FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

CAFR

In January, the Visalia city council received and reviewed the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for fiscal year July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017.  State law requires a complete set of audited financial statements annually by the city.  This report, which was almost 200 pages long, gives the city council an opportunity to review the financial health of the city, and is done by an outside auditor.  The report showed that sales tax revenues had increased by 4%, property tax revenues had increased by 5%, and transient occupancy taxes had increased by 12% over the prior year.  Excluding revenues from the sale of land, we ended that fiscal year with a $900,000.00 surplus!  Adding that surplus to our emergency reserves, along with interest earnings and some land transfer revenues, brought the reserves ending balance up to $12.9 million dollars.  The council then authorized the transfer from unassigned funds of another $1.5 million dollars to increase the emergency reserves balance to $14.4 million dollars.  Another way that I refer to our emergency reserves is our "rainy day funds."  The goal of the council has been to build up those reserves to 25% of our general fund.  The new balance achieves that 25% goal, and is the highest that our city's emergency reserves have ever been historically.  I note that, due to the great recession, the emergency reserves reached a low point of $1.3 million dollars in 2012/13 and this city council has rebuilt the reserves to what we have currently.  Now that we have rebuilt the emergency reserves, we can start using future surpluses to save up for other projects.  Currently, we are enjoying a relatively prosperous economy, but we are prepared for the time when such is not the case.  The general conclusion of the CAFR report was that Visalia is in good financial condition overall.  We always appreciate receiving this type of good news.

ECONOMIC STRENGTH

More good news is that Area Development Magazine recently came out with its 2017 rankings related to metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) based upon performance in prime work force, economic strength, year-over-year growth and five-year growth.  Overall, Visalia/Porterville's MSA (Tulare County) ranked 64^th out of 394 MSAs across the country, which was a vast improvement over our 2016 ranking.  This ranking was the highest in the Central Valley region.  By comparison, Fresno ranked 105^th, Modesto ranked 152^nd and Bakersfield ranked 374^th.  This is more good news for our city and area and we look forward to 2018 being another banner year!

VISALIA P.D.

Our local police department held its first annual awards ceremony on January 17.  Chief Jason Salazar handed out many well-deserved awards to employees of our police department.  One of the awards was the "lifesaving award" given to four of our police staff who acted heroically when they happened to be at a concert in Las Vegas in 2017 where shooting broke out.  They assisted other concert goers and saved lives by their quick action, even though they were off duty at the time.  Space does not allow me to go into detail about all of the well-deserved awards that were presented that afternoon.  Suffice it to say that we appreciate what our public safety officers do in our community.  While I'm at it, let me just share part of a letter which I received from local citizen "Fred" complementing officer Tim Connors.  Officer Connors assisted Fred in recovering some stolen property that Fred wasn't even aware had been taken!  Fred wrote "Thanks to Tim Connors, I got my property back and his actions will probably help convict these burglars.  His quick work helped prove that there had been a break-in, goods were stolen, and it made me feel really great!"  If you haven't thanked one of our public safety officers recently for what they do in our community, next time you come across one, let them know you appreciate their efforts.

SENIOR GAMES

The 2018 Visalia Senior Games are fast approaching, March 10^th and 11^th, and 17^th and 18^th.  This will be our 3^rd annual event, and if you haven't signed up yet, visit visaliaseniorgames.com.  See you there!

                                                                                                     Mayor Warren Gubler

                                                                                                    warren.gubler@visalia.city

STAY TUNED

Last month I wrote about the 2017 business and retail developments in Visalia.  I ran out of space to describe the many new projects that are coming to Visalia in 2018.

