OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Visalia City Council Meeting - December 16, 2024: SWEEP, Caltrans, Housing Ordinances

City Council — Monday, December 16, 2024
BodyVisalia, California
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, December 16, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:10:36

Transcript — Verbatim
0:09

Good afternoon, everybody.

0:10

We're gonna call this uh meeting to order for the Visaya City Council work session.

0:14

Today is Monday, December 16th.

0:16

And we'll go ahead and start uh by allowing public comments.

0:20

Citizens are now invited to comment on issue issues within the jurisdiction of the Visaya City Council and items listed on the closed send it close uh session agenda.

0:31

The council asks that you keep your comments concise and positive.

0:34

Creative criticism presented with appropriate courtesy is welcome.

0:37

Each speaker will be allowed three minutes, and a timer will notify you when your time is expired.

0:42

Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your city of residence.

0:46

Do we have anybody who would like to speak during public comments?

0:51

Okay, seeing none, we will go into our work session item, and we'll start off number one with uh new employee introductions.

1:04

Mayors and council member Amy Sweran, budget analyst with the finance department.

1:08

I'm here to introduce our new accounting assistant, Mickey Dowling.

1:13

Mickey started in November and works in accounts payable.

1:16

She is from Porterville, where she still currently lives.

1:20

She comes to us with work experience from the reservation health clinic and Tillerie County.

1:24

She loves to read and do puzzles.

1:26

We are excited to have her join our team, and she's excited to work for the city.

2:03

Well, welcome aboard, and thank you for uh joining our team.

2:07

Next, we're gonna go into a department division update.

2:11

Uh provide city council with an update and presentation of the solid waste environmental enhancement program, also known as SWEEP, covering the first five months of the program has been fully implemented and operational.

2:23

Good afternoon, Mayor, members of the council.

2:25

Wow, that's a little while.

2:26

Sorry about that.

2:27

Uh Paul Burnell, uh, planning and community and neighborhood preservation director, and actually community preservation director.

2:33

Um so this afternoon you'll hear a presentation from Tracy, and rightly so.

2:39

Um I I get the privilege of overseeing the department that has this division.

2:43

Um, so I get to see a lot of the kudos this group gets, but I know this has been a long time coming with regards to getting uh an update to council on what they've been uh doing here lately.

2:53

But I can tell you uh although uh when we took over the program and started to implement this team with Tracy's Oversight, um we had our challenges with uh equipment and tools, but uh with the group that we hired on initially, we were able to kind of they were able to actually fight through that and uh get to a point to today where we hope to kind of provide you with an overview of everything they've accomplished in a very short time.

3:19

And then at the conclusion of Tracy's presentation, after she gets to introduce everything they've done, uh we'd like you to step outside and look at the vehicles uh that we were able to purchase using ARPA funds uh to get us to this point to today.

3:31

So with that, I'll turn it back over to Tracy.

3:34

Good afternoon, Council Tracy Robertshaw Neighborhood Preservation.

3:37

As Paul said, we're here to talk about SWEEP, one of my favorite subjects.

3:44

Um, this is our team.

3:46

We have we have a full uh a full team now, and I wanted to take this time because our newest member is Steven Alvarado and Stephen.

3:53

Can you stand?

3:54

I'm gonna do his introduction briefly.

3:57

Um Steven's our newest addition to Sweep.

4:01

He grew up in Dainuba, and he's the new proud dad of a seven-month-old daughter.

4:05

And he said the very best thing that's ever happened to him, and the second best thing that's ever happened to him is working for the city.

4:11

He said that.

4:12

Um, in his free time, he goes to the gym, plays basketball on a co and uh he's on a co-ed softball team.

4:18

He said he's a die-hard Lakers, Dallas Cowboy and Yankees fan, and he'd like to apologize to all the Dodger fans about that.

4:25

Um so Stephen, Stephen Alvarado.

