Visalia City Council
707 W. Acequia
Visalia, CA 93291
Visalia City Council
City Council
Meeting Minutes - Final
Mayor Steve Nelsen
Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian
Council Member Greg Collins
Council Member Brett Taylor
Council Member Liz Wynn
7:00 PM City Council ChambersMonday, August 15, 2022
ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m.
Mayor Steve Nelsen, Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, Council Member Brett Taylor, and Council Member Liz Wynn
Present:
Council Member Greg CollinsAbsent:
CALL TO ORDER WORK SESSION - 4:30 PM
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Citizens are now invited to comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City Council. The Council asks that you keep your comments concise and positive. Creative criticism, presented with appropriate courtesy, is welcome.
Each speaker will be allowed three minutes and a timer will notify you when your time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your city of residence.
WORK SESSION AND ACTION ITEMS (as described)
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2022
1. 22-0294New Employee Introductions:
Convention Center:
Mike Kaiser - Convention Center Operation Supervisor
Heriberto (Beto) Rodriguez - Facility Services Technician Mitchell Oliveira - Facility Services Technician
Frank Armenta - Facility Services Technician
CIP Engineering:
Jaklin Rowley, Assistant Engineer
Alejandro Ortega, Associate Engineer
Cody McLaughlin, Assistant Engineer
Corey McIntyre, Public Works Inspector
Orlando Rosales, Engineering Technician
Police Department:
Connor Smythe, Police Officer
Derek Steidley, Police Officer
John Taylor, Police Officer
Tyler Trowbridge, Parking Enforcement Officer
Catalina Garcia, Assistant Communications Operator, VPD was added to the employee introductions.
2. 22-0300Receive staff presentation and provide comment and/or direction on Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 10.16.210 Parking
Commercial Vehicles in Residential Districts.
Tracy Robertshaw, Neighborhood Preservation and Paul Bernal, Community Development Director, provided the presentation to Council regarding the need to update the ordinance regarding parking commercial vehicles in a residential zone.
Comments by Council with direction to staff regarding for municipal code
10.16.210; parking commercial vehicles in residential districts.
Don Celillo and Gino Caggiano addressed Council with their concerns about the new parking ordinance. They both have commercial vehicles that need to be brought home and parked in a residential zone.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Brett Taylor, to approve with the direction from Council. The motion carried by the following vote:
Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, and Liz WynnAye:
Greg CollinsAbsent:
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2022
3. 22-0318Confirm approval of a cooperative agreement with Caltrans to receive $48,000 through the Clean California State Initiative to support Dump On Us event operations throughout FY22-23.
Jason Serpa, Public Works Manager, provided the overview of the Dump On Us statistics.
Cal Trans provided an event in Madera, Delano, and Exeter and Hanford and Corcoran area. These events were not as successful as the Visalia Dump on Us events.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, and Liz WynnAye:
Greg CollinsAbsent:
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION - 6:00 PM (Or, immediately following Work Session)
The work session was adjourned at 5:08 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
INVOCATION
ITEMS OF INTEREST
PUBLIC COMMENTS
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2022
This is the time for citizens to comment on subject matters that are not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City Council. The Council asks that you keep your comments brief and positive. Creative criticism, presented with appropriate courtesy, is welcome.
This is also the time for citizens to request an item from the Consent Calendar be pulled for discussion purposes. Public comments related to all pulled Consent Calendar items and Regular or Public Hearing items listed on the agenda will be heard at the time that item is discussed or when the Public Hearing is opened.
Each speaker will be allowed three minutes, and a timer will notify you when your time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your city of residence.
The Environmental Alliance honored the Ranier family for their efforts to recycle. Wilson Ranier thanked the Alliance and Council.
Pastor Isabelle expressed concern about the treatment of homeless individuals by police officers and various individuals in the parks.
Bobby (no last name provided) Visalia, is homeless and the police keep moving homeless people. They do not have any resources. The Hope team moved her along from the area and told her to move back to Tulare. She video taped the officer who told her to move.
Valerie Ortega, Visalia, stated she is almost homeless and would like to know about the resources that are available to un housed citizens. People are dying out there on the streets.
If the CARE program is available, please provide the resources available that were promised in 2020.
Gwen Schrenk, Visalia, stated we should encourage each other to work together. If anyone needs a safe place to come to the second floor of the Transit Center. Encourage everyone to work together, problem solve and provide solutions.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Consent Calendar items are considered routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these matters unless a request is made and then the item will be removed from the Consent Calendar to be discussed and voted upon by a separate motion.