INDUSTRIAL PARK:  A new 6,000 square foot location for Comfort Now Air Conditioning, and a 6,600 square foot expansion for Remedy Medical off of Shirk.  There is a 7,284 square foot warehouse user off N. Gateway, and a new grain hopper trailer manufacturer in a new 4,000 square foot building near Kelsey off Doe.  Smith Promotions, a local screen printing/embroidery shop and full-service manufacturer of promotional materials is expanding into a new 10,000 square foot facility.  Two new 16,000 square foot shell buildings are proposed along Goshen behind Able Industries, and Breck's Electric Motors will be moving to a new 8,850 square foot site off Grove Court.  A new 125,000 square foot industrial building is being proposed at the northwest corner of Neely and the future Hurley intersection.  Pacific Dry Ice is proposing to occupy 7249 W. Goshen Avenue, and is in the process of acquiring building permits.  Huckleberry's Restaurant, a southern themed breakfast and lunch restaurant, is considering a location in the Plaza Business Park.  Local ag tech company Valley Ag Software (VAS) will be moving to a new 31,000 square foot office in The Square at Plaza Drive.  We hope to attract and grow tech companies like VAS in that area.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN:  Downtown may be seeing more residential space, as residential is being proposed above Javi's Taco Shack.  A skywalk is being proposed to connect the third floor of the west Acequia parking garage to the building at 215 W. Main Street.  The project proposes new office and residential development in the upper floors.  Visalia Emergency Aid is adding additional warehousing and office space to their N.E. Third location.  A new grocery/meat market has been proposed behind the very popular Pho and Seafood Restaurant by the Lincoln oval, in an existing building.  Doc's Drive-In is continuing the process to relocate to the southwest corner of Main and Willis.

MOONEY BOULEVARD:  A new Jiffy Lube is being proposed just behind the Lowes at Mooney and Cameron.  A bridge over Packwood Creek onto Cameron Avenue is being proposed in the Sequoia Plaza Shopping Center (Walmart).  This will improve traffic circulation in and out of that center.  Family Health Care Network is proposing a new full-service medical clinic in the former Dollar Tree location near Beech and Mooney.  The 17,000 square foot facility will include full medical and dental services.  The Orosco Group has demolished the old Weatherby's site on the southeast corner of Walnut and Mooney, with new retail/food tenants expected to land there, including Dunkin Donuts.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:  The storm basin located in the Riverway Sports Park has been filled with dirt, and in 2018, the final phase of Riverway Sports Park will begin with the construction of four new lighted softball fields with corresponding concession stands, restroom facilities, parking and an additional picnic structure.  The Walmart expansion at Noble and Ben Maddox is underway once again, after some delay caused by litigation.  The expansion includes additional grocery sales, an outdoor garden center, and a fast food tenant.  There is a new drive-in concept proposed that will allow shoppers to call ahead to pick up pre-made grocery orders.  Customers will get into a vehicle queue, enter a pass code, pull to a loading station where Walmart employees will cart the orders out to the customers' vehicles and allow customers the ability to inspect the fresh items before completing the transaction.  A mini-market and gas station is being proposed at the southeast corner of Visalia Parkway and Demaree, located west of proposed multi-family and single family housing.  A pharmacy is proposed at 1400 East Noble adjacent to Wienerschnitzel.  The Sequoia Surgery Center on Akers near 198 is expanding by 18,860 square feet.  A new 11,890 square foot office building is being proposed at the southeast corner of Akers and Noble. 

Visalia will be the first in the nation to execute an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for the community flexibility pilot program, a program first authorized by Congress in 2004.  Visalia will be receiving $3,703,368.00 in federal funds pursuant to a DOT grant agreement, which monies will fund a hangar development project at the Visalia Municipal Airport.  These new hangars in turn will result in an estimated $131,000.00 in new airport revenue annually at build-out and full tenancy.  A number of multi-family development projects are being proposed along the Visalia Parkway, east of Demaree, at the northeast corner of Akers and Riggin, and the southeast corner of Lovers Lane and Walnut Avenue.

I thank Visalia's economic development director, Devon Jones, for providing much of this information I've just shared with you.  We're always looking for new businesses to move to or develop in Visalia, and we believe our area is the future of California.

