Tina Lopez, Mayor
Danny Valdovinos, Mayor Pro Tem
Gregorio Gomez, Council Member
Paul Boyer, Council Member
Armando Hinojosa, Council Member
Farmersville City Council
Regular Meeting
Monday, August 14, 2023 6:00 PM
Meeting held in Civic Center Council Chambers –
909 W. Visalia Road Farmersville, California
Pending no technical difficulties, the City Council meeting will also be streamed (for observation only) via Zoom and accessed as follows:
Please dial 1-669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 84794675319
Password: 996139
1. Call to Order: 6:00 pm
2. Roll Call:
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Tina Lopez Mayor Present 6:00 pm
Danny Valdovinos Mayor Pro Tem Present 6:00 pm
Greg Gomez Council Member Present 6:00 pm
Paul Boyer Council Member Absent
Armando Hinojosa Council Member Present 6:00 pm
3. Invocation: Mayor Lopez
4. Pledge of Allegiance: Mayor Pro Tem Valdovinos
5. Public Comment:
Provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the City Council on items of interest to the public within the Council’s jurisdiction and which are not already on the agenda this evening. It is the policy of the Council not to answer questions impromptu. Concerns or complaints will be referred to the City Manager’s office. Speakers should limit their comments to not more than two (2) minutes. No more than twenty (20) total minutes will be allowed for Public Comment. For items which are on the agenda this evening, members of the public will be provided an opportunity to address the council as each item is brought up for discussion. Comments are to be addressed to the Council as a body and not to any individual Council Member.
Edgar Velaquez, a Farmersville High School student is saddened to see the Police Explorer Program no longer available with the City.
Laura Velazquez, a resident of Farmersville, expressed her concerns about the duties and performance of the Police Department. She also made it clear that she is in favor of the Police Department having an Explorer Program.
Elliott Rodriguez, a resident of Farmersville thanked the Police Department for a job well done. He also mentioned the need for additional and brighter streetlights within the City.
Alice Lopez, a resident of Farmersville would like to see the community and Farmersville Police Officers work together. She also had a question regarding the expected timeline for the completion of the HWY 198 overpass project.
Ms.Trujillo, a resident of Farmersville informed the Council that a branch from an oak tree by her house fell which caused her to have no electricity for 13 hrs.
Jody Jones, a Farmersville resident expressed that officers are facing limitations due to State legislation, Mr. Jones also emphasized his desire for increased police presence within the community.
Gabriel Lopez, a resident of Farmersville, supports the City moving forward and making changes that will improve the community. Mr. Lopez also conveyed his concerns about gang violence within the City.
Olivia Gonzalez, a resident of Farmersville, supports the Police Department Explorer Program and would like the City to reinstate it.
Luis Gonzales, a Farmersville resident, shared a recent incident he experienced and mentioned that the Police Department took several minutes to respond. He also expressed his concerns regarding graffiti, vandalism, and gang violence within the community.
Mr. Rodriguez, a resident of Farmersville for 38 years, voiced his concerns about the shootings and crime occurring in the City. He also indicated his desire for increased police presence around the High School, as he observed students running stop signs.
Furthermore, he emphasized the need for improved lighting throughout the City.
Mr. Garcia, a resident of Farmersville for 35 years, communicated to the Council that he had a personal incident take place, and it took the Police Department several minutes to respond. Mr. Garcia expressed that the Police Department should enhance its visibility due to the presence of gang activity.
6. Presentations:
A. Boys & Girls Club Update
Galin Quenzer, Christian Cervantes and Renee Brisson from the Boys and Girls Club delivered a PowerPoint presentation to the Council. During this presentation, they covered various aspects of what the Boys and Girls Club provides, such as membership status, Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, Reading Corners, and Basic Life Skills.
Councilmember Hinojosa inquired about the funds the City has given the Boys and Girls Club and how it has been utilized.
7. Consent Agenda:
Under a CONSENT AGENDA category, a recommended course of action for each item is made. Any Council Member or Member of the Public may remove any item from the CONSENT AGENDA in order to discuss and/or change the recommended course of action, and the Council can approve the remainder of the CONSENT AGENDA.
A. Authorization to waive full reading of ordinances and resolutions and to identify by title only.
Recommend that the City Council approve the full reading of all ordinances and resolutions be waived and to identify by title only.
