5 7 C&B-6, View to the Southeast, West Elevation,
Sunroom/Breakfast Nook ............................................................................... 18 8 C&B-6, View to the Southeast, North and East Elevations, View to the Northwest.................................................................................... 19
6 1.0 Introduction
At the request of Crawford and Bowen Planning, Hudlow Cultural Resource Associates conducted a Phase I Cultural Resource Survey in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act for a proposed single-family residential development for Bonadelle Neighborhoods. The approximate 14-acre tract lies at the southwest corner of Lacey Boulevard and 12 ½ Avenue in the City of Hanford, California. This project is being undertaken in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with the City of Hanford responsible as Lead Agency to implement CEQA. The Phase I Cultural Resource Survey consisted of a pedestrian survey and a cultural resource record search.
CEQA is a California statute passed in 1970. Governor Ronald Reagan signed it into law, after the federal government passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). CEQA institutes a statewide policy of environmental protection. CEQA does not directly regulate land uses, but instead requires state and local agencies within California to follow a protocol of analysis and public disclosure of environmental impacts of proposed projects and, in a departure from NEPA, adopt all feasible measures to mitigate those impacts. CEQA makes environmental protection a mandatory part of every California state and local agency's decision making process.
CEQA was signed into law in 1970, in a time of increasing public concern for the environment. The statute required that for any public project, the government must conduct an environmental study to examine what impacts the project might have on things like air/water quality, noise, transportation, biological resources, or cultural resources, and generate an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) documenting the impacts as well as any potential and planned mitigations. In 1972, state courts interpreted a public project as a development project that needed government approval.
In 1969, NEPA passed into law. It is similar to CEQA in that both statutes set forth a policy of environmental protection, and a protocol by which all agencies in their respective jurisdictions make environmental protection part of their decision making process. NEPA is narrower in scope than CEQA. NEPA applies only to projects receiving federal funding or approval by federal agencies, while CEQA applies to projects receiving any form of state or local approval, permit, or oversight. Thus, development projects in California funded only by private sources and not requiring approval by a federal agency would be exempt from NEPA; but would likely be subject to CEQA.
The CEQA statute, California Public Resources Code § 21000 et seq., codifies a statewide policy of environmental protection. According to CEQA, state and local agencies must give consideration to environmental protection
7 in regulating public and private activities and should not approve projects for which feasible and environmentally superior mitigation measures or alternatives exist.
CEQA mandates actions that all state and local agencies must do to advance this policy. Specifically, for any project under CEQA's jurisdiction with potentially significant environmental impacts, agencies must identify mitigation measures and alternatives by preparing an Environmental Impact Report and must approve projects with feasible mitigation measures and the environmentally superior alternative. The California Natural Resources Agency promulgates the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations Title 14 § 15000 et seq., which detail the protocol by which state and local agencies must comply with CEQA requirements. CEQA originally applied to only public projects, but California Supreme Court interpretation of the statute, as well as later revisions, expanded CEQA's jurisdiction to nearly all projects within California, including those proposed by private businesses and individuals. § 21002.1 states "Each public agency shall mitigate or avoid the significant effects on the environment of projects that it carries out or approves whenever it is feasible to do so." For private projects, CEQA applies when a discretionary government permit or other entitlement for use is necessary.
The lead agency, the City of Hanford, is responsible for conducting the CEQA review and has final approval of the project. The City of Hanford is also responsible for coordinating with the project applicant, public, and associated agencies during the CEQA process.
2.0 Project Location
The project area is in the City of Hanford, California. It is a portion of the W ½ of the NW ¼ of the NE ¼ of Section 34, T.18S., R.21E., Mount Diablo Baseline and Meridian, as displayed on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Hanford 7.5-minute quadrangle map (Figure 1). The proposed single-family residential development is located at the southwest corner of 12 ½th and Lacey Boulevard, in the City of Hanford, California.
3.0 Record Search
A record search of the project area and the environs within one half-mile radius was conducted at the Southern San Joaquin Valley Information Center.
Scott M. Hudlow conducted the record search, RS# 25-424, on October 8, 2025.
The record search revealed that six cultural resource surveys have been conducted within one half-mile radius of the project area. No previous surveys have addressed the parcel in question. Two cultural resources are located within one half-mile of the current project area, a historic rail line and a historic agricultural ditch (Appendix II). No cultural resources have previously identified within the current project area.
8 4.0 Environmental Background
The project area is located at an elevation of 245 feet above mean sea level in the Great Central Valley, which is composed of two valleys-the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valley. The parcel is located south of the Kings River and it is surrounded on three side by Mussel Slough. The project area is an alfalfa field and a house lot, which is planted with a variety of decorative floral species. No native vegetation survives (Figures 2 and 3).
5.0 Prehistoric Archaeological Context
A limited amount of archaeological research has been conducted in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Thus, consensus on a generally agreed upon regional cultural chronology has yet to be developed. Most cultural sequences can be summarized into several distinct time periods: Early, Middle, and Late.
Sequences differ in their inclusion of various "horizons," "technologies," or "stages." A prehistoric archaeological summary of the southern San Joaquin Valley is available in Moratto (Moratto 1984).
Despite the preoccupation with chronological issues in most of the previous research, most suggested chronological sequences are borrowed from other regions with minor modifications based on sparse local data.
The following chronology is based on Parr and Osborne's Paleo-Indian, Proto-Archaic, Archaic, Post-Archaic periods (Parr and Osborne 1992:44-47).
Most existing chronologies focus on stylistic changes of time-sensitive artifacts such as projectile points and beads rather than addressing the socioeconomic factors, which produced the myriad variations. In doing so, these attempts have encountered similar difficulties. These cultural changes are implied as environmentally determined, rather than economically driven.
Paleo-Indians, whom roamed the region approximately 12,000 years ago, were highly mobile individuals. Their subsistence is assumed to have been primarily big game, which was more plentiful 12,000 years ago than in the late twentieth century. However, in the Great Basin and California, Paleo people were also foragers who exploited a wide range of resources. Berries, seeds, and small game were also consumed. Their technology was portable, including manos (Parr and Osborne 1992:44). The paleo period is characterized by fluted Clovis and Folsom points, which have been identified throughout North America. The Tulare Lake region in Kings County has yielded several PaleoIndian sites, which have included fluted points, scrapers, chipped crescents, and Lake Mojave-type points (Morratto 1984:81-2).
The Proto-Archaic period, which dates from approximately 11,000 to 8,000 years ago, was characterized by a reduction in mobility and conversely an increase in sedentism. This period is classified as the Western Pluvial Lake Tradition or the Proto-Archaic, of which the San Dieguito complex is a major aspect (Moratto 1984: 90-99; Warren 1967). An archaeological site along Buena
9 Figure 1
Project Area Location Map
10 Vista Lake in southwestern Kern County displays a similar assemblage to the San Dieguito type site. Claude Warren proposes that a majority of Proto-Archaic southern California could be culturally classified as the San Dieguito Complex (Warren 1967). The Buena Vista Lake site yielded manos, millingstones, large stemmed and foliate points, a mortar, and red ochre. During this period, subsistence patterns began to change. Hunting focused on smaller game and plant collecting became more integral. Large stemmed, lancelote (foliate) projectile points represents lithic technology. Millingstones become more prevalent. The increased sedentism possibly began to create regional stylistic and cultural differences not evident in the paleo period.
The Archaic period persisted in California for the next 4000 years. In 1959, Warren and McKusiak proposed a three-phase chronological sequence based on a small sample of burial data for the Archaic period (Moratto 1984:189; Parr and Osborne 1992:47). It is distinguished by increased sedentism and extensive seed and plant exploitation. Millingstones, shaped through use, were abundant. Bedrock manos and metates were the most prevalent types of millingstones (Parr and Osborne 1992:45). The central valley began to develop distinct cultural variations, which can be distinguished by different regions throughout the valley, including Madera County.
In the Post-Archaic period enormous cultural variations began manifesting themselves throughout the entire San Joaquin Valley. This period extends into the contact period in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Sedentary village life was emblematic of the Post-Archaic period, although hunting and gathering continued as the primary subsistence strategy.
Agriculture was absent in California, partially due to the dense, predictable, and easily exploitable natural resources. The ancestral Yokuts have possibly been in the valley for the last three thousand years, and by the eighteenth century were the largest pre-contact population, approximately 40,000 individuals, in California (Moratto 1984).
6.0 Ethnographic Background
The Yokuts are a Penutian-speaking, non-political cultural group.
Penutian speakers inhabited the San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area, and the central Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Yokuts are split into three major groups, the Northern Valley Yokuts, the Southern Valley Yokuts, and the Foothill Yokuts.
The southern San Joaquin Valley in the Hanford area was home to the Yokuts tribelet, Tachi. The tribelet had approximately 550 people, had a special name for themselves, and spoke a unique dialect of Yokuts. Land was owned, collectively, and every group member enjoyed the right to utilize food resources. The Tachi occupied the area surrounding the nowextinct Tulare Lake (Latta 1999).
The Southern Valley Yokuts had a mixed economy emphasizing fishing, hunting, fowling, and collecting shellfish, roots, and seeds. Fish were the most
11 Figure 2
Project Area, View to the Southwest
prevalent resource and was a productive activity throughout the entire year.
Fish were caught in many different manners, including nets, conical basket traps, catching with bare hands, shooting with bows and arrows, and stunning fish with mild floral toxins. Geese, ducks, mud hens and other waterfowl were caught in snares, long-handled nets, stuffed decoys, and brushing brush to trick the birds to fly low into waiting hunters. Mussels were gathered and steamed on beds of tule. Turtles and dogs were consumed (Wallace 1978:449-450).
Wild seeds and roots provided a large portion of the Yokuts’ diet. Tule seeds, grass seeds, fiddleneck, alfilaria were also consumed. Acorns, the staple crop for many California native cultures, were not common in the San Joaquin Valley. Acorns were traded into the area. Land mammals, such as rabbits, ground squirrels, antelope and tule elk, were not taken often (Wallace 1978:450).
The Yokuts occupied permanent structures in permanent villages for most of the year. During the late and early summer, families left for several months to gather seeds and plant foods, shifting camp locations when changing crops.
Several different types of fiber-covered structures were common in Yokuts settlements. The largest was a communal tule mat-covered, wedge-shaped
12 Figure 3
Project Area, View to the Northeast
structure, which could house upward of ten individuals. These structures were established in a row, with the village chief’s house in the middle and his messenger’s houses were located at the ends of the house row. Dance houses and assembly buildings were located outside the village living area (Nabokov and Easton 1989:301).
The Yokuts also built smaller, oval, single-family tule dwellings. These houses were covered with tall mohya stalks or with sewn tule mats. Bent-pole ribs that met a ridgepole held by two crotched poles framed these small houses. The Yokuts also built a cone-shaped dwelling, which was framed with poles tied together with a hoop and then covered with tule or grass. These cone-shaped dwellings were large enough to contain multiple fireplaces (Nabokov and Easton 1989:301). Other structures included mat-covered granaries for storing food supplies, and a dirt-covered, communally owned sweathouse.
Clothing was minimal, men wore a breechclout or were naked. Women wore a narrow-fringed apron. Cold temperatures brought out rabbitskin or mud hen blankets. Moccasins were worn in certain places; however, most people went barefoot. Men wore no head coverings, but women wore basketry caps
13 when they carried burden baskets on their heads. Hair was worn long. Women wore tattoos from the corners of the mouth to the chin; both men and women had ear and nose piercings. Bone, wood or shell ornaments were inserted (Wallace 1978:450-451).
Tule dominated the Yokut’s material culture. It was used for many purposes, including sleeping mats, wall coverings, cradles, and basketry.
Ceramics are uncommon to Yokuts culture as is true throughout most California native cultures. Basketry was common to Yokuts culture. Yokuts made cooking containers, conical burden baskets, flat winnowing trays, seed beaters, and necked water bottles. Yokuts also manufactured wooden digging sticks, fire drills, mush stirrers, and sinew-backed bows. Knives, projectile points, and scraping tools were chipped from imported lithic materials including obsidian, chert, and chalcedony. Stone mortars and pestles were secured in trade.
Cordage was manufactured from milkweed fibers, animal skins were tanned, and awls were made from bone. Marine shells, particularly olivella shells, were used in the manufacture of money and articles of personal adornment. Shells were acquired from the Chumash along the coast (Wallace 1978:451-453).
The basic social and economic unit was the nuclear family. Lineages were organized along patrilineal lines. Yokuts fathers transmitted totems, particular to each paternal lineage, to each of his children. The totem was an animal or bird that no member would kill or eat and that was dreamed of and prayed to. The mother’s totem was not passed to her offspring; but was treated with respect. Families sharing the same totem formed an exogamous lineage.
The lineage had no formal leader nor did it own land. The lineage was a mechanism for transmitting offices and performing ceremonial functions. The lineages formed two moieties, East and West, which consisted of several different lineages. Moieties were customarily exogamous. Children followed the paternal moiety. Certain official positions within the villages were associated with certain totems. The most important was the Eagle lineage from which the village chief was appointed. A member of the Dove lineage acted as the chief’s assistant. He supervised food distribution and gave commands during ceremonies. Another hereditary position was common to the Magpie lineage, was that of spokesman or crier.
7.0 Historic Context
Kings County was formed from Fresno County in 1893; however, it was settled in the 1850s, soon after California joined the United States after the passage of the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to join the Union as a free state even though a major portion of the state lay beneath the Missouri Compromise line; and was potentially subject to southern settlement and slavery. Americans had long been visiting and working in California prior to the admission of California into the Union.
The European settlement of California began in 1769, after the Spanish moved north from Baja California into Alta California. Father Junipero Serra, a
14 Franciscan friar founded Mission San Diego de Alcala, beginning California active European settlement. However, Spanish mission efforts were focused on California’s coastal regions. Spanish exploration of the San Joaquin Valley region begins in the 1770s. In 1772, Pedro Fages arrived in the San Joaquin Valley searching for army deserters. Father Francisco Garces, a Franciscan priest, soon visited the vicinity in 1776. The Spanish empire collapsed in 1820; Spain’s former Central and South American colonies became independent nations. As a result, California became Mexican territory. California stayed in Mexican hands until the Mexican-American War. Mexican California remained a coastal society with little interest in settling in California’s hot, dry interior valleys.
American exploration of the San Joaquin Valley begins in the 1820s with Jedediah Smith, Kit Carson, and Joseph Walker looking for commercial opportunities. The United States government began exploring California in the 1830s. Soon, the Americans will be searching for intercontinental railroad routes to link the eastern and western halves of the continent.
The defeat of the Mexicans during the Mexican-American War and the subsequent discovery of gold will drastically alter the complicated political realities of the west. The Mexican-American War was ostensible fought to settle a boundary dispute with the Mexicans over the western boundary of the newlyannexed state of Texas, which had fought a successful rebellion against the Mexican Army in the mid-1830s. The Republic of Texas was an independent country for nine years until Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845.
One major outcome of the Mexican-American War was that Mexico rescinded its claims to much of the American southwest. In 1848 these territories were folded into the United States, including California.
In January 1848, the discovery of gold in Coloma, California changed the settlement of California, forever. In the summer of 1848, when the gold strike was publicly announced, the overnight settlement of California began. The Mexican population of California was small and limited to the coasts and a few of southern California’s interior valleys. A sizable native population settled the remainder of California; Fresno County was Yokuts territory. The Gold Rush tipped the balance of native communities throughout California, as many of California’s natives were decimated.
In 1856, Fresno County was created from the northern half of Tulare County. The original county seat was at Millerton. The west side of Fresno County was largely the northern half of Tulare Lake, which no longer exists, due to farming and damming of the rivers, which fed the lake. Settlement of the western portion of Fresno County was abetted by the arrival of the Southern Pacific (SP) Railroad in 1877. The Southern Pacific was originally built from San Francisco to Bakersfield. The Hanford townsite was named for the SP paymaster, James Madison Hanford, who was originally from New York.
Hanford made his way to California during the Gold Rush. The city of Hanford
15 was oriented along the rail line. Hanford was incorporated in 1891; and became the county seat of Kings County in 1893.
Hanford sits at the center of a rich agricultural region, farming the former Tulare Lake basin and the region. Farmers and cattle ranchers settled the valley. Wheat was originally the major agricultural crop. H.G. Lacey built an early flour processing mill in Hanford. Cattle ranchers and shepherds grazed their animals throughout the region until 1903, when the laws changed.
8.0 Field Procedures and Methods
On October 22, 2025, Scott M. Hudlow (for qualifications see Appendix I) conducted a pedestrian archaeological survey of the entire proposed project area. Hudlow surveyed in north/south transects across the entire parcel in 10- meter (33 feet) intervals.
9.0 Report of Archaeological Findings
One cultural resource was identified, C&B-6. C&B-6 is a two-story early twentieth century late Victorian farmhouse. The house and farm predates 1926, when it was displayed on a USGS Hanford quadrangle map (Figure 4). The twostory house is set back from Lacey Boulevard (Figure 5). This late Victorian house is the center of a large agricultural complex that is largely located directly to the west of the house that includes four standing outbuildings. A ditch separates the house and work complex from the adjacent fields. The complex is shaded by an interesting mixture of pines, palms, eucalyptus, pecans, and walnuts.
The frame house rests on a raised poured-in-place and is covered with a pyramidal roof pierced with a single north-facing dormer window and is clad with horizontal shiplap siding. A large porch is attached to the north elevation, which is supported by unadorned columns. A low, wooden rail surrounds the porch’s flat roof, giving the appearance of a two-story porch. The porch has closed eaves, echoing the closed eaves under the house’s pyramidal roof. The porch shelters an off-center entrance, which is flanked by a pair of large decorative replacement windows on the north elevation. The entrance on the north elevation is also a replacement door. The west elevation has a second porch that is also raised on a poured-in-place foundation. The second porch is not attached to the porch on the north elevation, and it has a shed roof. The porch shelters two large replacement windows on the west elevation (Figure 6).
The porch does not extend across the entire west elevation; instead it is incorporated into a breakfast nook/sunroom that is an addition located in the southwest corner of the house (Figure 7).
The sunroom/breakfast nook incorporates the southern edge of the porch (see Figure 7). The sunroom is well-lit with north-, south-, and west-facing windows. A side entrance is located under the side porch accessing the side porch on the west elevation. The sunroom addition is covered with a pyramidal
16 roof with open eaves and a large second-story bay window is located on the second floor (see Figure 7). The bay window is covered with a shed roof, and is possibly an addition built over the breakfast nook/sunroof, and not part of the construction of the breakfast nook/sunroom construction.
The south elevation has another one-story addition attached to it, expanding the house to the south (Figure 8). The addition, which is covered with a pyramidal roof, has two doors and a closet for a hot water heater. Both entrances have stepped, brick landing areas. In the southwest corner is the first of the two doors; oddly, it is covered with a shed roof that descends to the west.
The door is flanked to the west with a triple window unit, which is also possibly an addition. The hot water heater closet is located to the east. East of the hot Figure 4
1926 USGS Hanford Quadrangle Map
17 Figure 5
C&B-6, View to the Southeast
Figure 6
C&B-6, View to the Southeast, West Elevation
18 water heater is a second entrance. It is flanked by a pair of windows; the window to the west is possibly a bathroom window and the eastern window piercing is a full-size window. A window pierces the east elevation of the addition. These window have replacement sash, which is common throughout the house. This rear addition is probably a kitchen/bath addition to accommodate a growing family. The east elevation is pierced with four windows, which flank an external brick, whitewashed chimney. The small chimney, probably indicates the location of the house’s social space.
Figure 7
C&B-6, View to the Southeast, West Elevation, Sunroom/Breakfast Nook
19 Figure 8
C&B-6, View to the Southeast, North and East Elevations, View to the Northwest A large outbuilding complex is located to the west of the house.
However, a pair of outbuildings are located to the southeast of the house.
These two attached work/storage buildings are covered with gabled roofs, clad with board and batten cladding. The work complex to the west has three and a foundation. A pile of bricks possibly indicate the location of another building.
The first building is an agricultural building, the second building is for storage, and the third building is a large three-car garage. The foundation is located in the northwest corner of the property. It had a centered entrance on the south elevation, and the building was raised on sills. A large concrete pad is attached to the building’s west elevation. A twisted metal roof is present as well as remnants of plaster walls. The building was surrounded by a small fence.
Concrete post molds indicate the location of a clothes line.
10.0 Management Recommendations
At the request of Crawford and Bowen Planning, Inc., a Phase I Cultural Resource Survey was conducted on an approximate 14-acre parcel, located at the southwest corner of Lacey Boulevard and 12 ½ Avenue in the City of Hanford, California. The Phase I Cultural Resource Survey consisted of an archaeological survey and a cultural resource record search.
20 One cultural resource was identified, C&B-6. The farmhouse pre-dates 1926. Bonadelle Neighborhoods is proposing to demolish the two-story farmhouse which fronts Lacey Boulevard, and build a single-family residential tract.
C&B-6 has several large additions to the south and east elevations of the house and a deteriorating set of outbuidlings located to the west of the main house, and is not eligible for nomination to the California Register of Historic Resources.
C&B-6 is not associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history or the cultural heritage of California or the United States. Criterion 1 of the California Register of Historical Resources does not apply.
C&B-6 is not associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history. As such, Criterion 2 of the California Register of Historical Resources does not apply.
C&B-6 does not embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region or method of construction or represent the work of a master or possess high artistic values. C&B-6 is typical, vernacular farmhouse from the early twentieth-century. Criterion 3 of the California Register of Historical Resources does not apply.
C&B-6 will not yield, and does not have the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California or the nation.
Criterion 4 of the California Register of Historical Resources does not apply, since this Criterion is largely set aside for important resources whose historic or cultural significance is prehistoric in nature or whose value can not be ascertained without archaeological excavation.
No further work is required. If archaeological resources are encountered during the course of construction, a buffer zone of at least 50 feet in diameter should be established surrounding any cultural resources that are encountered during the course of construction and a qualified archaeologist should be consulted for further evaluation, before ground disturbance activities continue in the area surrounding the inadvertent discovery.
If human remains or potential human remains are observed during construction, work in the vicinity of the remains will cease, and they will be treated in accordance with the provisions of State Health and Safety Code Section 7050.5. The protection of human remains follows California Public Resources Codes, Sections 5097.94, 5097.98, and 5097.99.
21 11.0 References
Latta, Frank F.
1999 Handbook of Yokuts Indians. Coyote Press, Salinas, California.
Moratto, Michael J.
1984 California Archaeology. Academic Press, Orlando, Florida.
Nabokov, Peter and Robert Easton
1989 Native American Architecture. Oxford University Press, New York, New York.
Parr, Robert E. and Richard Osborne
1992 Route Adoption Study for Highway 58, Kern County, California.
Report on file, Southern San Joaquin Archaeological Information Center, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, California.
Wallace, William J.
1978 "Southern Valley Yokuts" in Handbook of North American Indians.
Vol. 8, California, Robert F. Heizer, ed. Washington, D.C.:
Smithsonian Institution, pp. 437-445.
Warren, Claude N. and M. B. McKusiak
1959 A Burial Complex from the southern San Joaquin Valley. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles, Archaeological Survey Annual Report, 1959: 17-26.
Warren, Claude N.
1967 "The San Dieguito Complex: A Review and Hypothesis" American Antiquity 32(2): 168-185.
22
23 Appendix I
24
25 Scott M. Hudlow
1405 Sutter Lane
Bakersfield, California 93309
(661) 834-9183
Education
The George Washington University
M.A. American Studies, 1993
Specialization in Historical Archaeology
and Architectural History
University of California, Berkeley
B.A. History, 1987
B.A. Anthropology, 1987
Specialization in Historical Archaeology
and Colonial History
Public Service
3/94-12/02 Historic Preservation Commission. City of Bakersfield, Bakersfield, California 93305.
7/97-12/01 Newsletter Editor. California History Action, newsletter for the California Council for the Promotion of History.
Relevant Work Experience
8/96- Adjutant Faculty. Bakersfield College, 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, California, 93305. Teach History 17A, Introduction to American History and Anthropology 5, Introduction to North American Indians.
Owner, Sole Proprietorship. Hudlow Cultural Resource Associates. 1405 Sutter Lane, Bakersfield California 93309. Operate small cultural resource management business. Manage contracts, respond to RFP's, bill clients, manage temporary employees. Conduct Phase I archaeological and architectural surveys for private and public clients; including the cultural resource survey, documentary photography, measured drawings, mapping of structures, filing of survey forms, historic research, assessing impact and writing reports. Evaluated archaeological and architectural sites and properties in lieu of their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places in association with Section 106 and 110 requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act).
Full resume is available upon request.
26
27 Appendix II
28
29
30
CITY OF HANFORD | Crawford & Bowen Planning, 120
Bonadelle Lacey Ave Residential Project | Initial Study Appendix D
Traffic Impact Study
Lacey Blvd/12 ½ Ave Residential Development
Traffic Impact Analysis
September 1, 2026
Prepared by:
VRPA Technologies, Inc.
4630 W. Jennifer, Suite 105
Fresno, CA 93722
Lacey Blvd/12½Ave Residential Development
Traffic Impact Analysis
Study Team
Georgiena Vivian, President, VRPA Technologies, Inc., [email protected], Ph: (559) 259-9257
Erik Ruehr, Director of Traffic Engineering, VRPA Technologies, Inc., [email protected], Ph: (858) 566-1766
Jeff Stine, Senior Transportation Planner, VRPA Technologies, Inc., [email protected], Ph: (858) 566-1766
Michiel Gallanosa, Engineering Technician, VRPA Technologies, Inc., [email protected], Ph: (559) 271-1200
Table of Contents
Section Description
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Description of the Region/Project
1.1.1 Project Access
1.1.2 Study Area
1.1.3 Study Scenarios
1.2 Methodology
1.2.1 Intersection Analysis
1.3 Policies to Maintain level of Service
1.4 VMT Analysis
2.0 Project Traffic
2.1 Trip Generation
2.2 Trip Distribution
2.3 Project Traffic
3.0 Traffic Analysis
3.1 Existing (2026) Traffic Conditions
3.2 Opening Year (2027) Traffic Conditions
3.3 Horizon Year (2046) Traffic Conditions
3.4 Queuing Analysis
3.5 CEQA Transportation Impact Determination
3.6 Cumulative Developments
3.7 Improvements to Avenue 12 ½
3.8 Multimodal Transportation Analysis
3.9 Access Management and Site Circulation
4.0 Conclusion
4.1 TIA Guidelines Conformance Statement
Appendices
Appendix A – Traffic Count Data Worksheets
Appendix B – Synchro Worksheets
Appendix C – TIA Scoping Form
Appendix D – 12 ½ Avenue and Lacey Boulevard Cross Sections
List of Tables
1-1 Signalized Intersections Level of Service Definitions 1-2 Unsignalized Intersections Level of Service Definitions 2-1 Project Trip Generation
2-2 Existing and Opening Year Intersection Operations
2-3 Existing and Opening Year Queuing Operations
3-1 Horizon Year Intersection Operations
3-2 Horizon Year Queuing Operations
List of Figures
1-1 Regional Location
1-2 Project Location
1-3 Site Plan
2-1 Project Trip Distribution
2-2 Project Peak Hour Trips AM
2-3 Project Peak Hour Trips PM
3-1 Existing (2026) Lane Geometry
3-2 Existing (2026) Peak Hour Traffic AM
3-3 Existing (2026) Peak Hour Traffic PM
3-4 Opening Year (2027) Without Project AM
3-5 Opening Year (2027) Without Project PM
3-6 Opening Year (2027) With Project AM
3-7 Opening Year (2027) With Project PM
3-8 Horizon Year (2046) Without Project AM
3-9 Horizon Year (2046) Without Project PM
3-10 Horizon Year (2046) With Project AM
3-11 Horizon Year (2046) With Project PM
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Description of the Region/Project
This Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) has been prepared for the purpose of analyzing traffic conditions related to the proposed Lacey Blvd/12 ½ Residential Development (the Project) in the City of Hanford. The TIA is intended to identify the extent to which the Project would affect traffic operations that may indicate a need for improvements within the study area and/or other measures to address traffic operations.
