OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Visalia City Council Meeting - August 3, 2026

City Council — Monday, August 3, 2026
BodyVisalia, California
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, August 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:09:26

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening.

0:01

We're gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order for for the Visaya City Council session.

0:06

We are gonna start off by um allowing citizens to uh comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visaya City Council and items listed on the closed session agenda.

0:14

The council asks that you keep your comments concise and positive, creative criticism presented with a perfect courtesy as welcome.

0:20

The city does not tolerate disruptive behavior in our meetings.

0:22

This council meeting is considered a limited public forum, which means that the council can regulate the time, place, and manner of speech.

0:28

Speaker comments during public comments must be limited to matters within the jurisdiction or the council's authority, generally referred to as within the county council's subject matter matter jurisdiction.

0:39

If a speaker's comments are not related to the council's subject matter jurisdiction, the presiding officer will rule the speaker out of order.

0:46

A speaker will not be ruled out of order because of disagreement with the content of their speech.

0:51

Each speaker will be given three minutes to speak.

0:53

The presiding officer may establish a reasonable overall time limit for public comment period and may adjust that time limit as necessary to ensure the efficient, orderly, and fair conduct of the meeting.

1:04

Please step up to the podium for those uh calling in, raise your digital hand now by dialing nine on the phone to indicate you wish to speak, and six to unmute yourself.

1:14

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

1:19

At this time, we will invite people from uh who are currently here in this meeting room to speak first.

1:26

But it would be on closed session items.

1:35

Okay.

1:36

Bill, do you have any closed item sessions you'd like to speak on?

1:39

No.

1:40

No closed items.

1:41

Okay.

1:41

So then do you want to you can come back at seven o'clock?

1:44

Uh and okay, very good.

1:46

Uh City Clerk, is anyone online who is here to speak?

1:51

As a reminder to the callers online, please use your raise your hand feature, and we will add you to the meeting queue.

2:00

Mayor, at this time there are no hands raised.

2:02

Okay, very good.

2:03

So we will go ahead and uh adjourn this meeting and we will go into closed session.

2:07

So we will see everyone back at seven o'clock.

3:03

And welcome to the Visaya City Council meeting.

3:05

We're gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order.

3:07

Uh, we're excited to have so many people in the room today, and uh, we love all the energy that the players are bringing, so we're excited to be able to recognize them today.

3:15

So we're gonna go ahead and start our meeting off with our Pledge of Allegiance uh led by Councilmember Puchigan.

3:21

And after that, we ask you to stay standard so we can be uh have a pledge of or uh uh Pastor Chris Archer will be leading our invitation tonight.

3:29

Please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

3:50

Let's pray.

3:52

God, we thank you for the opportunity to gather together this evening.

3:55

We are grateful for this community and for the many people who serve it faithfully every single day.

4:00

God, tonight we celebrate the young athletes being recognized as regional champions.

4:03

Thank you for their hard work and their dedication and their teamwork, and for the coaches, the parents, and the families who have encouraged them along the way, and may they continue to grow not only in their skill but also in their character and their integrity.

4:15

God, we thank you for our city leaders and our employees and volunteers who work each day to make this a place where people can live and work and thrive, give them wisdom and discernment and a heart to serve as they make decisions that impact our community.

4:29

God, we pray for your protection over our police officers and our firefighters, paramedics, and all our first responders.

4:35

Would you strengthen them as they serve others, keep them safe, bring them home to their families every day?

4:40

And God, as this meeting begins, may every conversation be marked by respect, wisdom, and a shared desire to seek the good of our city.

4:47

Thank you for the privilege of calling this community home.

4:50

In your name we pray.

4:51

Amen.

4:55

Thank you, Pastor Archer.

4:56

We appreciate your invitation tonight.

5:00

All right.

5:00

So we're gonna start off first by recognizing our Kyle Ripkin Blue All-Stars 11 and Under and our Kyle Ripkin Blue All-Stars 12 and Under.

5:09

So we are excited to be able to recognize these youth today.

5:13

What we'll do is we will introduce the coaches, and then we will have the coaches read off all the players, and then we'll have the players come up, shake our hands, and then they'll stay up here.

5:22

We'll take a photo.

5:23

Parents, feel free to stand up, take photos.

5:25

This is your guys' time to honor your kids.

5:28

But we just want to say thank you first off to all the coaches and all the parents.

5:31

Being uh getting to this level is really impressive to go on and representing not only our city, but our whole state uh within the United States is a huge achievement in their life.

5:41

Uh, someone who has kids who plays baseball, this is a lot of time and effort that you guys put in.

5:46

So we definitely want to recognize the kids.

