700 JOBS SAVED

About eight months ago, the Visalia City Council became aware of an issue with local employer Cigna Health Care.  Cigna insures a large number of Americans living in foreign countries (expatriates).  This expatriate health insurance was inadvertently affected by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.  The ACA required that Cigna provide the same level of health insurance coverage for expatriates as for their insureds living within the United States, whether needed or not.  Unfortunately, Cigna is competing with foreign insurance companies which are not regulated by the ACA, and thus which do not have to provide the same level of benefits, such that they can undercut Cigna’s insurance rates.  This was one of those unintended consequences when the ACA was enacted by Congress.

Cigna has 700 employees in their Visalia office that work on these expatriate insurance policies.  Cigna announced that it might have to relocate these 700 jobs, along with 500 similar jobs in Delaware, overseas  in order to avoid the ACA requirements and to stay competitive with foreign insurance plans.

In a city the size of Visalia, losing 700 jobs would make a big dent.  Accordingly, everyone jumped on board to see what could be done about carving out an exception to the ACA relating to expatriate health care insurance.  The Visalia city manager, council members, members of the Board of Supervisors and others traveled to Washington D.C. to speak with those in the federal government.  Visalia employed Van Scoyoc and Associates, a bipartisan, full-service federal government affairs firm and lobbying company located in Washington D.C., to make our voice heard.  Van Scoyoc arranged for councilman Bob Link to meet with Representative Kevin McCarthy and city manager Mike Olmos to meet with Senator Harry Reid to discuss these concerns.  Our U.S. Representative Devin Nunes (R-California) and John Carney (D-Delaware) crossed party lines to introduce House Resolution (HR) 4414, creating an ACA exemption for expatriate insurance policies.  Lobbyists for Cigna also worked behind the scenes.  California senators Feinstein and Boxer worked with their Delaware senate counterparts to try to pass a version of HR 4414 in the senate, but were unsuccessful.  In the end, our representatives were successful in getting the “Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act” included in the recent $1.1 trillion fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Bill, which was passed by both the house and senate, and has now been signed by President Obama.  When the Omnibus Bill was being considered by the senate, your city officials were telephoning our senators to encourage passage.

In summary, this was a team effort which was successful in saving these jobs for Visalia.  It shows the value of the city having a lobbyist in D.C. to make our voice heard when such issues arise.  We want to thank our representatives, senators, Cigna, congressional staff, and local leaders who traveled to Washington, made personal phone calls, sent emails and were engaged on this issue.  It goes to show that bipartisanship can still get things done in D.C.

Pickleball Anyone?

Visalia can now brag that it has its own pickleball courts in Recreation Park.  A dedication ceremony was held on Saturday, December 13.  These two courts have similar dimensions and layout to a badminton court and rules similar to tennis.  Pickleball is played with paddles and a wiffle ball, which can be purchased locally at Dick’s Sporting Goods or online.  Pickleball was invented in the mid 1960’s and is especially popular amongst our senior citizens, particularly those that played tennis in their younger days.  Stop by and check out this new sports activity in Visalia, and visit the Pickleball Visalia facebook page. The City of Visalia recreation department will be having instructional classes in pickleball in the spring. Quoting from Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.”  We look forward to active use of these courts, and perhaps more such courts in the future.


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 Vice Mayor

2015: HAPPY NEW YEAR

By the time you read this, the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals will have been devoured, gifts opened, and many new holiday memories made.  In my December article, I reviewed the status of the city’s capital improvement projects in 2014.  As is tradition in this my January article, I take a moment to look back at some of the accomplishments of the private sector in Visalia during this past year, as well as some things to look forward to.

Mooney Boulevard:  Ashley Furniture opened up next door to Burlington Coat Factory which opened up next door to Walmart on South Mooney Boulevard.  Out in front is a new El Pollo Loco restaurant.  Once nearly empty, this commercial center is thriving once again.  In Packwood Creek West, Five Guys Burgers & Fries is expected to open by the end of the year, along with a new dental office.  A new Wet Seal, Beebe’s Nail Salon, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit and Corner Bakery Café also went in there.  America’s Tire Store opened next door. Sleep Train opened a mattress discount outlet next to Dick’s Sporting Goods.  At the Sequoia Mall, a 20,000 square foot Serrano’s Furniture Store occupies the former Border’s space.  Continuing north on Mooney Boulevard, Mor Furniture for Less will soon be open.  At the Visalia Mall, there is the new Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen and Amy’s Hallmark.  Across from COS is the new Black Bear Diner.

