OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Visalia City Council Meeting - September 2, 2025: Fire Station Design, Website Update, Rezoning Debate

City Council — Tuesday, September 2, 2025
BodyVisalia, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, September 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:04:28

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Things, things you didn't think you'd have to say.

0:03

We updated the graffiti ordinance in 2010 and again in 24.

0:07

So all of you were aware of that.

0:09

We decommissioned the Ice House Park.

0:13

And um I'm gonna touch on this a little bit.

0:16

When we sat in those meetings and the Ice House Park and the Creative Center were having lots of issues, Ice House Park is a little teeny tiny spot of grass, really, next to the creative center.

0:28

The creative center was having issues.

0:31

When we looked at it, really what we needed to do was we decommissioned it as a park because the ice house wanted to control what was going on in that grass area as a city, and because it's a public place, we couldn't do what they wanted us to do.

0:45

They didn't want people to hang out there.

0:46

Well, it's a park.

0:47

That's what people do is hang out in parks.

0:49

And so we decommissioned, we did some research, we decommissioned the park and and changed the creative center's lease to include that grass area.

0:56

And I can think of any calls we've had, uh the police department may have some, but I think it's been that that solved that problem.

1:02

The other one that's not self-explanatory is we changed the recycling facility requirements.

1:07

Um we in our meetings we talked about we had two recycling facilities that were just an enormous amount of police calls.

1:15

And so I actually sat in my car and watched for I don't know, an hour.

1:20

And you could see when you sat and watched what was going on, you could see the problem.

1:25

Um people recycle the beer, take their money and buy another beer, sit in the parking lot, drink it, recycle the can, buy another beer, sit in the park, and it was just a revolving door.

1:36

And you could see that when you sat there and watched what was going on.

1:38

And so we did some changes to the zoning ordinance and separated that liquor store and that recycling trailer.

1:45

That's just the bad marriage, those two things together.

1:48

And it didn't solve the problem on the two that were the issue because of course they were grandfathered in.

1:53

Um, but COVID actually changed, they closed during COVID and they neither one of them were allowed to reopen.

2:00

So that took care of those issues.

2:01

And the marijuana ordinance, um, that was implemented for the first time, and of course, has been changed in 11, 12, and 17.

2:08

That's gonna be an ever-evolving as steam as things change in the state, of course, things have to change here as well.

2:17

In 2013, the shopping cart ordinance was implemented.

2:20

We did some changes to it in 2019.

2:23

Uh the massage ordinance was implemented, and that was changed that was implemented in 16.

2:28

We just did some changes to it this year.

2:30

The B ordinance was updated.

2:32

Um, I wish I had worked here when that was written because I I'm not sure why the police chief was required to remove bees, but he was.

2:39

What is the B ordinance?

2:41

I'm just curious.

2:42

I knew you were gonna ask that.

2:45

So you can actually you can keep bees, but there's a certain time period that you're not allowed to keep them, and I I wanna say it's from June to October, I believe.

2:54

Don't quote me on that.

2:56

Um you cannot keep bees during that time because that's when they're swarming.

3:00

So somebody can have a do beehives in their yard, but it also pertains to those people that have a beehive on their property and they don't do anything about it.

3:11

So then it falls, it doesn't fall under this, it falls under that public nuisance code.

3:15

But at the time we changed this, it actually said the police chief has to remove it.

3:20

Um, not May has to.

3:23

So, you know, it only takes one person to read that, and then they were, of course, they were causing a ruckus in police the police department because they wanted an officer out there to do that.

3:31

Can we bring that back so the police chief has to keep going out there and removing these, huh?

3:37

I remember an officer telling me, should we take little tiny handcuffs?

3:45

So um, park rules uh was updated, that ordinance was updated.

3:50

We added bans for criminal behavior, things that you you know should just be a given.

3:54

They weren't there, they're there now.

3:56

Um when we ran the calls for service to look at the parks.

3:59

We also changed the park hours for oval, Seven Oaks, and the skate park, and that's be and that was changed where um those parks aren't open after dark.

4:08

You've got no business in those parks after dark, there's no lights there, you know.

