Public urges Soledad to remove Cesar Chavez Park sign; mayor pauses Chavez Day proclamation

A written public comment read into the Soledad City Council meeting asked the city to remove the Cesar Chavez Park sign and consider renaming the park for Dolores Huerta or "other survivors of Cesar Chavez." The comment, submitted by Adriana Ramelli and read by staff, said the writer grew up in Soledad and urged the council to "do the right thing."

Mayor Pro Tem (speaker 1) told the council she recommended removing the council'proclaimed Cesar Chavez Day item from the agenda "in light of recent events" and emphasized that any action on the proclamation should be separated from the broader legacy of the farmworker movement, which she said remains "deeply important and worthy of recognition."

The mayor said the council would not typically respond during public comment but that the point had been taken and would be discussed. Later in the meeting she listed "renaming Cesar Chavez Park or the street" as a potential future agenda item, noting the desire to consult with the Dolores Huerta Foundation, the United Farm Workers and other local leaders before taking steps.

"The last thing I would want is to kinda retraumatize someone with what happened by renaming something," the mayor said, and asked staff to reach out for guidance from relevant organizations before any formal consideration.

Council members differed on timing: some urged patience to allow additional information to surface, while others suggested listening to community input and waiting for recommendations from advocacy organizations. No formal motion to rename or remove signage was made at the meeting; the mayor directed staff to follow up and placed the topic on the council's list of potential future agenda items.