Historic Downtown:  Tazzaria opened a PHD (Public House Downstairs) this year.  They’ll soon add Eighty/20 Wood Fired Burgers in the former Mike’s Quality Camera location.  Sequoia Brewery will be a new restaurant on Main Street in the old Mar building.  The former Gold’s Gym has been converted to a professional office building for Quad Knopf.  The former Surplus City is being remodeled, and will have The General’s Trading Post opening in early 2015.  A new Pita Kabob opened on north Court Street.  The former Link’s building is being remodeled for one or two new businesses and some loft apartments.  KJUG is moving  into new quarters at the former Toyota dealership on Mineral King. Family Health Care Network added almost 35,000 square feet in a new two-story addition and Imagine U Children’s Museum is under construction.  And let’s not forget that we have two brand new pickleball courts in Recreation Park.

North Visalia:  WSS, an upscale shoe company, just held their grand opening at Orchard Walk Shopping Center, featuring brand-name sports shoes.  A new Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is also under construction there, along with some building shells for new occupants to be announced.  That shopping center seems to always have its parking lot packed with cars, which means plenty of business.  To the south of that center is a planned shopping/office commercial center, with a planned AM/PM and Wendy’s..  Oval Park is becoming a concert venue, with new fencing, lighting and security in the works.

Industrial Park:  Hilti, Inc., a manufacturer of hand and power tools for commercial use added a 15,000 square foot service center.  Pacific Southwest Containers added a 50,000 square foot warehouse for their box-making plant.  Perfection Pet Foods is seeking a permit to add another 143,000 square foot warehouse in addition to opening a new vitamin mixing plant in a vacant 70,000 square foot facility.  Liebherr Construction Equipment just announced that they are opening their Western U.S. spare parts warehouse here. Diversified Development Group is building 40,000+ square feet of new spec industrial space. Hydrite Chical also expanded.

Other Developments:  A new Holiday Inn Express is being proposed on the vacant lot just south of Adventure Park.  Sequoia Medical Building on Akers, next door to Lifestyles, has been completed, with various medical-related businesses going in there.  After many years in the planning process, Derrel’s Mini Storage has commenced building a $2.2 million 200,000 square foot mini storage complex on the northwest corner of Goshen and Demaree.  This will include the widening and improvement of Demaree and Chinowth on either side of that project.  Marymont California University, offering bachelors and master’s degrees with three campuses in Southern California and Lake County, is looking at Visalia to possibly open a San Joaquin Valley campus.  The city hired Devon Jones as the city’s new Economic Development Manager.  He’s been working not only to attract new business to the area, but to act as a liaison between the city and existing businesses to improve customer satisfaction.  The Visalia Rotary Community Foundation is building a respite house on south Watson Street, across 198 from Kaweah Delta Hospital, for families who have loved ones hospitalized there.

The foregoing are just some of the 2014 highlights, I’m sure I have unintentionally left out some new businesses.  However, the point is that Visalia continues to be good for business and business is good for Visalia.  I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year in 2015!

Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
(559) 713-4400 ext. 3313

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

During the last five years, the Visalia city council has dug the city’s budget out of a deficit hole caused by the recession.  Things have turned around such that in the last couple of years, we have actually had budget surpluses and have replenished our emergency reserves, now in excess of $5 million dollars.  Sales tax and property tax revenues are projected to increase to record amounts. With renewed optimism, the city council is now focusing on new capital improvement projects which we have started or are about to start.  For this article, I’ll update you on these city projects, and next month give you an update on private sector developments in Visalia.

