Visalia City Council Meeting Summary – November 17, 2025
Visalia City Council Meeting Summary – November 17, 2025
The Visalia City Council met on Monday, November 17, 2025, in a work session starting at 5:30 PM followed by a regular session at 7:00 PM. The meeting included a presentation from the Wastewater Collections Division, a special recognition, a consent calendar with one item pulled for discussion, a regular item on the Tulare Avenue bike lane configuration, and a public hearing to adopt the 2025 California Fire Code. Mayor Brett Taylor was absent; all votes were 4-0 except where noted.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1–22 Approved as one motion, except item 7 pulled by Council Member Nelsen.
- Item 7 – Lease Agreement for Warming Center (701 East Race Avenue): Council Member Nelsen pulled the item to discuss the need for a permanent warming/cooling center location, noting the current site at the PAL building may not be long-term and the underserved homeless population south of Highway 198. He urged the nonprofit to take the lead on finding a permanent facility. The item was approved 4-0 after council comments and no public testimony.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Work Session Public Comment (Wastewater presentation): One resident (name not stated) asked for clarification on catch basins; staff explained that the 7,031 catch basins are metal grates collecting stormwater.
- General Public Comment (Regular Session):
- Neil Zerlang (representing Grace Bible Church, Exeter) reported damage to the church’s south parking area and gate caused by the Gidding Street culvert/bridge project, and sought assistance with an alley abandonment project (site plan 2025-019) submitted in January 2025. He praised construction manager Bryce Nagel for responsiveness.
- Maria Guillen (Visalia) thanked reporter Karis Cadell for covering the November 3 council meeting and criticized the council’s 3-2 vote against placing a future agenda item on funding a food-based nonprofit amid SNAP benefit interruptions. She contrasted Visalia’s inaction with Fresno’s unanimous $250,000 emergency food funding.
- Another speaker delivered a long unrelated statement about the Kennedy Center and President Trump, which was permitted during public comment.
- Public Comment on Tulare Avenue Bike Lane Configuration:
- Jocelyn Calderon (Visalia) expressed concerns about parking loss on her block (Grant to Watson), noting the red zone near her driveway and that the parking survey times missed peak parking. She requested reconsideration of red-zone striping.
- Jim Kusserow (Visalia) strongly supported protected bike lanes for safety, health, economic, and environmental benefits, urging the council to adopt alternative one.
- Herb Simmons (Visalia), a 30-year bicycle commuter and civil engineer, endorsed class-four bike lanes, argued class-three (sharrows) are dangerous, and shared a personal story of being hit by a car while biking with children.
- Rosie Alavez Os (Visalia), a nurse who was hit by a truck while biking, urged the council to prioritize safety for children on the school corridor.
- Laura Anderson (Visalia) supported the class-four lanes, stating they have increased her biking frequency and safety with her four-year-old.
- Mark Wall (President, Southern Sierra Cyclist Bicycle Club) voiced support for class-four lanes, questioned the planned curb details and class-three segments, and offered the club’s assistance.
- Dominic Ilward (student at Mount Whitney) rides the route daily and urged keeping the protected bike lanes.
- Michelle Kenner (mother and student) supported the protected lanes as beneficial for families and noted the daycare at County Center.
- Lisa Alvarado (Visalia), a transportation advocate and member of the California State Transportation Commission, emphasized that funding for future bike projects depends on implementing class-four lanes and that the state is “celebrating Visalia” for its engineering.
- Linda Farsakian Wall (Visalia) initially confused but now supportive after education, read letters from Joanna Kremers (counselor at Mount Whitney) supporting safety for schools and from Bud Darwin (longtime resident) who sacrifices curb parking for safety.
- Miley Melkonyan (Visalia) supported the class-four lanes, noting that Tulare Avenue has the highest number of bicycle and pedestrian accidents and that the design improves safety.
- Robert Staveley (45-year resident) opposed moving parking 15 feet from curb, arguing it narrows traffic flow and endangers drivers, and claimed minimal bicycle use.
- Mike Pinero (40-year resident) said losing front-yard parking devalues his home and makes parking in the middle of the street unsafe.
- Diana Alford (grew up on Tulare) expressed safety concerns for elderly residents and difficulty picking up family if parking is moved away from curb.
Discussion Items
1. Wastewater Collections Division Presentation
- Staff: Nick Barch (Public Works Director), Ben Litwack (Wastewater Public Works Manager), and Rick Paredes (Superintendent) presented on the division’s responsibilities, including 500 miles of sanitary sewer, 380 miles of storm sewer, 56 lift stations, 7,031 catch basins, etc. Challenges include aging infrastructure, population growth, and misuse (rags, grease, intentional foam blocking). Maintenance includes jetting (25% of system yearly, zero overflows in over a decade), vegetation management, and CCTV inspections. Council members praised the team’s responsiveness, especially during storms.
2. Tulare Avenue Bike Lane Configuration
- Staff: Jason Huckleberry (Director of Engineering), Chris Crawford (City Engineer), and Diego Corvera presented. The project includes class-four protected bike lanes from Demaree to Cotta. Two alternatives were presented: Alternative One (staff recommendation) keeps class-four lanes but modifies parking width (9-10 feet) and uses a smaller street sweeper to allow wider parking; Alternative Two would use class-two/class-three lanes west of Woodland, but staff noted this creates safety liability. The project is funded partly by federal grants (approx. $2-2.9M) with a completion deadline of January 30, 2026. Staff highlighted connectivity with future bike projects and the $11.3 million ATP grant for Santa Fe path that assumes the class-four lane. Council questions focused on parking loss, striping details, and safety. Public input was mixed: residents worried about parking loss and safety of parked cars; cyclists and advocates strongly supported class-four for safety and grant competitiveness.
