On April 25, 2016, the Visalia City Council and the Board of Trustees for COS and for VUSD held a joint meeting at the convention center. This annual meeting is an opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better, and to find out what each group has planned. VUSD presented an update on their various facilities, including the new junior high, a student achievement update, and the status of teacher recruitment. COS discussed student transfer guarantees to UC's and CSU's, and some student success stories.
Let me share with you a summary of the update given by the city regarding its progress, with my interspersed commentary.
Convention Center:
The convention center "refresh" has been completed. This remodel included new flooring, roof, paint, wiring and infrastructure, landscaping and signage. I recently gave welcoming remarks at the Great Western Fan Festival at the convention center and the new sound system was state of the art.
Water Conservation Plant:
The $130 million water conservation plant upgrade will be completed next year. It will have the capacity to convert the city's wastewater into almost drinkable-quality recyclable water, suitable for irrigation of all crops. On April 18, 2016, Visalia received its first exchange of water from Tulare Irrigation District. Water was released to a recharge basin located on the east side of town. You may have seen what appears to be a new lake near 198. Under Visalia's agreement with TID, we will receive up to 6,500 acre feet of fresh water annually for recharge purposes, in exchange for some of our recycled water for TID's farming purposes.
V-Line:
The V-Line bus leaves the Visalia Transit Center six times a day, seven days a week, with stops at the Visalia airport, Fresno Airport, and Fresno State. While the standard faire is $10.00, students, seniors and regular travelers can get discounted faires as low as $6.00 per trip. The first month of ridership in November 2015 saw 67 riders. In March 2016, ridership had increased to 936.
My wife Alisa got to test out the new V-Line recently. We were flying from Fresno Airport out of state to attend our son's college graduation, but she left a day earlier than I. She caught the V-Line bus at Visalia airport. The driver took her payment by credit card. There were 20 seats on the bus of which 10 were occupied. The seating was very comfortable with nice upholstery, seat belts and head rests. Each shuttle offers free wi-fi, charging ports and storage racks. The $10 faire was a bargain considering that the round trip cost of gas for our car would have been more than that, not counting the $12.00 daily parking fee at Fresno airport. Alisa's bus arrived at the Fresno airport a few minutes early, and she had no problem catching her flight.
COS Student Transit Pass:
An estimated 16% of the COS student population uses transit, of which nearly 80% use transit as their daily transportation. COS students can ride Visalia Transit from Visalia to both the Tulare and Hanford campuses. Full-time students pay $10.00 per semester for unlimited rides.
Growth Update:
Visalia's population reached 130,753 in 2015. Through March 2016, 102 new dwelling units were issued permits. In April alone, another 84 permits were pulled! The local housing market continues to recover from the great recession. Recent new retail developments in Visalia include Home Goods and Designer Shoe Warehouse, Rubio's, Pieology, and the soon-to-open Blaze Pizza. Coming soon are Outback Steakhouse and Quantum Leap trampoline facility. Visalia will be getting its second Smart & Final in the existing Jo-Ann's space on South Mooney Blvd. Jo-Ann's will in turn be moving into the former Circuit City space.
Visalia Airport:
City staff is submitting a grant application to the Dept. of Transportation for $3.7 million for our airport. In exchange for these grant monies, Visalia will be opting out of the essential air services program (EAS) for ten years. Visalia is the first community to opt out of the EAS. If we get the grant, the city council will consider using the funds to expand cargo facilities at the airport to support local business and industry.
Fire Station #53:
Visalia's newest fire station, located at Walnut and Atwood, held its open house on Wednesday, April 6. This station will target an average response time of 4 minutes in the southwest quadrant of Visalia. Chief Doug McBee welcomes local citizens to drop by and take a tour of this new facility.
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
Warren.gubler@visalia.city
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Sunday, May 1, 2016
WHY WE'RE SO HAPPY
By now, you have probably heard that the annual Well-Being Index by Gallup-Healthways ranked Visalia as the 25th happiest community in the nation. However, that begs the question, what leads to happiness? For me personally, my wife and I are celebrating our 35th anniversary this year, we have five terrific kids who are progressing nicely in schooling and careers, and grandkids Cora (3) and Dodge (1½) keep us in stitches, to name but a few reasons for feeling a sense of well-being and happiness. But what makes a community happy?
The city recently received a Community Comparison Demographic Chart from Adam Peck of the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board. The following are some interesting statistics therefrom:
∙ The Employment Development Department (EDD) reported a 1.1% decrease in Tulare County's unemployment rate in December 2015, and the December 2015 unemployment rate is the lowest since 2007.
∙ Visalia's population as of January 1, 2014 is 130,753, making it the seventh largest city in the San Joaquin Valley behind Fresno, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, and Salinas. We experienced a 1% population growth that year.
∙ The median household income in Visalia between 2010 and 2014 was $52,262.00, the fourth highest in the Valley. 3.1% of Visalia's population earned $200,000.00 or more annually during that time frame, 5% earned between $150,000.00 and $199,999.00, and 13.5% earned between $100,000.00 and $149,999.00. 33.8% of households earned under $35,000.00 annually.