Animal Control Center:  Our new 17,000 square foot animal control facility by the airport just off of Highway 99 is nearly 30% completed.  The completion date target is April 2015.  This $7.35 million project is being financed by a 15-year, $6.6 million loan to be repaid by the general fund.  This project is the furthest along of our new construction.

Water Conservation Plant:  With the current drought and Visalia’s water table dropping, the timing couldn’t be any better for our water conservation plant (sewer) upgrade.  Once done, we will have a state-of-the-art liquid waste recycling plant, the best in the state.  This $143 million project is separated into three pieces: (1) upgrade of the treatment processes, (2) installation of recycled water pipeline under Highway 99 to Plaza Park and the city golf course, to city-owned farmland and to the Tulare Irrigation District, and (3) a one megawatt solar system being installed at the plant.  The city will deliver recycled water to TID on the west side of town, and in return will receive annually approximately 6,000 acre feet of fresh Friant water flowing in from the east side to recharge the city aquifer.  Started in 2014, this is the largest public works project in the history of Visalia, with a targeted completion date of 2016.

Visalia Emergency Communications Center (VECC):  This approximately 18,700 square foot facility is still in the design phase and we expect to break ground in 2015.  It will be located on city property east of Burke Street and north of the proposed School Avenue extension.  With an estimated cost of $16.5 million, it will be the permanent home for the 911 Dispatch Center, the Emergency Operations Center, Traffic Management Center and the city’s Secured Data Center for information services.  It will also accommodate fire administration and prevention personnel until the next phase of the Civic Center is built. Modernized  communication systems will add another $5 million to this project.

Fire Station 53:  The new fire station for southwest Visalia should break ground by the end of 2014.  It is located on 1.5 acres at the old COS farm, on the southeast corner of Atwood and Walnut Avenue.  This 7,000 square foot facility is estimated to cost $3.24 million and will be funded through Measure T.

Convention Center Remodel:  The city will install a new roof on the convention center at a cost of about $575,000.00 by the end of 2014.  The convention center itself hasn’t been “refreshed” since 1991 but has held up extremely well over the past 23 years.  However, like anything, changes in style have left the facility looking dated, and normal “wear and tear” has taken its toll.  The convention center will be refinanced in order to pull out some of the equity in order to pay for this $5 million remodeling as well as for the construction of the VECC.  The upgrade will include new furniture, fixtures and equipment, updated wiring for improved lighting and sound systems, complete remodeling of the existing bathrooms, and replacement of all carpet, tile, wallpaper and paint.  A construction completion date is estimated for August 2015.

Eastside Regional Park:  The city owns approximately 248 acres of walnuts north of Highway 198 and the flea market, to Houston Avenue.  With the Riverway Sports Park nearing completion, Eastside Regional Park is on the drawing board.  This regional park is anticipated to be done similar to Riverway Sports Park with the timing of phases controlled by when grants and funding are secured.  Master planning is currently underway, and will include groundwater recharge facilities to manage the Friant water the city receives from Tulare Irrigation District.

South Side Aquatics/Community Center:  A new indoor aquatics center to be located off of South Mooney Blvd. behind Target is being considered.  A committee has been appointed to evaluate the proposed site, to determine facilities suitable for inclusion, and to develop concept plans and potential funding strategies.

P.S.  I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday and I wish you the best for a peaceful and prosperous Christmas, Chanukah and New Year’s.  Looking for service opportunities in our community during the holidays?  Visit justserve.org.

Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 ext. 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
directfromwarren.blogspot.com

REPORTING BACK

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.

A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE

Visalia is one of the best kept secrets in California.  Locals know and appreciate what a great place this is to live, work, and play.  If anything, Visalia is guilty of not tooting its own horn enough.  There are no commute times.  The city continues to grow and prosper, especially as the national economy is  rebounding.  We are close to the mountains and beaches.  When I visit other areas, I am amazed at the cost of living, for everything from gasoline to food to home prices.  I recently deposited  my kids in various out-of-state colleges to start the new school year.  As I usually do, I take each of them grocery shopping so that dad can fill up their fridge and cupboards with food to start the semester off right.  (Did I mention that I have four children enrolled in college this year?)  I was amazed at the price of fruits and vegetables that we take for granted here.  For instance, one daughter required that I buy her two Fuji apples at 98 cents a piece!  Grapes, citrus, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables were similarly overpriced.  Housing here is still very affordable.