5:48

Uh, you know, the kids who are out there playing sports are some of the best uh youth who uh lead our community who work with you know other players to make them better.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████17%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Public Safety█████████████13%
Procedural████████████12%
Youth Programs███████████11%
Technology and Innovation███████████11%
Community Engagement███████7%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Visalia City Council Meeting - August 3, 2026

The Visalia City Council met on Monday, August 3, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers, with a closed session beginning at 6:30 PM. The meeting included recognition of two regional champion Cal Ripken baseball teams, public comments on various topics, adoption of a consent calendar with one item pulled for discussion, and two regular agenda items: updates to the abandoned shopping cart ordinance and the annual AB 481 military equipment use report. All votes were unanimous (5-0).

Consent Calendar

  • Authorization to read ordinances by title only.
  • Authorization for payment to California Vanpool Authority (CalVans) for Visalia Transit contributions.
  • Award contract for Fire Station 54 parking lot rehabilitation to Tosted Asphalt, Inc. for $176,479.84, with $115,000 appropriation from the General Fund. (Item pulled by Council Member Nelsen for discussion; later approved unanimously.)
  • Conditional acceptance of FAA Airport Infrastructure Grant of $201,020 for design of Tiedown Apron A3 Reconstruction at Visalia Municipal Airport, with local match of $10,580 from Airport Fund.
  • Award contract for St. John’s River Trail landscaping east of Dinuba Boulevard to Gowin Green Landscaping for $287,826, with additional appropriation of $255,000 from Waterways Capital Fund.
  • Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-08 authorizing a long-term lease for 408 acres of open ground to Correia Custom Farming Inc.
  • Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-05 adding Chapter 4.04 “Commercial Cannabis Activity” to the Municipal Code, rescinding Chapter 5.66, amending Chapter 8.64, approving Zoning Text Amendment No. 2026-01, and adopting Resolution No. 2026-42 establishing application and selection process for retail cannabis business licenses.
  • Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-07 for Annexation No. 2025-04 (D.R. Horton) to prezone ±78.11 acres to R-1, R-M-2, R-M-3, and QP zones at northeast corner of Lovers Lane and Caldwell Avenue.
  • Adoption of revised Resolutions Nos. 2026-47 and 2026-48 upholding an appeal for Clements Ranch Tentative Subdivision Map No. 5606 and Tentative Parcel Map No. 2025-13 (292 lots on ±78.11 acres).
  • Filing notice of completion for Mill Creek culvert replacement project.
  • Filing notice of completion for installation of cellular radios in sanitary sewer lift stations.
  • Adoption of Resolution 2026-55 designating city-owned property at northwest corner of Clancy Street and Nicholas Avenue into public right of way.
  • Authorization to accept CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program ($156,978) for Visalia Police Department, approving Resolution No. 2026-54.
  • Authorization to issue a letter to the California Transportation Commission terminating an Active Transportation Program grant of $795,000 for the Goshen-Visalia Corridor improvement project, and supporting reprogramming of funds to the Caltrans Ivanhoe Safe Routes to School project.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jim Reeves (Visalia): Filed a public records request regarding the city’s Flock automated license plate reader system; described three-month delays and lack of transparency. Expressed concern about secret policing.
  • Bill Huott (Visalia): Initially opposed Flock cameras but after speaking with Captain Swordhouse, now 100% supports the system for catching car thieves. Also commended the city's Sweep team for cleaning graffiti and trash; shared his volunteer philosophy “Clean is less mean.”
  • Irene Lapin (Visalia): Criticized spending $18,000+ on America’s 250th birthday display at the convention center, calling it tacky. Objected to new bike lanes, described them as “obstacle courses from hell.” Questioned a contract with a New Zealand company for the Highland Community project, cost overruns, and lack of transparency. Urged council to stop.
  • Dr. Esteban Verduzco (Visalia): Reported that his electricity was cut twice by Southern California Edison, preventing him from seeing 16 telemedicine patients due to no HIPAA-compliant Wi-Fi in the city. Requested help with this municipal-level problem.
  • Kathy Falconer (Visalia): Raised concerns about potential data center development in the area, citing water and energy use (large data center uses water equivalent to 1.2 million people or energy of Woodlake). Asked questions about city preparedness, zoning, and public input. Also discussed wildfire risks.
  • Mikki K. (Visalia): Noted opposition to data centers growing across counties; mentioned upcoming town halls in Kings and Tulare counties. Provided details of a data center town hall on August 28 in Hanford.
  • Sam Sciacca (Visalia): Thanked council and planning commission for approving an 82-unit subdivision on his family’s property (farmed since 1924). Said it will provide workforce housing. Announced upcoming downtown events, including a Jaws of Life demonstration on Main Street in October.
  • Kathy Connelly (Visalia): Expressed support for Flock cameras but concern about who else accesses data (citing Texas cases tracking women’s healthcare choices). Opposed data centers due to environmental impact, water use, and job displacement.
  • Efrain Becerra (District 1, Visalia): Asked for more transparency on Flock cameras. Thanked the city and community for support. Praised city staff and council professionalism compared to other cities. Announced an exhibit at the Tulare County Museum (September 5) with 32 countries represented.