4:36

Um as Paul said, um, this this team has really stepped up to the plate and they've had they had to make do um from the start.

5:00

As Paul said, this team has really stepped up to the plate and they've had they had to make do from the start.

5:06

We had a little rough beginning getting our equipment uh situated, but that did not stop them.

5:10

They went full force throughout this city handling issues right off the bat.

5:15

Um but they do have their equipment now.

5:18

This is a we have four trucks, they're all identical, and four of those trailers that you see there.

5:25

Um they were everything we had the trailers for quite some time before we had the trucks, but we had all the equipment and everything was situated in October, and then Steven also came on board.

5:36

So the program is set up.

5:38

The city is divided into four just about equal parts as you can see there.

5:45

Each team member is assigned an area of the city.

5:50

Um setting the city up like that, that gave us an opportunity to provide staffing seven days a week.

6:00

That will be a there will be sweep on on available seven days a week.

6:05

Uh two to three staff people available, you won't have a full seven, all five of them seven days a week.

6:11

We just can't do that with that uh size staff, but that's okay.

6:15

Um what we've done is um teams, one team will be one and three, the other team will be two and four, and they've cross-trained.

6:25

So when uh the person assigned to the number one area, he's also aware of all the hot spots in the number two area.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Federal Lobbying████████████████16%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Zoning█████████████13%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████11%
Procedural████████8%
Code Enforcement██████6%
Housing█████5%
Solid Waste Management████4%
Youth Programs████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Visalia City Council Meeting - December 16, 2024

The Visalia City Council held a combined work session (starting at 4:00 PM) and regular session (starting at 7:00 PM) on Monday, December 16, 2024. The meeting covered updates on the Solid Waste Environment Enhancement Program (SWEEP), a Caltrans interchange project, federal lobbying, and several public hearings on housing-related ordinances. Council Member Brian Poochigian was absent.

Consent Calendar

  • Authorized ordinances to be read by title only.
  • Amended the Axon contract for Automatic License Plate Readers ($410,010) and appropriated $31,097.
  • Purchased an Elgin Broom Badger Mechanical Road Sweeper ($324,666.72) with $25,000 from the Gas Tax Fund.
  • Reduced fees for Visalia Gadabouts at the Senior Center.
  • Introduced an Airport Lease Agreement with Air Methods, LLC.
  • Approved multiple design and construction contracts, including Amendment No. 6 with 4Creeks Inc. ($104,630) for Caldwell Avenue widening, a change order for the Shirk Capacity Enhancement Project ($546,408), and a design contract for Giddings Street Culvert Replacement ($260,700).
  • Recorded the final subdivision map for Higgins Ranch Phase 1 (101 lots) and formed related assessment districts.
  • Executed a new lease with Tulare County Office of Education for early childhood education space.
  • Appropriated remaining ARPA funds and closed out the grant.
  • Awarded a landscape maintenance contract to Brightview Landscape Services Inc. ($159,012 per year).
  • Extended an emergency engineering services contract with Interwest Consulting Group (not to exceed $200,000).
  • Consolidated service delivery for trails, basins, and downtown services, transferring $640,000 for equipment.
  • Approved a developer reimbursement agreement for Vista Del Sol subdivision improvements.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Irene Lapin (Visalia resident) expressed concern about New Year's Eve fireworks and urged more funding for animal services, citing overcapacity at shelters.
  • Jim Reeves praised Visalia's 2024 Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index score of 90, noting improvement from 50 in 2015 and thanking the council for LGBTQ+ progress.
  • Efrain Becerra (District 1) supported the illegal dumping ordinance, urging residents to use gas station trash cans.
  • Corine Demetreos (DR Horton) opposed the proposed Objective Design Standards, stating they would require a Visalia-specific plan set, delay production, and increase home prices by an estimated 20%.
  • Stephen Messias (San Joaquin Valley Homes) and Ari Checker (Lennar Homes) requested additional time to collaborate with staff on design standards.
  • Efrain Becerra (again) supported the design standards, citing personal experience with missing walkways in new homes.
  • Mark Wall (Southern Sierra Cyclists) expressed enthusiasm for the Road 148 interchange and requested bike safety education for Moody Boulevard.

