Visalia City Council
707 W. Acequia
Visalia, CA 93291
Visalia City Council
Visalia City Council
Meeting Minutes - Final
Mayor Brett Taylor
Vice Mayor Liz Wynn
Council Member Steve Nelsen
Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto
Council Member Brian Poochigian
7:00 PM City Council ChambersMonday, August 17, 2026
ROLL CALL
Council Member Brian Poochigian, Mayor Brett Taylor, Council Member Steve Nelsen, Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez
Soto, and Vice Mayor Liz Wynn
Present:
CALL TO ORDER WORK SESSION - 4:00 PM (Unless otherwise noted) Mayor Taylor called the meeting 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 and items listed on the Closed Session agenda. 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)
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026
1. 26-0088Entertainment Ordinance discussion - Receive and review draft entertainment ordinance and the draft entertainment permit application and provide staff with direction on changes to these documents, and direction on initiating potential Municipal Code updates to Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17 Zoning.
Planning and Community Preservation Director Paul Bernal introduced City Attorney Jim Koontz and Associate Planner Colleen Moreno. Associate Planner Moreno provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding the draft Entertainment Ordinance and Entertainment Permit application.
Public comment was received from Jenna Rodriguez, Mary Beatie, and Jeremy Schultz.
Council discussed the proposed ordinance, including statistics related to entertainment activities, removal of the morning time restriction, the transferability of Entertainment Permits, and the application of the City's Noise Ordinance if the proposed time restriction is removed. Council also discussed the security personnel requirement, the proposed baseline conditions, and the queuing requirement.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council Member Brian Poochigian, to approve as recommended. The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn
Aye:
2. 26-0092Inclusive park project - Receive a presentation on the inclusive park project and authorize staff to move forward with the updated concept layout to prepare design and construction drawings.
Director of Engineering and Building Jason Huckleberry introduced Associate Engineer Cody McLaughlin and City Engineer Chris Crawford. Associate Engineer McLaughlin presented a PowerPoint regarding the Inclusive Park Project and updated concept layout.
Council discussed the proposed parking lot layout, the unique elongated design, hours of operation, the option to add parking and remove additional landscaping, and the potential requirement for a secondary exit. Council also discussed the project timeline and the feasibility of expediting the project. Staff discussed the grant requirements and requested authorization to proceed with the design process while awaiting the grant agency’s approval of the site change.
A motion was then made by Vice Mayor Liz Wynn, seconded by Council Member Steve Nelsen, to approve as recommended. The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn
Aye:
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026
3. 26-0078Stormwater master plan update - Receive a presentation on the stormwater master plan progress and provide direction regarding releasing for public comments.
Director of Engineering and Building Jason Huckleberry introduced Associate Engineer Katherine Woodhull-Fuget and City Engineer Chris Crawford.
Associate Engineer Woodhull-Fuget presented a PowerPoint regarding the Stormwater Master Plan update.
Council discussed the Stormwater Master Plan and the proposed process for releasing the plan for public review and comment.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council Member Brian Poochigian, to approve as recommended. The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn
Aye:
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION - 6:00 PM (Or, immediately following Work Session)
Mayor Taylor adjourned the meeting into closed session at 5:50 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM
Mayor Taylor called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
MOMENT OF SILENCE - FORMER MAYOR GREG COLLINS
INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR UNRAU, PARKSIDE CHAPEL
SPECIAL PRESENTATION / RECOGNITION
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026 This is the time for general public comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City Council. Each speaker tonight may speak for up to 3 minutes during this general comment period on a matter that is not on this agenda.
The public may also make one comment for up to 3 minutes prior to the consideration of the Consent Calendar, and immediately before any regular agenda item is heard. The Council asks that you keep you 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.
Public comments were received from the following: Jim Reeves, Esmeralda Addington, Pastor Isabel Vela, Jeff Poole, and Amanda Denno.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
CONSENT CALENDAR
Consent Calendar items are considered routine and will be enacted in one motion.
This is the time for members of the public to provide public comment on an item on the Consent Calendar. Comments will not be taken individually by the public if an item is pulled by a Council Member. Each speaker is allowed up to 3 minutes, and a timer will notify you when your time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling you name and providing your city of residence.
Public comments were received from Esmeralda Addington, Natalie Ortiz, Mia Llerenas, Riley Smires, Melissa Moore, DJ Kimble, Maria Guillén, Faith Ortiz, Erica Brooks, and Lewis Carroll.
Council Member Poochigian requested that consent calendar agenda item 16: Request by Council Member Brian Poochigian - Consideration of a future agenda item to discuss a moratorium that would prohibit the development and approval of data centers and similar high-intensity uses with significant water net loss and electrical demands, and consent calendar agenda item17: Appointment in lieu of election - Consider adopting Resolution No. 2026-61 providing for the appointment in lieu of election to the office of City Council Member for District 3 pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10229 and cancelling the November 3, 2026 Municipal Election for that office, be pulled for separate discussion.
Council Member Hernandez Soto also requested that consent calendar agenda item 16 be pulled for separate discussion.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council Member Brian Poochigian, to approve the remainder of the consent calendar. The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn
Aye:
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026
1. 26-0007Authorization to read ordinances by title only.