∙ Visalia ranked third in the Valley with 7.8% of its population holding graduate or professional degrees, 14% with Bachelor's degrees, 9.7% with Associate degrees, 27% with some college, and 23.9% high school graduates. 82.4% of Visalians had a high school degree or higher.
∙ Visalia Unified School District had a 92% graduation rate in 2013-14, second in the Valley behind Clovis with a 92.1% graduation rate.
∙ As of December 2015, Visalia had a labor force of 59,500, of which 53,700 were employed.
∙ From 2010-2014, 31.9% of Visalians worked in management and professional jobs, 20.4% service, 26.1% sales and office, 9.4% natural resources, construction and maintenance, and 12.2% in production, transportation and material moving.
∙ For 2010-2014, 60.1% of Visalians lived in owner-occupied housing, while 39.9% rented. This ranks Visalia #2 in the valley for home ownership. The average household size of owner-occupied units was 2.93. Average household size of renter occupied units was 3.16 with a rental vacancy rate of 5.3%.
∙ The overall cost of living in Visalia based on a US baseline of 100, was 106.0, giving us a ranking of #6 in the valley for highest cost of living.
∙ Visalia's average commute time is 19.93 minutes, ranking Visalia #1 in the valley as the city with the shortest commute time.
Per Devon Jones, Visalia's Economic Development Manager, these statistics indicate that Visalia compares favorably with other large communities in the valley. For instance, Visalia has a lower cost of living than Clovis in terms of housing, yet has just as good a school district and a comparatively low crime index. Visalia shows a higher than average median household income, coupled with housing affordability and high home ownership. Visalia has a well-educated work force.
The 2015 sales ranking report shows that Visalia has a strong regional retail presence and a busy Mooney corridor. For instance, comparing Visalia to California in the 2015 sales ranking report, Habit Burger ranked #2 out of 31 stores, Hometown Buffet 5/73, Panera Bread, 27/364, Vallarta Supermarket, 4/35, Harbor Freight, 10/61, Hobby Lobby, 5/29, Victoria's Secret, 6/34, JC Penney, 14/70, Smart & Final, 23/119, Winco Foods, 6/30, Costco, 19/90, Ashley Furniture, 5/17, Kohls Department Stores, 34/96, and Pet Smart, 41/106.
However, more than statistics, there are many intangibles that add to our community sense of satisfaction and well-being. For instance, on March 10th, Julie Sisco Fairfield wrote the city to say: "I just wanted to give a big thanks to the police department and all those involved in the lock-downs this morning. It means so much to me to know that my kid at Valley Oak was protected and the best precautions were taken to keep them safe. It's times like these that we truly appreciate all those that keep us safe in the city." And recently, off-duty Visalia firefighter Dameon Malek helped save the life of another runner in cardiac arrest at The End of the Trail half marathon.
Yes, we have many reasons to be happy that we live in a great community like Visalia.
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, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
The city recently received a Community Comparison Demographic Chart from Adam Peck of the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board. The following are some interesting statistics therefrom:
∙ The Employment Development Department (EDD) reported a 1.1% decrease in Tulare County's unemployment rate in December 2015, and the December 2015 unemployment rate is the lowest since 2007.
∙ Visalia's population as of January 1, 2014 is 130,753, making it the seventh largest city in the San Joaquin Valley behind Fresno, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, and Salinas. We experienced a 1% population growth that year.
∙ The median household income in Visalia between 2010 and 2014 was $52,262.00, the fourth highest in the Valley. 3.1% of Visalia's population earned $200,000.00 or more annually during that time frame, 5% earned between $150,000.00 and $199,999.00, and 13.5% earned between $100,000.00 and $149,999.00. 33.8% of households earned under $35,000.00 annually.
∙ Visalia ranked third in the Valley with 7.8% of its population holding graduate or professional degrees, 14% with Bachelor's degrees, 9.7% with Associate degrees, 27% with some college, and 23.9% high school graduates. 82.4% of Visalians had a high school degree or higher.
∙ Visalia Unified School District had a 92% graduation rate in 2013-14, second in the Valley behind Clovis with a 92.1% graduation rate.
∙ As of December 2015, Visalia had a labor force of 59,500, of which 53,700 were employed.
∙ From 2010-2014, 31.9% of Visalians worked in management and professional jobs, 20.4% service, 26.1% sales and office, 9.4% natural resources, construction and maintenance, and 12.2% in production, transportation and material moving.
∙ For 2010-2014, 60.1% of Visalians lived in owner-occupied housing, while 39.9% rented. This ranks Visalia #2 in the valley for home ownership. The average household size of owner-occupied units was 2.93. Average household size of renter occupied units was 3.16 with a rental vacancy rate of 5.3%.
∙ The overall cost of living in Visalia based on a US baseline of 100, was 106.0, giving us a ranking of #6 in the valley for highest cost of living.
∙ Visalia's average commute time is 19.93 minutes, ranking Visalia #1 in the valley as the city with the shortest commute time.
Per Devon Jones, Visalia's Economic Development Manager, these statistics indicate that Visalia compares favorably with other large communities in the valley. For instance, Visalia has a lower cost of living than Clovis in terms of housing, yet has just as good a school district and a comparatively low crime index. Visalia shows a higher than average median household income, coupled with housing affordability and high home ownership. Visalia has a well-educated work force.
