The Pride flag flutters in a gentle breeze. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)
SCOTTS VALLEY — The rainbow pride flag will again fly over Scotts Valley City Hall this June after the Scotts Valley City Council moved to approve the action alongside deliberating on the best use of community development block grants at its meeting Wednesday evening.
“For the last two years, your council has chosen to fly the pride flag during the month of June to commemorate Pride Month,” said Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe at the meeting. “And this year per the policy, Councilmember Timms requested that I place this on an agenda for the council’s consideration tonight so we can prepare for this year should your council choose to keep that tradition going.”
In 2022, the Scotts Valley City Council moved to allow the city government to raise commemorative flags at city hall alongside the California and United States flags, but only when the request is made by by a member of the Scotts Valley City Council, and that request is then agendized and voted on by the entire council at a later meeting. The request to raise the rainbow flag this year came from Councilmember Alan Timms at the meeting Wednesday.
After LaGoe introduced the agenda item, Timms mentioned that the Scotts Valley City Council had recently been nominated for the 2024 Organizational Ally to Queer Youth Award, which will be announced at a Queer Youth Leadership Awards ceremony in May.
“The reason that this is particularly important in terms of the pride flag is that it really does demonstrate that we are open and that we are standing by the LGBTQ members of our community in a very real way,” said Timms at the meeting. “And showing them that we are here and we are allys and that the city of Scotts Valley is accepting of all of its community.”
Other members of the council then thanked Timms for agendizing the item and voiced their support for the motion to fly the pride flag from June 1 to June 30. During public comment, Scotts Valley resident Adina Licht also expressed her approval of the action.
“We’re starting to see more kids and adults feel safe who are a part of this community and that is super important for this town — for people to feel safe and connected here,” said Licht. “I am very very grateful that you can help these amazing kids feel safer in their own city.”
After the public comment period, Councilmember Derek Timms spoke to the importance of flying the pride flag for those in the LGBTQ community and moved to approve the motion, which was seconded by Councilmember Jack Dilles and approved in a unanimous vote of the council.
After the public hearing portion of the City Council meeting, city staff gave a presentation about the potential uses of community development block grant funding in the city of Scotts Valley.
Community development block grants are available through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to support projects that improve the quality of life for low to moderate income level community members and neighborhoods in urban and rural areas.
“This isn’t new money from the state,” said Lagoe. “This is money that we had received in the past that we used as a loan out to a local business. That loan has been repaid and now that money has to be repurposed back into a CDBG (community development block grant) eligible activity.”
LaGoe said that the city has $367,667 in grant funding to allocate to an eligible project in the city, and after gaining feedback through public meetings held in early March about the potential uses of the funding, the staff recommendation was to use the funding to make improvements to the Scotts Valley Senior Center and use any remaining funds to make improvements in city parks in regard to American with Disabilities Act related upgrades.
“The senior center has had very little attention for a long time,” said Councilmember Donna Lind. “I think this is a very worthwhile plan and timely.”
After further comments, Timms moved the staff recommendation, which was seconded by Lind. The motion passed in a unanimous vote by the council.
With the council’s approval to allocate the grant funding to the Scotts Valley Senior Center improvements, the city staff will compose a detailed project description and grant application for the council’s approval this fall.
To watch the meeting, visit scottsvalley.gov.