EIGHT YEARS LATER

It's hard to believe that eight years have passed since I was first elected to the Visalia City Council.  Back in 2009 we were in the midst of a recession, Mooney Blvd. looked like a ghost town, and consumer confidence had bottomed out.  What a difference eight years makes!  As part of this column's annual New Year's tradition, reflect back with me on Visalia's business and retail accomplishments during the past year, 2017.

MOONEY BOULEVARD  Sportsman's Warehouse recently opened just west of Costco.  Across the street north of Costco is a Surf-Thru Car Wash under construction.  I enjoyed the ribbon cutting for the new Smart & Final Extra which backfilled the old JoAnn's location, after JoAnn's moved to the old Circuit City location.  Enjoy some grub at the new Outback Steakhouse on the corner of Mooney and Cameron.  A bridge over Packwood Creek is proposed in the Sequoia Plaza Shopping Center (Walmart) to give better access south onto Cameron.  "The Commons" regional retail project on the southwest corner of Mooney and Visalia Parkway continues through the entitlement process.  The project currently calls for eleven acres of residential, roughly fifteen acres of new commercial and approximately one acre of greenbelt.  It will have numerous anchor pads, a number of drive-throughs and various other retail uses.  The old Weatherby's site at Walnut and Mooney has been demolished, and new retail/food tenants are expected there. 

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN  The former Caskey Paper building is the new home of the Planing Mill Restaurant, office space and soon a martial arts studio and gym.  More proposals are being made for residential space upstairs at various downtown locations, with House of Sciacca opening six apartments upstairs in the old Link's building.  Provoke Salon and Blend wine room are downstairs.  Suncrest Bank moved into the old Citibank building on Main Street, with classy improvements such as Tazz Coffee.  In the new microbrewery overlay area on East Main, BarrelHouse Brewing Co. opened its tap room and beer garden.  Perhaps the most exciting downtown news is that the old courthouse annex on Court Street and surrounding properties are in the process of being sold by the county to private developers, who will be developing a boutique hotel there, and preserving its 1930's era art deco architectural style.  Twenty-eight luxury suites, a rooftop pool and bar, downstairs restaurant and other amenities are planned!   

NORTH VISALIA  The storm water basin at Riverway Sports Park has been filled in, and the park's final phase, four new lighted softball fields, concession stands, restroom facilities, parking and an additional picnic structure are coming in 2018.  A new Del Taco opened nearby.  TCOE Early Childhood Education Program opened at Oval Park.  VEAC is adding additional warehousing and office space to their site on N.E. 3^rd.  KDDH is adding a 6,100 square foot urgent care facility and a senior care facility just north of Lowes on Demaree and Riggin.  A new Burger King opened on N. Ben Maddox.

INDUSTRIAL PARK  UPS purchased 58 acres at the northeast corner of Plaza and Riggin for future expansion plans.  Golden State Overnight is building a 62,840 square foot distribution center making Visalia its main hub, with room to double in size in future years.  Seventy jobs will be created when it opens.  DDG is completing a 402,000 square foot spec building project at American and Riggin.  Rumor has it that the developer has already signed up occupants to fill most of it, including International Paper Company.  There are currently over 1,000 acres of zoned industrial land that are shovel ready for more businesses to locate here.  Marriott Residence Inn is being built on Plaza Drive and a Holiday Inn Express is completed and open for business behind Adventure Park.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS  Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen is under construction in the Kmart shopping center.  Visalia City Billiards has joined Fit Republic and Quantum Leap in the old Vons shopping center, which has become a new entertainment center including Roller Towne, Chuck E. Cheese, and restaurant options.  Planet Fitness opened in the old Young's Market at Walnut and Demaree.  Visalia's Water Conservation Plant upgrade is finished and awaiting final state approval.  It will recycle liquid waste into 99% pure water for irrigation purposes.  We wish outgoing city manager Mike Olmos a happy retirement, he's done a great job for the city; and we welcome our new city manager Randy Groom in January.

