Visalia City Council Meeting - March 17, 2025: Microtransit Branding, Measure N Review, Shirk Street Project Updates, and Shirk-Riggin Industrial Park Approval
Visalia City Council Meeting - March 17, 2025
The Visalia City Council met on Monday, March 17, 2025, starting with a work session at 5:00 PM and the regular session at 7:00 PM. The council approved microtransit branding, continued the Measure N sales tax for another eight years, received a traffic and construction update for the Shirk Street Capacity Enhancement Project, certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project, approved related entitlements, and denied an appeal of the Planning Commission's approval.
Consent Calendar
- Authorized reading of ordinances by title only.
- Executed a developer reimbursement agreement for Greystone Phase 3 Subdivision improvements.
- Approved purchase of five CNG-powered solid waste trucks for $2,232,375.
- Adopted Resolution No. 2025-16 to initiate vacation of a public alleyway and right-of-way on Meadow Avenue and Shady Street.
- Authorized filing of Notice of Completion for walnut orchard removal at the Water Reclamation Facility.
- Adopted a resolution accepting the Housing Element Annual Progress Report for 2024.
- Awarded a contract for inclusive playground equipment for $923,438.11.
- Authorized migration of the Accela permit system to cloud services and a seven-year maintenance agreement, appropriating $193,200 for FY 25/26.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Paul Guerrero (Carpenter's Local 1109) opposed certification of the EIR for the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project, arguing the EIR failed to properly analyze cumulative impacts, employment growth, population triggers, and loss of agricultural lands. He urged the council to require revisions and recirculation of the EIR.
- Steve Willarkin (Sheet Metal Workers Local 104), Zachary Pimentel (Sheet Metal Workers Local 104, Visalia resident), John Henry Lopez (Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 246), Eric Osepian (Visalia resident, apprentice Local 246), Jared Journey (Visalia resident, apprentice IBEW Local 100), and Andy Lopez (Visalia resident, Marine Corps veteran, apprentice IBEW Local 100) all spoke in support of the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project, emphasizing local hiring, apprenticeship opportunities, family-supporting wages, and benefits to veterans and the community.
- Jason Quintel (Seefried Industrial Properties, applicant) thanked staff and requested council consideration.
Work Session Items
1. Microtransit Branding Recommendation
Transit Manager Julina Drossett presented three branding options for the new microtransit service. Staff recommended Visalia Connect with tagline "Fast, Flexible, Connected." Council discussed color schemes, durability of van wraps, potential advertising revenue, and adding descriptive text (e.g., "your local ride-sharing") to clarify the service. The motion to approve Visalia Connect branding passed 4-0 (Councilmember Poochigian absent).
2. Effectiveness Review for Measure N
Finance Director Renee Magel presented the eight-year review of Measure N, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in November 2016 (effective April 2017). Over seven years, the measure generated approximately $118 million in sales tax revenue and funded 50 essential positions (25 police officers, 4 CSOs, 8 professional staff, 6 paramedics, 1 EMS coordinator, 1 administrative captain, 1 deputy chief, and 4 parks/recreation positions), $27.5 million in street maintenance, $9.2 million downtown streetlight replacement, a ladder truck, mobile air truck, Fire Station 56, and $1.12 million in park maintenance, $1.8 million in building maintenance, and $914,000 in youth programs. An uncertainty fund of ~$2 million was maintained. The Oversight Committee approved continuation on February 20, 2025. Council voted unanimously (4-0) to continue the measure for another eight years, with a future effectiveness review by April 2033.
3. Traffic and Construction Impacts – Shirk Street Capacity Enhancement Project
City Engineer Chris Crawford outlined construction phases, traffic detours, and closures for the $16.4 million project (state and local funds) to widen Shirk Street from School Avenue to Riggin Avenue and install a 48-inch sewer main. Phases run from March 2025 to January 2026. Phase 1A (Shirk & Riggin intersection closed) began March 17, 2025. Other phases affect segments from Ferguson to Riggin, School to Goshen, and Goshen to Doe. A public outreach meeting was scheduled for March 19, 2025 at Ridgeview Middle School. Council accepted the construction phasing plan (4-0).