This TIA provides both a Local Transportation Analysis (LTA) for General Plan consistency and CEQA transportation impact determination. Information for the LTA is provided throughout the document and the CEQA transportation impact determination is included in Section 3.5.
The project calls for the development of 75 single-family residential units located on the southwest corner of Lacey Blvd and 12 ½ Avenue in the City of Hanford. Figure 1-1 shows the regional context of the Project site while Figure 1-2 shows the Project location. Figure 1-3 shows the site plan of the proposed Project. The Project is consistent with the City’s General Plan and does not require a General Plan Amendment. The current and proposed land use is residential.
1.1.1 Project Access
The Project has one primary access point, located along the west side of 12 ½ Avenue.
1.1.2 Study Area
The study intersections included in this TIA are listed below and shown in Figure 1-2. The study intersections were developed in consultation with the City of Hanford.
Intersections
1 – Lacey Blvd and 12 ½ Ave
1.1.3 Study Scenarios
This TIA includes level of service (LOS) analysis for the following traffic scenarios (Study Scenarios):
Existing (2026) Conditions
Opening Year 2027 Without Project
Opening Year 2027 With Project
Horizon (Future) Year 2046 Without Project
Horizon (Future) Year 2046 With Project
1.2 Methodology
This TIA was prepared using general principles outlined in the City of Hanford’s Traffic Impact Analysis Guidelines. A Traffic Impact Analysis Scoping Document was prepared and a copy is included in Appendix C.
In analyzing street and intersection capacities, the Level of Service (LOS) methodologies are applied. LOS standards are applied by transportation agencies to quantitatively assess a street and highway system’s performance. In addition, safety concerns are analyzed to determine the need for appropriate mitigation resulting from increased traffic near sensitive uses and other evaluations such as the need for signalized intersections or other improvements. Guidelines incorporated in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), 7th Edition, were also used in the development of this TIA.
1.2.1 Intersection Analysis
Intersection LOS analysis was conducted using the Synchro software program. Synchro supports HCM methodologies and is deemed an acceptable program by City of Hanford. LOS can be determined for both signalized and unsignalized intersections.
Tables 2-2 and 2-3 define LOS “A” to “F” by indicating the ranges in the amounts of average delay for a vehicle at signalized and unsignalized intersections for each level of service ranging from LOS “A” to “F”. When an intersection does not meet target LOS standards (LOS A, B, C, or D), analysis is conducted to determine whether improvements are needed.
In addition, for unsignalized intersections that do not meet acceptable LOS standards, an evaluation would be conducted to determine whether signal warrants would indicate the need for a traffic signal. Signal warrants are numerical thresholds used by traffic engineers to determine whether a traffic signal is needed. If signal warrants are not met, the typical conclusion is that the intersection is operating at an acceptable LOS. The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (California MUTCD) introduces standards for determining the need for traffic signals. The California MUTCD indicates that the satisfaction of one or more traffic signal warrants does not in itself require the installation of a traffic signal. In addition to the warrant analysis, an engineering study of the current or expected traffic conditions should be conducted to determine whether the installation of a traffic signal is justified.
1.3 Policies to Maintain Level of Service
In accordance with standard TIA practice, the goal of the project is to achieve a target LOS D or better for street segments and intersections.
1.4 VMT Analysis
A vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis is provided in Section 3.5.
Table 1-1
Signalized Intersections Level of Service Definitions
(Highway Capacity Manual)
Table 1-2
Unsignalized Intersections Level of Service Definitions (Highway Capacity Manual)
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Regional Location
Project Location
LEGEND
Figure
1-1
North
Project Location Study Area Intersection
LEGEND
Existing Roadway
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Project Location
Figure
1-2
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Site Plan
Figure
1-3
North
2.0 Project Traffic
2.1 Trip Generation
To assess the impact that the Project may have on the surrounding roadway network, the first step is to determine Project trip generation. Project trip generation was determined using trip generation rates from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual (12th Edition). The considerations described above led to the recommended trip generation for weekday AM (7:00-9:00am) and PM (4:00-6:00pm) peak hours shown in Table 2-1.
Based on the results of Table 2-1, the Project generates 871 daily trips, 56 trips in the AM peak hour, and 74 trips in the PM peak hour.
2.2 Trip Distribution
Project trip distribution percentages are shown in Figure 2-1. These percentages are based upon knowledge of the study area, engineering judgement, prevailing traffic patterns in the study area, major routes, population centers, and other existing development.
2.3 Project Traffic
Project traffic as shown in Table 2-1 was distributed to the roadway system using the trip distribution percentages shown in Figure 2-1. A graphical representation of the resulting AM and PM peak hour Project trips is shown in Figures 2-2, and 2-3.
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Trip Distribution
Figure
2-1
North
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Trip Distribution xx%
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
30% 70%
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Project AM Peak Hour Trips
Exhibit
5 North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
30% 70%
0 4
0 11
12 29
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Project Trips
Figure
2-3
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Project PM Peak Hour Trips
North
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
30% 70%
0 14
0 32
8 20
XX Peak Hour Project Trips
IN OUT TOTAL IN OUT TOTAL
Single Family Residential (210) 75 Units 9.09 871 0.70 27:73 15 41 56 0.93 62:38 46 28 74 871 15 41 56 46 28 74
VOLUME
TOTAL EXTERNAL TRIP GENERATION
DAILY TRIP ENDS
(ADT)
Table 2-1
Hanford Residential Development
LAND USE/
ITE LAND USE CODE
QUANTITY
WEEKDAY AM PEAK HOUR WEEKDAY PM PEAK HOUR
RATE VOLUME RATE
IN:OUT
SPLIT
VOLUME
RATE
Trip Generation - Total Vehicles (1)
IN:OUT
SPLIT
Table 2-2
Lacey Blvd - 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Existing and Opening Year Intersection Operations
DELAY LOS DELAY LOS DELAY LOS
AM 15.9 C AM 16.5 C AM 15.6 C
PM 13.9 B PM 14.7 B PM 15.8 C
DELAY is measured in seconds
LOS = Level of Service / BOLD denotes LOS standard has been exceeded OPENING YEAR 2027
WITH PROJECT PEAK
HOUR
OPENING YEAR 2027 PEAK
HOUR INTERSECTION CONTROL TARGET LOS PEAK HOUR
EXISTING
For signalized intersections, delay results show the average for the entire intersection. For two-way stop controlled intersections, delay results show the delay for the worst movement.
Lacey Blvd & 12 1/2 Ave One-way Stop D
AM PM AM PM AM PM
Queue shown is 95th percentile summary and is measured in feet 25* Denotes Minimum Length
CONTROL
OPENING YEAR 2027
WITH PROJECT
One Way Stop 25* 25* 25* 25*
OPENING YEAR 2027
150 West Bound Left 25* 25*
Table 2-3
Lacey Blvd - 12 1/2 Avenue Residential Development
Existing and Opening Year Queuing Operations
INTERSECTION CONTROL AVAILABLE
STORAGE(FT.) LANE
EXISTING
CONDITIONS
Lacey Blvd & 12 1/2 Ave One Way Stop
3.0 Traffic Analysis
3.1 Existing Traffic and Level of Service (LOS)
Existing AM and PM peak hour turning movements were collected by National Data & Surveying Services (NDS) on March 5, 2026, at the following project study intersections:
1 – Lacey Blvd and 12 ½ Ave
All intersection turning movement counts were conducted for the peak hour periods of 7:00-9:00 AM and 4:00-6:00 PM. Existing roadway lane geometry is shown in Figure 3-1. Existing traffic is shown in Figures 3-2 and 3-3. Traffic count data worksheets are provided in Appendix A.
Intersection operations for Existing Traffic conditions are shown in Table 2-2.
3.2 Opening Year Traffic Conditions
Traffic conditions without the Project for the assumed opening year of 2027 were estimated by applying a growth rate of 2% per year to the existing traffic volumes as shown in figures 3-4 and 3-5. Project traffic, as calculated in Chapter 2, was added to Opening Year (2027) traffic to determine Opening Year (2027) With Project traffic as shown in Figures 3-6, and 3-7.
Intersection operations for Opening Year with and without the project are shown in Table 2-2.
3.3 Horizon (Future) Year Traffic Conditions
Horizon Year traffic conditions with and without the Project in the Year 2046 (20 years from Opening Year conditions) were estimated by taking the larger of the traffic volumes from the following condition:
Applying a growth rate of 2% per year to the existing traffic volumes The resulting traffic for the Horizon Year Without Project scenario is shown in Figures 3-8 and 3-9.
Project traffic, as calculated in Chapter 2, was added to Horizon Year traffic to determine Horizon Year With Project traffic as shown in Figures 3-10 and 3-11.
Intersection operations for Horizon Year conditions With and Without Project traffic are shown in Table 3-2.
3.4 Queuing Analysis
Table 3-3 provides a queue length summary for left and right turn lanes at the study intersection for all scenarios. Queuing analysis was performed at study intersections utilizing the Synchro software program. Synchro provides the 95th percentile queue for signalized intersections and shows the length of the queue in feet. Queue length for stop-controlled intersections was calculated by multiplying the Synchro output vehicle for each intersection leg by 25-feet to determine the total queue length.
3.5 CEQA Transportation Impact Determination
The Project is consistent with the City’s General Plan since the current zoning is residential and the project proposes to build single-family dwelling units. The project is expected to generate 871 daily trips per Table 2-1. Per the City of Hanford’s Traffic Impact Analysis Guidelines (Chapter 7), projects that are consistent with the City’s General Plan and generate less than 1,000 daily trips are screened out of a requirement to conduct a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis.
3.5.1 CEQA Conclusion
The Project qualifies for VMT screening based on consistency with the City’s General Plan and a daily trip generation of less than 1,000. It is presumed to result in a less-than-significant transportation impact under CEQA. No further VMT analysis is required.
3.6 Cumulative Developments
Several cumulative developments are located in the vicinity of the Project site, including the Village at Hanford Square Apartments, Lacey Commercial, and Millenium Estates. This Local Transportation Analysis has established that Project traffic plus reasonably expected traffic growth would not cause a need for roadway improvements at the one intersection in the traffic analysis study area, Lacey Avenue and 12 ½ Avenue. Although the Project’s contribution of traffic to the intersection is relatively small, if the traffic analysis for any of the cumulative developments determine the need for improvements at the intersection prior to this Project’s final approvals, the City could request that this Project pay a fair share of the required improvements.
3.7 Improvements to Avenue 12 ½ and Lacey Boulevard
The project proposes to provide frontage improvements along 12 ½ Avenue and Lacey Boulevard.
Details are shown in Appendix D.
The proposed ultimate cross-section for 12 ½ Avenue includes 84 feet of right-of-way and a 64- foot curb-to-curb cross-section. The project proposes to build the western frontage with the eastern frontage to be provided by others in the future. The project proposes to build a driveway
to 12 ½ Avenue. No turn separate turn lanes are needed due to relatively low traffic levels along 12 ½ Avenue and the project driveway.
The proposed ultimate cross-section for Lacey Boulevard includes 110 feet of right-of-way and an 88-foot curb-to-curb cross-section. The project proposes to build the southern frontage which will complete the ultimate buildout along the length of the project site.
3.8 Multimodal Transportation Analysis
Pedestrian access to the Project site would be provided via Lacey Boulevard. Sidewalks are provided on the north side of Lacey Boulevard from just west of the Project site to the east toward downtown Hanford. Primary bicycle access would also be provided via Lacey Boulevard although no separate bicycle facilities are provided in the area of the Project site. Transit service is provided along Lacey Boulevard via Kings Area Regional Transit (KART) Route 9, which serves the local area and connects to the KART transit center in downtown Hanford.
3.9 Access Management and Site Circulation
Primary access to the project is proposed to be provided through unsignalized access to 12 ½ Avenue. The project site plan allows for roadway connections to future adjacent residential developments to the south and west. Based on the relatively low level of trip generation expected for the Project per Table 2-1, no operational traffic controls or improvements are needed on the project site.
4.0 Conclusion
Based on the results of Tables 2-1 and 3-2, the study area intersection is expected to operate at level of service C or better in the AM and PM peak hours in all future scenarios. This meets the City’s requirement to maintain a peak hour level of service D or better. No roadway improvements are needed at this intersection.
In order to serve Project traffic, it is recommended that the Project provide ultimate improvements for a Collector street along its frontage on Avenue 12 ½ as well as additional improvements per City standards to allow for a minimum roadway width of 24 feet.
4.1 TIA Guidelines Conformance Statement
This Traffic Impact Study has been conducted in conformance with the City of Hanford Traffic Impact Guidelines. A transportation scoping document is provided in Appendix C.
Recommended roadway improvements are summarized above. The project has a less-thansignificant transportation impact under CEQA, as described in Section 3.5.
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Figure
3-1
Lane Geometry
Stop Sign
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Existing (2026) Lane Geometry
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Figure
3-2
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Existing (2026) AM Peak Hour Traffic
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
568
0 270
4 1
0 XX Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-3
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Existing (2026) PM Peak Hour Traffic
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
554
0 512
3 1
2 Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Opening Year (2027) AM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-4
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
591
0 281
5 2
0
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Opening Year (2027) PM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-5
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
577
0 533
4 2
3
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Opening Year (2027) Plus Project AM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-6
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
591
4 281
16 14
29
Lacey / 12 1/2 Ave Residential Development
Opening Year (2027) Plus Project PM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-7
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
577
14 533
36 10
23
Lacey / 12 1/2 Residential Development
Horizon Year (2046) AM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-8
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
846
0 402
6 1
0
Lacey / 12 1/2 Residential Development
Horizon Year (2046) PM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-9
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
825
0 763
4 1
3
Lacey / 12 1/2 Residential Development
Horizon Year (2046) Plus Project AM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-10
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
847
4 403
17 14
29
Lacey / 12 1/2 Residential Development
Horizon Year (2046) Plus Project PM Peak Hour Traffic
Figure
3-11
North
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
XX Peak Hour Traffic
826
14 763
37 10
23
DELAY LOS DELAY LOS
24.3 C (1) 23.0 C (1)
23.5 C (1) 23.5 C (1)
DELAY is measured in seconds
LOS = Level of Service / BOLD denotes LOS standard has been exceeded One-way Stop
For signalized intersections, delay results show the average for the entire intersection. For two-way and All way stop controlled intersections, delay results show the delay for the worst movement.
Lacey Blvd & 12 1/2 Ave D
HORIZON 2046 WITH
PROJECT CONDITIONS
CONTROL
Table 3-1
Lacey Blvd - 12 1/2 Avenue Residential Development
Future Intersection Operations
INTERSECTION
CITY
STANDARD
LOS
HORIZON 2046
WITHOUT PROJECT
CONDITIONS
AM PM AM PM
Queue shown is 95th percentile summary and is measured in feet 25* Denotes Minimum Length
Table 3-2
One Way Stop
CONTROL
HORIZON 2046
WITHOUT PROJECT
CONDITIONS
HORIZON 2046 WITH
PROJECT CONDITIONS
Future Queuing Operations
Lacey Blvd - 12 1/2 Avenue Residential Development
Lacey Blvd & 12 1/2 Ave 150 West Bound Left
INTERSECTION
AVAILABLE
STORAGE(FT.) LANE
25* 25* 25* 25*
Appendix A
Traffic Count Data Worksheets
Prepared by National Data & Surveying Services
ID: 26-090017-001 Day:
City: Hanford Date:
AM 0 0 0 0 AM
NOON 0 0 0 0 NOON
PM 0 0 0 0 PM
AM NOON PM PM NOON AM
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 512 0 270
0 0 1 0 1 3 0 4
0 0 0 0 TEV 845 0 1078 0 5 0 2
568 0 554 1 PHF 0.88 0.92
0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0
AM NOON PM PM NOON AM
PM 0 1 0 2 PM
NOON 0 0 0 0 NOON
AM 0 1 0 0 AM
0 NONE
04:00 PM - 05:00 PM 0
12 1/2 Ave & W Lacey Blvd
Peak Hour Turning Movement Count
12 1/2 Ave Thursday
SOUTHBOUND 3/5/2026 PEAK HOURS 4:00 PM - 06:00 PM
07:45 AM - 08:45 AM 0 7:00 AM - 09:00 AM COUNT PERIODS NONE 561 0 570
Cars (AM) 3 HT (AM) W Lacey Blvd EASTBOUNDWESTBOUND W Lacey Blvd 271 0 514
CONTROL
No Control
Pedestrians (Crosswalks)
Cars (PM) HT (PM)
0 4
NORTHBOUND
12 1/2 Ave
Cars (NOON) HT (NOON)
AM NOON PM
PM
AM
AM
NOON
PM
PM
NOON
AM
AM
NOON
PM
NOON PMNOON AMAMNOON PM PMNOON AMAMNOON PM
0 0
0 0
0 0
00 000 1
0 0
0 0
0 0
00 000 0
0 4
0 0
7 0
000
000
0 0
0 0
0 0
000
000
0 5
0 0
6 0
000
000
0 508
0 3
547
0 000
102
0 0
0 0
0 0
000
000
0 265
0 4
562
0 000
100
Appendix B
Synchro Worksheets
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Existing AM 4:55 pm 03/12/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.1
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 568 0 4 270 1 0
Future Vol, veh/h 568 0 4 270 1 0
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 88 88 88 88 88 88
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 645 0 5 307 1 0
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 645 0 808 645
Stage 1 - - - - 645 -
Stage 2 - - - - 163 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 938 - 334 471
Stage 1 - - - - 521 -
Stage 2 - - - - 850 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 938 - 333 471
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 333 -
Stage 1 - - - - 519 -
Stage 2 - - - - 850 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.13 15.86
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 333 - - 938 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.003 - - 0.005 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 15.9 - - 8.9 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0 - - 0 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Existing PM 7:39 pm 03/12/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.1
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 554 0 3 512 1 2
Future Vol, veh/h 554 0 3 512 1 2
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 92 92 92 92 92 92
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 602 0 3 557 1 2
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 602 0 887 602
Stage 1 - - - - 602 -
Stage 2 - - - - 285 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 973 - 299 499
Stage 1 - - - - 546 -
Stage 2 - - - - 739 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 973 - 298 499
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 298 -
Stage 1 - - - - 544 -
Stage 2 - - - - 739 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.05 13.92
HCM LOS B
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 407 - - 973 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.008 - - 0.003 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 13.9 - - 8.7 -
HCM Lane LOS B - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0 - - 0 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Opening AM 7:44 pm 03/12/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.1
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 591 0 5 281 2 0
Future Vol, veh/h 591 0 5 281 2 0
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 88 88 88 88 88 88
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 672 0 6 319 2 0
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 672 0 843 672
Stage 1 - - - - 672 -
Stage 2 - - - - 171 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 917 - 318 455
Stage 1 - - - - 507 -
Stage 2 - - - - 842 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 917 - 316 455
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 316 -
Stage 1 - - - - 504 -
Stage 2 - - - - 842 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.16 16.47
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 316 - - 917 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.007 - - 0.006 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 16.5 - - 9 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0 - - 0 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Opening PM 7:45 pm 03/12/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.1
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 577 0 4 533 2 3
Future Vol, veh/h 577 0 4 533 2 3
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 92 92 92 92 92 92
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 627 0 4 579 2 3
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 627 0 926 627
Stage 1 - - - - 627 -
Stage 2 - - - - 298 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 953 - 283 482
Stage 1 - - - - 531 -
Stage 2 - - - - 727 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 953 - 281 482
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 281 -
Stage 1 - - - - 529 -
Stage 2 - - - - 727 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.07 14.73
HCM LOS B
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 375 - - 953 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.014 - - 0.005 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 14.7 - - 8.8 -
HCM Lane LOS B - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0 - - 0 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Opening W AM 9:34 am 03/16/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.9
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 591 4 16 281 14 29
Future Vol, veh/h 591 4 16 281 14 29
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 88 88 88 88 88 88
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 672 5 18 319 16 33
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 676 0 870 674
Stage 1 - - - - 674 -
Stage 2 - - - - 196 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 913 - 306 454
Stage 1 - - - - 505 -
Stage 2 - - - - 818 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 913 - 300 454
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 300 -
Stage 1 - - - - 495 -
Stage 2 - - - - 818 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.49 15.59
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 389 - - 913 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.126 - - 0.02 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 15.6 - - 9 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0.4 - - 0.1 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Opening W PM 9:34 am 03/16/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.7
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 577 14 36 533 10 23
Future Vol, veh/h 577 14 36 533 10 23
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 92 92 92 92 92 92
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 627 15 39 579 11 25
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 642 0 1003 635
Stage 1 - - - - 635 -
Stage 2 - - - - 368 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 940 - 253 478
Stage 1 - - - - 527 -
Stage 2 - - - - 671 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 940 - 243 478
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 243 -
Stage 1 - - - - 505 -
Stage 2 - - - - 671 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.57 15.79
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 369 - - 940 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.097 - - 0.042 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 15.8 - - 9 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0.3 - - 0.1 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Horizon AM 9:42 am 03/16/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.1
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 846 0 6 402 1 0
Future Vol, veh/h 846 0 6 402 1 0
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 88 88 88 88 88 88
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 961 0 7 457 1 0
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 961 0 1203 961
Stage 1 - - - - 961 -
Stage 2 - - - - 242 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 714 - 190 310
Stage 1 - - - - 370 -
Stage 2 - - - - 776 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 714 - 188 310
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 188 -
Stage 1 - - - - 367 -
Stage 2 - - - - 776 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.15 24.28
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 188 - - 714 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.006 - - 0.01 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 24.3 - - 10.1 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - B -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0 - - 0 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Horizon PM 9:43 am 03/16/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.1
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 825 0 4 763 1 3
Future Vol, veh/h 825 0 4 763 1 3
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 92 92 92 92 92 92
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 897 0 4 829 1 3
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 897 0 1320 897
Stage 1 - - - - 897 -
Stage 2 - - - - 423 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 755 - 160 338
Stage 1 - - - - 397 -
Stage 2 - - - - 629 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 755 - 159 338
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 159 -
Stage 1 - - - - 395 -
Stage 2 - - - - 629 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.05 18.88
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 264 - - 755 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.016 - - 0.006 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 18.9 - - 9.8 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - A -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0.1 - - 0 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Horizon W AM 11:30 am 03/16/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.9
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 847 4 17 403 14 29
Future Vol, veh/h 847 4 17 403 14 29
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 88 88 88 88 88 88
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 963 5 19 458 16 33
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 967 0 1232 965
Stage 1 - - - - 965 -
Stage 2 - - - - 268 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 710 - 182 308
Stage 1 - - - - 369 -
Stage 2 - - - - 754 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 710 - 177 308
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 177 -
Stage 1 - - - - 359 -
Stage 2 - - - - 754 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.41 23.01
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 248 - - 710 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.197 - - 0.027 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 23 - - 10.2 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - B -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0.7 - - 0.1 -
HCM 7th TWSC
1: 12 1/2 Ave & Lacey Blvd 03/16/2026
Horizon W PM 11:30 am 03/16/2026 Baseline Synchro 12 Report
Intersection
Int Delay, s/veh 0.7
Movement EBT EBR WBL WBT NBL NBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Vol, veh/h 826 14 37 763 10 23
Future Vol, veh/h 826 14 37 763 10 23
Conflicting Peds, #/hr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sign Control Free Free Free Free Stop Stop
RT Channelized - None - None - None
Storage Length - - 150 - 0 -
Veh in Median Storage, # 0 - - 0 0 -
Grade, % 0 - - 0 0 -
Peak Hour Factor 92 92 92 92 92 92
Heavy Vehicles, % 2 2 2 2 2 2
Mvmt Flow 898 15 40 829 11 25
Major/Minor Major1 Major2 Minor1
Conflicting Flow All 0 0 913 0 1401 905
Stage 1 - - - - 905 -
Stage 2 - - - - 495 -
Critical Hdwy - - 4.13 - 6.63 6.23
Critical Hdwy Stg 1 - - - - 5.43 -
Critical Hdwy Stg 2 - - - - 5.83 -
Follow-up Hdwy - - 2.219 - 3.519 3.319
Pot Cap-1 Maneuver - - 744 - 142 334
Stage 1 - - - - 393 -
Stage 2 - - - - 579 -
Platoon blocked, % - - -
Mov Cap-1 Maneuver - - 744 - 135 334
Mov Cap-2 Maneuver - - - - 135 -
Stage 1 - - - - 372 -
Stage 2 - - - - 579 -
Approach EB WB NB
HCM Ctrl Dly, s/v 0 0.47 23.47
HCM LOS C
Minor Lane/Major Mvmt NBLn1 EBT EBR WBL WBT
Capacity (veh/h) 231 - - 744 -
HCM Lane V/C Ratio 0.156 - - 0.054 -
HCM Ctrl Dly (s/v) 23.5 - - 10.1 -
HCM Lane LOS C - - B -
HCM 95th %tile Q(veh) 0.5 - - 0.2 -
Appendix C
TIA Scoping Form
TIA report will also need to include
development sunset (full build out)
year evaluation list existing land use residential
Will be required per Section 3
of TIA Guidelines for the 50
-100 Peak Hour Trips for AM
and PM Peak
list existing zoning list proposed zoning - residential type How is it consistent with the General Plan?
Please describe. Section 7.1 asks for more than
ADT for general plan consistency. I concur that
the development is less than 1,000 daily trips.