I'm out of space, so next month I'll write about some of the proposed 2018 developments in Visalia that will knock your socks off! 

Happy New Year 2018!

                                                                                    Mayor Warren Gubler

                                                                                    warren.gubler@visalia.city

WE GIVE THANKS

We've just finished Veteran's Day and the Thanksgiving season and look forward to our wonderful December religious holidays and celebrations.  During this special time of year, we tend to reflect more upon the importance of giving thanks for our many blessings.  My family feels especially blessed to live in this great city of Visalia and to call it home.  It's not just the bricks and mortar that make our city great, but the many wonderful people and friends that we have here.  The Gublers have resided in Visalia for 35 years, and have watched the community grow from 57,000 to 133,000 people during that time.  I receive many compliments about what a well-planned city Visalia is, and how we have experienced smart growth.  But I still believe it is the quality of our citizens that makes the difference.

With the many natural disasters this country has experienced in the last few months, including in Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico, and fires in our own state, we should give thanks that we live in a stable environment here in Central California, that food is plentiful, and our infrastructure is sound.  Even flooding, which Visalia has historically experienced, is now a rare occurrence. 

Visalia also has the lowest crime rate in the county, and one of the lowest in the state.  We thank our public safety officers, both police and firefighters.  You might be interested to learn that we recently received a federal grant for $153,000.00, covering 50% of the cost of purchasing body cams for our police patrol staff of 112 officers.  Visalia actually applied for this funding previously, but got turned down because the federal agency determined that our local police efforts were effective, and we didn't have problems with community relations like more needy communities.  It was actually a compliment, recognizing that local law enforcement is on such good terms with our citizens.  Now that the initial federal funding has gone to more needy communities, our turn has arrived.  The City Council previously chose to take a wait-and-see approach on body cams, but are ready now to move forward on this.  By holding off a little, we were able to learn from the experiences of other cities who already have implemented body cams, and we were able to obtain this extra funding to help defray expenses.

We should also be thankful for our straight, wide roads throughout the city.  Our Public Works Department is constantly vigilant, timely resurfacing our roads to make them top quality for traveling purposes.  I was recently asked by a citizen for an update on the coned-off area of westbound Visalia Parkway, just east of Demaree.  The coned-off area of the roadway is closed to traffic due to a subgrade settlement.  The city performed an inspection by boring, and learned that a previously unknown organic cavity underneath the roadway had caused the settling.  The cost associated with this boring and repair requires a formal bid and city council authorization.  Staff is working to put this project out to bid now and once the bid period closes, staff will take the report to the city council for review and authorization.  While this process continues, the roadway will remain coned off to prevent further safety concerns.

We also sometimes take for granted the ease with which we dispose of our garbage.  We appreciate our solid waste department for making this appear effortless.  The plan in 2018 is that Visalians will convert from split cans to a three-can system.  As part of the implementation of this project, the city will bring in-house a new utility billing system and solid waste operation system at a cost of approximately $1.5 million.  Currently the city is using an outside vendor in Phoenix, Arizona to handle this, and by bringing it in-house, we will create more local jobs and there will be a cost savings factor.  It should pay for itself within three years.  Included in these new garbage cans will be computer chips so that the city can monitor trash pickup, time of pickup, and location of the trucks.  If the city receives a complaint from a citizen, it will be able to determine immediately what occurred and how to remedy the same.

I could wax eloquent about many other services provided by the city which we sometimes overlook.  Suffice it to say that we are very blessed to live in this great valley and city.  Let us all give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and continue to contribute in our own ways to make Visalia our home.