The 2015 sales ranking report shows that Visalia has a strong regional retail presence and a busy Mooney corridor. For instance, comparing Visalia to California in the 2015 sales ranking report, Habit Burger ranked #2 out of 31 stores, Hometown Buffet 5/73, Panera Bread, 27/364, Vallarta Supermarket, 4/35, Harbor Freight, 10/61, Hobby Lobby, 5/29, Victoria's Secret, 6/34, JC Penney, 14/70, Smart & Final, 23/119, Winco Foods, 6/30, Costco, 19/90, Ashley Furniture, 5/17, Kohls Department Stores, 34/96, and Pet Smart, 41/106.
However, more than statistics, there are many intangibles that add to our community sense of satisfaction and well-being. For instance, on March 10th, Julie Sisco Fairfield wrote the city to say: "I just wanted to give a big thanks to the police department and all those involved in the lock-downs this morning. It means so much to me to know that my kid at Valley Oak was protected and the best precautions were taken to keep them safe. It's times like these that we truly appreciate all those that keep us safe in the city." And recently, off-duty Visalia firefighter Dameon Malek helped save the life of another runner in cardiac arrest at The End of the Trail half marathon.
Yes, we have many reasons to be happy that we live in a great community like Visalia.
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, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Why I'm Voting Yes On Measure H
I'm
writing in support of Measure H. This ballot initiative seeks the passage
of a $327 million dollar general obligation bond which will result in an
average tax assessment of $4.00 per month per $100,000.00 of assessed valuation
on real property. Okay, I'm the guy who usually objects to anything that
smacks of a tax increase. This particular bond will hit my pocket book as
much if not more so than those of other Visalians. However, there are a
number of reasons why I support Measure H.
1.
Economic impact: Kaweah Delta
Hospital (KDH) contributes a $1 billion dollar impact to our local
economy. It employs 4,200 staff members. The average hourly wage at
KDH is $31.50 while the average hourly wage in Visalia is $18.17. The
capacity to attract new businesses to Visalia is impacted by having a good
health care system in the community. KDH provides critical health care to
over 200,000 people in the area. The closest hospital with similar
capabilities is in Fresno, an hour away. When you need emergency care,
minutes can mean the difference between life and death. KDH is a quality
health care provider, a medical education facility with a residency program
which has grown to about 100 new physicians, an economic engine that creates
thousands of high-paying jobs, and a significant consumer of local goods and
services. It is an anchor to our downtown area. At our March
21 meeting, the Visalia City Council voted unanimously to support this
bond measure. Likewise, the Visalia Chamber of Commerce and other
business organizations support this endeavor. The bond monies and other
hospital funds will be used to build a new acute care hospital on Acequia
Street, while the current Mineral King wing will be repurposed for non-acute
care uses, putting us in full compliance with SB 1953.
2.
It's the law: SB 1953 was passed by our California
legislature in response to the Northridge earthquake in 1994. This
legislation requires hospitals to meet stringent earthquake standards by
2030. It mandates that general acute care hospital buildings must not
only be capable of remaining intact after a seismic event, but also capable of
continued operation and provision of acute care medical services after a
seismic event. It can be argued that Visalia is less prone to earthquake
damage than other parts of the state. In April 2014, hospital CEO Lindsay
Mann, Hospital Planning Director Mike Williams, and Visalia City Manager Mike
Olmos traveled to Sacramento to meet with senior officials at the Office of
Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), seeking an exemption from
the stringent requirements of SB 1953. While the state officials
basically conceded that our current hospital would survive an earthquake, their
review of the statistics indicated that KDH would have difficulty remaining
operational following a strong seismic event. Accordingly, they denied an
exemption for us. Current law requires hospitals like KDH to close unless
they meet these new standards by 2030. We don't have the clout in the
legislature to change the law. Thus, we must make the best of this
situation and rebuild.
3.
Shared cost: KDH has skin in the game in that in
addition to the monies to be raised by this bond measure, the hospital will be
using their own cash reserves, revenue bonds and grant money to fund this
project.
4.
It's an investment: More than a tax or
loan, this bond measure is an investment in Visalia's future. A new
hospital facility will help us keep our current doctors, attract new doctors
and health care professionals, create new construction and medical jobs,
increase property values, and make Visalia a more desirable place to work, live
and play. This in turn will attract tourism and outside dollars, making
Visalia a destination. You'll be able to see how this money is spent, and
you'll be proud of the results.
For
these reasons I am a strong supporter of Measure H and ask that you join with
me in voting "yes" in support of its passage. A quality health
care facility will attract new businesses to Visalia and keep our local economy
vibrant.
Visalia Times Delta Editorial 4/23/16
Friday, April 1, 2016
RECENT HAPPENINGS
The following are some recent items of interest that you may not have been aware of:
Kaweah Delta Hospital
KDHD was recognized at the 2016 California Parks and Recreation Society District VII Awards and Installation Dinner held on February 26. KDHD was given a community service award for its ongoing support and dedication to health and wellness in our community, for partnering with the city for the first Visalia Senior Games event, and also for participation in Healthy Visalia.