12 1/2 Ave is unimproved
road, please describe
improvements in report, to
include any turn lanes and
site access components
for operational analysis
So the development will only be 75
homes total, or is this the 1st phase
and more homes will be added in
this development in adjacent
parcels (future phases)?
For City Staff: Is there other projects
pending/approved -
Lacey Centennial (SPR0135-25) is
on other side of this development on
12 1/2 Ave.
CITY WILL PROVIDE
MILLENNIUM ESTATES,
A 211 LOT SUBDIVISION
LOCATED TO THE
SOUTH
Hanford Residential Development
Regional Location
Project Location
LEGEND
Exhibit
1 North
Hanford Residential Development
Site Plan
Exhibit
2 North
What will be done
here to improve 12
1/2 Ave. Describe in
TIA report. Show the
whole 68' ROW in
report
IN OUT TOTAL IN OUT TOTAL
Single Family Residential (210) 75 Units 9.09 871 0.70 27:73 15 41 56 0.93 62:38 46 28 74 871 15 41 56 46 28 74
DAILY TRIP ENDS
(ADT)
Exhibit 3
Hanford Residential Development
LAND USE/
ITE LAND USE CODE
QUANTITY
WEEKDAY AM PEAK HOUR WEEKDAY PM PEAK HOUR
RATE VOLUME RATE
IN:OUT
SPLIT
VOLUME
RATE
Trip Generation - Total Vehicles
IN:OUT
SPLIT
VOLUME
TOTAL EXTERNAL TRIP GENERATION
Hanford Residential Development
Trip Distribution
Exhibit
4 North
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Trip Distribution xx%
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
30% 70%
Hanford Residential Development
Project AM Peak Hour Trips
Exhibit
5 North
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Trip Distribution xx%
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
30% 70%
0 4
0 11
12 29
Hanford Residential Development
Project PM Peak Hour Trips
Exhibit
5 North
Project Location Project Intersection
LEGEND
Trip Distribution xx%
Lacey Blvd
Magna Carta
12 1/2 Ave
Centenial Dr
30% 70%
0 14
0 32
8 20
APPENDIX D
12 ½ Avenue and Lacey Boulevard Cross Sections
OUTLOT C 70 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 61 62
3 2 1
4 12 11
7 16 15 13 17 14 10 OUTLOT B 19 20 21 22 29 28 27 26 25 24 39 31 38 37 36 35 42 34 41 33 40 32 44 43 454647 57 56555453 60 52 5958 51504948 D.N. 2601378, O.R.K.C. APN: 011-010-053 JOHN T & CAROLYN MARTIN DF TRUST 10124 12 1/2 AVENUE, HANFORD, CA 93230 D.N. 1020259, O.R.K.C. APN: 011-010-007 MARC JAMES WEBER 10150 12 1/2 AVENUE, HANFORD, CA 93230 D.N. 2307016, O.R.K.C. APN: 011-010-008 LUCY HIKALEA 10156 12 1/2 AVENUE, HANFORD, CA 93230 D.N. 2111560, O.R.K.C. APN: 011-010-009
PARCEL A
20 PM 92
APN: 011-020-056
DESIGNATED REMAINDER
20 PM 92
APN: 011-020-057
D.N. 0729559, O.R.K.C.
APN: 011-020-041
D.N. 1211559, O.R.K.C.
APN: 011-010-002 19 LSP 72 D.N. 0729559, O.R.K.C. APN: 009-050-026 D.N. 2601378, O.R.K.C. APN: 011-010-053
LEXINGTON STREET STEPHANIE STREET
BONADELLE AVENUE LACEY BOULEVARD
AQUIFER DRIVE (12 1/2 AVENUE) N. MAGNA CARTA AVENUE
9 8
6 5 18 23 30 OUTLOT A 74 73 72 71
BONADELLE AVENUE HERITAGE STREET FOUNDERS STREET LACEY BOULEVARD HWY 198
AQUIFER DRIVE
(12 1/2 AVENUE)
13TH AVENUE
CENTENNIAL DRIVE
12TH AVENUE MALL DRIVE FREEDOM STREET CHARLIE CHAMBERS DRIVE
CONSTITUTION AVENUE
GLENDALE AVENUE
13TH ROAD
AQUIFER DRIVE
Ó SHEET 1 OF 1
N
N
N MAGNA CARTA
Appendix E
Comment Letters & Responses
This appendix contains a summary of the written comments received during the public review period, along with City responses to each comment. The full comment letters can be found at the end of this Appendix. The following two public agencies provided public comment during the public review period:
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Dave Kereazis, Associate Environmental Planner
8800 Cal Center Drive
Sacramento, CA 95826
California Department of Conservation
Monique Wilber, Conservation Program Support Supervisor 715 P Street, MS 1904
Sacramento, CA 95814
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Julie A. Vance, Regional Manager
1234 East Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA 93710
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) letter dated 07/29/2026 Summary of comments – DTSC recognizes that the Project site is currently in agricultural production and several contaminants of concern can be present in the soil which could pose a threat to future residents. DTSC has requested site soil testing to take place prior to earth moving activities. DTSC also recommends that all imported soil/fill material be tested to ensure that any contaminants of concern meet the state standards of screening levels.
Response to comments – A Phase I was prepared for the Project site and recognized that there could be potential for agriculturally related chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, may have been used onsite. A Phase II was prepared in October of 2025 and included an investigation of agricultural cultivation soil sampling and followed the 2008 Interim Guidance for Sampling Agricultural Properties. The arsenic concentrations reported for six of the 24 soil samples exceeded the Residential Environmental Screening Levels (ESL) for arsenic. However, the arsenic concentrations were reported below 12 mg/kg, the arsenic concentration that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) considers the natural background concentration for arsenic in California. Although the laboratory results for arsenic are above the Residential
ESLs, the arsenic results are below the accepted background level for arsenic in California. Thus, the arsenic in these samples is not expected to pose a significant environmental concern. The ISMND has been revised to include this information. Additionally, the site soils will balance onsite and no fill material will be required.
Department of Conservation (DOC) letter dated 8/11/2026 Summary of comments - The DOC recognizes that the proposed Project site contains Prime Farmland, which will be removed with the construction of a residential development. DOC advises a discussion of that farmland to be converted, including amount and location, potential land use conflicts, implementation of City mitigation plans, cumulative impacts and proposed mitigation measures. DOC also advises that the environmental review address mitigation for the loss or conversion of agricultural land, including the discussion of an agricultural conservation easement.
Response to comments- A discussion of impacts resulting from agricultural conversion is provided on Pages 18 through 21 of the ISMND. These pages of the ISMND discuss that the proposed Project site has been designated for residential development by the City’s General Plan. The environmental review for agricultural conversion at this specific location took place in the General Plan EIR, where agricultural conversion impacts were found to be a significant and unavoidable impact. The ISMND also provides a consistency analysis with the General Plan agricultural policies demonstrating that the Project is consistent with the General Plan policies designed to protect farmland. The environmental review for this impact has already taken place.
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) letter dated 8/24/2026 Summary of comments – CDFW provided additional information on Swainson’s hawk, Western Burrowing Owl, Western Spadefoot, and Crotch’s bumble bee, and provided editorial comments on the burrowing owl and nesting bird mitigation. CDFW also recommended additional mitigation measures for Swainson’s hawk and Crotch’s bumble bee.
Response to comments – A biological resource evaluation (BRE) was prepared for the proposed Project and was included as Appendix B of the publicly circulated ISMND. As part of the BRE, a qualified biologist performed a site survey assessing habitat and potential presence of sensitive species, as summarized on pages 33-45 and in Table 5 of the ISMND. The biologist performing the survey did not find suitable habitat for the Western Spadefoot, citing that habitat was lacking due to high disturbance from routine disking. At the recommendation of CDFW, mitigation measures have been included to protect Swainson’s hawk and Crotch’s bumble bee which include pre-construction surveys and buffer zones. Additionally, the existing mitigation measures for nesting birds and Burrowing owl have been modified at the recommendation of CDFW.
dtsc.ca.gov
SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
July 29, 2026
Gabrielle Myers
Principal Planner
City of Hanford
317 N Douty Street
Hanford, CA 93230
[email protected]
RE: MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE BONADELLE LACEY AVE RESIDENTIAL PROJECT PLAN DATED JULY 24, 2026, STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NUMBER 2026071023
Dear Gabrielle Myers,
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has reviewed the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Bonadelle Lacey Ave Residential Project (Project). The proposed Project includes an annexation, pre-zoning, and residential development on a 16.65-acre site immediately west of the City of Hanford (City).
The 2.77 acres are currently developed with rural residences, and no development is proposed for these 2.77 acres. A Tentative Subdivision Map is proposed for the remaining 13.88 acres, which would divide the site into 78 single family residential lots, ranging in size from 4,172 to 10,367 square feet square feet. Access roads, lighting, landscaping and other associated improvements will be constructed, by City Standards within the proposed Project site and along with the future Aquifer Drive alignment along the eastern site boundary. DTSC recommends and requests consideration of the following comments:
Gabrielle Myers
July 29, 2026
1. If the Project site was historically used for agricultural purposes, and when agricultural crops and/or land uses are proposed or rezoned for residential use, several Contaminants of Concern (COCs) can be present. The Lead Agency shall identify the amounts of Pesticides and Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) historically used on the property. If present, OCPs requiring further analysis are dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, toxaphene, and dieldrin. Additionally, any level of arsenic present would require further analysis and sampling and must meet approved local area baselines or thresholds. If they do not, remedial action must take place to mitigate them below those thresholds. Additional COCs may be found in mixing, loading, and storage areas, drainage ditches, farmhouses, or any other outbuildings and should be sampled and analyzed. If smudge pots had been routinely utilized, additional sampling for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and/or Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons may be required. These recommendations should be adhered to and become part of the environmental document. Please refer to the DTSC’s Human and Ecological Risk Office (HERO) webpage for the most recent guidance and screening levels.
2. DTSC recommends all imported soil/fill material be tested to ensure all COCs meet screening levels as outlined in DTSC's Preliminary Endangerment Assessment Guidance Manual. Furthermore, DTSC advises referencing the DTSC Information Advisory Clean Imported Fill Material Fact Sheet if importing soil/fill is necessary. To minimize the possibility of introducing contaminated soil/fill material, there should be documentation of the origins of the soil/fill material and, if applicable, sampling be conducted to ensure that the imported soil/fill material is suitable for the intended land use. The sampling should include analysis based on the source of the soil/fill and knowledge of prior land use.
3. The City should consider soil testing as mentioned in comment #1. If, in the event any COC results are above DTSC residential screening levels, DTSC recommends the City ensure that any potential contamination be fully characterized and then remediated under the oversight of a self-certified local agency, DTSC, or Regional Water Quality Control Board. If entering into one of
Gabrielle Myers
July 29, 2026
DTSC’s voluntary agreements, please note that DTSC uses a single standard Request for Lead Agency Oversight Application for all agreement types. Please apply for DTSC oversight using this link: Request for Agency Oversight Application. Submittal of the online application includes an agreement to pay costs incurred during agreement preparation. If you have any questions about the application portal, please contact the relevant Regional Brownfield Coordinator for your Project.
DTSC appreciates the opportunity to comment on the MND for the Bonadelle Lacey Ave Residential Project. Thank you for your assistance in protecting California’s people and environment from the harmful effects of toxic substances. If you have any questions or would like clarification on DTSC’s comments, please respond to this letter or via the CEQA Review email for additional guidance.
Sincerely,
Tamara Purvis
Associate Environmental Planner
HWMP-Permitting Division – CEQA Unit
Department of Toxic Substances Control
[email protected]
Gabrielle Myers
July 29, 2026
cc: (via email)
Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
State Clearinghouse
[email protected]
Emily Bowen
Consultant
Crawford & Bowen Planning, Inc. / Consulting Firm
[email protected]
Debbie Cecile
Project Applicant
QK
[email protected]
Dave Kereazis
Associate Environmental Planner
HWMP-Permitting Division – CEQA Unit
Department of Toxic Substances Control
[email protected]
Scott Wiley
Analyst II
HWMP - Permitting Division – CEQA Unit
Department of Toxic Substances Control
[email protected]
Gavin Newsom, Governor
Jennifer Lucchesi, Director
State of California Natural Resources Agency | Department of Conservation 715 P Street, MS 1904, Sacramento, CA 95814
conservation.ca.gov | T: (916) 324-0850
AUGUST 11, 2026
VIA EMAIL: [email protected]
CITY OF HANFORD
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
GABRIELLE MYERS
317 N. DOUTY STREET
HANFORD, CA 93230
Dear: Ms. Myers
INITIAL STUDY AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE BONADELLE LACEY AVENUE RESIDENTIAL PROJECT, SCH# 2026071023
The Department of Conservation’s (Department) Division of Land Resource Protection (Division) has reviewed the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Bonadelle Lacey Avenue Residential Project (Project).
The Division monitors and maps farmland conversion on a statewide basis, provides technical assistance regarding the Williamson Act, and administers various agricultural land conservation programs. Public Resources Code, section 614, subdivision (b) authorizes the Department to provide soil conservation advisory services to local governments, including review of CEQA documents.
Protection of the state’s agricultural land resources is part of the Department’s mission and central to many of its programs. The CEQA process gives the Department an opportunity to acknowledge the value of the resource, identify areas of Department interest, and offer information on how to assess potential impacts or mitigation opportunities.
The Department respects local decision-making by informing the CEQA process and is not taking a position or providing legal or policy interpretation.
We offer the following comments for consideration with respect to the project’s potential impacts on agricultural land and resources within the Department’s purview.
PROJECT ATTRIBUTES
The proposed Project includes an annexation, prezoning, and residential development on a 16.65-acre site immediately west of the City of Hanford. The proposed Project site is within the City’s Sphere of Influence and annexation is proposed for the entire 16.65- acre Project site, and includes Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) 011-010-003, -004, -005, -
006, -007, -008 and -009. APNs 011-010-007, -008 and -009 total 2.77 acres in size and are currently developed with rural residences.
A Tentative Subdivision Map is proposed for the remaining 13.88 acres, which would divide the site into 78 single family residential lots, ranging in size from 4,172 to 10,367 square feet square feet. Access roads, lighting, landscaping and other associated improvements will be constructed, per City Standards within the proposed Project site and along the future Aquifer Drive alignment along the eastern site boundary.
Construction will include the connection to City water, storm drain and sewer within the development, along with other utilities such as electric and communication lines. The Project site contains Prime Farmland as designated by DOC’s Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program.
PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS
The conversion of agricultural land represents a permanent reduction and impact to California’s agricultural land resources. The Department generally advises discussion of the following in any environmental review for the loss or conversion of agricultural land:
• Type, amount, and location of farmland conversion resulting directly and indirectly from implementation of the proposed project. • Impacts on any current and future agricultural operations in the vicinity; e.g., land-use conflicts, increases in land values and taxes, loss of agricultural support infrastructure such as processing facilities, etc. • Incremental impacts leading to cumulative impacts on agricultural land. This would include impacts from the proposed project, as well as impacts from past, current, and likely future projects.
• Implementation of any City or County Agricultural Mitigation Plans, Programs, or Policies.
• Proposed mitigation measures for impacted agricultural lands within the proposed project area.
MITIGATING AGRICULTURAL LAND LOSS OR CONVERSION
Consistent with CEQA Guidelines, the Department advises that the environmental review address mitigation for the loss or conversion of agricultural land. An agricultural conservation easement is one potential method for mitigating loss or conversion of agricultural land. (See Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15370 [mitigation includes “compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments, including through permanent protection of such resources in the form of conservation easements.”]; see also King and Gardiner Farms, LLC v. County of Kern (2020) 45 Cal.App.5th 814.)
Mitigation through agricultural conservation easements can take at least two forms: the outright purchase of easements or the donation of mitigation fees to a local, regional,
or statewide organization or agency whose purpose includes the acquisition and stewardship of agricultural easements. The conversion of agricultural land may be viewed as an impact of at least regional significance. Hence, the search for replacement lands may not need to be limited strictly to lands within the project’s surrounding area. A helpful source for regional and statewide agricultural mitigation banks is the California Council of Land Trusts. They provide helpful insight into farmland mitigation policies and implementation strategies, including a guidebook with model policies and a model local ordinance. The guidebook can be found at:
California Council of Land Trusts
Of course, the use of conservation easements is only one form of mitigation, and the Department urges consideration of any other feasible measures necessary to mitigate project impacts.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Bonadelle Lacey Avenue Residential Project. Please provide the Department with notices of any future hearing dates as well as any staff reports pertaining to this project. If you have any questions regarding our comments, please contact Farl Grundy, Associate Environmental Planner via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Monique Wilber
Conservation Program Support Supervisor
STATE OF CALIFORNIA GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MEGHAN HERTEL, Director Central Region
1234 East Shaw Avenue
Fresno, California 93710
(559) 243-4005
wildlife.ca.gov
Conserving California’s Wildlife Since 1870
August 24, 2026
Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
317 N. Douty Street
Hanford, California 93230
(559) 585-2578
[email protected]
Subject: Bonadelle Lacey Ave Residential Project (Project) Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) State Clearinghouse No.: 2026071023
Dear Gabrielle Myers:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) received an IS/MND from the City of Hanford (City) for the above-referenced Project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and CEQA Guidelines.1
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments and recommendations regarding those activities involved in the Project that may affect California fish and wildlife.
Likewise, CDFW appreciates the opportunity to provide comments regarding those aspects of the Project that CDFW, by law, may be required to carry out or approve through the exercise of its own regulatory authority under the Fish and Game Code.
CDFW ROLE
CDFW is California’s Trustee Agency for fish and wildlife resources and holds those resources in trust by statute for all the people of the State. (Fish & G. Code, §§ 711.7, subd. (a) & 1802; Pub. Resources Code, § 21070; CEQA Guidelines § 15386, subd. (a)). CDFW, in its trustee capacity, has jurisdiction over the conservation, protection, and management of fish, wildlife, native plants, and habitat necessary for biologically sustainable populations of those species. (Id., § 1802.) Similarly, for purposes of CEQA, CDFW is charged by law to provide, as available, biological expertise during public agency environmental review efforts, focusing specifically on projects and related activities that have the potential to adversely affect fish and wildlife resources. 1 CEQA is codified in the California Public Resources Code in section 21000 et seq. The “CEQA Guidelines” are found in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, commencing with section 15000.
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Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
CDFW is also submitting comments as a Responsible Agency under CEQA. (Pub.
Resources Code, § 21069; CEQA Guidelines, § 15381.) CDFW expects that it may need to exercise regulatory authority as provided by the Fish and Game Code. For example, to the extent implementation of the Project as proposed may result in “take” as defined by State law of any species protected under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) (Fish & G. Code, § 2050 et seq.), related authorization as provided by the Fish and Game Code may be required.
Nesting Birds: CDFW has jurisdiction over actions with potential to result in the disturbance or destruction of active nest sites or the unauthorized take of birds. Fish and Game Code sections that protect birds, their nests, and eggs include sections 3503 (regarding unlawful take, possession or needless destruction of the nest or eggs of any bird), 3503.5 (regarding the take, possession or destruction of any birds of prey or their nests or eggs), and 3513 (regarding unlawful take of any migratory nongame bird).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
Proponent: Bonadelle Neighborhoods
Objective: The proposed Project would include the annexation of a 16.65-acre site and construction of a residential development on a 13.88-acre portion of the site, consisting of 78 single-family residential lots, access roads, lighting, landscaping, and other associated improvements. The Project would be developed in one phase.
Location: The proposed Project would be located immediately west of the City of Hanford within Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 011-010-003, -004, -005, -006, -007, -008, and -009.
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CDFW offers the comments and recommendations below to assist the City in adequately identifying and/or mitigating the Project’s significant, or potentially significant, direct and indirect impacts on fish and wildlife (biological) resources.
Editorial comments or other suggestions may also be included to improve the IS/MND prepared for this Project.
The IS/MND notes that the Project site consists of fallowed agricultural land and a rural residence and that the Project site vicinity consists of a mix of urban and agricultural uses. The IS/MND acknowledges that special-status species have the potential to occur on or adjacent to the Project site and proposes specific mitigation measures to reduce impacts to less than significant. CDFW has concerns about the ability of some of these measures to reduce impacts to less than significant and avoid unauthorized take of the State threatened Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni), and the State candidate western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea), western spadefoot (Spea hammondii), Docusign Envelope ID: 10D6FF0E-1153-8337-8015-4660A1BD5DA0
Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
and Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii). As such, CDFW recommends incorporating the following measures into the IS/MND prior to its adoption by the City.
Swainson’s Hawk
The Project site is within the known geographic range of Swainson’s hawk (SWHA) and several occurrences are documented within 10 miles of the Project site (CDFW 2026).
SWHA are known to breed within the Central Valley of California and prefer to nest and forage in alfalfa, fallow fields, field crops, and grassland habitats with a sufficient source of small mammals (CDFG 1994). The IS/MND indicates that SWHA has no potential to occur in the Project vicinity and states, “While the Project site contains limited foraging habitat for the species, large trees in the survey area are associated with residential development.” Please note that based on species occurrence records from the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) (CDFW 2026), SWHA nests have been documented adjacent to rural residences in agricultural areas similar to the Project site.
Therefore, SWHA may potentially nest in or near the Project site. As such, CDFW recommends including the following measures in the IS/MND prior to its adoption by the City, and that these measures be incorporated prior to the initiation of any Project development or ground-disturbing activities.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 1: SWHA Pre-Construction Surveys CDFW recommends that a qualified biologist conduct surveys for nesting SWHA following the entire survey methodology developed by the SWHA Technical Advisory Committee (SWHA TAC 2000) the survey season immediately prior to the start of Project development or ground-disturbing activities.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 2: SWHA No-Disturbance Buffer If any active SWHA nest is detected during pre-construction surveys or Project activities, CDFW recommends delineating and maintaining a minimum ½-mile no-disturbance buffer around each nest prior to and during any development or ground-disturbing activities. To prevent nest abandonment and other take of SWHA as a result of Project activities, CDFW advises that these no-disturbance buffers remain in place until the breeding season (March 1 through September 15) has ended or until a qualified biologist has determined that the birds have fledged and are no longer reliant upon the nest or parental care for survival.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 3: SWHA Take Authorization If any active SWHA nest is detected during pre-construction surveys or Project activities, and a ½-mile no-disturbance buffer is not feasible, consultation with CDFW is warranted to discuss how to implement the Project and avoid take. If take cannot be avoided, take authorization through the acquisition of an Docusign Envelope ID: 10D6FF0E-1153-8337-8015-4660A1BD5DA0
Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
Incidental Take Permit (ITP), pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081 subdivision (b) is necessary to comply with CESA.
Western Burrowing Owl
The Project site is within the known geographic range of western burrowing owl (BUOW), and an occurrence is documented within 10 miles of the Project site (CDFW 2026). BUOW utilize agricultural areas and commonly nest along canals, irrigation ditches, and other infrastructure. Based on aerial imagery, potential BUOW burrowing and foraging habitat is present near or within the Project site. Mitigation measure BIO-1 of the IS/MND requires a qualified biologist to conduct a pre-construction survey in accordance with the 2012 Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (2012 Staff Report; CDFG 2012) in and within 500 feet of the impact areas prior to the initiation of construction activities. While CDFW concurs with conducting a pre-construction survey in accordance with the 2012 Staff Report, we recommend surveying out to 500 meters to facilitate avoidance of BUOW and BUOW dens as outlined in the 2012 Staff Report.
As such, CDFW recommends modifying mitigation measure BIO-1 of the IS/MND to incorporate the following recommended mitigation measures prior to its adoption by the City, and that these measures be incorporated prior to the initiation of any Project development or ground-disturbing activities.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 4: BUOW Pre-Construction Surveys CDFW recommends that focused surveys, following the 2012 Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (2012 Staff Report; CDFG 2012), be conducted in and within 500 meters of the Project site, the survey season immediately prior to construction. Please note that the 2012 Staff Report necessitates multiple surveys prior to the initiation of construction.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 5: BUOW No-Disturbance Buffer If a BUOW or known BUOW den (active or inactive) is detected during preconstruction surveys or Project activities, CDFW recommends delineating and maintaining no-disturbance buffers, as outlined in the 2012 Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (CDFG 2012), prior to and during any development or ground-disturbing activities. CDFW advises that these no-disturbance buffers be implemented for both wintering and breeding BUOW.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 6: BUOW Take Authorization If a BUOW or known BUOW den (active or inactive) is detected during preconstruction surveys or Project activities, and the no-disturbance buffers outlined in the 2012 Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (CDFG 2012) are not feasible, consultation with CDFW is warranted to discuss how to implement the Docusign Envelope ID: 10D6FF0E-1153-8337-8015-4660A1BD5DA0
Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
Project and avoid take. If take cannot be avoided, take authorization through the acquisition of an ITP, pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081 subdivision (b) is necessary to comply with CESA.
Western Spadefoot
The Project site is within the known geographic range of western spadefoot (WESP) (CDFW 2026). WESP are known to occur within grasslands and seasonal wetlands with appropriate upland habitat, and are also known to utilize agricultural lands, including those in active cultivation. Within agricultural settings, WESP are known to breed within and adjacent to agricultural sumps and irrigation ditches, as well as in low-lying areas that are inundated for a sufficient duration during the breeding season.
The IS/MND indicates that WESP has no potential to occur in the Project vicinity and that habitat is lacking due to routine disking and lack of suitable pools for breeding.
CDFW does not concur with this conclusion. Based on aerial imagery, potential breeding habitat may be present near and within the Project site. CDFW recommends that habitat assessments for WESP be conducted during the rainy season when pooled/ponded water is visible to evaluate potentially occupied breeding habitat. As it does not appear that WESP habitat assessments were conducted during the appropriate hydroperiod, CDFW recommends conducting a more robust habitat assessment for WESP during the rainy season prior to any Project development or ground-disturbing activities. If potentially suitable habitat is identified, consultation with CDFW is recommended for guidance on appropriate WESP surveys, and for guidance on appropriate avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. If take cannot be avoided, take authorization through the acquisition of an ITP is necessary to comply with CESA, pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081 subdivision (b).
Additionally, the IS/MND states that WESP is listed as a State species of special concern. Please be advised that the California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) approved WESP as a candidate for potential listing as a protected species under CESA on August 13, 2026, and is in the process of publishing the Notice of Findings in the California Regulatory Notice Register. Once the Notice of Findings is published, WESP will be designated as a candidate under CESA and as such will receive the same legal protection afforded to an endangered or threatened species (Fish & G. Code, §§ 2074.2 & 2085).
