Visalia City Council Meeting - December 15, 2025: Work Session and Regular Meeting
Visalia City Council Meeting - December 15, 2025: Work Session and Regular Meeting
The Visalia City Council met on December 15, 2025, beginning with a work session at 4:00 PM and transitioning to a regular session at 7:00 PM. The meeting included new employee introductions, departmental updates, a federal lobbyist presentation, an arts consortium report, a review of the live entertainment permitting process, a discussion of the Sequoia Shuttle's 2025 season and 2026 fare structure, and a public hearing on the 2025 Building Code adoption. Key decisions included extending the federal lobbyist contract, approving a two-year arts consortium contract, directing staff to develop a hybrid live entertainment ordinance without a moratorium, authorizing the 2026 Sequoia Shuttle season with a $15 round-trip fare and a $5 discount for Visalia residents, and approving the first reading of the 2025 Building Code.
Consent Calendar
- Approved 19 items en bloc (items 1–19 and 21), including: authorization to read ordinances by title only; award of a design contract to 4Creeks Inc. for $264,114; acceptance of 2024/25 AB 1600 Impact Fee Report; purchase of three Iteris detection systems for $114,087.75; second reading of the 2025 California Fire Code; fee waiver for Visalia Gadabouts; design contract with Kimley-Horn for $488,430 with acceptance of $5,956,000 in CMAQ funds; five-year MOU with Putignano Sister City Committee; purchase of a Multihog bike lane sweeper for $190,750; contract with Graymar Environmental Services for media replacement ($60,000/year, up to $300,000 total); Notice of Completion for Greenway Trail Phase 1; change order for blower rental ($56,680); maintenance contract with Motorola Solutions ($1,212,020 over five years); alleyway abandonment resolution; extension of emergency engineering services contract ($200,000); second reading of Zoning Text Amendment 2025-04 (Missing Middle Housing, Large Sites, Emergency Shelters); change order for Riggin Avenue Widening ($346,736); application for STEP Grant ($230,000); continuation of aquatics facility discussion until February 17, 2026; FAA and California Jobs First Grant applications ($4,000,000 and $5,000,000 respectively). Item 20 (stadium lease assignment) was pulled for separate discussion and approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Public Comments (Work Session): No public comments.
- General Public Comments (Regular Session): Irene Lapin urged the Council to fund a public pool, citing budget allocations for other projects. Maria Guillen celebrated the first Porch Fest event on November 29, 2025. April Lancaster questioned the allocation of surplus funds to pickleball courts instead of parks and recreation, and advocated for a community water park. Jim Reeves reported on the Source LGBTQ+ Center's gala, which raised over $105,000.
- Public Comments on Specific Items: On the Arts Consortium contract, Maria Guillen expressed strong support for the arts community and first Friday events. On the Live Entertainment discussion, April Lancaster supported a hybrid approach but opposed a moratorium; Cristobal Carrillo (musician) favored an administrative permit for low-impact entertainment. On the Sequoia Shuttle, April Lancaster suggested leveraging tourism marketing funds and subsidizing low-income riders; Maria Guillen urged creative solutions to sustain the service. On the Building Code adoption, Cesar Chavez (Lennar Homes) thanked staff for interpreting complex state mandates.
Discussion Items
- New Employee Introductions (Work Session Item 1): Nine employees were introduced: Pamela Davila Lopez (Administrative Assistant), Rachel Archer (Management Analyst), Bret Adams (Project Manager), Daniel Luna and Ricardo Perez (SWEEP Maintenance Service Workers), Joshua Martin and Frank Lawrence II (Solid Waste Operators), Ivan Nicar (Parks and Facilities Manager), and Nichol Ritchie (Finance Manager). Each was welcomed by Council.
- Fleet Maintenance Division Presentation (Work Session Item 2): Public Works Director Nick Bartsch, Manager Danny Galindo, and Supervisor Steve Ellis reported that the 13-employee team maintains 687 city assets, completing approximately 1,500 preventive maintenance and 3,605 repair work orders annually, keeping 98% of the fleet operational. Council members thanked staff; no action required.
- Federal Lobbyist Presentation (Work Session Item 3): Greg Burns of Thorn Run Partners reviewed 2025 federal activity, noting $2 million secured for a groundwater recharge basin (via Congressman Fong) and $250,000 for Riggin Avenue (via Congressman Costa). He discussed the pending expiration of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, changes to FEMA disaster funding, and housing legislation. Council members expressed support. A motion to receive the report and extend the contract for the fourth and final year passed 4–0 (Vice Mayor Liz Wynn absent).
- Arts Consortium Presentation (Work Session Item 4): Ampelio Mejía Perez highlighted 2025 activities, including the My Voice Media Center, Taste the Arts (5,500 attendees), First Friday Art Walks, and Poetry Out Loud. He noted a potential funding loss for the media center in mid-2026 due to state behavioral health transitions. Council members praised the work. A motion to authorize a two-year contract (2026: $46,029; 2027: $46,944) passed 4–0 (Vice Mayor Wynn absent).
- Live Entertainment Review and Discussion (Work Session Item 5): Planning Director Paul Bernal and Assistant Planner Colleen Moreno outlined the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process. Options presented: maintain CUP process, develop a comprehensive ordinance, or a hybrid. Councilmember Steve Nelsen recused himself at 5:25 PM. Council discussed grandfathering, differentiating low-impact entertainment, and avoiding a moratorium. City Attorney Richardson suggested a hybrid approach without a moratorium. Public comments from April Lancaster (supported hybrid, opposed moratorium) and Cristobal Carrillo (favored administrative permits for low-impact venues). A motion by Councilmember Brian Poochigian, seconded by Vice Mayor Wynn, to direct staff to proceed with a hybrid approach with no moratorium passed 4–0 (Nelsen abstained).
