In
my day job as an attorney, I recently "got stuck" in Orange County in
trial. That county has what they refer
to as "trial call" where you have to show up ready for trial. However, if the presiding judge doesn't have
a courtroom available, he orders the attorneys back day by day, until a
courtroom becomes available. As a
result, my trial stretched out over a two-week time span. Fortunately, meanwhile the rest of the city
council and the city manager stepped in to cover some of the events I usually
have as mayor.
It
was nice to return to Visalia once my trial eventually finished. The week after I returned I had a number of
functions to attend to as mayor. Let me share
with you my calendar of events for that week. On Monday morning I spoke to a combined
civics/economics class at VTEC High School, and that evening I addressed the
Sunset Rotary Club. On Tuesday, I
attended the new Smart & Final Extra ribbon cutting on South Mooney
Blvd. Wednesday morning I attended my
board of directors meeting for the Tulare County Economic Development
Corporation in Exeter. Early Thursday
morning, I did a police ride-along for a few hours to observe our new Hope team
involving the homeless. That evening the
city council interviewed seven candidates for two open positions on the
planning commission. On Friday, I wrote
this article for Direct Magazine.
When
I look back at the end of each week I'm amazed that I'm able to fit it all in,
maintain my law practice and still see my family on occasion. The best thing about serving on the city
council and as mayor is the opportunity to meet and interact with many terrific
people in our community.
Dump
On Us Again
I've
mentioned before that one of my favorite city services is Dump On Us day put on
by the public works department every few months. On those Saturdays, Visalia residents can haul
their trash and dump it for free at the Visalia corporation yard on North Cain
Street. On May 20, having trimmed a
number of trees in my backyard, I took my load to dump. Speaking with some of the city personnel who
greeted me there, I learned that they had started accepting waste about 6:15
a.m. (normally 7:00 a.m.) because the vehicle line was already stretching all
the way back to Lovers Lane! Friendly
city staff assisted those in line to quickly dispose of their waste. Not only does this event encourage Visalia
residents to get our yards in shape, but much of the waste is recycled. The next Dump On Us day is scheduled for
August 26, 2017. For more information, visit www.dumponus.org.
Homeless
Outreach and Proactive Enforcement (HOPE) Team
As
previously mentioned, I recently did a morning ride-along with Officer Hickey
of the Visalia Police Department. The
city police department recently started the Hope team whereby, due to the large
volume of calls regarding homeless issues received, two officers are assigned
to focus on homeless related issues. We
picked up a number of shopping carts, and interacted with a few homeless. One homeless gentleman that we visited along
the railroad tracks was pushing three grocery carts full of his possessions,
and obviously struggling that morning.
Officer Hickey was very courteous at all times to this gentleman and
others we met. He recommended resources
that are available including some related to crisis intervention, housing
resources, and mental health programs.
We also visited a business on Mooney Blvd. that is part of TEP
(Transient Enforcement Program). Through
this program, merchants and businesses can sign up and preauthorize police
officers on their private property so that they can promptly deal with trespass
issues. On this particular TEP visit,
Officer Hickey was able in a cordial way to remove this particular transient
from the business premises. In
conjunction with the police department, code enforcement likewise has a crew
available to retrieve grocery carts and dispose of unsightly waste. The homeless issue is one that we are all
concerned about, and we will continue to use all of our resources, including
non-profits, religious organizations and other interested citizens to work on a
solution. Also, the city council recently
approved a new work program for the homeless whereby two five-member teams of
specially selected individuals will be given part-time work and paid to clean
up and do routine jobs around the community.
The idea is to help the homeless to become employable and find jobs so that
they can help themselves get back into housing and be productive in society.
If
you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have
addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city. For past articles, visit
directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