Also, KDHD recently opened their Kaweah Delta Chronic Disease Management Center just west of the hospital on Willis at Mineral King. The building was remodeled and modern medical equipment installed, and will be staffed by a medical director, nurse practitioner, RN/LVN, pharmacist and social workers, for the convenience of their patients.
While I'm at it, let me put in a plug for the upcoming bond measure for KDHD, ballots will be mailed out in April. Approval of the bond measure will allow the district to comply with state regulations mandating earthquake-compliant facilities. The bond monies will be used for construction of a new earthquake-resistant wing for the hospital, which in turn will attract new doctors, nurses, businesses, and construction jobs to our Downtown area. Please vote "yes."
Senior Games
The inaugural Visalia Senior Games walked away with the gold as the Visalia Parks and Recreation Department received the "Outstanding Program" award. Mark Hornburg, California Parks and Recreation Society District VII President, presented the award, stating that the review committee chose Visalia Senior Games because of its uniqueness to the area with the focus solely on seniors, including today's "new senior." In addition, this first year event showed tremendous support from athletes, sponsors and volunteers and will become an annual event with unlimited growth opportunities.
Comcast
On February 23, I attended a ribbon cutting relating to the new Comcast network infrastructure installed in Downtown. Comcast invested $711,811.44 in extending its advanced network to businesses between Oak Avenue/East Mineral King and Willis Street/Liberty Street. These system enhancements are intended for small businesses and organizations requiring more band width capacity. Comcast installed more than three miles of coax cable, both underground and aerial. The high performance network will provide businesses with internet speeds up to 10 Gbps.
Gold Status
In 2009, Visalia was a founding member of the Valley Innovative Energy Watch (VIEW), a collaboration between the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization, SCE, Southern California Gas, Pacific Gas & Electric, and local governments in Tulare and Kings counties. Visalia recently reached the "gold" status, and will now receive incentives of approximately $0.215/kWh from SCE for qualifying new energy savings projects. Compared to our 2006 baseline, Visalia has saved more than 1.3 million kWh. That represents a savings of approximately 354 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and more than $230,000.00 in reduced energy costs at our average electricity price. Those savings are in addition to incentives received, which helped pay for the energy efficiency improvements.
City Trails
The city's trail system will be adding a new section on the Mill Creek Trail. Starting construction in early March, the work is scheduled to be completed by the end of April, and will extend the existing trail along Mill Creek all the way from Shirk to Acres.
Marymount California University
This private Catholic university is still exploring Visalia and the valley for a possible new campus. On March 1, I, along with other city officials, met with president Jim Reeves and Sandy Escobido for about an hour, to discuss the city's hopes and aspirations for this new campus. A study is currently being undertaken and should be completed by May regarding the proposed project. We thank Dr. Robert Aguilar and Dr. Juan Lopez for being the point men locally in encouraging this project along.
New Sports Park
Actually, this information tidbit relates not to a new sports park in Visalia, but in our sister city Farmersville. Groundbreaking took place on February 29 for their eventual 27-acre sports park complex located west of Farmersville High School. I had the opportunity along with city manager Mike Olmos to attend this groundbreaking. This will be a great addition to their community and we wish them the best.
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, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Kaweah Delta Hospital
KDHD was recognized at the 2016 California Parks and Recreation Society District VII Awards and Installation Dinner held on February 26. KDHD was given a community service award for its ongoing support and dedication to health and wellness in our community, for partnering with the city for the first Visalia Senior Games event, and also for participation in Healthy Visalia.
Also, KDHD recently opened their Kaweah Delta Chronic Disease Management Center just west of the hospital on Willis at Mineral King. The building was remodeled and modern medical equipment installed, and will be staffed by a medical director, nurse practitioner, RN/LVN, pharmacist and social workers, for the convenience of their patients.
While I'm at it, let me put in a plug for the upcoming bond measure for KDHD, ballots will be mailed out in April. Approval of the bond measure will allow the district to comply with state regulations mandating earthquake-compliant facilities. The bond monies will be used for construction of a new earthquake-resistant wing for the hospital, which in turn will attract new doctors, nurses, businesses, and construction jobs to our Downtown area. Please vote "yes."
Senior Games
The inaugural Visalia Senior Games walked away with the gold as the Visalia Parks and Recreation Department received the "Outstanding Program" award. Mark Hornburg, California Parks and Recreation Society District VII President, presented the award, stating that the review committee chose Visalia Senior Games because of its uniqueness to the area with the focus solely on seniors, including today's "new senior." In addition, this first year event showed tremendous support from athletes, sponsors and volunteers and will become an annual event with unlimited growth opportunities.
Comcast
On February 23, I attended a ribbon cutting relating to the new Comcast network infrastructure installed in Downtown. Comcast invested $711,811.44 in extending its advanced network to businesses between Oak Avenue/East Mineral King and Willis Street/Liberty Street. These system enhancements are intended for small businesses and organizations requiring more band width capacity. Comcast installed more than three miles of coax cable, both underground and aerial. The high performance network will provide businesses with internet speeds up to 10 Gbps.
