SUMMER REFLECTIONS

Population Growth
The California Revenue & Taxation Code mandates that the Department of Finance transmit annually to local governments an estimate of the percentage change in population.  These calculations affect the amount of appropriations which each local jurisdiction receives from the state.  According to a letter received from the Department of Finance dated May 2015, Visalia's population as of January 1, 2014 of 129,481 increased to 130,753 as of January 1, 2015.  This was almost a 1% increase.  The highest percentage increase in the county during the same time frame was a 1.55% increase in Dinuba.  The letter went on to indicate that Tulare County's population as a whole increased 0.75% during that same time frame, from 458,312 to 462,189.  Further breaking down Tulare County's current population, 314,794 people live within incorporated cities, while 147,395 live in unincorporated areas.

Memo From City Manager, Mike Olmos
Visalia is experiencing a strong period in development activity.  We issued permits for 73 new housing starts in April (67 Single Family Residences and 6 Multi Family Residences).  This is one of the strongest housing months since the recession.  Further, in the first four months of 2015, we issued permits for 207 housing units, while all of 2014 we issued 435 total.  Our total permit construction valuation for these same four months is $76.6 million; for all of 2014 the total was $187.3 million.  Definitely an uptick in development activity.

This Place Matters
Recently, I had the opportunity of attending the dedication ceremony for the historic plaque installation at the Southern Pacific Depot at 207 E. Oak Avenue.  Town historian Terry Ommen did his usual fine research in informing us of Visalia's train and multiple depot history, culminating in the construction of our current depot for $40,000.00, which was dedicated on July 4, 1916.  As automobile ownership increased, popularity of railroad travel faded and the Southern Pacific ended regular passenger service to Visalia in 1940.  The depot building  was abandoned, but later restored by various civic-minded individuals.  It is currently owned and operated as an eating establishment by the Vartanian family.  Thank you to the Kaweah Kollectors who funded this plaque, and to all who work so hard to preserve Visalia's heritage.

See You Later Al
We were all saddened to hear of the passing of our friend Allan Dean Fisher on March 30, 2015.  This noted local philanthropist kept us all in stitches with his wit, charm and kilt.  I still chuckle when I recall his acceptance speech six years ago upon receiving the "Man of the Year" award from the local Chamber of Commerce.  He humbly stated, "I really don't deserve this.  Of course, I've got arthritis and I don't deserve that either!"  Our condolences to Al's family, he will be missed.

Thanks for the Compliment
The city recently received an unsolicited letter from David E. Mars of Henderson, NV.  I share with you his complimentary comments: "My wife and I love Visalia!  We passed through Visalia many times before finally stopping.  What an amazing surprise we found when we did.  Visalia is no longer a waypoint; we have made it a destination!

"Why would people from Las Vegas travel to Visalia to spend time?  After all, Vegas is usually the destination, right?  Well, your city just has so much to offer.  We love the dining.  It is amazing.  We love the people.  They are amazing.  We love how agricultural and human culture combine to make your city such an interesting place to be.

"We enjoyed this past weekend in Visalia and look forward already to our next visit.  We just want to take a moment to share our impressions, and to thank you and all of those who work with you to make Visalia such a nice place."

Thanks for the kind words David, and please visit any time.

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

THE DROUGHT CONTINUES

Everyone is concerned that we're heading into another drought year.  We all wonder if we're doing enough to conserve, does the state have sufficient modern infrastructure to store water for the state's growing population, has there been appropriate balancing of environmental and farming concerns, and will the state figure out how to spend our bond monies wisely for water storage and recharge?  While Visalians cannot solve the statewide drought problems, we can certainly do our part to conserve the local water supply.

At a recent Visalia city council meeting, the council revisited our water conservation ordinance which we implemented 12 months ago.  We are currently on stage 4 water restrictions, which provides for no watering of landscaping in January and February, once a week in March and April, two times a week in May, three times a week from June through September, two times a week in October, and one time per week in November and December.  Some on the council argued that a more punitive approach should be followed, such as by Cal Water raising their rates which would cause people to use less water.  My counter to this was that the council had spent the last year informing the state PUC that Cal Water should not raise their rates further because they are becoming unaffordable, only Cal Water profits when rates are raised, rates can go up but rarely come back down.  Instead, why not reward those who conserve by rebates!  Another argument was made that Visalians are not complying with the current water ordinance, and anecdotal stories were told by council members who had seen watering take place at improper times.  However, I suggested that most Visalians want to do their part to conserve, while occasionally mistakenly watering at the wrong times.  Visalians decreased their water usage by 10% this last year rather than the state's "20%" goal.  However, Visalia has been under stage 3 water restrictions since the early 1990's, and has been cognizant of conserving water for many years, unlike other areas of our county that are just now beginning to address the issue.  An interesting statistic is that total Cal Water pumping in Visalia in 2014 was 29,686 acre feet, the first time pumping was below 30,000 acre feet since 2001.  Remember, back in 2001, Visalia's population was around 93,000, while we are now at 130,000; many more people today are using much less water than in the past.

