Documented by Jackie Schuster
Here’s what you need to know
- The Visalia City Council unanimously approved all consent calendar items, including the request to purchase five solid waste trucks for nearly $2.5 million and appropriate funding of up to $55,700 from the general fund for the city’s 2024 Independence Day celebrations.
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
- Public comment
- Members of the Visalia Environmental Alliance recognized former City Council member Greg Collins as an environmental hero.
- Collins said that Visalia has been proactive in water conservation starting with the treatment plant and groundwater recharge, and he thinks that Visalia’s recycling program is unparalleled in the Valley. He said water and farmland conservation are ingrained in this city and council, so it was a big honor to accept the award.
- Taylor Heiney said she appreciates the bike path that runs along the St. John’s River Trail, and she thinks the trail would be even better if there was a crosswalk that went across the bridge that connects the two sides of the trail so that pedestrians and cyclists can cross safely.
- Consent calendar
- Nelsen pulled item 5 from the consent calendar.
- Taylor moved to approve the remainder of the items, and the motion passed unanimously.
- Item 5, request to file a notice of completion for the Houston Roundabout Landscaping Project and appropriate an additional $5,000 from the Transportation Impact Fee Fund.
- Nelsen said he wanted to pull the item to congratulate the city staff who worked on the project because it has made the area look so much better.
- Wynn moved to approve the notice of completion; the motion passed unanimously.
- Regular item 1, approve a resolution to authorize an application for $15 million for Homekey Round 3.0 for the Majestic Gardens Project, with the mayor to be named the authorized signer for documents
- Taylor asked a staff member to explain how the funds are awarded, because sometimes people misunderstand and think the money comes from the city general fund.
- Margie Perez, the Visalia housing specialist, said the city gets the money from American Rescue Plan and Successor Agency Housing funds, which have to be spent on developing low-income housing.
- Nelsen made a motion to adopt Resolution 2024-02 authorizing a joint application with RHCB Development LP and Visalia Homekey LP for Homekey Round 3.0 not to exceed $15 million for the Majestic Gardens Project as required by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, authorize the mayor to be named as the authorized signer for Homekey documents on behalf of the co-applicant for participation in the Homekey Program and authorize the city manager to sign Resolution 2024-02. The motion passed unanimously.
- Regular item 2, open the public hearing and continue the item for an ordinance to amend Visalia Municipal Code Chapters 5.04 and 5.28.
- Melody Murch, assistant finance director, said the required notice for a public hearing taking place on Feb. 20 was already published for the ordinance, but the staff was not yet ready to deliver the full report. She said the department needed the council to open the public hearing and then continue the item to March 4 when the first reading will be held.
- Wynn moved to open the public hearing and continue the item to the council March 4 meeting, at which time the full item will be presented. The council voted unanimously to approve the motion.
With no closed session report, the meeting ended at 7:25 p.m. The next Visalia City Council meeting will be held on March 4.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