Discussion Items

Work Session

  • New Employee Introductions: Mikki Dowling, Accounting Assistant, introduced by Finance Director.
  • SWEEP Program Update: Director Paul Bernal and Manager Tracy Robertshaw reported that the team (5 members) had been operating since June 10, 2024, and had picked up over 42 tons of trash, 120 mattresses, 66 tires, 46 large appliances, and caught 13 dumpers (12 cited). The city is divided into four zones, with staff available seven days a week. Council praised the program; a motion to accept the update passed 4-0.
  • Caltrans Presentation on Road 148/State Route 198 Interchange: Project Manager Mohammed Annan presented five design alternatives (1A-1E) and four bridge themes. Proposed timeline: initiation phase to June 2025, environmental and design through 2028-29, construction projected to take 2.5-3 years. Funding for later phases is not yet secured, but TCAG's Ted Smalley expressed confidence in obtaining funding. Council expressed concerns about impacts to the planned East Side Regional Park and ponding basins. Council members preferred themes 1, 2, and 4; no formal action taken, but input will guide public outreach.
  • Federal Lobbyist Presentation: Greg Burns (Thorn Run Partners) reviewed 2024 election results and outlook for Congress. He noted a one-vote majority in the House initially and challenges for reconciliation bills. He reported that the city had secured nearly $1 million for a groundwater recharge basin and $2.85 million for downtown Main Street and Tulare Avenue improvements. The council authorized extending the contract with Thorn Run Partners for one year at $7,000 per month (a $500 increase) and authorized opposition to H.R. 3507 (the YIMBY Act). Motion passed 4-0.

Regular Session

  • Illegal Dumping Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2024-14): First reading amending Municipal Code to define illegal dumping, classify it as a public nuisance, and impose a $1,000 fine per violation. Council supported it unanimously; public hearing opened and closed. Motion to adopt first reading passed 4-0.
  • Street Storage Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2024-13): First reading prohibiting parking vehicles on streets for more than 72 consecutive hours and requiring relocation at least 1,000 feet. RVs and trailers limited to 6 days per calendar year. Public hearing included a question about semis; staff clarified commercial vehicles are prohibited in residential zones. Motion passed 4-0.
  • Housing Element Zoning (Ordinance No. 2024-17): First reading to implement state-mandated changes: overlay district for 21 sites allowing by-right multifamily (20% affordable), clarifications for ADUs in non-residential zones, and Permit Streamlining Act compliance. Public hearing had no speakers. Motion passed 4-0.
  • ADU and Design Standards (Ordinances No. 2024-15 and 2024-16): A public hearing heard opposition from homebuilders to the Objective Design Standards (Ordinance 2024-16) due to cost and delay concerns. Council members debated: Council Member Nelsen opposed design standards as adding costs; others wanted more dialogue. Motion passed 3-1 (Nelsen opposed) to introduce first reading of the ADU ordinance (2024-15) and delay action on design standards to allow additional time for stakeholders to meet with staff, with a target to return in March 2025.
  • Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Amendment: Staff reported that HCD no longer requires an amendment to allocate 40% to AOWH activity. Council proceeded with the original FY 2024/25 plan as approved on July 20, 2020. Motion passed 4-0.
  • Short-Term Rental Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2024-12): Second reading was postponed; staff requested referral back for further review and cleanup. Motion to refer passed 4-0.