4:11

What are you doing?

4:12

So we changed all those things.

4:14

Um that's one of those ordinances though that enforcement falls into the police department.

4:19

We try not to draft ordinances that's going to put more on the police department, but that one um that one typically falls on the police department.

4:32

In 2020 through 2025, we added changes to the commercial vehicles and residential.

4:37

We increased the fines for illegal dumping, uh, updated the street storage and the special events in 23 and again in 25.

4:44

We had to make some changes.

4:49

So in we're gonna, I'm gonna move on to uh St.

4:52

John's River in 16, 18, 19, and 2020.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement█████████████████17%
Zoning██████████████14%
Public Works Recognition█████████████13%
Technology and Innovation█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation█████████████13%
Procedural████████████12%
Code Enforcement███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Public Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Visalia City Council Meeting - September 2, 2025

The Visalia City Council met on September 2, 2025, for a work session (4:30 PM) and regular session (7:00 PM). The work session included presentations on the Neighborhood Preservation Division, the new city website, and Fire Station 51 design. The regular session addressed consent calendar items, a Measure N budget amendment, and a public hearing on rezoning a 16-acre parcel at Akers and Riggin for commercial use, which ultimately was referred back to staff for further analysis.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved routine items including the purchase of four Braun-Lonestar transit vans for Dial-A-Ride ($685,389), notices of completion for shade structures at Stonebrook, Sunset, and Whitendale Parks, approval of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, and a resolution for Homekey+ funds (up to $15 million) for the Crescent Meadows project.
  • Item 7 (Approval of Agricultural Conservation Easement Form from Great Valley Land Trust) was pulled by Mayor Taylor, who recused himself. It passed 4-0 (Taylor recused).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • General Public Comment (Regular Session): Irene Lapin criticized the scheduling of the fireworks report during the work session, arguing it reduced public participation and expressed loss of confidence in the city manager.
  • Public Hearing on Rezoning (Akers/Riggin):
    • Kathy Falconer raised concerns about environmental impacts, traffic, air quality, and the need for park space near the middle school. She advocated for retaining a park and considering daycare or medical clinics.
    • Maria Guillén urged the council to wait for a parks master plan and opposed reducing parkland, emphasizing inclusivity and the need for green space for families.
    • Jim Reeves argued that a five-acre park is too small and that the full 21-acre parcel should be retained for a larger community park.

Discussion Items

  1. Neighborhood Preservation Division Overview – Manager Tracy Robertshaw presented statistics: since 2007, cases grew from 232 to 1,846; graffiti abatement responded to nearly 1,200 work orders covering 18,000 square feet; the sweep team removed 92 tons of debris, 99 appliances, 139 tires, 234 mattresses, and 98 e-waste items in one year. Council members commended the team for their work.
  2. New City Website Update – Staff presented the community outreach plan, including an eight-question survey (English and Spanish), two listening sessions, and a comment period through September 17. Council suggested extending the comment period and reviewing best practices from other cities (e.g., San Francisco, Austin). The project targets a March–April 2026 launch with ADA compliance and mobile responsiveness.
  3. Fire Station 51 Update – Two exterior design options were presented: Option A (Modified Traditional Retrofit) and Option B (Modified Early California Style). Council discussed aesthetics, cohesion with the new Civic Center, and maintenance. Public comment from Jim Reeves supported Option B. A motion to approve Option B passed 4-0 (Mayor Taylor absent during work session).
  4. Measure N Budget Amendment – Second public hearing to appropriate $519,638 for elevator modernization at two parking structures and Fire Station 52, covering change orders due to increased material costs, hydraulic repairs, and safety upgrades. No public comment. Approved 5-0.
  5. General Plan Amendment and Rezone (16 acres at Akers and Riggin) – Staff proposed changing the land use from Parks/Recreation to Commercial Mixed Use on a 16-acre portion of a 21-acre parcel, retaining 5 acres for a park. Council debate: Council Member Poochigian and others favored designating the entire 21 acres as commercial to generate funds for a park elsewhere (e.g., an aquatic center). Vice Mayor Wynn and Council Member Hernandez Soto expressed concerns about losing parkland and wanted a parks plan first. A motion to approve the 16-acre change died for lack of a second. A subsequent motion to refer the matter back to staff to analyze a full 21-acre commercial designation and prepare proper CEQA documentation passed 5-0. Council also directed staff to bring back a parks plan for the northwest quadrant before a final vote on the rezoning.

