Cruz Caldera, a community preservation officer with the City of Santa Clarita knows municipal codes forwards and back and he loves using that knowledge to keep the Valley looking it’s finest.
“I meet people every day in my job who are making improvements to their properties and that makes me feel very good about what I do,” says Caldera, who spends his time investigating service requests from property and business owners who aren’t in compliance with City codes.
“Some of the properties are really run down and deteriorated. Within two to three weeks of a visit from me, you can see a huge improvement. I’ve met a few people who have said, ‘You can’t tell me what to do with my property,’ but, they are few and far between,” says Caldera.
Sometimes Caldera meets people who aren’t aware that they are out of compliance with codes and he’ll meet them at City Hall to guide them through the process of securing proper permits, if they need his help.
“I really appreciate not being stuck in an office nine hours a day and instead being outdoors most of the time making a real difference in what our community looks like,” says Caldera.
Recently, he went above and beyond the call of duty while on the job. His attention to detail and a sense of unselfish compassion prevented what could have been a disaster. He was returning from a service request visit and traveling near the Placerita Canyon when he noticed an out-of-place trailer parked on the railroad tracks.
“A trailer had disconnected from the truck that was pulling it. The two ladies who owned it were returning from a camping trip and had forgotten to put the pin in on the receiver. What made it worse is that not only was the trailer stuck, the jack was damaged and wouldn’t rise up,” said Caldera.
He responded quickly knowing the metro was coming soon and the truck that was stuck was carrying propane tanks. Caldera called his supervisor to notify him of the impending danger. He also called for back-up from the Sheriff’s Department.
Caldera, with another by-stander, tightened the back-up chain to the truck and told the driver to floor it. The trailer was pulled out of the way of danger just in the nick of time, with the metro due in that exact spot in less than 30 seconds.
“When I told my kids about the trailer on the train tracks, they were so proud of me. They still brag,” says Caldera. “Somebody was watching over us that day, that’s for sure,” said Caldera.
And we sure are grateful to Caldera for caring and keeping a watchful eye on our community to insure its safety and attractive appearance on a daily basis. Keep up the great work.