Exercise of any of the above remedies, however, is an alternative to other remedies City may have and is not the exclusive remedy for the Subrecipient’s failure to maintain insurance or secure appropriate endorsements.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed as limiting in any way the extent to which the Subrecipient may be held responsible for payment of damages to persons or property resulting from the Subrecipient’s or its subcontractor’s performance of the Services covered under this Agreement.
Article 6 – Administrative and Insurance Requirements
6.1 Subrecipient shall comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and ordinances when performing the work required by this Contract.
6.2 Termination for Convenience: The City may permit the agreement to be terminated for convenience in accordance with 2 CFR Appendix II to Part 200.
6.3 Automatic Termination: This Contract shall terminate at the discretion of the City if the United States Government terminates the HOME Investment Partnerships Grant Program or terminates the Project, which is the subject of this Contract, upon Subrecipient's satisfactory completion of the objectives set
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Subrecipient Agreement – Tenant Based Rental Assistance 8 forth in the Scope of Work as determined by City, or that the City, in its sole and unfettered discretion, determines that United States Government funding of the Project that is the subject of this Contract is insufficient to continue the Project.
6.4 Termination of Contract For Cause: In accordance with 2CFR Part 200.339, if Subrecipient fails to fulfill in a timely and proper manner its obligations under this contract to undertake, conduct or perform the Project identified in this Contract, or if Subrecipient violates any state laws or regulations or local ordinances or regulations applicable to implementation of the Project, or if Subrecipient violates any provisions of this contract, City shall have the right to terminate this contract by giving at least ten (10) days’ written notice to Subrecipient of the effective date of termination. Even if City terminates the Agreement, Subrecipient shall remain liable to City for all damage sustained by City due to Subrecipient’s failure to fulfill any provisions of this Contract, and City may withhold any reimbursement payments from Subrecipient for the purpose of set-off until the exact amount of damages due to City from Subrecipient is determined. Subrecipient hereby expressly waive any and all claims for damages for compensation arising under this contract except as set forth in this section in the event of such termination.
6.5 Contract Administration: The Community Development Department of the City of Tulare shall administer this Contract on behalf of the City. The Chief Executive Officer or his designee shall administer this contract on behalf of the Subrecipient. Within a reasonable time after the City makes a request, Subrecipient shall give the City progress reports or other documentation as required by the City’s Administrator to audit Subrecipient’s performance of this Contract.
6.6 Records and Reports: The Subrecipient shall maintain records and make reports as required by the City’s Administrator, to enable the City to analyze Subrecipient’s project. All records of the Subrecipient related to this Contract or work performed under this Contract shall be open and available for inspection by HUD and/or City auditors during normal business hours.
6.7 Retention: The Subrecipient shall retain all financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the Agreement for a period of five (5) years after the final draw and all reporting, and until the submission of Grantee’s annual performance and evaluation report to HUD in which the activities assisted under the Agreement are reported on for the final time.
Notwithstanding the above, if there are litigation, claims, audits, negotiations or other actions that involve any of the records cited and that have started before the expiration of the five-year period, then such records must be retained until completion of the actions and resolution of all issues, or the expiration of the five-year period, whichever occurs later.
6.8 DATA: The Subrecipient shall maintain data demonstrating eligibility (low-moderate income data) for Tenant Based Rental Assistance applicants and participants. Such data shall include, but not be amount of assistance, eligibility, waiting list, work performed, and a description of service provided.
Such information should be made available to City monitors or their designees for review upon request.
6.9 Disclosure: The Subrecipient understands that client information collected under this contract is private and the use or disclosure of such information, when not directly connected with the administration of the City’s or Subrecipient’s responsibilities with respect to services provided under this contract, is prohibited by the state of Federal law privacy laws unless written consent is obtained from such person receiving service and, in the case of a minor, that of a responsible parent/guardian.
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Subrecipient Agreement – Tenant Based Rental Assistance 9
6.10 Quarterly and Annual Reporting: Subrecipient shall maintain documents and records, prepare and submit reports, and permit City to monitor Subrecipient’s activities in a accordance with the requirements set forth in Exhibit B and applicable laws and regulations. All requirements set forth in such Exhibit B are incorporated herein as if set forth in full in this Agreement.
6.11 Insurance: Without limiting City’s right to indemnification, Subrecipient shall secure prior to commencing the performance of any Services under this Agreement, and maintain during the Term of this Agreement, insurance coverage as set forth in Article 5.
6.12 Indemnification: As respects acts, errors or omission in the performance of Services under this Agreement, the Subrecipient agrees to indemnify, defend (at City’s option), and hold harmless City, its officers, agents, employees, representatives, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, demands, defense costs, liability, or consequential damages of any kind or nature arising directly out of the Subrecipient’s negligent acts, errors or omissions in the performance of Services under the terms of this Agreement, excepting those which arise out of the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the City. As respects all acts or omissions which do not arise directly out of the performance of Services, including but not limited to those acts or omissions normally covered by general and automobile liability insurance, Subrecipient agrees to indemnify, defend (at City’s option), and hold harmless City, its officers, agents, employees, representatives, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, demands, defense costs, liability, or consequential damages of any kind or nature arising out of or in connection with Subrecipient’s performance or failure to perform, under this Agreement, excepting those which arise out of the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the City.
6.13 Audit Costs: Subrecipient shall reimburse City for all costs incurred to investigate and audit Subrecipient’s performance of its duties under the Contract if Subrecipient is subsequently found to have violated the terms of the Contract. Reimbursement shall include all direct and indirect expenditures incurred to conduct the investigation or audit. City may deduct all such costs from any amount due Subrecipient under this Contract.
6.14 Entire Contract: This contract constitutes the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes any previous oral or written understandings or contracts related to the matters covered herein.
6.15 Modification: This contract may not be modified except by written amendment executed by each party.
6.16 Acknowledgement of Funding: Subrecipient shall identify the City of Tulare as the source of funding, or, if applicable, one of the sources of funding in public announcements that are made regarding the project. Acknowledgement of the City’s funding role, for example, should be included in publicity materials related to the project. In addition, Subrecipient agrees that the City should be apprised of any special events linked to the project so that a review can be made on what role, if any, the City would assume.
6.17 NO WAIVER: No failure, inaction, neglect or delay by City in exercising any of its rights under this Contract shall operate as a waiver, forfeiture or abandonment of such rights or any other rights under this Contract.
6.18 Conflict of Interest: In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by
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Subrecipient Agreement – Tenant Based Rental Assistance 10 Subrecipients and their subcontractors, the conflict-of-interest provisions, 2 CFR Part 200, shall apply. In all cases not governed by the provisions of said Super Circular and regulation, 24 CFR 92.356 (b) shall apply.
A. No member of the governing body, officers or employee of the Subrecipient, or its designees or agents, or any other person who exercises any functions or responsibilities with respect to the program assisted by this Agreement during his tenure or for one year thereafter, shall have any direct interest in any contract or subcontract, or the proceeds thereof, for the work to be performed in connection with the program.
B. No employee, officer or agent of the Subrecipient shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by HOME if a conflict-of-interest, either real or apparent, would be involved. No other public official of such locality or locality who exercises any functions or responsibilities with respect to the program during his/her tenure or for one year thereafter, shall have any interest, direct, or indirect, in any contract or subcontract.
C. The Subrecipient shall incorporate, or cause to be incorporated in all third-party agreements, a provision prohibiting such interest pursuant to the purpose of this Section.
D. Subrecipient must maintain written standards of conduct governing the award and administration of contracts. At a minimum, these standards must: Require that no employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by Federal funds if a real or apparent conflict would be involved. Such a conflict would arise when any of the following parties has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for an award: The employee, officer, or agent of the Subrecipient; Any member of an employee’s office’s or agent’s immediate family; An employee’s, agent’s, or officer’s partner; and or, any organization which employs or is about to employ any of the above. Require that employees, agents, and officers of the Subrecipient neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of value from subcontractors, or parties of subcontracts. However, Subrecipients may set standards for situations in which the financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. Provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for any violations of such standards by employees, agents or officers of the Subrecipient.
6.19 Waiver of Enforcement: No waiver by the City of the right to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall be deemed a waiver of the right to enforce each and all the provisions hereof.
6.20 Revisions, Amendments and Approvals: Any changes to this Agreement shall constitute an amendment. The Subrecipient shall not expand, enhance, commingle or add to the scope of the program, covered by the Agreement.
Amendments of the terms of this Agreement shall not become effective unless reduced to writing, numbered, agreed to and signed by the City and the duly authorized representative of the Subrecipient.
6.21 Notice: Any notice of notices required or permitted to be given pursuant to this Contract shall be personally served by the party giving notice or shall be served by certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to:
A. City Clerk’s Office, 411 East Kern Ave, Tulare CA 93274 \
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Subrecipient Agreement – Tenant Based Rental Assistance 11
SIGNATURE PAGE
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Subrecipient and City have executed this contract as of the date first written above.
CITY OF TULARE
__________________________________________
City Manager – Marc Mondell Date
APPROVED AS TO FORM
__________________________________________
City Attorney – Mario Zamora Date
ATTEST
__________________________________________
Chief Deputy City Clerk – Melissa Wilcox Date
SUBRECIPIENT: HOUSING AUTHORITY OF COUNTY OF TULARE
___________________________________________
CEO/Executive Director – Ken Kugler Date
APPROVED AS TO FORM
___________________________________________
General Counsel Date
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit A -Scope of Work and Budget Detail
ExhibitB – Documentation, Recordkeeping, Reporting and Monitoring Exhibit C – TBRA Program Guidelines
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EXHIBIT A
SCOPE OF WORK
1.1 Scope of Services. During the entire Term (defined below) of this Agreement, Subrecipient shall administer the City’s HOME-funded Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program (“TBRA Program”), in accordance with this Article 1 (collectively, the “Services”) and the TBRA Program Guidelines attached hereto as Exhibit C. In performing the Services, Subrecipient shall comply with all requirements of the HOME Program, this Agreement, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Subrecipient shall take all reasonable actions necessary to enable the City to fulfill its obligations under the HOME Program related to the TBRA program. (a) HOME Matching Contribution. Subrecipient acknowledges that City will use HOME Funds to pay Administrative, Activity Delivery, and Subsidy Payments and that the HOME Program, including 24 CFR §§ 92.218 through 24 CFR §§ 92.222, requires the City to provide a HOME matching contribution. Except for HOME funds received under this Agreement, Subrecipient shall use its best efforts to use non-federal moneys to fund a portion or all administrative and other activities of the Subrecipient and thereby to satisfy as much of the HOME Matching, Contribution requirement as possible. Subrecipient shall maintain records demonstrating Subrecipient’s compliance in accordance with Exhibit B.
1.2 Application Process
(a) Intake Process. The Subrecipient shall meet with applicants to verify their qualifications and eligibility for assistance under the TBRA Program, particularly the gross income calculation. Subrecipient shall ensure that all applicants have received, reviewed, and properly completed all required intake documentation as referenced in the program guidelines in Exhibit C. (b) Guidance for Eligible Households. City and Subrecipient staff will ensure applicants are informed of all TBRA Program requirements and assist applicants throughout the application process. Applicants will receive briefings to educate Eligible Household’s responsibilities as a participant in the TBRA Program, and the goals and objectives of the TBRA Program.
1.3 Selection of Housing Units.
(a) Coordination with Landlords.
(i) Landlord Guidance. Subrecipient shall provide guidance to the property owners, property owners’ representatives, or property management companies hired by property owners (each a “Landlord” and collectively referred to as “Landlords”) participating in the TBRA Program regarding the TBRA Program requirements and procedures that impact Landlords
(ii) IRS Form W-9. Subrecipient shall require each Landlord to submit a completed IRS Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. (iii) Proof of Ownership. Subrecipient shall require each Landlord to provide documentation verifying ownership of the assisted unit. Acceptable documentation includes recorded grant deed, property tax statement, or title report.
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1.4 Returning Eligible Households. As needed, Eligible Households may be allowed to return to the program for rental assistance. A determination to allow re-entry shall be based on the following criteria:
(i) Eligible Households must have left the program in good standing. To be in good standing, Eligible Households must have voluntarily left the program (not in lieu of termination) or have been released because their household income exceeded eligibility limits. In general, Eligible Households will not be allowed to re-enter the program if they are terminated for noncompliance. (ii) At the discretion of the City, a request for readmission from a prospective Eligible Household previously terminated due to non-compliance may be considered when compelling reasons exist. In such cases, re-admission will require concurrence from the Subrecipient. (iii) Eligible Households may return so long as the previous rental assistance did not exceed 24 months. Cumulatively, Eligible Households may not receive rental assistance for more than a cumulative period of 24 months unless such assistance is permitted by the HOME Program and approved by the City.
1.5 Additional Requirements.
(a) No Fees. Subrecipient may not charge fees to any Eligible Household for the Services, Subsidy Payments, Self-Sufficiency Program or other services or assistance to be provided to Eligible Households under this Agreement.
1.6 Schedule of Performance. The City and Subrecipient shall use its best efforts to perform the Services in accordance with the following schedule:
(a) Subrecipient shall qualify Eligible Households, conduct briefing and issue agreements that include required program information, and upon participant selection of unit, conduct HQS inspections, approve Housing Units, and move Eligible Households into approved Housing Units in accordance with the following milestone schedule:
(i) Subrecipient shall process intake paperwork for and verify eligibility for TBRA Program assistance (“Enroll”) as applications are received and no later than within 10- business days unless staff is out of the office. As additional HOME Funds are contributed to the TBRA Program, Subrecipient shall use diligent efforts to continue to process applications as they are received in accordance with established guidelines.
(ii) Subrecipient shall ensure that a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection of the assisted unit is conducted in a reasonable and expedited manner following the receipt of landlord paperwork of each Eligible Household for rental assistance and request rent reasonableness. (iii) Subrecipient shall, subject to the availability of suitable units and landlord participation, commence providing Subsidy Payments on behalf of each Eligible Household once it has an approved inspection.
(iv) The Subrecipient’s responsibilities are limited to intake and eligibility determination and do not include control over participants applying for or the identification of available housing units.
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(v) Upon approval of an applicant, Subrecipient will send Agreement with income to City for approval and signature.
(vi) Upon approved inspection and approved rent reasonableness, Subrecipient will send the contract, approved inspection and rent reasonableness to City approval for approval.
1.7 City Oversight and Approval Rights. City shall have the right, by written notice to Subrecipient at any time during the Term of this Agreement, to require City review and/or pre-approval of any of the Services to be performed by Subrecipient hereunder, including for example income determinations, qualification of applicants as “Eligible Households,” qualification of Housing Units, determination of reasonable rents, etc., to ensure compliance with the TBRA Program, the HOME Program, or other applicable requirements. Exhibit A - Budget Detail Budget Detail
State HOME Program Income
City of Tulare – State HOME Program Income
Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program - FY 2025-2026
Invoice Period: January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026
Organization Name: Housing Authority of the County of Tulare Mailing Address: 5140 W. Cypress Ave. Visalia CA 93277
Preparer Name and Title: Rosaline Child - Controller
Phone Number: 559-627-3700 ext. 116 Email: [email protected] Description Current Period
Expenditures
Year To Date
Expenditures Program Budget Balance
Staffing - Implementation Expenses
Activity Delivery Costs - actual hours on
eligibility determination and inspection of
units
$ $ - $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00
Program Administration Costs - actual
hours all applicable staff $ $ - $ $
Total Activity Delivery & Admin: $ - $ - $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00 Housing Assistance Payments
Funds for TBRA Payments $ 80,850.00
Other Client - (actual rental assistance
payments in period) $ - $ - $ -
Other Client - (actual rental assistance
payments in period) $ - $ - $ -
Other Client - (actual rental assistance
payments in period) $ - $ - $ -
$ - $ - $ -
$ - $ - $ -
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Total TBRA Payments: $
- $ -$
TOTAL $ - $ - $ 81,850 $ 80,850
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Federal 2025 HOME Grant Funds
City of Tulare - Federal HOME Fund Investment Partnerships Program Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program - FY 2025-2026 and FY 2026-2027 Invoice Period: January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026
Organization Name: Housing Authority of the County of Tulare Mailing Address: 5140 W. Cypress Ave. Visalia CA 93277
Preparer Name and Title: Rosaline Child - Controller
Phone Number: 559-627-3700 ext. 116 Email: [email protected] Description Current Period
Expenditures
Year To Date
Expenditures Program Budget Balance
Staffing - Implementation Expenses
Activity Delivery Costs - actual hours on
eligibility determination and inspection
of units
$ $ - $ 4,762.00 $ 4,762.00
Program Administration Costs - actual
hours all applicable staff $ $ - $ 2,500.00 $ 2,500.00
Total Activity Delivery & Admin: $ - $ - $ 7,262.00 $ 7,262.00 Housing Assistance Payments
Funds for TBRA Payments $ 95,238.00
Client - (actual rental assistance
payments in period) $ $ $
Other Client - (actual rental assistance
payments in period) $ $ $
Other Client - (actual rental assistance
payments in period) $ - $ - $ -
$ - $ - $ -
Total TBRA Payments:
$
-
$
-
$
95,238.00
TOTAL
$
-
$
-
$
102,500.00 $ 102,500.00
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EXHIBIT B
DOCUMENTATION, RECORDKEEPING, REPORTING AND MONITORING
REQUIREMENTS
Subrecipient shall comply with the requirements set forth in this Exhibit B at all times during the term of that certain HOME Subrecipient Agreement (Tenant Based Rental Assistance) between City and Subrecipient, to which this Exhibit is attached.
1. Documentation and Recordkeeping.
(a) Records to be maintained. Subrecipient shall maintain all records required by the federal regulations specified in 24 CFR 92.508(a)(3), which are pertinent to the Services to be funded under this Agreement. Records shall be maintained for each prospective participant, each Eligible Household and each Housing Unit inspected and/or occupied by an Eligible Household pursuant to the Agreement. Such records shall include but are not limited to:
(i) Records providing a full description of each activity undertaken. (ii) Records required to determine the eligibility of activities for use of HOME Funds.
(iii) Records (including property inspection reports) demonstrating that Each Housing Unit occupied by an Eligible Household meets the property standards of 24 CFR
92.251(d) and 24 CFR 982.401 upon occupancy and at the time of each annual inspection. (iv) Records demonstrating compliance with the property standards and financial reviews and actions pursuant to 24 CFR §92.504(d). (v) Records demonstrating that each Eligible Household is income eligible in accordance with 24 CFR 92.203, including all TBRA applications, eligibility determinations and documentation regarding any appeals of eligibility determinations. (vi) Records demonstrating that Subrecipient is in compliance with the City’s written tenant selection policies and criteria of 24 CFR 92.209(c), including any targeting requirements, the rent reasonableness requirements of 24 CFR 92.209(f), the maximum subsidy provisions of 24 CFR 92.209(h), and calculation of each Subsidy Payment. (vii) Records demonstrating that each rental agreement for an Eligible Household receiving Subsidy Payments complies with the tenant and participant protections of 24 CFR 92.253.
(viii) Records documenting compliance with Subrecipient’s marketing and outreach obligations under the Agreement, including compliance with the fair housing and equal opportunity components of the HOME program and HUD’s Affirmative Fair Housing and Marketing regulations and the City’s Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan, when adopted. (x) Records documenting compliance with the lead-based hazards requirements under the Agreement, the HOME Program, and 24 CFR Part 35, subparts A, B, J, K, M and R.
§84.21−28.
(xi) Financial records as required by 24 CFR §92.508(a)(5) and 24 CFR (xii) Records documenting the HOME Matching Contributions made by
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Subrecipient pursuant to the Agreement and the HOME Program, specifically including 24 CFR
92.218 through 24 CFR 92.222.
(b) Retention. The Subrecipient shall retain all financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the Agreement for a period of five
(5) years after the period of Subsidy Payments terminates. Notwithstanding the above, if there are litigation matters, claims, audits, negotiations or other actions that involve any of the records cited and that have started before the expiration of the five-year period, then all pertinent records must be retained until completion of the actions and resolution of all issues, or the expiration of the fiveyear period, whichever occurs later. (c) Client Data. The Subrecipient shall maintain client data demonstrating client eligibility for services provided. Such data shall include, but not be limited to, client name, address, income level or other basis for determining eligibility, and description of service provided.
Such information shall be made available to City monitors or their designees for review upon request.
(d) Disclosure. The Subrecipient understands that client information collected under this Agreement is private and the use or disclosure of such information, when not directly connected with the administration of the City’s or Subrecipient’s responsibilities with respect to Services provided under this Agreement, is prohibited unless written consent is obtained from such person receiving service and, in the case of a minor, that of a responsible parent/guardian. (e) Close Outs. The Subrecipient’s obligation to the City shall not end until all close-out requirements are completed. Activities during the close-out period shall include, but are not limited to: making final payments, disposing of program assets (including the return of all unused materials, equipment, unspent cash advances, program income balances, and accounts receivable to the City), and determining the custodianship of records. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the terms of this Agreement shall remain in effect during any period that the Subrecipient has control over HOME Funds, including program income.
2. Audits and Inspections. All Subrecipient records with respect to any matters covered by this Agreement shall be made available to the City, HUD and the Comptroller General of the United States or any of their authorized representatives, at any time during normal business hours, as often as deemed necessary, to audit, examine, and make excerpts or transcripts of all relevant data. Any deficiencies noted in audit reports must be fully cleared by the Subrecipient within 30 days after receipt by the Subrecipient. Failure of the Subrecipient to comply with the above audit requirements will constitute a violation of this Agreement and may result in the withholding of future payments.
3. Quarterly Progress Reports. Subrecipient shall submit quarterly progress reports to the City in a form approved or directed by the City on or before each April 15, July 15, October 15, and January 15, which shall include all of the following information regarding Subrecipient’s activities during the prior quarter:
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(a) Applications: The number of TBRA applications received, processed, approved and denied with reason.
(b) Inspections: The number of Housing Units inspected under HQS, approved/ disapproved and a description of any corrective work performed by landlords.
(c) Households Assisted: The number of Eligible Households assisted, including specific information regarding the household size and ages, income categories, types and amounts of assistance provided to each Eligible Household, and remaining terms of assistance expected.
(d) Financial Reporting: Budget reconciliation information, showing year-todate expenditures in a general ledger with remaining balances available for Subsidy Payments in accordance with the Budget and the Agreement.
(e) Forecast and Schedule: Estimated number of additional Eligible Households Subrecipient expects to qualify and assist within the next quarter, and an updated timeline/schedule of activities under the contract.
(f) Narrative of Progress: A brief narrative summary of activities and accomplishments/and challenges during the quarter (e.g. households housed, staffing changes) and progress toward contract or program goals.
(g) Complaints and Correspondence: Information regarding any complaints or public complaints received from Applicants or Eligible Households and any correspondence received from community members or organizations or other nonprofit organizations regarding the TBRA Program or its operations, or individuals involved in the TBRA Program.
4. Performance Monitoring.
(a) Biweekly Meetings. Subrecipient shall be available to attend meetings with City staff every two weeks to review Subrecipient’s activities and progress under this Agreement and to ensure the TBRA Program is progressing smoothly and coordinating effectively and efficiently.
(b) City Oversight and Review. City will monitor the performance of the Subrecipient against the goals and performance standards set forth in this Agreement. From time to time, City shall be entitled to audit and review Subrecipient’s performance of the Services in
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accordance with the terms of the Agreement and compliance with the HOME Program.
Substandard performance as determined by the City will constitute noncompliance with the Agreement. If action to correct such substandard performance is not taken by the Subrecipient within a reasonable period of time after being notified by the City, termination procedures will be initiated in accordance with Section 8.3 of the Agreement.
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RESOLUTION 2026-XXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TULARE
APPROVING THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR A HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS
TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the City of Tulare, a political subdivision of the State of California, established Program Guidelines which govern the administration of its Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program; and
WHEREAS, the City of Tulare desires to approve the Program Guidelines for the Tenant Based Assistance Program to comply with the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s requirements.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Tulare, as follows:
Section 1. The Program Guidelines presented on May 5, 2026, are updated and approved for local administration of a HOME Investment Partnerships Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program.
Section 2. The Program Guidelines are subject to final review and approval by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Section 3. The City Manager and/or their designee is hereby authorized to adjust the Program Guidelines to achieve compliance with HCD requirements as necessary. Substantive changes to the Program’s scope will require approval of the City Council of the City of Tulare.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Tulare on this 5th day of May 2026, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Patrick Isherwood, President of the Council
and Ex-Officio Mayor
ATTEST:
Marc Mondell, City Clerk
By Melissa Wilcox, Chief Deputy City Clerk
The presence of an electronic signature certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy as approved by the Tulare City Council.
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CITY OF TULARE
HOME Investment Partnerships Program
California Department of Housing & Community Development Serving the Area of
The City of Tulare
HOME TENANT-BASED
RENTAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
(“TBRA”)
PROGRAM GUIDELINES
HOUSING
AUTHORITY OF
THE COUNTY OF
TULARE
HCD Voucher Model Version: 04/2024
Approved by CMC HOME HCD XX-XXXX
Approved by City of Tulare XX-XXXX
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City of Tulare HOME TBRA Program Guidelines Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction 3
II. Eligibility 4
III. Applying for Admission 8
IV. Occupancy Standards 9
V. TBRA Housing Authorization Issuance and Briefings 11 VI.
Lease Approval and Housing Assistance Payment Contract
Execution 17
VII. Housing Quality Standards 19
VIII. Denial or Termination of Assistance 20
ATTACHMENTS
A. 24 CFR Part 5 Annual Income Inclusions and Exclusions 22 B. 24 CFR Part 5 Asset Inclusions and Exclusions 29
C. Current Program Income Limits 31
D. Current Program Rent Standards 32
E. TBRA Eligibility Agreement 33
F. Lease Addendum 36
G.
Additional Lease Addendum (Violence Against Women Act)
39 H. HOME TBRA Contract Template 40
I. 24 CFR § 982.401 Housing Quality Standards (HQS) 45
J.
Housing Quality Standards (HQS)
Inspection Form 49
K. Tenant Selection Plan 50
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City of Tulare HOME TBRA Program Guidelines Page 3
CITY OF TULARE
HOME TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (“TBRA”)
PROGRAM GUIDELINES
I. INTRODUCTION
These Program Guidelines have been developed by the City of Tulare based on the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program operated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Administration Plan for the implantation of the Housing Choice Voucher Program operated by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Overview of TBRA Voucher Program
This voucher-based TBRA Program features the following requirements:
• Maximum approvable gross rent (unit rent plus applicable utilities allowance) can exceed the Rent Standard in Attachment D, but not if the tenant’s increased share would exceed 40% of their gross monthly income.
• TBRA monthly assistance is calculated based on the Rent Standard less 30% of monthly adjusted income, or gross rent minus household contribution, whichever is less. • The Total Tenant Payment (“TTP”) is 30% of the household’s adjusted monthly income if Gross Rent equals the Rent Standard, up to 40% of household gross income if the Gross Rent exceeds the Rent Standard, or as low as 10% ($1 minimum) of household gross income if the Gross Rent is lower than the Rent Standard. • The term of the TBRA Rental Assistance Contract (Attachment H) must begin on the same date as the term of the lease and ends with the termination of the lease. Tenants assisted in place must receive a renewed lease.
• The unit must be documented for rent reasonableness.
• The unit must pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection (Attachment I) • The Program shall use the HUD Income and TBRA assistance calculator at CPD Income Eligibility Calculator and Income Limits - HUD Exchange, using the Rental Voucher Model calculator.
Conflict of Interest Requirements
In accordance with 24 CFR Section 92.356 of the HOME Final Rule, the following will apply:
(a) Conflicts prohibited. No persons described in paragraph (b) of this section who exercises or has exercised any functions or responsibilities with respect to activities assisted with HOME funds or who are in a position to participate in a decision making process or gain inside information with regard to these activities, may obtain a financial interest or benefit from a HOME-assisted activity, or have a financial interest in any contract, subcontract or agreement with respect to the HOME-assisted activity, or the proceeds from such activity, either for themselves or those with whom they have business or immediate family ties, during their tenure or for one year thereafter. Immediate family ties include (whether by blood, marriage or adoption) the spouse, parent (including stepparent), child (including stepchild), brother, sister (including a stepbrother or stepsister), grandparent, grandchild and in-laws of a covered person.
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(b) Persons covered. The conflict of interest provisions of paragraph (a) of this section apply to any person who is an employee, agent, consultant, officer, or elected official or appointed official of the participating jurisdiction, State recipient, or subrecipient which are receiving HOME funds.
(c) Exceptions: Threshold requirements. Upon the written request of the participating jurisdiction to HCD, HUD may grant an exception to the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section on a case-by-case basis when it determines that the exception will serve to further the purposes of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the effective and efficient administration of the participating jurisdiction's program or project. See 24 CFR 92.356(d)(1- 6) for details on the documentation needed in order to submit an exception request to HCD.
Participating Agencies
The City of Tulare TBRA Program will be administered by the Housing Authority of Tulare County (hereinafter referred to as “Program Operator”).
Note: The term “Program Operator” used throughout this document refers to the Program Administrator named above.
Fair Housing
The Fair Housing Lender and Accessibility logos will be placed on all outreach materials. Fair housing marketing actions will be based upon a characteristic analysis comparison (census data may be used) of the Program’s eligible area compared to the ethnicity of the population served by the Program (includes, separately, all applications given out and those receiving assistance) and an explanation of any underserved segments of the population. This information is used to show that protected classes (age, gender, ethnicity, race, and disability) are not being excluded from the Program. Flyers or other outreach materials, in English and any other language that is the primary language of a significant portion of the area residents, will be widely distributed in the Program-eligible area and will be provided to any local social service agencies.
II. ELIGIBILITY
The TBRA Program will be available in areas located within the City of Tulare.
Each household may choose to remain in their eligible unit or may choose to rent any other eligible unit in the service area identified above.