Discussion Items

  • Shopping Cart Ordinance Update (Item 1): Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Riedmann presented proposed updates to Municipal Code Chapter 8.70. Key proposals: increase cost recovery fee from $50 to $100 per cart (as per Senate Bill 753), require physical containment systems at new or significantly expanded businesses (triggered by improvements over $50,000). Staff collected 1,630 carts in 2024 and 843 in the first four months of 2026. Council expressed support, noting the need to reduce blight. Direction given to staff to return with a formal ordinance within 45–60 days. Motion by Vice Mayor Wynn, seconded by Council Member Nelsen, passed unanimously.
  • AB 481 Annual Report – Military Equipment Use (Item 2): Lieutenant Dominguez presented the annual report. Highlights: no citizen complaints, no inventory changes, no use of surplus military equipment. Deployments in 2025: armored rescue vehicle used 15 times, drones 221 times, bomb truck 20 times, bomb robots 10 times, chemical agents/direct impact munitions used 4 times. The report is publicly available on the police department website. Council adopted Resolution 2026-53 renewing the Military Equipment Use Policy (Ordinance 2022-09). Motion by Council Member Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor Wynn, passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • All 14 consent calendar items approved (5-0), with item 3 (Fire Station 54 parking lot) pulled for discussion and then approved.
  • Shopping Cart Ordinance direction given: staff to prepare ordinance amendments within 45–60 days (approved unanimously).
  • AB 481 annual report accepted and Resolution 2026-53 adopted (unanimous).
  • Closed Session report: City acquired a small parcel from Albe Industries for the Shirk Capacity Enhancement Project for $2,718 (closing date July 23, 2026).
  • Next regular council meeting: Monday, August 17, 2026, at 7:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. We're gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order for for the Visaya City Council session. We are gonna start off by um allowing citizens to uh comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visaya 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 a perfect courtesy as welcome. The city does not tolerate disruptive behavior in our meetings. This council meeting is considered a limited public forum, which means that the council can regulate the time, place, and manner of speech. Speaker comments during public comments must be limited to matters within the jurisdiction or the council's authority, generally referred to as within the county council's subject matter matter jurisdiction. If a speaker's comments are not related to the council's subject matter jurisdiction, the presiding officer will rule the speaker out of order. A speaker will not be ruled out of order because of disagreement with the content of their speech. Each speaker will be given three minutes to speak. The presiding officer may establish a reasonable overall time limit for public comment period and may adjust that time limit as necessary to ensure the efficient, orderly, and fair conduct of the meeting. Please step up to the podium for those uh calling in, raise your digital hand now by dialing nine on the phone to indicate you wish to speak, and six to unmute yourself. You may begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your city of residence. At this time, we will invite people from uh who are currently here in this meeting room to speak first. But it would be on closed session items. Okay. Bill, do you have any closed item sessions you'd like to speak on? No. No closed items. Okay. So then do you want to you can come back at seven o'clock? Uh and okay, very good. Uh City Clerk, is anyone online who is here to speak? As a reminder to the callers online, please use your raise your hand feature, and we will add you to the meeting queue. Mayor, at this time there are no hands raised. Okay, very good. So we will go ahead and uh adjourn this meeting and we will go into closed session. So we will see everyone back at seven o'clock. And welcome to the Visaya City Council meeting. We're gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order. Uh, we're excited to have so many people in the room today, and uh, we love all the energy that the players are bringing, so we're excited to be able to recognize them today. So we're gonna go ahead and start our meeting off with our Pledge of Allegiance uh led by Councilmember Puchigan. And after that, we ask you to stay standard so we can be uh have a pledge of or uh uh Pastor Chris Archer will be leading our invitation tonight. Please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Let's pray. God, we thank you for the opportunity to gather together this evening. We are grateful for this community and for the many people who serve it faithfully every single day. God, tonight we celebrate the young athletes being recognized as regional champions. Thank you for their hard work and their dedication and their teamwork, and for the coaches, the parents, and the families who have encouraged them along the way, and may they continue to grow not only in their skill but also in their character and their integrity. God, we thank you for our city leaders and our employees and volunteers who work each day to make this a place where people can live and work and thrive, give them wisdom and discernment and a heart to serve as they make decisions that impact our community. God, we pray for your protection over our police officers and our firefighters, paramedics, and all our first responders. Would you strengthen them as they serve others, keep them safe, bring them home to their families every day? And God, as this meeting begins, may every conversation be marked by respect, wisdom, and a shared desire to seek the good of our city. Thank you for the privilege of calling this community home. In your name we pray. Amen. Thank you, Pastor Archer. We appreciate your invitation tonight. All right. So we're gonna start off first by recognizing our Kyle Ripkin Blue All-Stars 11 and Under and our Kyle Ripkin Blue All-Stars 12 and Under.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com