City of Monterey permits a rainbow crosswalk, using private funding instead
Mickey Adams
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) – The city of Monterey moved forward last night to permit the establishment of a rainbow crosswalk at the mouth of Alvarado Street.
The city says the funding would come from private contributions.
The news of the approval comes after the Monterey County Republican Party called the project a waste of city resources amid ongoing budget issues.
“The city doesn’t have the money it needs to do the key things it needs. Yet, over the last several weeks, we’ve looked at increasing Council salaries, and now we’ve got this proposal,” one person said during public comment at a meeting back in May.
City of Monterey considers adding rainbow crosswalks amid controversy
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) – The City of Monterey is exploring the installation of at least one rainbow crosswalks in the city, meant to symbolize inclusivity and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Monterey’s mayor, Tyller Williamson, introduced the idea for areas around Monterey.
“If that one child comes by and sees this crosswalk and it makes the difference from them killing themselves, it is absolutely worth it,” Williamson said.
However, the Monterey County Republican Party is calling the project a waste of resources when the city is already dealing with money problems.
“The city doesn’t have the money it needs to do the key things it needs. Yet, over the last several weeks, we’ve looked at increasing Council salaries, and now we’ve got this proposal,” one person said during public comment.
The issue was discussed at a special Monterey City Council meeting on Friday. The crosswalks are meant to symbolize inclusivity and support for the city’s LGBTQ community. Three locations have been proposed for the crosswalks, each one with cultural or historical significance to that community.
“It can go a really long way for people who have otherwise felt underrepresented, unrecognized and invisible for a very long time,” another person said during public comment.
Lighthouse and Reeside avenues is being considered due to its proximity to the former site of a popular gay bar called After Dark, now known as Peak Hour.
Alvarado and Pearl streets are being considered to create a “starting line” for the city’s annual pride parade.
Pacific and Madison streets is being discussed due to its proximity to city government and services, along with being in view of the city’s annual pride flag raising in June.
The cost for the project is estimated at $2,000 to $15,000 per crosswalk, something that the County Republican Party says they take issue with.
The party released a statement saying “The mayor’s focus on personal symbolic gestures while real city needs go unmet is deeply troubling. His willingness to avoid transparency should concern every Monterey resident, regardless of political affiliation.”
City Council also brought up the idea of private contributions to help cover the costs.
No final decision was made during Friday’s meeting and the item will be continued at a future meeting in June.