Crotch’s Bumble Bee
The Project site is within the known geographic range of Crotch’s bumble bee (CBB), and an occurrence is documented within 6 miles of the Project site (CDFW 2026). CBB are known to inhabit grassland and agricultural habitats that contain foraging resources such as flowering plants; nesting resources such as small mammal burrows, perennial bunch grasses, thatched annual grasses, brush piles, old bird nests, dead trees, and Docusign Envelope ID: 10D6FF0E-1153-8337-8015-4660A1BD5DA0
Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
hollow logs; and/or overwintering resources such as leaf litter. These habitat features may be present near or within the Project site. Therefore, CDFW recommends including the following measures in the IS/MND prior to its adoption by the City, and that these measures be incorporated prior to the initiation of any Project development or grounddisturbing activities.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 7: CBB Habitat Assessment CDFW recommends that a qualified biologist conduct a habitat assessment following the Survey Considerations for California Endangered Species Act Bumble Bee Species (CDFW 2023), the survey season immediately prior to the start of Project development or ground-disturbing activities.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 8: CBB Pre-Construction Surveys If potentially suitable habitat is identified, CDFW recommends that a qualified biologist conduct focused surveys for CBB, and their requisite habitat features, following the methodology outlined in the Survey Considerations for California Endangered Species Act Candidate Bumble Bee Species (CDFW 2023) immediately prior to any development or ground-disturbing activities.
Recommended Mitigation Measure 9: CBB Avoidance and Take Authorization
If CBB is detected, CDFW recommends that all small mammal burrows, thatched/bunch grasses, and any other potential nesting resources be avoided by a minimum of 50 feet to avoid take and potentially significant impacts. If ground-disturbing activities would occur during the overwintering period (October through February), consultation with CDFW is warranted to discuss how to implement Project activities and avoid take. Any detection of CBB prior to or during Project implementation warrants consultation with CDFW to discuss how to avoid take. If take cannot be avoided, take authorization through the acquisition of an ITP, pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081 subdivision (b) is necessary to comply with CESA.
Editorial Comments and/or Suggestions
Nesting Birds: CDFW encourages that any proposed vegetation- or ground-disturbing activities occur during the bird non-nesting season; however, if vegetation- or grounddisturbing activities must occur during the nesting season (February 1 through September 15), the Project proponent is responsible for ensuring that implementation of the Project does not result in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act or relevant Fish and Game Code sections as referenced above.
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Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
Mitigation measure BIO-2 of the IS/MND states, “To the extent practicable, construction shall be scheduled to avoid the nesting season, which extends from February through August. If it is not possible to schedule construction between September and January, pre-construction surveys for nesting birds shall be conducted by a qualified biologist to ensure that no active nests will be disturbed during the implementation of the Project. A pre-construction survey shall be conducted no more than 10 days prior to the initiation of construction activities. During this survey, the qualified biologist shall inspect all potential nest substrates in and immediately adjacent to the impact areas.” In addition to identifying nests, CDFW recommends that qualified biologists establish a behavioral baseline of all identified nests during the pre-construction survey.
Once vegetation- or ground-disturbing activities begin, CDFW recommends having a qualified biologist continuously monitor nests to detect behavioral changes resulting from the activities associated with the Project. If behavioral changes occur, CDFW recommends halting the work causing that change and consulting with CDFW for additional avoidance and minimization measures. If continuous monitoring of identified nests by a qualified biologist is not feasible, CDFW recommends implementing a minimum 250-foot no disturbance buffer around active nests of non-listed bird species and a minimum 500-foot no-disturbance buffer around active nests of non-listed raptors.
These buffers are advised to remain in place until the breeding season has ended or until a qualified biologist has determined the birds have fledged and are no longer reliant upon the nest or on-site parental care for survival. Variance from these nodisturbance buffers is possible when there is a compelling biological or ecological reason to do so, such as when the Project site would be concealed from a nest site by topography. Prior to implementing a variance from these no-disturbance buffers, CDFW recommends that a qualified biologist assess the site-specific circumstances, provide a biological or ecological justification to support a variance, if possible, and notify CDFW.
California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB): Please note that the CNDDB is populated by voluntary submission records of species detections. As a result, species may be present in locations not depicted in the CNDDB, but where there is suitable habitat and features capable of supporting species. A lack of an occurrence record, or lack of recent occurrence records, in the CNDDB does not mean a species is not present. In order to adequately assess any potential Project-related impacts to biological resources, surveys conducted by a qualified biologist/botanist during the appropriate survey period(s) and using the appropriate protocol survey methodology are warranted in order to determine whether or not any special-status species are present at or near the Project site.
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Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
CEQA requires that information developed in environmental impact reports and negative declarations be incorporated into a database which may be used to make subsequent or supplemental environmental determinations. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21003, subd. (e).) Accordingly, please report any special-status species and natural communities detected during Project surveys to the CNDDB. The CNNDB field survey form can be filled out and submitted online at the following link:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Submitting-Data. The completed form can be mailed electronically to CNDDB at the following email address: [email protected]. The types of information reported to CNDDB can be found at the following link:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals.
FILING FEES
The Project, as proposed, would have an impact on fish and/or wildlife, and assessment of environmental document filing fees is necessary. Fees are payable upon filing of the Notice of Determination by the Lead Agency and serve to help defray the cost of environmental review by CDFW. Payment of the environmental document filing fee is required in order for the underlying project approval to be operative, vested, and final. (Cal. Code Regs, tit. 14, § 753.5; Fish & G. Code, § 711.4; Pub. Resources Code, § 21089.)
CONCLUSION
CDFW appreciates the opportunity to comment on the IS/MND to assist the City in identifying and mitigating Project impacts on biological resources. More information on survey and monitoring protocols for sensitive species can be found at CDFW’s website (https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Survey-Protocols).
Please see the enclosed, Attachment 1, Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) table, which corresponds with recommended mitigation measures in this comment letter. If you have any questions regarding this letter or further coordination, please contact Stephanie Manzo, Environmental Scientist, at the address provided on this letterhead, by telephone at (559) 578-0409, or by electronic mail at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Julie A. Vance
Regional Manager
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Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
Attachment 1: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ec: State Clearinghouse
Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
[email protected]
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Gabrielle Myers, Senior Planner
City of Hanford
August 24, 2026
REFERENCES
California Department of Fish and Game. 1994. Staff report regarding mitigation for impacts to Swainson’s hawks (Buteo Swainsoni) in the Central Valley of California. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California, USA.
California Department of Fish and Game. 2012. Staff report on burrowing owl mitigation.
California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California, USA.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2023. Survey considerations for California Endangered Species Act candidate bumble bee species. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, California, USA.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2026. Biogeographic information and observation system (BIOS). https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/BIOS. Accessed 14 August 2026.
Swainson’s Hawk Technical Advisory Committee. 2000. Recommended timing and methodology for Swainson’s hawk nesting surveys in California’s Central Valley.
Swainson’s Hawk Technical Advisory Committee.
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Attachment 1
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Attachment 1
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
RECOMMENDED MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM (MMRP)
PROJECT: Bonadelle Lacey Ave Residential Project
SCH No.: 2026071023
RECOMMENDED MITIGATION MEASURE STATUS/DATE/INITIALS
Before Disturbing Soil or Vegetation
Swainson’s Hawk (SWHA)
Recommended Mitigation Measure 1:
SWHA Pre-Construction Surveys
Recommended Mitigation Measure 2:
SWHA No-Disturbance Buffer
Recommended Mitigation Measure 3:
SWHA Take Authorization
Western Burrowing Owl (BUOW)
Recommended Mitigation Measure 4:
BUOW Pre-Construction Surveys
Recommended Mitigation Measure 5:
BUOW No-Disturbance Buffer
Recommended Mitigation Measure 6:
BUOW Take Authorization
Crotch’s Bumble Bee (CBB)
Recommended Mitigation Measure 7:
CBB Habitat Assessment
Recommended Mitigation Measure 8:
CBB Pre-Construction Surveys
Recommended Mitigation Measure 9:
CBB Avoidance and Take Authorization
During Construction
Swainson’s Hawk (SWHA)
Recommended Mitigation Measure 2:
SWHA No-Disturbance Buffer
Recommended Mitigation Measure 3:
SWHA Take Authorization
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Western Burrowing Owl (BUOW)
Recommended Mitigation Measure 5:
BUOW No-Disturbance Buffer
Recommended Mitigation Measure 6:
BUOW Take Authorization
Crotch’s Bumble Bee (CBB)
Recommended Mitigation Measure 9:
CBB Avoidance and Take Authorization
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Appendix E
Comment Letters & Responses
This appendix contains a summary of the written comments received during the public review period, along with City responses to each comment. The full comment letters can be found at the end of this Appendix. The following two public agencies provided public comment during the public review period:
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Dave Kereazis, Associate Environmental Planner
8800 Cal Center Drive
Sacramento, CA 95826
California Department of Conservation
Monique Wilber, Conservation Program Support Supervisor 715 P Street, MS 1904
Sacramento, CA 95814
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Julie A. Vance, Regional Manager
1234 East Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA 93710
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) letter dated 07/29/2026 Summary of comments – DTSC recognizes that the Project site is currently in agricultural production and several contaminants of concern can be present in the soil which could pose a threat to future residents. DTSC has requested site soil testing to take place prior to earth moving activities. DTSC also recommends that all imported soil/fill material be tested to ensure that any contaminants of concern meet the state standards of screening levels.
Response to comments – A Phase I was prepared for the Project site and recognized that there could be potential for agriculturally related chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, may have been used onsite. A Phase II was prepared in October of 2025 and included an investigation of agricultural cultivation soil sampling and followed the 2008 Interim Guidance for Sampling Agricultural Properties. The arsenic concentrations reported for six of the 24 soil samples exceeded the Residential Environmental Screening Levels (ESL) for arsenic. However, the arsenic concentrations were reported below 12 mg/kg, the arsenic concentration that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) considers the natural background concentration for arsenic in California. Although the laboratory results for arsenic are above the Residential
ESLs, the arsenic results are below the accepted background level for arsenic in California. Thus, the arsenic in these samples is not expected to pose a significant environmental concern. The ISMND has been revised to include this information. Additionally, the site soils will balance onsite and no fill material will be required.
Department of Conservation (DOC) letter dated 8/11/2026 Summary of comments - The DOC recognizes that the proposed Project site contains Prime Farmland, which will be removed with the construction of a residential development. DOC advises a discussion of that farmland to be converted, including amount and location, potential land use conflicts, implementation of City mitigation plans, cumulative impacts and proposed mitigation measures. DOC also advises that the environmental review address mitigation for the loss or conversion of agricultural land, including the discussion of an agricultural conservation easement.
Response to comments- A discussion of impacts resulting from agricultural conversion is provided on Pages 18 through 21 of the ISMND. These pages of the ISMND discuss that the proposed Project site has been designated for residential development by the City’s General Plan. The environmental review for agricultural conversion at this specific location took place in the General Plan EIR, where agricultural conversion impacts were found to be a significant and unavoidable impact. The ISMND also provides a consistency analysis with the General Plan agricultural policies demonstrating that the Project is consistent with the General Plan policies designed to protect farmland. The environmental review for this impact has already taken place.
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) letter dated 8/24/2026 Summary of comments – CDFW provided additional information on Swainson’s hawk, Western Burrowing Owl, Western Spadefoot, and Crotch’s bumble bee, and provided editorial comments on the burrowing owl and nesting bird mitigation. CDFW also recommended additional mitigation measures for Swainson’s hawk and Crotch’s bumble bee.
Response to comments – A biological resource evaluation (BRE) was prepared for the proposed Project and was included as Appendix B of the publicly circulated ISMND. As part of the BRE, a qualified biologist performed a site survey assessing habitat and potential presence of sensitive species, as summarized on pages 33-45 and in Table 5 of the ISMND. The biologist performing the survey did not find suitable habitat for the Western Spadefoot, citing that habitat was lacking due to high disturbance from routine disking. At the recommendation of CDFW, mitigation measures have been included to protect Swainson’s hawk and Crotch’s bumble bee which include pre-construction surveys and buffer zones. Additionally, the existing mitigation measures for nesting birds and Burrowing owl have been modified at the recommendation of CDFW.
15.A.
AGENDA
STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/6/2026 AGENDA SECTION: GENERAL BUSINESS SUBJECT:
Review the City of Hanford Water Service System Ordinance Chapter 13.04 and provide direction to staff on recommended modifications to the Ordinance to comply with AB1572 requirements.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation:
It is recommended that Council receive this overview of the current City of Hanford ordinance pertaining to Water Service Systems and provide direction to staff on recommended modifications to the Ordinance to comply with AB1572 requirements.
Recommended Motion:
Provide direction to staff to bring back the ordinance at a future council meeting for Council's consideration of the AB1572 required modifications to the Ordinance based on tonight's discussion.
BACKGROUND:
Assembly Bill 1572 was enacted by the State of California to reduce potable water use by prohibiting the irrigation of nonfunctional turf on specified properties. The legislation requires public water systems to adopt or revise local regulations by January 1, 2027. The City of Hanford owns and operates a public water system and is therefore required to implement the provisions of AB 1572.
The proposed ordinance revisions will include the following:
o Defines functional and nonfunctional turf.
o Prohibits irrigation of nonfunctional turf with potable water. o Establishes compliance timelines consistent with state law. o Authorizes enforcement by the Utilities Director or designee. o Provides administration procedures and penalties.
In addition to addressing AB 1572 requirements, proposed changes to Hanford Municipal Code Chapter 13.04 include an update of enforcement provisions to cause them to be consistent with similar provisions contained in other chapters. Accordingly, staff recommends the revisions in
"Attachment A" to the City of Hanford Water Service System Ordinance Chapter 13.04.
The purpose of this proposed action is to incorporate the provisions of AB1572 as necessary to comply with state law and aims to conserve water by banning the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional ornamental grass. No construction or design activities are included in this action.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Initial costs include staff time for inventory development, customer outreach and education, ordinance administration, and future landscape conversion projects, which will be absorbed within existing operational budgets as or where possible. The recommended action does not have any major impact on the annual budget for the Water Fund. The ordinance itself fulfills the statemandated requirement to prohibit potable water use for irrigating Non-Functional Turf and aligns with AB 1572 and Water Code section 10608.14. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Grant funding opportunities will be pursued when available for any programs to further support the implementation of this ordinance, including public education, or incentive programs.
STRATEGIC GOAL: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports.
Check all that apply.
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Quality of
Life
☐
Community
Engagement
☐
Fiscal
Sustainability
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Efficient &
High
Performing
Government
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Water Service System Ordinance Amendment
ORDINANCE NO. 26-XX
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HANFORD AMENDING HANFORD MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 13-04 RELATING TO WATER SERVICE SYSTEM
The City Council of the City of Hanford does ordain as follows:
Section 1: Hanford Municipal Code Chapter 13.04 contains regulations regarding water service systems.
Section 2: The regulations contained in Chapter 13.04 were adopted several years ago, and the implementation of Assembly Bill No. 1572 Chapter 849 determined that provisions for water use on nonfunctional turf be added.
Section 3: Accordingly, Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.010, 13.04.020, 13.04.040,
13.04.150, 13.04.170, 13.04.190, 13.04.200, and 13.04.210 are hereby rescinded and restated as shown in the attached Exhibit “A,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
Section 4: This ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after its passage and shall be published once in the Hanford Sentinel within fifteen (15) days after its passage or a summary of this ordinance shall be published in the Hanford Sentinel in a manner consistent with the requirements of the California Government Code.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Hanford duly called and held on , 2026, by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
APPROVED
ATTEST:
Mark Kairis
MAYOR of the City of Hanford
NATALIE CORRAL
CITY CLERK
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF KINGS ) ss
CITY OF HANFORD )
I NATALIE CORRAL, City Clerk of the City of Hanford, do hereby certify the foregoing ordinance was duly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Hanford on the 15th day of September 2026, and it was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Hanford held on the day ___ of_______________ , 2026.
NATALIE CORRAL
CITY CLERK
Exhibit
“A”
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.010. is hereby amended to state:
For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:
“Commercial service” means the furnishing of water to premises where the customer is engaged in trade or business.
“Commercial property” means a property that is zoned for commercial use in accordance with Title 17 of this Code.
“Common Area” means that portion of a common interest development or of a property owned or managed by a homeowners’ association or a community service organization or similar entity that is not assigned or allocated to the exclusive use of the occupants of an individual dwelling unit within the property.
“Common interest development” has the same meaning as in Section 4100 of the California Civil Code, as may be amended.
“Community service organization or similar entity” has the same meaning as in Section 4110 of the California Civil Code, as may be amended.
“Community space” means an area designated by a property owner or a governmental agency to accommodate human foot traffic for civic, ceremonial, or other community events or social gatherings.
“Customer” means any person or entity, including without limitation, the city, the state of California, the United States of America and any department or agency thereof, billed for water furnished by the water division of the city.
“Disadvantaged community” means a community within an annual median household income that is less than eighty percent (80%) of the statewide annual median household income. “Domestic service” means the furnishing of water for household residential purposes, including water used for sprinkling lawns, gardens and shrubbery, for washing vehicles, for cooling homes and for other similar and customary domestic purposes.
“Functional turf” means a ground cover surface of turf located in a recreational use area or community space. Turf enclosed by fencing or other barriers to permanently preclude human access for recreation or assembly is not functional turf. “Homeowners’ association” means an “association” as defined in Section 4080 of the California Civil Code, as may be amended.
“Industrial property” means property that is zoned for industrial use in accordance with Title 17 of this Code.
“Institutional property” is property used for an institutional purpose serving the public, including, without limitation, schools, higher education institutions, courts, churches, hospitals, governmental facilities, and nonprofit research institutions. “Industrial service” means the furnishing of water to premises for use by a customer in manufacturing or processing activities.
“Meter rate service” means the furnishing of water by measured quantities.
“Nonfunctional turf” means any turf that is not functional turf, and includes turf located within street rights-of-way and parking lots.
“Potable water” means water that is suitable for human consumption. “Premises” means any lot, piece or parcel of land or any building or other structure having a connection with the water system of the city.
“Private fire protection service” means any water line connected to the water system for the sole use of fire prevention. An individual water meter shall be required on each fire protection service. “Potable water” means water that is suitable for human consumption. “Recreational use area” means an area designated by a property owner or a governmental agency to accommodate human foot traffic for recreation, including, but not limited to, sports fields, golf courses, playgrounds, picnic grounds, or pet exercise areas. This recreation may be either formal or informal.
“Turf” has the same meaning as defined in Section 491 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations, as may be amended.
“Waste of water” means the improper use of, excessive use of or unlawful use of water supplied by the city.
“Water division” means that division of the city public works department designated to administer the water system of the California Water Service Company purchased by the city effective January 9, 1958. “Water division” shall include the superintendent and other employees of the city serving in the water division.
“Water system” means the water business purchased by the city from the California Water Service Company effective January 9, 1958, together with such additions and improvements thereto as may be made from time to time.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.020. is hereby amended to state:
A. All new connections to the water system shall be metered with a meter of at least one inch in size and installation of such meters shall be at the sole cost and expense of the applicant. a. Should a customer remodel, modify, change or alter its premises and the cost of such remodeling, modification, change or alteration exceeds $5,000, the applicant shall be required to install a water meter to measure water use by the customer at the premises.
The applicant shall pay the total cost of the purchase and installation of the meter, including without limitation, the cost of the meter-box. b. Should at any time, any federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance mandate the installation of water meters for any type of water use, including, without limitation, the installation of water meters on currently unmetered service connections, then on the date any such federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance is passed, adopted or enacted, the installation of water meters as required by such federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance, shall be at the sole cost and expense of the owner of the real property upon which the meter is to be installed.
c. If a customer’s premises is demolished, destroyed or removed from the real property upon which it is located, reconnection to the water system shall require a meter and all costs shall be borne by the applicant.
d. Installation of all new water services, including, without limitation, water meters, shall be performed by contractors and/or subcontractors who are duly licensed by the California State Licensing Board. All methods, materials, work procedures, and workmanship shall conform to city standards and must be approved the by the utilities and engineering director or designee.
e. Customers who install meters shall only install city-approved meters, automated meter reading devices, and meter boxes. Determination of whether a turbine or compound meter is required shall be made by the utilities and engineering director or designee.
All meters, automated meter reading devices, and meter boxes installed to the city’s satisfaction shall become and remain the sole property of the city and shall be serviced and maintained by the city.
f. Approved backflow devices that are required to be installed by the utilities and engineering director or designee are required to be tested annually and repaired so they remain in good working order at the sole expense of the customer by a certified tester approved by the utilities and engineering director or designee. If the customer fails to have the backflow device tested or repaired in the timeframes provided in the service notice from the water division, the city reserves the right (but shall not be required) to test and/or repair the device at the sole cost of the customer and charge the customer for costs incurred and administrative and inspection fees established by separate resolution.
g. Subsections (A)(1) through (A)(6) of this section shall also apply to any premises located outside of the city limits, but within a county area receiving water service from the city.
B. Applicants for commercial service or industrial service shall be served under metered rates.
C. The water division shall furnish water at customer service connections at such pressure as may be available from time to time in the normal operation of the water division.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.040. is hereby amended to state:
A. Purpose. Charges and rates to pay the cost of operation, maintenance, debt service, equipment replacement, expansion and administration of the city water system, including, without limitation, the city cross-connection program identified in Chapter 13.16 of the Hanford Municipal Code, shall be levied against all customers of the city water system. The charges and rates shall be calculated in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter 13.04 and Chapter 13.16 of the Hanford Municipal Code and shall be adopted by resolution of the city council. Costs of the city water system shall include, without limitation, the following items:
1. Sufficient financing for an adequate operation and maintenance program, including without limitation, competent operating and management personnel;
2. Funds to be reserved for necessary future replacements, improvements, and expansions of the facilities; and
3. Funds to cover all debt service incurred in the maintenance, operation, replacements, improvements, expansions and management of the facilities.
B. Water Service Charges. The structure of the charges shall be as follows:
1. Meter rate services;
2. Private fire protection service.
C. Charges and Rates Outside the City Limits. For all other connections serving premises located outside the city limits, the rates to be charged a customer shall be one and one-half times the calculated meter rate for metered services. Included in such rates are additional charges for the following conditions:
1. Every user of water outside the limits of the city who shall have an evaporative cooler which does not have a recirculating pump connected to it and as a part thereof;
2. Every user of water outside the limits of the city who has a water cooled refrigeration unit which is not properly connected to a cooling tower designed and used for the purpose of reusing the same watering such refrigeration unit.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.150. is hereby amended to state:
A. Unlawful Acts. In the use of water supplied by the city no person shall:
1. Sprinkle, irrigate or otherwise apply water to any yard, ground, landscaping, or vegetation except on the following designated days: properties with even-numbered addresses, Tuesday and Saturday, and properties with odd-numbered addresses, Wednesday and Sunday; or
2. Sprinkle, irrigate or otherwise apply water to any yard, ground, landscaping or vegetation on any day of the week between the hours of ten a.m. and six p.m. during periods designated as “daylight savings time” (generally occurring between March and November); or
3. Sprinkle, irrigate or otherwise apply water to any yard, ground, landscaping or vegetation except by the use of: (a) a hand-held hose or (b) a sprinkling device or an approved sprinkling system controlled by an automatic shut-off device or a person who is in immediate attendance of the sprinkling device or system; or
4. Sprinkle, irrigate or otherwise apply water to any yard, ground, landscaping or vegetation during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall; or
5. Sprinkle, irrigate or otherwise apply water to any ornamental turf on public street medians; or
6. Sprinkle, irrigate or otherwise apply water to any yard, ground, landscaping or vegetation outside of a newly constructed home or building in a manner inconsistent with regulations or other requirements established by the California Building Standards Commission and the California Department of Housing and Community Development; or
7. Allow water used to irrigate any yard, ground, landscaping or vegetation to run or waste onto non-irrigated areas, private or public walkways, sidewalks, driveways, streets or adjoining or adjacent property; or
8. Keep, maintain, operate or use any water connection, hose, faucet, hydrant, pipe, outlet or plumbing fixture which is not tight and free from leakage and dripping; or
9. Wash any type of vehicle, boat or trailer with water supplied by a hose unless the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use; or
10. Use water for sidewalk, driveway, or walkway washing or cleaning, except as required to address an immediate public health or safety need; or
11. Operate water fountains or other decorative water fixtures without recirculation pumps; or
12. Drain and fill a swimming pool or similar water feature more than once during a one-year period (all pool drainage must occur pursuant to a permit issued by the city’s utilities and engineering department); or
13. Willfully or negligently waste water in any manner; or
14. Use potable water for the irrigation of nonfunctional turf located on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, other than a cemetery, and on properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities is prohibited as of the following dates:
a. All properties owned by the Department of General Services, beginning January 1, 2027.
b. All properties owned by local governments, local or regional public agencies, and public water systems, except those specified in subparagraph (5) below, beginning January 1, 2027.
c. All other institutional properties and all commercial and industrial properties, beginning January 1, 2028.
d. All common areas of properties of homeowners’ associations, common interest developments, and community service organizations or similar entities, beginning January 1, 2029.
e. All properties owned by local governments, local public agencies, and public water systems in a disadvantaged community, beginning January 1, 2031, or the date upon which a state funding source is made available to fund conversion of nonfunctional turf on these properties to climate-appropriate landscapes, whichever is later.
For purposes of this section, the term “water” shall mean potable and non-potable water unless otherwise stated.
Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in this subsection 14, the use of potable water is not prohibited to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings, or to the extent necessary to address an immediate health and safety need.
All large recreational areas of two acres or more in turfed areas that are publicly owned or that are used for public purposes are excluded from subparagraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection A.
B. Serving of Drinking Water. The serving of drinking water, other than upon request, in eating or drinking establishments, including, but not limited to, restaurants, hotels, cafes, cafeterias, bars, or other public places where food or drink are served or purchased, is prohibited.
C. Hotels and Motels. Operators of hotels and motels within the city shall provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily. Each hotel and motel shall prominently display notice of this option in each bathroom using clear and easily understood language.
D. Planting of Rye Grass Prohibited. The planting of rye grass on any serviced by the city’s water system is prohibited due to the amount of water required to cultivate and maintain that type of turf. Seasonal overseeding of ryegrass may be permitted within a designated recreational-use area where the turf provides a functional playing or active-recreation surface as this may be necessary to maintain the field’s recreational use, safety, durability, or payability. Such turf constitutes functional turf under California Water Code Section 10608.12.
E. Conditional Watering Permits. The city may issue conditional watering permits that allow the watering of new landscaping on days and/or at times other than those identified in subsection A of this section; such exception to the limitations of subsection A is necessary and appropriate to allow the establishment of new plants and trees. The terms and conditions under which each permit is granted shall be determined by the city’s utilities and engineering department; provided, however, the issuance of conditional watering permits shall occur in a manner consistent with all current and future state and federal laws and regulations.
