BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: acr 173
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: gomez
VERSION: 8/11/14
Analysis by: Carrie Cornwell FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: August 29, 2014
SUBJECT:
Joe Gatto Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates a portion of State Highway Route (SR)
10 in the County of Los Angeles as the Joe Gatto 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 all of 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 person being honored must be deceased.
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 measure must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the measure
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
If the segment of highway is being named for a specific
individual or individuals, it must not exceed five miles in
length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
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
ACR 173 (GATTO) Page 2
designation.
This resolution designates the segment of SR 10 between SR 5 and
SR 710 in Los Angeles as the Joe Gatto Memorial Highway. The
resolution further requests that the Department of
Transportation erect appropriate signs upon receiving donations
from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The author introduced this resolution to honor the
life and service of Joseph "Joe" Gatto.
2.Background on Joe Gatto . Born in Pueblo, Colorado, in 1934,
Joseph Gatto attended college and graduate school at CSU Los
Angeles, from which he received a bachelor's degree and
master's degree in design. He earned his graduate degree in
education from Pepperdine University. Mr. Gatto settled in
the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles and spent more
than four decades as a classroom art teacher in Los Angeles
high schools, colleges, and art academies. He served as a
mentor to many, received many awards recognizing his
excellence as a teacher, and was a fixture in the community in
which he resided for many years. He also gained recognition
for his own art work, including a line of hand-crafted
jewelry.
In November of last year, Mr. Gatto was shot and died in his
home, an event that stunned the community, his many friends
and former students, and his family. His survivors include
his son Mike, his daughters Nicole and Marianna, and three
grandchildren.
3.Consistent with the committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all the provisions of the committee's policy
on highway designations.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 77-0
Appr: 13-0
Trans: 16-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
ACR 173 (GATTO) Page 3
Tuesday,
August 28, 2014.)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.