This Consent Item was approved.
2. 26-0057Award contract and transfer funds for Lot #44 & Transit Operations parking lot pavement rehabilitation - Authorize the City Manager to award the construction contract to Dave Christian Construction, Inc. for the Lot #44, located at 300 N.
Tipton Street & Transit Operations parking lot pavement rehabilitation project, located at 525 N. Cain Street, in the amount of $1,259,372; authorize a change order deduction in the amount of $208,439; and authorize the transfer and
appropriation of $485,000 from Transit Funds.
This Consent Item was approved.
3. 26-0072Reinstate Building Advisory Committee - Authorization for reinstatement of the Building Advisory Committee as a
five-person committee, therein re-incorporating a “Board of Appeals” derived from the BAC, and appointing three members to their identified terms.
This Consent Item was approved.
4. 26-0080Notice of completion - Authorize the filing of a notice of completion for the Stonebrook Street culvert in Packwood Creek.
This Consent Item was approved.
5. 26-0083Award of annual contract for on-call electrical repair services - Authorize the City Manager to award an annual contract for on-call electrical repairs at various city-owned parks and facilities to A-C Electric Company in an annual amount not to exceed $165,000.
This Consent Item was approved.
6. 26-0086Award Plaza Park project - Authorize the City Manager to award the resurfacing of tennis and pickleball courts at Plaza Park contract, to Anderson Striping & Construction for an amount not to exceed $139,759.68.
This Consent Item was approved.
7. 26-0087Replacement of two groundwater monitoring wells - Authorize the City Manager to award an agreement to Arsenal Well Drilling, in an amount not to exceed $98,600 for the replacement of two groundwater monitoring wells at the Water Reclamation Facility.
This Consent Item was approved.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026
8. 26-0090Award contract for biofilter media replacement & associated equipment inspection at the Water Reclamation Facility - Authorize the City Manager to award a contract to W.M. Lyles Co., in an amount not-to-exceed $267,560 and appropriate $220,000 from the Wastewater Fund.
This Consent Item was approved.
9. 26-0091Visalia Health and Wellness Clinic administration and operation - Authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to extend the agreement for clinic administration and operation with Elite Corporate Medical Services not to exceed $330,000, for one year ending June 30, 2027.
This Consent Item was approved.
10. 26-0098Partial notice of completion - Request authorization to file a partial notice of completion for the Riggin Avenue widening project from Kelsey Street to Shirk Street.
This Consent Item was approved.
11. 26-0099Award of annual contract for sports park mowing and aeration services - Authorize the City Manager to award the annual contract for sports park mowing and aeration services to Perfect Care Landscape in an annual amount not to exceed $450,000.
This Consent Item was approved.
12. 26-0100Award of annual contract for passive park mowing and aeration services - Authorize the City Manager to award the annual contract for passive park mowing and aeration services to Clean Cut Landscape Management in an annual amount not to exceed $201,000.
This Consent Item was approved.
13. 26-0101Record final parcel map - Request authorization to record the final parcel map for Tentative Parcel Map No. 2024-08, located at the northeast corner of North Kelsey Street and West Riggin Avenue intersection.
This Consent Item was approved.
14. 26-0106Confirm a grant submittal for the Alcohol Policing Program - Confirm the Visalia Police Department’s grant submission to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Office of Traffic Safety Grant Program for the maximum amount of
$30,000 funded by the Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which was submitted on August 7, 2026.
This Consent Item was approved.
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026
15. 26-0108Fiscal year 2025-26 cape seal notice of completion - Authorization to file a notice of completion for the fiscal year 2025-26 cape seal project.
This Consent Item was approved.
16. 26-0112Request by Council member Brian Poochigian - Consideration of a future agenda item to discuss a moratorium that would prohibit the development and approval of data centers and similar high-intensity uses with significant water net loss and electrical demands.
Council Members Poochigian and Hernandez Soto requested this item be pulled for separate consideration. Council discussed the matter and requested that the following change: moratorium that would prohibit the development and approval of data centers and similar high-intensity uses with significant water net loss and / or electrical demands.
A motion was then made by Council Member Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Steve Nelsen, to approve. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn
Aye:
17. 26-0113Appointment in lieu of election - Consider adopting Resolution No. 2026-61 providing for the appointment in lieu of election to the office of City Councilmember for District 3 pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10229 and cancelling the November 3, 2026 Municipal Election for that office.
Council Member Poochigian requested this item be pulled for separate discussion. Following discussion, City Manager Caviglia and Chief Deputy City Clerk Rivera provided clarification regarding the matter.
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor Liz Wynn, to approve. The motion carried by the following vote:
Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Liz WynnAye:
Brian Poochigian, Emmanuel Hernandez SotoNo:
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Taylor adjourned the meeting at 7:51 p.m.
UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Visalia City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 17, 2026
1. 26-0095Upcoming City Council Meetings
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m. at 707 W. Acequia Monday, September 21, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m. at 707 W. Acequia Note: Meeting dates and 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 contact 713-4512.
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.
Respectfully submitted,
Reyna Rivera,
Chief Deputy City Clerk