B. Minutes of Regular City Council Meeting of July 24, 2023.
Recommend approval of minutes.
Documents: Draft Action Minutes of July 24, 2023
C. 2023 League of Cities Conference - Annual Business Meeting Voting Delegates
Recommend that the City Council vote and approve Council Member Gomez to serve as Farmersville’s voting delegate for the Annual Business Meeting during this year’s CA League of Cites Conference and submit the Delegate Alternate Form.
Documents: Voting Delegate/Alternate Form and supporting materials Motion to approve as presented.
RESULT APPROVED (UNANIMOUS)
MOVER Councilmember Gomez
SECONDER Mayor Pro Tem Valdovinos
AYES Lopez, Valdovinos, Gomez, Hinojosa
ABSENT Boyer
ABSTAIN 0
8. General Business
A. Review of Community Events on Farmersville Blvd. and Use of City Resources
Recommend that the City Council review and provide direction on any proposed requirements related to community events on Farmersville Blvd. and the use of City resources.
City Manager Jennifer Gomez presented information regarding utilizing City Resources for events like the Memorial Day Parade and Fall Festival. She sought guidance on closing Farmersville Blvd. for residents or businesses seeking to hold events.
Additionally, she requested clarification on the protocol for assisting non-profit businesses. Ms. Gomez urged the Council to keep in mind that the Fall Festival and Memorial Day Parade cost $4500 for each event to the City for in-kind support.
The Council provided instructions to bring all event applications before them for approval and to require each applicant to complete an Event Funding Form.
Additionally, the Council expressed interest in having the staff inquire about the procedures adopted by other cities.
Councilmember Gomez believes that the Event Funding requests should only be taken from non-profit organizations. Additionally, the Event Funding application for the Fall Festival should not be postponed due to the item being presented again to the Council.
Ms. Gomez also updated the Council about her ongoing efforts to develop policies and procedures for event funding.
B. Award of Design Build Contract for Fire Station No. 83 to Zumwalt Construction in the amount of $6,623,428
Recommend that the City Council award the attached contract to Zumwalt Construction, of Fresno, CA, for the total construction cost of $6,431,575.00 and authorize the City Manager to administer the construction contingency of $191,853.00 for the Fire Station No. 83 Design Build construction contract.
Documents: Fire Station No. 83 Design Build Contract
Fire Station Rendering and Preliminary Floor & Site
Plans
City Manager Jennifer Gomez recommends that the Council approve Fire Station 83 contract to Zumwalt Construction. Ms. Gomez highlighted that Zumwalt Construction has successfully fulfilled all the Request for Proposal (RFP) criteria for the station's construction. She further informed the Council of the budget allocation for the project, informing how the funds would be distributed. Additionally, she furnished the Council with a preliminary floor and site plan for their review.
Public Comment:
Alice Lopez, a resident of Farmersville, raised a question regarding the routes the Fire Trucks would take entering and exiting the station.
Gabriel Lopez, a resident of Farmersville, inquired about left over funds from the build and how those funds would be used.
Motion to approve as presented.
RESULT APPROVED (UNANIMOUS)
MOVER Councilmember Gomez
SECONDER Mayor Pro Tem Valdovinos
AYES Lopez, Valdovinos, Gomez, Hinojosa
ABSENT Boyer
ABSTAIN 0
C. Crosswalks on Farmersville Blvd. at Costner Street, and Ash Avenue at Hester Street
Recommend that the City Council provide direction to staff regarding noncompliant crosswalks impacted by the 2023 Street Improvement Project.
Documents: Photos of crosswalks
City Engineer Kevin Gross is seeking guidance from the Council concerning the noncompliant crosswalks situated at two intersections: Farmersville Blvd at Costner and Ash Ave at Hester St. He also informed the Council about the specific problems associated with these crosswalks. To illustrate the concerns at each location, he presented an exhibit for reference.
Public Comment:
Alice Lopez, a resident of Farmersville would like the analysis to be conducted at peak hours.
Gabriel Lopez, a resident of Farmersville would like more cameras at the crosswalk intersection of Ash.
The Council directed the City Engineer Kevin Gross to conduct a traffic analysis at both crosswalk locations.
9. Council Reports
A. City Council Updates and Committee Reports
Councilmember Hinojosa expressed concerns about the water in the canal at Sequoia Gateway Park, particularly related to children playing near it. As a possible solution, he suggested installing a small fence around the canal to ensure safety.
