Visalia City Council Meeting: August 5, 2024

The Visalia City Council met on Monday, August 5, 2024, for a work session at 4:00 PM and a regular session at 7:00 PM. The council approved a major transit operations contract, recognized new employees and local youth athletes, honored the designer of the new city logo, and advanced a controversial park ordinance amendment that would eliminate overnight camping exceptions in parks. A public hearing on the Cameron Ranch Estates subdivision annexation was also held and approved. The meeting was continued to August 12, 2024, at 5:15 PM for the second reading of the park ordinance and the transit lease ordinance.

Consent Calendar

• Authorized reading of ordinances by title only.
• Approved a contract change order for JFS Enterprises, Inc. for increased orchard clearing at East Side Regional Park, along with fund appropriation and a license agreement with Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District.
• Authorized purchase of two Ford F-250 work trucks from Rush Truck Center for $128,169.60, with an additional $8,200 from the General Fund.
• Authorized purchase of a John Deere 344 P-Tier Compact Wheel Loader from Lawrence Tractor Co. for $209,027.93, with $10,000 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.
• Authorized recording the final map for Sequoia Bend Unit 3 (42 lots) and its annexation into Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 22-06.
• Adopted Ordinance No. 2024-07 (second reading) for a citywide zoning text amendment.
• Authorized the Riggin Avenue SCE Pole Relocation Agreement for $1,081,000 and adopted a resolution for the Riggin Widening project (Kelsey St to Shirk St).
• Designated Council Member Liz Wynn as voting delegate for the 2024 League of California Cities Annual Conference, with alternates.
• Awarded an on-call fencing services contract to Ace Fence Company for one year (up to $80,000/year) with four one-year renewals (up to $400,000 total).
• Awarded the Riggin Avenue Widening construction contract to Cen-Cal Construction for $6,480,000, with fund transfers from Measure R and Transportation Impact Fees.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comments (before Regular Items):

  • Taylor (resident) thanked Councilmember Soto for attending a youth leadership event, then urged the council to oppose funding for Israel and to prioritize local homeless assistance. She expressed frustration with systemic issues.
  • Fida Taha (resident) called on the council to use their platform to condemn the genocide in Gaza and to redirect U.S. funds to help the homeless instead of criminalizing them.
  • Kathy Falconer (resident) highlighted Visalia's poor air quality (ranked second worst for ozone in the U.S.) and urged the city to continue reducing emissions from city vehicles.
  • Sherrie Bakkee (Visit Visalia) thanked council members for supporting tourism, reported 11 new groups resulting in 3,500 room nights, and mentioned a task force for the West Plaza area and planning for the 2026 World Cup.
  • Dale Simmons (resident) urged the city to promote jobs with good wages at packing houses and reminded the council to preserve the community's quality of life.

• Public Comments on Park Ordinance (Regular Item 2):

  • Taylor (resident) opposed the ordinance, arguing it criminalizes homelessness, costs more than providing services, and makes it harder for people to get jobs. She shared a story of a woman who was sexually assaulted while homeless.
  • Fida Taha (resident) supported the chief's admission that citations are not a solution and urged investment in rehabilitation facilities rather than criminalization.
  • Julia Doyal (resident) opposed the ordinance, stating it is inhumane to criminalize homelessness without providing shelter. She described her ministry work and said she sees homeless individuals as human beings.
  • Efrain Becerra (resident) recommended the council consult with state representatives before voting and urged addressing root causes.
  • Erin Ford (Salt and Light) opposed the policy, stating it erodes trust with homeless individuals. She offered to consult with the council and noted that their staff serves nearly 100 unhoused individuals and their food truck serves over 750.
  • Lisa Alvarado (resident) noted the decision was made only a month after the Supreme Court ruling and argued that fines and jail time are counterproductive. She said the city cannot afford the social and financial costs.
  • Maria Guillen (resident) compared the ordinance to historical "ugly laws" that targeted poor and disabled people. She urged the council to choose more humanistic approaches.
  • Carlos Gomez (private citizen) said the Grants Pass decision is optional, not mandatory. He urged the council to reject the ordinance or delay the vote until they engage with community groups. He invited council members to come serve with their outreach team.
  • Suzy Ward (resident) cited that the Point-in-Time count shows homelessness has risen by 247 individuals in 10 years (to 587 in Visalia). She noted that the Governor's executive order prioritizes offers of shelter, and that HUD guidelines warn against criminalizing homelessness.
  • Neomi Ming (resident) seconded previous speakers. She questioned whether the city considers families who lost housing during COVID and urged the council to focus on resources and rent control instead of fines.

