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San Fernando council approves $220,615 for mall lighting after heated debate over merchant funds
Summary
After hours of public comment and testimony from the Downtown San Fernando Mall Association, the City Council authorized up to $220,615 from the Area B downtown promotional account to buy and install year‑round tree lighting and decorations for the San Fernando Mall and approved holding the annual tree lighting ceremony in the mall.
The San Fernando City Council on Tuesday authorized the city to purchase and install new year‑round lighting and holiday decorations along the San Fernando Mall and to host the annual tree‑lighting event at the mall, approving a not‑to‑exceed amount of $220,615.10 drawn from the Downtown Promotional (Area B) account.
The vote followed a lengthy public discussion, extensive testimony from mall merchants and the Downtown San Fernando Mall Association, and back‑and‑forth between council members and association leaders over the purpose and control of roughly $210,000 in district funds that have accumulated in a reserve. "Spending all of the merchants funds on Christmas decor for a single city run event would strip away the ability to sustain this progress," said Christina Bernal, president of the Downtown San Fernando Mall Association, urging the council to preserve the association's marketing reserves and to coordinate with the association on any spending.
Why this matters: the downtown district funds are assessments…
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