Public Works Director Jeff Dowlen informed the Council that the canal at Sequoia Gateway Park belongs to People’s Ditch.
Councilmember Gomez shared with the Council that the first day of school, which occurred on Thursday, resulted in challenging traffic conditions. He also took the opportunity to express gratitude to the Police Department for effectively managing traffic around the schools during this time. Mr. Gomez then requested updates on two specific matters: the public comments concerning the Police Explorer Program and the latest details regarding streetlights. Furthermore, he inquired about any progress updates regarding the HWY 198 overpass project.
City Manager Jennifer Gomez responded to Councilmember Gomez's concerns. Firstly, she shared that the Police Department Explorer Program has been discontinued due to concerns about potential liability for the City. Additionally, she mentioned that she is awaiting a response from Jim Costa's office regarding the appropriation intended for new streetlights within the City. Ms. Gomez highlighted that additional procedural steps at the Federal level need to be completed before the Federal government can issue a check to the City. The approved amount for this appropriation is currently $500,000.00.
Once the approval is secured, Ms. Gomez indicated her intention to return to the Council to seek approval for the placement of new streetlights. Ms. Gomez further provided updates during the Council session. She mentioned that she's awaiting a response from Edison regarding the potential replacement of streetlights on Farmersville Blvd. In addition, Ms. Gomez conveyed that HWY 198 overpass will hopefully be completed around mid-September.
Mayor Pro Tem Valdovinos raised several points during the session. He expressed concern about the presence of weeds at the School District and sought clarification on the responsible party for the cleanup of these areas. He also brought to the attention of the Public Works Department the existence of several vacant lots that have become overgrown with weeds. Mr. Valdovinos also shared positive feedback, noting the success of the Back-to-School backpack event. He also conveyed an issue he encountered over the weekend, mentioning that his experience with the staff from the Public Works department at the Splash Pad was less than satisfactory.
Mayor Lopez inquired if letters have been sent to residents regarding Code Enforcement violations. Additionally, she sought information about the feasibility of revising the existing ordinance to establish more stringent policies and fines. Ms. Lopez also inquired about the possibilities of incorporating Cameron Creek.
City Manager Jennifer Gomez informed the Council that Cameron Creek residents do not want to be annexed.
Battalion Chief Thomas informed the Council that the Code Enforcement team has taken action by sending out multiple letters addressing issues related to weed abatement, graffiti and abandoned vehicles. However, delays have arisen due to residents requesting extra time to address these concerns.
10. Staff Communications:
City Engineer Kevin Gross provided updates to the Council. He reported that the street project has been completed, while the alley project is currently in progress. Mr. Gross also shared that the final approval for the Hwy 198 project has been submitted to Cal Trans, and the city is awaiting their approval.
Public Works Director Jeff Dowlen updated the Council on recent developments. He noted that during the Alley project, a contractor inadvertently hit a water line, resulting in disruptions. The Public Works department has resolved this issue.
Battalion Chief Jim Thomas reported that Code Enforcement mailed out graffiti letters today. The City's new Water tinder should be ready for pickup this week. He also mentioned that the Patrol engine had been dispatched for the past four days in response to the Dry Creek Fire. Furthermore, he shared that the Fire Department recently delivered a baby within the City.
11. Future Agenda Items
1. Amend Ordinance – Temporary Outdoor Use Permits
2. Review of Cannabis Cultivation
3. Site Visits to Woodlake, Exeter, and Lindsay
4. Water Restrictions
5. Update City Ordinances related to Code Enforcement
6. Reopening Two-way Traffic on E. Citrus at Freedom Drive
7. Transit Services with Visalia Transit and TCRTA
12. Adjourn to Closed Session:
Mayor Lopez adjourned to closed session at 8:09 pm.
A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – EXISTING LITIGATION
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
Name of Case: Quad Knopf, Inc. et al. v. Atkins North America, Inc., et al., Kern County Superior Court Case No. BCV-22-102417
13. Reconvene to Open Session:
Mayor Lopez reconvened to open session at 9:08 pm with nothing to report.
14. Closed Session Report (if any):
15. Adjournment:
Mayor Lopez adjourned the meeting at 9:08 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Rochelle Giovani, City Clerk
Strong Roots…..Growing Possibilities