F. Charity and Community Vehicle Wash Events Prohibited. Charity and community vehicle wash events are prohibited. For purposes of this section, the term “charity and community
vehicle wash events” shall include any event at which an individual or a group, which is not a commercial washing business operating legally in the city, offers to the general public or portion thereof the service of washing, with water, any type of vehicle, boat or trailer in exchange for a fee, donation, other form of compensation, or for no compensation. Nothing contained in this subsection shall be interpreted to prohibit: (1) the operations of commercial washing businesses operating legally within the city, including, without limitation, commercial car washes operating at fixed sites and mobile car wash businesses; or (2) an individual or business from washing his/her/its own vehicles, boats and trailers as long as all washing activities comply with the requirements and restrictions of this section.
G. Leaks in Customer’s System. When a leak is discovered by a customer in a customer’s water system and a customer is charged for water that it has not used, as a result of the leakage, it shall be the policy of the city to aid the customer in locating the leak. If the leak is repaired by the customer within a period of 10 days of the date the leak is discovered and the customer can establish that a portion of the charges identified in its water bill are in excess of the amount normally charged to the customer, that excess amount of water use caused by the leakage shall be charged to the customer at the standard water rate. If the leak is not repaired by the customer within the 10 day period, the portion of the excess water usage which results from the leakage will be billed at two times the standard water rate until the leak is repaired by the customer. The city shall give prompt notice to a customer if the city obtains information indicating that a leak may exist in the customer’s exclusive control.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.170. is hereby amended to state:
A. Notice of Violation.
1. With respect to violations other than the failure to timely pay utility service charges, upon the determination by the city’s director of finance, director of public works, or designee that a person or entity has violated this chapter, such person or entity may be served with a written notice of violation. The notice shall, if feasible, describe the time, place, and circumstances of each violation charged and the corrective measures, if any, the person or entity is required to undertake to correct the violation. If the user who is responsible for the violation does not own the real property at which the violation occurred, the city will provide a copy of the notice to the owner when the notice is served upon the user.
2. The person or entity shall complete any corrective action described in the notice of violation within 10 calendar days of receipt of the notice of violation or shall identify in writing a proposed arrangement for the corrective action to be taken if corrective action cannot be reasonably completed during such 10 calendar day period. A proposed arrangement shall be submitted to the city official who issued the notice of violation.
3. Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the city to take any action, including emergency actions or any other enforcement action, without first issuing a notice of violation.
B. Method of Service.
1. All written notices required by this chapter shall be served by personal delivery to the person or entity to be notified or by deposit in the United States Mail, certified with return
receipt requested, addressed to such person or entity to be notified at his/her/its last known address as the same appears in the public records or other records pertaining to the matter to which such notice is directed. Service by mail shall be deemed to have been completed at the time of deposit in the mail.
2. The failure of any person or entity to receive a notice properly served, mailed, posted, or published under this chapter shall not affect the validity of any proceedings occurring under this chapter.
C. Hearing.
1. If the director of finance, the director of public works, or designee, determines that the violation has not been eliminated by the deadline for compliance established pursuant to subsection A above, or that a violation has recurred prior to the compliance date, the city will set the matter for a hearing before a hearing officer designated by the city manager.
2. This hearing serves to provide a person or entity subject to a notice of violation a full opportunity to object to the determination that a violation has occurred, that the violation has continued to exist or has recurred, and/or that the person or entity is responsible for creating, maintaining, or fostering the violation. The failure of any person or entity subject to a notice of violation to appear at the hearing shall constitute a failure to exhaust administrative remedies.
3. The city clerk shall cause a written notice of hearing before the hearing officer to be served on each person and entity subject to the notice of violation and to the owner of the real property at which the violation occurred, if the owner and the user are different parties.
D. Notice of Hearing. Each hearing shall be set for a date not less than 15 calendar days nor more than 60 calendar days from the date of the notice of hearing unless the violator consents to a shortening or extension of time or the hearing officer determines that the matter is urgent or that good cause exists for an extension of time.
E. Conduct of Hearing.
1. At the date, time, and place set forth in the notice of hearing, the hearing officer shall conduct a hearing on the notice of violation.
2. At the hearing, the hearing officer shall consider any written or oral evidence, including the following:
a. The notice of violation and evidence submitted by persons subject to the notice of violation and by the city;
b. The objectively reasonable efforts made by the person or entity subject to the notice of violation to comply prior to the applicable compliance date; and c. Any condition or situation beyond the control of the person or entity subject to the notice of violation that prevented compliance by the applicable deadline.
F. Findings and Order.
1. Within 15 calendar days following the conclusion of the hearing, the hearing officer shall make findings and issue a written determination in connection with the notice of violation.
2. The findings made by the hearing officer shall be supported by the evidence received at the hearing or otherwise submitted to the hearing officer in accordance with State law or this code.
3. If the hearing officer finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, excluding violations involving the timely payment of utility charges, the hearing officer may issue a compliance order containing the following:
a. Directive to the user ordering him/her/it to comply immediately with all requirements and take such appropriate remedial or preventive actions to properly address a continuing or threatened violation;
b. Directive to the user to cease activities causing or associated with the unauthorized activity;
c. Requirements to address the noncompliance or prevent the continuation, exacerbation, or reoccurrence of the violation;
d. Deadline for compliance;
e. Directive for the termination of water service to the violating property through the severance of the connection between the violating property and the city’s water system, if the user fails to take all required actions by the deadline established by the hearing officer;
f. Directive to the user to pay an administrative penalty for each violation, with each penalty not to exceed the maximum allowed under state law; g. Directive to the violator to pay reimbursement to the city for the fees and costs incurred by the city, including, without limitation, administrative costs and legal fees, associated with the violation;
h. Directive to the user to pay a deposit to the city that represents the fees and costs that the city will incur to address continuing violations;
i. Other terms, conditions, and/or requirements that the hearing officer finds reasonable; and/or
j. Authorization to city staff to take any other action that the hearing officer finds reasonable.
4. A compliance order does not relieve the user of liability for any violation, including any continuing violation. Issuance of a compliance order shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user.
5. Every person and entity subject to a compliance order shall observe and comply with such order and with all applicable laws, permits, and other approvals of federal, state, and local
governments in any and all actions taken pursuant to or in order to comply with the compliance order, including, without limitation, the payment of applicable fees and charges.
6. If the hearing officer finds one or more of the following exists, then the hearing officer shall issue a finding of those facts:
a. That a violation did not occur or recur at or on the subject property after the compliance date established through the notice of violation
b. That the person or entity subject to the notice of violation took all objectively reasonable steps to comply with the notice of violation by the applicable compliance date; or
c. That some condition or situation beyond the control of the person or entity subject to the notice of violation prevented compliance prior to the compliance date.
G. Administrative Penalties.
1. When the hearing officer finds that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, with the exception of violations associated with the failure to pay utility charges in a timely manner, the hearing officer may fine such user in an amount not to exceed the then-current maximum allowed by state law. Such penalties may be assessed on a per violation per day basis.
2. Unpaid charges, fines and penalties shall, after the payment deadline identified in the compliance order, be assessed an additional penalty in an amount established by the city council by resolution, and interest shall accrue thereafter at a rate established by the city council by resolution; provided however, the additional penalty and/or interest shall not apply if collection of the same by the city would violate state law.
3. Issuance of an administrative fine shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user.
4. In determining the amount of a penalty, the hearing officer may take any or all of the following factors into consideration:
a. The period of time during which the violation(s) occurred; b. The nature, frequency, and recurrence of the violation(s); c. The ease with which the violation(s) could have been abated; d. The good faith efforts made to address the violation(s); e. The economic impact of the penalty on the person/entity responsible for payment; f. The impact of the violation on the public and/or property; and g. Such other factors as justice may require.
5. Penalties imposed by the hearing officer may accrue from a date no earlier than the
compliance date specified in the compliance order and shall cease to accrue on the date the compliance order has been complied with as determined by the city.
6. Penalties assessed by the hearing officer shall be due by the date specified in the compliance order.
7. Penalties assessed by the hearing officer are a debt owed to the city and, in addition to all other means of enforcement, may be enforced and collected through an assessment added to the property tax roll or though the recording of a lien against the real property at which the violation occurred.
8. If a person or entity subject to the compliance order gives written notice to the city officer issuing the notice of violation that the terms of the compliance order have been satisfied and if the director or designee finds that compliance has occurred, the date that the written notice is postmarked or personally delivered to the director or the date of the city’s final inspection, whichever occurs first, shall be deemed to be the date of compliance.
H. Report of Compliance after Compliance Order. If the director or designee issuing the notice of violation determines that a compliance order has been fully satisfied, the director or designee will file a report with the city clerk indicating that compliance has been achieved and the date of the city’s final inspection.
I. Compliance Dispute.
1. If the director or designee does not file a report required by subsection H above, a person or entity subject to a compliance order who believes that compliance has been achieved may request a compliance hearing by filing for a hearing with the city clerk.
2. The hearing shall be noticed and conducted in the same manner as a hearing on a notice of violation.
3. The hearing officer shall determine if compliance with the compliance order has been achieved and, if so, when it was achieved.
J. Right of Judicial Review. Following the exhaustion of administrative remedies identified in this chapter, any person or entity aggrieved by a compliance order may obtain review of such order in the superior court by filing with the court a petition for writ of mandate.
K. Lien and Tax Roll Assessment Procedures.
1. Whenever the amount of a penalty, cost, or fee, including interest, imposed upon a user by the city pursuant to this chapter has not been satisfied in full within 90 calendar days of an applicable due date and/or has not been successfully challenged, the obligation may constitute an assessment or a lien against the real property at which the violation occurred or is occurring.
2. The lien provided herein shall have no force or effect until recorded with the County Recorder. Once recorded, the lien shall have the force, effect, and priority of a judgment lien governed by the provisions of the California Code of Civil Procedure, as may be amended.
3. Interest shall accrue on the principal amount remaining unsatisfied pursuant to law at the rate established by the city council by resolution.
4. The director of finance or designee will, as applicable: (a) inform the Tax Collector for Kings County, California of the assessment amount; and (b) record the lien in the office of the County Recorder for Kings County, California. The Tax Collector shall enter the amount on the county assessment book opposite the description of the real property, and the amount shall be collected together with all other taxes levied thereon against the real property. The assessment amount shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary county property taxes are collected and shall be subject to the same penalties and interest and to the same procedure for foreclosure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for property taxes. All laws applicable to the levy, collection, and enforcement of county property taxes are made applicable to such assessment.
5. If a lien is recorded, the city clerk will record a notice of satisfaction or provide the property owner of the subject property with a notice of satisfaction that may be recorded once payment in full is received by the city of the outstanding penalties, costs, fees, and interest.
Such notice of satisfaction shall cancel the city’s lien.
L. Consent Orders. The director of finance, the director of public works, or designee, may enter into consent orders, assurances of compliance, or other similar documents establishing a voluntary agreement with any user responsible for noncompliance. Such documents shall include the specific action to be taken by the user to correct the noncompliance within a time period specified in the document. Such documents shall have the same force and effect as a compliance order issued by the city.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.190. is hereby amended to state:
A. When the director of finance, the director of public works, or designee finds that a user has violated or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, with the exception of provisions pertaining to the timely payment of utility charges, such director or designee may petition the Superior Court of Kings County, California, through the city’s attorney, for the issuance of a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction, and/or permanent injunction, as appropriate, which restrains or compels the specific performance of any requirement imposed by this chapter. A petition for injunctive relief shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user.
B. Nothing contained in this code shall preclude or limit the city from pursuing a civil action for damages against a person or entity that causes the city to incur injury, loss, costs, or expenses as a result of the person’s or entity’s violation of this chapter.
In addition to all other remedies, as part of any civil action brought by the city, a court may assess a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed the maximum allowed by state law per day for each violation with respect to any person or entity that violates this chapter, which penalty shall be payable to the city.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.200. is hereby amended to state:
A. Issuance of Citation.
1. Whenever the director of finance, the director of public works, or designee determines that a violation of a provision of this chapter has occurred, such director or designee shall have the authority to issue an administrative citation to any person or entity responsible for the violation, with the exception of violations pertaining to the payment of utility charges.
2. Each administrative citation shall contain the following information:
a. The date of the violation or, if the date of the violation is unknown, then the date the violation is identified;
b. The address or a description of the location where the violation occurred; c. The section of this code violated and a description of the violation; d. The amount of the fine for the violation;
e. A description of the fine payment process, including a description of the time within which and the place to which the fine shall be paid;
f. An order prohibiting the continuation or repeated occurrence of the code violation described in the administrative citation;
g. A description of the administrative citation review process, including the time within which the administrative citation may be contested and the place from which a request for hearing form to contest the administrative citation may be obtained; and h. The name and signature of the individual issuing the citation.
B. Amount of Fines.
1. The amounts of the fines for code violations imposed pursuant to this section shall be set forth in a schedule of fines established by resolution of the city council.
2. The schedule of fines shall specify any increased fines for repeat violations of the same code provision by the same person or entity.
C. Payment of Fines.
1. Fines shall be paid to the city within 30 days from the date of the administrative citation.
2. Any administrative citation fine paid shall be refunded if it is determined, after an appeal hearing, that a person or entity charged in the administrative citation was not responsible for the violation or that there was no violation as charged in the citation.
3. Payment of a fine under this chapter shall not excuse, discharge, or permit any continuation or repeated occurrence of the code violation that is the subject of the administrative citation.
D. Hearing Request.
1. Any recipient of an administrative citation may appeal the citation by completing a request for hearing form and returning it to the city within 30 days from the date of the
administrative citation, together with an advance deposit of the fine.
1. A request for hearing and deposit of the fine shall be submitted in writing to the city clerk.
2. The person or entity requesting the hearing shall be notified of the time and place set for the hearing at least 10 calendar days prior to the date of the hearing.
3. If the city department that issued the citation submits an additional written report concerning the administrative citation to the hearing officer, then a copy of such report shall be served on the person requesting the hearing at least five calendar days prior to the date of the hearing.
E. Hearing Officer. A hearing officer designated by the city manager shall serve as the hearing body for appeals regarding administrative citations issued under this chapter.
F. Hearing Procedure.
1. No hearing to contest an administrative citation shall be held unless the fine has been deposited with the city in advance; provided however, the deposit requirement shall be waived if the director of the city department issuing the citation or designee determines that the appealing party is financially unable to deposit the amount of the fine. The process to waive the deposit and fee requirements set forth in Section 13.04.110 of this code relating to the appeal of water service charges shall, to the extent feasible, apply with respect to the waiver of the deposit of fine amounts.
2. A hearing shall be set for a date that is not less than 15 calendar days and not more than 60 calendar days from the date that the request for hearing is filed in accordance with the provisions of this section.
3. At the hearing, the party contesting the administrative citation shall be given the opportunity to testify and to present evidence concerning the administrative citation.
4. The failure of any recipient of an administrative citation to appear at the appeal hearing shall constitute a forfeiture of the fine and a failure to exhaust administrative remedies.
5. The administrative citation and any additional report submitted by the department issuing the citation shall constitute prima facie evidence of the respective facts contained in those documents.
6. The hearing officer may continue the hearing and request additional information from the city department issuing the citation or from the recipient of the administrative citation prior to issuing a written decision.
G. Hearing Officer’s Decision.
1. After considering all of the testimony and evidence submitted at the hearing, the hearing officer shall issue a written decision to uphold, modify, or cancel the administrative citation and shall list in the decision the reasons for the decision. The decision of the hearing officer shall be final.
2. If the hearing officer determines that the administrative citation should be upheld, then the fine amount on deposit with the city shall be retained by the city.
3. If the hearing officer determines that the administration citation should be canceled, then the city shall promptly refund the amount of the deposited fine.
4. If the hearing officer determines that the fine levied under the administration citation should be adjusted, then the city will promptly refund the amount of the deposited fine that exceeds the amount fixed by the hearing officer or the recipient of the administrative citation will promptly pay to the city an additional amount fixed by the hearing officer if the officer finds that the fine assessed under the administrative citation to be insufficient.
5. The recipient of the administrative citation shall be served with a copy of the hearing officer’s written decision.
H. Late Payment Charges. Any person or entity who fails to pay to the city any fine imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section on or before the date that the fine is due shall also be liable for the late payment charges described in Section 13.04.170(G) above.
I. Recovery of Administrative Citation Fines and Costs. The city may collect any past due administrative citation fine or late payment charge by use of all available legal means, including the tax roll and lien remedies described in Section 13.04.170(K) above. Collection costs shall be in addition to any penalties, interest, and/or late charges imposed upon the delinquent obligation. Collection costs imposed under this provision shall be added to and become a part of the underlying obligation. Any partial payment of an obligation, when a partial payment is permitted, will be applied first to the principal amount of the underlying obligation, then to any penalties, and then to interest.
J. Right to Judicial Review. Any person or entity aggrieved by a decision of the hearing officer on an administrative citation may obtain review of the decision by filing a petition for review with the Superior Court for Kings County, California in accordance with the timelines and provisions set forth in California Government Code Section 53069.4, as may be amended.
K. Notices. The administrative citation and all notices required to be given by this section shall be served on the responsible party by personal delivery thereof to the person or entity to be notified or by deposit in the United States Mail, certified mail with return receipt requested, addressed to such person to be notified at his/her/its last-known address as the same appears in the public records or other records pertaining to the matter to which such notice is directed.
Service by mail shall be deemed to have been completed at the time of deposit in the mail. If the user who is responsible for the violation does not own the real property at which the violation occurred, the city will also provide a copy of the citation and associated notices to the owner when the citation and notices are served upon the user.
Hanford Municipal Code Section 13.04.210. is hereby amended to state:
A. This section shall only apply to matters in which no appeal process is otherwise specified in this chapter.
B. Any person affected by any decision, action or determination by any city department in interpreting or implementing the provisions of this chapter may file with the city clerk, within 10 calendar days of the date of service of such decision, action or determination, a notice of appeal to the city clerk appealing such decision, action or determination. Except as otherwise provided, the appealing party shall, at the time of submitting the notice of appeal, pay the applicable appeal fee, which shall be established by the city council, as a condition of the city processing the appeal. The notice of appeal shall set forth in detail all facts supporting the user’s appeal. The filing of the notice of appeal shall not limit the authority of the city to take such action as the city deems necessary to stop or prevent an ongoing or threatened violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, including actions or directives to prevent or stop threatened harm to the health or safety of the public.
C. Notwithstanding subsection B above, a user who is financially unable pay the appeal fee may file with the city clerk a request for a waiver of all or a portion of the required deposit and appeal fee. The waiver provisions set forth in Section 13.04.110 of this code shall, to the extent feasible, apply to appeal fees charged pursuant to this Section 13.04.210; provided however, the city manager shall possess decision-making authority over the waiver or partial waiver of appeal fees occurring under this section.
D. Upon receipt of a notice appeal and appeal fee, the city clerk shall set the matter for hearing before an appeal officer designated by the city manager, and after said hearing, the appeal officer may affirm, overrule or modify the decision, action or determination of a city department that is the subject of the appeal. To the extent feasible, the hearing provisions contained in Section 13.04.200 above shall apply to appeals occurring under this section.
E. Following the appeal hearing, an aggrieved user may seek judicial review of an appeal officer’s decision by filing a complaint with the Superior Court of Kings County, California during the period identified by California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6, as may be amended.
15.B.
AGENDA
STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/6/2026 AGENDA SECTION: GENERAL BUSINESS SUBJECT:
Approval by the City Council and the Hanford Financing Authority of the issuance of 2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds and related documents and actions RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Adopt City Council Resolution No. 26-69-R approving, authorizing, and directing execution of certain financing documents and directing certain related actions in connection with financing certain improvements to the City’s Wastewater System; and
2. Adopt Hanford Financing Authority Resolution No. 26-70-R authorizing the issuance and sale of wastewater revenue bonds in the amount not to exceed $68,200,000 to assist in financing certain improvements to the Wastewater System of the City of Hanford, and approving related documents and actions.
Recommended Motion:
I motion to adopt City Council Resolution No.26-69-R and Hanford Financing Authority Resolution No. 26-70-R approving, authorizing, and directing execution of certain financing documents and directing certain related actions in connection with financing certain improvements to the City’s Wastewater System and authorizing the issuance of wastewater revenue bonds by the Financing Authority in an amount not to exceed $68,200,000.
BACKGROUND:
The City has been in ongoing discussions with OPTERRA Energy Services (“Opterra”) related to a combined Solar Photovoltaic and Wastewater Treatment Facility Energy-Related Improvement Project (the “Project”). At the December 16, 2025 meeting, the City Council authorized a “Solar Only” contract with Opterra for design and construction of the solar photovoltaic portion of the Project. At the January 20, 2026 meeting, the City Council approved the 2026 Solar Equipment Lease/Purchase Agreement with Bank of America Public Capital Corp to finance the Solar Only component of the contract.
At the May 19, 2026 meeting, the City Council authorized the City manager to execute a contract amendment with Opterra for the entire Project (i.e., the combined Solar Photovoltaic and WWTF Energy-Related Improvement project) with a contract amount of approximately $60 million. At that time, City Council directed staff to return to City Council at a later date for approval of an Updated Wastewater Rate Study to implement wastewater rates and charges sufficient to pay for the Project.
City staff and consultants presented the Updated Wastewater Rate Study to City Council on June 16, 2026. The Updated Wastewater Rate Study described the additional future rate increases needed to fund the entirety of the anticipated costs of the Project. At that meeting, City Council also directed City staff to begin a Proposition 218 process that assumed future debt was structured without use of capitalized interest, which results in a more cost-effective financing structure.
The City held a public hearing on September 1, 2026, related to proposed Resolution 26-61-R, which was adopted and authorized rate increases effective September 2, 2026, and effective each subsequent July 1st, 2027, through 2030, as detailed in the table below. The amounts were designed to be sufficient to fund debt service on publicly sold bonds to pay for the Project.
Schedule of Approved Wastewater Rate Increases:
Effective Date Sept 2, 2026 July 1, 2027 July 1, 2028 July 1, 2029 July 1, 2030 % Increases 20% 20% 15% 7% 5%
Also at the meeting on September 1, 2026, the City Council approved a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement with the California Statewide Communities Development Authority (CSCDA) to form the Hanford Financing Authority. Creation of the Financing Authority allows the issuance of “revenue bonds,” which have the most favorable reception in the bond marketplace, thereby resulting in the lowest possible borrowing cost for the City’s wastewater debt. The City Council serves as the governing body of, and City staff serve as staff to, the Financing Authority.
Purpose of the 2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds
Following the September 1, 2026 meeting, City staff continued working with the City’s bond financing team to fine-tune a plan of finance and related financing documents designed meet the direction regarding debt issuance provided by City Council. At this time, City staff are requesting authorization to issue the 2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds (the “Bonds”) to provide funding for a portion of the Project pursuant to that direction. Total project costs and funding sources are outlined in the table below. The Bonds will not reimburse the City for costs previously authorized and incurred related to prior City Council actions.
Hanford WWTF Project - Funding Need and Sources of Funding
Funding Needed
Total Project Contract Amount (Includes the cost of Solar Project) $59,987,749 Less: Solar Cost Discount ($705,480)
Plus: Owner's Contingency $2,500,000
Plus: City Plan Check Cost $2,691,390
Total Funding Needed $64,473,659
Funding Sources
2026 Equipment Lease (Previously financed) $2,974,520
City WW Impact Fund Cash Contributions $2,000,000
Financing from 2026 Bonds $59,499,139
Total Funding Sources $64,473,659
In addition to funding approximately $59.5 million of Project costs, the Bonds may also include a refinancing of the prior 2012 Wastewater Revenue Bonds and/or 2015 Wastewater Revenue Bonds.
Both the 2012 and 2015 Bonds are subject to prepayment at the option of the City without penalty.
While current interest rates would not generate material savings, refunding these prior bonds would provide other benefits to the City:
• Relaxing the current legal covenants on the 2012 and 2015 Bonds related to the steps the City must take in order to meet the Additional Debt Test and issue future debt
• Changing the annual reporting requirements on the Wastewater Fund debt to more closely align with industry standards
• Streamlining the annual bond administration (3 series becomes 1 series).
If a refinancing of the 2012 and 2015 Bonds is included in the 2026 Bonds, the financing amount needed from the Bonds would increase by approximately $5.9 million in order to prepay the outstanding principal and accrued interest on those 2012 and 2015 Bonds.
Structure of the Bonds
The Bonds will be structured with a 30-year final maturity and level annual payments. The Bonds will have a fixed interest rate, which will be set at the date when the Bonds are sold to investors. Based on City Council direction at earlier meetings, the Bonds will not utilize any capitalized interest.
Accordingly, the first interest payment on the Bonds is expected to be due April 1, 2027, and subsequent interest payments will be due every six months thereafter, and be paid from wastewater rates and charges available for that purpose.
First principal payment on the Project financing component of the Bonds is expected to be due October 1, 2029. If a refinancing of the 2012 and 2015 Bonds is included, the first principal payment on the refunding component of the Bonds would be due October 1, 2027.
The graph below illustrates the proposed structure of the Bonds. The estimated future debt service repayments on a portion of the Bonds that funds the $59.5 million project cost is shown in the dark orange series. The estimated future debt service repayments on a potential refinancing of the 2012 and 2015 Bonds are shown in the light orange/peach series. The grey series represents the repayment structure on other subordinate or non-revenue secured Wastewater Fund debt (2002 Subordinate IBank Loan, 2011 Equipment Lease, 2026 Solar Equipment Lease).
Beginning in FY 2029-30, the debt service on the project financing portion of the Bonds would be level at approximately $4 million annually. This assumes a true interest cost of 5.00% on the Bonds.
The Bonds will be secured by a senior lien pledge of net revenues of the Wastewater Fund (i.e., all of the gross revenues of the system, less operation and maintenance costs) --- not the General Fund.
This pledge includes sewer service charges and impact fee revenues. The City will be covenanting with bond investors to set its wastewater rates to yield net revenues equal to at least 120% of debt service payable in any year. This is a standard security pledge for this type of financing.
The Bonds will be sold to the public through a negotiated sale using a pre-selected Underwriter (Oppenheimer & Co.). At the time of the Bonds sale (estimated for mid-October) the interest rates on the Bonds will be set. The Bonds will include a prepayment provision which will allow the City to prepay the Bonds without penalty approximately 10 years after issuance and, if interest rates decrease in the future, the City may be able to refinance the Bonds for future savings once that prepayment window opens.