Regular Session Items
1. Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project – EIR Certification, Annexation, General Plan Amendment, Development Agreement
Planning Manager Brandon Smith presented the final EIR (State Clearinghouse #2022080658) for the 284-acre industrial park (approx. 3,720,149 sq ft of buildings) by Seefried Industrial Properties. Significant and unavoidable impacts were identified in agricultural/forestry, air quality, and noise. A statement of overriding considerations was prepared. The Planning Commission recommended certification on February 10, 2025. Council certified the EIR, approved General Plan Amendment No. 2025-01, initiated annexation proceedings (Annexation No. 2024-03), and introduced the Development Agreement ordinance (first reading). The project is expected to generate approximately 4,000 jobs. The motion passed 4-0.
2. Appeal of Planning Commission Action – Tentative Parcel Map and Conditional Use Permit
An appeal filed by representatives of Carpenter's Local 1109 challenged the Planning Commission's February 10, 2025 approval of Tentative Parcel Map No. 2024-08 and Conditional Use Permit No. 2024-26 for the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project. The appeal argued the EIR was flawed. Staff found no error or abuse of discretion and recommended denial. Council voted 4-0 to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's approvals.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Visalia Connect branding for microtransit (4-0).
- Approved continuation of Measure N sales tax for eight years (4-0).
- Accepted construction phasing plan for Shirk Street Capacity Enhancement Project (4-0).
- Certified the EIR and approved entitlements for the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project, including annexation, General Plan Amendment, and Development Agreement (4-0).
- Denied the appeal of the Planning Commission's approval of the Tentative Parcel Map and Conditional Use Permit for the Shirk-Riggin Industrial Project (4-0).
- Councilmember Brian Poochigian was absent for all votes.
- The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 7, 2025, with a joint meeting with VUSD on April 3, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everybody, and welcome to the Visaya City Council work session. Um, today is uh Monday, March 17th, 2025. And let's go ahead and uh start off by opening up this meeting with 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, concise and positive, and 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 from the public wishing to speak today? All right, seeing no one, then we will go straight into work items. We'll start off with item number one, which is microtransit branding recommendation. Good evening, I mean Julina Drossett. I'm the transit manager here at the City of Iselia. Um over several council items, we've brought microtransit before you at various stages. This is the stage where we are hoping you are support will support our branding recommendation. So we sole sourced to transit media due to a timeline crunch. Um Transit Media is a company that we work with now for transit, so they have our templates, they handle our bus wraps, things of that nature. Excuse me. So they came back with three recommendations, and this is the one that staff is supporting most, and we would like council staff uh support as well. It is Viselia Connect. There's various aspects. This is a very basic presentation, by the way. So for Vicelia Connect, there's a few reasons that we like this one. So the tagline, fast, flexible, connected. Um, also the graphics, which I can I can see now aren't aren't actually very large on these screens, but the graphics depict kind of like a community-based approach with transit being kind of kind of the center of that community-based connection. Um you can't really see. Had made a suggestion that the transit center is actually the shape of our transit center in the O, and it is, they did make that adjustment. We like the the color scheme, it's kind of a sleek um kind of a corporate look, and it sets itself apart from our other services. Um, on the back of the van there, you'll see that's a QR code, and basically, if you're driving down the road and you see it and you you scan the QR, it'll take you to the writer app. I mean, that's really the gist of it. Um there are a couple other designs. Oh, look, I made notes. Umia link. This one was something that was meant to kind of tie to like a V line, so kind of a common tagline, something that kind of supports something we're already doing. Um, we liked the colors and whatnot, but your link to anywhere in Viselia, we weren't sure that was um a great approach because in the future it may expand at your direction. So we thought maybe that would not support it long term. And then, of course, Viselia Circuit. This is something we had talked about, but ultimately thought that maybe it kind of gives um like an IT impression with the circuits. But your ride your way any time is also a tagline that they suggested here. And obviously, all of this is at your direction, but this is what was presented to us. We'd like to give them a response this week if we have council support. Aside from that, I'm happy to answer any questions or any discussion. Wonderful, thank you. Any comments from council? Yeah, uh, thanks for the presentation. Um I think I I see the service family logos on the top right there, and it looks like the V is sort of, you know, obviously it's the center point. Suggestion, maybe to think about the V in Visya, maybe distinguishing that uh similar to the other service family logos. Just the suggestions, but I do like Visaya Connect. Uh it's it's the one I would choose out of the three. Okay. Anyone else?
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