Income Qualification Criteria
Projected gross annual income of the applicant household will be used to determine whether it is above or below the published HCD income limits. Income qualification criteria, as shown in the most recent HCD program-specific guidance at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-andfunding/income-limits/income-calculation-and-determination-guide, will be followed to independently determine and certify the household’s gross annual income. Income will be verified by reviewing and analyzing tax returns, copies of wage receipts or paystubs, subsidy checks, bank statements and third-party verification of employment forms sent to employers.
All documentation shall be dated within (2) months prior to assistance and kept in the applicant file and held in strict confidence.
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A. HOUSEHOLD INCOME DEFINITION:
Household income is the gross annual income of all adult household members that is projected to be received during the coming 12-month period, and will be used to determine TBRA Program eligibility. Refer to Income Inclusions and Exclusions for further guidance to the types of incomes to be included or excluded when calculating gross annual income. For those types of income counted, gross amounts (before any deductions have been taken) are used, and the types of income that are not considered would include income of minors or live-in aides. Certain other household members living apart from the household also require special consideration. The household’s projected ability to pay must be used, rather than past earnings, when calculating income.
See Annual Income Inclusions and Exclusions in ATTACHMENT A.
In addition, the link to HUD’s Annual Income and Exclusions chart is:
http://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/income-limits/income-calculation-anddetermination-guide/docs/AppendixB_AnnualIncomeInclusionsExclusions.doc B. ASSETS:
There is no asset limitation for participation in the TBRA Program. Income from assets is, however, recognized as part of annual income under the Part 5 definition. An asset is a cash or non-cash item that can be converted to cash.
The value of necessary items such as furniture, clothing and automobiles are not included. (Note: it is the income earned – e.g., interest on a savings account – not the asset value, which is counted in annual income.) An asset’s cash value is the market value less reasonable expenses required to convert the asset to cash, including penalties or fees for converting financial holdings and costs for selling real property. The cash value (rather than the market value) of an item is counted as an asset.
See attachment B for Asset Inclusions and Exclusions.
Eligible Households – Income and Assets
Most applicants must have household incomes at or below sixty percent (60%) of the applicable County’s area median income (AMI), adjusted by household size, as published by HCD each year (see ATTACHMENT C). The link to current HOME income limits adjusted by household size is: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-and-funding/income-limits/state-andfederal-income-rent-and-loan-value-limits However, the TBRA Program may provide assistance to up to ten percent (10%) of its assisted households with incomes at or below eighty percent (80%) of County median household income.
“Household” means one or more persons who occupy a housing unit. Subject to the exemptions allowed in the “Income Determination Guide”, all persons, including unborn children, and
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including non-related individuals, will be considered household members for purposes of determining income eligibility.
All adult applicants must certify that they meet the household income eligibility requirements for the TBRA Program and have their household income documented. The income limits in place at the time the applicant(s) eligibility is certified will apply when determining applicant income eligibility.
Pursuant to 2 CFR section 92.2 and 24 CFR section 5.612, an individual who meets all of the following criteria is not eligible for TBRA assistance:
(a) Is enrolled as a student at an institution of higher education, as defined under section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); and (b) Is under 24 years of age; and
(c) Is not a veteran of the United States military; and (d) Is unmarried; and
(e) Does not have a dependent child; and
(f) Is not a person with disabilities, as such term is defined in section 3(b)(3)(E) of the 1937 Act and was not receiving assistance under section 8 of the 1937 Act as of November 30, 2005; and
(g) Is not otherwise individually eligible, or has parents who, individually or jointly, are not eligible on the basis of income to receive assistance under section 8 of the 1937 Act.
The Program Operator will review, confirm, and document that the household does not meet these criteria, before entering into a TBRA assistance agreement. All other households meeting the income criteria for the Program may participate.
General TBRA Program Design
The TBRA Program is a rental subsidy program that is designed to assist eligible tenants with the payment of monthly rent and utility costs, security deposits, and utility deposits. TBRA assistance will make up the difference between the amount the household can afford to pay for monthly rent and utilities and the actual cost of the housing occupied by the household. All TBRA assistance will be made in the form of a grant, and will not have to be repaid.
NOTE: Assistance under the TBRA Program will consist of one 12-month term and is subject to renewal if funding is available. The minimum term of assistance will be 12 months unless a shorter term of as few as 6 months is requested by the household. The TBRA Program may be used only within the City of Tulare. It is intended for use by residents and unsheltered residents of the City of Tulare, within Tulare County, and may not be used in any other county.
Participants who relocate from Tulare County to another jurisdiction will lose their eligibility for participation in the Program.
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Under the TBRA Program, rental assistance payments and any utility and/or security deposit may be made, on a case-by-case basis, directly to the tenant.
Rental Security Deposits
The TBRA Program may approve the payment of a rental security deposit to the landlord for new rentals where the program recipient has less than six months of gross income in their checking/savings accounts, and where the lease between the landlord and tenant is for at least six months. The amount of the security deposit may not exceed the equivalent of two month’s rent for the unit. Rental security and utility deposits, if any, are grants and not loans, and shall therefore be returned to the tenant at the end of the rental agreement.
Rent (Payment) Standards
The TBRA Program will make a determination as to the Rent Standards (also known as Payment Standards) based upon HUD’s current Fair Market Rents, updated annually and attached hereto as ATTACHMENT D. This Rent Standard will serve as the basis of the calculation of TBRA assistance.
Utility Allowances
The TBRA Program has elected to utilize the project-specific utility schedule in which the housing unit is located, when available. If none is available for a given unit, the local Public Housing Authority’s Schedule of Utility Allowances will be utilized. The utility allowances for affected tenants will be determined by obtaining a copy of the current utility allowance schedule for the project in which the housing unit is located, or else the published local Public Housing Authority Schedule. Any utilities that are not included in the rent will be factored into the calculation of TBRA assistance, as illustrated in the examples below.
Rental Assistance Subsidy Amounts
The maximum monthly rental subsidy for each household cannot exceed the difference between the rental assistance payment standard by bedroom size and thirty percent (30%) of the household’s adjusted monthly income.
Although a participant may choose a rental with a rent higher or lower than the Rent Standard, the participant must contribute a minimum of thirty percent (30%) and may contribute a maximum of forty percent (40%) of monthly gross income toward the monthly gross rent. If the tenant has $0 gross income, tenant must contribute $1 monthly toward gross rent (specifically, toward the utility allowance if any, with the Program paying full rent and paying tenant for balance of Utility Allowance). If tenant’s share exceeds the utility allowance, tenant’s remainder will be paid to the landlord.
Examples for Calculating Tenant and Program Payment
The Smith household has been income certified and is eligible for assistance. Based on their household composition they are eligible for a two-bedroom unit. Their Gross Annual Income is $22,500 and their Adjusted Gross Annual Income is $18,300. Thirty percent (30%) of their adjusted Gross Monthly Income is $458. The current TBRA Payment Standard for a twobedroom unit is $775. The current utility allowance is $100. Since 10% of their Gross Annual Income is less than 30% of their Adjusted Gross Annual Income, the adjusted income is used in these examples.
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EXAMPLE 1:
The maximum TBRA subsidy is: The Smith’s share of the rent is:
$775 Rent Standard $800 Approved Rent
$458 (less) 30% of adjusted monthly income $317 (less) Max.TBRA Subsidy $317 Maximum TBRA Subsidy $483 Smith’s Payment (all to
Landlord)
In this example the Smiths will pay more than 30% of their adjusted income for housing because they selected a unit that rents for more than the payment standard.
Had the Smiths found a very inexpensive unit, the requirement that the household must pay at least 30% of monthly gross income might apply.
$500 Approved rent
$317 (less) Maximum TBRA Subsidy
$183 Calculated Tenant Share
The calculated tenant share is $183. However, the Smiths must pay the lesser of rent or at least 30% of gross monthly income ($22,500/12 months x 0.30 = $563). In this case, the Smiths would pay $500, and the Program would not assist with rent, as there is no gap to fill.
EXAMPLE 2:
With some applicable utilities not included in rent:
If there are utilities listed on Attachment E (“Allowances for Tenant-Furnished Utilities and Other Services”) that the tenant must pay that are not included in the rent, they are added to the Rent Standard in the equation above, yielding a greater Maximum TBRA Subsidy, as follows:
The maximum TBRA subsidy is: The Smith’s share of the rent is:
$775 Rent Standard $800 Approved Rent
$125 (plus) Utilities not included in rent $125 (plus) Utilities not included $900 Net rental allowance $925 Gross rent
$458 (less) 30% of adjusted monthly income $442 (less) Max.TBRA Subsidy $442 Maximum TBRA Subsidy $483 Smith’s Rent + Utility Payment (pays $125 to utility companies
and $358 to Landlord)
III. APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
How to Apply
Households may apply for assistance by completing and submitting an application package to the Program Operator.
Completion of an Application
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Upon completion of the application, an interview appointment will be scheduled. The interview appointment may be conducted in person or by telephone.
Applicants are responsible for rescheduling interview appointments when the original appointment is missed. If the Applicant does not reschedule and misses two consecutive interview appointments, the application may be rejected. • At a minimum, the head of household will be required to attend the interview appointment. All adult household members must sign the Applicant/Tenant Certification Form in order for the application to be considered complete. • Information provided by the Applicant will be verified including information on household composition, income, assets, allowances and deductions, preference status, full-time student status, and other factors relating to eligibility before being issued a TBRA Eligibility Agreement.
• Third-party verifications shall be obtained by telephone. When telephone requests are unsuccessful, the Program Operator will make adequate effort to ensure the third party is a valid source by documenting and including in the tenant’s file the following information: Third-party’s name, attempted contact person and contact information; name of the person who attempted the telephone interview; and date and time of the telephone call.
If additional information is needed to determine eligibility, a request will be sent to the Applicant, detailing the necessary additional information, which must be submitted within 10 working days. If no response is received within 10 days, a second request will be sent, allowing an additional 10 days to respond. If no response is received to the second request for additional information, an ineligibility letter will be sent. After the verification process is completed, the Program Operator will make a final determination of eligibility based on verified data.
IV. OCCUPANCY STANDARDS
All units occupied by households receiving TBRA assistance must meet the Housing Quality Standards found at 24 CFR 982.401 at the time of initial occupancy and throughout assisted tenancy.
Size of Units
Households meeting the preference criteria may remain in their units and be assisted in place; however, if they elect to select a different unit, the following occupancy standards shall apply.
The occupancy standard for the TBRA Program is two persons per sleeping area. The standards prescribed will apply to the majority of households. However, in some cases the relationship, age, sex, health, or disability of a household member may warrant the assignment of a larger unit. Exceptions for larger units may be granted within the following guidelines:
The occupancy standards for the TBRA Housing Authorization issuance are set up to determine the size of the Authorization to be issued. The criteria and standards prescribed for the determination of unit size will apply to most households. However, in some cases the
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relationship, age, sex, health, or handicap of a household member may warrant the assignment of a larger unit. Guidelines for maximum TBRA Housing Authorization includes:
• Persons of different generations, persons of the opposite sex (excluding spouses), and unrelated adults may have separate bedrooms;
• Children of the opposite sex may share a bedroom until one of the children reaches the age of 6;
• Unborn children shall be included in the size of the household; • Persons with verifiable medical needs or other extenuating circumstances may be provided with a larger unit;
• Foster children are included when determining unit size (but not for household size for income limits evaluation);
• Space will not be provided for a household member who is absent more than 90 consecutive days (e.g., member of the military);
• Households will not be required to use rooms other than bedrooms for sleeping purposes.
The following provides guidance on over-crowding and under-crowding:
Authorization Size Min. No. Of Persons Max. No. of Persons 0-BDR. 1 2
1-BDR. 1 3
2-BDR. 2 4
3-BDR. 3 6
4-BDR. 6 8
5-BDR. 8 10
6-BDR. 10 12
Permanently Absent
If any adult member of a household leaves the unit for more than ninety (90) days, that adult member will be considered permanently absent from the unit. A remaining adult member of the household must report, in writing within ten (10) days, the change in household composition to the property manager and the Program Operator, who will then remove the absent adult as a household member.
Visitors
Any adult not included on the application that is in the unit for 12 consecutive days or more without the landlord’s written approval and Program Operator approval, or a total of 30 days in
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a 12-month period, will be considered to be living in the unit as an unauthorized household member.
Absence of evidence of a verifiable address will be considered verification that the visitor is a member of the household.
Statements from neighbors and/or the landlord will be considered in making a determination.
The burden of proof that an individual is a visitor rests on the household. In the absence of such proof, an individual will be considered an unauthorized member of the household and the Program Operator may terminate assistance if prior approval was not requested for the addition.
In a joint physical custody arrangement, if a minor is in the household less than 183 days per year (50% of the year), the minor will be considered to be an eligible visitor and not a household member.
Change in Household Composition
The Program Operator will verify changes in household composition (either reported or unreported). However, the burden of proof that an individual has moved ultimately rests on the household.
Change in Ownership
A change of ownership will be processed upon receipt of evidence of ownership, and a Letter of Authority Transfer, if applicable. Prior to the change of ownership taking effect, any payments made to the previous owner will be the responsibility of the new owner to recover.
Participant Relocation
After an initial lease, household relocation shall be limited to one move in a 12-month period.
However, a household may move to a new unit during the first year of a lease only:
• When a mutual agreement between the Landlord and the tenant has been signed; or • For good cause (the tenant must provide documentation such as police reports, court order, etc.)
In either case, the tenant must provide proper notice (30-day written notice) to the Program Operator and the landlord prior to initiating a move.
V. TBRA ELIGIBILITY AGREEMENT ISSUANCE AND BRIEFINGS
Purpose of Briefings
The purpose of the briefing is to provide new participants with the information found in the TBRA Eligibility Agreement (ATTACHMENT E). This will ensure that all Participants are aware of their responsibilities and the ramifications if they fail to comply.
Attendance Requirement
The head of household is required to attend a briefing to receive TBRA assistance. No TBRA Eligibility Agreement will be issued if the head-of-household does not attend a briefing.
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Failure of the head-of-household to participate in two scheduled briefings without prior notification and approval may result in the denial of benefits.
Format
Briefings can either be in a group or held individually.
The TBRA Housing Authorization packet shall contain the following:
• A general information brochure explaining the basics of the Program for landlord use; • A current list of interested landlords and the address of their available property (if available);
• A description of Fair Market Rents and TBRA Housing Assistance Payments; • Procedures for notifying the Program Operator of abuses such as side payments or other overcharges and Housing Quality Standard violations in the unit; • The HUD brochure A Good Place to Live;
• The HUD brochure on lead-based paint (Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home) and information about where blood level testing is available; • Conditions and procedures for notifying the Program Operator of changes which may occur between annual reexaminations;
• Tenant Responsibility form;
• Utility Allowance schedule;
• Instructions on calculating gross rent; and
• Any supplemental material deemed necessary.
The Program Operator will discuss allowable deposits that can be collected by the Landlord; conditions in the lease under which tenancy may be terminated, and conditions under which TBRA Housing Program assistance may be terminated.
Household Obligations
While the relationship between the tenant and landlord is the same as in the private housing market, the TBRA Housing Program participants have the following additional obligations:
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1. The household must supply any information that is determined to be necessary in the administration of the Program, including submission of required evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status. The household will indicate whether they’ve been evicted in the past five years and if so, will provide an explanation as to why they were evicted.
The Housing Advisory Committee may reject an applicant if they determine that the household is at high risk for eviction during the term of rental assistance based on prior evictions.
2. The household must supply any information requested by the Program for use in a regularly-scheduled re-examination or interim examination of household income and composition.
3. The household must sign and submit consent forms to obtain information, as applicable.
4. All information supplied by the household must be true and complete.
5. Any guest or household member that causes damage beyond normal wear and tear will be the responsibility of the household. If Housing Quality Standards (HQS) failures are determined to be caused by a tenant or guest, it will be the tenant’s responsibility to correct. If the failure is life threatening, the tenant must correct the defect within 24 hours. For other tenant-caused failures / defects the tenant must correct the defect within 30 calendar days (or by a Program-approved extension).
6. The household must allow the Program Operator to inspect the unit for Housing Quality Standards at reasonable times and after reasonable notice (24 hours).
7. The household may not commit any serious or repeated violation of the lease.
8. The household must notify the Landlord and, at the same time, notify the Program Operator no less than 30-days prior to when the household intends to move out of the unit or terminate the lease.
9. The household must give the Program Operator a copy of any Landlord eviction notices within three business days.
10. The household must use the assisted unit for residence by the household. The unit must be the household’s only residence.
11. The Program Operator must approve the composition of the household residing in the unit. The household must inform the Program Operator of the birth, adoption, or courtawarded custody of a child within three business days. The household must request
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Program Operator approval to add any other household member as an occupant of the unit.
12. The household must notify the Program Operator if any household member no longer resides in the unit within three business days.
13. The household must not sublease or sublet the unit.
14. The household must not assign the lease or transfer the unit.
15. The household must supply any information or certification requested by the Program Operator to verify that the household is living in the unit, at any time.
16. The household must not own or have any interest in the unit.
17. The members of the household must not commit fraud, bribery or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with the Program.
18. Any members of the household, including guests, may not engage in drug-related criminal activity or violent criminal activity.
Discretion to Deny or Terminate Assistance
In deciding whether to deny or terminate assistance because of action or failure to act by members of a household, the Program Operator has the discretion to consider all of the circumstances in each case, including the seriousness of the case and the extent of participation or culpability of individual household members. The Program Operator may also review the household’s more recent history and record of compliance, and the effects of denial or termination of assistance on other household members who were not involved in the action or failure to act.
The Program Operator may impose, as a condition of continued assistance for other household members, a requirement that household members who participated in or were culpable for the action or failure to act will not reside in the unit. The Program Operator may permit the other members of the household to continue in the TBRA Program.
Term of the TBRA Eligibility Agreement
A newly issued TBRA Housing Authorization will be valid for a period of 60 days from the date of issuance. A household may request an extension of the 60-day period. A maximum of 60 additional days (approved in 30-day increments) may be approved if:
• Extenuating circumstances (e.g., hospitalization or household emergency) which has affected the household’s ability to find a unit within 60 days; or
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• The household has evidence that they have made consistent effort to locate a unit and requested assistance from the Program Operator to help locate a unit.
Joint Custody of Children
Children who are subject to a joint custody agreement will be considered members of the household if the applicant has at least 50% legal and physical custody of the minor as evidenced by legal documentation.
Alimony and Child Support
Regular alimony and child support payments are counted as income. If the amount of child support or alimony received is less than the amount awarded by the court, CSPC will use the amount awarded by the court unless the household can verify that they are not receiving the full amount and have tried to collect payments. Efforts to collect payments include filing with courts or appropriate agencies responsible for enforcing such payments.
TBRA Housing Authorization Determination for Split Households In cases where a household assisted by the TBRA Program becomes divided into two households due to divorce, legal separation, or the division of the household, the Program will review the situation and decide as to who will retain assistance, subject to the following:
• The desires of the parties involved;
• Which party maintains custody of the dependent children; • To whom the assistance was issued;
• Who remains in the unit;
• Whether domestic violence is involved.
Documentation to support this information will be the responsibility of the requested party. If documentation is not provided, the Program reserves the right to determine who will receive the assistance.
Initial, Annual and Interim Examinations
The Program Operator will perform initial, annual and interim examinations, as required.
Annual Re-examinations
Households will be notified in writing 120 days in advance of the scheduled effective date of the reexamination. The Program Operator will use the same procedures for obtaining and verifying information that were used at admission. The Program Operator will compare the information the household reports against the household’s most recent reexamination to identify any discrepancies and ask the household to explain them.
The following procedures will be followed for each reexamination:
• Re-verification of household income and composition;
• Unit inspection;
• Rent reasonableness verified if the landlord is requesting a rent increase; • The household and Landlord are notified of a tenant contribution increase at least 30 days prior to the effective date.
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The head of household, and any additional adult living in the unit must have a current Form HUD-9886, Authorization for Release of Information/Privacy Act Notice, on file any time verification of income is to be determined.
Households and Landlords will be notified of the results of the reexamination and effective date of any changes.
Reporting Changes Between Regularly-Scheduled Recertifications:
If any of the following changes occur, the Resident agrees to advise management and the Program Operator within ten (10) days:
• Any household member moves out of the unit;
• The household proposes moving a new member into the unit; • An adult member of the household who was reported as unemployed on the most recent certification (or recertification) obtains employment;
• The household’s income cumulatively changes by ten percent (10%) or more a month.
Interim Examinations
The household may request an interim reexamination of household income/composition when changes have occurred since the last determination. The Program Operator will conduct a household-requested reexamination within 10 working days of the request.
If the interim reexamination indicates that the tenant rent will be reduced or increased by 10% or more, changes may take effect the first of the month following the determination, allowing for a minimum of 30 days notification to the tenant and landlord. If the increase/decrease is less than 10%, no change will be processed, but the documentation will become part of the tenant file.
Public Assistance Income Changes
The Program Operator will not reduce the household share of rent for households whose public assistance is reduced due to:
• Fraud;
• Failure to participate in an economic self-sufficiency program; • Noncompliance with a work activity requirement.
The prohibition of rent reduction is not applicable if the public assistance is reduced due to the expiration of a lifetime limit on receiving benefits, or the household complied with public assistance program requirements but is unable to obtain employment.
The Program Operator will obtain written verification from the welfare department which indicates that the reduction was due to noncompliance or fraud before denying the request for rent reduction.
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The Program Operator will notify the Landlord and household of the results of the reexamination of income.
VI. LEASE APPROVAL, LEASE ADDENDUM AND HOME RENTAL ASSISTANCE
CONTRACT (HRA CONTRACT) EXECUTION
Ownership Documentation
Landlords must provide their current address of residence or business. Landlords must submit proof of ownership of the property and a Letter of Transfer of Authority if a management agent manages the property.
Households may not lease properties owned by relatives.
Rent Reasonableness
The Program Operator will decide as to the reasonableness of the rent the Landlord is proposing in relation to comparable units on the private unassisted market. The market area for rent reasonableness comparables shall include the similar areas of the city or county where the proposed rental is located. If proposed rent is determined to not be reasonable, the Program Operator will disapprove of the lease and will not provide assistance until the situation is remedied.
Rent reasonableness determinations are made when units are placed under contract for the first time and when Landlords request annual or special contract rent adjustments. The Program Operator will certify and document in the tenant file that the approved rent:
• Does not exceed rents charged by the Landlord for comparable unassisted units in the private market; and
• Is reasonable in relation to rents charged by other Landlords for comparable units in the private market.
The items used for rent reasonableness documentation include:
• Square footage;
• Number of bedrooms;
• Number of bathrooms;
• Location;
• Unit type;
• Quality;
• Amenities;
• Facilities;
• Date built; and
• Management and maintenance services.
Documentation of the reasonable rent study for each unit leased will be maintained by the Program Operator. Documentation must include a checklist, such as HUD’s online at https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/2098/home-rent-reasonableness-checklist-andcertification/
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The Program Operator will maintain a file(s) that includes comparable data on unassisted units in the private market and will compare the subject unit against selected units in the same area with similar characteristics. Adjustments will be made for favorable and unfavorable differences between the subject unit and the comparables. The information on unassisted units will be updated on an annual basis.
Issuance of TBRA Housing Authorization and Requesting Program Approval to Lease a Unit
When a household is selected for participation in the TBRA Program, the Program Operator will issue a TBRA Housing Authorization to the household. The household may search for a unit within the City of Tulare. When the household finds a unit, and the owner is willing to lease the unit under the Program, the household must request Program Operator approval of the unit.
The household must submit request for lease approval and a copy of the proposed lease. Both documents must be submitted during the term of the TBRA Housing Authorization. The lease submitted for approval must also include the Lease Addendum and Additional Lease Addendum. These Lease Addendums are required under both the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program and the California HOME TBRA Program. The Lease Addendums are attached as “Attachment G and Attachment H”.
The lease between a tenant and an owner of rental housing assisted with HOME funds must be for not less than one year, unless by mutual agreement between the tenant and the Landlord.
Lease Approval / Disapproval
After the Program Operator has reviewed the HOME Rental Assistance Program Request for Unit Approval form, the proposed lease agreement, documented rent reasonableness, and conducted an inspection and passed the unit, the Program Operator may approve the lease. If the Program Operator determines that the lease cannot be approved (e.g., fails rent reasonableness), the landlord and household will be notified and the reason(s) provided. The Program Operator will explain the problems to the owner and suggest how they may be corrected. If the problem can be corrected, the Program Operator will continue processing the HOME Rental Assistance Program Request for Unit Approval.
If the problem cannot be corrected after negotiations with the owner, the Program Operator will inform the tenant that the lease is not approved and that the tenant should continue to search for eligible housing.
Lease Addendum
Prior to commencement of the TBRA Program assistance, the Program Operator requires that the Program’s Lease Addendum (ATTACHMENT F) and its Additional Lease Addendum (ATTACHMENT G) be executed by the landlord and tenant.
HOME Rental Assistance Contract (HRA Contract)
The HRA Contract is a contract between the Program Operator and an owner. In the HRA Contract for the TBRA Program, the owner agrees to lease a specified dwelling unit to a specified eligible household, and the TBRA Program agrees to make monthly housing
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assistance payments to the owner for the household. The City of Tulare TBRA Program HRA Contract is based on the HAP Contract used for the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program. A copy of the TBRA Program’s HRA Contract is attached as “ATTACHMENT H.” The term of the lease between the owner and the tenant may not expire before the term of the TBRA assistance.
Prior to HRA Contract execution, the Program Operator will ensure:
• That the income information is not more than 120 days old for participants; or not more than 60 days old for new admissions
• That owners provide their current address of residence or business, and proof of ownership of the property;
• That if there is not an existing lease, the landlord offers the tenant a one-year lease per HOME requirements or provide evidence of a rejection of that offer in favor of a shorter lease for at least the HOME assistance term.
• That a Letter of Transfer of Authority is available if a management agent manages the property; and
• That Rent Reasonableness has been verified by the following procedures.
VII. HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS
Policy
No unit will be placed on the TBRA Program unless Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and applicable local building codes are met, in accordance with 24 CFR 982.401. The units must continue to meet these standards as long as the household is on the TBRA Program. Leadbased paint requirements will apply to all units constructed prior to 1978. The TBRA Program adheres to the acceptability criteria in HUD Section 8 Housing Assistance program regulations for Housing Quality Standards. Current HQS Inspection Forms are attached as “ATTACHMENT J”.
All Housing Quality Inspections will be performed by the Program Operator (or its designee).
There are four types of inspections:
• Initial
• Annual
• Special
• Move-out: Move-out inspections will be completed within 15 working days when requested by either the tenant or landlord.
Clearing Deficiencies
At initial and annual inspections, the owner will be given not more than 30 days to correct the items noted as “fail”. Extenuating circumstances could, with Program Operator approval, extend the time limit allowed to correct the items. The owner may be allowed two reinspections for repair work to be completed (at inspector’s discretion) depending upon the complexity of work to be done. If, after the inspections, the unit still fails HQS, the household will be required to find another unit if it wishes to remain on the TBRA Program.
Landlord Fails to Correct HQS Items
If the HOME TBRA contract is terminated due to the Landlord’s failure or refusal to correct the failed items, and the current TBRA Program tenant was required to move to another unit to
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continue receiving TBRA Program assistance, the Program Operator will not approve the vacated unit for a new TBRA Program tenant for a minimum of one year, and only upon receiving a written assurance from the Landlord that they will fulfill the requirements of the minimum HQS in the future.
Request for Special Unit Inspection
A landlord/owner, tenant, or the Program Operator may request to have the tenant’s unit inspected prior to the re-examination date. The Program Operator or its designee will schedule the inspection within ten (10) working days of the request.
VIII. DENIAL OR TERMINATION OF ASSISTANCE
Tenant Fraud
If the household has knowingly committed fraud in connection with the TBRA Program, the Program Operator may terminate assistance and cancel the HRA contract.
If the household has misrepresented income, assets, or allowances, which would have caused an increase in the tenant portion of the rent, the Program Operator will make every effort to recover any overpayment made as a result of tenant fraud or abuse.
If the household intentionally, willingly, and knowingly commits fraud or is involved in any other illegal scheme with the owner, the Program Operator may deny or terminate assistance.
Landlord Fraud
If a landlord has committed fraud or misrepresentation in connection with the TBRA Program, the Program Operator will terminate the contract and review the circumstances and household’s involvement to determine if the household is eligible to relocate to another unit with continuation of assistance.
The Program Operator may bar the landlord from participation in the TBRA Program for breach of the HRA Contract.
The Program Operator will make every effort to recover any overpayments made as a result of landlord fraud or abuse.
Lease Violations
Termination of tenancy or failure to renew leases will only be permitted for the following reasons:
• Tenants have serious or repeated violations of the terms and conditions of the lease.
The following criteria will be used to decide if a serious or repeated violation of the lease will result in termination of assistance:
• If the Landlord terminates tenancy through court action for serious or repeated violation of the lease;
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• If the Landlord notifies the household of termination of tenancy for serious or repeated lease violations, and the household moves from the unit prior to the completion of court action;
• If there are police reports, neighborhood complaints or other third-party information, that has been verified by the Program Operator;
• Tenants were part of a transitional housing program and completed their allowable transitional housing period; or
• Other “good cause” exists for termination of the tenancy.
Dispute Resolution and Appeals Procedure
Any applicant denied assistance from the Program has the right to appeal. Complaints concerning the Program should be made to the Program Operator first. If unresolved in this manner, the complaint or appeal must be made in writing and filed with the Sponsor. The Sponsor will then schedule a meeting with the Assistance Review Committee. Their written response will be made within thirty (30) working days. If the applicant is not satisfied with the Committee's decision, a request for an appeal may be filed with the Sponsor’s governing body.
Final appeal must be filed in writing with HCD within one year after denial.
