County shows three monument designs and two motto options for Nuevo; community poll to pick final model

County transportation project manager Alfredo Martinez presented several monument and logo concepts for the Lake View/Nuevo beautification project and outlined a community-driven selection process.

Martinez said the county identified five possible monument sites and offered three concept sketches that emphasize the area's natural and rural character. He said a prior poll left two motto candidates in a near tie (presented in the meeting as variants of "Simple living, strong community" and "Peaceful living, proudly Nuevo"). He described the designs as preliminary and said the next steps are a focused community poll and an ad‑hoc beautification committee meeting to finalize the logo and monument approach.

Dennis Akuna (transportation) and Supervisor Gutierrez's office representatives discussed timing and funding. Akuna estimated that design would take about four to six months after selection and that construction could begin within about a year after public bidding, provided utility and grading constraints are addressed.

Local artists and residents asked about materials, maintenance, and vandalism risks; staff said they will prioritize durable, low‑maintenance options and consider visibility and safety at proposed locations. Community members volunteered to meet at the library for additional input and possible design submissions from local artists.

What happens next: The county and the supervisor's office will run a follow‑up community poll, convene the beautification ad‑hoc committee to finalize a selection, and begin design phase once a final model is chosen.