- Council Positions:
- Council Member Nelsen: Supported alternative one for safety and connectivity.
- Council Member Poochigian: Supported alternative one but expressed concerns about car door safety and parking loss; urged future projects to better address parking.
- Council Member Hernandez Soto: Asked about allowing overnight parking in some areas; staff clarified that would compromise the class-four lane.
- Vice Mayor Wynn: Opposed alternative one from Demaree to Woodland due to negative impact on elderly and disabled residents; supported progress but not at the expense of longtime residents.
- Motion: Council Member Poochigian moved to authorize staff to proceed with alternative one (original striping with parking modifications). Seconded by Council Member Nelsen. Passed 3-1 (Vice Mayor Wynn opposed; Mayor Taylor absent).
3. Public Hearing – Adoption of 2025 California Fire Code
- Staff: Corbin Reed (Fire Marshal) presented the triennial adoption with city-specific amendments: right of entry, utility disconnection, board of appeals, fire apparatus access (requiring two access points for apartment complexes over 100 units), and appendices for fire watch, trade shows, and haunted houses. No objections from the Building Industry Association.
- Public Comment: Irene Lampen asked whether appendix P applies to private haunted houses collecting donations; staff confirmed yes.
- Motion: Approved first reading of Ordinance 2025-14 4-0.
Key Outcomes
- Wastewater Presentation received accolades; no formal action required.
- Warming Center Lease (Item 7) approved 4-0; Council Member Nelsen requested a future look at a permanent warming/cooling center location on the south side.
- Tulare Avenue Bike Lane voted 3-1 to proceed with alternative one (class-four protected bike lanes with modified parking widths of 9–10 feet and smaller street sweeper). Speed study will be conducted post-construction.
- 2025 California Fire Code adopted on first reading (Ordinance 2025-14) 4-0; second reading and final adoption expected at a later meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the Visaya City Council work session. Today is Monday, November 17th, and we'll start off 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. 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 any public comments from the audience? Okay, seeing none, we'll go to our first work session item. Presentation by the Wastewater Collections Division. Staff report, please. Well, good evening, Council. Nick Barch, Public Works Director. Uh, we're excited to bring an update tonight from our wastewater collections division. Uh it's kind of a fitting night to do so with uh experiencing the amount of rain that we've had over the last uh week or so. Um I'd like to first introduce Ben Litwack, our public works manager over wastewater, uh including collections and the wastewater treatment plant, and Rick Paredes are wastewater collections superintendent. Recently had a title change, so wanted to make sure I got that correct. So with that, I will turn it over to Ben and uh he can walk us through the update tonight. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor and members of City Council, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on the wastewater collections division. My name's Ben Litwack, and I'm the Wastewater Public Works Manager. Tonight I'll be discussing the systems we maintain, the challenges we experience, the work our staff performs daily to keep Viselius Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure operating safely and reliably. Although much of this work happens quietly behind the scenes, these systems are essential to public health, environmental protection, and maintaining a high quality of life for our residents. There we go. I'd like to begin by recognizing the team responsible for operating and maintaining this extensive infrastructure, many of whom are sitting with us here today, and to my side here. Our wastewater maintenance workers and maintenance service workers, Hector Rodriguez, Mike Weatherly, Frank Cerna, Jeff Riley, and Ismail Meza, and our heavy equipment operator, James Southern. This team handles everything from routine line cleaning and inspections to storm preparation, emergency response, system repairs, and infrastructure rehabilitation. Their expertise and dedication are critical to keeping our systems running smoothly and protecting the community. So here we have a GIS map of our sanitary sewer system. The sanitary sewer system includes 500 miles of pipeline that transport wastewater from every home, business, and industry in Viselia to the water reclamation facility. We also operate and maintain 13 sanitary sewer lift stations. These stations pump wastewater through the system in areas where gravity alone cannot do the job. They require constant monitoring and maintenance to prevent backups, spills, and equipment failures. Alongside our sanitary sewer system, we have our storm sewer system. Now we're responsible for maintaining all of this infrastructure, which is quite extensive as well. It includes 380 miles of storm sewer lines, 43 storm lift stations, 7,031 catch basins, and we did count each one. 46 stormwater basins and 35 miles of open stormwater ditches. This infrastructure plays a critical role during rainfall events like today. And uh preventing roadway flooding and protecting private property. It also supports groundwater recharge and helps manage storm flows across the community. Maintaining both the sanitary, sanitary and stormwater systems comes with several challenges. A large portion of our infrastructure is aging. Population growth adds stress to systems that were installed decades ago, and storm events, especially throughout the winter, place significant demands on both personnel and equipment. We also encounter issues related to improper system use, structural deterioration, and unauthorized discharges. The next few slides will highlight several of these challenges. So for an example of misuse of the system, we have uh basically rags. These wipes, rags, hygiene products, and other debris all contribute to blockages and equipment damage. And sites like this aren't all too uncommon whenever removing major blockages. I think that came from around the hospital. Correct.
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