February 14, 2008

Changes coming?

Reed, Nguyen put name on November ballot

In other City Hall news, it appears Mayor Chuck Reed and Council-member Madison Nguyen have changed their minds about the naming of the Vietnamese retail area Saigon Business District.

The two sent out a memo this week suggesting that name be rescinded and the naming of the retail area on Story Road be left up to voters on the November ballot. According to a press release, the ballot “would ask voters, ‘Shall the Story Road retail area between Senter Road and U.S. 101 be named Little Saigon?’”

The two also recommended that city staff reallocate available funding currently budgeted for signage for this area to help cover the cost of the election and suspend work on the design of banners and signs for the area until a name has been determined.

They also suggested that city staff draft a Council policy that outlines a process to officially name areas/districts of the city that is modeled on the Council policy for changing street names and provides that proposals to name business districts must come from an organization representing the businesses in the district.

The situation began before the Nov. 7 Council vote when Nguyen suggested a compromise to call the area the Saigon Business District instead of what some in the district favored - Little Saigon. The council voted for the compromise name. Those who were unhappy about the situation have since been loud in their protests, carrying signs outside City Hall, with some suggesting a recall of Nguyen.

And, it heated up even more last week when Councilmember Forrest Williams appeared on a Vietnamese television station and said last summer he gave Nguyen support for her decision, indicating a possible violation of California’s Brown Act.

In the meantime, City Attorney Rick Doyle is investigating the situation to determine if the Brown Act has been violated.

— By Carol Rosen