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ATTACHMENT A
24 CFR Part 5 ANNUAL INCOME INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
24 CFR Part 5 Annual Income Inclusions
§5.609 Annual income.
(a) Annual income includes, with respect to the family:
(1) All amounts, not specifically excluded in paragraph (b) of this section, received from all sources by each member of the family who is 18 years of age or older or is the head of household or spouse of the head of household, plus unearned income by or on behalf of each dependent who is under 18 years of age, and
(2) When the value of net family assets exceeds $50,000 (which amount HUD will adjust annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) and the actual returns from a given asset cannot be calculated, imputed returns on the asset based on the current passbook savings rate, as determined by HUD. [88 FR 9657, Feb. 14, 2023]
24 CFR Part 5 Annual Income Exclusions
§5.609 Annual income.
. . .
(b) Annual income does not include the following:
(1) Any imputed return on an asset when net family assets total $50,000 or less (which amount HUD will adjust annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) and no actual income from the net family assets can be determined.
(2) The following types of trust distributions:
(i) For an irrevocable trust or a revocable trust outside the control of the family or household excluded from the definition of net family assets under § 5.603(b):
(A) Distributions of the principal or corpus of the trust; and (B) Distributions of income from the trust when the distributions are used to pay the costs of health and medical care expenses for a minor.
(ii) For a revocable trust under the control of the family or household, any distributions from the trust; except that any actual income earned by the trust, regardless of whether it is distributed, shall be considered income to the family at the time it is received by the trust.
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(3) Earned income of children under 18 years of age.
(4) Payments received for the care of foster children or foster adults, or State or Tribal kinship or guardianship care payments.
(5) Insurance payments and settlements for personal or property losses, including but not limited to payments through health insurance, motor vehicle insurance, and workers' compensation.
(6) Amounts received by the family that are specifically for, or in reimbursement of, the cost of health and medical care expenses for any family member. (7) Any amounts recovered in any civil action or settlement based on a claim of malpractice, negligence, or other breach of duty owed to a family member arising out of law, that resulted in a member of the family becoming disabled. (8) Income of a live-in aide, foster child, or foster adult as defined in §§ 5.403 and 5.603, respectively.
(9)
(i) Any assistance that section 479B of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1087uu), requires be excluded from a family's income; and (ii) Student financial assistance for tuition, books, and supplies (including supplies and equipment to support students with learning disabilities or other disabilities), room and board, and other fees required and charged to a student by an institution of higher education (as defined under Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) and, for a student who is not the head of household or spouse, the reasonable and actual costs of housing while attending the institution of higher education and not residing in an assisted unit.
(A) Student financial assistance, for purposes of this paragraph (9)(ii), means a grant or scholarship received from—
(1) The Federal government;
(2) A State, Tribe, or local government;
(3) A private foundation registered as a nonprofit under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3); (4) A business entity (such as corporation, general partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, joint venture, business trust, public benefit corporation, or nonprofit entity); or
(5) An institution of higher education.
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(B) Student financial assistance, for purposes of this paragraph (9)(ii), does not include—
(1) Any assistance that is excluded pursuant to paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section; (2) Financial support provided to the student in the form of a fee for services performed (e.g., a work study or teaching fellowship that is not excluded pursuant to paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section);
(3) Gifts, including gifts from family or friends; or
(4) Any amount of the scholarship or grant that, either by itself or in combination with assistance excluded under this paragraph or paragraph (b)(9)(i), exceeds the actual covered costs of the student. The actual covered costs of the student are the actual costs of tuition, books and supplies (including supplies and equipment to support students with learning disabilities or other disabilities), room and board, or other fees required and charged to a student by the education institution, and, for a student who is not the head of household or spouse, the reasonable and actual costs of housing while attending the institution of higher education and not residing in an assisted unit. This calculation is described further in paragraph (b)(9)(ii)(E) of this section.
(C) Student financial assistance, for purposes of this paragraph (b)(9)(ii) must be:
(1) Expressly for tuition, books, room and board, or other fees required and charged to a student by the education institution;
(2) Expressly to assist a student with the costs of higher education; or (3) Expressly to assist a student who is not the head of household or spouse with the reasonable and actual costs of housing while attending the education institution and not residing in an assisted unit.
(D) Student financial assistance, for purposes of this paragraph (b)(9)(ii), may be paid directly to the student or to the educational institution on the student's behalf. Student financial assistance paid to the student must be verified by the responsible entity as student financial assistance consistent with this paragraph (b)(9)(ii). (E) When the student is also receiving assistance excluded under paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section, the amount of student financial assistance under this paragraph (b)(9)(ii) is determined as follows:
(1) If the amount of assistance excluded under paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section is equal to or exceeds the actual covered costs under paragraph (b)(9)(ii)(B)(4) of this section, none of the assistance described in this paragraph (b)(9)(ii) of this section is considered student financial assistance excluded from income under this paragraph (b)(9)(ii)(E).
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(2) If the amount of assistance excluded under paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section is less than the actual covered costs under paragraph (b)(9)(ii)(B)(4) of this section, the amount of assistance described in paragraph (b)(9)(ii) of this section that is considered student financial assistance excluded under this paragraph is the lower of:
(i) the total amount of student financial assistance received under this paragraph (b)(9)(ii) of this section, or
(ii) the amount by which the actual covered costs under paragraph (b)(9)(ii)(B)(4) of this section exceeds the assistance excluded under paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section.
(10) Income and distributions from any Coverdell education savings account under section 530 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any qualified tuition program under section 529 of such Code; and income earned by government contributions to, and distributions from, “baby bond” accounts created, authorized, or funded by Federal, State, or local government.
(11) The special pay to a family member serving in the Armed Forces who is exposed to hostile fire.
(12)
(i) Amounts received by a person with a disability that are disregarded for a limited time for purposes of Supplemental Security Income eligibility and benefits because they are set aside for use under a Plan to Attain Self-Sufficiency (PASS); (ii) Amounts received by a participant in other publicly assisted programs which are specifically for or in reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred (e.g., special equipment, clothing, transportation, child care, etc.) and which are made solely to allow participation in a specific program;
(iii) Amounts received under a resident service stipend not to exceed $200 per month. A resident service stipend is a modest amount received by a resident for performing a service for the PHA or owner, on a part-time basis, that enhances the quality of life in the development.
(iv) Incremental earnings and benefits resulting to any family member from participation in training programs funded by HUD or in qualifying Federal, State, Tribal, or local employment training programs (including training programs not affiliated with a local government) and training of a family member as resident management staff. Amounts excluded by this provision must be received under employment training programs with clearly defined goals and objectives and are excluded only for the period during which the family member participates in the employment training program unless those amounts are excluded under paragraph (b)(9)(i) of this section.
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(13) Reparation payments paid by a foreign government pursuant to claims filed under the laws of that government by persons who were persecuted during the Nazi era. (14) Earned income of dependent full-time students in excess of the amount of the deduction for a dependent in § 5.611.
(15) Adoption assistance payments for a child in excess of the amount of the deduction for a dependent in § 5.611.
(16) Deferred periodic amounts from Supplemental Security Income and Social Security benefits that are received in a lump sum amount or in prospective monthly amounts, or any deferred Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits that are received in a lump sum amount or in prospective monthly amounts.
(17) Payments related to aid and attendance under 38 U.S.C. 1521 to veterans in need of regular aid and attendance.
(18) Amounts received by the family in the form of refunds or rebates under State or local law for property taxes paid on the dwelling unit.
(19) Payments made by or authorized by a State Medicaid agency (including through a managed care entity) or other State or Federal agency to a family to enable a family member who has a disability to reside in the family's assisted unit. Authorized payments may include payments to a member of the assisted family through the State Medicaid agency (including through a managed care entity) or other State or Federal agency for caregiving services the family member provides to enable a family member who has a disability to reside in the family's assisted unit.
(20) Loan proceeds (the net amount disbursed by a lender to or on behalf of a borrower, under the terms of a loan agreement) received by the family or a third party (e.g., proceeds received by the family from a private loan to enable attendance at an educational institution or to finance the purchase of a car).
(21) Payments received by Tribal members as a result of claims relating to the mismanagement of assets held in trust by the United States, to the extent such payments are also excluded from gross income under the Internal Revenue Code or other Federal law.
(22) Amounts that HUD is required by Federal statute to exclude from consideration as income for purposes of determining eligibility or benefits under a category of assistance programs that includes assistance under any program to which the exclusions set forth in paragraph (b) of this section apply. HUD will publish a notice in the Federal Register to identify the benefits that qualify for this exclusion. Updates will be published when necessary.
(23) Replacement housing “gap” payments made in accordance with 49 CFR part 24 that offset increased out of pocket costs of displaced persons that move from one federally subsidized housing unit to another Federally subsidized housing unit. Such replacement
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housing “gap” payments are not excluded from annual income if the increased cost of rent and utilities is subsequently reduced or eliminated, and the displaced person retains or continues to receive the replacement housing “gap” payments. (24) Nonrecurring income, which is income that will not be repeated in the coming year based on information provided by the family. Income received as an independent contractor, day laborer, or seasonal worker is not excluded from income under this paragraph, even if the source, date, or amount of the income varies. Nonrecurring income includes:
(i) Payments from the U.S. Census Bureau for employment (relating to decennial census or the American Community Survey) lasting no longer than 180 days and not culminating in permanent employment.
(ii) Direct Federal or State payments intended for economic stimulus or recovery. (iii) Amounts directly received by the family as a result of State refundable tax credits or State tax refunds at the time they are received.
(iv) Amounts directly received by the family as a result of Federal refundable tax credits and Federal tax refunds at the time they are received.
(v) Gifts for holidays, birthdays, or other significant life events or milestones (e.g., wedding gifts, baby showers, anniversaries).
(vi) Non-monetary, in-kind donations, such as food, clothing, or toiletries, received from a food bank or similar organization.
(vii) Lump-sum additions to net family assets, including but not limited to lottery or other contest winnings.
(25) Civil rights settlements or judgments, including settlements or judgments for back pay.
(26) Income received from any account under a retirement plan recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service, including individual retirement arrangements (IRAs), employer retirement plans, and retirement plans for self-employed individuals; except that any distribution of periodic payments from such accounts shall be income at the time they are received by the family.
(27) Income earned on amounts placed in a family's Family Self Sufficiency Account. (28) Gross income a family member receives through self-employment or operation of a business; except that the following shall be considered income to a family member:
(i) Net income from the operation of a business or profession. Expenditures for business expansion or amortization of capital indebtedness shall not be used as deductions in determining net income. An allowance for depreciation of assets used in a business or
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profession may be deducted, based on straight line depreciation, as provided in Internal Revenue Service regulations; and
(ii) Any withdrawal of cash or assets from the operation of a business or profession will be included in income, except to the extent the withdrawal is reimbursement of cash or assets invested in the operation by the family.
[88 FR 9657, Feb. 14, 2023]
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ATTACHMENT B
Asset Inclusions and Exclusions
ASSET INCLUSIONS:
From 24 CFR section 5.603:
Net family assets.
(1) Net family assets is the net cash value of all assets owned by the family, after deducting reasonable costs that would be incurred in disposing real property, savings, stocks, bonds, and other forms of capital investment.
(2) In determining net family assets, PHAs or owners, as applicable, must include the value of any business or family assets disposed of by an applicant or tenant for less than fair market value (including a disposition in trust, but not in a foreclosure or bankruptcy sale) during the two years preceding the date of application for the program or reexamination, as applicable, in excess of the consideration received therefor. In the case of a disposition as part of a separation or divorce settlement, the disposition will not be considered to be for less than fair market value if the applicant or tenant receives consideration not measurable in dollar terms. Negative equity in real property or other investments does not prohibit the owner from selling the property or other investments, so negative equity alone would not justify excluding the property or other investments from family assets.
[88 FR 9656, Feb. 14, 2023; 88 FR 12560, Feb. 28, 2023] ASSET EXCLUSIONS:
From 24 CFR Section 5.603 (continued):
1. Excluded from the calculation of net family assets are:
(i) The value of necessary items of personal property;
(ii) The combined value of all non-necessary items of personal property if the combined total value does not exceed $50,000 (which amount will be adjusted by HUD in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers);
(iii) The value of any account under a retirement plan recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service, including individual retirement arrangements (IRAs), employer retirement plans, and retirement plans for self-employed individuals; (iv) The value of real property that the family does not have the effective legal authority to sell in the jurisdiction in which the property is located;
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(v) Any amounts recovered in any civil action or settlement based on a claim of malpractice, negligence, or other breach of duty owed to a family member arising out of law, that resulted in a family member being a person with a disability; (vi) The value of any Coverdell education savings account under section 530 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the value of any qualified tuition program under section 529 of such Code, the value of any Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account authorized under Section 529A of such Code, and the value of any “baby bond” account created, authorized, or funded by Federal, State, or local government.
(vii) Interests in Indian trust land;
(viii) Equity in a manufactured home where the family receives assistance under 24 CFR part 982;
(ix) Equity in property under the Homeownership Option for which a family receives assistance under 24 CFR part 982;
(x) Family Self-Sufficiency Accounts; and
(xi) Federal tax refunds or refundable tax credits for a period of 12 months after receipt by the family.
2. In cases where a trust fund has been established and the trust is not revocable by, or under the control of, any member of the family or household, the trust fund is not a family asset and the value of the trust is not included in the calculation of net family assets, so long as the fund continues to be held in a trust that is not revocable by, or under the control of, any member of the family or household. [88 FR 9656, Feb. 14, 2023; 88 FR 12560, Feb. 28, 2023]
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ATTACHMENT C
CURRENT INCOME LIMITS FOR TULARE COUNTY
As of June 1, 2025
Household Size:
Income
Category: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Very-Low 50% $32,900 $37,600 $42,300 $46,950 $50,750 $54,500 $58,250 $62,000 60% $39,480 $45,120 $50,760 $56,340 $60,900 $65,400 $69,900 $74,400 Low-Income
80% $52,600 $60,100 $67,600 $75,100 $81,150 $87,150 $93,150 $99,150 The link to the official, HUD-maintained HOME Income Limits is:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il2025/select_Geography.odn
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ATTACHMENT D
CURRENT RENT STANDARDS FOR CITY OF TULARE TBRA
PROGRAM, BASED ON 90% (*) - 110% (**) OF HUD FMRs BELOW:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2026_code/2026summary_sa.odn Efficiency
(0-Bedroom)
OneBedroomTwoBedroomThreeBedroom Four-Bedroom
$1,200** $1,210** $1,590** $2,190** $2,580**
IMPORTANT: Rent Standard represents the maximum approvable gross unit rent (meaning including the applicable Utility Allowance) by Unit Bedrooms FY 2026 HUD FMRs By Unit Bedrooms for Visalia-Porterville MSA https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2026_code/2026summary.odn Efficiency OneBedroom
TwoBedroomThreeBedroomFourBedroom
Final FY 2026
HUD FMR $1,116 $1,123 $1,474 $2,028 $2,393
Note: The FMRs for unit sizes larger than four bedrooms are calculated by adding 15 percent to the four-bedroom FMR for each extra bedroom. For example, the FMR for a five-bedroom unit is 1.15 times the four-bedroom FMR, and the FMR for a six-bedroom unit is 1.30 times the four-bedroom FMR.
HOME Rent Limits - HUD Exchange
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ATTACHMENT E
HOUSING
AUTHORITY OF
THE COUNTY OF
TULARE
HOME TBRA Eligibility Agreement
TENANT NAME:
Number of Household Members:
Unit Size: Issued On:
1. HOME TBRA Rental Assistance Program
This Agreement by the City of Tulare and the Tenant identified above who is eligible to participate in the HOME TBRA Rental Assistance Program (Program) operated by Housing Authority of Tulare. Under the Program, the City of Tulare makes monthly payments to the Landlord on behalf of the eligible Tenant pursuant to a separate agreement between the City of Tulare and the landlord (HOME TBRA Contract) with HOME funds received from HCD pursuant to the Standard Agreement.
By executing this Agreement, the City of Tulare fully expects to have HOME funds available to provide financial assistance to the Tenant. The City of Tulare is under no obligation to the Tenant or the Landlord or any other party until the City of Tulare has approved the unit and a lease addendum has been entered into between the Landlord and the Tenant.
The City of Tulare will work with the Landlord and the Tenant to execute all of the necessary documents as follows:
• The Landlord and the Tenant must sign a Lease Addendum and an Additional Lease Addendum regarding domestic violence tenant protections (Attachments F and G).
• The Landlord and the City of Tulare must sign a HOME Rental Assistance Contract (Attachment H).
• Once all necessary documents have been signed, payments to the Landlord can be processed.
2. Tenant and Program Share of the Rent
A. The portion of the rent payable by the Tenant to the Landlord ("Tenant's Share") is calculated based upon the Tenant's ability to pay. The Tenant must provide the Program Operator with information about income, assets and other household circumstances that affect the amount the Tenant will be required to pay. The Tenant's Share may change as a result of changes in income or other household circumstances.
The Tenant is also responsible for payment of all utilities not included in the rent.
B. Each month, the TBRA Program will make a rental subsidy payment to the Landlord on behalf of the Tenant. The monthly payment will be equal to the difference
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between the approved rent the Landlord is charging and the Tenant's Share of the rent; or
C. If applicable, each month, the TBRA Program will make the full rent payment to the Landlord and a partial payment for Utilities to the tenant, as determined using the local public housing authority’s (PHA’s) current utility allowance schedule.
3. Rental Security Deposits
A. The TBRA Program may approve the payment of a rental security deposit to the landlord for new rentals where the program recipient has less than six months of gross income in their checking/savings accounts, and where the lease between the landlord and tenant is for at least six months. The amount of the security deposit may not exceed the equivalent of two months’ rent for the unit. Rental security and utility deposits, if any, are grants and not loans, and shall therefore be returned to the tenant at the end of the rental agreement.
4. Requirements for Participating Tenants
The Household must:
• supply true and complete information about the household's income, assets, and other household circumstances that affect eligibility and the amount of the Tenant's Share, and cooperate fully with initial, annual and interim reexaminations; • sign and submit consent forms for obtaining information, as applicable; • allow the Program Operator or its designee to inspect the unit at acceptable times, after giving reasonable notice (24 hours);
• use the dwelling unit as the household's principal place of residence and solely as a residence for the household;
• notify the Program Operator and property manager when there is a change in household composition;
• not sublease or sublet the unit;
• not own or have any interest in the unit;
• not commit any serious or repeated violation of the Lease; • not commit fraud, bribery or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with the HOME Rental Assistance Program;
• not engage in drug-related criminal activity or violent criminal activity; • notify the owner and the Program Operator no less than 30-days prior to when the household intends to move out of the unit or terminate the assistance; • notify the Program Operator of abuses such as side payments or other overcharges and Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (see ATTACHMENT I) violations in the unit; and
• provide the Program Operator with a copy of any owner eviction notice within three (3) business days;
5. Period of Rental Assistance
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Assistance under the HOME TBRA Program is not guaranteed. The assistance is currently anticipated to be available for a period of two (2) years.
Assistance may be terminated if:
• the household’s monthly cost of housing does not exceed 30% of the household’s adjusted income;
• at any re-examination, the Tenant's income is greater than the published income limit for the program;
• the Tenant is evicted from the assisted unit, for other good cause; • the Tenant provides false information or commits any fraud in connection with the TBRA program, or fails to cooperate with required re-examinations; or
• funding for the TBRA Rental Assistance Program is terminated or becomes otherwise unavailable.
The Program Operator will give the Tenant at least 30 days’ notice of termination of assistance.
6. Location of Rental Assistance
An applicant may choose to remain in their current unit, or may choose to rent an eligible unit within the service area identified in the Eligibility section on page 5.
7. Equal Housing Opportunity
If a Tenant has reason to believe that he/she has been discriminated against on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, national origin, or familial status, the Tenant may file a complaint with HUD. HUD has set up a "hot line" to answer questions and take complaints about Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The toll-free number is (800) 669-9777.
The City of Tulare
Print Name: Signature:
Date: Telephone:
ELIGIBLE TENANT:
Print Name: Signature:
Date: Telephone:
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ATTACHMENT F
HOUSING
AUTHORITY OF
THE COUNTY OF
TULARE
LEASE ADDENDUM
TENANT NAME LANDLORD NAME UNIT NO. & ADDRESS
This Lease Addendum (“Addendum”) adds the following paragraphs to the Lease between the Tenant and Landlord referred to above.
A. Purpose of the Addendum. The Tenant Lease for the above-referenced unit is being amended to include the provisions of this Addendum because the Tenant has been approved to receive rental assistance under the City of Tulare’s HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program operated by the Program Operator.
Under the HOME Rental Assistance Program, the City of Tulare will make monthly payments to the Landlord on behalf of the Tenant pursuant to the HOME TBRA Contract (Attachment H).
B. Conflict with Other Provisions of the Lease. In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Addendum and other sections of the Lease, the provisions of this Addendum shall prevail.
C. Terms of the Lease. The tenant lease shall continue until: (1) the Lease is terminated by the Landlord in accordance with applicable state and local Tenant/Landlord laws; or (2) the Lease is terminated by the Tenant in accordance with the Lease or by mutual agreement during the term of the Lease.
D. Rental Assistance Payment. Each month the City of Tulare will make a rental assistance payment to the Landlord on behalf of the Tenant. This payment shall be credited by the Landlord toward the monthly rent payable by the Tenant. The balance of the monthly rent shall be paid by the Tenant.
E. Utilities and Appliances. The utilities and appliances listed in Column 1 are provided by the Landlord and included in the rent. The utilities and appliances listed in Column 2 below are not included in the rent and are paid separately by the Tenant.
UTILITY/APPLIANCE Included in Rent Tenant-Paid
Garbage Collection
Water/Sewer
Heating Fuel (specify)
Lights, electric
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Cooking Fuel (specify)
Other (specify)
Refrigerator
Stove/Range
F. Household Members. Household members authorized to live in this unit are listed below. The Tenant may not permit other persons to join the Household without notifying the City of Tulare and obtaining the Landlord's permission.
Household members:
•
•
•
•
•
G. Housing Quality Standards. The Landlord shall maintain the dwelling unit, common areas, equipment, facilities and appliances in decent, safe, and sanitary condition (as determined by Section 8 Housing Quality Standards).
H. Termination of Tenancy. The Landlord may evict the Tenant following applicable state and local laws. The landlord must provide the Tenant with at least 30 days' written notice of the termination. The Landlord must notify the City of Tulare in writing when eviction proceedings have begun. This may be done by providing the City of Tulare with a copy of the required notice to the Tenant.
I. Prohibited Lease Provision. Any provision of the Lease which falls within the classifications below shall not apply and not be enforced by the Landlord. (1) Confession of Judgment. Consent by the Tenant to be sued, to admit guilt, or to a judgment in favor of the Landlord in a lawsuit brought in connection with the Lease.
(2) Treatment of Property. Agreement by the Tenant that the Landlord may take or hold the Tenant's property, or may sell such property without notice to the Tenant and a court decision on the rights of the parties. (3) Excusing the Landlord from Responsibility. Agreement by the Tenant not to hold the Landlord or Landlord's agent legally responsible for any action or failure to act, whether intentional or negligent.
(4) Waiver of Legal Notice. Agreement by the Tenant that the Landlord may institute a lawsuit without notice to the Tenant.
(5) Waiver of Court Proceedings for Eviction. Agreement by the Tenant that the Landlord may evict the Tenant Household (i) without instituting a civil court proceedings in which the Household has the opportunity to present a defense, or (ii) before a decision by the court on the rights of the parties. (6) Waiver of Jury Trial. Authorization to the Landlord to waive the Tenant's right to a trial by jury.
(7) Waiver of Right to Appeal Court Decision. Authorization to the Landlord to waive the Tenant's right to appeal a court decision or waive the Tenant's right to sue to prevent a judgment from being put into effect.
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(8) Tenant Chargeable with Cost of Legal Actions Regardless of Outcome of the Lawsuit. Agreement by the Tenant to pay lawyer's fees or other legal costs whenever the Landlord decides to sue, whether or not the Tenant wins.
J. Nondiscrimination. The Landlord shall not discriminate against the Tenant in the provision of services, or in any other manner, on the grounds of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity disability, national origin, or familial status.
TENANT SIGNATURES LANDLORD SIGNATURES
By:
(Type or Print Name of Tenant Representative)
LANDLORD NAME:
(Type or Print Name)
(Signature/Date) (Signature/Date)
By:
(Type or Print Name of Tenant Representative)
By:
(Type or Print Name of Landlord Representative)
(Signature/Date) (Signature/Date)
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ATTACHMENT G
HOUSING
AUTHORITY OF
THE COUNTY OF
TULARE
ADDITIONAL LEASE ADDENDUM
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 TENANT NAME LANDLORD NAME UNIT NO. & ADDRESS
This lease addendum adds the following paragraphs to the Lease between the above-referenced Tenant and Landlord.
Purpose of the Addendum
The lease for the above referenced unit is being amended to include the provisions of the Violence Against Women and Justice Department Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA).
Conflicts with Other Provisions of the Lease
In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Addendum and other sections of the Lease, the provisions of this Addendum shall prevail.
Term of the Lease Addendum
The effective date of this Lease Addendum is ______________. This Lease Addendum shall continue to be in effect until the Lease is terminated.
VAWA Protections
1. The Landlord may not consider incidents of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking as serious or repeated violations of the lease or other “good cause” for termination of assistance, tenancy or occupancy rights of the victim of abuse.
2. The Landlord may not consider criminal activity directly relating to abuse, engaged in by a member of a tenant’s household or any guest or other person under the tenant’s control, cause for termination of assistance, tenancy, or occupancy rights if the tenant or an immediate member of the tenant’s household is the victim or threatened victim of that abuse.
3. The Landlord may request in writing that the victim, or a household member on the victim’s behalf, certify that the individual is a victim of abuse and that the Certification of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence or Stalking, Form HUD-91066, or other documentation as noted on the certification form, be completed and submitted within 14 business days, or an agreed upon extension date, to receive protection under the VAWA. Failure to provide the certification or other supporting documentation within the specified timeframe may result in eviction. _________________________________________ __________________ Tenant Date
_________________________________________ __________________ Landlord Date
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ATTACHMENT H
HOUSING
AUTHORITY OF
THE COUNTY OF
TULARE
HOME TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (TBRA)
CONTRACT
LANDLORD NAME & ADDRESS
________________________
________________________
Telephone No. (___)___-____
UNIT NO. & ADDRESS
___________________
___________________
___________________
TENANT NAME(S)
___________________
___________________
___________________
This HOME TBRA Contract ("Contract") is entered into between the City of Tulare and the Landlord identified above. This Contract applies only to the Tenant household and the dwelling unit identified above.
1. TERM OF THE CONTRACT
The term of this Contract shall begin on1_______ and end no later than _____ . 2 The Contract
automatically terminates on the last day of the term of the Lease.
2. RENT AND AMOUNTS PAYABLE BY TENANT AND THE City of Tulare A. Initial Rent. The initial total monthly rent payable to the Landlord for the 12 months of this Contract is $______________.
B. Rent Adjustments. With no less than 60 days’ notice to the Tenant and the City of Tulare, the owner may propose a reasonable adjustment to be effective no earlier than 60 days from the date of notice. The proposed rent may be rejected by either the Tenant or the City of Tulare.
The Tenant may reject the proposed rent by providing the Landlord with 30 days' written notice of intent to vacate. If the City of Tulare rejects the proposed rent, the City of Tulare must give both the Tenant and the Landlord 30 days' notice of intent to terminate the HOME TBRA Contract.
C. Tenant Share of the Rent. Initially, and until such time as both the Landlord and the Tenant are notified by the City of Tulare, the Tenant's share of the rent shall be $_______________.
D. The City of Tulare’s Share of the Rent. Initially, and until such time as both the Landlord and Tenant are notified by the City of Tulare, the City of Tulare’s share of the rent shall be $_________. Neither the City of Tulare nor HUD assumes any obligation for the Tenant's rent, or for payment of any claim by the Landlord against the Tenant. The City of Tulare’s 1 Insert the date assistance starts.
2 The maximum allowable length of a HOME TBRA contract is twenty-four (24) months.
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obligation is limited to making rental payments on behalf of the Tenant in accordance with this Contract.
E. Payment Conditions. The right of the owner to receive payments under this Contract shall be subject to compliance with all of the provisions of the Contract. The Landlord shall be paid under this Contract on or about the first day of the month for which the payment is due. The Landlord agrees that the endorsement on the check shall be conclusive evidence that the Landlord received the full amount due for the month, and shall be a certification that:
1. the Contract unit is in decent, safe and sanitary condition, and that the Landlord is providing the services, maintenance and utilities agreed to in the Lease.
2. the Contract unit is leased to and occupied by the Tenant named above in this Contract.
3. the Landlord has not received and will not receive any payments as rent for the Contract unit other than those identified in this Contract.
4. to the best of the Landlord's knowledge, the unit is used solely as the Tenant's principal place of residence.
F. Overpayments. If the City of Tulare determines that the Landlord is not entitled to any payments received, in addition to other remedies, the City of Tulare may deduct the amount of the overpayment from any amounts due the Landlord, including the amounts due under any other HOME TBRA Contract.
3. Rental Security Deposits
B. The TBRA Program may approve the payment of a rental security deposit to the landlord for new rentals where the program recipient has less than six months of gross income in their checking/savings accounts, and where the lease between the landlord and tenant is for at least six months. The amount of the security deposit may not exceed the equivalent of two month’s rent for the unit. Rental security and utility deposits, if any, are grants and not loans, and shall therefore be returned to the tenant at the end of the rental agreement.
C. The City of Tulare shall pay a total of $ ________ toward Deposit Assistance to Landlord or to Utility Company: ________________________ (List who will be paid here).
4. HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS AND LANDLORD-PROVIDED SERVICES . A. The Landlord agrees to maintain and operate the Contract unit and related facilities to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing in accordance with 24 CFR Section 982.401, including all of the services, maintenance and utilities agreed to in the Lease.