                                                                                    Mayor Warren Gubler

                                                                                    warren.gubler@visalia.city

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

On Saturday, October 28, 2017, the community of Visalia again came together to help "Make a Difference."  According to our head count, approximately 300 volunteers turned out to assist the city in freshening up our local parks and city properties, including planting trees and plants, spreading bark, weeding, painting, and trash clean up.  The projects included Rotary Park, the Piano basin, Packwood Creek, Soroptimist Park and Oval Park.  In addition to private individuals who came out to show their civic mindedness, the event was supported by Downtown Rotary, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Alpha Gamma Sigma Club at COS, Redwood Key Club, World Link, Sequoia Visalia Kiwanis, West Coast Believers, Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering (ICERV), Visalia Sunset Rotary, V-Town Roller Derby Team, Center for Spiritual Living, and Soroptimist International of Visalia.

Afterwards, most of the participants came to Lions' Park where my wife and I served free root beer floats to say "thank you" for a job well done.  Two thumbs up to the many Visalians who came out and donated their Saturday morning to make "Make a Difference Day" a success!

Mayor Warren Gubler

Valley Voice, Nov. 2, 2017

REFLECTIONS

Recently I took a moment to reflect back on the almost eight years that I have served on the Visalia City Council.  I have served with a number of hardworking and diligent council members and staff and together we have accomplished a lot.  As always, there is still a lot to be done.

While I was in this reflective mood, I compiled a list of what I felt were some of the most significant accomplishments by our council since I have been on it.  Let me share that list with you, in no particular order:

▪           Created work program for homeless (Environmental Cleanup Opportunities ECO) 2017

▪           Re-instated the city’s 4^th of July fireworks celebration, 2017

▪           Started Visalia Senior Games, this year is the 3^rd annual, last year over 500 participants

▪           Built 10 pickle ball courts

▪           Planned, built and dedicated new Visalia Emergency Communications Center 2017

▪           Planned, built and dedicated new Animal Control Facility 2015

▪           Discontinued Retiree health care benefits in 2010, when the city was in the midst of a recession, saved city $2 million annually in premiums, would be double that now

▪           Planned, built and dedicated new Fire Station 53, 2016

▪           Voted to not allow recreational marijuana dispensaries within city limits, 2017

▪           Led Visalia delegation to sister city Miki Japan in November 2016

▪           Planned, built and dedicated new Miki Sister city park 2017

▪           Started V Line, bus service between Visalia and Fresno 2015

▪           Planned and built Visalia Water Conservation Plant upgrade, largest public works project in Visalia history, $130 million upgrade, to be dedicated Fall 2017

▪           Expanded Riverway Sports Park, working now on plans to add 4 Women’s softball diamonds

▪           Balanced the city budget each year since 2009

▪           Currently changing Residential Waste from split containers to separate containers

▪           Added miles of walking trails

▪           Navigated city through change from at large to district elections, 2015

▪           Remodeled Visalia Convention Center

▪           Purchased land for future East side sports park combined with ponding basins

▪           Started Sequoia Shuttle partnership between National Park Service and Visalia, our transit center runs buses to Sequoia National Park and within the park

▪           Finished update of the Visalia General Plan 2014

▪           Planned and built the Plaza Drive Interchange widening with Cal Trans 2014

▪           Rebuilt city reserves after the Great Recession to approx.. 20% of General Fund

This is just a partial list of many accomplishments, and of course there are many more.  I compliment this city council and prior city councils along with our dedicated city manager and staff for all that they do to keep Visalia moving forward as the jewel of the valley.

