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.
