BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SCR 45|
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CONSENT
Bill No: SCR 45
Author: Berryhill (R), et al.
Amended: 7/6/15
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 11-0, 7/14/15
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Bates, Gaines, Galgiani, Leyva,
McGuire, Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT: Joe Levy Memorial Highway
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution redesignates a portion of State Highway
Route (SR) 41 in the County of Fresno as the Joe Levy Memorial
Highway instead of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Freeway,
which shall be shifted southward and shall remain the same
length.
ANALYSIS: This resolution redesignates the portion of SR 41
from Bullard Avenue to Herndon Avenue in the County of Fresno as
the Joe Levy Memorial Highway. The portion of SR 41 designated
as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Freeway shall be shifted to
the portion from Golden State Boulevard to Bullard Avenue.
This resolution further requests that the Department of
Transportation erect appropriate signs upon receiving donations
from non-state sources to cover the costs.
SCR 45
Page 2
Comments
Purpose. The author and the Fresno Chamber of Commerce
introduced this resolution to honor the achievements and
contributions of Joe Levy.
Background on Mr. Levy. Joe Levy was born on January 30, 1932,
in Fresno, and graduated from Fresno High School in 1950. He
attended the University of Southern California, Marshall School
of Business, where he graduated in 1954.
Mr. Levy began his career with Gottschalks as an Assistant
Merchandise Manager in 1956, working his way up to Executive
Vice President in 1972. He was named CEO and Chairman in 1982.
Under his watch, the store expanded across Central California
and the West Coast, growing to more than 100 stores in six
western states.
Mr. Levy encouraged civic participation among Gottschalks'
employees to support an array of local organizations and
programs, including the annual "Coats for Kids" campaign. In
addition, he won the Leon S. Peters Award in 1989, the top honor
for service to the community recognized by the Fresno Chamber of
Commerce. A former president of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce,
Mr. Levy was active in the Downtown Association of Fresno, the
Boys Club of Fresno County, the Fresno Arts Museum, the Fresno
Metropolitan Museum, and the Craig School of Business at Fresno
State. He received other awards including the City of Hope's
Spirit of Life Award and the Fresno Advertising Federation
Foundation's J.U. Berry Lifetime Achievement Award.
Leadership positions he held include serving on the Board of
Trustees during the founding of the University of California,
Merced, the Business Advisor Council for the Craig School of
Business at Fresno State, the Executive Committee for the Fresno
Business Council, as a board member for the Fresno Economic
Development Corporation, a board member for the San Joaquin
Political Academy, a cofounder and sustaining sponsor of the
annual Central California Women's Conference, a Trustee and
Secretary of Community Hospitals of Central California, a leader
in successfully obtaining "All-American City" designation for
Fresno in 1967, a board member of the National Retail
SCR 45
Page 3
Federation, a board member of the Fresno County Transportation
Authority, and as past president of the Fresno Host Lions Club.
Governor George Deukmejian appointed Mr. Levy to the California
Transportation Commission in 1983, where he served until 1991,
and he was its chairman in 1986. Mr. Levy was a driving force
for successfully securing funding for the expanding freeway
system in Fresno and he aided in the development of Highways 168
and 180 that serve as integral transportation lines in Fresno
County.
Joe Levy died on February 10, 2014. He is survived by his wife,
Sharon; his children, Felicia Weston, Dr. Jody Schlesinger, and
Bret Levy; and his nine grandchildren.
A bit unusual. Committee policy allows redesignation of an
existing highway segment if the sponsor can document a
good-faith effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the
prior designation. In this case, the author of the original
highway designation request for the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Memorial Freeway is deceased. The author of this bill has
creatively proposed to shift the Eisenhower Memorial Freeway
designation south about a mile, keeping the same length. This
frees up a segment of highway in Fresno which will be named
after Mr. Levy. The cost of changing the signage will be
covered through private donations.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified8/17/15)
California Transportation Commission
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Fresno City Councilmember Steve Brandau
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/17/15)
SCR 45
Page 4
None received
Prepared by:Holly Glasen / T. & H. / (916) 651-4121
8/18/15 17:03:23
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