Key Outcomes

  • SWEEP program update accepted unanimously.
  • Council provided input on interchange design alternatives and bridge themes; no formal vote.
  • Contract with Thorn Run Partners extended for one year with a $500/month fee increase (to $7,000/month). Opposition to H.R. 3507 authorized.
  • Consent Calendar approved unanimously (16 items).
  • First reading of illegal dumping ordinance (2024-14) approved 4-0.
  • First reading of street storage ordinance (2024-13) approved 4-0.
  • First reading of housing element zoning ordinance (2024-17) approved 4-0.
  • First reading of ADU ordinance (2024-15) introduced; action on design standards (2024-16) delayed to March 2025 for further stakeholder discussions.
  • FY 2024/25 PLHA Plan approved as originally adopted.
  • Short-term rental ordinance (2024-12) referred back to staff for revision.
  • Closed Session report: City acquired property for Shirk Widening Project for $86,600; closing date December 9, 2024.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everybody. We're gonna call this uh meeting to order for the Visaya City Council work session. Today is Monday, December 16th. And we'll go ahead and start uh by allowing public comments. Citizens are now invited to comment on issue issues within the jurisdiction of the Visaya City Council and items listed on the closed send it close uh 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. Do we have anybody who would like to speak during public comments? Okay, seeing none, we will go into our work session item, and we'll start off number one with uh new employee introductions. Mayors and council member Amy Sweran, budget analyst with the finance department. I'm here to introduce our new accounting assistant, Mickey Dowling. Mickey started in November and works in accounts payable. She is from Porterville, where she still currently lives. She comes to us with work experience from the reservation health clinic and Tillerie County. She loves to read and do puzzles. We are excited to have her join our team, and she's excited to work for the city. Well, welcome aboard, and thank you for uh joining our team. Next, we're gonna go into a department division update. Uh provide city council with an update and presentation of the solid waste environmental enhancement program, also known as SWEEP, covering the first five months of the program has been fully implemented and operational. Good afternoon, Mayor, members of the council. Wow, that's a little while. Sorry about that. Uh Paul Burnell, uh, planning and community and neighborhood preservation director, and actually community preservation director. Um so this afternoon you'll hear a presentation from Tracy, and rightly so. Um I I get the privilege of overseeing the department that has this division. Um, so I get to see a lot of the kudos this group gets, but I know this has been a long time coming with regards to getting uh an update to council on what they've been uh doing here lately. But I can tell you uh although uh when we took over the program and started to implement this team with Tracy's Oversight, um we had our challenges with uh equipment and tools, but uh with the group that we hired on initially, we were able to kind of they were able to actually fight through that and uh get to a point to today where we hope to kind of provide you with an overview of everything they've accomplished in a very short time. And then at the conclusion of Tracy's presentation, after she gets to introduce everything they've done, uh we'd like you to step outside and look at the vehicles uh that we were able to purchase using ARPA funds uh to get us to this point to today. So with that, I'll turn it back over to Tracy. Good afternoon, Council Tracy Robertshaw Neighborhood Preservation. As Paul said, we're here to talk about SWEEP, one of my favorite subjects. Um, this is our team. We have we have a full uh a full team now, and I wanted to take this time because our newest member is Steven Alvarado and Stephen. Can you stand? I'm gonna do his introduction briefly. Um Steven's our newest addition to Sweep. He grew up in Dainuba, and he's the new proud dad of a seven-month-old daughter. And he said the very best thing that's ever happened to him, and the second best thing that's ever happened to him is working for the city. He said that. Um, in his free time, he goes to the gym, plays basketball on a co and uh he's on a co-ed softball team. He said he's a die-hard Lakers, Dallas Cowboy and Yankees fan, and he'd like to apologize to all the Dodger fans about that. Um so Stephen, Stephen Alvarado. Um as Paul said, um, this this team has really stepped up to the plate and they've had they had to make do um from the start. As Paul said, this team has really stepped up to the plate and they've had they had to make do from the start. We had a little rough beginning getting our equipment uh situated, but that did not stop them. They went full force throughout this city handling issues right off the bat. Um but they do have their equipment now. This is a we have four trucks, they're all identical, and four of those trailers that you see there.

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