Visalia City Council
707 W. Acequia
Visalia, CA 93291
Visalia City Council
Visalia City Council
Meeting Minutes - Final
Brian Poochigian, Mayor
Brett Taylor, Vice Mayor
Steve Nelsen, Council Member
Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, Council Member
Liz Wynn, Council Member
7:00 PM City Council ChambersMonday, December 4, 2023
ROLL CALL
Mayor Brian Poochigian, Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, Council Member Steve Nelsen, and Council Member Liz Wynn
Present:
Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez SotoAbsent:
CALL TO ORDER WORK SESSION - 4:00 PM (Unless otherwise noted) The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m.
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.
Don Nuckols, Visalia, spoke regarding the railroad tracks on Walnut, between Ben Maddox and Santa Fe. When cars are driving over the tracks, it is very bumpy and can cause cars to become unaligned.
WORK SESSION AND ACTION ITEMS (as described)
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 4, 2023
1. 23-0447New Employee Introductions:
Public Works
Ben Litwack, WWTP Superintendent
Jason Villalva, Streets Maintenance Worker
Michael May, Solid Waste Operator
Mark Bradley, Solid Waste Operator
Parks & Recreation Department
Lance Turner, Park Ranger
Christopher Godinez, Lead Custodian
Zach Huff, Parks & Urban Forestry Supervisor
Guy Schiff, Landscape & Irrigation Technician
Julia Kirkman, Landscape Inspector
Brian McAlister, Landscape Inspector
Anthony De la Cruz, Park Maintenance Worker/Trails
2. 23-0449Federal Lobbyist Presentation - Receive presentation from Thorn Run Partners on 2023 national legislative activity and authorize City Manager to extend annual contract with this firm for one additional term.
Devon Jones, Economic Development Manager, and Greg Burns, Federal Lobbyist provided the presentation regarding the 2023 national legislative activity and requested to extend the annual contract with this firm for one additional term.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Liz WynnAye:
Emmanuel Hernandez SotoAbsent:
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION - 6:00 PM (Or, immediately following Work Session)
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
1. 23-0478Tour of the Visalia Transit, New Flyers bus.
CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
INVOCATION - Archpriest Rev. Father Vartan, Armenian Apostolic Church.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 4, 2023
ITEMS OF INTEREST
SPECIAL PRESENTATION / RECOGNITION
PUBLIC COMMENTS
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.
Lucia Vasquez requested item 8 to be pulled from the Consent Calendar.
Barry Caplan, Visalia, stated that Council Member Nelsen should recuse himself on the Public Hearing item regarding special events due to his role with the Downtown Visalians. Mr.
Caplan opined the Measure N Committee has issues with the agenda and minutes and believes the group just rubber stamps their approvals.
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.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, to approve the Consent Calendar except for item 8. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Liz WynnAye:
Emmanuel Hernandez SotoAbsent:
1. 23-0473Authorization to read ordinances by title only.
2. 23-0128Contract for Land Surveyor - Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Bedrock Engineering for, to provide professional land surveyor services for a one-year term, with the option to renew for four additional one-year terms, in an amount not to exceed $200,000 per year.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 4, 2023
3. 23-0424Encampment Grant Application - Authorize staff to apply for the Encampment Resolution Program grant in the amount of
approximately $2.5 million for operational funds for the Visalia Navigation Center on N. Court to provide interim shelter, and a combination of operating and development funds for Majestic Gardens on W Noble for permanent housing.
4. 23-0435Railroad Reimbursement Agreement - Adopt Resolution 2023-58 authorizing City Manager to execute a reimbursement agreement with San Joaquin Valley Railroad for engineering services associated with the design of the Goshen Trail Reconstruction Project, authorize an additional appropriation of $75,000 from the Measure R Trailways and authorize an amendment to the
Measure R Supplemental Agreement.
5. 23-0387COPS Grant - Authorize and accept expenditures for training, equipment, salary & benefits for 1.5 police officer positions through the State of California Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) Program funds of $222,386 and $189,083 for fiscal year 2022-23 COPS Growth funds for a total Grant $411,469, and appropriate $111,300.
6. 23-04534Creeks Design Contract - Authorize the City Manager to bypass the public bidding process and award a professional design services contract to 4Creeks, Inc., for the design of Riggin Avenue Widening from Roeben St to Akers St for an amount not to exceed $470,035.
