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Residents urge city to keep water tower rainbow lighting through June; council points to approved schedule
Summary
Multiple residents asked the El Segundo City Council to restore or maintain rainbow illumination on the El Segundo water tower for the entire month of June (Pride Month); staff said a council-approved lighting schedule limits some illuminations to shorter windows and that schedule is posted online.
Several residents urged the El Segundo City Council on June 17 to keep the city’s water tower illuminated in rainbow colors for the full month of June, saying a shorter lighting window sends a message of only partial support for LGBTQ+ residents.
John Vicaber, chair of the Arts and Culture Committee, told the council he had asked the city manager for clarification after learning the rainbow illumination would be turned off on June 14. “I do not need the water tower lit to feel supported,” Vicaber said, adding the lights matter most to people who have little other visible support. Sean O’Brien read a letter from Scott Houston asking the council to “keep the water tower lit for pride through all of June going forward.” Lindsay Pinkham, a 38-year resident, also urged full-month lighting and tied the display to support for other marginalized residents.
City staff told the council that the lighting schedule follows a council direction adopted after discussion at the Sept. 3, 2024 meeting. The city manager said council had considered three calendar options and directed staff to combine two of them while limiting the maximum length of any single lighting event to one day up to two weeks; staff said that combined schedule has been posted to the city website. The manager also said the schedule was more recently uploaded to the website and that staff would continue to respond to resident inquiries.
Council members further discussed the desire for a clear, publicly available policy so residents know in advance which dates or holidays will prompt building illuminations. The manager confirmed the schedule and policy are available on the city website and that staff would continue to communicate about specific events.
No vote or ordinance change was taken on the tower lighting at the June 17 meeting; the discussion remained at the level of public comment and staff explanation.