Discussion Items

• New Employee Introductions: The council welcomed new hires across departments: Convention Center (Niccole Bartleson), Neighborhood Preservation (Celeste Parras, Cesar Aceves, Ryan Spittler, Mike Gonzales – the new sweep team removed over 7 tons of trash in June), Police Department (Officers Christopher Marx and Samuel Nevarez, Community Service Officer Anthony McGowen), and Public Works (including mechanic Landan Neal, senior mechanic Tim Helgeson, heavy equipment operator Jakob Tos, industrial waste inspector Agustin Morales, Pretreatment Coordinator Jennifer Flores, and interns Elsa Wendt and Kali Jones). Also introduced was Victor Guzman, promoted to Solid Waste Supervisor.
• Little League All Stars Recognition: The council recognized the Visalia Little League 13-14 Junior All Stars for winning the Section 7 championship. Vice Mayor Taylor, whose son was on the team, presented certificates from the city and Congressman Vince Fong.
• Award Contract for Visalia Transit Management, Operations and Maintenance: Transit Manager Angelina DeRossett and Management Analyst Caleb Bowman presented a recommendation to award a 5-year base contract to RATP Dev, not to exceed $109,000,000, with five single-year options (up to 10 years). The contract follows the 2023 work stoppage and includes stronger protections for the city. The council also heard the first reading of Ordinance 24-08, required for the lease of the operations and maintenance facility longer than 5 years. The motion passed 5-0.
• Special Recognition of Lori Caccamo, New City Logo Artist: Communications Manager Alison Mackie introduced local artist Lori Caccamo, whose design (formerly "Logo 59") was selected from over 80 submissions. Caccamo thanked the council for involving local artists and received a certificate and flowers.
• Cameron Ranch Estates Subdivision Annexation (Public Hearing): Planning Director Paul Bernal presented the request to annex 46.01 acres from Tulare County into the city, to be zoned R-1-5 (Single-Family Residential, 5,000 sq ft minimum). The tentative subdivision map would create 171 lots, a 0.77-acre pocket park, and frontage along an irrigation ditch. The project meets all standards and includes ag mitigation. Council members expressed support for the design and green space. The public hearing opened and closed with no public comments. The motion to approve passed 5-0.
• Municipal Code Amendment – Park Ordinance (First Reading): City Attorney Ken Richardson presented Ordinance 2024-09, which eliminates exceptions that allowed overnight camping and property storage in parks and trails (in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's Grants Pass v. Johnson decision overturning the Martin v. Boise precedent). The ordinance also allows flexibility in signage placement. Chief of Police Jason Salazar stated the ordinance provides a new tool but is limited in scope and will not solve homelessness; he noted the community lacks an emergency shelter. Councilman Soto moved to reject the ordinance, suggesting instead to open a year-round warming shelter. After extensive debate, a motion by Vice Mayor Taylor (seconded by Councilwoman Wynn) to approve the first reading as an urgency ordinance passed 4-1, with Councilman Soto opposed. The item was continued to August 12, 2024, at 5:15 PM for the second reading.

Key Outcomes

• Transit Contract Award: Approved (5-0) to authorize the city manager to award a 5-year base contract to RATP Dev (not to exceed $109M) with five single-year options, appropriate $6M from the Transit Fund balance, and hear the first reading of Ordinance 24-08. Final approval will occur on August 12 after the second reading.
• Cameron Ranch Estates Annexation: Approved (5-0) to adopt the mitigated negative declaration, initiate annexation proceedings, authorize detachment from County Service Area No. 1, and authorize the city manager to sign a pre-annexation agreement.
• Park Ordinance (First Reading): Approved (4-1, with Councilman Soto opposed) as an urgency ordinance. The second reading and final adoption are scheduled for August 12, 2024. If adopted as urgency, it will take effect immediately after the second reading; otherwise, it would take effect 30 days later.
• Continued Meeting: The council adjourned the regular session to Monday, August 12, 2024, at 5:15 PM for the continued discussion and second reading of the park ordinance and the transit lease ordinance.