MAKING THE TOUGH DECISIONS

The Visalia City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month for regularly scheduled council meetings.  Additional council meetings are held as needed.  Prior to these meetings, agendas and staff reports are prepared and provided to council members in order for them to bone up on the issues to be decided.  These agendas and staff reports are also available in advance to the public on the city’s website at www.ci.visalia.ca.us.

Many of the issues which we confront are “no brainers.”  Consent calendar items such as applying for grants, approving notices of completion, awarding of contracts and second readings of ordinances can be handled quickly and efficiently.  However, all issues which we deliberate on affect Visalia citizens, for better or for worse.  For instance, at a recent council meeting, we approved reclassifying Burke Street south of Houston as a connector status street so that this road can be punched through an existing cul-de-sac to give another north/south access street between Tulare Avenue and the St. John’s river.  While this helps traffic circulation for our citizens as a whole, one adjacent property owner was unhappy that some of the frontage on his property (part of his driveway), would be taken, even though the city will compensate him for it.  The Council’s approval was based upon the greater good of the community, but this decision still affected this property owner’s plans for his property.

Often our decisions are contingent upon balancing the rights of some citizens versus the rights of other citizens.  Some tough decisions that the council has had to make in recent times dealt with enacting a new medical marijuana ordinance, downsizing  health care benefits for city retirees, and designating the Visalia Home Builders Subdivision as a Historic District.  On each of these issues, numerous citizens addressed the council, both pro and con.

Not long ago, I ran into a former Visalia city council member and griped to him a little about having to make a decision on a particularly tough issue in an upcoming meeting.  He replied, “that’s why they pay you the big bucks.”  (This is merely a figure of speech in this case, since I calculate that my pay rate based upon the hours I put in as a council member is slightly less than my high school daughter receives at her part-time babysitting jobs.)  Suffice it to say that this is what council members have been elected to do, to make the judgment calls and tough decisions on behalf of our citizens, attempting to do what’s best for the community as a whole under the circumstances.  Some  upcoming tough decisions will involve the General Plan update, potential district elections, and approving and balancing the next two-year city budget.  I’m trying to develop a thicker skin.  Politicians just want to be loved and appreciated (and to keep their jobs!).

PLAZA DRIVE OVERPASS
Now that I have cried on your shoulder, I am pleased to report that one of the easy decisions we made as a council was to go forward with the Plaza Drive interchange improvements.  We applied for and obtained state funding for this project, along with local Measure R funds.  The work commenced in March 2012 and is anticipated to take 18 months for completion.  Fred Lampe, Visalia’s project manager, provided me with the following information to share.  The Plaza Drive bridge over Highway 198 will be widened from three lanes to seven lanes.  It will be widened 56 feet on the east side such that the final bridge width will be 116 feet.  The bridge will include a sign reading “Welcome to the City of Visalia,” and decorative fencing designed to replicate the appearance of the Sierras.


Looking west from the bridge, auxillary lanes will be added on both sides of 198, making it possible to travel between Plaza Drive and 99 without entering the through traffic lanes.  From the bridge north to Hurley Avenue, Plaza Drive will be improved from two to six lanes, and from Hurley Avenue north to Goshen Avenue, Plaza Drive will be widened from two to four lanes.  This will complete the connection between 198 and Tulare County’s Road 80 widening project.  New pavement will replace the existing, failing pavement.  Class 2 bicycle lanes will be added as well as median islands, sidewalks and lighting.  The construction cost will be $23 million dollars (and additional for the landscaping).

Once completed, this project will give better access to industrial park businesses, improve safety and reduce delays at Plaza and 198, and provide better connectivity through Road 80 to Dinuba and other towns to the north.  To see what it will look like and for construction updates, visit plaza198.com.

Thanks goodness for the easy decisions we get to make on occasion.  I believe the entire community will be proud of this project once completed.

If you have questions or topics regarding the city  which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313.  For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.

Warren Gubler
Visalia City Council Member