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Council proclaims Black History Month; residents urge naming honor for Larry Horner
Summary
The Thousand Oaks City Council presented a Black History Month proclamation to Thousand Oaks High School's Black Student Union; public commenters urged the council to finalize a public naming to honor former councilman and four-time mayor Larry Horner.
The Thousand Oaks City Council presented a proclamation recognizing Black History Month to Thousand Oaks High School’s Black Student Union and Harold Hutton Jr., and members of the public used the public comment period to urge the council to formally honor former councilman and four-time mayor Larry Horner.
Mayor Newman read the proclamation and Harold Hutton Jr. accepted it on behalf of Thousand Oaks High School’s Black Student Union. Hutton thanked the council for recognizing Black History Month and for honoring the role Black Americans have played in U.S. history.
During public comment, Sally Hibbits (co-president, American Association of University Women, Thousand Oaks Branch) and Narda Fagerstein (co-president, AAUW) asked the council to finalize a plan to name a prominent public facility or space for the late Larry Horner, whom speakers described as serving on the council from 1974 to 1990 and as the first elected Black city councilman and mayor in Ventura County. Speakers said Horner helped secure many city initiatives and that his family supports the proposed legacy project.
Danielle Blum, a parent, and Clint Fultz, a resident, also urged the council to act. Fultz separately asked the city to post on newer social media platforms (Blue Sky and Mastodon) in addition to larger platforms.
City Manager Powers responded that naming recognitions historically have been implemented by individual council members sponsoring a resolution for each recognition and that the council has no formal naming policy. He said staff will bring a naming policy report to the council in an upcoming meeting so the council can discuss how to proceed. Powers also said the city’s strategic communications director regularly evaluates social media platforms and that staff will continue to monitor new tools.
No formal council action was taken on naming during the meeting; the council did vote earlier in the agenda to present the Black History Month proclamation.
