Amended in Assembly June 11, 2015

Amended in Senate May 6, 2015

Amended in Senate April 21, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23

Introduced by Senator Gaines

February 27, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23—Relative to the begin insert Senator end insert Paul J. Lunardi Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 23, as amended, Gaines. begin insert Senator end insert Paul J. Lunardi Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 267 in the County of Placer as the begin insert Senator end insert 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 on September 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 begin insert Senator end insert 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, begin insert Senator end insert 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 Assembly Member John Williamson and
is now known as the Williamson Act; and

WHEREAS, Skiers and mountain residents still benefit from
one of begin insert Senator end insert 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. begin insert Senator end insert Lunardi’s
legislation enabled the road to remain open year-round, worth
millions of dollars to the area’s tourism and ski industries, and
allowed for the development of Northstar Ski Resort; and

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

WHEREAS, Designating a portion of State Highway Route
267, that links the City of Truckee to Kings Beach, as the begin insert Senator end insert
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 the
begin delete 5-mile end delete begin insert five-mile end insert portion of State Highway Route 267 from postmile
4.898 to the end of State Highway Route 267 at postmile 9.898 in
the County of Placer, as the begin insert Senator end insert 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.