Key Outcomes

  • Fire Station 51 Design: Approved Option B (Modified Early California Style) – vote 4-0.
  • Measure N Budget Amendment: Approved additional $519,638 for elevator modernization – vote 5-0.
  • Rezoning (Akers/Riggin): Referred back to staff to redesignate the entire 21-acre parcel as Commercial Mixed Use, conduct CEQA analysis, and return with a parks plan for the northwest quadrant – motion carried 5-0.
  • Consent Calendar: Approved as amended (Item 7 passed separately 4-0).
  • Next Meetings: September 15, 2025, and October 6, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Things, things you didn't think you'd have to say. We updated the graffiti ordinance in 2010 and again in 24. So all of you were aware of that. We decommissioned the Ice House Park. And um I'm gonna touch on this a little bit. When we sat in those meetings and the Ice House Park and the Creative Center were having lots of issues, Ice House Park is a little teeny tiny spot of grass, really, next to the creative center. The creative center was having issues. When we looked at it, really what we needed to do was we decommissioned it as a park because the ice house wanted to control what was going on in that grass area as a city, and because it's a public place, we couldn't do what they wanted us to do. They didn't want people to hang out there. Well, it's a park. That's what people do is hang out in parks. And so we decommissioned, we did some research, we decommissioned the park and and changed the creative center's lease to include that grass area. And I can think of any calls we've had, uh the police department may have some, but I think it's been that that solved that problem. The other one that's not self-explanatory is we changed the recycling facility requirements. Um we in our meetings we talked about we had two recycling facilities that were just an enormous amount of police calls. And so I actually sat in my car and watched for I don't know, an hour. And you could see when you sat and watched what was going on, you could see the problem. Um people recycle the beer, take their money and buy another beer, sit in the parking lot, drink it, recycle the can, buy another beer, sit in the park, and it was just a revolving door. And you could see that when you sat there and watched what was going on. And so we did some changes to the zoning ordinance and separated that liquor store and that recycling trailer. That's just the bad marriage, those two things together. And it didn't solve the problem on the two that were the issue because of course they were grandfathered in. Um, but COVID actually changed, they closed during COVID and they neither one of them were allowed to reopen. So that took care of those issues. And the marijuana ordinance, um, that was implemented for the first time, and of course, has been changed in 11, 12, and 17. That's gonna be an ever-evolving as steam as things change in the state, of course, things have to change here as well. In 2013, the shopping cart ordinance was implemented. We did some changes to it in 2019. Uh the massage ordinance was implemented, and that was changed that was implemented in 16. We just did some changes to it this year. The B ordinance was updated. Um, I wish I had worked here when that was written because I I'm not sure why the police chief was required to remove bees, but he was. What is the B ordinance? I'm just curious. I knew you were gonna ask that. So you can actually you can keep bees, but there's a certain time period that you're not allowed to keep them, and I I wanna say it's from June to October, I believe. Don't quote me on that. Um you cannot keep bees during that time because that's when they're swarming. So somebody can have a do beehives in their yard, but it also pertains to those people that have a beehive on their property and they don't do anything about it. So then it falls, it doesn't fall under this, it falls under that public nuisance code. But at the time we changed this, it actually said the police chief has to remove it. Um, not May has to. So, you know, it only takes one person to read that, and then they were, of course, they were causing a ruckus in police the police department because they wanted an officer out there to do that. Can we bring that back so the police chief has to keep going out there and removing these, huh? I remember an officer telling me, should we take little tiny handcuffs? So um, park rules uh was updated, that ordinance was updated. We added bans for criminal behavior, things that you you know should just be a given. They weren't there, they're there now. Um when we ran the calls for service to look at the parks. We also changed the park hours for oval, Seven Oaks, and the skate park, and that's be and that was changed where um those parks aren't open after dark.

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