- Sequoia Shuttle 2025 Season Report and Direction for 2026 (Regular Session Item 6): Transit Manager Angelina Baker reported that in 2025, 4,056 round-trip tickets were sold at $15 each. Total operating cost was $417,371; after revenue of $50,700, $366,671 in Local Transit Funds (LTF) subsidized the service, resulting in a cost per passenger of over $100. Options to improve sustainability included seeking tourism marketing district funds, Measure R reallocation, or a transit occupancy tax. Council members expressed concern about long-term viability. A motion by Councilmember Nelsen, seconded by Councilmember Hernandez Soto, to approve staff recommendations (operate 2026 season, set $15 round-trip fare with $5 discount for Visalia residents, authorize LTF use, pursue other funding, and return with a report by October 2026) passed 4–1 (Mayor Taylor dissenting).
- Public Hearing and Ordinance Adoption for 2025 Building Code (Regular Session Item 1): Engineering Director Jason Huckleberry presented the State-mandated 2025 California Building Codes. No local amendments were proposed. Public comment from Cesar Chavez (Lennar Homes) thanked staff. Council noted state requirements and supported adoption. A motion to approve the first reading and schedule a second reading on January 20, 2026 passed 5–0.
Key Outcomes
- Contract Extensions Authorized: The Thorn Run Partners federal lobbyist contract was extended for the fourth and final year (4–0). The Arts Consortium contract for 2026–2027 was approved (4–0).
- Live Entertainment Ordinance Direction: Staff was directed to develop a hybrid ordinance that would allow low-impact live entertainment through administrative permits while maintaining CUPs for more intense uses; no moratorium was imposed (4–0–1).
- Sequoia Shuttle 2026 Season: The Gateway Shuttle will operate with a $15 round-trip fare and a $5 discount for Visalia residents; LTF funds will be used while staff seeks alternative funding; a progress report is due by October 2026 (4–1).
- Building Code Adoption: The first reading of Ordinance 2025-16 (2025 California Building Code) was approved; a public hearing for the second reading is set for January 20, 2026 (5–0).
- Consent Calendar Approval: 19 items approved en bloc; item 20 (stadium lease assignment to On Deck Partners) was pulled, discussed, and unanimously approved after remarks from CEO Mike Carney.
- Upcoming Meetings: The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the Visayas City Council meeting. We're gonna go ahead and get started with this work session. We'll start off with uh public comments. Anyone from the public wishing to speak at this time, uh, please come forward. You can come to this uh lectern right here on your right hand side, my left hand side, and feel free to speak. You get up to three minutes. Anyone from the public wishing to speak? All right, seeing a lot of city employees and not a lot of public, I'm guessing that's a no. All right, next one go on to um item number one, which is new employee introductions. Who's gonna start off? Jason. Fantastic. Yeah, good evening, council, uh Jason Surba Public Works Manager. We're gonna try it a little bit different today. I'm gonna go ahead and bring all the new employees up all at once, all nine, and then each individual supervisor can come up, introduce their individuals, and then everybody can shake uh counsel's hand at the end if that's okay with everybody. So I'm gonna go ahead and name off the new employees if you can come up in order. Uh Pamela Davila Lopez, Rachel Archer, Brett Adams, Daniel Luna. Ricardo Lopez, I mean Ricardo Perez, Joshua Martin, Frank Lawrence, Ivan Nicker, and Nicole Ritchie. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. I am excited and pleased to introduce Pamela as our new administrative assistant. Pamela joined the city two years ago through the police department records division, where she gained experience working with sensitive information and supporting a fast-paced public safety environment. She brings that background with her into this new role. Pamela is a proud, is proud of the path that led her here, and she often speaks about the support of her family and friends, especially her parents, who taught her the value of dedication and perseverance. She is a product of her parents' hard work and sacrifice, and she carries those values with her into her work every day. She's grateful to share this moment with her family and her dogs who are streaming this from home. So let's say hi. Outside of work, Pamela enjoys Marvel vintage items and creative hobbies that keep her inspired. Thank you. I want to say thank you to Pamela, and we all want to welcome you. So thank you so much, Pamela. Next, we're going to invite Amy so she can introduce Rachel. Good afternoon, Mayor Taylor and Council members. I'm Amy Powell, Human Resources Manager. I am very pleased to introduce our newest team member in human resources and risk management, Rachel Archer, who joined the city on November 17th as a management analyst. Rachel comes to us from the city of Fresno, where she served as a senior management analyst for five and a half years. Prior to her work in municipal government, she was the administrator of finance for the Central California District Church of the Nazarene, bringing extensive experience in financial oversight and organizational support. Rachel holds a master's in organizational leadership from Treveca Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Point Loma Nazarene Church University, excuse me. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband Chris and their two children, Ashley, who's 16, and Hayden, who's 12. She also loves traveling, reading, and experimenting with new recipes. Please join me in welcoming Rachel to the team. We're excited to have her talent, experience, and fresh perspective, strengthening our organizational practices and supporting the city city's continued growth. I'm excited to introduce uh Brett Adams. Brett is our newest project manager within the engineering division. Uh Brett will be focusing on parks projects, which we're very excited about. He's jumped in with both feet and uh and started to get things moving quickly and looking to complete a lot of projects very soon. Uh Brett attended Fresno State University where he received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He lives in Vicelli with his wife Julie and two awesome boys, Peter and Jack. He's blessed with a warm home life, excellent friends, and a wonderful church family. We are excited to have Brett on board and hope he'll join us in welcoming him to the city's team.
openpublica.com