway.
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided
extraordinary public service or some exemplary contribution
to the public good and have a connection to the community
where the highway is located;
The naming must be done without cost to the state.
Costs for signs and plaques must be paid by local or
private sources;
The author or co-author of the resolution must represent
the district in which the facility is located and the
resolution must identify the specific highway segment or
structure being named;
The proposed designation must reflect a community
consensus and be without local opposition; and
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good
faith effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the
prior designation.
SCR 30 (SIMITIAN) Page 2
This resolution names a portion of State Route 82, south of
Glenwood Road, between Page Mill Road and San Francisquito Creek
in Santa Clara County, as the Betty Meltzer Memorial Highway.
The resolution further requests the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to erect appropriate signs upon receiving donations
from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1. Purpose of the resolution . By naming a portion of State
Route 82 for Betty Meltzer, this resolution seeks to
memorialize her contributions of time, hard work, and
advocacy to preserve the natural beauty of Palo Alto,
California.
2. Betty Meltzer's contributions . In the mid-80's
Elizabeth T. (Betty) Meltzer began her community organizing
for a better Palo Alto, as a co-founder with Ellen Wyman,
of Palo Alto Tomorrow, an organization that successfully
promoted sensible growth in downtown Palo Alto.
She taught in the Palo Alto Unified School District for
five years. She also taught blind people to read, and for
many years she tutored elementary-school students who had
reading disabilities.
Mrs. Meltzer was best known in Palo Alto for her
environmental efforts, which involved being co-founder with
Susan Rosenberg of the "Dream of a Thousand Trees for
El Camino Real Project," wherein she tenaciously worked
with Caltrans to have them relax their regulations on the
planting of trees in road medians. The "Dream of a Thousand
Trees for El Camino Real Project" aided the City of Palo
Alto in the funding for hundreds of new trees along the 4.3
miles of El Camino Real, in Palo Alto.
She served on the board of the former Peninsula
Conservation Center Foundation, now Acterra, and she was
especially active in creating the Business Environmental
Network, which gives awards to businesses that are
environmentally outstanding.
SCR 30 (SIMITIAN) Page 3
3. Consistent with committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all the provisions of the committee's
policy on highway designations.
4. Technical amendments
On Page 1, line 3, after "the" strike "Trees for El
Camino Project" and insert "Dream of a Thousand Trees for
El Camino Real Project".
On Page 2, line 24, after "the" strike "Trees for El
Camino Project" and insert "Dream of a Thousand Trees for
El Camino Real Project".
On Page 3, line 3, after "Road" insert "(PM 24.04)".
On Page 3, line 3, after "Creek" insert "(SCL/SM
County line, PM 26.37)".
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
May 6, 2009)
SUPPORT: None received
OPPOSED: None received.