Let me share with you a few specific examples of Visalia’s greatness that have come across my desk recently.

Number One in Driver Safety:  Quoting from the Fresno Business Journal, Visalia is number one in the state in terms of driver safety, and seventh in the U.S., according to a new report by Allstate Insurance Company. Visalia drivers were revealed in the report to be 19.1% less likely to be involved in a collision than the average American driver.  Visalia drivers also had an average of 12.3 years between collisions compared to the national average of one collision every ten years.  Visalia was named the third safest driving city in the country in terms of city density, eleventh safest for population and fourteenth for weather conditions like rain and snow.  However, be careful if you’re driving through Glendale, which came in last in the state, with drivers 72.6% more likely to be involved in a collision than other American drivers at 5.8 years between collisions!

Hilti Expands:  I recently attended the ribbon cutting for Hilti, Inc.  Actually, Hilti has been in Visalia for two decades now.  It is in the business of manfacturing hand tools and power tools for commercial use, with the parent company originating in Lichtenstein (next to Switzerland).  Previously, it operated both its west coast distribution and service center in one 50,000 square foot building in the Visalia Industrial Park.  However, it split off its service center which moved into a new 15,000 square foot building on West Goshen Avenue.  Hilti  could have expanded elsewhere, but likes doing business here in Visalia, and thus, is reinvesting locally.  Hilti’s Visalia center ships out about 1,200 orders a day, and fixes approximately 35,000 tools a year.

Home Ownership:  Guess who is ranked number twenty out of 178 metropolitan areas in California for home ownership?  That’s right,  it’s Visalia!  NerdWallet, a financial services company, ranked California cities based upon the following criteria: Are homes available?  Can you afford to live there?  Is the area growing?  According to this report, the home ownership rate in Visalia is 61.2 % with median monthly homeowner costs of $1,663.00, median monthly household income of $4,477.00, and homeowner costs as a percentage of household income of 37.1%.  The median home value in Visalia is $190,500.00, and population growth from 2010 to 2012 was 3.8%.  Brentwood, CA was ranked number one and the San Francisco and Los Angeles metro areas were at the bottom of the list.

In Memoriam:  While many people are moving to Visalia for the foregoing reasons, one of our residents was recently transferred out of town.  Judge Paul Vortmann packed his bags and moved to a place with pearly gates and gold paved streets.  I can’t really blame Paul for relocating to such a place, Visalia just can’t compete with our ongoing reclamite street repairs!  My first job as a lawyer in Visalia was working as an associate with Paul’s law firm, and I later became one of his partners, prior to his serving on the Tulare County bench.  After three years at law school learning how to “think” like an attorney, Paul and others taught me how to be an attorney.  Despite all the accolades Visalia receives from various studies and comparisons, the bottom line is that it’s the people here, such as Paul Vortmann, who make Visalia what it is.  Condolences to Jan and the boys, and I suspect that Paul is already bragging to his new associates about how great a place Visalia is.

Reminder:  To further conserve our precious water resources, local ordinance requires that in October you cut back your landscape watering to two times per week (Tuesdays/Saturdays for odd addresses, Wednesdays/ Sundays for even addresses.)

Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
(559) 713-4400 ext. 3313

WHAT SHOULD VISALIA CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS LOOK LIKE?

Visalia City Council members will be elected by district beginning in 2016. What should the districts look like? Where should the five district boundaries be? We want your ideas, input and help to draw the boundaries.

The City of Visalia must comply with legal criteria when developing these districts. The legal criteria for boundaries include: districts are at least as nearly equal in population as required by law; they do not result in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen to vote on account of race or color; and are not gerrymandered.

In addition to the legal criteria, the City Council adopted criteria to be used in the development of the districts. The criteria for the boundaries of the districts include:

*Observing communities of interest;

*Take visible features into account, such as topography and geography;

*Be compact, created to contain contiguous territory;

*Avoid pairing two or more incumbents in a single district;

*Maintain a longer-term population balance, and;

*Preserve the corresponding existing district’s population.