B. The City of Tulare and HCD shall have the right to inspect the Contract unit and related facilities at least annually, and at such other times as may be necessary to assure that the unit is in decent, safe, and sanitary condition, and that required maintenance, services and utilities are provided.
C. If the City of Tulare determines that the Landlord is not meeting these obligations, the City of Tulare shall have the right, even if the Tenant continues in occupancy, to terminate payment of the City of Tulare’s share of the rent and/or terminate the Contract.
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5. TERMINATION OF TENANCY
The Landlord may evict the Tenant following applicable state and local laws. The Landlord must give the Tenant at least 30 days' written notice of the termination and notify the Program Operator in writing when eviction proceedings are begun. This may be done by providing the Program Operator with a copy of the required notice to the tenant.
6. FAIR HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
A. Nondiscrimination. The Landlord shall not, in the provision of services or in any other manner, discriminate against any person on the grounds of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, or familial status. The obligation of the Landlord to comply with Fair Housing Requirements insures to the benefit of the United States of America, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the City of Tulare, any of which shall be entitled to involve any of the remedies available by law to redress any breach or to compel compliance by the Landlord.
B. Cooperation in Quality Opportunity Compliance Reviews. The Landlord shall comply with the City of Tulare and with The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in conducting compliance reviews and complaint investigations pursuant to all applicable civil rights statutes, Executive Orders and all related rules and regulations.
7. CITY OF TULARE AND HCD/HUD ACCESS TO LANDLORD RECORDS A. The Landlord shall provide any information pertinent to this Contract which the City of Tulare, HCD or HUD may reasonably require.
B. The Landlord shall permit the City of Tulare, HCD or HUD, or any of their authorized representatives, to have access to the premises and, for the purposes of audit and examination, to have access to any books, documents, papers, and records of the Landlord to the extent necessary to determine compliance with this Contract.
8. RIGHTS OF THE CITY OF TULARE IF LANDLORD BREACHES THE CONTRACT A. Any of the following shall constitute a breach of the Contract:
(1) If the Landlord has violated any obligation under this Contract; or (2) If the Landlord has demonstrated any intention to violate any obligation under this Contract; or
(3) If the Landlord has committed any fraud or made any false statement in connection with the Contract, or has committed fraud or made any false statement in connection with any Federal housing assistance program.
B. The City of Tulare right and remedies under the Contract include recovery of overpayments, termination or reduction of payments, and termination of the Contract. If the City of Tulare determines that a breach has occurred, the City of Tulare may exercise any of its rights or remedies under the Contract. The City of Tulare shall notify the Landlord in writing of such determination, including a brief statement of the reasons for the determination. The notice by
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the City of Tulare to the landlord may require the Landlord to take corrective action by a time prescribed in the notice.
C. Any remedies employed by the City of Tulare in accordance with this Contract shall be effective as provided in a written notice by the City of Tulare to the Landlord. The City of Tulare exercise or non-exercise of any remedy shall not constitute a waiver of the right to exercise that or any other right or remedy at any time.
9. THE CITY OF TULARE’S RELATION TO THIRD PARTIES
A. The City of Tulare does not assume any responsibility for, or liability to, any person injured as a result of the Landlord's action or failure to act in connection with the implementation of this Contract, or as a result of any other action or failure to act by the Landlord.
B. The Landlord is not the agent of the City of Tulare and this Contract does not create or affect any relationship between the City of Tulare and any lender to the Landlord, or any suppliers, employees, contractors or subcontractors used by the Landlord in connection with this Contract.
C. Nothing in this Contract shall be construed as creating any right of the Tenant or a third party (other than HCD and HUD) to enforce any provision of this Contract or to assess any claim against HUD, HCD, the City of Tulare or the Landlord under this Contract.
10. CONFLICT OF INTEREST PROVISIONS
No employee of the City of Tulare, Name of Program Operator, or HCD who formulates policy or influences decisions with respect to the Rental Assistance Program, and no public official or member of a governing body or state of local legislator who exercise his functions or responsibilities with respect to the program shall have any direct or indirect interest during this person's tenure, or for one year thereafter, in this contract or in any proceeds or benefits arising from the Contract or to any benefits which may arise from it.
11. TRANSFER OF THE CONTRACT
The Landlord shall not transfer in any form this Contract without the prior written consent of the City of Tulare. The City of Tulare shall give its consent to a transfer if the transferee agrees in writing (in a form acceptable to the City of Tulare) to comply with all terms and conditions of this Contract.
12. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: INTERPRETATION
A. This Contract contains the entire agreement between the Landlord and the City of Tulare. No changes in this Contract shall be made except in writing signed by both the Landlord and the City of Tulare.
B. The Contract shall be interpreted and implemented in accordance with HUD requirements.
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13. WARRANTY OF LEGAL CAPACITY AND CONDITION OF UNIT
A. The Landlord warrants the unit is in decent, safe, and sanitary condition as defined in 24 CFR Section 982.401, and that the Landlord has the legal right to lease the dwelling unit covered by this Contract during the Contract term.
B. The party, if any, executing this Contract on behalf of the Landlord hereby warrants that authorization has been given by the Landlord to execute it on behalf of the Landlord.
Landlord Name (Type or Print): City of Tulare’s Representative (Type or Print):
(Signature/Date) (Signature/Date)
WARNING: 18 U.S.C. 1001 provides, among other things, that whoever knowingly and willingly makes or uses a document or writing containing any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or entries, in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.
LANDLORD'S CHECK TO BE ACH CREDIT SERVICE or MAILED TO:
SS NO. __________________________
NAME(S)_____________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________
SIGNATURE OF OWNER DATE
______________________________________________
SIGNATURE OF OWNER DATE
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ATTACHMENT I
24 CFR § 982.401 Housing Quality Standards (HQS)
(a) Performance and acceptability requirements.
(1)This section states the housing quality standards (HQS) for housing assisted in the programs.
(2)
(i) The HQS consist of:
(A) Performance requirements; and
(B) Acceptability criteria or HUD approved variations in the acceptability criteria. (ii) This section states performance and acceptability criteria for these key aspects of housing quality:
(A) Sanitary facilities;
(B) Food preparation and refuse disposal;
(C) Space and security;
(D) Thermal environment;
(E) Illumination and electricity;
(F) Structure and materials;
(G) Interior air quality;
(H) Water supply;
(I) Lead-based paint;
(J) Access;
(K) Site and neighborhood;
(L) Sanitary condition; and
(M) Smoke detectors.
(3) All program housing must meet the HQS performance requirements both at commencement of assisted occupancy, and throughout the assisted tenancy. (4)
(i) In addition to meeting HQS performance requirements, the housing must meet the acceptability criteria stated in this section, unless variations are approved by HUD. (ii) HUD may approve acceptability criteria variations for the following purposes:
(A) Variations which apply standards in local housing codes or other codes adopted by the PHA; or
(B) Variations because of local climatic or geographic conditions. (iii) Acceptability criteria variations may only be approved by HUD pursuant to paragraph (a)(4)(ii) of this section if such variations either:
(A) Meet or exceed the performance requirements; or
(B) Significantly expand affordable housing opportunities for families assisted under the program.
(iv) HUD will not approve any acceptability criteria variation if HUD believes that such variation is likely to adversely affect the health or safety of participant families, or severely restrict housing choice.
(b) Sanitary facilities—
(1) Performance requirements. The dwelling unit must include sanitary facilities located in the unit. The sanitary facilities must be in proper operating condition, and adequate for
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personal cleanliness and the disposal of human waste. The sanitary facilities must be usable in privacy.
(2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) The bathroom must be located in a separate private room and have a flush toilet in proper operating condition.
(ii) The dwelling unit must have a fixed basin in proper operating condition, with a sink trap and hot and cold running water.
(iii) The dwelling unit must have a shower or a tub in proper operating condition with hot and cold running water.
(iv) The facilities must utilize an approvable public or private disposal system (including a locally approvable septic system).
(c) Food preparation and refuse disposal—
(1) Performance requirement.
(i) The dwelling unit must have suitable space and equipment to store, prepare, and serve foods in a sanitary manner.
(ii) There must be adequate facilities and services for the sanitary disposal of food wastes and refuse, including facilities for temporary storage where necessary (e.g, garbage cans). (2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) The dwelling unit must have an oven, and a stove or range, and a refrigerator of appropriate size for the family. All of the equipment must be in proper operating condition. The equipment may be supplied by either the owner or the family. A microwave oven may be substituted for a tenant-supplied oven and stove or range. A microwave oven may be substituted for an ownersupplied oven and stove or range if the tenant agrees and microwave ovens are furnished instead of an oven and stove or range to both subsidized and unsubsidized tenants in the building or premises.
(ii) The dwelling unit must have a kitchen sink in proper operating condition, with a sink trap and hot and cold running water. The sink must drain into an approvable public or private system.
(iii) The dwelling unit must have space for the storage, preparation, and serving of food. (iv) There must be facilities and services for the sanitary disposal of food waste and refuse, including temporary storage facilities where necessary (e.g., garbage cans). (d) Space and security—
(1) Performance requirement. The dwelling unit must provide adequate space and security for the family.
(2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) At a minimum, the dwelling unit must have a living room, a kitchen area, and a bathroom. (ii) The dwelling unit must have at least one bedroom or living/sleeping room for each two persons. Children of opposite sex, other than very young children, may not be required to occupy the same bedroom or living/sleeping room.
(iii) Dwelling unit windows that are accessible from the outside, such as basement, first floor, and fire escape windows, must be lockable (such as window units with sash pins or sash locks, and combination windows with latches). Windows that are nailed shut are acceptable only if these windows are not needed for ventilation or as an alternate exit in case of fire. (iv) The exterior doors of the dwelling unit must be lockable. Exterior doors are doors by which someone can enter or exit the dwelling unit.
(e) Thermal environment—
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(1) Performance requirement. The dwelling unit must have and be capable of maintaining a thermal environment healthy for the human body.
(2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) There must be a safe system for heating the dwelling unit (and a safe cooling system, where present). The system must be in proper operating condition. The system must be able to provide adequate heat (and cooling, if applicable), either directly or indirectly, to each room, in order to assure a healthy living environment appropriate to the climate. (ii) The dwelling unit must not contain unvented room heaters that burn gas, oil, or kerosene.
Electric heaters are acceptable.
(f) Illumination and electricity—
(1) Performance requirement. Each room must have adequate natural or artificial illumination to permit normal indoor activities and to support the health and safety of occupants. The dwelling unit must have sufficient electrical sources so occupants can use essential electrical appliances. The electrical fixtures and wiring must ensure safety from fire. (2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) There must be at least one window in the living room and in each sleeping room. (ii) The kitchen area and the bathroom must have a permanent ceiling or wall light fixture in proper operating condition. The kitchen area must also have at least one electrical outlet in proper operating condition.
(iii) The living room and each bedroom must have at least two electrical outlets in proper operating condition. Permanent overhead or wall-mounted light fixtures may count as one of the required electrical outlets.
(g) Structure and materials—
(1) Performance requirement. The dwelling unit must be structurally sound. The structure must not present any threat to the health and safety of the occupants and must protect the occupants from the environment.
(2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) Ceilings, walls, and floors must not have any serious defects such as severe bulging or leaning, large holes, loose surface materials, severe buckling, missing parts, or other serious damage.
(ii) The roof must be structurally sound and weathertight. (iii) The exterior wall structure and surface must not have any serious defects such as serious leaning, buckling, sagging, large holes, or defects that may result in air infiltration or vermin infestation.
(iv) The condition and equipment of interior and exterior stairs, halls, porches, walkways, etc., must not present a danger of tripping and falling. For example, broken or missing steps or loose boards are unacceptable.
(v) Elevators must be working and safe.
(h) Interior air quality—
(1) Performance requirement. The dwelling unit must be free of pollutants in the air at levels that threaten the health of the occupants.
(2) Acceptability criteria.
(i) The dwelling unit must be free from dangerous levels of air pollution from carbon monoxide, sewer gas, fuel gas, dust, and other harmful pollutants. (ii) There must be adequate air circulation in the dwelling unit. (iii) Bathroom areas must have one openable window or other adequate exhaust ventilation.
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(iv) Any room used for sleeping must have at least one window. If the window is designed to be openable, the window must work.
(i) Water supply—
(1) Performance requirement. The water supply must be free from contamination. (2) Acceptability criteria. The dwelling unit must be served by an approvable public or private water supply that is sanitary and free from contamination. (j) Lead-based paint performance requirement. The Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 .S.C. 4821-4846), the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 4851-4856), and implementing regulations at part 35, subparts A, B, M, and R of this title apply to units assisted under this part.
(k) Access performance requirement. The dwelling unit must be able to be used and maintained without unauthorized use of other private properties. The building must provide an alternate means of exit in case of fire (such as fire stairs or egress through windows). (l) Site and Neighborhood—
(1) Performance requirement. The site and neighborhood must be reasonably free from disturbing noises and reverberations and other dangers to the health, safety, and general welfare of the occupants.
(2) Acceptability criteria. The site and neighborhood may not be subject to serious adverse environmental conditions, natural or manmade, such as dangerous walks or steps; instability; flooding, poor drainage, septic tank back-ups or sewage hazards; mudslides; abnormal air pollution, smoke or dust; excessive noise, vibration or vehicular traffic; excessive accumulations of trash; vermin or rodent infestation; or fire hazards. (m) Sanitary condition—
(1) Performance requirement. The dwelling unit and its equipment must be in sanitary condition.
(2) Acceptability criteria. The dwelling unit and its equipment must be free of vermin and rodent infestation.
(n) Smoke detectors performance requirement—
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (n)(2) of this section, each dwelling unit must have at least one battery-operated or hard-wired smoke detector, in proper operating condition, on each level of the dwelling unit, including basements but excepting crawl spaces and unfinished attics. Smoke detectors must be installed in accordance with and meet the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association Standard (NFPA) 74 (or its successor standards). If the dwelling unit is occupied by any hearing-impaired person, - smoke detectors must have an alarm system, designed for hearing-impaired persons as specified in NFPA 74 (or successor standards).
(2) For units assisted prior to April 24, 1993, owners who installed battery-operated or hardwired smoke detectors prior to April 24, 1993 in compliance with HUD's smoke detector requirements, including the regulations published on July 30, 1992, (57 FR 33846), will not be required subsequently to comply with any additional requirements mandated by NFPA 74 (i.e., the owner would not be required to install a smoke detector in a basement not used for living purposes, nor would the owner be required to change the location of the smoke detectors that have already been installed on the other floors of the unit).
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ATTACHMENT J
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS (HQS) INSPECTION FORMS
The TBRA Program will use the following HQS Inspection Form, which may be printed and attached below:
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=52580.pdf
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ATTACHMENT K
HOUSING
AUTHORITY OF THE
COUNTY OF TULARE
HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program
Tenant Selection Plan
The Tenant Selection Plan and Outreach Strategy is part of the City of Tulare’s HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program administered by Housing Authority of Tulare County.
TBRA Policies Affecting Marketing and Tenant Selection
Target Population
HOME TBRA will be targeted to individuals and their household members with income at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) at the time the TBRA rental assistance is provided to the participant.
Program Eligibility Requirements
This program is designed for households whose monthly rent and utility costs exceed 30% of their adjusted household income. Prior to occupancy, an applicant must qualify under all HOME eligibility criteria.
Income Limits are established by HUD and adjusted annually The household’s annual income may not exceed the applicable HOME income limit for the household size. Current income limits can be viewed at http://www.hcd.ca.gov/grantsfunding/income-limits/state-and-federal-income-limits.shtml. To be eligible for TBRA rental assistance, the applicant’s household gross annual income must be at or below 80% of the area median household income (AMI) adjusted for household size. However, at least 90% of households served under this Program must be at or below 60% AMI.
Preferences
Preferences affect only the order of applicants on the wait list. They do not make anyone eligible who was not otherwise eligible, and they do not change the Name of State Recipient’s screening criteria. Preference shall be given to applicants who live or work within the City of Tulare.
Applying the Preferences
At the time of application, the applicant household certifies whether or not it is eligible for a preference. All information supplied in support of the applicant’s eligibility for a preference must be verified. This information will be verified at the time of application.
Wait List
For placement on the City of Tulare’s wait list, applicants must complete an application and relevant consent forms. Placement on the wait list does not constitute acceptance. Further eligibility acceptance and screening is required prior to approval of assistance. Applicants will be placed on the wait list in chronological order by the date the complete application is received.
The City of Tulare will maintain one wait list. All applications will be date and time stamped when they are received.
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Applicants under the age of 18 will be processed only if they are emancipated in accordance with State law or if State law requires housing be made available to minors.
If an applicant claims a preference, it will be noted on the wait list. The preference will be verified when the applicant is being processed for assistance. Applicants who apply and do not meet the preference criteria will be informed that they will be assisted on a first-come, firstserved basis after all preferences have been assisted.
Applicants claiming a preference which cannot be verified will be considered a non-preference applicant, and reflected as such on the wait list.
Announcement and Marketing
Public announcement will be made per the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan.
Application Process
Application packets can be obtained from the Housing Authority of Tulare County. Application packets can be mailed or emailed to anyone interested in receiving one. Detailed instructions will be included with the application packet on how to deliver the completed application.
Applications will be accepted by mail to the Housing Authority of Tulare County, the City of Tulare, or in person from the office where they were obtained. Funding will be available on or after Meetings with applicants will take place at a pre-arranged location convenient to the applicant.
Rejecting Ineligible or Unqualified Applicants
Each rejected applicant will be promptly notified in writing of the reason(s) for rejection. This notice will advise the applicant that he/she may within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of the notice, request in writing a meeting by telephone to discuss the reasons for rejection.
Should the applicant request a meeting to discuss the rejection, it will be conducted by the City of Tulare.
The applicant will be advised in writing of the results of this meeting within five (5) business days.
Process for Opening and Closing the Wait List
Opening the Wait List:
A classified ad will be placed in the local newspaper. Advertisements will include how, where and when to apply and will conform to the advertising and outreach activities described in the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan.
Closing the Wait List:
The wait list will be closed when the available Program funds have been fully committed. At that time, the City of Tulare will no longer accept additional applications.
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City of Tulare HOME TBRA Program Guidelines Page 52
Occupancy Standards
Occupancy standards are based on the following:
Rental-Assisted Unit Number of Persons
Bedroom Size Minimum Maximum
One Bedroom 1 2
Two Bedroom 2 4
Three Bedroom 3 6
Four Bedroom 4 8
In addition, household composition is taken into account and unit size is also based on the following:
a) Will count all full-time members of the household;
b) Will count all persons under the age of 18 anticipated to reside in a unit (Examples include children expected to be born to pregnant women, children who are in the process of being adopted by an adult, children whose custody is being obtained by an adult, children who are subject to a joint custody agreement but who live in the apartment at least 50% of the time, foster children who will reside in the apartment, children who are temporarily absent due to placement in a foster home);
c) Will count live-in attendants; and
d) Will count children who are away at school, but live with the household during school recesses.
Participant Relocation
A recipient household may move to a new unit during the lease term only:
• When a mutual agreement between the City of Tulare and the recipient has been signed; or • For good cause (the recipient must provide documentation such as police reports, court orders, etc.); and
• Within the Program service area as described on the cover page of these Program Guidelines In either case, the recipient must provide proper notice (30-day written notice) to the City of Tulare and the Property Manager prior to initiating a move.
Unit Inspections
Unit(s) will be inspected within 30 days prior to the first assistance payment, and then annually by the Program Operator. However, HCD is authorized to inspect the unit(s) at any time. Residents will be notified in writing 48 hours in advance of unit inspections.
Annual inspections are performed by the Program Operator to determine whether the unit continues to meet minimum HQS standards and to ensure the units are safe, clean and free of damages.
Annual Recertification
Recertification is the process by which all information, income, assets and certain expenses regarding the applicant(s) eligibility for TBRA assistance is reviewed and the amount of that assistance is re-computed.
The City of Tulare shall provide reminder notices to residents informing them of their responsibility to provide information about changes in household income or composition that are necessary to properly complete an annual recertification. The notification shall be in writing and shall include a list of information that residents are required to bring with them to their recertification interview. This list shall include documentation needed to support the recipients’ household income as well as documentation to support any deductions they may be eligible to receive.
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City of Tulare HOME TBRA Program Guidelines Page 53
All recipient households are subject to annual recertification. The City of Tulare shall annually recertify all tenants that receive TBRA assistance. This is not an option but a requirement to receive assistance.
The annual recertification process begins 120 days prior to the recipient household’s effective assistance/move-in date. Recipients will interview with the City of Tulare or its designee to determine continued eligibility on the project. Information reported in the interview will be verified by sending out third-party verification forms. The recertification process is a time-sensitive process. Timely completion includes the issuance of the required 30-day notice of a rent change.
The annual recertification must be completed by the 10th day of the eleventh month following the recipients’ last annual recertification or assistance/move-in certification.
Interim Recertification
To ensure that recipients pay rents commensurate with their ability to pay, recipients must supply information requested by the City of Tulare for use in an interim recertification of household income and composition in accordance with HOME TBRA requirements.
1. Recipients must notify management when:
a. A household member moves out of the unit;
b. The household proposes to move a new member into the unit; c. The household’s income cumulatively increases by ten percent (10%) or more per month. d. An adult member of the household who becomes unemployed or employed.
2. Recipients may request an interim recertification if circumstances occur since the last recertification that may affect their TBRA assistance payment. Changes a recipient may report include the following:
a. Decreases in income including, but not limited to, loss of employment, reduction in number of hours worked by an employed household member, and loss or reduction of welfare income; b. Increases in allowances including, but not limited to, increased medical expenses, and higher child care costs; and
c. Other changes affecting the calculation of a household’s annual or adjusted income including, but not limited to, a household member turning 62 years old, becoming a full-time student, or becoming a person with a disability.
If the City of Tulare learns that a recipient household has failed to report a change in income or household composition, the following steps will be taken:
a. Refer the recipient to the lease and/or TBRA Eligibility Agreement clauses that require the interim recertification;
b. Give the recipient ten (10) calendar days to respond to the notice; and c. Inform the recipient that his or her assistance may change.
Once the recipient household responds to the notice and supplies the required information, or if a recipient household reports a change and initiates an interim recertification, the City of Tulare will process the recertification and will implement changes as follows:
a. TBRA Assistance Increases (tenant share decreases): the City of Tulare will implement any resulting TBRA assistance increase effective the first of the month following the date that the change/action occurred.
b. TBRA Assistance Decreases (tenant share increases): Any resulting TBRA assistance decrease will be implemented effective the first day of the month following a 30-day notice.
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City of Tulare HOME TBRA Program Guidelines Page 54
If the recipient household fails to respond within ten (10) calendar days, the City of Tulare may terminate assistance with a written 30-day notice.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Domestic Violence includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction.
Dating Violence means violence committed by a person:
A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and
B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors:
(i) the length of the relationship;
(ii) the type of relationship; and
(iii) the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
Stalking means:
A) (i) to follow, pursue, or repeatedly commit acts with the intent to kill, injure, harass or intimidate; or (ii) to place under surveillance with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate another person; and B) in the course of, or as a result of, such following, pursuit, surveillance or repeatedly committed acts to a place a person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to, or to cause substantial emotional harm to (i) that person; (ii) a member of the immediate family of that person; or (iii) the spouse or intimate partner of that person.
Immediate Family Member means, with respect to a person:
A) a spouse, parent, brother or sister, or child of the person, or an individual to whom that person stands in loco parentis (in place of a parent); or
B) any other person living in the household of that person and related to that person by blood or marriage.
The VAWA protections apply to families applying for or receiving rental assistance payments under the HOME TBRA Program. An applicant cannot be denied admission because he/she has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. Domestic violence, dating violence or stalking is not good cause for the eviction of the victim of that violence. An incident of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking does not qualify as a serious or repeated violation of the lease nor does it constitute good cause for terminating the assistance, tenancy or occupancy rights of the victim. Furthermore, criminal activity directly relating to domestic violence, dating violence or stalking is not grounds for terminating the victim’s tenancy. The Lease Addendum must contain language that makes it clear that domestic violence, dating violence or stalking is not good cause for evicting the victim of that violence. Applicants who are or have been victims of domestic violence or stalking or encouraged to complete the HUD approved Certification of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence or Stalking (Form HUD-91066). The Program Operator will allow the landlord to bifurcate or divide the lease as a matter of law so that certain offending tenants can be evicted or removed while the remaining household member’s lease and occupancy rights are allowed to remain intact.
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City of Tulare HOME TBRA Program Guidelines Page 55
Eligibility Agreement
The City of Tulare will issue an Eligibility Agreement to the recipient which will allow the recipient to remain in their unit and/or locate an acceptable unit, when a recipient’s current unit is not eligible, based on its condition or lack of rent reasonableness.
Special Accommodations and Compliance with Section 504 Requirements The City of Tulare is committed to providing all persons with equal access to its services, activities, education, and employment regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, gender identity, religion, disability, or age of any member of an applicant household. For a reasonable accommodation, please contact the City of Tulare.
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Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: Engineering Services - Project Management
Submitted by: Michael Miller, City Engineer
Agenda Title: SB 1 Transportation Improvement Projects for Fiscal Year 2027
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt a resolution identifying the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funds available through Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) that have been programmed into the City of Tulare's Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2027, and a list of proposed projects that will utilize those funds.
SUMMARY
Senate Bill No. 1 (SB 1) was approved by the Governor on April 28, 2017 and filed with the Secretary of State on April 28, 2017. This bill created the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state's highway and local street and road systems. Funds generated through this legislation include the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) in the State Transportation Fund.
To participate in the SB 1 funding process, the City is required to follow guidelines established by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The CTC formally adopted the SB1 Local Streets and Roads Annual Reporting Guidelines on August 16, 2017. These guidelines include procedures that require cities and counties to annually submit a list of proposed projects that would utilize RMRA funding, and to report on actual expenditures at the end of each fiscal year. Compliance with these procedures is crucial to establish and maintain eligibility for receiving RMRA funds. Current CTC reporting guidelines require that the list of proposed projects be adopted by resolution and submitted annually, no later than July 1 of the fiscal year.
While approval of the proposed project list is required to secure the City's allocation of RMRA funding, it's important to note that this approval does not restrict the City from modifying the list in the future. This flexibility allows local agencies to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and ensure the most effective use of the funds. RMRA is programmed in the City’s approved 5-Year Capital Improvement Program Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, with the following CIP Projects being identified as potentially using RMRA funds:
• EN0102 – South K Street Improvements
• EN0098 – Dayton/Tulare Street Improvements
• EN0088 – Prosperity and West Traffic Signal
Actual RMRA expenditures will be tracked and reported in accordance with SB 1 reporting guidelines, maintaining transparency and accountability.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
Fund 122 – Gas Tax (RMRA) funds are anticipated to be utilized for the following Project Account Strings:
• EN0098-070-0601 Construction/Labor & Materials Costs
• EN0102-070-0601 Construction/Labor & Materials Costs
• EN0088-070-0601 Construction/Labor & Materials Costs
Item #: 8.15
Consent
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ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
City CIP projects utilizing RMRA funding will be subject to environmental review and approval requirements prior to their construction.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Determinations regarding conflict of interest will be made at time of future contract award for the associated projects.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes – It should be possible to accommodate minor revisions to the project list or wording of the resolution.
2. Deny – The City would not be eligible to receive its available allocation of RMRA funding.
3. Table – The City would not be able to meet the required submittal deadlines to be eligible to receive its available allocation of RMRA funding.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. Newly proposed projects
3. Previously proposed and adopted projects
Reviewed/Approved:
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RESOLUTION 2026-XXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TULARE
ADOPTING A LIST OF PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 FUNDED BY SB 1: THE ROAD REPAIR AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017) was passed by the Legislature and Signed into law by the Governor in April 2017 in order to address the significant multi-modal transportation funding shortfalls statewide; and WHEREAS, SB 1 includes accountability and transparency provisions that will ensure the residents of our City of Tulare are aware of the projects proposed for funding in our community and which projects have been completed each fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, the City of Tulare must include a list of all projects proposed to receive funding from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA), created by SB 1, in the City of Tulare budget, which must include a description and the location of each proposed project, a proposed schedule for the project’s completion, and the estimated useful life of the improvement; and WHEREAS, the City of Tulare, will receive an estimated $2,048,329 in RMRA funding in Fiscal Year 2026-27 from SB 1; and
WHEREAS, this is the fifth year in which the City of Tulare is receiving SB 1 funding and will enable the City of Tulare to continue essential road maintenance and rehabilitation projects, safety improvements, repairing and replacing aging bridges, and increasing access and mobility options for the traveling public that would not have otherwise been possible without SB 1; and WHEREAS, the City of Tulare has undergone a robust public process to ensure public input into our community’s transportation priorities/the project list; and WHEREAS, the City of Tulare used a Pavement Management System to develop the SB 1 project list to ensure revenues are being used on the most high-priority and cost-effective projects that also meet the community’s priorities for transportation investment; and WHEREAS, the funding from SB 1 will help the City of Tulare maintain and rehabilitate streets and transportation infrastructure throughout the City of Tulare this year and similar projects into the future; and
WHEREAS, the 2021 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment found that the City of Tulare’s streets and roads are in an “at-risk” condition and this revenue will help us increase the overall quality of our road system and over the next decade will bring our streets and roads into a “good” condition; and
WHEREAS, the SB 1 project list and overall investment in our local streets and roads infrastructure with a focus on basic maintenance and safety, investing in complete streets infrastructure, and using cutting-edge technology, materials and practices, will have significant positive co-benefits statewide.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Tulare, as follows:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct.
Section 2. The attached list of newly proposed projects (Exhibit A) will be funded in part or solely with Fiscal Year 2027 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account revenues.
