May 15, 2023 — Visalia City Council
Documented by Jackie Schuster
Here’s what you need to know
- The council recognized the week of May 21-27 as National Public Works Week in Visalia.
- All items on the consent calendar were unanimously passed.
- The council approved a change to City Manager Leslie Caviglia’s contract, raising her salary 2.5% and giving her a one-time $1,000 payment in line with other city employees’ compensation.
Visalia City Council Members
Liz Wynn, District One
Vice Mayor Brett Taylor, District Two
Mayor Brian Poochigian, District Three
Emmanuel Hernandez Soto, District Four
Steve Nelsen, District Five
The Scene
The Visalia City Council meeting started at 7:01 p.m. All council members were present.
Actions/Discussions/Public comment
- Nelsen proclaimed May 21-27 National Public Works Week in Visalia to recognize the work done by the city’s public works employees.
- Public comment
- Resident Laura Duarte told the council that the previous night there were two young men sitting in the back of a truck by her backyard fence, in the parking lot behind the Mooney Dutch Bros., and felt that was an invasion of her privacy. Duarte said she had to shut her bedroom window because she didn’t want them to be able to see her in the room, but she didn’t feel like she should tell them to get down. She said she took a video and sent it to code enforcement. She said she doesn’t want to feel like she has to keep her windows or curtains closed all the time because of such situations.
- Consent calendar
- Taylor pulled item 7 to recuse himself from voting due to a perceived conflict of interest. He did not state specifically what the conflict was, nor did he leave the room, which is required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
- Nelsen motioned to pass all other items on the consent calendar. Taylor seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
- For item 7, Wynn moved to adopt Ordinance 2023-02 to implement the Agricultural Preservation Ordinance to the city’s general land use plan. Nelsen seconded the motion and it passed 4-0 with Taylor abstaining.
- Regular item 1, authorizing changes to the terms and conditions of employment between the city and city manager Leslie Cavlgia
- Diane Davis, the city’s human resources manager, presented this item, which asked for a change to the city manager’s contract to add a 2.5% salary increase beginning the July 1, 2023, pay period, and a one-time payment of $1,000 to be received in the May 6, 2023, pay period. Davis said the salary increase was consistent with the raise all full-time employees recently received.
- Taylor motioned to authorize the mayor to sign an amendment to the city manager employment agreement to add the salary increase and one-time payment of $1,000. Nelsen seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
- Closed session report
- The city bought a property from the Francisco Acevedo family for the Caldwell Widening Project for $7,700.
With nothing else to report, the meeting adjourned at 7:16 p.m.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.