Gold Status
In 2009, Visalia was a founding member of the Valley Innovative Energy Watch (VIEW), a collaboration between the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization, SCE, Southern California Gas, Pacific Gas & Electric, and local governments in Tulare and Kings counties. Visalia recently reached the "gold" status, and will now receive incentives of approximately $0.215/kWh from SCE for qualifying new energy savings projects. Compared to our 2006 baseline, Visalia has saved more than 1.3 million kWh. That represents a savings of approximately 354 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and more than $230,000.00 in reduced energy costs at our average electricity price. Those savings are in addition to incentives received, which helped pay for the energy efficiency improvements.
City Trails
The city's trail system will be adding a new section on the Mill Creek Trail. Starting construction in early March, the work is scheduled to be completed by the end of April, and will extend the existing trail along Mill Creek all the way from Shirk to Acres.
Marymount California University
This private Catholic university is still exploring Visalia and the valley for a possible new campus. On March 1, I, along with other city officials, met with president Jim Reeves and Sandy Escobido for about an hour, to discuss the city's hopes and aspirations for this new campus. A study is currently being undertaken and should be completed by May regarding the proposed project. We thank Dr. Robert Aguilar and Dr. Juan Lopez for being the point men locally in encouraging this project along.
New Sports Park
Actually, this information tidbit relates not to a new sports park in Visalia, but in our sister city Farmersville. Groundbreaking took place on February 29 for their eventual 27-acre sports park complex located west of Farmersville High School. I had the opportunity along with city manager Mike Olmos to attend this groundbreaking. This will be a great addition to their community and we wish them the best.
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, or call (559) 713-4400 x 3313. For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
ICE SKATING IN VISALIA
Have you ever wondered what the early settlers in Visalia, such as Nathaniel Vise, Ben Maddox, Benjamin Willis, and Steven Mather, would have thought if they had seen our day? Visalia was founded in 1852, and numbered around 3,000 by the turn of the century. I suspect that they would be amazed to see a city of 130,000 people today, with its historic downtown, Mooney Boulevard, a large hospital, beautiful homes, and wide, straight paved streets, all surrounded by thousands of acres of farmland.
They probably would have laughed if someone had suggested that someday there would be ice skating in downtown Visalia. However, in late December 2015, for 15 days, Visalia in fact had its own Enchanted Ice Rink. This new adventure was brought to us by the city Parks & Recreation department. They installed 1,500 square feet of synthetic ice at the Garden Street Plaza, and over 1,300 skaters of all ages participated, along with several thousand spectators.
The evening of December 21 was our last city council meeting for 2015. The closed session ended much sooner than expected, and with some time to kill before the next meeting, I decided to get some exercise and take a walk from city hall east down Main Street. I soon arrived at the Garden Street Plaza to check out this new event. I saw many skaters, both new and experienced, enjoying the ice rink, with the Disney movie "Frozen" playing on a big screen in the background. I could almost imagine being by a frozen lake, or in New York City, watching the ice skaters. However, this was right here in our own downtown. The Garden Street Plaza was decorated in an ice garden theme, and concessions were being sold. This was such a unique event that no money needed to be spent on advertising. Local radio stations, newspapers and television channels voluntarily publicized the event. Many of the local merchants reported an increase in foot traffic and sales during the ice rink run.
Of course, we always have to consider how to pay for an event like this. The program generated $14,772.00 in revenue compared with $16,637.00 in expenses. These expenses included the rink rental, staffing, decorations, licensing, restrooms and fencing.
The city hopes to sponsor this activity in future years with a larger ice rink, and to generate a positive cash flow with additional sponsorships. For those who participated, memories of a lifetime were made. And to our city founders, you missed out on a great event!
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT
The 8th annual Project Homeless Connect event was held January 28 at the Rescue Mission. This is a one-day, one-stop event, designed to provide those in our community who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless, the critical services and housing they need to become self-sufficient. The many volunteers provided medical and dental care, California I.D. replacement, vision screening, eyeglasses, employment counseling, veterinary care, haircuts, bicycle repair, and much more.
I try to attend this event each year and am always impressed by the many local volunteers who give selflessly of their time and resources to help the less fortunate. This is Visalians helping Visalians, and Visalia at its best!
HOW I SPEND MY TIME
I'm often asked"what does a city council member do and how much time does it take? My answer usually is that "it varies from week to week." Let me give you some insight as to how I spent the week prior to writing this article. Remember, in addition to serving on the council, I have a full-time law practice, and have other family, social and religious duties and obligations to meet. Monday, 7:00 a.m., meeting with the city manager to discuss city issues; 12:00 p.m. meeting with the Visalia Civic Joint Powers board; 4:30 p.m. meeting at city offices with mayor and facilitator to finalize plans for city retreat; Wednesday, 7:30 a.m.. meeting with the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation in Exeter; 2:00 p.m., meeting with Frank Miramontes to make a video for upcoming TCEDC workshop; Thursday, 8:00 a.m., Project Homeless Connect at the Rescue Mission to present a city resolution; Friday, City Council Retreat at the Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, download City Council agenda and staff reports to study over the weekend for the following Monday's city council meeting; start all over again. I also check my city emails a couple times a day (daily city emails average approximately 20), and return phone calls.