ECO Update

July marked the beginning of our homeless work program, which has been renamed the Environmental Cleanup Opportunity (ECO).  For a 3-month period, we have recruited 10 homeless people who have been doing trash pickup and various odd jobs around town to make our city look even better.  On September 28, I took the opportunity to work with one of our ECO crews for the morning.  Joseph was the crew chief from Able Industries.  The five-man crew included Mike, Robert, Jesse, Frank and Kevin.  We picked up trash along the St. John's Parkway.  I had an opportunity to visit with them all about the ECO program, and they were all grateful to be a part of it.  The best news was that of the three original participants, all three of them are still on the job, Mike, Robert and Jesse.  Frank actually has a second part-time job now with a local petroleum company.  They told me that they really enjoy it when passersby tell them "thank you" for their good work.  I would hire any of these gentlemen, they were bright, articulate and eager for another opportunity.  They have been down on their luck, but this is a chance for them to make a comeback.  If any of you know of employment opportunities for them in the private sector, please shoot me an email with that information.  And if you see one of these crews out working in their yellow vests and their ECO t-shirts, please tell them "thank you" for a job well done.

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.

VISALIA CITY UPDATES

ECO:  The Environmental Cleanup Opportunities (ECO) project, previously known as the homeless work program, is off and running.  Under this program, the city, with the help of Able Industries and the Workforce Investment Board, is employing two crews of five for a total of ten homeless people part time for three months to work on trash abatement and graffiti removal around our community.  The program started the end of July, and we are now fully staffed.  The crews have averaged 20 yards of trash material collected per week, including clearing two homeless camps and covering about ten miles along Highway 198.  They are now spreading out into cleaning up along city ditches, alleys, and trails.  I hope you've noticed the difference!  We’re looking forward to helping these trainees transition into full time employment in the private sector, and we appreciate their help in improving our clean city.

In God We Trust:  At our August 21 city council meeting, we had on the agenda the issue of whether to place the national motto "In God We Trust" on the wall of council chambers.  The council voted not to do so.  There are many wonderful mottos and slogans out there which we fully appreciate and support, including In God We Trust, E. Pluribus Unum, and Do A Good Turn Daily.  How do you select just one?  In the Gubler home, we have the words "One Nation Under God" posted on our kitchen wall.  The City staff cost estimate to mount the requested phrase was approximately $2,000.00, and as public stewards of city monies, we have to be careful how each dollar is spent.  Finally, the council for many years has begun every meeting with the flag salute and a prayer given by various local ministers and pastors, and we always appreciate those additional blessings and thoughts.  Certainly, we should all live so as to demonstrate our trust in God.

2018 Senior Games:  Planning is now underway for our third annual senior games, to be held March 10-11 and 17-18, 2018.  We just got the final numbers in for our successful 2017 games, and we came out in the black by $1,308.65.  With over 500 participants from throughout the State of California and from as far away as Washington and Texas earlier this year, we're looking to build upon that success in 2018.  Start getting in shape now and more details will be forthcoming.

VECC:  The Visalia Emergency Communications Center (VECC) building was turned over to the city by the contractor the last week of August.  Fire administration, along with our 911 call center immediately began moving in equipment, furniture, consoles and highly specialized computer equipment.  Network fiber was also brought into the building to make high-speed connections.  The ribbon cutting was held September 20 and this beautiful new building is up and running. 

Next, look for the ribbon cutting for our newly remodeled Water Conservation Plant in the near future.  The plant has been testing the new membranes and filters for the last few months, and we hope to have the new facility up and working as soon as the city receives the permit from the state for tertiary water.

KTIP Radio:  Since last year I've been interviewed each Wednesday at 7:40 a.m. by Hopper and PK about current issues before the Visalia City Council.  Be sure to tune to AM 1450 to listen in.

Caldwell Widening:

The city, county and TCAG have held the groundbreaking, and work has commenced to widen Avenue 280 (Caldwell Avenue) from two lanes to four lanes between Akers Street and Highway 99, with signalization.  This will be a terrific infrastructure improvement to Visalia's southern gateway, in essence making Caldwell Avenue four lanes throughout the city, using Measure R funds.  It will take approximately 16 months to complete.  Also, the Betty Drive interchange upgrade in Goshen is  underway, and will greatly improve access to Visalia’s Industrial Park along Riggin Avenue.  It is scheduled for completion in Fall 2019.

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.