Two information meetings will be held to help you understand the process and criteria used to draw the districts. They will be held on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at Linwood Elementary School’s Multi-Purpose Room, 3129 S. Linwood St., and Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at Manuel Hernandez Community Center, 247 W. Ferguson Ave.

These meetings are a first step. Doug Johnson of National Demographic Corporation will lead the meeting discussion. NDC has a unique understanding of the Tulare County area because the firm worked with the Visalia Unified School District, and the Tulare District Hospital, when those agencies developed their district boundaries.

Want to draw your own map? Free public participation kits are available to give you the tools to submit your own boundary proposal for discussion and consideration by the public and the City Council. The kits include a map of the City and demographic information. They are also on the City’s website and at City Hall, 7007 W. Acequia Ave.

Even if you come to the meeting with an idea scribbled down on a napkin, you are doing your part as a responsible resident of this City and your ideas will be taken into consideration. Community input is vital to this process.

The City Council’s goal is to adopt the district boundaries by June, 2015 to ensure there is ample time for the citizens and any potential City Council candidates to understand the districts prior to the election cycle in 2016. I urge you to be a part of the process. Share your ideas and individual maps.

For more information on the meetings or the district election process, please contact Community Relations Manager Nancy Loliva at 559-713-4535 or go to www.ourvisalia.com.

August 30, 2014 Times Delta Editorial

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

Every other year the city council reviews and approves a two-year budget, prepared by city staff under the direction of city manager, Mike Olmos.  The council just recently went through this process again for the next two-year cycle.  Going forward, every six months we will get an update from city staff on how we are doing budget wise, and will be given the opportunity to tweak the same based upon any changed circumstances.

Let me share with you a few highlights from our fiscal year 14/15 and 15/16 budgets as contained in a short city publication entitled “Budget in Brief.”  You may pick up your own copy of this publication at City Hall.

The “great recession” and the loss of redevelopment monies have impacted Visalia.  However, based on current trends, Visalia is on a path to recovery and has successfully weathered the recent recession.  This is the first budget since 2008 that does not include reduction in services, programs, maintenance or employees.  The total budget for FY 14/15 is $231 million and for FY 15/16 is $199 million.  Included in FY 14/15 is the Waste Water Treatment Plant’s Tertiary Project.  The FY 15/16 general fund projection includes construction of the new Visalia Emergency Communications Center (VECC) in east Downtown.

During recent hard times, our general fund emergency reserves dipped down close to one million dollars, but have now been built back up to five million dollars.  In the next two-year cycle, we anticipate increasing the reserves by at least $1.6 million more.  The goal is to increase the emergency reserves balance to 25% of general fund operating expenditures.

In 2007, Visalia sales tax revenues reached a record of approximately $23 million dollars, before falling back in 2010 to approximately $19 million.  However, our sales tax revenues recovered to $25 million in 2013, and at a projected 3% annual increase, will hit $29.2 million by FY 15/16.  Additionally, the city’s property tax has increased 5.7% due to improvement in residential and commercial real estate sales and values.  These two revenue sources are the city’s two main general fund revenues.  They are projected to total $49.2 million in FY 15/16 or 78% of the general fund revenues.

There are still some budgetary challenges ahead.  CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) is still requiring cities to make up for CalPERS’s poor investment decisions in the mid to late 2000’s.  This means that pension contribution rates for the city are expected to increase 13.2% for miscellaneous employees and 15.2% for public safety employees over the next five years.  By FY 19/20, the city’s annual CalPERS cost will be an additional three million!  Don’t forget that another employee benefit expected to increase is health care costs due to the Health Care Reform Act.  As employee costs increase, future budgets will become more and more difficult to balance.  Ongoing fiscal discipline will be needed to stay within our means.  But we can do it.  Meanwhile, we need to continue to assist with strengthening our business community so that increased tax revenues will continue to be generated.  Don’t forget, shop Visalia!

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 Vice Mayor