Discussion of Bond Documents:
In order for the Financing Authority to issue the Bonds, City Council, sitting as the governing body of the City and of the Financing Authority, will need to adopt a resolution approving the documents on behalf of the Financing Authority and the City and authorizing City staff to execute those documents and take other necessary actions to issue and deliver the Bonds. City staff are working with Jones Hall LLP (Bond and Disclosure Counsel) to prepare documents for the Bonds. Substantially final drafts of the Bond documents are attached to this staff report for approval as to form, and are summarized below:
Authorizing Resolutions – There are two resolutions included – one for the City and one for the Financing Authority. Both resolutions provide authority to City staff to issue the Bonds, provided the final par, true interest cost, and underwriter discount are within the identified not-to-exceed
amounts in the resolutions. The not-to-exceed par of $68.2 million is set slightly higher than the current expected amount to allow the City flexibility on structuring the Bonds (e.g., structuring them as discount bonds should it result in a lower overall true interest cost on the refunding debt). The proposed not-to-exceed true interest cost of 5.50% is set slightly higher than the current market rates. Since the refunding of the 2012 and 2015 Bonds is highly dependent on interest rates, should rates continue their upward trend over the next few weeks, it is unlikely that the refunding would be included in the Bonds. The not-to-exceed underwriter’s discount of 0.40% for the Bonds is based on the proposal provided to the City by Oppenheimer & Co.
In addition to setting the not-to-exceed amounts, the Authorizing Resolutions approve the disclosure and legal documents related to the issuance, and will authorize City staff to execute the necessary documents and take the necessary actions (including securing bond insurance, if economically beneficial) in order to issue the Bonds. Given the fluidity of the current market, the expectation is to have some flexibility in structuring the best approach to achieve lowest borrowing costs possible while preserving the City's options.
Installment Sale Agreement – The Installment Sale Agreement is between the City and the Financing Authority. Under the terms of this agreement, the Financing Authority issues the Bonds, constructs the Project on behalf of the City, refinances the 2012 and 2015 Bonds (if applicable), and sells the Project to the City in exchange for Installment Payments (which, in turn, are used by the Financing Authority to pay debt service on the Bonds). The Installment Sale Agreement outlines the rate covenant that the City makes to set rates, fees, and charges for the Wastewater System equal to at least 120% of debt service payable each year. In addition, the Installment Sale Agreement outlines the conditions the City must meet in order to issue parity debt (“Additional Debt Test”).
Indenture of Trust – The Indenture formalizes the relationship between the Financing Authority and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (“US Bank”) as Trustee for the Bonds. The Indenture will describe the terms of the Bonds, including key definitions, the payment terms and schedule, prepayment options, other covenants related to the Bonds, and other administrative items. The Indenture contains other covenants and provisions related to US Bank’s role acting as trustee on behalf of bond investors.
Preliminary Official Statement – The Preliminary Official Statement (“POS”) will be distributed to potential investors to provide material information regarding the terms of and security for the Bonds. The Underwriter will use this document to market the Bonds to potential investors. Once the Bonds have sold, the final pricing information will be inserted into the POS, thereby converting it to a final Official Statement. The distribution of the POS is subject to federal securities laws, including the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These laws require the POS to include all facts that would be material to an investor in the Bonds. Material information is information considered to be substantial in nature and has significance in the deliberations of the reasonable investor when deciding whether to buy or sell the Bonds.
Continuing Disclosure Certificate - Under the Continuing Disclosure Certificate, the City agrees
to provide an annual report containing certain financial and operating information relevant to the security of the Bonds, to be filed on the EMMA website (the internet-based information repository for municipal bonds issued in the United States maintained by the Municipal Securities Rule Making Board) thereby making such information available to the investors. The City will also agree to disclose and make filings upon the occurrence of listed significant events (for example, a change in trustee, a rating change, or a missed debt payment on the Bonds).
Bond Purchase Agreement – The Bond Purchase Agreement is between the City and Oppenheimer & Co. (“Underwriter”). This Agreement will specify the terms by which the City sells the Bonds to the Underwriter. Because the final terms of sale will not be known until the day of sale, this document typically has blanks throughout when it is approved by City Council.
Nevertheless, the terms of the sale are still subject to the not-to-exceed amounts specified in the Authorizing Resolutions
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Bonds will have a debt service payment (interest only) due April 1, 2027. The amount of that payment depends on the final size of the Bonds and the interest rate, but current estimates are between $1.3 million (assuming the Bonds do not refund prior 2012 and 2015 Bonds) and $1.4 million (assuming the Bonds refund prior 2012 and 2015 Bonds).
Assuming no refunding of the 2012 and 2015 Bonds, debt service on the Bonds will increase annually over the next four years up to approximately $4 million by fiscal year 2030-31. That payment would then remain level at approximately $4 million annually through fiscal year 2056-57. Additional details regarding the estimates for the Bonds are included as Attachment A.
The costs associated with issuing the Bonds will be paid out of the proceeds of the financing (no direct budgetary impact from issuance costs).
STRATEGIC GOAL: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports.
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ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution 26-69-R
2. Resolution 26-70-R
3. Draft Preliminary Official Statement
4. Draft Indenture of Trust
5. Draft Bond Purchase Agreement
6. Draft Installment Sale Agreement
7. Continuing Disclosure Certificate
RESOLUTION 26-69-R
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HANFORD
APPROVING, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING EXECUTION OF CERTAIN
FINANCING DOCUMENTS AND DIRECTING CERTAIN RELATED ACTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH FINANCING CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY’S
WASTEWATER SYSTEM
WHEREAS, the Hanford Financing Authority (the “Authority”) has been formed for the purpose, among others, of having the Authority issue its bonds to finance the acquisition, construction and improvement of certain public capital improvements; and WHEREAS, the City desires to finance the cost of certain improvements to the wastewater system of the City and to possibly refinance bonds previously issued in 2012 and 2015 for the wastewater system (the “Wastewater Projects”), and the Authority desires to facilitate such financing; and
WHEREAS, for the purpose of raising funds necessary to finance the Wastewater Projects, the Authority proposes to issue revenue bonds under the provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 6584) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (the “Bond Law”), designated as the Hanford Financing Authority 2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds (the “Bonds”) as described in an Indenture of Trust between the Authority and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee; and WHEREAS, pursuant to an Installment Sale Agreement between the City and the Authority (the “Installment Sale Agreement”), the City will purchase the Wastewater Projects from the Authority, and the Authority will use the installment payments paid by the City pursuant to the Installment Sale Agreement to pay debt service on the Bonds; and WHEREAS, there has been prepared a Preliminary Official Statement containing information to be used in connection with the sale of the Bonds; and WHEREAS, the information required to be obtained and disclosed pursuant to Government Code Section 5852.1 prior to the issuance of the Bonds is set forth in the staff report accompanying this Resolution; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City has duly considered such transactions and wishes at this time to approve the financing documents related to the Bonds and certain related actions; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Hanford as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby approves the issuance of the Bonds by the Authority under the Bond Law for the purposes described herein in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $68,200,000.
SECTION 2. The City Council hereby approves the Installment Sale Agreement between the Authority and the City, under which the Authority agrees to finance and/or refinance improvements to the Wastewater System in consideration of the payment by the City of semiannual installment payments which are sufficient to provide revenues with which to pay principal of and interest on
the Bonds when due. The Installment Sale Agreement is hereby approved in substantially the form on file with the City Clerk together with any changes therein or additions thereto deemed advisable by the City Manager, the Finance Director or their respective designees (each, an “Authorized Officer”), which may include providing for bond insurance and/or a reserve surety.
The execution thereof by an Authorized Officer shall be conclusive evidence of the approval of any such changes or additions. Such changes may include providing for the refunding of outstanding installments payment obligations previously incurred if an Authorized Officer determines doing so is economically advantageous. An Authorized Officer is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name and on behalf of the City to execute, and the City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to attest to, if necessary, the final form of the Installment Sale Agreement.
SECTION 3. The City Council hereby approves the negotiated sale of the Bonds by the Authority to Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., as underwriter (the “Underwriter”). The Bonds shall be sold to the Underwriter under the Bond Purchase Agreement among the Authority, the City and the Underwriter, which is hereby approved in substantially the form on file with the City Clerk, together with any changes therein or additions thereto deemed advisable by an Authorized Officer, and the execution thereof by an Authorized Officer shall be conclusive evidence of the approval of any such changes or additions. An Authorized Officer is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name and on behalf of the City to accept an offer from the Underwriter to purchase the Bonds from the Authority and to execute the final form of the Bond Purchase Agreement in the name of the City.
Alternatively, the Council hereby approves sale of the Bonds by a private placement to a bond investor without further action by the Council, upon determination by an Authorized Officer that a private placement is expected to result in economic or other advantages to the City. The execution of such documents as are required or advisable to accomplish a private placement shall be conclusive evidence of the approval of any such documents; provided, that the principal amount of the Bonds is not to exceed $68,200,000 and the true interest cost of the Bonds shall not exceed
5.50%. An Authorized Officer is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name and on behalf of the Council to execute the final form of private placement documents in the name of the City.
SECTION 4. The City Council hereby approves and deems final within the meaning of Rule 15c2- 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a preliminary Official Statement for the Bonds in the form on file with the City Clerk. An Authorized Officer is authorized, at the request of the Underwriter, to execute an appropriate certificate affirming the City Council’s determination that said preliminary Official Statement has been deemed final within the meaning of said Rule. The City Council approves the distribution of the preliminary Official Statement by the Underwriter to prospective investors, in substantially the form on file with the City Clerk, together with any changes therein or additions thereto deemed advisable by an Authorized Officer. An Authorized Officer is authorized and directed to approve any changes in or additions to a final form of an Official Statement for the Bonds, and the execution thereof by an Authorized Officer will be conclusive evidence of approval of any such changes and additions. The City Council authorizes the distribution of the final Official Statement by the Underwriter, which will include final pricing information related to the Bonds.
SECTION 5. The Mayor, the City Manager, the Finance Director, the City Clerk and all other officers of the City are each authorized and directed in the name and on behalf of the City to make any and all assignments, certificates, requisitions, agreements, notices, consents, instruments of conveyance, warrants and other documents, including but not limited to a Continuing Disclosure Certificate in substantially the form attached to the Official Statement, which they or any of them might deem necessary or appropriate in order to consummate any of the transactions
contemplated by the agreements and documents approved under this Resolution. Whenever in this Resolution any officer of the City is authorized to execute or countersign any document or take any action, such execution, countersigning or action may be taken on behalf of any person serving in such role in an interim capacity or by any officer or person designated by such officer to act on his or her behalf.
SECTION 6. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of _______, 2026, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
_
Mark Kairis
Mayor of the City of Hanford
Attest:
NATALIE CORRAL
CITY CLERK
STATE OF CALIFORNIA)
COUNTY OF KINGS ) ss
CITY OF HANFORD )
I, Natalie Corral, City Clerk of the City of Hanford, do hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Hanford held on the _____ day of ___________________, 2026.
Date:
City Clerk
RESOLUTION 26-70-R
RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE HANFORD FINANCING
AUTHORITY AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF WASTEWATER REVENUE BONDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $68,200,000 TO ASSIST IN
FINANCING CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM OF
THE CITY OF HANFORD, AND APPROVING RELATED DOCUMENTS AND
ACTIONS
WHEREAS, the Hanford Financing Authority (the “Authority”) has been formed for the purpose, among others, of having the Authority issue its bonds to finance the acquisition, construction and improvement of certain public capital improvements; and WHEREAS, the City desires to finance the cost of certain improvements to the wastewater system of the City and to possibly refinance bonds previously issued in 2012 and 2015 for the wastewater system (the “Wastewater Projects”), and the Authority desires to facilitate such financing; and
WHEREAS, for the purpose of raising funds necessary to finance the Wastewater Projects, the Authority proposes to issue revenue bonds under the provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 6584) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (the “Bond Law”), designated as the Hanford Financing Authority 2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds (the “Bonds”) as described in an Indenture of Trust between the Authority and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Installment Sale Agreement between the City and the Authority (the “Installment Sale Agreement”), the City will purchase the Wastewater Projects from the Authority, and the Authority will use the installment payments paid by the City pursuant to the Installment Sale Agreement to pay debt service on the Bonds; and WHEREAS, there has been prepared a Preliminary Official Statement containing information to be used in connection with the sale of the Bonds; and WHEREAS, the information required to be obtained and disclosed pursuant to Government Code Section 5852.1 prior to the issuance of the Bonds is set forth in the staff report accompanying this Resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Authority has duly considered such transactions and wishes at this time to approve the financing documents related to the Bonds and certain related actions;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of the Hanford Financing Authority as follows:
SECTION 1. The Board hereby authorizes the issuance of the Bonds under the Bond Law for the purposes described herein in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $68,200,000.
SECTION 2. The Board hereby approves each of the following agreements relating to the issuance and sale of the Bonds, in substantially the respective forms on file with the Secretary, together with any changes therein or additions thereto deemed advisable by the Executive Director or Treasurer of the Authority or their respective designees (each, an “Authorized Officer”), and the execution
thereof by an Authorized Officer shall be conclusive evidence of the approval of any such changes or additions, which may include providing for bond insurance and/or a reserve surety. An Authorized Officer is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name and on behalf of the Authority to execute, and the Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to attest to, if necessary, the final form of each of the following agreements:
• Indenture of Trust, between the Authority and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee, setting forth the terms and provisions relating to the Bonds. • Installment Sale Agreement, between the Authority and the City, under which the Authority agrees to provide financing and/or refinancing for the Wastewater System in consideration of the payment by the City of semiannual installment payments which are sufficient to provide revenues with which to pay principal of, and interest on, the Bonds when due.
SECTION 3. The Board hereby approves the negotiated sale of the Bonds with Oppenheimer & Co.
Inc., as underwriter (the “Underwriter”). The Bonds shall be sold to the Underwriter under the Bond Purchase Agreement among the Authority, the City and the Underwriter, which is hereby approved in substantially the form on file with the Secretary, together with any changes therein or additions thereto deemed advisable by an Authorized Officer, and the execution thereof by an Authorized Officer shall be conclusive evidence of the approval of any such changes or additions; provided, that the principal amount is not to exceed $68,200,000, the Underwriter’s discount shall not exceed
0.40%, and the true interest cost of the Bonds shall not exceed 5.50%. An Authorized Officer is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name and on behalf of the Authority to accept an offer from the Underwriter to purchase the Bonds from the Authority and to execute the final form of the Bond Purchase Agreement in the name of the Authority.
Alternatively, the Board hereby approves sale of the Bonds by a private placement to a bond investor without further action by the Board, upon determination by an Authorized Officer that a private placement is expected to result in economic or other advantages to the Authority and/or the City.
The execution of such documents as are required or advisable to accomplish a private placement shall be conclusive evidence of the approval of any such documents; provided, that the principal amount is not to exceed $68,200,000 and the true interest cost of the Bonds shall not exceed 5.50%.
Any Authorized Officer is hereby authorized and directed for and in the name and on behalf of the Authority to accept an offer from a private placement investor to purchase the Bonds from the Authority and to execute the final form of related documents in the name of the Authority.
SECTION 4. The Board hereby approves and deems final within the meaning of Rule 15c2-12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a preliminary Official Statement for the Bonds in the form on file with the Secretary. An Authorized Officer is authorized, at the request of the Underwriter, to execute an appropriate certificate affirming the Authority’s determination that said preliminary Official Statement has been deemed final within the meaning of said Rule. The Board approves the distribution of the preliminary Official Statement by the Underwriter to prospective investors, in substantially the form on file with the Secretary together with any changes therein or additions thereto deemed advisable by an Authorized Officer. An Authorized Officer is authorized and directed to approve any changes in or additions to a final form of an Official Statement for the Bonds, and the execution thereof by an Authorized Officer will be conclusive evidence of approval of any such changes and additions. The Board authorizes the distribution of the final Official Statement by the Underwriter, which will include final pricing information related to the.
SECTION 5. The Board hereby approves the hiring of NHA Advisors LLC as municipal advisor, and Jones Hall LLP, as bond counsel and disclosure counsel, in connection with the issuance of the
Bonds. Compensation to each such firm shall be contingent on the successful issuance and delivery of the Bonds.
SECTION 6. The Chair, Executive Director, Treasurer, Secretary and all other officers of the Authority are each authorized and directed in the name and on behalf of the Authority to make any and all assignments, certificates, requisitions, agreements, notices, consents, instruments of conveyance, warrants and other documents, which they or any of them might deem necessary or appropriate in order to consummate any of the transactions contemplated by the agreements and documents approved under this Resolution. Whenever in this Resolution any officer of the Authority is authorized to execute or countersign any document or take any action, such execution, countersigning or action may be taken on behalf of any person serving in such role in an interim capacity or by any officer or person designated by such officer to act on his or her behalf.
SECTION 7. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this _____ day of _______, 2026, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
_
MARK KAIRIS
Mayor of the City of Hanford
ATTEST:
______________________________
Natalie Corral
City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF KINGS ) ss
CITY OF HANFORD )
I, Natalie Corral, City Clerk of the City of Hanford, do hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Hanford held on the _____ day of ___________________, 2026.
Date:
City Clerk
Jones Hall Draft of Oct. 1, 2026
PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT DATED OCTOBER [7], 2026
NEW ISSUE – FULL BOOK-ENTRY S&P RATING[S] (Insured): “___” (Underlying): “___”
See “RATING[S]”
In the opinion of Jones Hall LLP, as Bond Counsel, subject, however to certain qualifications described herein, under existing law, the interest on the 2026 Bonds is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes and such interest is not an item of tax preference for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. Interest on the 2026 Bonds may be subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax. In the further opinion of Bond Counsel, interest on the 2026 Bonds is exempt from California personal income taxes. See “TAX MATTERS” herein.
$____________*
Hanford Financing Authority
2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds
Dated: Date of Delivery Due: October 1, as shown on inside cover Authority for Issuance. The bonds captioned above (the “2026 Bonds”) are being issued by the Hanford Financing Authority (the “Authority”) under a resolution adopted by the governing body of the Authority, the provisions of Article 4 of Chapter 5, Division 7, Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (the “Bond Law”), and an Indenture of Trust dated as of October 1, 2026 (the “Indenture”), by and between the Authority and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee. See “THE 2026 BONDS – Authority for Issuance.”
Security for the 2026 Bonds. The 2026 Bonds are special obligations of the Authority, payable from the revenues (“Revenues”) pledged under the Indenture, which consist primarily of installment payments (the “Installment Payments”) payable by the City of Hanford (the “City”) to the Authority under an Installment Sale Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2026 (the “Installment Sale Agreement”) between the City and the Authority. Repayment of the Installment Payments is secured by a pledge of the Net Revenues of the Wastewater System (as such terms are defined herein) of the City. Neither the Authority nor the City will fund a debt service reserve fund in connection with the 2026 Bonds. See “SECURITY FOR THE 2026 BONDS.” Use of Proceeds. The 2026 Bonds are being issued to provide funds to (i) finance certain improvements to the Wastewater System, (ii) if economic, refinance certain outstanding parity obligations of the Wastewater System, and (iii) pay the costs of issuing the 2026 Bonds. See “FINANCING PLAN.”
Bond Terms; Book-Entry Only. The 2026 Bonds will bear interest at the rates shown on the inside cover, payable semiannually on April 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing on April 1, 2027, and will be issued in fully registered form without coupons in the denomination of $5,000 or any integral multiple of $5,000. The 2026 Bonds will be issued in book-entry only form, initially registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). Purchasers of the 2026 Bonds will not receive certificates representing their interests in the 2026 Bonds. Payments of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the 2026 Bonds will be made to DTC, which is obligated in turn to remit such principal, premium, if any, and interest to its DTC Participants for subsequent disbursement to the beneficial owners of the 2026 Bonds. See “THE 2026 BONDS – General Bond Terms.” Redemption. The 2026 Bonds are subject to optional redemption, mandatory sinking fund redemption, and extraordinary mandatory redemption from the net proceeds of insurance, sale or condemnation credited towards the prepayment of the Installment Payments by the City under the Installment Sale Agreement. See “THE 2026 BONDS – Redemption.” Bond Insurance and Reserve Fund Insurance. The Authority has received a commitment from ___________ (the “Insurer”) to provide a municipal bond insurance policy (the “Insurance Policy”) and a debt service reserve insurance policy (the “Reserve Policy”) in connection with the issuance of the 2026 Bonds. The Authority will determine at the time of pricing of the 2026 Bonds whether to purchase the Reserve Policy and/or whether to insure some, all or none of the 2026 Bonds pursuant to the Insurance Policy.
THE 2026 BONDS ARE LIMITED OBLIGATIONS OF THE AUTHORITY PAYABLE SOLELY FROM AND SECURED SOLELY BY THE REVENUES, WHICH CONSIST PRIMARILY OF THE INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS. NEITHER THE FULL FAITH AND CREDIT NOR THE TAXING POWER OF THE CITY IS PLEDGED TO THE PAYMENT OF THE INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS. THE 2026 BONDS ARE NOT SECURED BY A LEGAL OR EQUITABLE PLEDGE OF, OR CHARGE, LIEN, OR ENCUMBRANCE UPON,
ANY OF THE PROPERTY OF THE AUTHORITY OR ANY OF ITS INCOME OR RECEIPTS, EXCEPT THE REVENUES AS DESCRIBED HEREIN.
MATURITY SCHEDULE
(see inside cover)
This cover page contains certain information for quick reference only. It is not a summary of essential information about the 2026 Bonds. Potential investors should read this entire Official Statement to obtain information essential for making an informed investment decision. Investment in the 2026 Bonds involves risks that may not be appropriate for some investors. See “BOND OWNERS’ RISKS” for a discussion of special risk factors that should be considered in evaluating the investment quality of the 2026 Bonds.
The 2026 Bonds are offered when, as and if issued and accepted by the Underwriter, subject to approval as to their legality by Jones Hall LLP, as Bond Counsel. Certain legal matters will also be passed upon for the City by Jones Hall LLP, as Disclosure Counsel, and by the City Attorney.
Certain legal matters will be passed upon for the Underwriter by its counsel, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth LLP. It is anticipated that the 2026 Bonds, in book-entry form, will be available for delivery through the facilities of DTC on or about November ___, 2026*. [Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. logo]
The date of this Official Statement is: __________, 2026. __________________
* Preliminary; subject to change.
This Preliminary Official Statement and the information contained herein are subject to completion or amendment. Under no circumstances shall this Preliminary Official Statement constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
MATURITY SCHEDULE
$__________ Serial Bonds
(Base CUSIP†: _________)
Maturity Principal Interest CUSIP†
(October 1) Amount Rate Yield Price (______)
$__________ _____% Term Bond Due October 1, 20___; Yield ____%; Price: ____% CUSIP†: _________
† Copyright 2026, American Bankers Association. CUSIP data herein are provided by CUSIP Global Services, managed by FactSet Research Systems Inc., and are provided for convenience of reference only. None of the Authority, the City nor the Underwriter assumes any responsibility for the accuracy of these CUSIP data.
HANFORD FINANCING AUTHORITY
(KINGS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA)
City Council of City/Board of Authority
Mark Kairis, Mayor (District E)
Nancy Howze, Vice Mayor (District C)
Travis Paden, Councilmember (District A)
Kimber Regan, Councilmember (District B)
Lou Martinez, Councilmember (District D)
City/Authority Staff
Christopher Tavarez, City Manager/Chief Administrative Officer Destiny Borba, Finance Director/Treasurer
Natalie Corral, City Clerk/Secretary
Ty Mizote of Griswold Lasalle Cobb Dowd & Gin LLP, City Attorney
SPECIAL SERVICES
Municipal Advisor
NHA Advisors, LLC
San Rafael, California
Bond Counsel and Disclosure Counsel
Jones Hall LLP
San Mateo, California
Trustee
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association
Los Angeles, California
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS OFFICIAL STATEMENT
No Offering May Be Made Except by this Official Statement. No dealer, broker, salesperson or other person has been authorized by the City or the Underwriter to give any information or to make any representations with respect to the 2026 Bonds other than as contained in this Official Statement, and if given or made, such other information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the City or the Underwriter. This Official Statement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy in any state in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
Effective Date. This Official Statement speaks only as of its date, and the information and expressions of opinion contained in this Official Statement are subject to change without notice. Neither the delivery of this Official Statement nor any sale of the 2026 Bonds will, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the City or the Authority described in this Official Statement since the date of this Official Statement.
Use of this Official Statement. This Official Statement is submitted in connection with the sale of the 2026 Bonds referred to herein and may not be reproduced or used, in whole or in part, for any other purpose. This Official Statement is not a contract with the purchasers of the 2026 Bonds.
Preparation of this Official Statement. The information contained in this Official Statement has been obtained from sources that are believed to be reliable, but this information is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness.
The Underwriter has provided the following sentence for inclusion in this Official Statement: The Underwriter has reviewed the information in this Official Statement in accordance with, and as part of, its responsibilities to investors under the federal securities laws as applied to the facts and circumstances of this transaction, but the Underwriter does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.
Document References and Summaries. All references to and summaries of the Installment Sale Agreement, the Indenture or other documents contained in this Official Statement are subject to the provisions of those documents and do not purport to be complete statements of those documents.
Stabilization of and Changes to Offering Prices. The Underwriter may overallot or take other steps that stabilize or maintain the market price of the 2026 Bonds at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, the Underwriter may discontinue such market stabilization at any time. The Underwriter may offer and sell the 2026 Bonds to certain dealers, dealer banks and banks acting as agent at prices lower than the public offering prices stated on the inside cover page of this Official Statement, and those public offering prices may be changed from time to time by the Underwriter.
Bonds are Exempt from Securities Laws Registration. The issuance and sale of the 2026 Bonds have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in reliance upon exemptions for the issuance and sale of municipal securities provided under Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 3(a)(12) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Estimates and Projections. Certain statements included or incorporated by reference in this Official Statement constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used such as “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “budget” or other similar words.