DONUTS AND DISCUSSION
My next Donuts and Discussion will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 7:00-8:30 a.m., at Mavericks on Caldwell. Please join me and other city officials to discuss any questions or concerns you have about what's going on down at city hall, and have a donut on us!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
Warren.gubler@visalia.city
They probably would have laughed if someone had suggested that someday there would be ice skating in downtown Visalia. However, in late December 2015, for 15 days, Visalia in fact had its own Enchanted Ice Rink. This new adventure was brought to us by the city Parks & Recreation department. They installed 1,500 square feet of synthetic ice at the Garden Street Plaza, and over 1,300 skaters of all ages participated, along with several thousand spectators.
The evening of December 21 was our last city council meeting for 2015. The closed session ended much sooner than expected, and with some time to kill before the next meeting, I decided to get some exercise and take a walk from city hall east down Main Street. I soon arrived at the Garden Street Plaza to check out this new event. I saw many skaters, both new and experienced, enjoying the ice rink, with the Disney movie "Frozen" playing on a big screen in the background. I could almost imagine being by a frozen lake, or in New York City, watching the ice skaters. However, this was right here in our own downtown. The Garden Street Plaza was decorated in an ice garden theme, and concessions were being sold. This was such a unique event that no money needed to be spent on advertising. Local radio stations, newspapers and television channels voluntarily publicized the event. Many of the local merchants reported an increase in foot traffic and sales during the ice rink run.
Of course, we always have to consider how to pay for an event like this. The program generated $14,772.00 in revenue compared with $16,637.00 in expenses. These expenses included the rink rental, staffing, decorations, licensing, restrooms and fencing.
The city hopes to sponsor this activity in future years with a larger ice rink, and to generate a positive cash flow with additional sponsorships. For those who participated, memories of a lifetime were made. And to our city founders, you missed out on a great event!
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT
The 8th annual Project Homeless Connect event was held January 28 at the Rescue Mission. This is a one-day, one-stop event, designed to provide those in our community who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless, the critical services and housing they need to become self-sufficient. The many volunteers provided medical and dental care, California I.D. replacement, vision screening, eyeglasses, employment counseling, veterinary care, haircuts, bicycle repair, and much more.
I try to attend this event each year and am always impressed by the many local volunteers who give selflessly of their time and resources to help the less fortunate. This is Visalians helping Visalians, and Visalia at its best!
HOW I SPEND MY TIME
I'm often asked"what does a city council member do and how much time does it take? My answer usually is that "it varies from week to week." Let me give you some insight as to how I spent the week prior to writing this article. Remember, in addition to serving on the council, I have a full-time law practice, and have other family, social and religious duties and obligations to meet. Monday, 7:00 a.m., meeting with the city manager to discuss city issues; 12:00 p.m. meeting with the Visalia Civic Joint Powers board; 4:30 p.m. meeting at city offices with mayor and facilitator to finalize plans for city retreat; Wednesday, 7:30 a.m.. meeting with the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation in Exeter; 2:00 p.m., meeting with Frank Miramontes to make a video for upcoming TCEDC workshop; Thursday, 8:00 a.m., Project Homeless Connect at the Rescue Mission to present a city resolution; Friday, City Council Retreat at the Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, download City Council agenda and staff reports to study over the weekend for the following Monday's city council meeting; start all over again. I also check my city emails a couple times a day (daily city emails average approximately 20), and return phone calls.
DONUTS AND DISCUSSION
My next Donuts and Discussion will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 7:00-8:30 a.m., at Mavericks on Caldwell. Please join me and other city officials to discuss any questions or concerns you have about what's going on down at city hall, and have a donut on us!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
Warren.gubler@visalia.city
Monday, February 1, 2016
WHY I WRITE
Direct Magazine published my first commentary in September 2010, which means that I've been writing this monthly article for 5½ years now. In reviewing my old posts, found at directfromwarren.blogspot.com, my initial articles from 2010 covered such topics as the Riverway Sports Park, the Historic Visalia Walking Trail, the Senior Center, city budget issues and salary negotiations with the five city employee unions.
At the time, I was still a relatively new city council member, having been first elected in 2009. The City of Visalia has a public relations department with capable employees who usually write the speeches, editorials and articles on behalf of council members. Most politicians have ghost writers. However, for Direct Magazine, I've always elected to write the articles myself. At least to me they seem a little more authentic, and give me an opportunity to share my thoughts. As an elected figure, I want to express my independent viewpoints, perhaps giving you a little different peek into the workings of city government. On the other hand, because I don't have my writings pre-approved by the city, I can't blame them for my mistakes! I claim sole responsibility for the content.
I also find that writing this monthly article is therapeutic, it gives me the opportunity to sift through and digest what has been placed before me at City Hall, and crystalizes my thought process. For our biweekly city council meetings, each council member is usually provided at least 50-60 pages of reading materials, including staff reports, Powerpoint presentations, draft ordinances, and such. I read and mull over each topic in order to form an opinion that I believe will be consistent, and then vote in a way that I hope will benefit my constituents. This article actually provides me a sounding board, an opportunity to bounce ideas off myself.