Item 2 pulled by Councilmember Brett Taylor.
A motion was made by Council Member Taylor, seconded by Vice Mayor Poochigian, to approve the Consent Calendar. Item 2 was pulled for separate discussion and vote. The motion carried by the following vote:
Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, and Liz WynnAye:
Greg CollinsAbsent:
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2022
1. 22-0320Authorization to read ordinances by title only.
2. 22-0281Authorize the City Manager to approve payment to California Water Service in the amount of $155,731 for the installation of six fire hydrants and one irrigation service along Riggin Ave between Akers St and Demaree St.
Councilmember Taylor commented about the cost of the fire hydrants. What is the reason for the high cost?
Frank Senteno, City Engineer, explained the city staff tried to negotiate the cost with the Cal Water Service.
Steven Johnson, Cal Water, the cost is in a set formula by the CPUC and these hydrants require cutting which drives up the cost.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Councilmember Brett Taylor, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, and Liz WynnAye:
Greg CollinsAbsent:
3. 22-0289Adopt Resolution 2022-48 authorizing City Manager to execute Reimbursement Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad
Company for the engineering services associated with the design of the Goshen Trail Reconstruction Project. (Project Number 2420-72000/CP8130-999)
4. 22-0292Authorize airport staff to conditionally accept a federal grant in the amount of $121,500 to fund a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) required Pavement Maintenance
Management Plan (PMMP).
5. 22-0295Adopt Resolution 2022-49 authorizing City Manager to submit a grant application to the Department of Water Resources for the South Linwood Emergency Drought Project in the amount of $827,580 and appropriate grant funds, contingent upon award.
6. 22-0317Authorize staff to conduct a citywide rebranding process, authorize staff to amend the current contract with We The Creative for brand research and development services, and appropriate $100,000 to cover the cost of the contract.
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2022
7. 22-0296Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with JLB Traffic Engineering for professional consulting services for the Demaree Street, Houston Avenue, and Ben Maddox Avenue
Traffic Signal Interconnect Improvements Project in the amount not to exceed $122,908.59.
8. 22-0304Authorization to accept delivery and issue Notice of Completion for the purchase of thirteen (13) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) solid waste vehicles from E.M. Tharp of Porterville, CA.
Vehicles were partially funded by a $2,305,000 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant.
9. 22-0310Consideration of a Mural Application request from Valley Oak Credit Union for one mural proposed on the south-facing facade of the commercial building located at 600 West Main Street.
10. 22-0311Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2022-10 approving Zoning Text Amendment No. 2022-01, a request by the City of Visalia to amend Visalia Municipal Code Chapter
17.56 (Historic Preservation District).
11. 22-0314Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2022-11 approving Change of Zone No. 2021-12, a request to change the zoning designation of 5,196 square feet of a 15,261 square foot parcel from R-1-5 (Single-family Residential, 5,000 square foot minimum lot size) to C-MU (Commercial Mixed Use).
12. 22-0316Rescind Resolution No. 2021-44, which approved General Plan Amendment No. 2021-01, a request to by the City of Visalia to amend language to General Plan Land Use Policy LU-P-34. (Resolution No. 2022-50 required)
REGULAR ITEMS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS
Comments related to regular Items and Public Hearing Items are limited to three minutes per speaker, for a maximum of 30 minutes per item. The Mayor may reasonably limit or extend the public comment period to preserve the Council's interest in conducting efficient, orderly meetings.
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2022
1. 22-0285Conduct a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed 2019-20 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment III. Approve and appropriate the proposed 2019-20 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment III of $291,599 in CDBG Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CDBG-CV) reallocation funding.
Margie Perez, City Housing Specialist, discussed the CARES Act and reallocation #3. The funds need to be used to administer the program.
A survey was conducted to ask Visalia citizens how the funds should be best utilized.
The public hearing was opened at 7:23 p.m. and closed. There were no public comments.
A motion was made by Council Member Liz Wynn, seconded by Council Member Brett Taylor, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, and Liz WynnAye:
Greg CollinsAbsent:
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:23 p.m.
1. 22-0165Upcoming Visalia City Council Meetings:
Tuesday, September 6, 2022 - Regular Meeting @ 7:00 PM - 707 W. Acequia
Monday, September 19, 2022 - Regular Meeting @ 7:00 PM - 707 W. Acequia