Miss the Visalia City Council meeting? Here's a recap
Looking for more information about what happened during this week’s city council meeting?
Here’s a recap of what you may have missed:
Civic Center
Before the scheduled meeting, city council members held a work session surrounding Phase 2 of the Visalia Civic Center Project. City engineers gave a presentation, including the project’s preliminary cost projections, schematics and the latest building renderings.
The estimated cost for phase 2, which includes design fees, project management, site work, the extension of utilities, building construction, permits, fees and inspections, is $107 million; however, city staff is still looking at potential cost-cutting alternatives.
Council members unanimously approved moving forward with the schematic design phase. The Civic Center will have a “Mission Inspired” architectural style and will be home to future city council meetings.
Short-term rentals
City council members also listened to a presentation on the city’s municipal code and potential updates regarding Short-Term Rentals.
A short-term rental is a residential dwelling or portion of a residential dwelling that is rented to a person(s) for 30 consecutive days or less. Some examples include Airbnb and VRBO.
Ultimately, council members voted 4-1 to direct staff to draft a Short-Term Rental ordinance, including the following requirements:
Limit the number of Short-Term Rentals allowed in the city of Visalia.
Establish an application and registration/verification process.
Require that the property owner of the Short-Term Rental reside in the unit.
Transient Occupancy Tax Registration.
Parking requirements.
Establishing quiet hours.
Limiting the use of a Short-Term Rental.
Limiting the number of occupants in a Short-Term Rental.
Establish the suspension/revocation process for Short-Term Rentals.
Consent Calendar
Visalia City Council members unanimously voted to accept the agenda’s consent calendar — with the exception of items No. 2 and No. 3 — meaning no discussion on the calendar’s contents occurred.
The two items were pulled by community members looking for more details surrounding the proposed police department purchases.
The first item council members approved was an amendment to Measure N that would cover Visalia Police Department costs for patrol cars and body-worn cameras. The cost of the equipment is $63,300.
Council members also approved renewing a five-year contract for $1.73 million with Axon Enterprise Inc. for its body-worn camera program.
The second pulled item was approved by council members allows the police department to convert one police officer position into two community service officer positions. Although the move isn’t cost motivated, the switch will save the city $14,700.
City council members approved a notice of completion for the Walnut and Murray Project, part of the city’s 2018/19 Major Street Rehabilitation Project.
One portion of the project consisted of paving Walnut Avenue from Central to Court and Murray Avenue from Dudley to Encina. The second portion of the project resolved the subsidence in front of a residence at 3427 E. Paradise Avenue.
Council members approved the vacation and abandonment of the easement for storm drain pipeline maintenance “as it is no longer necessary.”
City council members also accepted a recommendation made by the Visalia Parks and Recreation Commission to appropriate $48,250 donated by the Harrell Family Trust, creating a Capital Improvement Project to enhance Harrell Grove Park.
Improvements to the park will include the addition of outdoor fitness equipment as well as irrigation improvements.
Council members approved City Manager Leslie Caviglia to award JC’s Land Management of Kingsburg an annual contract for around $178,000.
The previous landscape contract expired on May 31 and has been on a month-to-month basis with a temporary contractor, awaiting the award of a new formal landscape maintenance contract.
Caviglia was also authorized to execute an agreement with the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County to continue its Transitional Jobs Program.
The program benefits the community through clean-up and recycling opportunities and supports Visalia’s houseless through job training.
The contract, funded by the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, is $230,000.
Council members also authorized Caviglia to enter into a contract with Truxell & Valentino Landscape Development Inc. for $298,450 for the Houston Roundabout Landscaping and Maintenance Access Project.
“The purpose behind the development of this project is to enhance the aesthetics of the area by creating a beautified focal point and enhance safety by breaking headlight glare through the roundabout of oncoming vehicles,” the agenda packet reads. “The landscaping would also enhance safety through indirectly lowering vehicle speeds by reducing excess sight distance and discouraging pedestrian traffic through the roundabout island.”
Construction for the project will begin in June and wrap up in August.
Caviglia was also athorized to amend and increase the existing Uniform and Laundry contract awarded to Unifirst Corporation.
“The calculated and awarded contract amount was too low due to a miscalculation by staff regarding the quantity of uniforms billed per week,” the agenda packet reads.
The cost for the first year is $52,800.
City council members also approved the airport staff’s recommendation, allowing Caviglia to enter into a contract amendment with Brandley Engineering for $130,000.
To be fully qualified for Federal Aviation Administration funding, Visalia Airport is required to have two key projects completed.
The first project is an updated Airport Layout Plan, which began in November 2021 and is expected to wrap up this summer. The second project is a Pavement Maintenance Management Plan. The project, once authorized, is expected to take one and a half years.
Caviglia was also authorized to award a sole source contract to Telstar Instruments Company, Inc. for $400,000 annually for the Instrumentation and Electrical Services and Maintenance and Repair of the city’s Water Reclamation Facility and Collection System.
Regular Items, Public Hearings
The city then held a public hearing surrounding the proposed expansion of Visalia’s Public Cemetery.
The chambers were filled as community members waited for an opportunity for their voices to be heard; the majority of those who spoke Monday night, including Supervisor Eddie Valero and Visalia Unified School District Trustee Randy Villegas, were against the expansion, citing a range of concerns.
More: Will Visalia City Council prioritize dead over the living after public outcry?
Ultimately, council members voted 3-2 to send the proposal back to the planning commission staff, giving the public an opportunity to attend a cemetery district board meeting at the end of May.
City council members then held a public hearing regarding a proposed change to the city’s municipal code to include an Agricultural Land Preservation ordinance.
Vice Mayor Taylor recused himself from the item to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
The proposed project applies to citywide properties within the Urban Growth Boundary Tiers II and III established by the Visalia General Plan. Local farmers and agricultural groups wrote to council members and voiced concerns about the ordinance, arguing it could hinder economic development in town.
“It’s not an easy decision, I wish we could all be on the same page in our challenge for conservation,” Tulare County Farm Bureau Executive Director Tricia Stever Blattler said. “I think private property ownership and protecting the ability to farm is a much more important idea that we should all get behind to work to make California a place that supports farmers farming.”
Councilmember Steve Nelsen said although he is against ag mitigation, he noted the city is “being held hostage.” Ultimately, council members passed the ordinance 4-0-1.
The Visalia City Council meets again at 7 p.m. on May 15 in the Visalia City Council Chambers.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Miss the Visalia City Council meeting? Here's a recap