When I first came up with the idea of writing these articles, I approached a number of publications in the area about publishing them, but they expressed shock that I would even ask! Why should a politician be allowed to provide a regular article, when they were the ones employed to write and give their viewpoints as to what was happening at City Hall? In my mind, freedom of the press extends beyond the hired help, and all citizens, elected or not, should have the opportunity to express their opinions in print. Direct Magazine was the only publication that accepted my offer to write such an article, and for that I am grateful. Direct has been kind enough to give me a regular spot on the inside back cover of their magazine each month since then. Ironically, in the intervening years, as print media has fallen on financial hard times and laid off staff, I've been approached by some of the same publications about writing a regular article for them. But I'm a loyal kind of guy, so I've continued to write exclusively for this magazine, because they first gave me a bully pulpit. That's not to say that periodically, when a bee gets stuck in my bonnet, or when I believe an item needs additional emphasis, that I won't continue to submit editorials to other publications.
Finally, I thank you, my loyal readers, for reading what I have to say in this article each month. Over the years, I have received more and more comments from people who indicate that they anticipate reading my articles each month, whether they agree with my opinions or not. I look forward to continuing to write these articles and hope that I meet your expectations. As always, I encourage you to email or call me with any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future articles.
Water Conservation Update
Beginning in June 2015, the state set a target for Visalia of 32% water usage reduction over 2013 levels. At a recent city council meeting it was announced that in November 2015, Visalia conserved 33% compared to 2013, the first month that we met and exceeded our goal. Residential customers led the way by reducing their water usage by 38%. According to Cal Water, in 2015 the city used approximately the same amount of water as Visalia did in 1998, when our population was about a third less.
With the wonderful winter rains we've been experiencing, it is my hope that the city and the state will cut back on their water restriction mandates, and instead educate the citizens on the benefits of voluntary compliance. As Cicero noted, summum ius, summa iniuria-the more law, the less justice. As for me, I trust the citizens of Visalia.
Continue to pray for rain and for an end to this drought. However, we should all continue to try to conserve this precious resource.
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
Warren.gubler@visalia.city
At the time, I was still a relatively new city council member, having been first elected in 2009. The City of Visalia has a public relations department with capable employees who usually write the speeches, editorials and articles on behalf of council members. Most politicians have ghost writers. However, for Direct Magazine, I've always elected to write the articles myself. At least to me they seem a little more authentic, and give me an opportunity to share my thoughts. As an elected figure, I want to express my independent viewpoints, perhaps giving you a little different peek into the workings of city government. On the other hand, because I don't have my writings pre-approved by the city, I can't blame them for my mistakes! I claim sole responsibility for the content.
I also find that writing this monthly article is therapeutic, it gives me the opportunity to sift through and digest what has been placed before me at City Hall, and crystalizes my thought process. For our biweekly city council meetings, each council member is usually provided at least 50-60 pages of reading materials, including staff reports, Powerpoint presentations, draft ordinances, and such. I read and mull over each topic in order to form an opinion that I believe will be consistent, and then vote in a way that I hope will benefit my constituents. This article actually provides me a sounding board, an opportunity to bounce ideas off myself.
When I first came up with the idea of writing these articles, I approached a number of publications in the area about publishing them, but they expressed shock that I would even ask! Why should a politician be allowed to provide a regular article, when they were the ones employed to write and give their viewpoints as to what was happening at City Hall? In my mind, freedom of the press extends beyond the hired help, and all citizens, elected or not, should have the opportunity to express their opinions in print. Direct Magazine was the only publication that accepted my offer to write such an article, and for that I am grateful. Direct has been kind enough to give me a regular spot on the inside back cover of their magazine each month since then. Ironically, in the intervening years, as print media has fallen on financial hard times and laid off staff, I've been approached by some of the same publications about writing a regular article for them. But I'm a loyal kind of guy, so I've continued to write exclusively for this magazine, because they first gave me a bully pulpit. That's not to say that periodically, when a bee gets stuck in my bonnet, or when I believe an item needs additional emphasis, that I won't continue to submit editorials to other publications.
Finally, I thank you, my loyal readers, for reading what I have to say in this article each month. Over the years, I have received more and more comments from people who indicate that they anticipate reading my articles each month, whether they agree with my opinions or not. I look forward to continuing to write these articles and hope that I meet your expectations. As always, I encourage you to email or call me with any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future articles.
Water Conservation Update
Beginning in June 2015, the state set a target for Visalia of 32% water usage reduction over 2013 levels. At a recent city council meeting it was announced that in November 2015, Visalia conserved 33% compared to 2013, the first month that we met and exceeded our goal. Residential customers led the way by reducing their water usage by 38%. According to Cal Water, in 2015 the city used approximately the same amount of water as Visalia did in 1998, when our population was about a third less.
With the wonderful winter rains we've been experiencing, it is my hope that the city and the state will cut back on their water restriction mandates, and instead educate the citizens on the benefits of voluntary compliance. As Cicero noted, summum ius, summa iniuria-the more law, the less justice. As for me, I trust the citizens of Visalia.