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Resolution 2026-XXX
Section 3. The attached list of previously proposed and adopted projects (Exhibit B) may also utilize Fiscal Year 2027 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account revenues in their delivery. With the relisting of these projects in the adopted fiscal year resolution, the City of Tulare is reaffirming to the public and the State our intent to fund these projects with Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account revenues.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Tulare this 5th day of May 2026, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Patrick Isherwood, President of the Council
and Ex-Officio Mayor
ATTEST:
Marc Mondell, City Clerk
By Melissa Wilcox, Chief Deputy City Clerk
The presence of an electronic signature certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy as approved by the Tulare City Council.
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EXHIBIT A
Newly Proposed Projects
Project Title: Prosperity and West Traffic Signal Improvements Description: Installation of a new traffic signal due to increased traffic volume at the intersection of Prosperity Avenue and West Street. Includes the acquisition of the necessary right of way to achieve the ultimate alignment of the intersection. The project also addressed ADA concrete work.
Project Location: Prosperity Avenue, between Lampe Street and N Sacramento St., and N West St, between Martinho Avenue and W Gail Avenue Estimated Project Schedule: Start (05/26) – Completion (12/26) Estimated Useful Project Life: 25 years
Project Title: South K Street Improvements
Description: Pavement Management System to reconstruct South "K" Street between Olson Ave. and Paige Ave. Includes ADA Concrete work.
Project Location: South "K" Street between Olson Ave. and Paige Ave.
Estimated Project Schedule: Start (01/26) – Completion (07/26) Estimated Useful Project Life: 25 years
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EXHIBIT B
Previously Proposed and Adopted Projects
Project Title: Cross Avenue Improvements
Description: Pavement Management System project to design and reconstruct Cross Avenue between West Tulare Avenue and West Street. This includes ADA-compliant concrete work, improvements to ADAcompliant traffic signals, and enhancements to surface water infrastructure.
Project Location: Cross Avenue between West Tulare Avenue and West Street.
Estimated Project Schedule: Start (07/19) – Completion (06/26) Estimated Useful Project Life: 25 years
Project Title: Academy and Apricot Improvements
Description: Utility project to design and reconstruct Apricot Avenue between O Street and Blackstone Street, as well as between San Joaquin Avenue and the Santa Fe Trail. This includes ADA concrete work and surface water facilities.
Project Location: Apricot Avenue between Gem Street and Blackstone Street; Academy Avenue between Gem Street and Blackstone Street; Pine Drive between Academy Avenue and Highland Street; La Mesa Drive between Academy Avenue and Blackstone Street; Gem Street between San Joaquin Avenue and Academy Avenue; Highland Street between San Joaquin Avenue and the Santa Fe Trail; and Olympic Court at Apricot Avenue.
Estimated Project Schedule: Start (07/21) – Completion (04/26) Estimated Useful Project Life: 25 years
Project Title: Various Streets Northeast of Tulare Avenue and Dayton Street Description: Pavement Management System / Utility project to design the reconstruction of various streets northeast of Tulare Avenue and Dayton Street. Includes ADA Concrete work and Surface Water facilities.
Project Location: Academy Avenue between Dayton Street and Laspina Street; Stanley Drive between Lane Street and Academy Avenue; La Mesa Avenue between Dayton Street and Spruce Street; Burton Avenue
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east of Lane Street; Miracle Court; Dayton Street between Tulare Avenue and La Mesa Avenue; Lane Street between Tulare Avenue and Burton Avenue; and Canby Street between Tulare Avenue and the Santa Fe Trail.
Estimated Project Schedule: Start (07/22) – Completion (06/27) Estimated Useful Project Life: 25 years
Project Title: Various Streets Northeast of Tulare Avenue and Canby Street Description: Pavement Management System / Utility project to design the reconstruction of various streets northeast of Tulare Avenue and Canby Street. Includes ADA Concrete work and Surface Water facilities.
Project Location: Tulare Avenue/Cheryl Lane Alley between Canby Street and Mt.
View Street; Cheryl Lane at Laspina Street; Academy Avenue between Laspina Street and Mt. View Street; Burton Avenue west of Laspina to east of Mt. View Street; Eastgate Avenue west of Laspina Street to Mt. View Street; Vineland Avenue between Laspina Street and Mt. View Street; and Fairwind Court at Vineland Avenue.
Estimated Project Schedule: Start (07/22) – Completion (06/28) Estimated Useful Project Life: 25 years
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Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: Engineering Services - Project Management
Submitted by: Michael Miller, City Engineer
Agenda Title: Grant of Easement Along the West Side of Oakmore Street south of Tulare Avenue
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a Grant of Easement and Certificate of Conveyance to Southern California Edison Company (SCE) for installation and maintenance of SCE utilities located within Landscaping Outlot D of Phase 2 of the Fulton Estates subdivision, subject only to minor conforming and clarifying changes acceptable to the City Attorney and City Manager.
SUMMARY
The Fulton Estates subdivision is located along the west side of Oakmore Street south of Tulare Avenue (State Route 137). As part of the subdivision improvements for Phase 2 of the Fulton Estates subdivision, the developer was required to underground existing overhead SCE electrical lines located along the subdivision’s Oakmore Street frontage. The undergrounding of electrical lines requires certain structures, such as enclosures, vaults, manholes, etc., to be placed at ground level. SCE is proposing to locate these structures and conduit within the Fulton Estate subdivision’s landscape lot along the west side of Oakmore Street. Landscape lots are deeded to the City as part of the Landscape Maintenance District established for the subdivision. Landscape lots that are not also designated as street right-of-way are not included in the City’s existing franchise agreements with SCE, and a separate easement is required for SCE to construct, maintain, and repair utilities located within these lots. The conveyance of easements to SCE is normal practice when development is required to underground existing SCE infrastructure, and portions of that infrastructure are located outside of the City street right-of-way.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. Fiscal impact would result from subsequent budget adoption.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
The submittal from SCE follows their standard format and has been accepted in prior SCE easement dedication requests made to the City.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes – Changes made to the easement would require a new submittal from the applicant and review by staff. Changes would be brought to a later Council meeting for acceptance of Grant of Easement and Certificate of Conveyance.
2. Deny – Denial of the easement request would not allow SCE to construct, maintain and repair utilities located in these lots, and in turn would not allow the Developer to complete the Oakmore Street Item #: 8.16
Consent
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frontage improvements that were required as a condition of approval for the Fulton Estates subdivision.
3. Table – Tabling the SCE easement request would delay SCE’s ability to proceed with the relocation and undergrounding of their utilities, and would impact the Developer’s ability to complete Oakmore Street frontage improvements in a timely manner.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Fulton Estates No. 2 final map
2. SCE Grant of Easement
3. Certificate of Conveyance
Reviewed/Approved:
8.16 Consent 2 of 11
SURVEYOR'S STATEMENT
RECORDER'S STATEMENT
OWNERS STATEMENT FULTON ESTATES 2
CITY ENGINEER'S STATEMENT
CITY SURVEYOR'S STATEMENT
PLANNING COMMISSION CERTIFICATE
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
’ ”
’ ”
’ ” ’ ”
’ ” ’ ”
’ ” ’ ”
’ ”
’ ” RIGHT TO FARM NOTICE
NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS
CITY CLERK'S CERTIFICATE
SOIL ENGINEERS REPORT
BOARD OF SUPERVISOR’S STATEMENT
’
VICINITY MAP N
PUBLIC WORKS CERTIFICATE
NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
8.16 Consent 3 of 11
SIERRA AVENUE ELBERTA STREET
RYAN
AVENUE
(STATE ROUTE 137) - AVENUE 232 OAKMORE STREET
N BASIS OF BEARINGS
FULTON ESTATES 2
LEGEND
BASIS OF BEARINGS:
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OUTLOT "A" OUTLOT "A" OUTLOT "A"
LOT 40
LOT 27 LOT 22 LOT 23
LOT 43
LOT 24
LOT 42
LOT 25
LOT 41
LOT 26
LOT 36
LOT 31
LOT 39
LOT 28
LOT 38
LOT 29
LOT 37
LOT 30
LOT 34
LOT 33
LOT 35
LOT 32
LOT 70
LOT 64
LOT 67
LOT 57 LOT 58 LOT 61 LOT 62 LOT 63
LOT 66
LOT 71
LOT 65 HOYT PLACE
SCOON PLACE ELBERTA STREETRANCH ACRE ROAD QUEBEC STREET (STATE ROUTE 137) - AVENUE 232
SUNSET
AVENUE OAKMORE STREET
LOT 74
LOT 54 LOT 55 LOT 56 LOT 59 LOT 60 REMAINDER OUTLOT "B" LOT 50
LOT 21
LOT 48 LOT 49
LOT 20 LOT 75
LOT 18 LOT 17 LOT 19
LOT 12 LOT 16 LOT 15 LOT 14 LOT 13 LOT 11 LOT 10 LOT 9 LOT 8 LOT 7 LOT 6 LOT 5 LOT 3
LOT 4
LOT 76
LOT 47
LOT 68
LOT 69
LOT 73
LOT 72
LOT 44 LOT 46 LOT 45
LOT 51 LOT 52 LOT 53
N
FULTON ESTATES 2
BASIS OF BEARINGS:
LEGEND
ONTARIO CIRCLE OTTAWA PLACE SOUTH RANCH
ACRE ROAD
8.16 Consent 5 of 11
SIERRA AVENUE QUEBEC STREET
RYAN AVENUE OAKMORE STREET
SUNSET
AVENUE
LOT 85
LOT 78
LOT 79
LOT 83
LOT 82
LOT 81
LOT 80 OUTLOT "B" OUTLOT "C" OUTLOT "D" LOT 75
LOT 2
LOT 7 LOT 6 LOT 5
LOT 84
LOT 3
LOT 4
LOT 76
LOT 1
LOT 77 LINE TABLE RADIAL TABLE CURVE TABLE CURVE TABLE FULTON ESTATES 2 BASIS OF BEARINGS:
LEGEND
N
LOT LOT LOT
WITNESS CORNER DETAIL FOR SIDE AND REAR CORNER LOT WITNESS CORNER DETAIL FOR FRONT LOT CORNER
LOT
LOT
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Office of the City Clerk
411 East Kern, Tulare, CA 93274
559.684.4200 | www.tulare.ca.gov
CERTIFICATE OF CONVEYANCE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY, that the interest in real property conveyed by the Grant of Easement dated ________________________, from the City of Tulare, a Municipal Corporation of the State of California to Southern California Edison Company was duly conveyed by the City Council of the City of Tulare on May 5, 2026, and by the same order of the City Council of the City of Tulare, the City Manager was authorized to execute this Certificate of Conveyance to be recorded with the Grant of Easement.
CITY OF TULARE
By:
Marc Mondell, City Manager/City Clerk
ATTEST:
Melissa Wilcox, Chief Deputy City Clerk
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Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: Engineering Services - Engineering
Submitted by: Michael Miller, City Engineer
Agenda Title: Release of Recorded Agreements for Tesori and Bella Oaks Subdivisions
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve the Release of Interest in Agreements between the City of Tulare and Del Lago Place, LLC, associated with the Tesori and Bella Oaks subdivisions, and authorize the City Manager to execute said release.
SUMMARY
In regard to the Tesori and Bella Oaks subdivisions, the City entered into a settlement agreement with Del Lago Place, LLC., Great Valley Builders, Inc., and Hidden Oak Insurance Company which addressed disputes related to the following recorded documents:
• Agreement and Undertaking for Installation and Construction of Subdivision Improvements recorded as Doc. No. 2010-0057035;
• Agreement and Undertaking for Installation and Construction of Required Subdivision Improvements recorded as Doc. No. 2013-0072845; and
• Amendment to Agreement and Undertaking for Installation and Construction of Required Subdivision Improvements recorded as Doc. No. 2014-0061828 (collectively “Recorded Agreements”).
The recorded agreements are associated with the “Resubdivision of Tesori” Final Subdivision Map recorded on December 11, 2013, in Volume 43 of Maps, at Page 37, Tulare County Records.
All payments required by the settlement agreement have occurred. However, the recorded subdivision improvement agreements affecting the associated properties were not subsequently released and show up on title reports for lots within the subdivisions even though they are of no further force or effect pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement. It is the intent of the City that the recorded subdivision improvement agreements no longer encumber the real property that is subject to the final map for the Resubdivision of Tesori, and the City wishes to certify that the recorded agreements be of no further force or effect to such real property.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action, as all payments due to the City of Tulare have been paid in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item was reviewed by legal Counsel and has been approved as to form.
Item #: 8.17
Consent
8.17 Consent 1 of 4
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes – Modifications to the Release of Interest in Agreements would require further legal review and delay the release from being executed.
2. Deny – Denying the release would result in the real properties the subject of the release to continue to be encumbered by recorded subdivision improvement agreements that are no longer in force or effect.
3. Table – Tabling the item would delay the release from being executed.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Release of Interest in Agreements
Reviewed/Approved:
8.17 Consent 2 of 4
RECORDING REQUESTED BY AND
WHEN RECORDED MAIL TO:
CITY OF TULARE
ATTN: CITY CLERK
411 EAST KERN AVENUE
TULARE, CA 93274
Pursuant to Gov. Code Section 6103,
No Recording Fee Required Space above this line for Recorder’s Use Only
CITY OF TULARE
RELEASE OF INTEREST IN AGREEMENTS
WHEREAS, the CITY OF TULARE (“City”) on the one hand, DEL LAGO PLACE, LLC (“DLP”), GREAT VALLEY BUILDERS, INC. (“GVB”), and HIDDEN OAK INSURANCE COMPANY (“IFIC”), on the other hand, executed that Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release (“Settlement Agreement”), which is incorporated herein by reference, regarding subdivisions known as Tesori and Bella Oaks; and
WHEREAS, the Settlement Agreement addresses disputes involving the following recorded documents:
Agreement and Undertaking for Installation and Construction of Subdivision Improvements recorded as Doc. No. 2010-0057035;
Agreement and Undertaking for Installation and Construction of Required Subdivision Improvements recorded as Doc. No. 2013-0072845; and
Amendment to Agreement and Undertaking for Installation and Construction of Required Subdivision Improvements recorded as Doc. No. 2014-0061828 (collectively “Recorded Agreements”); and
WHEREAS, the Recorded Agreements were recorded in association with that Final Subdivision Map (“Final Map”) recorded on December 11, 2013, in Volume 43, of Maps, at Page 37, Tulare County Records, which is incorporated herein by reference; and WHEREAS, per Section 3(b) of the Settlement Agreement, “The City of Tulare and DLP agree that, upon the successful negotiation of payment by DLP as provided in Section 2(a), the Project Agreements are terminated and will be of no further force and effect”; and WHEREAS, the Settlement Agreement defines “Project Agreements” as multiple recorded and unrecorded agreements that include the Recorded Agreements; and
8.17 Consent 3 of 4
WHEREAS, successful negotiation of payment by DLP has occurred in accordance with Section 3(b) of the Settlement Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Recorded Agreements remain recorded against the real property subject to the Final Map even though they are of no further force or effect pursuant to Section 3(b) of the Settlement Agreement; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of City that the Recorded Agreements no longer encumber the real property that is subject to the Final Map.
NOW, THEREFORE, City does hereby release DLP and the real property subject to the Final Map from the Recorded Agreements and certifies that the Recorded Agreements shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such real property.
Dated:
CITY OF TULARE
Marc Mondell, City Manager
ATTEST
Marc Mondell, City Clerk
Melissa Wilcox
Chief Deputy City Clerk
8.17 Consent 4 of 4
Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: City Manager
Submitted by: Marc Mondell, City Manager
Agenda Title: Cesar Chavez Memorial Park Review Committee
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve establishment of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Park Review Committee; approve the proposed membership to include Vice Mayor Harrell, Councilmember Sigala, Parks and Recreation Commissioners Lupe Mendoz and Eric Farrenkopf, and Tulare City School District Board Members Melissa Janes and Willard Epps; approve the committee’s goals, public engagement process, and overall timeline as outlined in this report; and direct City staff to facilitate the committee’s meetings, public outreach, survey distribution, and final reporting to the City Council.
SUMMARY
Recent allegations associated with Cesar Chavez have prompted community members and partner agencies to inquire whether the name of Cesar Chavez Memorial Park should be reviewed or potentially changed. Historically, Cesar Chavez Memorial Park was renamed from Lincoln Park ponding basin in 1994 through a collaborative effort between the City and the Tulare City School District Board. Based on available records and discussions, it appears no formal written agreement exists regarding ownership or ongoing maintenance responsibilities. Preliminary review indicates that the District owns the property, while the City has provided maintenance services for several decades under an informal, longstanding working relationship.
Given the sensitivity of the issue and the need for broad public involvement, the City Council has expressed a desire to establish a joint committee to lead the community engagement process and develop a recommendation for City Council consideration.
To ensure a clear, transparent, and community‑driven approach, staff recommends creation of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Park Review Committee (“Committee”). The Committee will serve strictly as an advisory body and will focus on gathering public input, facilitating community dialogue, and jointly preparing a recommendation for the City Council and the Tulare City School District Board.
The proposed Committee membership includes two City Councilmembers, two Parks & Recreation Commission members, and two Board members from the Tulare City School District. District staff have indicated their support and provided suggested Board member appointees.
Committee Scope and Goals
The Committee will be tasked with the following:
1. Conduct a meaningful and inclusive community outreach process regarding the current name of Cesar Chavez Memorial Park and any alternative naming options.
2. Hold publicly noticed Committee meetings to solicit testimony and feedback.
3. Develop and distribute a community survey to gather broader public input.
4. Prepare a final written recommendation summarizing findings, community sentiment, and the Committee’s majority position regarding the park name.
Proposed Public Engagement Process
• Three to four public committee meetings held in accessible City facilities. • City‑managed community survey distributed online.
• Outreach through the City’s website, social media, and posted notices.
Item #: 8.18
Consent
8.18 Consent 1 of 2
• City staff support including meeting facilitation, public noticing, recording of minutes, and preparation of the Committee’s final report.
Timeline
• May-early June 2026: Committee holds first public meeting. • June 2026: Public outreach and community survey period. • June-early July 2026: Committee concludes work and finalizes recommendation. • July 2026: Committee recommendation presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission. • July 2026: Committee recommendation presented to the City Council and transmitted to the Tulare City School District Board.
This timeline may be adjusted depending on meeting schedules and community input levels, but the goal is to complete the work within approximately two months. The Committee will automatically dissolve following acceptance of the recommendations by the City Council and recommendations transmitted to the Tulare City School District Board.
Conclusion
Establishment of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Park Review Committee will allow the City, School District, and community to engage in a transparent, thoughtful process regarding the park’s name in light of recent events. Approval of the Committee membership, work plan, and public engagement process will allow staff to begin coordinating the Committee’s first meeting and initiate the review process.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
There is minimal fiscal impact. Staff time and minor administrative costs (survey distribution, noticing, meeting materials) will be absorbed within existing departmental budgets.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes
2. Deny
3. Table
ATTACHMENTS
None
Reviewed/Approved:
8.18 Consent 2 of 2
Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: City Manager
Submitted by: Marc Mondell, City Manager
Agenda Title: Subsidy Request for Hispanic Latin Concert – 2026 Concert Series
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve a subsidy of $132,000 from the General Fund unassigned fund balance account to subsidize a proposed September Hispanic Latin concert in partnership between the City, Spade Entertainment, and the ROOX Agency.
SUMMARY
On December 16, 2025, City Council approved a total allocation of $550,000 towards the 2026 concert series to include $250,000 for artist deposits, $75,000 for marketing, $175,000 for production, janitorial, and security, and $50,000 for the Posada associated with the annual Christmas event. Spade Entertainment (Operator) has scheduled nine shows and will soon announce two additional shows for this year.
On February 17, 2026, City Council approved a separate allocation of $40,000 for a 4th of July celebration with the Sequoia Symphony. Most, if not all, of the expenses for the event will likely be covered by sponsorship.
It is important for the City to continue exploring a variety of ways to increase ticket sales and attract additional visitors to the venue, especially in year two of the concert series, and it has been recommended that the City consider adding one additional Hispanic Latin concert, for a total of three concerts to the annual series. The City has been approached by the ROOX Agency to add one additional Hispanic Latin concert in September. The ROOX Agency has significant experience and success in attracting quality Hispanic Latin artists and robust ticket sales to shows in Tulare in the past.
Both Spade Entertainment and the ROOX Agency desire to work together to add one additional Hispanic Latin concert in September to the City’s 2026 concert series. The parties each have specific skills and talents and believe this may prove to be the best way to approach Hispanic Latin concerts going forward.
If approved, the ROOX Agency will be responsible for procuring the artist(s) and marketing for this event, Spade Entertainment will be responsible for coordinating all other aspects of the show (i.e. production, hospitality, janitorial, security, transportation, etc.). All allocated funds for the 2026 concert series have already been obligated; therefore, the parties are requesting additional funds as summarized below and in the attached draft profit and loss statement:
• The concert is estimated to cost $146,750.
• City covers up to $132,000, with the balance absorbed by the parties. • Spade Entertainment and the ROOX Agency receive a $5,000 fee each which are included. • Spade Entertainment and the ROOX Agency share in net bar proceeds after all expenses which are included.
• City receives net profits of up to $132,000 (including show-specific sponsorship revenue) with any remaining balance shared by the parties.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
Reduction in the General Fund unassigned fund balance account (if necessary).
Item #: 8.19
Consent
8.19 Consent 1 of 3
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes
2. Deny
3. Table
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft profit and loss statement
Reviewed/Approved:
8.19 Consent 2 of 3
Revenue Tix Amount
All Tickets 0 $0.00 $0.00
Royalty/Facility Fees 0 $0.00 $0.00
Non-Profit Bar Total 0 $0.00 $0.00
Parking 0 $0.00 $0.00
Sponsorship 0 $0.00 $0.00
Other Sponsorship 0 $0.00 $0.00
Vendor Sponsorship 0 $0.00 $0.00
Food Vendor Fee 0 $0.00 $0.00
Meet & Greets 0 $0.00 $0.00
Merch Split 0 $0.00 $0.00
xxxxxx $0.00 $0.00
$0.00
Expenses
Headliner $75,000.00 city
Headliner $0.00
Support Artists $0.00
Support Artists $0.00
Support Artists $0.00
Support Artists $0.00
Support Artists $0.00
Band Hospitality Riders need rider $2,300.00 spade
Hotel $1,300.00 spade
Security $2,600.00 city
PD $800.00 city
Medical $0.00
Transportation $0.00
Sound & Lighting w/Staff need rider $22,000.00 city
Music License Fees (BMI, SEASAC & ASCAP) pending $800.00 spade Staff Travel $500.00 spade
Street Signage $0.00
Janitorial $1,600.00 city
Spade Fee $5,000.00
Roox Fee $5,000.00
Marketing Fee Roox $20,000.00 city
Production/Logo Work/Admin incld.
Digital/Billboards Media $1,000.00 spade
Print Media incld.
Social Media We will still promote via Social Roox $1,500.00 spade Flyers/Posters/Badges - printing incld.
P/T Staff $1,800.00 spade
VIP Dinners $0.00
Staff/Volunteer Food $500.00 spade
Supplies $250.00 spade
Photography/Video $1,500.00 spade
Tables/Tents $0.00
Banners incld.
Insurance $2,300.00 spade
Permits $275.00 spade
Water & Ice This could go up depening on crowd size $300.00 spade Temp Fencing/Bike Rail n/a
Portable Restrooms n/a
$1 per "PAID" ($25 & under) ticket back to Tulare n/a
$2 per "PAID" ($25.01-$50) ticket back to Tulare n/a
$3 per "PAID" ($50.01& up) ticket back to Tulare n/a
20% of bar back to (nonprofit) pend spade
Other Nonprofit Donation $0.00
Partner Rev Split (if applies) $0.00
Autographed Items (nonprofit) $250.00 spade
Genrators/Fuel $0.00
Bar Expenses/Product $0.00 spade
20% Sponosorship back to Tulare n/a
Office/Accounting $175.00
Credit Card Fees pend spade/bar
Ticketing Fees pend
$146,750.00
Revenue $0.00
Expenses $146,750.00
Total -$146,750.00
Total Expenses
Date
Arists
Total Revenue
8.19 Consent 3 of 3
Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: Public Works - Surface Water
Submitted by: Jan Bowen, Assistant Public Works Director Agenda Title: Storm Drain Lift Station 1 and 4 Rehabilitation – Design Contract
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the City Manager to sign a task order with Provost & Pritchard in the amount of $353,000 for design, construction documents, bidding assistance, construction support, and related services associated with Maple and D Street Storm Drain Lift Station Upgrade (SD0019) and Tulare High School Farm Storm Drain Lift Station Upgrade (SD0020) projects; approve change orders in an amount not to exceed 10% ($35,300) of the task order amount; and approve a resolution authorizing General Fund CIP Project SD0020 and the appropriation of $291,225 in General Fund CIP fund balance.
SUMMARY
The City's stormwater conveyance system relies on a network of storm drain lift stations to collect and discharge stormwater runoff from City streets into the Tulare Irrigation District's canal system during rain events. Many of these facilities have aged beyond their serviceable condition and are in need of capital improvements to ensure continued reliable operation.
Two lift stations have been identified as priority candidates for rehabilitation: the Tulare High School Farm Lift Station (LS-1) and the Maple and D Street Lift Station (LS-4).
LS-1 – Tulare High School Farm Lift Station (Project SD0020) is experiencing significant electrical deficiencies. During major storm events, the activation of multiple pumps causes circuit breakers to trip, interrupting operations and requiring City staff to be stationed on-site throughout the duration of the event to manually reset breakers and maintain system function. This represents both an operational liability and an inefficient use of staff resources.
LS-4 – Maple and D Street Lift Station (Project SD0019) is currently operating at severely reduced capacity, with only one of three installed pumps in service. A portable pump has been deployed to the site as a contingency measure in the event the remaining operational pump fails. This condition presents a significant risk to the City's ability to manage stormwater flows during storm events.
The proposed contract would produce bid-ready plans, specifications, construction cost estimates, bidding and construction support for the rehabilitation of both lift stations. The scope of improvements is outlined below.
LS-1 – Tulare High School Farm Lift Station
• Evaluation of pump replacement options
• Assessment of the facility for future Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) regulatory compliance requirements
• Structural repairs as needed
• Safety improvements including handrails, catwalks, grating, and/or covers, or an appropriate combination thereof
• Installation of a sunshade for the new electrical panel • Upgrade of electrical service
• Replacement of float sensors with radar sensors
• Installation of a new Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and control cabinet Item #: 8.20
Consent
8.20 Consent 1 of 12
• New communications infrastructure and integration into the City's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system
• Addition of a generator pedestal and associated electrical connections • Site and wet well lighting improvements
• Replacement of the existing access ladder with an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-compliant ladder
LS-4 – Maple and D Street Lift Station
• Installation of three new pumps, with the existing pump retained as a potential spare • Replacement and addition of discharge piping and valving to simplify operations and improve long-term maintainability
• Addition of pipe discharge supports to facilitate future pump replacement • Minor electrical upgrades as required based on motor selection • Replacement of the existing access ladder with an OSHA-compliant ladder Provost & Pritchard has toured the sites and submitted a proposal to provide engineering services including the production of construction documents (specifications, opinion of probable costs, and improvement for solicitation of bids), bidding support services and construction support services.
A Request for Proposals for on-call engineering services was issued on October 20, 2020. Ten (10) firms submitted all the necessary information to be considered for inclusion in a list of pre-approved consultants to provide these services. The proposals were reviewed and rated in accordance with the consultant selection procedures identified in the RFQ, and the top four (4) firms were recommended for inclusion on the list of prequalified general engineering and land surveying consultants. On December 15, 2020, the City Council approved the list of (4) consultants.
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group of Visalia, CA is included on the list of pre-qualified on-call Engineering consultants and demonstrated in their proposal that they have the skills, expertise and resources available to meet the City’s needs and timeframe to complete the design of this project.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
Staff is requesting approval of the attached resolution authorizing the appropriation of $291,225 from Fund 400, General Fund CIP fund balance for Project SD0020 (Tulare High School Farm) as noted below in this current fiscal year, 2025-26. This project is currently programed in the FY 2025-26 through 2029- 2030 CIP for FY 2026-2027. Staff would like to start the design this year.
The budget for Project SD0019 (Maple & D) already exists within the 2025-2026 capital budget and requires no additional funding.
CIP Project No. Project Name Fund Account Amount
SD0019 Maple and D Street SD Lift
Station Upgrades Fund 067 $88,250.00
SD0020 Tulare High School Farm SD
Lift Station Upgrades Fund 067 $264,750.00
10% Contingency Fund 067 $35,300.00
Total = $388,300.00
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
8.20 Consent 2 of 12
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes
2. Deny - If the task amendment with Provost & Pritchard is not approved, staff cannot move forward with the repairs needed for LS-1 and LS-4.
3. Table – Would delay the much needed repairs of LS-1 and LS-4.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. Project Sheet for SD0020
3. Scope of Services from Provost & Pritchard
4. Pictures of sites
Reviewed/Approved:
8.20 Consent 3 of 12
RESOLUTION 2026-XXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TULARE
AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET
WHEREAS, on June 17, 2025, the City Council adopted the City of Tulare’s Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget (“Budget”) following a public hearing; and WHEREAS, the Fiscal Year 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Program included Project SD0020 – Tulare High School Farm SD Lift Station Upgrade project programmed for FY 2027; and WHEREAS, Carollo Engineers has submitted a proposal to begin the design associated with Project SD0020; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Administrative Policy CM-10 Budget Policies and Practices, the City Council may amend or supplement the budget any time after its adoption; and WHEREAS, City staff has proposed specific amendments to the Budget.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Tulare, as follows:
Section 1. The City Council authorizes an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget authorizing an appropriation of $291,225 of Fund 400 General Fund CIP funds to Project SD0020 – Tulare High School Farm SD Lift Station Upgrades for FY 2026.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Tulare this 5th day of May 2026, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Patrick Isherwood, President of the Council
and Ex-Officio Mayor
ATTEST:
Marc Mondell, City Clerk
By Melissa Wilcox, Chief Deputy City Clerk
The presence of an electronic signature certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy as approved by the Tulare City Council.