THE ACHIEVEMENT OF CERTAIN RESULTS OR OTHER EXPECTATIONS CONTAINED IN SUCH FORWARDLOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER FACTORS WHICH
MAY CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS DESCRIBED TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH FORWARDLOOKING STATEMENTS. THE CITY DOES NOT PLAN TO ISSUE ANY UPDATES OR REVISIONS TO THOSE FORWARDLOOKING STATEMENTS IF OR WHEN ANY EXPECTATIONS, OR EVENTS, CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES ON WHICH SUCH STATEMENTS ARE BASED OCCUR.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION................................................1 FINANCING PLAN .............................................3 The Project .....................................................3 Potential Refinancing of Prior Bonds .............3
Estimated Sources and Uses of Funds..........4
THE 2026 BONDS .............................................5 Authority for Issuance ....................................5 General Bond Terms......................................5 Redemption*...................................................6 Registration, Transfer and Exchange ............8
DEBT SERVICE SCHEDULE ..........................10
SECURITY FOR THE 2026 BONDS ...............11
General; Limited Obligation..........................11 Installment Payments; Pledge of Net
Revenues .................................................11 Receipt and Use of Gross Revenues under
Installment Sale Agreement.....................12
Receipt and Use of Revenues under
Indenture ..................................................13 Reserve Fund...............................................14 Rate Stabilization Fund ................................14 Rate Covenants............................................15 Parity Debt....................................................16 No Senior Debt.............................................16 Casualty Insurance and Eminent Domain
Proceeds ..................................................17 THE AUTHORITY ............................................17 THE CITY.........................................................17 General.........................................................17 Employees....................................................18 Budget Process ............................................18 Management and Financial Policies ............18
Pension Plans and OPEB ............................20
City Investments...........................................25 City Insurance ..............................................25 THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM .......................27
General.........................................................27 Wastewater Treatment Facility ....................27
Management ................................................27 Regulatory Requirements ............................28
Wastewater Service Connections................29
Sources of Wastewater System Revenue ...30
Largest Customers.......................................31 Wastewater Rates and Charges..................31
Billing and Collection....................................33 Historical and Projected Wastewater Flow ..34
Current and Future Indebtedness................34
Reserves......................................................35 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) ...........36
Historical and Projected Debt Service
Coverage .................................................38 BOND OWNERS’ RISKS.................................39
Revenues; Rate Covenant...........................39
Increased Maintenance and Operation Costs
.................................................................40 Limitations on Remedies Available to Bond
Owners.....................................................40 Seismic and other Natural Disasters ...........40
Loss of Tax-Exemption ................................41 Proposition 218 ............................................41 Environmental Regulation............................42
Cybersecurity ...............................................43 Pandemic Diseases .....................................43 Secondary Market for Bonds .......................43
Future Parity Debt........................................44 TAX MATTERS................................................44 CERTAIN LEGAL MATTERS ..........................45
NO LITIGATION...............................................46 RATING[S] .......................................................46 CONTINUING DISCLOSURE..........................46
UNDERWRITING.............................................47 MUNICIPAL ADVISOR ....................................47 EXECUTION ....................................................48 APPENDIX A: SUMMARY OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL LEGAL DOCUMENTS APPENDIX B: AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE CITY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025
APPENDIX C: FORM OF CONTINUING DISCLOSURE CERTIFICATE
APPENDIX D: GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY OF HANFORD AND KINGS COUNTY APPENDIX E: FORM OF OPINION OF BOND COUNSEL
APPENDIX F: DTC AND THE BOOK-ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
1 __________________________________
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
__________________________________
$______________*
Hanford Financing Authority
2026 Wastewater Revenue Bonds
INTRODUCTION
This introduction is not a summary of this Official Statement. It is only a brief description of and guide to, and is qualified by, more complete and detailed information contained in the entire Official Statement, including the cover page and appendices hereto, and the documents summarized or described herein. A full review should be made of the entire Official Statement.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Official Statement have the meanings given in the Indenture (as defined below). See “APPENDIX A – Summary of Certain Provisions of the Principal Legal Documents.”
The Authority and the City. The Hanford Financing Authority (the “Authority”) is a joint exercise of powers authority established pursuant to a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement, dated September 3, 2026, by and between the City of Hanford (the “City”) and the California Statewide Communities Development Authority to, among other things, assist the City with financing capital improvements. The City is a general law city located in the Kings County (the “County”). For background, demographic and economic information regarding the City and the County, see APPENDIX D.
Authority for Issuance. The bonds captioned above (the “2026 Bonds”) are being issued by the Authority under a resolution adopted by the governing body of the Authority, the provisions of Article 4 of Chapter 5, Division 7, Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (the “Bond Law”), and an Indenture of Trust dated as of October 1, 2026 (the “Indenture”), by and between the Authority and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). See “THE 2026 BONDS – Authority for Issuance.” Security for the 2026 Bonds. The 2026 Bonds are special obligations of the Authority, payable from the “Revenues” pledged under the Indenture, which consist primarily of semiannual installment payments (the “Installment Payments”) payable by the City to the Authority under an Installment Sale Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2026 (the “Installment Sale Agreement”).
Repayment of the Installment Payments is secured by a pledge of the “Net Revenues” of the Wastewater System, where “Net Revenues” is defined as the “Gross Revenues” received from the Wastewater System, less the amount of “Maintenance and Operation Costs” of the Wastewater System (as those terms are defined herein). See “SECURITY FOR THE 2026 BONDS.”
Purpose of the 2026 Bonds. The 2026 Bonds are being issued to provide funds to (i) finance approximately $_________ of capital improvements to the Wastewater System (as described herein, the “Project”), (ii) if economic, refinance the City of Hanford Wastewater Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2012 (the “2012 Bonds”), and the City of Hanford Wastewater * Preliminary; subject to change.
2 Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2015 (the “2015 Bonds”, and together with the 2012 Bonds, the “Prior Bonds”), and (iii) pay the costs of issuing the 2026 Bonds. See “FINANCING PLAN.” Rate Covenant. Under the Installment Sale Agreement, the City is obligated to fix, prescribe, and collect fees, rates and charges for the Wastewater System during each Fiscal Year that are sufficient to yield Net Revenues at least equal to 120% of the Installment Payments and debt service on any Parity Debt due and payable in such Fiscal Year. See “SECURITY FOR THE 2026 BONDS – Rate Covenant.”
Bond Insurance and Reserve Fund Insurance. The Authority has received a commitment from ___________ (the “Insurer”) to provide a municipal bond insurance policy (the “Insurance Policy”) and a debt service reserve insurance policy (the “Reserve Policy”) in connection with the issuance of the 2026 Bonds. The Authority will determine at the time of pricing of the 2026 Bonds whether to purchase the Reserve Policy and/or whether to insure some, all or none of the 2026 Bonds pursuant to the Insurance Policy.
Existing and Future Parity Debt. The Prior Bonds are currently outstanding in the principal amount of $_________. If economic, the Prior Bonds will be refunded in connection with the issuance of the 2026 Bonds, using a portion of the proceeds of the 2026 Bonds. If not economic, the Prior Bonds will remain outstanding on a parity basis with the Installment Payments securing the 2026 Bonds. In addition, under the Installment Sale Agreement, additional series of bonds or other debt may be issued in the future that are payable from Net Revenues on a parity basis with the Installment Payments securing the 2026 Bonds, subject to the conditions contained therein. See “FINANCING PLAN” and “SECURITY FOR THE 2026 BONDS – Parity Debt.” Risks of Investment. The 2026 Bonds are repayable from the Revenues, which are primarily secured by the Installment Payments payable by the City from the Net Revenues of the Wastewater System. For a discussion of some of the risks associated with the purchase of the 2026 Bonds, see “BOND OWNERS’ RISKS.”
THE 2026 BONDS ARE LIMITED OBLIGATIONS OF THE AUTHORITY PAYABLE
SOLELY FROM, AND SECURED BY, THE REVENUES, WHICH CONSIST PRIMARILY OF THE INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS. NEITHER THE FULL FAITH AND CREDIT NOR THE TAXING POWER OF THE CITY IS PLEDGED TO THE PAYMENT OF THE INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS.
THE 2026 BONDS ARE NOT SECURED BY A LEGAL OR EQUITABLE PLEDGE OF, OR
CHARGE, LIEN, OR ENCUMBRANCE UPON, ANY OF THE PROPERTY OF THE AUTHORITY OR ANY OF ITS INCOME OR RECEIPTS, EXCEPT THE REVENUES AS DESCRIBED HEREIN.
3 FINANCING PLAN
The 2026 Bonds are being issued to provide funds to (i) finance certain improvements to the Wastewater System (as described herein, the “Project”), (ii) if economic, refinance the Prior Bonds, and (iii) pay the costs of issuing the 2026 Bonds.
The Project
The 2026 Bonds will provide approximately $_________ for the Project, which is anticipated to consist of infrastructure repairs and improvements for other portions of the Wastewater System, including to restore the Wastewater Treatment Facility back to its rated capacity of 8.0 MGD, including the following:
• Retrofit of the Existing Oxidation Ditch – Mechanical and process upgrades to increase the rated capacity of the existing Oxidation Ditch Processing Unit to meet a true 4.0 million gallons per day (MGD);
• New Oxidation Ditch – A parallel process unit that will provide a 4.0 MGD of treatment capacity, replacing the trickling filter processing plant, ensuring redundancy, operational and energy efficiency;
• Two New Secondary Clarifiers (85-foot diameter) – Enhanced solids separation and improved effluent quality to accommodate higher flow processing as a result of decommissioning the Trickling Filter processing unit;
• Decommissioning of the Trickling Filter Plant – Removal of the outdated trickling filter system, which consumes substantial electrical power and produces inconsistent effluent quality; and
• Additional Miscellaneous Facility Improvements – New RAS/WAS pumping systems, chemical storage and treatment systems, and modern instrumentation and controls to optimize process reliability and reduce operational costs.
In May 2026, the City amended a contract with Opterra Energy Services (“Opterra”) for approximately $60 million related to the improvements listed above along with a Solar Photovoltaic System upgrade, which was the subject of the original contract with Opterra. The Solar Photovoltaic system upgrade has already been completed using other financing sources.
See “The Wastewater System--Current and Future Indebtedness.” As provided in the Indenture and the Installment Sale Agreement, amounts not used for the above-described projects may be expended for other improvements to the Wastewater System approved by the City Council. Amounts expended in excess of the proceeds of the 2026 Bonds will come from reserves and other sources available to the Wastewater System. For additional details on the Project and other capital improvement program (CIP) projects being undertaken by the City for the Wastewater System, see “THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM – Capital Improvement Program (CIP).”
Potential Refinancing of Prior Bonds
In 2012, to refinance the cost of certain improvements to the Wastewater System, the City issued the 2012 Bonds, which are currently outstanding in the principal amount of $4,210,000. In 2015, to refinance the cost of certain improvements to the Wastewater System, the City issued the 2015 Bonds, which are currently outstanding in the principal amount of $1,560,000. The 2012 Bonds and 2015 Bonds are collectively referred to as the Prior Bonds.
4 If economic, a portion of the proceeds of the 2026 Bonds will be used to optionally redeem some or all of the Prior Bonds on or about November ___, 2026 (the “Redemption Date”), at a redemption price equal to the par amount of the Prior Bonds redeemed, plus accrued interest through the Redemption Date, without premium. If pursued, a portion of the proceeds of the 2026 Bonds will be deposited with U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee for the Prior Bonds, on or about the closing date for the 2026 Bonds and held in cash to redeem the Prior Bonds, in full, on the Redemption Date.
Estimated Sources and Uses of Funds
The estimated sources and uses of funds relating to the 2026 Bonds are as follows:
Sources:
Principal Amount of 2026 Bonds $
Plus/Less [Net] Original Issue Premium/Discount
[Plus Available Funds Relating to Prior Bonds]
Total Sources $
Uses:
Deposit to Project Fund
Refund Prior Bonds (if economic)
Costs of Issuance(1)
Total Uses $
(1) Costs of Issuance include legal fees, Municipal Advisor’s fee, Underwriter’s discount, printing costs, rating agency fees, and other expenses related to the issuance of the 2026 Bonds.
5 THE 2026 BONDS
This section provides summaries of the 2026 Bonds and certain provisions of the Indenture. See APPENDIX A for a more complete summary of the Indenture. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this section have the meanings given in APPENDIX A.
Authority for Issuance
The 2026 Bonds are being issued by the Authority under a resolution adopted by the governing body of the Authority on [October 6], 2026, the Bond Law, and the Indenture. The City, pursuant to a resolution adopted by the City Council of the City on [October 6], 2026, has also approved of the issuance of the 2026 Bonds and the distribution of the Official Statement.
General Bond Terms
Bond Terms. The 2026 Bonds will be dated their date of delivery and issued in fully registered form without coupons in denominations of $5,000 or any integral multiple of $5,000, so long as no 2026 Bond has more than one maturity date. The 2026 Bonds will mature in the amounts and on the dates, and bear interest at the rates per annum, set forth on the inside cover page of this Official Statement.
Payments. Interest on the 2026 Bonds will be payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year to maturity (each an “Interest Payment Date”), commencing April 1, 2027.
Interest on the 2026 Bonds will be payable on each Interest Payment Date to the person whose name appears on the Bond Registration Books as the Owner thereof as of the Record Date immediately preceding each such Interest Payment Date, such interest to be paid by check or draft of the Trustee mailed by first class mail to the Owner or, at the option of any Owner of at least $1,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Bonds with respect to which written instructions have been filed with the Trustee prior to the applicable Record Date, by wire transfer, at the address of such Owner as it appears on the Bond Registration Books.
If there exists a default in payment of interest due on such Interest Payment Date, such interest will be payable on a payment date established by the Trustee to the persons in whose names the 2026 Bonds are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such defaulted interest established by notice mailed by the Trustee to the registered Owners of the 2026 Bonds not less than 15 days preceding such special record date.
Principal of and premium (if any) on any 2026 Bond will be paid upon presentation and surrender thereof at the Principal Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. Both the principal of and interest and premium (if any) on the 2026 Bonds will be payable in lawful money of the United States of America.
However, as long as Cede & Co. is the registered owner of the 2026 Bonds, as described below, payments of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the 2026 Bonds will be made directly to DTC, or its nominee, Cede & Co.
Calculation of Interest. The 2026 Bonds will be dated the Closing Date and bear interest based on a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months from the Interest Payment Date next preceding the date of authentication thereof, unless said date of authentication is an Interest Payment Date, in which event such interest is payable from such date of authentication, and
6 unless said date of authentication is prior to the first Record Date, in which event such interest is payable from the Closing Date; provided, however, that if, as of the date of authentication of any 2026 Bond, interest thereon is in default, such 2026 Bond will bear interest from the date to which interest has previously been paid or made available for payment thereon in full.
Record Date. The Indenture defines the “Record Date” for the 2026 Bonds as the 15th calendar day of the month preceding an Interest Payment Date.
Book-Entry Only System. The 2026 Bonds will be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), as the initial securities depository for the 2026 Bonds. Ownership interests in the 2026 Bonds may be purchased in book-entry form only.
Purchasers of the 2026 Bonds will not receive physical bonds representing their ownership interests in the 2026 Bonds purchased.
Principal and interest payments with respect to the 2026 Bonds are payable directly to DTC by the Trustee. Upon receipt of payments of principal and interest, DTC will in turn distribute such payments to the beneficial owners of the 2026 Bonds. See “APPENDIX F – DTC and the Book-Entry Only System.”
So long as the 2026 Bonds are registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of DTC, references in this Official Statement to the “owners” mean Cede & Co., and not the purchasers or Beneficial Owners of the 2026 Bonds. See “APPENDIX F – DTC and the Book-Entry Only System.”
Redemption*
Optional Redemption. The 2026 Bonds maturing on or before October 1, ___, are not subject to optional redemption prior to their respective stated maturity dates. The 2026 Bonds maturing on or after October 1, ___, are subject to redemption in whole, or in part at the Written Request of the Authority among maturities on such basis as the Authority may designate and by lot within a maturity, at the option of the Authority, on any date on or after October 1, ___, from any available source of funds, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2026 Bonds to be redeemed, plus accrued interest to the date of redemption, without premium.
Special Mandatory Redemption from Insurance and Sale Proceeds. The 2026 Bonds are subject to mandatory redemption, on any date, in whole, or in part among maturities selected by the Authority, from the net proceeds of insurance, sale or condemnation credited towards the prepayment of the Installment Payments by the City under the Installment Sale Agreement, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2026 Bonds to be redeemed, plus accrued interest to the date of redemption, without premium.
Mandatory Sinking Fund Redemption. The 2026 Bonds maturing on October 1, 20__ and October 1, 20__ (the “2026 Term Bonds”) are also subject to redemption, by lot, on October 1 in each of the years as set forth in the following tables, from deposits made for such purpose pursuant to the Indenture, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount thereof to be redeemed together with accrued interest thereon to the redemption date, without premium, or in lieu thereof may be purchased, in the aggregate respective principal amounts and on the respective dates as set forth in the following tables; provided, however, that if some but not all of the 2026 Term Bonds have been redeemed pursuant to the paragraphs described above, the * Preliminary; subject to change.
7 total amount of all future payments with respect to such 2026 Term Bonds shall be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of such 2026 Term Bonds so redeemed, to be allocated among such payments in integral multiples of $5,000 as determined by the Authority (written notice of which determination shall be given by the Authority to the Trustee). 2026 Term Bonds Maturing October 1, 20__
Sinking Fund
Redemption Date
(October 1)
Principal
Amount To Be
Redeemed
2026 Term Bonds Maturing October 1, 20__
Sinking Fund
Redemption Date
(October 1)
Principal
Amount To Be
Redeemed
In lieu of mandatory sinking fund redemption of the 2026 Term Bonds, amounts on deposit in the Bond Fund (to the extent not required to be deposited by the Trustee in the Interest Account or the Principal Account pursuant to the Indenture during the current Bond Year) may also be used and withdrawn by the Authority, upon the Written Request of the Authority delivered to the Trustee, at any time for the purchase of such 2026 Term Bonds at public or private sale as and when and at such prices (including brokerage and other charges and including accrued interest) as the Authority may in its discretion determine. The par amount of any of such 2026 Term Bonds so purchased by the Authority in any twelve-month period ending on April 1 in any year shall be credited towards and shall reduce the par amount of such 2026 Term Bonds required to be redeemed pursuant to this provision on the next succeeding October 1.
Notice of Redemption. The Trustee shall mail notice of redemption of the 2026 Bonds by first class mail, postage prepaid, not less than 20 nor more than 60 days before any redemption date, to the respective Owners of any 2026 Bonds designated for redemption at their addresses appearing on the Bond Registration Books and to one or more Securities Depositories and to the Information Services. Each notice of redemption shall state the date of the notice, the redemption date, the place or places of redemption, whether less than all of the 2026 Bonds (or all 2026 Bonds of a single maturity) are to be redeemed, the CUSIP numbers and (in the event that not all 2026 Bonds within a maturity are called for redemption) 2026 Bond numbers of the 2026 Bonds to be redeemed and the maturity or maturities of the 2026 Bonds to be redeemed, and in the case of 2026 Bonds to be redeemed in part only, the respective portions of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
8 Each such notice shall also state that on the redemption date there will become due and payable on each of said 2026 Bonds the redemption price thereof, and that from and after such redemption date interest thereon shall cease to accrue, and shall require that such Bonds be then surrendered.
Each notice relating to a redemption pursuant to the optional redemption or special mandatory redemption provisions described above shall further state that such redemption may be rescinded by the Authority on or prior to the date set for redemption. Neither the failure to receive any notice nor any defect therein shall affect the sufficiency of the proceedings for such redemption or the cessation of accrual of interest from and after the redemption date. Notice of redemption of 2026 Bonds shall be given by the Trustee, at the expense of the Authority, for and on behalf of the Authority.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, while the 2026 Bonds are subject to DTC’s book-entry system, the Trustee will be required to give notice of redemption only to DTC as provided in the letter of representations executed by the City and received and accepted by DTC. DTC and the Participants will have sole responsibility for providing any such notice of redemption to the beneficial owners of the 2026 Bonds to be redeemed. Any failure of DTC to notify any Participant, or any failure of Participants to notify the Beneficial Owner of any 2026 Bonds to be redeemed, of a notice of redemption or its content or effect will not affect the validity of the notice of redemption, or alter the effect of redemption set forth in the Indenture.
Rescission of Redemption and Cancellation of Redemption Notice. The Authority shall have the right to rescind any redemption pursuant to the optional redemption or special mandatory redemption provisions described above by written notice to the Trustee on or prior to the date fixed for redemption. Any notice of redemption shall be cancelled and annulled if for any reason funds are not available on the date fixed for redemption for the payment in full of the 2026 Bonds then called for redemption, and such cancellation shall not constitute an Event of Default under the Indenture. The Trustee shall mail notice of rescission of redemption in the same manner notice of redemption was originally provided.
Selection of 2026 Bonds for Redemption. With respect to the 2026 Bonds, whenever less than all of the 2026 Bonds of a maturity are to be selected for redemption, the Trustee shall determine, by lot, the numbers of the 2026 Bonds of such maturity to be redeemed, and shall notify the City thereof.
Partial Redemption of 2026 Bonds. Whenever provision is made in the Indenture for the redemption of less than all of the 2026 Bonds of a single maturity of the same issue, the Trustee shall select the 2026 Bonds of that maturity to be redeemed by lot in any manner which the Trustee in its sole discretion deems appropriate. For purposes of such selection, the Trustee shall treat each 2026 Bond as consisting of separate $5,000 portions and each such portion shall be subject to redemption as if such portion were a separate 2026 Bond.
Registration, Transfer and Exchange
Bond Registration Books. The Trustee will keep or cause to be kept at its trust office sufficient Bond Registration Books for the registration and transfer of the 2026 Bonds, which will at all times during regular business hours, and upon reasonable notice, be open to inspection by the Authority; and, upon presentation for such purpose, the Trustee will, under such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, register or transfer or cause to be registered or transferred, on said books, 2026 Bonds as provided in the Indenture.
9 Transfer. Any 2026 Bond may, in accordance with its terms, be transferred, upon the Bond Registration Books, by the person in whose name it is registered, in person or by a duly authorized attorney of such person, upon surrender of such 2026 Bond to the Trustee at its Principal Corporate Trust Office for cancellation, accompanied by delivery of a written instrument of transfer in a form acceptable to the Trustee, duly executed. The Trustee shall collect any tax or other governmental charge on the transfer of any 2026 Bonds under the Indenture. Whenever any 2026 Bond or 2026 Bonds shall be surrendered for transfer, the Authority shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the transferee a new 2026 Bond or 2026 Bonds of like series, interest rate, maturity and aggregate principal amount. The Authority shall pay the cost of printing 2026 Bonds and any services rendered or expenses incurred by the Trustee in connection with any transfer of 2026 Bonds.
Exchange. The 2026 Bonds may be exchanged at the Principal Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee for a like aggregate principal amount of 2026 Bonds of other authorized denominations and of the same series, interest rate and maturity. The Trustee shall collect any tax or other governmental charge on the exchange of any 2026 Bonds. The Authority shall pay the cost of printing 2026 Bonds and any services rendered or expenses incurred by the Trustee in connection with any exchange of 2026 Bonds.
Limitations. The Trustee may refuse to transfer or exchange, under the provisions of the Indenture, any 2026 Bonds selected by the Trustee for redemption under the Indenture, or any 2026 Bonds during the period established by the Trustee for the selection of 2026 Bonds for redemption.
10 DEBT SERVICE SCHEDULE
Annual debt service on the 2026 Bonds is presented below, assuming no optional or extraordinary redemptions.
Period Ending
Oct. 1 Principal Interest
Annual
Debt Service
Totals:
11 SECURITY FOR THE 2026 BONDS
This section provides summaries of the security for the 2026 Bonds, and certain provisions of the Indenture and the Installment Sale Agreement. Unless the context otherwise requires, “Bonds” refers to the 2026 Bonds and any future Parity Debt outstanding under the Indenture.
See APPENDIX A for a more complete summary of the Indenture. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this section have the meanings given in APPENDIX A.
General; Limited Obligation
The 2026 Bonds are special limited obligations of the Authority, payable from and secured solely by a pledge of and lien on the Revenues, consisting primarily of the Installment Payments to be made by the City under the Installment Sale Agreement, and all amounts held in any fund or account established and held by the Trustee under the Indenture (other than the Project Fund and the Cost of Issuance Fund). Neither the faith and credit nor the taxing power of the Authority, the City, the State of California or any political subdivision thereof is pledged to the payment of the Installment Payments or the principal or redemption price of or interest on the 2026 Bonds.
Neither the payment of the principal of or interest on the 2026 Bonds nor the obligation of the City to make Installment Payments under the Installment Sale Agreement constitutes a debt of the City, the Authority, the State of California or any political subdivision thereof in contravention of the Constitution or the laws of the State of California.
Installment Payments; Pledge of Net Revenues
All of the Net Revenues are irrevocably pledged, charged and assigned to the punctual payment of the Installment Payments. Such pledge, charge and assignment constitutes a lien on the Net Revenues for the payment of the Installment Payments in accordance with the terms of the Installment Sale Agreement, which lien is on a parity with the pledge and lien which secures Parity Debt (if any). As used in the Installment Sale Agreement and in the Indenture, the following terms have the following respective meanings:
Net Revenues. The Indenture defines “Net Revenues” to mean, for any period of computation, the amount of the Gross Revenues during such period, less the amount of Maintenance and Operation Costs during such period.
Gross Revenues. The Indenture defines “Gross Revenues” as all gross income and revenues of any kind, howsoever derived, from the funds, services and facilities of the Wastewater System, including all fees, rates, late payment charges and other charges received or receivable for the wastewater and/or sewage collection, treatment and disposal service furnished by the Wastewater System and all gross revenues of all extensions of the Wastewater System hereafter acquired or constructed, including all capacity charges, connection or impact fees and other amounts charged for the Wastewater System, together with any interest earned thereon, excluding refundable deposits made to establish credit.
Maintenance and Operation Costs. The Indenture defines “Maintenance and Operation Costs” as the reasonable and necessary costs spent or incurred by the City for maintaining and operating the Wastewater System, calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including (among other things) costs and expenses paid or incurred for the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater and sewage by the Wastewater System and costs and expenses of management and repair of the Wastewater System and costs and expenses necessary to maintain and preserve the Wastewater System in good condition and
12 working order and costs and expenses for administration, overhead, insurance, taxes (if any), and other similar items; provided, however, “Maintenance and Operation Costs” shall not include (i) depreciation and obsolescence charges or reserves therefor, (ii) amortization of intangibles or other bookkeeping entries of a similar nature, including related to pension or OPEB, (iii) charges for Installment Payments or the payment of principal and interest on the 2026 Bonds and any Parity Debt or (iv) capital improvement expenses.
Wastewater System. The Indenture defines “Wastewater System” as the whole and each and every part of the wastewater and sewage collection, treatment and disposal system of the City, including the portion thereof existing on the date hereof and including all additions, betterments, extensions and improvements to such wastewater and sewer system or any part thereof hereafter acquired or constructed; provided, that to the extent the City is not the sole owner of an asset or property or to the extent that an asset or property is used in part for the above-described sewer and wastewater system purposes, only the City’s ownership interest in such asset or property or only the part of the asset or property so used for sewer system purposes shall be considered to be part of the Wastewater System.