Continue to pray for rain and for an end to this drought. However, we should all continue to try to conserve this precious resource.
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
Warren.gubler@visalia.city
Friday, January 1, 2016
CELEBRATE OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
How did 2015 slip by so
quickly?! I believe it's beneficial for Visalia to look back at our 2015
accomplishments, as we celebrate the start of a new year.
MOONEY BOULEVARD:
Mor Furniture and outlet
store opened in February. HomeGoods, a popular home furnishing store,
celebrated their grand opening in November. Opening soon in the same
center will be Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW). A 4-unit commercial space
is being built next to Toys R Us; so far, Shoe Palace, an athletic footwear and
apparel retail chain, has been announced as a tenant. Plans have been
approved to raze the former Mimi's Café in order to construct two new
restaurants in its place, still to be announced. Five Guys Burgers and
Packwood Creek Dental opened at Packwood Creek, with Rubio's Mexican Seafood to
follow soon. Developer Dave Paynter recently purchased the Sequoia Plaza
where Walmart is located, and will be filling that place again. And
Visalia Mall just announced that Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza, the nation's leading
build-your-own pizza chain, is going into its building next to Union Bank in
May 2016. .
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN:
Easley's Gun Shop has
relocated to Surplus City's prior location, and is now known as The General's
Trading Post, offering hunting gear, man cave stuff and local furniture.
Sequoia Brewing has opened at Main and Locust. Ed Dena's Auto Center is
occupying the site on East Main and Ben Maddox formerly occupied by Sy's
Quality Automobiles. Rio Grill closed its Main Street location but a new
restaurant is expected in that space in the next few months. Sacred Tiki Tattoo
Parlor moved into the old Midtown News location. Quizno's closed at the
Comfort Suites, rumored to be replaced soon by Deli Delicious. Sam
Sciacca's anticipated mixed-use development in the old Link's building is on
track to open soon, featuring a wine tasting retail store and a beauty salon,
and six residential units above. Tazzaria purchased Glick’s, and updated
the deli and bakery. Finally, the big news is that Imagine U Children's Museum
is now open. Take your kids and grand kids and have a great time!
NORTH VISALIA:
At Orchard Walk, new retail
developments include Leslie's Pool Supply, Don Roberto Jewelers, an AT&T
Store, Nice Nail and Spa, Verizon and Visalia Modern Dentistry. Oval Park
is finally getting the Caltrans street work done, which will improve
walkability and traffic flow. The old gas station building on the corner
of N.E. Third and Court has been rehabbed and is now offering Thai food.
Derrel's Mini Storage began construction of their 201,400 square foot mini storage
complex at Goshen and Demaree. This includes widening Demaree to
hopefully improve traffic flow. Visalia Care Dental has located at the
southeast corner of Ferguson and Dinuba. Plans are going forward for a
Self Help Enterprises multi-family project on the northwest corner of Ferguson
and Dinuba. Conceptual site plans are going through the city for approval
of a large retail shopping center south of Orchard Walk which includes multiple
anchor pads, restaurant and smaller retail spaces, and for a new Kaweah Delta
Urgent Health Care Center near Demaree and Riggin. The Houston
Neighborhood Park opened and will be a terrific asset for the families in that
area.
INDUSTRIAL PARK:
A 95-room, four-story
Residence Inn (extended stay Marriott Hotel) received its CUP and should break
ground soon next to Fresno Pacific off Plaza Drive. Pinnacle Premix has
opened on Shirk and Sunnyview, a new company which mixes vitamins and minerals
into ag and pet food products. Hydrite Chemical expanded and acquired a
vacant industrial building and land at Clancey and Doe. Pacific Stihl
expanded into a 140,000 square foot space near Riggin and Plaza, which nearly
triples their previous space and more than doubles its dock doors from eight to
eighteen. rePlanet, the state's largest recycling company, has relocated
on West Goshen. And Lloyd and Adam Heller are expected to construct over
800,000 square feet of new rail-served spec buildings near Doe and Shirk.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
Seaport Airlines opened and
continues to provide excellent service for our local airport. Ridership
is dramatically up and should meet the requirements for maintaining our
essential air services . Corner Café, an east Visalia diner, will soon be
moving to Key West Shopping Center at Goshen and Akers. The Marriott has
new owners and is being remodeled. Holiday Inn by the airport has
switched brands to Wyndham, and $6 million in renovations and updates are
currently taking place. A Holiday Inn Express will be locating near
Adventure Park. Also, look for Skywalk Visalia, a trampoline and extreme sports
complex opening next to Chuck E. Cheese. Visalia Parkway is now open
behind Target which will increase east/west driveability. Last but not least,
Visalia once again has a Wienerschnitzel, now open on East Noble. And for
my Christmas wish, I've asked Santa for a new Nordstrom E-commerce Fulfillment
Center in our industrial park, bringing 1,000 jobs with it.
When all of these new
developments are considered together, we can see that 2015 was indeed a very
good year for our city. We expect more commercial growth in 2016, which
will further strengthen our tax base and meet the needs of our local
citizenry. Happy New Year to all!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
Visalia Times Delta Editorial January 1, 2016
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