8.20 Consent 4 of 12
PROJECT MANAGER:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION & PURPOSE:
KEY POINTS:
PROJECT STATUS:
PROJECTED START DATE:
PROJECTED END DATE:
FUTURE M & O:
(Additional Cost & Department
Responsibility)
CRITERIA (1-8):
To Date
Remaining
Year 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 2029/30
010 - Administrative $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
020 - Conceptual $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
030 - Preliminary Design/Plan $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 040 - Environmental $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
050 - Final Design/Plan $0 $0 $0 $291,225 $75,000 $0 $0 $0 $366,225 $0 0200 - Professional Services/Consultant
0202 - Engineering $0 $0 $0 $291,225 $70,000 $361,225
0900 - City Staff Time $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,000 $2,000
0999 - Contingency $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,000 $0 $0 $0 $3,000 $0 060 - Right of Way/Property $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 070 - Construct/Implement $0 $0 $0 $0 $520,000 $0 $0 $0 $520,000 $0 0200 - Professional Services/Consultant
0202 - Engineering $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,000 $3,000
0205 - Labor Compliance $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,500 $3,500
0700 - Construction/Labor & Materials Costs $0 $0 $0 $0 $450,000 $450,000 0900 - City Staff Time $0 $0 $0 $0 $18,000 $18,000
0999 - Contingency $0 $0 $0 $0 $45,500 $0 $0 $0 $45,500 $0 080 - Closeout $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total Costs: $0 $0 $0 $291,225 $595,000 $0 $0 $0 $886,225 $0 To Date
Remaining
Year 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 2029/30
Fund 067 - Storm Drain Operations $0 $0 $0 $0 $595,000 $0 $0 $0 $595,000 $0 Fund 601 - Other General Fund CIP $0 $0 $0 $291,225 $0 $0 $0 $0 $291,225 $0 Total Funding: $0 $0 $0 $291,225 $595,000 $0 $0 $0 $886,225 $0 G/L #'s:
Notes: 2025-2030 CIP. Formerly SD2023-02. Revised 5-5-26.
Unfunded
Funding Sources Prior Fiscal
Years
Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Future Fiscal Years
Total Unfunded
Costs Description Prior Fiscal
Years
Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Future Fiscal Years
Total
Pending
7/1/2026
6/30/2027
N/A - Part of Existing M&O procedures.
Criteria 7: Project addresses regulatory, safety, or environmental requirements that could threaten in whole or in part the City's ability to operate a core program or function at some future time if not replaced or repaired.
This project will mitigate personal safety and property damage risks that the current lift station creates. 2025 - 2030 CIP Surface Water
PROJECT #: SD0020
Tulare High School Farm - SD Lift Station Upgrade
(Operations)
(Equipment Replacement)
District(s): 3
Trisha Whitfield
Upgrade the lift station pumping system and electrical panel at the storm drain lift station on Bardsley Avenue at the Tulare High School Farm.
8.20 Consent 5 of 12
455 W Fir Ave • Clovis, CA 93611 • (559) 449-2700
www.provostandpritchard.com
https://provostandpritchard-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bstipe_ppeng_com/Documents/BD/Tulare SD Pump Stations/2026 03 30 Tulare SD Pump Station Rehab Project.docx
Engineering • Structural • Geostructural • Surveying • Planning • Environmental • GIS • Construction Services • Hydrogeology • Consulting Clovis • Visalia • Bakersfield • Modesto • Los Banos • Chico • Sacramento • Sonora • San Luis Obispo • Boise, ID April 6, 2026
Jan Bowen
City of Tulare
3981 K Street
Tulare, CA 93724
Subject: Engineering and Surveying Services for the
Storm Drain Pump Stations 1 and 4 Rehabilitation Project, Tulare, California Dear Jan Bowen:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit this proposal to provide engineering services for the subject project.
This proposal discusses our understanding of the project, recommends a scope of services together with associated fees, deliverables and approximate schedules, sets forth our assumptions and discusses other services that may be of interest as the project proceeds.
PROJECT UNDERSTANDING
This project is for the rehabilitation and upgrade of two of the City’s storm drain pump stations. Pump Station 1 is located on Wright Way south of Bardsley on the northeast corner of the Tulare High School Agricultural Field. The pump station is an old style with a concrete wetwell and offset vertical turbine pumps with open column discharge into a concrete channel. The pumps have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced and there is visible damage to some of the concrete structure. Additionally, the electrical service cannot support the operation of all 6 pumps currently installed.
1. Process
a. Evaluate pump replacement options to allow for more conventional pump and motor configurations.
b. Evaluate the cost and method to prepare the pump station to comply with future storm drain screening requirements.
2. Structural
a. Repair concrete where needed.
b. Replace handrails and/or eliminate open top basins through walkways, grating, or covers on the top of the pump station.
c. Add sunshade for new electrical panels.
3. Electrical and Control
a. Upgrade existing electrical service, if necessary, to accommodate new 3P, 480V motor starters for new pumps.
b. Replace the existing wetwell floats with a radar level sensor c. Add PLC and control cabinet to control pump start/stop and lead/lag configuration. d. Add communication equipment to allow site to be integrated into the City’s existing SCADA system.
e. Add generator pedestal to allow for connection of a mobile generator. f. Add site lighting.
8.20 Consent 6 of 12
City of Tulare April 6, 2026
Storm Drain Pump Stations 1 and 4 Rehabilitation Project Page 2 of 6 https://provostandpritchard-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bstipe_ppeng_com/Documents/BD/Tulare SD Pump Stations/2026 03 30 Tulare SD Pump Station Rehab Project.docx
g. Add wall mounted lights to illuminate the wetwell.
h. Add lights to the sunshade to illuminate the new electrical panels
4. Access
a. Replace/remove the existing ladders with new OSHA approved ladders with locking access.
Pump Station 4 located at Maple and D Street has a two-chamber configuration with both a wet well where the water enters and then a divider wall so typical end suction pumps can be located below the water level without being submerged. The pumps in the dry pit are beyond their useful life and need to be replaced but they are difficult to access, and the discharge piping bears directly on the pump volute requiring complete disassembly of the discharge piping to replace the pumps.
5. Process
a. Replace the existing pumps in the same location.
b. Replace discharge piping and valving as necessary.
6. Structural
a. Add pipe supports as needed for discharge piping.
7. Electrical and Control
a. Replace existing motor starters, if necessary, to accommodate new 3P, 480V motors.
8. Access
a. Replace/remove the existing ladders with new OSHA approved ladders with locking access.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
SD: SCHEMATIC DESIGN
a. Review record drawings and information and identify any additional information required to complete the design.
b. Complete Pump Station 4 drawings to append to existing City RFB documents. o Process Pump Station Plan and Section
o Electrical Plan, Section and Schedules
o Pump Specification
c. Complete Pump Station 1 model to review pump replacement alternatives and evaluate future screening options.
d. Analyze the existing information to integrate the existing and future facilities. e. Conduct site survey.
f. Prepare site base map based on topographic, boundary, and control surveys. g. Prepare schematic design models to compare pump style alternatives h. Prepare design criteria.
i. Prepare preliminary site layout.
j. Prepare preliminary electrical loads list.
SD DELIVERABLES
• Scoping Model Review Meeting
• Schematic Design Plans (PDF format)
• Schematic Design Phase Review Meeting
CD: CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
After incorporating comments from the schematic design review meeting the construction documents phase will begin including the Preliminary Plans, Specifications, and Opinion of Probable Cost.
8.20 Consent 7 of 12
City of Tulare April 6, 2026
Storm Drain Pump Stations 1 and 4 Rehabilitation Project Page 3 of 6 https://provostandpritchard-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bstipe_ppeng_com/Documents/BD/Tulare SD Pump Stations/2026 03 30 Tulare SD Pump Station Rehab Project.docx
GENERAL
G 00 01 COVER VICINTY MAP AND SHEET INDEX
G 00 02 LEGEND AND ABBREVIATIONS
G 00 03 GENERAL NOTES
G 00 04 GENERAL NOTES
G 00 05 DESIGN CRITERIA AND PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAMS
G 00 06 HYDRAULIC PROFILES
CIVIL
C 01 01 SITE PLAN
C 01 02 DEMOLITION PLAN
C DT 01 CIVIL DETAILS
C DT 02 CIVIL DETAILS
PROCESS
P 01 01 PUMP STATION PLAN AND SECTION
P 01 02 PUMP STATION SECTION AND DETAILS
P DT 01 PROCESS DETAILS
P DT 02 PROCESS DETAILS
STRUCTURAL
S 01 01 STRUCTURAL WETWELL PLAN AND SECTION
S 01 02 STRUCTURAL WETWELL SECTION AND DETAILS
S 01 03 STRUCTURAL WETWELL SECTION AND DETAILS
S DT 01 SHADE STRUCTURE PLAN AND SECTION
S DT 02 TYPICAL DETAILS
S DT 03 TYPICAL DETAILS
ELECTRICAL
E 00 01 ELECTRICAL COVER SHEET
E 00 02 ELECTRICAL LEGEND, ABBREVIATIONS, AND NOTES
E 00 03 SINGLE LINE DIAGRAMS
E 00 04 WIRING SCHEMATIC DIGRAMS
E 00 05 LIGHTING AND FIXTURE SCHEDULES
E 01 01 PUMP STATION 1 CONDUIT, CABLE, AND EQUIPMENT PLAN E 01 02 PUMP STATION 1 LIGHTING AND GROUNDING PLAN
E 01 03 PUMP STATION 1 PANEL ELEVATIONS AND SCHEDULES
E 01 04 PUMP STATION 1 CONDUIT SCHEDULES
E DT 01 ELECTRICAL DETAILS
E DT 02 ELECTRICAL DETAILS
E DT 03 ELECTRICAL DETAILS
INSTRUMENTATION
N 00 01 INSTRUMENTATION COVER SHEET
N 00 02 INSTRUMENTATION ABBREVIATIONS AND LEGENDS
N 00 03 INSTRUMENTATION ABBREVIATIONS AND LEGENDS
N 00 04 NETWORK DIAGRAM
N 00 01 P&ID - GENERATOR
N 00 01 P&ID - PUMP STATION
8.20 Consent 8 of 12
City of Tulare April 6, 2026
Storm Drain Pump Stations 1 and 4 Rehabilitation Project Page 4 of 6 https://provostandpritchard-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bstipe_ppeng_com/Documents/BD/Tulare SD Pump Stations/2026 03 30 Tulare SD Pump Station Rehab Project.docx
N DT 01 INSTRUMENTATION DETAILS
N DT 02 INSTRUMENTATION DETAILS
o Prepare preliminary technical specifications in CSI format o Prepare Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Construction Costs (EOPCC) o Submit preliminary (60%) plans, specifications, and estimate (PS&E) a. Final (100%) Plans, Specifications, and Estimates
o 60% submittal review meeting with the City
o Address draft final review comments
o Prepare bid plans
o Prepare City front-end documents
o Prepare bid technical specifications
o Prepare bid EOPCC
o Submit final plans, specifications and estimate
60% CD DELIVERABLES
• Notice of Exemption for compliance with CEQA requirements. • 60% construction documents (PDF format)
• Updated EOPCC (PDF Format)
• Attend one (1) 60% review meeting (Meeting Minutes PDF Format)
FINAL CD DELIVERABLES
• Bid set construction documents for approval and bid (PDF Format) • Bid EOPCC (PDF Format)
TASK BSS: BIDDING SUPPORT SERVICES
• Attend pre-bid conference
• Assist with the preparation of addenda and clarifications as necessary during the bid period (assumed 4 RFI responses and 1 addendum)
BSS DELIVERABLES
• RFI Responses (PDF format)
TASK CSS: CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES
• Attend pre-construction conference.
• Attend site visit for substantial completion and final walk-through. • Assist in Submittal review and response
• Assist in RFI response
CSS DELIVERABLES
• Submittal and RFI Responses (PDF format)
8.20 Consent 9 of 12
City of Tulare April 6, 2026
Storm Drain Pump Stations 1 and 4 Rehabilitation Project Page 5 of 6 https://provostandpritchard-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bstipe_ppeng_com/Documents/BD/Tulare SD Pump Stations/2026 03 30 Tulare SD Pump Station Rehab Project.docx
PROFESSIONAL FEES
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group will perform the services in these phases as shown in the following table.
Progress Bill phases will be invoiced monthly on a percent complete basis, time and materials phases will be invoiced monthly, in accordance with hourly rate schedule contained in Exhibit A of the On Call Engineering Services Agreement.
PROPOSED FEE
TASK TASK TYPE ESTIMATED FEE
SD: Schematic Design Progress Bill $108,000
CD: Construction Docs Progress Bill $197,000
BSS: Bid Support Services Progress Bill $14,000
CSS: Construction Support Services Progress Bill $34,000 Total Estimated Fee: $353,000
SCHEDULE
Once we receive Notice to Proceed we will work with the City to establish a mutually agreed upon schedule.
ASSUMPTIONS
1. The City will pay any fees associated with permitting, environmental documents, checking and inspection, and all other fees, permits, title company charges, and all other similar charges not specifically covered by the terms of this agreement.
2. The City will provide:
a. Record drawings
b. Property descriptions or easements
c. Equipment selection for SCADA integration
3. Provost & Pritchard current CAD version, standards, and title block will be used for the design of this project.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
The following services are not included in this proposal, however, these and others can be provided at additional cost, upon request.
4. Legal Descriptions
5. Title Reports
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Reference is made to the City’s existing On-Call Engineering Contract with Provost & Pritchard dated January 14th, 2019. The same terms and conditions identified in the existing On-Call Contract apply to this Contract.
If this proposal is acceptable, please sign below and return a copy of each to our office. This document will serve as our Notice to Proceed. This proposal is valid for 60 days from the date above.
8.20 Consent 10 of 12
City of Tulare April 6, 2026
Storm Drain Pump Stations 1 and 4 Rehabilitation Project Page 6 of 6 https://provostandpritchard-my.sharepoint.com/personal/bstipe_ppeng_com/Documents/BD/Tulare SD Pump Stations/2026 03 30 Tulare SD Pump Station Rehab Project.docx
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group
Brandon Stipe, RCE 75956 Keith Mortensen, RCE 75865
Principal Engineer Director of Operations
TERMS AND CONDITIONS ACCEPTED
By City of Tulare
Signature
Printed Name
Title Date
8.20 Consent 11 of 12
Maple and D
Maple and D Maple and D Tulare HS Farm
Tulare HS Farm Tulare HS Farm
Tulare HS Farm
Project Site
Project Site
8.20 Consent 12 of 12
Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: Human Resources
Submitted by: Janie Venegas, Human Resources Director
Agenda Title: Vacancy and Recruitment Retention Efforts
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Conduct a public hearing on position vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts mandated by California Government Code 3502.9.
SUMMARY
Assembly Bill (AB) 2561 of 2024 requires public agencies to hold a public hearing to address the status of job vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts prior to the adoption of the agency’s annual budget.
The legislature’s intent of AB 2561 is to address the issue of job vacancies in local government which can adversely impact the delivery of public service, may lead to heavier employee workloads, and may also lead to increased employee turnover.
Pursuant to Government Code § 3502.9, the City is required to do the following:
1. Public Hearing: At least once each fiscal year at a public hearing before the governing body, the City shall present information regarding the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts and identify any necessary changes to policies, procedures and recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process.
2. Employee Organization Participation: Allow the recognized employee organization for each bargaining unit with the City to make presentations during the public hearing concerning vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts. These are six represented bargaining units at the City, and all have been notified of the public hearing and advised of their right to address the Council on this matter.
3. Additional Reporting for High Vacancy Rates: If vacancies within a single bargaining unit meet or exceed 20% of authorized full-time positions in that bargaining unit, the City must provide additional information during the public hearing, including the following: (1) the total number of vacancies; (2) the number of applicants; (3) the average time to fill positions; and (4) opportunities to improve compensation and working conditions for employees in the bargaining unit.
The following reflects the City’s represented and unrepresented bargaining units’ vacancy rates as of April 24, 2026.
Bargaining Unit
Budgeted
Positions Vacancies
Vacancy
Rate
California League of City Employees Association (CLOCEA) * 216 17 7.9% Tulare Police Officers Union (TPOU) * 65 5 7.7%
Tulare Professional Firefighter Association – Management * 12 0 0.0% Tulare Professional Firefighter Association – Non-Management *
36 6 16.7%
Unrepresented Tulare Police Management Group (TPMG) 16 1 6.3% Unrepresented Tulare Fire Battalion Chief Officer Group 3 0 0.0% Item #: 9.1
Public Hearing
9.1 Public Hearing 1 of 2
Unrepresented Mid-Management Group 50 3 6.0%
Unrepresented Department Head Group 14 1 7.1%
Unrepresented Contract Employee 1 0 0.0%
TOTAL 413 33 8.0%
* Represented Bargaining Unit
There are no bargaining units who have vacancy rates that exceeds 20 percent (20%) authorized fulltime positions in that bargaining unit.
The City continues to make improvements to the recruitment process to reduce the length of time to hire, including recruitment process changes.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item requires a public hearing and was noticed as part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes
2. Deny
3. Table
ATTACHMENTS
None
Reviewed/Approved:
9.1 Public Hearing 2 of 2
Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: City Manager
Submitted by: Marc Mondell, City Manager
Agenda Title: Sales Tax Measure Workshop
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive a presentation and provide feedback and direction to staff regarding a potential 1 cent general sales tax measure, including preliminary priorities for revenue allocation, review of the draft ballot language tested in the FM3 survey, and reaffirming the Council’s direction to proceed with placing the measure on the November 2026 ballot.
SUMMARY
The City Council is being asked to participate in a workshop to discuss the need for a potential 1 cent general sales tax measure to address current and future financial challenges. The City’s sales tax revenues have begun to decline, while the cost of providing essential City services, particularly road maintenance, public safety, and homeless shelter operations, continues to rise.
Projected sales tax revenue for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 is $22.3 million, a 3.5% decrease from FY 2025 actuals. More than $38 million (55%) of the FY 2026 General Fund is allocated to public safety needs, limiting the City’s flexibility to cover increasing expenses and significant deferred maintenance.
Approximately 20% of Tulare’s sales tax revenue is generated by non‑residents, meaning visitors contribute substantially to funding City services.
To help the Council evaluate the potential measure, staff is providing the draft ballot question language tested as part of the FM3 community survey:
“Shall the measure funding City of Tulare general services, such as maintaining 911 emergency/fire/paramedic/police response, helping prevent thefts/property crimes, addressing homelessness, keeping public areas/parks clean/safe, repairing roads/potholes, protecting local drinking water sources, preparing for future droughts, retaining/attracting local businesses, by enacting a 1¢ sales tax providing approximately $16,000,000 annually until ended by voters, requiring independent financial audits, public spending disclosure, all funds used locally, be adopted?” This draft language emphasizes core community priorities including public safety, road repairs, homelessness response, clean and safe public spaces, water reliability, economic vitality, and accountability measures such as annual independent audits and local control.
A 1 cent general sales tax measure is estimated to generate approximately $16 million annually in new revenue. Staff anticipates recommending that the Council direct a majority of these funds toward:
• Road and street rehabilitation and maintenance
• Public safety services and staffing support
• Operations of the City’s homeless shelter
Without additional revenue, the City may be forced to reduce public safety staffing and response capacity, further delay road repairs, and scale back community programs and facility maintenance.
The City has engaged Tripepi Smith to support outreach and public education, and FM3 Research to conduct community polling. Poll results are expected to be presented at the May 5 meeting.
Item #: 10.1
General Business
10.1 General Business 1 of 2
Following the workshop, staff will bring forward the resolutions required to place the measure on the November 2026 ballot. All elections materials must be submitted to the Tulare County Registrar of Voters by July 3, 2026. Staff anticipates returning to Council in June to meet this deadline.
As part of this workshop, staff is requesting that the City Council reaffirm its direction to pursue the 1% general sales tax measure for placement on the November 2026 ballot. Formal reaffirmation will ensure staff, consultants, and the community are aligned as preparation of ballot materials, outreach, and legal documents continues.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes
2. Deny
3. Table
ATTACHMENTS
None
Reviewed/Approved:
10.1 General Business 2 of 2
Staff Report
Meeting: City Council
Date: May 5, 2026
Department: City Manager
Submitted by: Marc Mondell, City Manager
Agenda Title: Tulare Avanza Report by IncludUs Labs
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Review the draft Tulare Avanza report by IncludUs Labs and provide any feedback or direction to staff and the consultant; and offer input on priorities, community engagement considerations, or areas Council wishes to emphasize for Phase II planning.
SUMMARY
In early 2026, the City Manager engaged IncludUs Labs, led by President/CEO Bacilia Angel, to conduct a systems-level assessment of the City’s community engagement practices, public-facing communications, and utilization of key City assets. The purpose of Phase I is to understand how City engagement functions today, identify structural barriers that impact participation, and provide a foundation for more strategic efforts in Phase II.
The City Manager is interested in finding ways to improve communications and utilization of City assets by citizens, visitors, and particularly the Hispanic-Latino community which makes up approximately 63% of the population. It is the City Manager’s belief that through increased communication we can better understand community desires, needs, and align initiatives and programs.
This assessment was commissioned by the City Manager’s Office as part of the City’s broader strategic planning process and was not initiated by the City Council. Findings were always intended to be brought to the City Council for review and discussion.
IncludUs Labs utilized interviews, surveys, field observations, staff input, and a bilingual Community Engagement Lab to understand how residents, businesses, and City departments currently interact with City systems.
Summary of Phase I Findings
Phase I highlights several structural opportunities to improve engagement, access, and utilization of City programs, assets, and communications tools. Key themes include:
1. Awareness, not interest, is the primary barrier
A majority of surveyed residents have never attended a City event primarily because they “didn’t know about it.” Significant portions of residents were unaware of major City investments such as the Zumwalt Amphitheater.
2. Engagement systems are early-stage and largely decentralized Engagement efforts rely heavily on individual staff initiative, as opposed to coordinated systems, governance structures, or shared standards. Staff cited limited capacity and inconsistent bilingual outreach as key barriers.
3. High-value City assets are underutilized
Assets such as TBIZ, the amphitheater, and City venues demonstrate strong potential but lack consistent awareness, multilingual promotion, and clear pathways for community participation.
Businesses (including informal and early-stage entrepreneurs) were often unaware of available resources.
Item #: 10.2
General Business
10.2 General Business 1 of 39
4. Community feedback shows suppressed demand for engagement Participants at the February 24 Community Engagement Lab noted it was the first time they felt the City was genuinely listening. Residents voiced strong interest in culturally aligned events, vendor opportunities, and improved outreach.
5. City communications infrastructure exists but requires strengthening The City has over 50,000 social media followers across departments, but lacks unified pathways, bilingual standards, feedback mechanisms, and a central resident opt-in platform. The e-notification system currently reaches approximately 217 subscribers.
Phase I Deliverables
According to IncludUs Labs, the City will receive or has already received the following foundational products:
• Diagnostic of existing engagement systems
• Community Outreach & Engagement Strategy (draft)
• Stakeholder ecosystem map
• Preliminary Community Ambassador model
• Metrics framework for future tracking
• Materials to guide Phase II decisions
Next Steps: Phase II
Phase II is anticipated to include:
• Development of formal language access policies
• Redesign of the City’s digital ecosystem
• A “One Tulare” bilingual enrollment campaign
• Community Ambassador network
• TBIZ access and outreach redesign
• City-hosted civic programming at Zumwalt
• A bilingual Citywide community survey
• Building structured feedback loops and measurement tools These items are presented for awareness only; Council direction will help shape staff’s work in preparing for Phase II should Council so desire.
FISCAL IMPACT & FUNDING SOURCES
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Staff is not aware of any conflicts of interest.
LEGAL REVIEW
This item does not require legal review.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item does not require a public hearing and was noticed as a part of the agenda.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
1. Approve with changes
2. Deny
3. Table
10.2 General Business 2 of 39
ATTACHMENTS
1. Tulare Avanza Report
Reviewed/Approved:
10.2 General Business 3 of 39
TULARE
AVANZA
INITIATIVE
May 5, 2026
Prepared for: Prepared by:
The City of Tulare IncludUs Labs
10.2 General Business 4 of 39
TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Table of Contents
Purpose 3
Our Approach: Community Engineering 4
Executive Summary 4
How to Read This Report 4
What the Data Shows 5
Section 1: Community Engagement Systems 6
Tulare’s Existing Communications Infrastructure 6
What Staff Told Us 6
What Residents Told Us 7
Community Engagement Scorecard 8
What Other Cities Can Teach Us 9
Recommendations: Community Engagement Systems 10
Section 2: Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem 12 Current Strengths 12
Opportunities for Improvement 12
What Small Business Owners Told Us 13
Best Practice Models 14
Recommendations: Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem 14 Section 3: The Dual Purpose of the Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park 16 What Is and Isn't Working 17
Best Practice Models 18
Community Expectations: Two Pathways, Not One 19
Recommendations: Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park 19 Section 4: Cross-Cutting Findings 22
Section 5: Recommended Phase II Priorities 24
Appendix A: Research Methods & Sources 26
Appendix B: Concert Culture & Genre Framework — Recommendation for Consideration 27 Appendix C: Community Ambassador Network — Model for Consideration 29 Appendix D: NLC Inclusive Engagement Standards — Detail 30 Appendix E: Metrics & Evaluation Dashboard Framework 32 Part 1: Core KPI Set 32
Part 2: Short Bilingual Feedback Form Template 32
Part 3: One-Page Quarterly Reporting Format 33
Appendix F: Partner Responses to Findings 34
IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 2
10.2 General Business 5 of 39
TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026
TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE
Phase I: Community Engagement Findings & Recommendations Prepared for: City Council, City of Tulare | Prepared by: IncludUs Labs | May 2026 Purpose
At the request of City Manager Marc Mondell, IncludUs Labs was engaged to evaluate the City of Tulare's existing community engagement systems, communications infrastructure, public assets, and partner programs to gain an understanding of how greater engagement and trust could be built with a focus on Tulare's Latino community, which represents 63% of the city's population. This evaluation was commissioned by the City Manager's Office and was not initiated by or directed by City Council. It has been understood from the outset that findings and recommendations would be shared with the City Council as part of the City's strategic planning process.
IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 3
A NOTE ON RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
The research conducted for this evaluation is qualitative and directional in nature. The surveys included in this study were not part of the original project scope — they were developed during the engagement process to add additional context and weight to the primary qualitative data, and to assess the community's responsiveness and willingness to participate in survey-based outreach. The surveys thus served a dual purpose: providing supplemental signal to the qualitative findings, and helping the City understand what a statistically significant citywide survey effort would require in terms of outreach, language access, and community trust-building.
The resident survey included 78 participants.
Participant recruitment drew from multiple channels: prior IncludUs engagement relationships with Tulare residents; referrals and connections facilitated by the City of Tulare, which helped identify community members and stakeholders relevant to the study; community partner organizations that helped extend outreach through their own networks; and TBIZ, which posted flyers in its office to reach business owners in that setting. The Community Engagement Lab was recruited through this same multi-channel approach, including direct door-to-door business outreach alongside partner referrals.
This multi-channel recruitment approach reflects a genuine effort to reach beyond a single network — and the City's direct involvement in connecting IncludUs with relevant stakeholders lends additional legitimacy to the process. That said, participants were not drawn from a random sample of the full Tulare population, and findings should not be read as statistically representative of majority opinion citywide.
The qualitative interviews and engagement sessions are the primary evidentiary base, designed to surface themes, barriers, and community perspectives from people with direct lived experience. The surveys add corroborating signal and demonstrate community willingness to engage. Where findings from multiple independent sources — City staff, residents, business owners, and the Engagement Lab — converge on the same conclusion, confidence in that finding is meaningfully higher. Where a finding rests on a limited number of responses, it is presented as a directional signal rather than an established fact.
Phase II is designed in part to conduct the broader, structured data collection — including a citywide survey informed by the lessons learned here — that would allow the City to act with statistical confidence on the priorities identified in this report.
10.2 General Business 6 of 39
TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Our Approach: Community Engineering
Assessing how a city's systems work — in practice, across departments, and from the perspective of residents who interact with them — is not straightforward work. Cities are complex organizations.
They carry history, relationships, and competing priorities. Every finding surfaces in a context, and context shapes meaning. IncludUs Labs was engaged to look at systems, not people — and that distinction matters for how this work was conducted and how its findings should be read.
The framework guiding this assessment is Community Engineering™ — a methodology adapted from the Toyota Production System and its foundational principle of Respect for People. In the Toyota model, the goal is not to identify who is failing — it is to understand where the system creates conditions that make it difficult for good people to do their best work. Applied to cities, this means that when residents are not participating, when programs are underutilized, when communications are not reaching the right people — the question is not who dropped the ball. The question is what the system was designed to do, and whether that design still matches the community it serves.
A second principle from that tradition is equally important here: suppliers who succeed make the whole system stronger. For Tulare, this means the City's partner organizations — the Chamber of Commerce, Spade Entertainment, SBDC, and others — need to be set up to succeed. Their success is the City's success. The recommendations in this report are not critiques of partners.
They are design inputs: what structures, standards, and support would allow every part of this system to perform at its full potential.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR READING THIS DOCUMENT
The findings here reflect what the system currently produces — not what any individual intends.
The staff, partners, and community members who participated in this research are, without exception, people working in good faith within the structures available to them. Where those structures have gaps, the solution is redesign — not blame. That is the spirit in which this assessment was conducted and the spirit in which its recommendations should be received.
Executive Summary
Tulare is at an inflection point. The City has made significant public investments in the Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park, the TBIZ business innovation facility, and a growing portfolio of economic development initiatives — with 50,000+ social media followers across departments.