7. 23-0454Project List For Grant Funding - Authorization to submit a $25.7 million project list to Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) to be prioritized for upcoming SB125 funding which is transit related funding.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 4, 2023
8. 23-0462Cemetery District Zone Change - Second reading and adoption of the second reading of Ordinance No. 2023-04 pertaining to the approval of Change of Zone No. 2022-02, a request by the Visalia Public Cemetery District to change the zoning designation of 14 parcels totaling 3.17 acres from R-1-5 (Single Family Residential, 5,000 sq. ft. minimum site area) to Q-P
(Quasi-Public), and to change the zoning designation of one parcel totaling 0.24 acres from R-M-2 (Multi-Family Residential, 3,000 sq. ft. minimum site area per dwelling unit) to Q-P (Quasi-Public). The project sites are located at 919 West Allen Avenue, 618, 700, 706, 808, 918, 1010 North Rinaldi Street, 1410, 1420, 1430 West Sady Avenue, and 816 North Turner Street.
Paul Bernal, Community Development Director, provided the background on the item for the Visalia Cemetery District Zone Change and second reading of the ordinance.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, seconded by Council Member Steve Nelsen, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Liz WynnAye:
Emmanuel Hernandez SotoAbsent:
9. 23-0463Notice of Completion Highland Park 1 - Request authorization to file a Notice of Completion for Highland Park, Unit No. 1 subdivision containing 76 single-family residential lots located at the northwest corner of North Conyer Street and West Riggin Avenue.
10. 23-0464Notice of Completion Highland Park 2 - Request authorization to file a Notice of Completion for Highland Park, Unit No. 2 subdivision containing 49 single-family residential lots located at the northeast corner of North Giddings Street and West Riggin Avenue.
11. 23-0469Consideration of state grant - Authorize the Visalia Police Department to apply for the State Homeland Security Grant Program for up to $500,000 towards the purchase of a
replacement vehicle for the Central Valley Regional Bomb Squad.
12. 23-0470Street Light On Call Contract - Authorize the City Manager to award an annual contract for On-Call Electrical Services for Street Light Repairs to A-C Electric Company of Visalia for an amount not to exceed $160,000 per year, with an option to renew annually for up to four (4) additional one-year terms.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 4, 2023
13. 23-0471Traffic Signal On Call Contract - Authorize the City Manager to award an annual contract for On-Call Electrical Services for Traffic Signal Repairs to A-C Electric Company of Visalia for an amount not to exceed $160,000 per year, with an option to renew annually for up to four (4) additional one-year terms.
14. 23-0479Department Head Appointment - Request by City Manager for Council approval of the reassignment/appointment of Jason Huckleberry to a Department Head position overseeing
Engineering, Development Services and Building Safety
Divisions at the salary of $175,000.
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. 23-0378Special Event Ordinance - A Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance No. 2023-12, a request by the City of Visalia to amend Visalia Municipal Code Section 12.48 “Special Events”.
Tracy Robertshaw, Neighborhood Preservation Manager, provided the background information regarding the revision to section 12.48 of the Visalia Municipal Code for Special Events.
The land use reclassification to Public Institutional / Q-P is requested to permit usage of the 15 parcels for cemetery operations and burial sites, activities which are prohibited in residential zones but are conditionally permitted in the Q-P zone. All 15 sites proposed for reclassification are owned by the VPCD and located within its existing master plan boundary. The second reading of the Ordinance is the final action the City Council takes in order for Change of Zone No. 2022-02 to take effect.
The public hearing was opened and the following citizens provided comment:
Lucia Vaquez, Barry Caplan, Bill Kitchen, Dewayne Rodriguez, Janine Robins.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to approve as recommended. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Liz WynnAye:
Emmanuel Hernandez SotoAbsent:
CLOSED SESSION REPORT - None
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 4, 2023
UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
1. 23-0472Upcoming City Council Meetings:
Monday, December 18, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m., Location: 707 W.
Acequia Ave, Visalia, CA
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m., Location: 707 W.
Acequia Ave, Visalia. CA
If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in the meeting, please contact Michelle Nicholson, on or before Monday, December 18, 2023 to discuss your accessibility needs: 559-713-4512 or
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
If you would like to more information regarding a specific item, contact Michelle Nicholson at 559-713-4512.