September was an especially busy month, as I attended a number of community events, meetings and forums in my capacity as Vice Mayor. Two of the events that stand out for me were my appearance before the Tulare County Grand Jury, and participating in the State of the City Address to our community. I believe it’s important as elected officials that we keep the public informed of what we are doing, in essence, reporting back to our constituents.
I met with the Tulare County Grand Jury on September 12 for a little over an hour. It was a very cordial meeting, even though I was peppered with questions about Visalia city government. According to their website, our county’s grand jury is composed of 19 volunteer members. It is a fact-finding body that acts as the public’s watchdog, investigating and reporting on the affairs of county and local governments. They have the potential to make recommendations for constructive changes and possible solutions to a wide range of local government problems. The name “grand jury” is derived from the fact that it has a greater number of jurors than a traditional trial (petit) jury. California’s constitution mandates a civil grand jury be chosen in each county every year. I appreciate the willingness of these volunteers to put in so many hours, and that they shared some of their valuable time with me.
Another opportunity to report back to the community was the State of the City Address given by mayor Steve Nelsen and myself on September 23, 2014. City staff, members of the public and the press were present at this meeting at the Convention Center. After our PowerPoint presentation, we opened the program up to a spirited question and answer session. If you missed this presentation, you may watch it online at video.valleypbs.org/video/2365337651.
Topics at both of these meetings included the city budget, water conservation efforts, city construction projects, road improvements, the water conservation plant upgrade, the future of air service in Visalia, the general plan update, district elections, homelessness, and a future regional park to be located on the east side of town, that will include groundwater recharge facilities.
As citizens of Visalia, you are entitled to know what’s going on with your local government and to have input. As your elected officials, we will continue trying to use all available means to keep you informed.
Ribbon Cutting: Serving on the city council is not all work. On September 23, I also had the opportunity to attend the ribbon cutting at El Pollo Loco on South Mooney, and to sample some of their fare. This business has brought fifty new jobs to Visalia. Expect soon a new Five Guys Burgers & Fries opening up in the Packwood Creek Shopping Center. The shell of the building has already been completed and plans have been submitted to the city. I first tried this burger chain while visiting our nation’s capital, where they started out. This will be another welcome addition to our local fast food choices. Speaking of which, I enjoyed helping again this year with the Waiters Race on September 25. My job this year was to wield a broom and sweep up broken glass from the dropped bottles and glasses by the contestants. Although there was a brisk wind blowing during the race, it seemed like our local waiters dropped fewer things than in the past. Congratulations to the winners and to all who participated. I look forward to attending this great event again next year.
Community Food Bank: This non-profit is new to our area. With 1 in 4 Tulare County residents struggling with hunger on a daily basis, the need is great. All funds raised in Tulare County will stay in our county. A minimum of 4 million pounds of food, mostly fresh produce, will be provided in their first year of service. They already have 20 partner agencies here receiving food from them, including the Visalia Rescue Mission and Visalia Emergency Aid.
Water Conservation: Since Visalia implemented new stage 4 water restrictions in April 2014, water usage has dropped an additional 12%, representing a savings of 683,636,200 gallons or 2,098 acre-feet. Congratulations Visalia, keep up the good work!
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.