Receipt and Use of Gross Revenues under Installment Sale Agreement Flow of Funds. The City has previously established the Wastewater Fund, which the City will continue to hold and maintain for the purposes and uses set forth in the Installment Sale Agreement. The City shall deposit all of the Gross Revenues in the Wastewater Fund immediately upon receipt. The City shall apply amounts in the Wastewater Fund as set forth in the Installment Sale Agreement and any resolution, trust indenture, lease, loan or installment sale agreement adopted, entered into or executed and delivered by the City in connection with any Parity Debt (collectively, “Parity Debt Instruments”). Amounts on deposit in the Wastewater Fund shall be applied by the City to pay when due the following amounts in the following order of priority during each Fiscal Year:
(i) all Maintenance and Operation Costs (including amounts reasonably required to be set aside in contingency reserves for Maintenance and Operation Costs) as such Maintenance and Operation Costs become due and payable; (ii) to the Trustee (or other recipient set forth in a Parity Debt Instrument) the amount needed to pay the Installment Payments and principal of, and interest on, any Parity Debt (including future series of Bonds);
(iii) to the Trustee (or other recipient set forth in a Parity Debt Instrument) the amount of any deficiency in any reserve fund established for any Parity Debt (including future series of Bonds), the notice of which deficiency has been given to the City in accordance with the Indenture and the related Parity Debt Instruments, on a pro rata basis; and
(iv) as long as all of the foregoing payments, allocations and transfers are made at the times and in the manner set forth above, any moneys remaining in the Wastewater Fund may at any time be treated as surplus and applied for any lawful purpose, including transfers to the Rate Stabilization Fund.
No Preference or Priority. Payment of the Installment Payments and the principal of and interest on any Parity Debt shall be made without preference or priority among the Installment Payments and such Parity Debt. If the amount of Net Revenues on deposit in the Wastewater
13 Fund is at any time insufficient to enable the City to pay when due the Installment Payments and the principal of and interest on any Parity Debt, such payments shall be made on a pro rata basis.
Budget and Appropriation of Installment Payments. During the Term of the Installment Sale Agreement, the City shall adopt all necessary budgets and make all necessary appropriations of the Installment Payments from the Net Revenues. If any Installment Payment requires the adoption by the City of any supplemental budget or appropriation, the City shall promptly adopt the same. The foregoing covenants on the part of the City constitute duties imposed by law and it is the duty of each and every public official of the City to take such actions and do such things as are required by law in the performance of the official duty of such officials to enable the City to carry out and perform the covenants and agreements in this paragraph.
Receipt and Use of Revenues under Indenture
Assignment to Trustee. Under the Indenture, the Authority irrevocably transfers, assigns and sets over to the Trustee, without recourse to the Authority, all of its rights in the Installment Sale Agreement (excepting only the Authority’s rights relating to indemnification and related matters), including but not limited to all of the Authority’s rights to receive and collect all of the Installment Payments. The Trustee is entitled to collect and receive all of the Installment Payments, and any Installment Payments collected or received by the Authority shall be deemed to be held, and to have been collected or received, by the Authority as the agent of the Trustee and shall forthwith be paid by the Authority to the Trustee. The Trustee is also entitled to and shall, subject to the provisions of the Indenture, take all steps, actions and proceedings which the Trustee determines to be reasonably necessary in its judgment to enforce, either jointly with the Authority or separately, all of the rights of the Authority and all of the obligations of the City under the Installment Sale Agreement.
Deposit and Use of Revenues in Bond Fund. All Revenues (consisting, primarily, of the Installment Payments) shall be promptly deposited by the Trustee upon receipt in a special fund designated as the “Bond Fund” which the Trustee shall establish, maintain and hold in trust; except that all moneys received by the Trustee and required under the Indenture or under the Installment Sale Agreement to be deposited in the Redemption Fund shall be promptly deposited in such fund. All Revenues deposited with the Trustee shall be held, disbursed, allocated and applied by the Trustee only as provided in the Indenture. Any surplus remaining in the Bond Fund, after payment in full of (i) the principal of and interest on the 2026 Bonds and any other Parity Debt Outstanding under the Indenture or provision therefore under the Indenture, (ii) repay any draws on the Reserve Policy, and (iii) any applicable fees and expenses of the Trustee, shall be withdrawn by the Trustee and remitted to the City.
On or before each Interest Payment Date, the Trustee shall transfer from the Bond Fund and deposit into the following respective accounts (each of which the Trustee shall establish and maintain within the Bond Fund), the following amounts in the following order of priority:
Interest Account. The Trustee shall deposit in the Interest Account an amount required to cause the aggregate amount on deposit in the Interest Account to be at least equal to the amount of interest becoming due and payable on such Interest Payment Date on all Bonds then Outstanding. All amounts in the Interest Account shall be used and withdrawn by the Trustee solely for the purpose of paying interest on the 2026 Bonds as it comes due and payable (including accrued interest on any Bonds purchased or redeemed prior to maturity).
14 Principal Account. The Trustee shall deposit in the Principal Account an amount required to cause the aggregate amount on deposit in the Principal Account to equal the principal amount of the 2026 Bonds coming due and payable on each October 1, including the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Term Bonds (if any) which are subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption on such October 1 pursuant to the Indenture. All amounts in the Principal Account shall be used and withdrawn by the Trustee solely to pay the principal amount of the 2026 Bonds on their respective maturity dates, including the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Term Bonds (if any) which are subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption on such October 1 pursuant to the Indenture.
Reserve Account. If required due to any draw thereon, the Trustee shall pay amounts owed to the Insurer pursuant to the Reserve Policy. All amounts in the Reserve Account shall be used and withdrawn by the Trustee solely to pay the principal of, and interest, on the 2026 Bonds (and if a parity reserve fund is established under a Supplemental Indenture, all Bonds covered by such parity reserve fund), including the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Term Bonds (if any), as it comes due and payable.
In satisfaction of the Reserve Requirement for the 2026 Bonds, the Trustee shall deposit the Reserve Policy into the Reserve Account on the Closing Date for the 2026 Bonds.
Deposit and Use of Revenues in Redemption Fund. The Trustee shall establish and maintain the Redemption Fund, into which the Trustee shall deposit a portion of the Revenues received representing optional prepayments of the Installment Payments, in accordance with a Written Request of the Authority. Amounts on deposit in the Redemption Fund shall be used and withdrawn by the Trustee solely for the purpose of paying the principal and premium (if any) of the 2026 Bonds to be redeemed under the optional redemption or special mandatory redemption provisions of the Indenture; provided, however, that at any time prior to the selection of Bonds for redemption, the Trustee may apply such amounts to the purchase of Bonds at public or private sale, when and at such prices (including brokerage and other charges, but excluding accrued interest, which is payable from the Interest Account) as shall be directed under a Written Request of the Authority, except that the purchase price (exclusive of accrued interest) may not exceed the redemption price then applicable to the 2026 Bonds.
Reserve Fund
In connection with the issuance of the 2026 Bonds, the Insurer will deliver its Reserve Policy in the amount of the Reserve Requirement. As defined in the Indenture, “Reserve Requirement” means, $_____, being the lesser of (i) maximum annual Debt Service on the 2026 Bonds, (ii) 125% of Average Annual Debt Service on the 2026 Bonds, and (iii) 10% of the original principal amount (within the meaning of Section 148 of the Code) of the 2026 Bonds, as calculated at the time of issuance of the 2026 Bonds and not subject to increase or decrease thereafter.
The Authority has no obligation to deposit cash or a substitute reserve insurance policy to the Reserve Fund in the event of default or rating downgrade by the Insurer.
Rate Stabilization Fund
Under the Installment Sale Agreement, the City has the right at any time to establish a rate stabilization fund (the “Rate Stabilization Fund”) to be held by it and administered in accordance with the Installment Sale Agreement, for the purpose of stabilizing the fees, rates and charges imposed by the City with respect to the Wastewater System. From time to time the City may deposit amounts in the Rate Stabilization Fund, from any source of legally available funds,
15 including but not limited to Net Revenues that are released from the pledge and lien, which secures the Installment Payments and any Parity Debt, as the City may determine.
The City may, but is not required to, withdraw from any amounts on deposit in a Rate Stabilization Fund and deposit such amounts in the Wastewater Fund in any Fiscal Year.
Amounts so transferred from the Rate Stabilization Fund to the Wastewater Fund may constitute Gross Revenues for such Fiscal Year, and count toward the City’s rate covenants under the Installment Sale Agreement, as and to the extent described below under “– Rate Covenants.” As described therein, for purposes of the rate covenants, the amount of Gross Revenues for a Fiscal Year may include transfers into the Wastewater Fund from the Rate Stabilization Fund during a Fiscal Year (or within 270 days following the end of such Fiscal Year), except for amounts transferred into the Rate Stabilization Fund from Gross Revenues received by the City for the same Fiscal Year, so as to avoid double-counting. Amounts on deposit in a Rate Stabilization Fund shall not be pledged to or otherwise secure the Installment Payments or any Parity Debt.
The City has the right at any time to withdraw any or all amounts on deposit in a Rate Stabilization Fund and apply such amounts for any lawful purposes of the City.
The City does not currently have any amounts set aside in the Rate Stabilization Fund, but does maintain other reserves related to the Wastewater System. See “THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM – Reserves.”
Rate Covenants
Sum Sufficient. Under the Installment Sale Agreement, the City must fix, prescribe and collect fees, rates and charges for the Wastewater System during each Fiscal Year which are at least sufficient to produce Gross Revenues which will be sufficient to pay the following amounts:
(i) all Maintenance and Operation Costs of the Wastewater System estimated by the City to become due and payable in such Fiscal Year; (ii) the Installment Payments and debt service on any Parity Debt due and payable in such Fiscal Year;
(iii) all other payments required for compliance with this Agreement, the Indenture and the Parity Debt Instruments; and
(iv) all payments required to meet any other obligations of the City that are charges, liens, encumbrances upon or payable from the Gross Revenues of the Wastewater System or the Net Revenues of the Wastewater System.
Debt Service Coverage. In addition, the City shall fix, prescribe and collect fees, rates and charges for the Wastewater System during each Fiscal Year which are sufficient to yield Net Revenues at least equal to 120% of the Installment Payments and debt service on any Parity Debt due and payable in such Fiscal Year.
Use of Rate Stabilization Fund. For purposes of the foregoing rate covenants, the amount of Gross Revenues for a Fiscal Year may include transfers into the Wastewater Fund from the Rate Stabilization Fund during a Fiscal Year (or within 270 days following the end of such Fiscal Year), except for amounts transferred into the Rate Stabilization Fund from Gross Revenues received by the City for the same Fiscal Year, so as to avoid double-counting.
16 Parity Debt
If the Prior Bonds are refunded using the proceeds fo the 2026 Bonds, there will be no outstanding obligations payable from the Net Revenues of the Wastewater System on parity with the Installment Payments. However, for so long as the Prior Bonds remain outstanding, the City must comply with the requirements on issuing Parity Debt set forth in the documents governing the Prior Bonds, which differ from the requirements in the Installment Sale Agreement, as set forth below.
Installment Sale Agreement Parity Debt Test. Under the Installment Sale Agreement, the City may issue or incur Parity Debt in such principal amount as shall be determined by the City, subject to the following conditions precedent:
(a) No Event of Default (or no event with respect to which notice has been given and which, once all notice of grace periods have passed, would constitute an Event of Default) has occurred and is continuing;
(b) Net Revenues in the most recent Fiscal Year, excluding transfers from a rate stabilization fund, if any, and including an allowance for any increase in Net Revenues arising in the current Fiscal Year from any increase in rates and charges imposed by the City that have been adopted by the City Council as of the date of the calculation and from additional connections to the Wastewater System that have occurred as of such date, are at least equal to the sum of (i) 120% of the Debt Service coming due in the current Fiscal Year with respect to all outstanding Parity Debt;
(c) Net Revenues in each of the following three Fiscal Years, excluding transfers from a rate stabilization fund, if any, and including an allowance for any increase in Net Revenues arising in each such Fiscal Year from any increase in rates and charges imposed by the City that have been adopted by the City Council as of the date of calculation and from additional connections to the Wastewater System occurring during the Fiscal Year but not yet reflected in the Net Revenues, are at least equal to the sum of (i) 120% of the Debt Service coming due in each of such Fiscal Years with respect to all outstanding Parity Debt.
Prior Bonds Parity Debt Test. Under the documents governing the Prior Bonds, the Net Revenues calculation described in clause (b) above is tied to 120% of the “Maximum Annual Debt Service” (meaning the largest Annual Debt Service during the period from the date of calculation through the final maturity date of all outstanding Prior Bonds), rather than to the current Fiscal Year’s Debt Service as in the Installment Sale Agreement. There is no corresponding three-year test as described in clause (c) above under the documents governing the Prior Bonds.
No Senior Debt
The City covenants in the Installment Sale Agreement to not issue or incur any additional bonds or other obligations during the term thereof having any priority in payment of principal or interest out of the Net Revenues over the Installment Payments. However, this covenant does not limit or affect the ability of the City to issue, enter into or incur additional Parity Debt as described above, or obligations which are either unsecured or which are secured on a basis which is junior and subordinate to the pledge of and lien upon the Net Revenues established under the Installment Sale Agreement.
17 Casualty Insurance and Eminent Domain Proceeds
Covenant to Maintain Insurance. The City covenants that it will at all times maintain such insurance on the Wastewater System as is customarily maintained with respect to works and properties of like character against accident to, loss of or damage to such works or properties.
Insurance Proceeds. All amounts collected from insurance against accident to or destruction of any portion of the Wastewater System shall be used to repair or rebuild such damaged or destroyed portion of the Wastewater System, and to the extent not so applied, shall be applied to redeem Bonds or any Parity Debt in accordance with the Indenture and applicable Parity Debt Instruments, as determined by the City.
Eminent Domain Proceeds. If all or any part of the Wastewater System is taken by eminent domain proceedings, the Net Proceeds realized by the City therefrom will be deposited by the City in a special fund in trust and applied by the City, in its discretion, to the cost of acquiring or constructing or financing improvements to the Wastewater System, or to redeem Bonds or any Parity Debt in accordance with the Indenture and applicable Parity Debt Instruments, as determined by the City.
THE AUTHORITY
The Authority was created as of September 3, 2026, by the City and the California Statewide Communities Development Authority under a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement, for the purpose, among others, of having the Authority issue its bonds to finance the acquisition, construction and improvement of certain public capital improvements for the City. The members of the City Council serve as the governing board of the Authority, and certain City staff serve as the officers of the Authority. The Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement was entered into under Article 1 (commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California. The Authority is a separate entity constituting a public instrumentality of the State of California.
THE CITY
General
The City is a general law city located in Kings County (the “County”) and is situated in the south central portion of California's San Joaquin Valley, 28 miles (45 km) south-southeast of the city of Fresno and 18 miles (29 km) west of the city of Visalia. The City is 249 feet (76 m) above sea level and has a flat terrain. According to the United States Census Bureau, the City has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43 km2), none of which is covered by water.
The City is a general law city and operates under the council–manager form of government. Members of the City Council are selected directly by the electorate to serve as the policy-making board of the City. The City Council is comprised of five members elected by district and serve 4-year staggered terms. Each year the City Council members select a Mayor and ViceMayor from amongst themselves.
18 For additional background, demographic and economic information regarding the City and the County, see APPENDIX D.
Employees
The Wastewater System currently has 19 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs), plus 1- FTE Utilities and Engineering Director. Certain employees belong to several different labor unions. The City currently is subject to multi-year contracts with its labor unions. The City has not experienced any strike or other work stoppage in the last 10 years. The City adopted its current memoranda of understanding with its bargaining groups all of which are scheduled to expire at the end of June 2027 and negotiations will start in the beginning of calendar year 2027.
Budget Process
Prior to June 1 of each year, the City Manager submits a proposed budget for the City for the next two fiscal years commencing the following July 1 to the City Council. The City Council conducts public hearings to obtain comments from residents and ratepayers. Subsequent to the public hearings, preliminary budget is legally adopted prior to July 1 with the final budget adopted after the State adopts its annual budget in August of each year.
The City’s budget is prepared on a modified accrual basis and includes the City’s Wastewater Fund. The City Council approved the operating budget for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 on June 3, 2025.
The City provides semi-annual updates to the City Council for all City funds, including the Wastewater Fund, comparing budget-to-actuals.
Management and Financial Policies
The City has adopted several policies designed to ensure the prudent and effective management of City operations, including a general accounting policy, a capital improvement policy, a debt management policy, a disclosure policy, a financial planning policy, a capital assets policy, an investment policy, a procurement policy, a reserve policy and a policy and procedures manual. Further information about each such policy is set forth below.
Financial Activity Reporting. The City's financial activity will be reported in a variety of funds, which are the basic accounting and reporting entities in government accounting. The City's accounting structure will make it possible to present fairly and with full disclosure the financial position and results of financial operations of the funds of the City in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, and to determine and demonstrate compliance with financerelated legal and contractual provisions.
Management Responsibility. The City Manager shall provide the City Council with a midyear review of financial activities approximately in March each year.
Reserves. The City will maintain reserve funds to:
• Stabilize the City's fiscal base for anticipated fluctuations in revenues and expenditures
• Provide for non-recurring, unanticipated expenditures; and • Provide for innovative opportunities for the betterment of the community.
19 Contingency Reserve: The purpose of this reserve is to be prepared for possible future revenue reductions and to generate interest income.
Replacement Funds: The purpose of these is to plan for and provide sufficient funds for the anticipated replacement of, and/or maintenance on, capital equipment.
Appropriation Control. Appropriation of fiscal resources is the responsibility of the City Council, City Manager and Finance Director.
Appropriations requiring City Council action are:
• Appropriation of reserves, except replacement reserves; • Transfers between funds;
• Appropriations of any unassigned revenues - unassigned revenues are those revenues that are not associated with a particular business or service unit; and • Inter-funds loans.
Appropriations requiring City Manager action are:
• Transfers within a fund;
• Appropriation of unbudgeted assigned revenues - assigned revenues support a specific business or service unit and allow expansion or contraction of that unit in response to demand as manifested by receipt of assigned revenues; and • Appropriation of replacement reserves.
Appropriations requiring Finance Director action are:
• Transfers within a fund's operating expenditures, and among salary accounts; • But may not move budget from operating accounts to salary accounts.
Balanced Budget. The City Council requires that the City Manager present a balanced budget proposal with each budget cycle. A balanced budget will be defined as total General Fund revenues and transfers-in being equal to or more than total General Fund expenditures and transfers-out less one-time capital expenditures and/or transfers out if supported by available fund balance.
Debt Management. The City Council maintains a Debt Management Policy. This policy addresses inter-funding borrowing, short-term borrowing, long-term borrowing, and debt issuance. The policy provides guidance for ensuring that financial resources are adequate to meet short-term and long-term service objectives and that financing undertaken by the City satisfies certain clear objectives which allow the City to protect its financial resources in order to meet its long-term capital needs.
Investments. The City’s investment policy is described under the caption “— City Investments”.
Fees and Charges. The City Council will annually adopt a schedule of fees and charges.
The fees and charges will be set to provide adequate resources for the cost of the program or service provided.
20 Purchasing. The City will maintain a purchasing policy designed to support and enhance the delivery of governmental services while seeking to obtain the maximum value for each dollar expended.
Performance Measures. The City Manager will annually develop performance measures and assess how efficiently and effectively the functions, programs, and activities in each department are provided and for determining whether program goals are being met.
Pension Plans and OPEB
This section contains certain information relating to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”). The information is primarily derived from information produced by CalPERS, its independent accountants and actuaries. The City has not independently verified the information provided by CalPERS and makes no representations and expresses no opinion as to the accuracy of the information provided by CalPERS.
The comprehensive annual financial reports of CalPERS are available on its Internet website at www.calpers.ca.gov. The CalPERS website also contains CalPERS’ most recent actuarial valuation reports and other information concerning benefits and other matters. Such information is not incorporated by reference in this Official Statement. None of the Authority, City or Underwriter can guarantee the accuracy of such information. Actuarial assessments are “forward-looking” statements that reflect the judgment of the fiduciaries of the pension plans, and are based upon a variety of assumptions, one or more of which may not materialize or may be changed in the future. Actuarial assessments will change with the future experience of the pension plans.
The City has two defined benefit pension plans, a Miscellaneous Plan and a Safety Plan, both of which are part of the Public Agency Cost-Sharing Multiple-Employer Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Plan C or PERF C), administered by CalPERS. The Safety Plan consists of two rate plans, a Police Plan and a Fire Plan. The Miscellaneous Plan is an Agent Multiple-Employer Plan, and the Police and Fire Safety Plans are Cost-Sharing Multiple-Employer Plans. Benefit provisions under the Plan are established by State statute and Local Government resolution.
Miscellaneous Plan Benefits Provided. CalPERS provides service retirement and disability benefits, annual cost of living adjustments and death benefits to plan members, who must be public employees and beneficiaries. Benefits are based on years of credited service, equal to one year of full time employment. Members with five years of total service are eligible to retire at age 50 with statutorily reduced benefits. All members are eligible for non-duty disability benefits after 5 years of service. The death benefit is one of the following: the Basic Death Benefit, the 1957 Survivor Benefit, or the Optional Settlement 2W Death Benefit. The cost of living adjustments for each plan are applied as specified by the Public Employees’ Retirement Law. The Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), Assembly Bill 340, is applicable to employees new to CalPERS and hired after December 31, 2012.
Approximately 8% of the Miscellaneous Plan contributions made by the City to CalPERS for Fiscal Year 2025-26 are expected to be allocable to the Wastewater System, based on the methodology currently employed by the City.
21 The Miscellaneous Plan provisions and benefits in effect at June 30, 2025, are summarized as follows:
Miscellaneous Plan
PEPRA
Hire Date Prior to Jan. 1, 2013 On or after Jan. 1, 2013 Benefit Formula 3.0% @ 60 2.0% @ 62
Benefit Vesting Schedule 5 years service 5 years service Benefit Payments Monthly for life Monthly for life
Retirement Age 50 52
Monthly Benefits, As a % of Eligible Comp. 2.0 - 3.0% 1.0% - 2.5% Required Employee Contribution Rates 8.00% 7.50%
Required Employer Contributions Rates 13.94% 8.25%
Source: City of Hanford Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2025.
Beginning in fiscal year 2016, CalPERS collects employer contributions for the Plan as a percentage of payroll for the normal cost portion as noted in the rates above and as a dollar amount for contributions toward the unfunded liability (UAL). Employer contributions to the Plan for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 were $2,317,545 for the Miscellaneous Plan.
Employees Covered. The following employees were covered by the benefit terms for the Miscellaneous Plan as of the June 30, 2023 actuarial valuation date.
Employees
June 30,
2023
Inactive employees or beneficiaries receiving benefits 237 Inactive employees entitled to but not yet receiving benefits 237 Active employees 199
Totals 673
Source: City of Hanford Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2025.
Contributions. Section 20814(c) of the California Public Employees’ Retirement Law requires that the employer contribution rates for all public employers be determined on an annual basis by the actuary and shall be effective on the July 1 following notice of a change in the rate.
Funding contributions for both Plans are determined annually on an actuarial basis as of June 30 by CalPERS. The actuarially determined rate is the estimated amount necessary to finance the costs of benefits earned by employees during the year, with an additional amount to finance any unfunded accrued liability. The City is required to contribute the difference between the actuarially determined rate and the contribution rate of employees. Employer contribution rates may change if plan contracts are amended. Payments made by the employer to satisfy contribution requirements that are identified by the pension plan terms as plan member contribution requirements are classified as plan member contributions. For the year ended June 30, 2025, the employer contributions to the Miscellaneous Plan were $2,317,545.
Pension Expense. For the measurement period ended June 30, 2024, the City recognized pension expense of $4,886,317 for the Miscellaneous Plan.
Net Pension Liability. The City’s net pension liability for the Miscellaneous Plan is measured as the total pension liability, less the pension plan’s fiduciary net position. The net pension liability of the Plan is measured as of June 30, 2024, using an annual actuarial valuation as of June 30, 2023, rolled forward to June 30, 2024 using standard update procedures. The changes in net pension liability for the Miscellaneous Plan from June 30, 2023 to June 30, 2024 are shown in the following table.
22 Miscellaneous Plan
Total
Pension Liability
Plan Fiduciary
Net Position
Net Pension
Liability/(Asset)
Balance at June 30, 2023 (Valuation Date) $127,755,342 $114,855,862 $12,899,480 Changes in the Year:
Service Cost $2,781,409 -- $2,781,409
Interest on the Total Pension Liability 9,014,897 -- 9,014,897 Changes in Benefit Terms -- -- --
Changes of Assumptions -- -- --
Differences Between Actual & Expected Experience 5,067,278 -- 5,067,278 Net Plan to Plan Resource Movement -- -- --
Contributions – Employer -- 1,897,514 (1,897,514)
Contributions – Employees -- 1,103,577 (1,103,577)
Net Investment Income -- 10,794,112 (10,794,112)
Benefit Payments, Including Refunds of Employee Contr. (7,125,290) (7,125,290) -- Administrative Expense -- (93,459) 93,459
Other Misc. Income/(Expense) -- -- --
Net Changes 9,738,294 6,576,454 3,161,840
Balance at June 30, 2024 (Measurement Date) $137,493,636 $121,432,316 $16,061,320 Source: City of Hanford Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2025.
Safety Plan Benefits Provided. The City’s Safety Plan is part of the public agency costsharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan (“PERF C”), which is administered by CalPERS. PERF C consists of a miscellaneous pool and a safety pool (also referred to as “risk pools”), which are comprised of individual employer miscellaneous and safety rate plans, respectively. Individual employers may sponsor more than one miscellaneous and safety rate plan. The employer participates in one cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan regardless of the number of rate plans the employer sponsors. The City participates in three rate plans (one miscellaneous and two safety) and sponsors two rate plans (one fire and one police) within the safety risk pool.
CalPERS provides service retirement and disability benefits, annual cost of living adjustments and death benefits to plan members, who must be public employees and beneficiaries. Benefits are based on years of credited service, equal to one year of full-time employment. Members with five years of total service are eligible to retire at age 50 with statutorily reduced benefits. All members are eligible for non-duty disability benefits after 5 years of service.
The death benefit is one of the following: the Basic Death Benefit, the 1957 Survivor Benefit, or the Optional Settlement 2W Death Benefit. The cost of living adjustments for each plan are applied as specified by the Public Employees’ Retirement Law. The Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), Assembly Bill 340, is applicable to employees new to CalPERS and hired after December 31, 2012.
The Safety Plan provisions and benefits in effect at June 30, 2025, are summarized as follows:
Safety Plan (Police and Fire Rate Plans)
First Tier PEPRA
Hire Date Prior to Jan. 1, 2013 On or after Jan. 1, 2013 Benefit Formula 3% @ 55 2.7% @ 57
Benefit Vesting Schedule 5 years service 5 years service Benefit Payments Monthly for life Monthly for life
Retirement Age 50 50
Monthly Benefits, As a % of Eligible Comp. 2.4% - 3.0% 2.0% - 2.7% Required Employee Contribution Rates 9% 13.75%
Required Employer Contributions Rates 26.29% 14.72%