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 City Council ChambersMonday, March 20, 2023
ROLL CALL
Mayor Brian Poochigian, Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, Council Member Steve
Nelsen, and Council Member Liz Wynn
Present:
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION - 6:00 PM (Or, immediately following Work Session)
CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
INVOCATION
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ITEMS OF INTEREST
The council commented on various activities they participated in the last few weeks.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION - Jennah Creason
PUBLIC COMMENTS
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 20, 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.
Dr. Larry Weber, Co-founder of the Visalia feral cat coalition and first president, spoke regarding the ordinance regarding trap, neuter, and return of feral cats. The Visalia feral cat coalition traps approximately 1000 feral cats for this program. All costs are funded by the members of the coalition with zero costs to the city. The cost is astronomical. Some of the members have been attacked for feeding the colonies of the feral cats they have trapped, spayed/neuttered and vaccinated. Mr. Weber believes this is at the direction of the City Manager. The program was recently told to stop feeding the feral cats at the sports park, which they do not agree with. The coalition would like to see the City of Visalia pay for the spay and neuter of cats, similar to the program in Fresno.
CONSENT CALENDAR
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, to approve the Consent Calendar. The motion carried by the following vote:
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. 23-0108Authorization to read ordinances by title only.
2. 23-0065Consideration of a mural application request from Visalia Veterans Mural Restoration Foundation, Inc. for one temporary banner proposed on the west face of a block wall that holds the World War II Greatest Generation mural, located at 6320 South Mooney Boulevard.
3. 23-0094Accept the City of Visalia Cash and Investment Report for the second quarter of the fiscal year which consists of months October, November, and December 2022.
4. 23-0085Acceptance of the 2022 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR).
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 20, 2023
5. 23-0098Consider reauthorization of Stage 2 of the Visalia Water Conservation Ordinance and adopt resolution 2023-06.
6. 23-0071Authorize the City Manager to: 1) Enter into a contract with Don Berry Construction to furnish and install a video detection system at the intersection of Plaza Drive and Riggin Avenue for a not to exceed amount of $75,000, and appropriate $75,000 from the Measure R Local Fund (Fund 131), 2) Appropriate $55,000 from the General Fund (Fund 001), purchase video detection
equipment to replace damaged video detection equipment at the intersection of Akers Street and Riggin Avenue, and the purchase of a spare video detection system for future
replacement of any damaged or failing video detection
equipment in the future.
7. 23-0086Authorize the City Manager to award RFB No. 22-23-42 for property abatement of developed properties throughout the City of Visalia to Joe Grijalva Landscaping in the amount not to exceed $210,000 annually.
8. 23-0089Authorize the City Manager to execute a new contract with Kings Petroleum, LLC for the supply and delivery of petroleum products. This contract will be for one year, with 4 optional one-year renewals, and an annual not to exceed amount of $1,500,000.
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.
1. 23-0078First reading of the Ordinance 2023-03 new Visalia Municipal Code Section 9.24.060 to be added to the City of Visalia Municipal Code establishing regulations prohibiting the unlawful possession of a catalytic converter in the City of Visalia.
Andrew Swarthout, Visalia Police Captain, provided a brief overview of the catalytic converter thefts in the City of Visalia. There is no serial number on the devices and this ordinance will allow for an unlawful possession of a catalytic converter to be treated as a misdemeanor violation. The first reading of Ordinance 2023-03 was held and approved. There were no public comments.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto,Liz Wynn
Aye:
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 20, 2023
2. 23-0103Approve Resolution 2023-05 to ratify the Proclamation of Local Emergency that was declared on March 13, 2023, due to the threatened existence of conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within said city caused by excessive past and expected rainfall and snowfall, resulting in uncontrolled waters coming from local rivers and streams.
Leslie Caviglia, City Manager, explained the state of emergency proclamation.
The emergency proclamation must be ratified within 7 days of issuance, which allows special powers and FEMA reimbursement. Pursuant to VMC Section
2.28.050(B)(1), the Office of Emergency Services Director (“Director”) is empowered to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when said city is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity.
Such proclamation by the Director shall expire within 7 days of its proclamation, unless ratified by the City Council. Upon ratification by the City Council, the proclamation of local emergency shall remain in effect until the Director or the City Council issues a proclamation that a local emergency no longer exists.
The City Council is required to review their ratification of this proclamation every 60 days (VMC Section 2.28.110).
A motion was made by Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto , seconded by Council Member Steve Nelsen, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto,Liz Wynn
Aye:
CLOSED SESSION REPORT - NONE
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:21 p.m.
City Council Meeting Minutes - Final March 20, 2023
1. 23-0084UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS:
Thursday, March 23, 2023 @ 6:00 p.m., Special Joint Meeting w/ VUSD and COS, 915 S. Mooney, Porter Field House.
Monday, April 03, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m., 707 W. Acequia.
Monday, April 17, 2023 @ 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.