Visalia City Council
707 W. Acequia
Visalia, CA 93291
Visalia City Council
City Council
Meeting Minutes - Final
Mayor Brian Poochigian
Vice Mayor Brett Taylor
Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto
Council Member Steve Nelsen
Council Member Liz Wynn
7:00 PM VISALIA CONVENTION CENTERTuesday, February 21, 2023 NOTE: MEETING LOCATION IS 303 E. Acequia
ROLL CALL
Mayor Brian Poochigian, Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, Council Member Steve
Nelsen, and Council Member Liz Wynn
Present:
CALL TO ORDER WORK SESSION - No Work Session Scheduled
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 - No Work Session Items
CLOSED SESSION - 5:30 PM
CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
INVOCATION
ITEMS OF INTEREST
PUBLIC COMMENTS
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 21, 2023
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.
CONSENT CALENDAR
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor, Brett Taylor to approve the Consent Calendar with the exception of items 3 and 4.
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, Steve Nelsen,Liz Wynn
Aye:
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.
1. 23-0056Authorization to read ordinances by title only.
2. 23-0060Confirmation of newly appointed Measure N Oversight Board members for review of all proposed Council spending plans for Measure N funds.
3. 23-0059Request by Councilmember Liz Wynn for Council to approve placing an item on a future City Council agenda for consideration of allowing backyard hens in the City of Visalia.
A motion was made by Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to Approve as amended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Emmanuel Hernandez Soto,Liz WynnAye:
Brett Taylor,Steve NelsenNo:
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 21, 2023
4. 23-0047Request by Mayor Brian Poochigian for Council to approve adding an agenda item for discussion regarding a potential ordinance to allow enforcement and regulation of parking recreational vehicles in the City of Visalia.
Paul Gambly, Visalia, stated the item is not specific enough. Anne Mire, Visalia, wants this item to move forward.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Taylor, seconded by Council Member Steve Nelson, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, Steve Nelsen,Liz Wynn
Aye:
5. 23-0013Authorize City Manager to proceed with the design and construction of a bicycle Protected Intersection at Riggin Avenue and Giddings Street associated with the Riggin Widening Project Mooney Blvd. to Conyer St and for Staff to develop guidelines that evaluate these intersections treatments at future locations on a case by case basis and to proceed with implementation; if approved, future protected intersection applications would not return to Council for direct input.
6. 23-0031Authorize the City Manager to execute the reimbursement agreement associated with Quail River subdivision (323 lots), located near the southeast corner of East Walnut Avenue and South Lovers Lane.
7. 23-0039Appropriate an additional $25,693 from the General Fto the current CIP to purchase five Edraulic rescue combination tools and authorize the purchase from L.N. Curtis & Sons.
8. 23-0040Authorize the City Manager to Award RFB 22-23-1 annual contract for Landscape Maintenance of Roadsides and Medians to Elite Maintenance and Tree Service, of Clovis, CA, for $166,675.56 annually for the maintaining of City of Visalia roadsides and medians per specifications of RFB 22-23-1.
9. 23-0042Request authorization to file a notice of completion for Highland Park Estates subdivision containing 55 single-family residential lots located north of West Riggin Avenue and east of North Mooney Boulevard.
10. 23-0043Request authorization to record the final parcel map for Tentative Parcel Map No. 2003-10, located at the southwest corner of West Hurley Avenue and North Neeley Street (APN:
081-020-089).
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 21, 2023
11. 23-0046Authorize the City Manager to enter into a sole source contract with Syncromatics Corporation for Transit software in an amount not to exceed $100,000.00 (from the operations budget
4551/55520) per year with four additional single year extensions and a total not to exceed $500,000.00.
12. 23-0048Appoint Lori Berger to the Delta Vector Control District Board to serve as the City of Visalia Council appointed representative to fill the vacant unexpired four-year term effective February 21, 2023 and ending December 31, 2026.
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 February 21, 2023
1. 23-0034A public hearing to consider an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of Conditional Use Permit No. 2022-23, a request by Maracor Development to establish a 292-unit deed restricted affordable multi-family residential development on 10.8 acres in the R-M-2 (Multi-Family Residential, 3,000 sq. ft. minimum site area) zone and the Notice of Exemption that was prepared for the conditional use permit in accordance with State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183 (Public Resources Code §21083.3). Notice of Exemption No. 2022-51 disclosed that no additional environmental review is required based upon the project being consistent with the development density established by the City’s General Plan and based upon no further project-specific effects that are peculiar to the project or the site. The project site is located on the southwest corner of East K Avenue and South Ben Maddox Way (APNs: 126-750-050 & 126-750-051).
Brandon Smith, Planning Department, and Paul Bernal, Community Development Director and Jason Huckleberry, Assistant Community Development Director, provided the report regarding the planned apartment complex.
Paul Bernal, Community Development Director, addressed the appeal. 1. The unusual life of the fox living in the area. The red fox and habitat is not harmful related to the subject. The site survey was done on 2/9/23. The gray fox is not listed as an endangered species. The second item is the impact of the grey fox is not listed as an endangered species. The second item is the impact of student enrollment. VUSD does monitor the amount of students and there will not be an impact to the student population. The intersection is on the City's improvement list. The high density and property values will not decrease due to the project. 5. is infrastructure. Both city and sewer and storm due to the apartments. Staff recommends to deny the appeal, consistent with the General Plan and the laws.
The following citizens spoke: Paul Gantly, Mike smith, Josh (No last name provided), Raul Picket, Paul Breason, Dominique Biello Rivera, Armando Romo, Marta Gonzalez, Susie Santa, Darra Lucas, Pat Carr, Linda Johnson, Juan Cortez Jr., Anna Ramirez, and Judy Green.
Mayor Poochigian stated a lot of questions were answered. The Council as a whole took an oath the follow the law. One question is about the protection of environmental species? A DNA sample is not required to be completed. If the DNA shows an endangered species they will comply on the basis of CEQA.
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 21, 2023
2. 23-0030First Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 2023-01 which authorizes the sale of approximately 367 square feet to the State of California as part of Caltrans project to rehabilitate State Route 216, Lovers Lane and East Millcreek Parkway
Frank Senteno, City Engineer, requested the first reading of the ordinance for the subject property.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council Member Emmanuel Soto to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, Steve Nelsen,Liz Wynn
Aye:
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 p.m.
Next meeting is Monday, March 6, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. - 707 W. Acequia Note: Meeting dates/times are subject to change, check posted agenda for correct details.
In Compliance with the American Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in meetings call (559) 713-4512 48-hours in advance of the meeting. For Hearing Impaired - Call (559) 713-4900 (TTY) 48-hours in advance of the scheduled meeting time to request signing services.
Any written materials relating to an item on this agenda submitted to the Council after distribution of the agenda are available for public inspection in the Office of the City Clerk, 220 N. Santa Fe Street, Visalia CA 93292, during normal business hours.