Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23

Introduced by Senator Gaines

February 27, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23—Relative to the Paul J. Lunardi Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 23, as introduced, Gaines. Paul J. Lunardi Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate State Highway Route 267 in the Counties of Nevada and Placer as the Paul J. Lunardi Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Paul J. Lunardi was born Sept. 30, 1921, in
Roseville, California, and lived his entire life at the family home
on Earl Avenue; and

WHEREAS, Upon his graduation from Roseville High School,
Lunardi enlisted in the United States Coast Guard during World
War II. After the war, he was elected to the Roseville City Council
in 1950 and 1954, winning the mayoral seat in the latter year; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure on the city council, Lunardi was
instrumental in the adoption of a city charter for the
council-manager form of government and successfully established
a community hospital, developed a municipal fire department,
established an updated street lighting system, obtained central
valley federal power for the city, and expanded sewage, water,
and electric distribution systems. His outstanding record of
achievement earned Lunardi a highly coveted “Outstanding Young
Men of California” award presented by the State Junior Chamber
of Commerce on January 8, 1955; and

WHEREAS, Lunardi’s entry into politics “was just sort of
accidental,” and as he used to say, “I just kind of expressed myself
about what was happening in Roseville”; and

WHEREAS, Lunardi was elected to the State Assembly in 1958,
representing the 6th Assembly District, which spanned 11 mountain
counties. He served in the Assembly until 1963 when he was
elected to the State Senate to represent the 7th Senate District,
which included the Counties of Sierra, Nevada, and Placer. He
retired in 1966 due to redistricting; and

WHEREAS, One of Lunardi’s proudest accomplishments was
his legislation designating the ghost town of Bodie as a State
Historic Park. Bodie is now listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and is one of the best preserved and most visited
(200,000 people a year) ghost towns in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Lunardi introduced the first bill in the state’s
history to assess farmland at a lower tax rate. The bill later passed
with the help of Assemblyman John Williamson and is now known
as the Williamson Act; and

WHEREAS, Skiers and mountain residents still benefit from
one of Lunardi’s major legislative accomplishments that designated
the “Truckee shortcut” as State Highway Route 267, that links the
City of Truckee to Kings Beach. Prior to 1965, the road was
regularly closed by snow in the winter. Lunardi’s legislation
enabled the road to remain open year-round, worth millions of
dollars to the area’s tourism and ski industries, and allowing for
the development of Northstar Ski Resort; and

WHEREAS, Lunardi was honored in 2008 when his hometown
of Roseville dedicated a park in his name, to honor his civic
achievements, and his dedication to the community where he lived
his entire life; and

WHEREAS, Lunardi passed away peacefully on January 11,
2013, at the age of 91, and was laid to rest in his beloved Roseville,
California; and

WHEREAS, Designating State Highway Route 267, that links
the City of Truckee to Kings Beach as the “Paul J. Lunardi
Memorial Highway” would be an appropriate honor for this
visionary leader who fought to develop this highway; now,
therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates State
Highway Route 267, that links the City of Truckee to Kings Beach,
in the Counties of Nevada and Placer, as the “Paul J. Lunardi
Memorial Highway”; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested
to determine the cost of erecting appropriate signs, consistent with
the signing requirements of the state highway system, showing
this special designation and, upon receiving donations from
nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.