These are real assets. The diagnostic question is not whether Tulare is investing — it is whether those investments are reaching the community they were built to serve.
The answer, based on nine weeks of research, community engagement, staff input, and field observation, is that they are not yet reaching their full potential. Phase I research is directional rather than statistically representative and is intended to identify structural design gaps and priority areas for deeper validation in Phase II. This is not a failure of intent. It is a design gap. Many of the City's systems, governance structures, and outreach strategies were designed before Tulare's current demographic and economic realities.
How to Read This Report
This report is:
IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 4
10.2 General Business 7 of 39
TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 ● A system design assessment focused on improving return on public investment ● A forward-looking roadmap based on current conditions and future opportunity ● Grounded in community input, staff insight, and operational observation This report is not:
● An evaluation of individual staff performance
● A recommendation to replace existing partners or operators ● A critique of past decisions made under different conditions The findings reflect how current systems are performing and where targeted design improvements can increase participation, access, and impact for Tulare residents.
What the Data Shows
KEY COMMUNITY FINDINGS
• 66.1% of surveyed residents have never attended a single City event — the #1 reason:
they never heard about it. Not disinterest. Awareness.
• 35.5% of surveyed residents do not know Adventist Health Amphitheater exists — despite significant public investment in its construction. • Only 50% of residents feel City programs are designed for people like them. • When the City offered a single culturally aligned concert (Arriba Latin), Latino attendance jumped nearly 20 points — in a city that is 63% Latino. • 13 of 15 business owners interviewed had never heard of TBIZ — in a city with thousands of informal and immigrant entrepreneurs.
• The City's e-notification system (for meeting and event alerts) currently has approximately 217 subscribers — and enrollment is not prominently visible to residents. • The City has 50,000+ social media followers but no direct channel to the majority of its residents.
• City digital channels function as broadcast, not dialogue — no feedback mechanisms, no bilingual design, no two-way engagement.
THE STRATEGIC FRAME
This is fundamentally a return on investment opportunity — strengthening engagement systems will allow existing investments to perform at their full potential. Tulare has the assets. The community has the interest. What is missing is the design — the systems, standards, and structures that turn public investment into public participation.
IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 5
10.2 General Business 8 of 39
TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Section 1: Community Engagement Systems
The City of Tulare is currently operating at an early-stage community engagement system maturity level. The City's engagement efforts are driven more by individual staff initiative than by coordinated, citywide systems — a structural gap rather than a reflection of staff performance. This reflects structural design gaps rather than individual performance issues. Findings in this section are based on staff surveys, resident surveys, interviews, and engagement labs, and should be interpreted as directional signals rather than statistically representative findings.
Tulare’s Existing Communications Infrastructure
Before presenting gaps and opportunities, it is important to accurately reflect what the City already has in place. Tulare has established a citywide Communications Team with representatives from each department, chaired by the City Clerk. The purpose of this team is to ensure consistent messaging, support unified branding, coordinate information-sharing, and promote cross-department collaboration. Communications Team members are responsible for collecting relevant and timely information from their departments for dissemination.
Several departments operate their own social media channels — including Police, Fire, Parks & Recreation, and Library — with established practices for sharing department-specific information.
Departments that do not operate their own channels route content to the City Clerk for posting on citywide channels. This structure supports coordinated messaging and represents a meaningful communications foundation.
Departments are also responsible for maintaining and updating their own webpages and content, ensuring subject-matter accuracy. The City Clerk provides oversight of citywide communications, and the Communications Team provides structured cross-department coordination. This infrastructure — already in place — is the foundation on which the recommendations in this section are designed to build.
What Staff Told Us
Eight City staff participated in an internal survey. Their responses were candid and, on key issues, strikingly consistent.
• Limited staff capacity is the #1 barrier — cited by 6 of 8 respondents as the primary factor slowing communications.
• Spanish-language reach is not working: no respondent described current bilingual outreach as effective.
• Target audiences are inconsistently identified before launching communications — a governance gap, not a skills gap.
• Community feedback is used 'Sometimes' or less by 6 of 8 respondents — input gathered does not reliably reach decisions.
• Cross-department communication varies by situation — systems exist but are not yet governed by a formalized policy or supported by dedicated staffing. • Staff consistently and independently identified the need for a dedicated communications role with cross-departmental authority.
• Front-line City staff without email access are not consistently receiving internal communications, though departments do employ alternative practices including supervisor communication, printed notices, and team briefings.
IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 6
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Across all inputs, staff were consistently described as committed and resourceful; the primary constraint identified is structural capacity, not capability.
STAFF VOICE
"Create a full-time position that focuses on communications and coordinating with departments to meet their needs." — City Staff Survey Respondent
What Residents Told Us
Survey responses make clear that awareness — not disinterest — is the primary barrier to participation in City events and programs. More than half of respondents had never attended a City event, and the most common reason was simply that they did not know the events were happening.
Metric Finding
Have never attended a City event 66.1% of respondents
Primary reason for non-attendance "Didn't know about it" — 73.2% of non-attendees Do not know Adventist Amphitheater exists 35.5% of respondents Feel City programs are designed for them Only 50% said yes Preference for Spanish or bilingual events/
programs
44.9% of respondents
Primary information channel Social media — but 4 respondents hear about nothing at all
Top desired programming Concerts, cultural festivals, family events, vendor markets
Community Engagement Lab — February 24, 2026
31 community stakeholders — local business owners and residents from across Tulare, including east and west side participants recruited through prior IncludUs partnerships, personal invitations, and outreach with support from the Chamber and TBIZ — attended a bilingual listening session at TBIZ. Key findings:
• Unawareness of where to receive information and language inaccessibility were the top barriers to staying informed
• High barriers to City resources: permitting complexity, financial literacy gaps, and unawareness of available support; participants recommended a minority business program • Residents identified concerts as a missed opportunity: only 2 of 9 shows in the 2025 season were culturally coded for a community that is 63% Latino (note: this does not mean 63% of events need to be Latino-coded, but that average attendance should better reflect the community)
• Participants voiced desire for discounted resident tickets, vendor participation in events, and bilingual community communications including radio and podcast presence IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 7
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026
CRITICAL SIGNAL
The February 24 lab was described by multiple attendees as the first time the community felt the City was genuinely listening. This signals significant suppressed demand for meaningful civic engagement — demand that currently has nowhere to go.
Community Engagement Scorecard
The scorecard below reflects the current maturity of Tulare’s engagement infrastructure. Scores reflect where systems currently stand, not where they are headed. The recommendations in this section are designed to advance each category.
Category Score Evidence
Language Access & Cultural
Infrastructure
1 / 4 Bilingual events exist but no policy, standards, or accountability
Engagement Governance &
Ownership
2 / 4 Committees and hearings exist; no proactive
outreach planning
Trusted Messenger & Neighborhood
Systems
1 / 4 No ambassador program; engagement is
project-specific
Research Quality & Methods 2 / 4 Survey tools available for federal requirements; no ongoing resident research program
Compensation & Access 1 / 4 ADA compliance noted; no structured stipends, childcare support, or documented barrier
removal for voluntary civic participation
Feedback Loops & Accountability 1 / 4 No "You Said / We Did" mechanism; no trust or sentiment tracking
Overall Maturity: Level 1–2 (Foundational but not institutionalized). Tulare’s engagement infrastructure originated around compliance requirements and has not yet expanded into a comprehensive community partnership strategy.
Digital Infrastructure
The City has strong digital reach — 50,000+ followers across departments — but digital channels are currently weighted toward broadcast, with a clear opportunity to expand into two-way engagement and feedback.
The City’s e-notification system — which allows residents to sign up for automatic alerts when meetings and events are added to the City website — currently has approximately 217 subscribers.
This sign-up option is not prominently visible to residents. Note: this is a meeting/event alert system, not a City newsletter. The City does not currently offer a newsletter to the community. Both the limited reach of the e-notification system and the absence of a resident newsletter represent meaningful gaps in direct City-to-resident communication.
Department FB Followers IG Followers Bilingual Access Equity Gap City (Main) ~3,500 ~1,700 Auto-translate only Moderate
Police ~31,500 ~6,900 Occasional High
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Department FB Followers IG Followers Bilingual Access Equity Gap Fire ~7,500 ~2,400 None Critical
Parks & Recreation ~7,900 ~2,500 None High
Economic Development No active
accounts
0 None Critical - Gap
TBIZ ~50 ~30 None Critical
• No citywide platform strategy or governance
• Spanish access is reactive (auto-translate) rather than intentional design • Economic Development has no verified social media presence; TBIZ has approximately 50 Facebook and 30 Instagram followers — critically low for an economic development asset, and not yet supported by a content strategy or bilingual outreach • The website is difficult to navigate — residents cannot easily find where to get help, access services, or sign up to receive City communications What Other Cities Can Teach Us
The cities profiled below are not presented as direct comparators to Tulare in size or budget — but each offers a replicable model or practice that is directly applicable to Tulare’s current situation. The goal is to learn from what has worked elsewhere, adapted to Tulare’s scale and resources. • City of Salinas, CA — Dedicated Bilingual Engagement Role: Salinas created a dedicated bilingual communications coordinator with cross-departmental authority and adopted a formal language access policy. Cities that have taken this step document measurable increases in resident participation — particularly among Latino and Spanish-speaking populations. The Salinas model is the most direct comparator to Tulare's current situation: one role, clear authority, citywide reach. • City of Fresno, CA — One Fresno Engagement Framework: Fresno's Office of Community Affairs is developing a 'One Fresno' approach — dedicated community liaisons for multicultural populations, a unified communications calendar, language access standards, and a promotoras-style ambassador network. This directly informs the 'One Tulare' governance recommendation: a citywide policy that applies across departments rather than sitting inside any one of them.
• Los Angeles — MyLA311 / Multilingual Resident Feedback Platform: Los Angeles built a multilingual resident feedback platform — MyLA311 — in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese, allowing residents to report issues, rate services, and respond to short surveys with gamification to sustain engagement. This is the long-term model for a 'Voice of Tulare' platform. Tulare does not need to build this in Phase II — it needs to start with a simple bilingual form and a commitment to act on what it hears.
WHAT THESE MODELS HAVE IN COMMON
All three share the same starting point: a governance decision. One dedicated role with authority. A formal language access policy. A unified digital presence. A feedback loop. None of these cities built sophisticated systems overnight — but all of them made the structural decision IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 9
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 first, and the tools and accountability followed. That is what Phase I is designed to help Tulare do.
Recommendations: Community Engagement Systems
1. Expand and support the existing citywide Communications Team with dedicated staff capacity: The City already has a Communications Team chaired by the City Clerk, with representatives from each department. The highest-leverage next step is to evaluate additional staffing or dedicated communications capacity to support and expand this existing structure. This means designating (at minimum) one bilingual staff position or contracted resource with cross-departmental authority responsible for coordinating messaging, maintaining a shared content calendar, setting bilingual content standards, and ensuring consistent outreach. Without dedicated capacity, every other recommendation depends on individual staff goodwill rather than institutional design.
2. Adopt a formal Language Access Policy: Require proactive Spanish-language communications for all public-facing City content — not reactive translation or auto-translate after the fact. Set minimum bilingual standards per department, define accountability measures, and establish an annual review cycle. Tulare's current approach is not a language access policy. It is the absence of one. Note: development of this policy will require legal review, possible City Council approval, and administrative planning — this should be approached as a structured process.
3. Redesign the City's digital ecosystem — strategically, not all at once: Establish a unified content calendar, cross-linking strategy, and bilingual content standards. The City website should prominently feature a newsletter sign-up and resident notification enrollment — including a pop-up prompt for new visitors. Economic Development accounts should only be created once dedicated staff are in place to manage them consistently. An inactive account is worse than none. Any new channels (such as for the amphitheater) should complement the existing communications ecosystem.
4. Launch a 'One Tulare' Digital Enrollment Campaign: Run a targeted bilingual campaign — deployed at community events, schools, local businesses, and swap meets — to enroll residents in City newsletters, alerts, or a future Tulare app. Use trusted community messengers as primary distribution channels, with a simple gamification element to drive participation. The City's e-notification system currently reaches 217 subscribers for meeting and event alerts. Best practice is to expand this touchpoint into a full opt-in communications channel at the point of sign-up, allowing residents to choose the types of updates they receive (events, programs, business resources, civic news). Growing this list is the prerequisite for every other engagement action.
5. Install a resident feedback mechanism — simple form now, platform later: Embed a short bilingual feedback form on the City website and distribute via QR code at City-owned facilities and public events. As capacity grows, build toward a 'Voice of Tulare' platform modeled on LA's MyLA311. The near-term form starts the feedback habit and generates planning data the City currently lacks entirely.
6. Build toward two-way engagement on Economic Development platforms: Once a dedicated communications resource is in place with the capacity to respond, enable two-way participation on Economic Development digital channels — allowing residents and business owners to ask questions, share input, and receive direct responses. Two-way engagement IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 10
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 without response capacity creates more trust erosion than broadcast-only. Sequence matters.This would require an update to the social media policy.
7. Elevate the communications plan to a citywide governance document: The communications plan in development should become a formal City policy — with defined ownership, annual review cycles, bilingual standards, and cross-departmental accountability measures. It should not be a one-time project deliverable.
8. Equip staff with shared tools and training: Provide staff with practical infrastructure — Canva templates, a shared content calendar, bilingual graphics libraries, and written guidance on platform use and approval workflows.
9. Build a Community Ambassador (Promotora) model through community partners:
Recruit and support trusted messengers from within Tulare's neighborhoods — especially communities the City currently does not fully reach. This model can be built through a dedicated internal engagement lead, a contracted community engagement partner, or both until internal infrastructure is established.
10. Adopt NLC Inclusive Engagement Standards as a measurable baseline: Adopt the National League of Cities (NLC) Inclusive Engagement Standards as a measurable baseline. Five target standards for Phase II: proactive language access, barrier removal for participation, trusted messenger networks, closed-loop accountability ('You Said / We Did'), and ongoing participation tracking. Reaching three of five would represent a meaningful maturity advance and positions Tulare competitively for state and federal grants that require documented engagement equity.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Section 2: Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
TBIZ is one of the City's most significant economic development assets — a high-quality facility in the heart of downtown designed to support entrepreneurs across diverse industries, with an explicit commitment to serving immigrant, minority, and women-owned businesses. The City's original vision is strong. The recommendations in this section are not TBIZ-specific — they reflect a broader Economic Development opportunity to align the full range of City assets, programs, and partnerships behind that vision.
Important Context: TBIZ Is a New Program
TBIZ has been open for approximately eight months at the time of this evaluation. That context matters significantly for how these findings should be read. The gaps identified in this section — limited outreach, early-stage programming, developing data systems — are not surprising for a program in its first year of operation. They are characteristic of any new initiative still building its infrastructure, refining its model, and establishing community relationships.
The assessment here is not that TBIZ is failing. It is that TBIZ is early — and that the design decisions made in the next 12–18 months will determine whether it reaches the full breadth of the community it was built to serve. The recommendations in this section are offered in that spirit: as inputs to a program that has real potential and a strong foundation, at the moment when intentional design choices can still shape its trajectory.
KEY DIAGNOSTIC FINDING
For a program eight months into operation, TBIZ has meaningful assets already in place: a high-quality facility, established partnerships with the Chamber and SBDC, and clear City commitment to economic development. The opportunity identified in this evaluation is to intentionally expand the program's design — while there is still time to shape it — so that it reaches the full range of entrepreneurs the City originally envisioned serving, including informal, immigrant-owned, and early-stage businesses that are not yet system-ready.
Current Strengths
• High-quality physical facility with offices, shared workspace, training rooms, and meeting areas
• Formal partnership structure with Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
• SBDC offers multiple workshops for starting a business and provides one on one coaching to business owners on market analysis, capital access, business planning and more • Long-term lease stability and ability to program space for community-facing events • City investment signals commitment to entrepreneurship and small business growth • City is promoting inclusive economic growth, by having a 25 percent of tenant space reserved for immigrant-owned businesses metric, reflecting the City’s diverse population and significant seasonal workforce
Opportunities for Improvement
• TBIZ dedicated programming for start ups — an opportunity to strengthen operations and community responsiveness for training on how to start a business, licensing, etc. • An outreach strategy is in development, with an opportunity to formalize and expand bilingual and community-facing components including immigrant-specific programming — a significant opportunity given Tulare's business demographics IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 12
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 • City website lists TBIZ as a Business Accelerator and blends TBIZ coworking, makerspace and the accelerator as one.
• Current TBIZ Accelerator application requirements listed on the TBIZ website include a business plan, financial projections, and letters of recommendation — these may unintentionally create barriers for pre-formal and early-stage entrepreneurs who are the City's stated target population
• No intake data yet exists to track who inquires, who applies, or where drop-off occurs — establishing this baseline would allow the City to understand and improve access over time • The Makerspace is still being developed; once operational, a clear marketing strategy will be needed to activate it with the business community.
• Outreach currently relies on Chamber distribution lists, which primarily reach established businesses rather than emerging or informal entrepreneurs • Business owners across outreach channels reported going entirely without formal business support — self-guided and unaware of available resources. The gap is not reluctance; it is disconnection. Outreach that reaches business owners where they already are — through trusted community channels, in Spanish, at accessible hours — is the design requirement.
What Small Business Owners Told Us
Fifteen business interviews were conducted bilingually with Tulare-area entrepreneurs across sectors, stages, and backgrounds — including Latino-owned, immigrant-owned, informal, and women-owned businesses.
What Community Members Asked For What This Tells Us
Guidance on how to form a business Many entrepreneurs are pre-formal — operating informally and wanting a clear entry path
Help registering (licenses, permits) Permitting complexity is a documented drop-off point — especially without bilingual support.
Access to startup funding and
micro-grants
Capital access is the primary structural barrier for Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs
Access to legal places to sell goods or
test products
Demand for incubation-style markets and pop-up
opportunities is high and unmet
A minority business program with the City Community wants explicit City investment in underrepresented entrepreneurs
More marketing and digital training Entrepreneurs are interested in building their capacity More vendor opportunities at events Markets and pop-ups are a primary requested entry point for informal entrepreneurs
Clearer, simpler pathways into TBIZ Awareness of TBIZ is critically low across business owner outreach conducted through multiple channels —
including direct invitations, partner referrals, and
in-person engagement. Entrepreneurs are not
self-selecting out; they are simply not aware the resource exists; and then once aware they need a simple sign up
process
West side investment in businesses, food
and cleanliness
Perception of inequity, regardless of intent, directly
impacts participation, trust, and overall effectiveness of City investments.— west side entrepreneurs want
infrastructure near where they live and work
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Best Practice Models
Successful inclusive incubators share one design principle: they meet entrepreneurs where they are, rather than requiring business readiness as a condition of entry. The cities and markets below are not offered as direct comparators to Tulare in size, cost of living, or regional economy. They are offered for one reason only: each has solved the same design challenge Tulare faces — how to reach entrepreneurs who are not yet system-ready — and each has done it at a scale that produced documented results.
• La Cocina (San Francisco): A nonprofit incubator targeting immigrant women food entrepreneurs in San Francisco. No business plan required to begin: entrepreneurs enter through a low-barrier assessment. La Cocina has incubated over 140 enterprises since 2005, with 50+ businesses graduating to full independence. Spanish-first design is standard, not an add-on.
• CropCircle Kitchen (Boston): A shared-use food business incubator in Boston built on a low-barrier, peer-learning model. No business plan required for initial engagement. Shared equipment reduces startup costs, and programming scales as entrepreneurs develop.
Verified by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) as a best-practice model for inclusive incubation — 100+ companies launched in its first four years.
WHAT THESE MODELS HAVE IN COMMON
Every successful inclusive incubator builds a low-barrier entry track alongside its core programming — open houses, idea nights, Spanish-first workshops, no-application-required engagement. The goal is not to lower standards. It is to remove structural gatekeeping that has nothing to do with entrepreneurial potential.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS - Latino Business Ecosystem (UCLA/CalOSBA 2025):
Research from UCLA and CalOSBA (2025) confirms that Latino-owned businesses are the fastest-growing segment of California's small business economy. The primary barriers are not motivation or capacity — they are language access, awareness of available resources, and structural screening by systems that assume formal business readiness before entrepreneurs can engage.
Recommendations: Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
11. Expand the TBIZ Accelerator for broader access: Expand the TBIZ accelerator program to remove barriers such as the business plan and insurance requirements as conditions of entry. Potential design could include two eight week sessions, one in English and one in Spanish that includes business licensing, business plans, marketing, etc.
Establish target launch dates and participation goals — including specific targets for immigrant-owned, Latino-owned, and women-owned businesses. This expansion should be completed with clear milestones and reported to Economic Development on a defined basis.
12. Launch the TBIZ Network — free to join, flexible tiers: Launch the TBIZ Network — a free membership open to any Tulare entrepreneur, no application required. This could include invitation to limited events. Include a $50/month address subscription tier (mail only) for businesses that need a professional business address, and an online-only option for digital access to resources, workshops, and events. Modeled on shared workspace IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 14
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 membership platforms: residents can sign up online or walk in without a prior appointment or vetting process.
13. Remove vetting barriers across all access levels: Remove vetting requirements for all subscription and venue access levels. Policies and procedures should be clear, accessible, and self-serve — a prospective member should be able to sign up online or walk in and enroll the same day, without needing to schedule a separate appointment. The WeWork model is the reference: workspace and network access available on demand, with terms published clearly upfront.
14. Require annual outreach plan + monthly reporting and feedback loop to Economic Development: Require an annual outreach and engagement plan from TBIZ with defined audiences, bilingual materials, timeline, and performance milestones — submitted to Economic Development and reviewed against City equity goals. The plan should be accompanied by monthly activity reports covering: number of walk-ins and community conversations, reasons given by prospective members for not joining, and any barriers identified. A short feedback survey should be sent to all individuals who engaged but did not enroll — with results shared with the City — creating a continuous improvement loop that is City-accessible, not operator-held.
15. Anchor a Minority Business Program at Economic Development: Community members specifically called for a City-backed program for minority and immigrant entrepreneurs. The City’s role is to serve as the coordinator and connector — directing entrepreneurs to available resources across permitting, licensing, financing access, and business support networks — rather than delivering all services directly. This program belongs at the Economic Development level, not inside TBIZ alone. Examples from comparable California cities include navigator programs in Salinas and Oxnard that coordinate across city departments and external partners to serve immigrant entrepreneurs without requiring the City to build new service delivery capacity.
16. Advance the Tulare Marketplace concept as a Phase II priority: Connect TBIZ, Adventist Health Amphitheater, and downtown activation into a unified vendor market and economic participation platform — giving entrepreneurs a legal, accessible place to sell, test products, and grow. The Marketplace will support startups and existing businesses to obtain City of Tulare licenses and connect them to TBIZ for additional business support. In addition, this responds directly to documented community demand for a permanent tianguis-style marketplace (an open-air vendor market rooted in Latino cultural tradition).
17. Launch a West Side Food Truck & Vendor Pilot as an Economic Activation and Demand Research Initiative: Establish a regular food truck and vendor market on the west side — a designated location where food vendors, informal entrepreneurs, and small businesses have a legal and accessible place to sell food. The City’s role in this initiative is as facilitator and enabler: providing a designated City-owned location, working with partners on permitting pathways, and tracking utilization data. A nonprofit operator or community organization serves as the day-to-day organizer, consistent with how recurring vendor markets function in comparable cities. This is low-cost to launch for the City, community-responsive, and generates the demand and utilization data needed to determine whether a permanent structure or expanded program is warranted. Track participating businesses, weekly foot traffic, repeat participation rates, and reported barriers.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026
18. Leverage the Business License Application as an Economic Development Touchpoint: The City’s business license application process reaches every new business in Tulare — making it one of the most underutilized data collection and communication assets available. Recommendation: review the business license application form to capture structured data on business type, owner demographics (optional), language preference, and contact information. At the point of application, offer an opt-in for Economic Development updates, City business resources, TBIZ programming, and relevant City news. This converts a compliance touchpoint into a proactive outreach channel — reaching business owners at the moment they are most receptive to City support. Data collected should be used to build the City’s direct communications list for the business community and to inform future programming decisions. Implementation requires coordination between the City Clerk’s office, Economic Development, and TBIZ.
Section 3: The Dual Purpose of the Adventist Health
Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park
The Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park was designed with two distinct and equally important purposes: to serve as an economic engine for Tulare by attracting visitors from outside the city — generating hotel stays, restaurant traffic, retail spending, and sales tax revenue — and to function as civic infrastructure that serves Tulare residents directly.
Both purposes are legitimate. Both are necessary. And critically, they are not in conflict.
A commercially successful concert program that draws regional and national audiences generates the revenue and visibility that makes free civic programming financially sustainable. The paid concert season is not the problem — it is the foundation. The finding in this report is not that the venue should stop pursuing external audiences. It is that the civic function of the venue — programming for and by Tulare residents — has not yet been developed alongside the commercial function. A venue that does both is stronger on both dimensions: external visitors see a city that invests in its own culture, and residents see a city that uses its assets for their benefit.
The recommendations in this section are designed to build the civic layer without disrupting the commercial one. Free events, culturally aligned programming, and resident pricing strategies are not revenue sacrifices — they are audience development investments that expand the venue's total reach, deepen community ownership, and generate the local goodwill that sustains a venue's long-term viability.
These findings reflect system-level design conditions that shape outcomes across all partners. The current operator has delivered high-quality production and established a strong foundation for the venue. The recommendations that follow are intended to strengthen alignment between City goals, community demand, and long-term operator success. The Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park represents one of Tulare's most visible public investments — built on public land, with public funds, for the City of Tulare. It is a genuine community asset. The Phase I findings reveal that its current utilization pattern reflects a design and communications gap, not a community interest gap. The community wants to use this venue. They are not being reached.
Concert Attendance Demographics — 2025 Season
Demographic data from ticketing across all 9 shows in the 2025 season reveals a clear pattern about programming and community participation:
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Show Hispanic/Latino
Attendance
Note
Arriba Latin Music Festival 69.3% ← Culturally aligned programming was the most attended event with
1440 attendees
Los Lobos 55.0%
Sugarhill Gang 54.6%
Stevie's Petty Tribute 53.6%
Starship 50.2%
Toad the Wet Sprocket 49.6%
Clint Black 50.4%
Lonestar 49.8%
Dokken 49.4%
THE PROGRAMMING PROOF POINT
One culturally aligned show produced Latino attendance nearly 20 points above every other show — in a city that is 63% Latino. The current programming mix has strong alignment with certain audience segments, while presenting an opportunity to expand alignment with the City’s broader demographic composition. The venue demonstrates strong potential; expanding programming alignment represents a clear opportunity to increase utilization and community participation.
What Is and Isn't Working
FINDING
The venue has strong physical infrastructure
and high-quality production. Attendees
consistently describe the park itself as
beautiful.
IMPLICATION
Physical infrastructure is not the barrier.
Utilization is an awareness, access, and
programming alignment issue
FINDING
Community members raised cost,
awareness, and cultural relevance as the top
barriers to attending concerts.
IMPLICATION
Ticket pricing, advance notice, and programming
choices directly affect who attends. These are
design decisions — and can be redesigned
FINDING
Current marketing is released approximately
1 week before for ticket launch with 6 weeks
after and then 6 weeks before each event.
Currently there has been limited multicultural
radio and bilingual digital outreach. Ticketing
IMPLICATION
Lead time is not the issue — targeted,
multicultural outreach in the formats and
channels the community actually uses is more
important than timing. Spanish-language radio,
bilingual and culturally relevant social content,
and distribution through trusted community
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 platform isn’t a popular site with the Latino
community.
networks would perform better including paper
tickets locally
FINDING
The venue currently has approximately 5
local vendors at events produced by Spade
Entertainment, and no consistent bilingual
marketing strategy.
IMPLICATION
Expanding vendor participation and requiring
bilingual marketing are actionable improvements
that respond directly to documented community
demand
FINDING
10 of 15 residents interviewed said City
programming does not reflect their culture.
'There are 2 Latino events out of 9. That
says something.'
IMPLICATION
Programming alignment with community
demographics is the highest-leverage change
available to improve utilization of this asset
Best Practice Models
The examples below are not offered as direct size comparators to Tulare — they are offered as proven models with directly transferable practices, each adaptable to Tulare's scale and budget. • Levitt Pavilions (National Network — 50+ Cities): The Levitt Foundation supports free outdoor amphitheaters in cities comparable in size to Tulare — including Bethlehem PA, Pasadena CA, and Denver CO — with 40–50 free or low-cost concerts annually, community-curated programming, and local vendors at every event. In Denver's Ruby Hill neighborhood — a majority-Latino community — the model produced documented improvements in small business revenue and civic trust. The specific financial model cannot be assumed transferable to Tulare without further analysis — but the dual-track programming structure is directly applicable.
• Fresno / Chukchansi Park — Community Nights Model: Fresno's publicly subsidized venue adopted designated 'Community Nights' co-branded with cultural communities — Latino Heritage Night, Black Excellence Night, Family Night — with resident discount pricing.
Community organizations receive ticket blocks distributed through trusted networks:
churches, schools, and community centers. A direct model for Tulare's community pricing and distribution recommendations.
• Pease Park Conservancy (Austin, TX): A publicly owned park conservancy in Austin that developed a transparent, tiered venue access policy distinguishing commercial programming from civic use. Nonprofits and City departments access the venue at reduced or no cost for civic events. The dual-lane structure expanded community ownership of the venue without reducing commercial revenue. The governance model — not the budget scale — is what is transferable to Tulare.
WHAT THESE MODELS SHARE
Every best-practice venue operates on a dual-track model: a commercially programmed season that draws external visitors and generates economic activity for the surrounding city, and a civic programming layer that serves local residents directly. The commercial track funds the civic IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 18
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 track. The civic track builds the community ownership and cultural identity that makes the venue worth visiting. Tulare has the commercial track in place. The opportunity is to build the civic track alongside it — so that the Amphitheater is both an economic engine for Tulare and a cultural home for Tulare residents.
Community Expectations: Two Pathways, Not One
Community engagement revealed that Tulare residents hold two distinct expectations for cultural programming — and both are valid. A single model will not serve all communities:
LATINO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
• City-led cultural events (e.g., Día de
Tulare, Hispanic Business Expo) with
community engagement
• Culturally relevant programming at City
venues
• Better bilingual promotion and advance
information
• Accessible pricing and resident-focused
ticketing
• Vendor market activation at Zumwalt and
downtown
PORTUGUESE & BLACK COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK
• City funding and logistical support for
community-led events
• Cultural programming designed and led
by the community itself
• City as resource and enabler — not
organizer or controller
• Venue and City support available;
creative decisions stay with community
STRATEGIC IMPLICATION
Future programming and engagement strategy should include two distinct pathways. Pathway 1:
City-produced cultural programming designed with community input. Pathway 2: Community-led events supported by the City — where the City provides venue access, logistical support, and resources, but creative and organizational control remains with the community. This dual-pathway model expands the range of residents the City can meaningfully serve.
Recommendations: Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park
19. Establish a demographic-informed programming framework: Adopt a minimum standard: at least 3 culturally aligned shows annually, 1–2 youth-targeted shows, and 1 free or deeply discounted community night — grounded in the 2025 attendance data.
20. Introduce resident input into programming decisions: Implement a structured annual process for resident genre and artist input — similar to the Levitt Pavilions community-curated model — creating community stake in programming decisions.
21. Establish resident pricing and community ticket distribution: Establish a discounted pre-sale allocation for Tulare residents, and create ticket blocks for community organizations (churches, schools, community centers) to distribute through trusted networks — as the Fresno model demonstrates.
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22. Require annual marketing plan submission with multicultural standards, postering plan, and ambassador discount code program: Require the operator to submit a marketing plan to the City for each concert season — prior to execution — specifying media buy details, Spanish-language radio placements, bilingual digital content schedule, postering and flyer distribution plan (including locations and responsible parties), and ticket distribution strategy. The plan should include a resident discount code program: local businesses that post flyers and concert materials in their storefronts receive a discount code to share with customers — incentivizing grassroots distribution while giving residents a tangible benefit and a reason to engage. Community partner ambassadors should be included as a primary distribution channel, with a dedicated code that tracks reach and builds the case for ongoing investment in the ambassador network. Additionally, brand guidelines should be reviewed to establish consistency across the Adventist Health Amphitheater logo, Zumwalt Park logo, City logo, and artist placement on flyers and ads.
23. Expand local vendor participation: Expand vendor participation at concert events to include more local businesses, makers, and entrepreneurs — responding directly to community demand and creating economic activation alongside cultural programming.
24. Establish a City-owned venue website and social media presence: Create a City-controlled website and social media handle for Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park — immediately. Every follower, every piece of content, and every audience relationship currently built through concert promotion accrues to the operator, not the City. If the operator relationship were to change for any reason, the City would be starting from zero with no venue following, no content history, and no direct channel to the community that has been built around this public asset. A City-owned handle also enables the City to promote civic events, community programming, and non-concert use of the space — creating a complete picture of the venue that reflects its full public purpose, not only ticketed shows.
25. Launch a City-hosted or City-sponsored civic events calendar at the venue:
Program a City-hosted civic events calendar at the venue that is free or low-cost and reflects Tulare's cultural diversity. This creates a visible record that the City invests in and celebrates all of its communities — and balances the perception of the venue as purely a paid ticketed space. Proposed anchor events: Farmworker Celebration, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth, Movies in the Park, Portuguese Festival, El Grito (in partnership with the Mexican Consulate), Fall Festival, and Posada de Tulare. These events, promoted alongside paid concerts on a single City-owned platform, demonstrate that the Amphitheater belongs to Tulare — not just to those who can afford a ticket.
26. Publish a bilingual public venue access guide: Publish a simple, bilingual guide explaining how community organizations, nonprofits, and City departments can use the venue for civic events — making clear that the venue belongs to Tulare.
27. Introduce competitive benchmarking for production services: Production standards and pricing structures should be clearly defined and comparable across vendors to support both City and operator success. Require competitive bidding on production, janitorial, and security services. Production should be standardized and transparent — equipment removal fees should not be charged as a barrier to bringing in outside contractors. A single vendor controlling all production equipment creates cost dependency with no competitive pricing check. Competitive procurement on these services is both fiscally appropriate and may meaningfully reduce costs for the City and operator.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026
28. Engage a Latino talent buyer for Latino concert programming — complementing, not replacing, the existing operator: Engage a Latino talent buyer or concert promoter as a specialist partner specifically for Latino-coded programming — working alongside or in addition to the existing operator, not replacing them. A talent buyer with established relationships in regional and national Latin music markets will have access to better artist pricing, stronger negotiating leverage, and more culturally informed booking options than a generalist promoter handling one or two Latino shows per season. This is a cost-efficiency, quality, and cultural alignment recommendation. The operator relationship remains intact; this adds specialist capacity for a segment of the programming where demand is documented and current results leave room for improvement.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Section 4: Cross-Cutting Findings
Across all four research domains — community engagement systems, TBIZ, the Amphitheater, and digital infrastructure — five structural themes appear consistently. These are system-level design patterns that explain why Tulare's public investments are not yet generating proportional community return.
FINDING
Many of the City's systems were designed
prior to Tulare's current demographic
realities.
IMPLICATION
63% Latino, median age 29, 18.9% foreign-born.
Programming, outreach tools, and engagement
formats need demographic realignment across
every system.
FINDING
The community has interest. The barrier is
awareness and access, not motivation.
IMPLICATION
66.7% of residents have never attended a City
event. 73.1% of non-attendees cite not knowing
about it. The February 24 lab was the first time
many felt genuinely heard. Demand is real and
suppressed.
FINDING
Data and feedback infrastructure is currently
limited and presents a significant opportunity
for development.
IMPLICATION
No attendance tracking by zip code. No TBIZ
utilization data. No resident feedback loops. No
trust metrics. Limited data infrastructure
currently constrains the City's ability to measure
participation and outcomes.
FINDING
Engagement is currently driven more by
individual staff effort than by fully
institutionalized systems
IMPLICATION
The staff are doing their best. When they leave,
the engagement capacity leaves with them. A
system does not depend on any one person.
Tulare needs a system.
FINDING
West side neighborhoods feel underserved
and geographically excluded from City
investment.*
IMPLICATION
Multiple community members raised concerns
about equity of investment, cleanliness, and
programming on the west side. These concerns
indicate a perceived trust and equity gap —
addressing it is a prerequisite for citywide
engagement.
*Note: Future engagement should probe more specifically what residents mean — distinguishing public realm maintenance (City responsibility) from private property upkeep, and clarifying that alley maintenance is the adjacent property owner's responsibility under current municipal code.
Recurring Community Observation: West Side Investment Perception IncludUs Labs | www.includus.org | Prepared for the City of Tulare 22
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Across community interviews, resident surveys, and the Engagement Lab, west side residents and business owners raised the following concerns — consistently and without prompting:
● Requests for more grants and dedicated support for west side businesses ● Concerns about cleanliness and maintenance in west side neighborhoods ● Requests for more events, programming, and economic activation on the west side ● Interest in a food truck park or business corridor as a west side economic anchor ● Perception that downtown investment has come at the expense of west side investment These observations are documented here because they surfaced repeatedly across multiple independent research formats and represent a pattern of community sentiment that is relevant to engagement strategy. They are presented as community perception — not as a conclusion that the City has underinvested in west Tulare.
The City of Tulare has noted that capital infrastructure investment is distributed equitably across the city, and that public safety expenditure in west Tulare is higher than in other areas due to documented need. The perception gap residents are experiencing appears to reflect the relative absence of private sector investment in west Tulare, rather than a shortfall in City investment.
COMMUNITY OBSERVATION
Residents who feel their neighborhood is overlooked are less likely to participate in City programs and events — regardless of the underlying investment facts. Communicating the City's actual investment record clearly and consistently in west Tulare is itself a community engagement strategy. The food truck park, business corridor, and expanded west side programming concepts referenced by community members are noted here for City consideration as part of broader Phase II planning.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Section 5: Recommended Phase II Priorities
Without structural adjustments, the City is likely to continue investing in programs and assets that do not fully reach or engage the majority of residents — limiting both community impact and return on public investment. Phase II is designed to address this gap directly. Based on this diagnostic, Phase II should be sequenced as follows. These priorities are ordered by their role as prerequisites — each one enables the ones that follow. The recommendation number in parentheses references the original numbered recommendation in the section above where the full detail appears. # Action Why It Matters
1 Adopt Community Outreach
& Engagement Strategy +
Language Access Policy +
Add Staff Capacity (Recs 1,
2, 7)
The governance foundation everything else depends on.
Gives the City shared standards, bilingual requirements, and accountability structure across all departments.
Requires at minimum hiring a communications lead with
cross-departmental authority — without dedicated staff
capacity, every other recommendation depends on
individual goodwill rather than institutional design.
2 Launch 'One Tulare' Digital
Enrollment Campaign with
Metrics (Recs 4, 18)
The City cannot communicate with residents it cannot
reach. Building a direct, bilingual, opt-in channel —
growing the 217-subscriber list — is the prerequisite for every other engagement action. This requires a
marketing campaign, Community Ambassador Model
(see Appendix C) and incentivized engagement. Track
progress through community engagement metrics - see
Appendix E for recommended Metrics Framework.
Launch Business License Application as Economic
Development Touchpoint (Rec 18) to add all businesses
as a part of the subscriber list.
3 Establish City-Owned Venue
Website + Social Media
Handle (Rec 24)
Immediately secures a permanent City-owned audience
asset. Every follower built through concert promotion
currently accrues to the operator — not the City. Also
becomes the platform for the civic events calendar.
4 Expand TBIZ Accelerator +
Launch TBIZ Network (Recs
11, 12, 13)
Remove application barriers, launch free membership
with $50/month address subscription tier, enable
same-day sign-up online or in person. Establishes TBIZ
as a resource for all Tulare entrepreneurs, not only the system-ready.
5 Launch City-Hosted Civic
Events Calendar at Zumwalt
(Rec 25) — In Progress
Farmworker Celebration, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth,
Portuguese Festival, El Grito (with Mexican Consulate), Posada en Tulare — free and low-cost City-produced
events on the City-owned platform alongside paid
concerts.
6 Require Marketing Plan
Submission + Engage Latino
Talent Buyer (Recs 22, 28)
Marketing plan required before each season — covering
Spanish radio, bilingual digital, postering and flyer
distribution plan, and resident/ambassador discount code program. The Latino talent buyer (recommended for
2027) adds specialist expertise alongside the existing
operator — not replacing them — for better pricing and
culturally aligned programming.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 # Action Why It Matters
7 Deploy Citywide Community
Survey as a part of One
Tulare campaign (Rec 5)
Establishes baseline trust, participation, and access data for grant competitiveness and Phase II design.
8 Advance Tulare Marketplace
as Phase II Activation (Rec
16)
Connects TBIZ, Adventist Health Amphitheater, and
downtown. Responds directly to community demand for a
permanent vendor market and accessible economic
participation.
9 Adopt NLC Inclusive
Engagement Standards as
Measurable Baseline by 2027
(Rec 10)
Positions Tulare competitively for state and federal grants requiring documented engagement equity. The five
standards are: (1) proactive language access, (2) barrier removal for participation, (3) trusted messenger networks - Community Ambassador Network, (4) closed-loop
accountability ('You Said / We Did'), and (5) ongoing
participation tracking. Reaching three of five is the Phase II target. See Appendix D for full NLC framework detail. 10 Establish
Demographic-Informed
Programming Framework for
Amphitheater in 2027 (Rec
19)
At least 3 culturally aligned shows, 1–2 youth shows, and 1 community night annually — grounded in 2025 data.
See Appendix B for the full concert culture and genre
framework. Note: the 2027 season calendar is already in process; a fun end-of-year resident poll on artist
preferences for future seasons — with no guarantees —
builds community investment in programming without
binding the operator.
CLOSING NOTE
This diagnostic does not conclude that Tulare is failing its community. It concludes that Tulare is ready. The assets are here. The community is here. The interest and goodwill are documented.
What Phase I has established is the map — where the design gaps are and what closing them would produce. Phase II is about closing those gaps, deliberately and measurably, in a way that makes every City investment work harder for every Tulare resident.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Appendix A: Research Methods & Sources
The findings in this report are grounded in multiple, independently collected primary sources. Where assessments identified structural gaps — in bilingual access, feedback loops, TBIZ awareness, or Amphitheater cultural relevance — staff, business owners, and residents confirmed the same gaps independently and in their own words. This convergence across analyst observation, staff self-report, business owner experience, and resident lived experience is the evidential foundation of the recommendations.
IncludUs Labs applied qualitative analysis protocols to all primary data. Interview notes were reviewed for thematic convergence across respondents and cross-referenced against three internal diagnostic assessments. Findings reflect that convergence — not any single source.
Source Sample / Method Key Corroborating Finding
City Staff Survey n=8, written survey,
cross-departmental,
Jan–Mar 2026
Zero staff rated Spanish-language outreach as
effective. Capacity constraints — not intent —
are the primary barrier.
City Staff
Interviews
n=10, in-depth interviews,
Jan–Feb 2026
Engagement depends on individual staff effort,
not system design. Feedback from residents
rarely reaches decision-making.
Business Owner
Interviews
n=15, bilingual interviews,
Feb 2026
13 of 15 unaware of TBIZ. High demand
confirmed for bilingual, low-barrier business
support. Immigrant and informal entrepreneurs
self-select out before applying.
Resident Survey n=78, bilingual, 94%
Hispanic or Latino/a/x, Feb
2026
58% had not attended a City event. 29% did not
know the Amphitheater existed. Top barrier:
awareness.
Resident Interviews n=15, bilingual, Feb 2026 10 of 15 said City programming does not reflect their culture. West side equity concerns raised
by 12 of 15 without prompting.
Community
Engagement Lab
n=31 stakeholders, TBIZ,
Feb 24 2026
Language inaccessibility #1 barrier. First-time
feeling of being heard by the City. Strong
demand for vendor markets and culturally
relevant programming.
Concert Operator
Interview
Spade Entertainment
leadership, Feb 2026
Confirmed marketing gaps, limited vendor
participation, and acknowledged need for
stronger City oversight over communications
and marketing planning.
Concert
Demographic Data
9 shows, 2025 season,
ticketing records
Arriba Latin: 69.3% Latino. All other shows:
49–55%. Cultural programming alignment drives
attendance.
Digital
Communications
Assessment
Citywide, IncludUs Labs,
Feb 2026
50,000+ followers but engagement is
broadcast-only; no bilingual design; no feedback
pathways. Website difficult to navigate; 217
newsletter subscribers.
Community
Engagement
IncludUs Labs, Jan–Feb
2026
Level 1–2 across most domains. Engagement is
compliant and project-oriented, not strategic or
sustained.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Source Sample / Method Key Corroborating Finding
Maturity
Assessment
TBIZ Program
Access &
Utilization
Assessment
IncludUs Labs, Feb 2026 Level 2 maturity. Physical infrastructure exceeds current utilization. Programming does not reflect
the full community.
National Best
Practices Research
Levitt Foundation, ICIC,
SBAN, UCLA/CalOSBA
Latino SME Report 2025,
McKinsey Latino SME
Report 2024
Peer city models confirm community benefit
requirements, programming alignment, and
low-barrier access are the key design variables.
City Demographic
Data
US Census ACS
2022–2024, Neilsberg,
City-Data
63% Latino, median age 29, 18.9% foreign-born.
Infrastructure and programming design lags this
demographic reality.
Appendix B: Concert Culture & Genre Framework —
Recommendation for Consideration
This appendix provides a recommended programming framework for the Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park, grounded in Tulare's demographic profile and the attendance data from the 2025 concert season. It is offered as a starting point for discussion — not a binding schedule. Programming decisions remain with the operator; this framework establishes the community benefit expectations the City should seek to build into future agreements.
Demographic Foundation
Tulare is 63% Latino, with a median age of 29 and a population of 70,000+. The 2025 season demonstrated clearly that culturally aligned programming drives participation: the one Latino-coded show (Arriba Latin) produced 69.3% Latino attendance, nearly 20 points above every other show. A programming framework designed for Tulare's actual population — not a hypothetical audience — is both the equitable and the financially sound approach.
Recommended Annual Programming Mix (8–10 Paid Shows + Free Events) Category Recommended
Minimum
Rationale
Regional Mexican / Banda /
Cumbia / Norteno / Latino
3 shows Reflects city demographics (63% Latino);
proven highest-attendance category per 2025
data.
Rock / Classic Rock /
Alternative
1-2 shows Strong existing audience base; current
programming demonstrates sustained
demand from Tulare's non-Latino population
segments.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Category Recommended
Minimum
Rationale
Country / Americana 1–2 shows Established audience with Clint Black, Lonestar; retains programming that currently
works while balancing overall mix.
R&B / Hip Hop / Soul /
Gospel
1 show Responds to Sugarhill Gang-level attendance;
serves community that expressed desire for
City as facilitator rather than organizer.
Youth/Family 1 show Builds the next generation of attendees and/or family accessible programming.
Resident-nominated /
Community-voted
1 show End-of-year poll for following season — no
guarantees, builds investment.
City-Hosted Free & Low-Cost Civic Events
Event Suggested Timing City Role
Farmworker Celebration April City-produced with community partners; free admission; honors agricultural heritage
Cinco de Mayo May City as facilitator and venue provider; community-led programming
Juneteenth June City as facilitator and venue provider; community-led programming
Portuguese / Brazilian
Heritage Festival
Summer City as facilitator and venue provider;
community-led programming
El Grito de Independencia September 15–16 In partnership with Mexican Consulate; City provides venue and logistics
Holiday Winter Market December City-produced; free admission; family-oriented holiday activation
Posada en Tulare December City as facilitator and venue provider; community-led programming; family-oriented
holiday activation
NOTE ON SCHEDULING
The 2026 paid concert season calendar is understood to be in process. This framework is intended to inform future contract negotiations and civic event planning — not to disrupt existing bookings. The resident artist preference poll is recommended as a fun, low-stakes engagement tool at the end of each season: collect input on genres and artists for consideration in future seasons, with clear communication that submissions inform but do not guarantee programming.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Appendix C: Community Ambassador Network — Model for
Consideration
This appendix outlines a preliminary model for a City of Tulare Community Ambassador Network. It is offered for City leadership consideration and is intended to be refined through community validation in Phase II. A full Stakeholder Map — identifying specific community organizations, trusted messengers, and neighborhood anchors — is available as a separate document and can be linked or attached upon request.
Purpose
The Community Ambassador Network extends the City's reach into neighborhoods and communities it currently does not fully serve — through relationships that already exist, plus new ones built from scratch. Ambassadors are trusted members of their communities who serve as a two-way bridge: distributing City information outward, and bringing community feedback back in.
The network costs the City very little. Its value is in the trust it carries.
Core Functions
• Distribute City communications — event flyers, program announcements, enrollment campaigns — through trusted personal and organizational networks • Share ambassador-specific discount codes for City events, giving their community members a tangible benefit and the City a way to track reach and attribution • Post and place physical materials (flyers, posters) at community gathering points — churches, barbershops, laundromats, schools, markets
• Collect and relay community feedback — what residents are asking, what barriers they're experiencing, what they want — back to the City engagement function • Serve as bilingual connectors at City events, helping Spanish-speaking residents navigate programs and feel welcomed
Recommended Structure
Element Recommendation
Recruitment Partner with trusted organizations already serving target communities — churches, nonprofits, schools, cultural organizations — rather than recruiting individuals cold. See potential stakeholder map here.
Compensation Stipend-based ($50–$100/month) or recognition-based (event access, gift cards, free event tickets for staff or for raffles, public acknowledgment) depending on City capacity; stipends preferred for sustained engagement Coordination Managed by the City's communications lead or a contracted community engagement partner; not volunteer-dependent without staff oversight Training Orientation on City programs, bilingual materials, feedback protocols, and discount code distribution — 2–4 hours initially, monthly touchpoints Accountability Monthly check-ins; simple activity log (materials distributed, conversations held, feedback collected); City retains access to all data Scale Start with 10–20 ambassadors and/or partners geographic and demographic segments; scale based on demonstrated reach and feedback volume
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026
CONNECTION TO MARKETING STRATEGY
Ambassadors are not a substitute for paid media — they are a force multiplier for it. When the City runs a marketing campaign, ambassadors extend it into networks that paid media does not reach. When the City hosts an event, ambassadors drive attendance through personal invitation.
The discount code program gives ambassadors something concrete to offer — and gives the City real data on which networks are producing results.
Appendix D: NLC Inclusive Engagement Standards — Detail The National League of Cities (NLC) has developed a framework of inclusive community engagement standards adopted by cities across the country. These standards provide a measurable, nationally recognized baseline that positions municipalities competitively for state and federal grants requiring documented engagement equity. Recommendation 10 calls for Tulare to adopt these standards as a Phase II target, with the goal of reaching three of five by the end of Phase II.
The five standards are described below, with their current status in Tulare and the Phase II action required to reach compliance.
Standard What It Requires Tulare Current
Status
Phase II Action
1. Proactive
Language
Access
All public-facing
communications
available in the primary
languages of the
community — by
design, not on request.
Includes written
materials, digital
content, public
meetings, and service
delivery.
Not yet in place —
reliance on
auto-translate and ad
hoc staff effort.
Budget meetings
currently being
advertised are not
bilingual.
Adopt Language Access
Policy (Rec 2); hire bilingual
communications lead (Rec 1)
2. Barrier
Removal for
Participation
Active removal of
structural barriers to
civic participation —
including childcare,
transportation,
scheduling, and
accessibility
accommodations.
Compensation for
community time when
requested.
ADA compliance
acknowledged; no
broader barrier
removal mechanisms
documented
Build barrier removal into
engagement events; consider
stipends for sustained
participants through
Community Engagement Lab
and survey processes
3. Trusted
Messenger
Networks
Formal relationships
with trusted community
organizations and
individuals who serve
as bridges between the
City and underserved
Ad hoc and
project-specific; no
formal ambassador or
promotora program
Launch Community
Ambassador Network (Rec 9,
Appendix D); formalize
relationships with existing
community partners
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Standard What It Requires Tulare Current
Status
Phase II Action
populations.
Documented, sustained
— not project-specific.
4. Closed-Loop
Accountability
('You Said / We
Did')
A documented, public
mechanism that shows
residents how their
input has influenced
City decisions. Closes
the feedback loop and
builds trust over time.
Not currently in place
— no public reporting
mechanism exists.
The new strategic tool
could potentially be a
solution.
Implement 'You Said / We Did'
reporting as part of the
feedback mechanism (Rec 5);
include in communications
plan governance document
(Rec 7)
5. Ongoing
Participation
Tracking
Regular measurement
of who is participating in
City engagement — by
demographic,
geography, and method
— with results used to
adapt outreach strategy.
Not in place — no
consistent
demographic tracking
of event attendance,
survey respondents,
or program
participants
Build tracking into One Tulare
enrollment campaign (Rec 4);
require demographic reporting
in TBIZ outreach plan (Rec
14); establish citywide survey
baseline (Rec 5)
GRANT COMPETITIVENESS NOTE
Multiple state and federal funding streams — including HUD Community Development grants, California's Community Economic Resilience Fund, and USDA Rural Development programs — now require or give preference to applicants with documented inclusive engagement practices.
Adopting NLC standards, even partially, gives the City a credible, nationally recognized framework to cite in grant applications and positions Tulare as a leader among Central Valley municipalities in community engagement infrastructure.
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Appendix E: Metrics & Evaluation Dashboard Framework
This framework is a Phase I contractual deliverable. It provides the City of Tulare with a lean, manageable system for tracking community engagement participation and sentiment — without requiring complex technology or significant additional staff capacity. It is designed to start simple and scale as the City's engagement infrastructure matures.
Part 1: Core KPI Set
The following KPIs are recommended as the City's baseline engagement metrics. They are measurable with existing tools, reportable on a quarterly basis, and directly tied to the engagement gaps identified in this diagnostic.
KPI What It Measures Data Source Target (Phase II)
Newsletter /
notification
subscribers
Direct City
communication
reach
City email/SMS
platform
1,000+ by end of Phase II (from
217 baseline)
Event attendance —
total & by zip code
Participation
volume and
geographic equity
Event sign-in /
ticketing data
Baseline established in Year 1;
growth tracked quarterly
% of attendees by
demographic
Demographic
alignment of
programming
Voluntary intake
form at events
Trending toward community
demographics (63% Latino)
Bilingual content
published per
department per
quarter
Language access
progress
Communications
lead tracking
100% of public-facing content
bilingual by end of Phase II
Feedback form
responses per quarter
Community
sentiment data
volume
Online form +
QR code
submissions
50+ responses per quarter by end
of Phase II
'You Said / We Did'
actions completed
Closed-loop
accountability
Communications
lead log
At least 2 documented per quarter
with communications
TBIZ network and
new network
enrollments
Business
ecosystem access
TBIZ monthly
activity report
(Rec 14)
50 in TBIZ network plus 20 total
Flex Desk+ by end of Phase II with
a 40% minority owned business
designation
Ambassador network
reach (materials
distributed, codes
used)
Grassroots
outreach
effectiveness
Ambassador
activity log +
discount code
tracking
Baseline established in Year 1;
growth tracked quarterly
Business license
opt-ins
Economic
Development
communication
reach
City Clerk /
Economic
Development
tracking
Target (Phase II): Baseline
established in Year 1; target 30%+
opt-in rate
Part 2: Short Bilingual Feedback Form Template
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 The following template is designed for use at City events, on the City website, and via QR code at City-owned facilities. It should be available in English and Spanish simultaneously — not as separate versions, but as a single bilingual form. Target completion time: under 3 minutes.
CITY OF TULARE — COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FORM | FORMULARIO DE COMENTARIOS
COMUNITARIOS
1. How did you hear about this event or program? | ¿Cómo se enteró de este evento o programa?
□ Social media □ Friend/family □ Flyer/poster □ City website □ Community organization □ Other: ___________
2. How would you rate today's event or program? | ¿Cómo calificaría el evento o programa de hoy?
□ Excellent / Excelente □ Good / Bueno □ Fair / Regular □ Poor / Malo
3. Did you feel welcome and represented? | ¿Se sintió bienvenido/a y representado/a? □ Yes / Sí □ Somewhat / Más o menos □ No □ Not sure / No estoy seguro/a
4. What would make City events or programs better for you and your family? | ¿Qué mejoraría los eventos o programas de la Ciudad para usted y su familia?
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Would you like to receive updates from the City of Tulare? | ¿Le gustaría recibir actualizaciones de la Ciudad de Tulare?
□ Yes — Email: ___________________________ □ Yes — Text/SMS:
___________________________ □ No thanks
6. Zip code (optional): ___________ Preferred language / Idioma preferido: □ English □ Español □ Other: ___________
Thank you! Your feedback shapes City programs. | ¡Gracias! Sus comentarios dan forma a los programas de la Ciudad.
Part 3: One-Page Quarterly Reporting Format
The following format is recommended for quarterly reporting to City leadership on community engagement progress. It is designed to be completed in under one hour by the communications lead using data collected through the KPI tracking system above.
Section Content
Quarter & Period Q[X] — [Month Year] through [Month Year] Headline Number Total residents reached this quarter (events + newsletter + survey) Participation Snapshot Events held: [N] | Total attendance: [N] | New newsletter subscribers: [N] | Feedback forms collected: [N]
Demographic Reach % Latino/a attendees: [X%] | % Spanish-language forms submitted: [X%] | Zip codes represented: [list]
Language Access
Progress
Bilingual content pieces published by department: [table] | Translation requests fulfilled: [N]
Community Feedback
Summary
Top 3 themes from feedback forms this quarter: [bullets] | Sentiment trend:
Positive / Mixed / Improving
'You Said / We Did' Input received: [summary] | City action taken: [summary] | Communicated back to community: Yes / Pending
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TULARE AVANZA INITIATIVE | Phase I Findings & Recommended Path Forward | City Council | May 2026 Section Content
TBIZ Network New enrollments: [N] | Walk-ins: [N] | Top reason for not joining:
[summary] | Feedback survey response rate: [X%]
Ambassador Network Materials distributed: [N] | Discount codes redeemed: [N] | Top performing ambassador channels: [list]
Looking Ahead Priority actions for next quarter: [3 bullets] | Upcoming events: [list] Business License
Opt-ins
New opt-ins this quarter: [N] | Cumulative total: [N] | Top requested communication types
NOTE ON COMPLEXITY
This framework is intentionally lean. It does not require a dedicated dashboard tool, CRM, or data analyst to implement. A shared spreadsheet maintained by the communications lead, combined with the feedback form and quarterly template above, is sufficient to begin. The goal in Phase II is to establish the habit and baseline — not to build a perfect system. Sophistication can be added once the City has 2–3 quarters of baseline data.
Appendix F: Partner Responses to Phase I Findings
As part of the Phase I review process, IncludUs Labs invited written responses from key implementation partners — Spade Entertainment and the Tulare Chamber of Commerce / TBIZ — to ensure that partner perspectives were part of the public record presented to City Council. Both responses are included below in full and unedited.
These responses are presented without editorial comment. The Council is invited to consider them alongside the Phase I findings as part of its deliberations on the recommended path forward.
Response from Tulare Chamber of Commerce:
COMMENTS ON AVANZA STUDY FINDINGS
In follow-up to our meeting, below are some of the observations we have made with regard to the study, and as discussed. In general, we feel that more clarity and information was needed beyond the viewing of website details. Though not comprehensive, we hope these requested comments from our conversation may provide additional clarity and assistance in the reporting process and initiative development.