As part of the initial implementation last year of stage 4 water restrictions, code enforcement first gave a written warning to any violator, with a second warning being accompanied by a $100.00 fine, increasing to $500.00 for multiple violations.  Since this ordinance was enacted, according to city staff, about 2,800 written warnings have been given out, but only 189 citations issued.  Most of these citations were first time offenders, with few repeat offenders.  I would suggest that 189 citations issued over 12 months to a population of 130,000 people is indicative that the vast majority are trying to comply in good faith with the water restrictions, once they learned of them.

These statistics put into perspective the ongoing upgrade of the Visalia water conservation plant (sewer), which when completed next year will treat liquid waste such that it will come out 99% pure, being fit for farming and all purposes other than human consumption.  As part of this upgrade, the water conservation plant will deliver 10,000 to 12,000 acre feet of recycled water on our west side to the Tulare Irrigation District, in exchange for receiving 5,000 to 6,000 acre feet of fresh water from the east side in years when surface water is available, to recharge our ground water levels.  Thus, under this visionary project, we will be replenishing about 20% of the ground water which Visalians consume annually. The balance of the recycled water will be used to irrigate city farmland and parks. The completion of this project will come none too soon.
The majority of the council voted to amend our current ordinance to further tighten restrictions by deleting the one watering day per week in December and by increasing citation penalties by 25%.  Additionally, Governor Brown has now announced statewide water restrictions, which at very least should get all cities on board to conserve.  I would encourage all Visalians to be mindful of these changes and to comply.  More importantly, I applaud your efforts to conserve water in the past, and know that Visalians can be trusted to continue to conserve water in the future.

Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor

LIVE IN VISALIA, AVOID THE COMMUTE

Visalia was recently recognized as one of the top forty "Best Commuter Cities in California," as reported by "The Obrella Insider."  This survey included all California cities with a population of over 10,000 residents, and Visalia ranked No. 27.  Our average commute time was clocked at 20.9 minutes (mine is much shorter at about 5 minutes).  Quoting from the article "With a commute time of 20 minutes on average, Visalia residents spend about 30% less time getting to work than the typical California resident.  There is a vast assortment of employers in and around Visalia, offering both blue collar and white collar jobs."  According to the pie chart which accompanied the article, almost half of Visalians have commute times of under 15 minutes.  The article also noted that 79.85% of Visalians commute to work alone, 12.35% carpool, with the rest using mass transit or working at home.  The article goes on to state that in addition to increasing stress levels and affecting overall health, many people don't realize the time it takes to get to work also impacts your insurance premiums.  When you shop for auto insurance, you're asked how far you travel to get to work.  Insurance providers ask this question to gauge the risk you face on the road.  Typically, the farther you commute, the longer you're on the road, and that increases the risk of your being involved in an accident.  Greater risk means you'll pay a higher auto insurance premium.  Your quality of life can also be affected by a lengthy commute:

∙ A study conducted in Sweden reveals that a marriage is 40% more likely to end in divorce when one partner endures a daily commute longer than 45 minutes.

∙ Political scientist Robert Putnum declared that workers who commute longer have less "social connections."  Specifically, Putnam found that every 10 minutes an individual spends commuting reduces their "social connections" by 10%.

∙ People with longer commutes are more likely to feel tired, experience greater worry and less enjoyment.

∙ Every minute of a commute is associated with a reduction in time spent resting, exercising, and preparing meals.

∙ Workers who spend 90 minutes or more making their daily commute are at a higher risk for chronic back or neck problems.

∙ Researchers at UCLA and Cal State Long Beach discovered that no other factor had a stronger correlation with obesity than the number of miles driven every day.

I guess the message for Visalians from all this is "live long and prosper."

This and That:
As the economy continues to improve, tourism to our area is increasing.  This is evidenced by a new Residence Inn, a 95 room four-story extended stay Marriott hotel which is going through the permit process with the city, and will be built adjacent to the Fresno Pacific campus off of Plaza Drive.  Additionally, there are plans for a Holiday Inn Express to be built south of Adventure Park, and talk of another hotel out by the airport.

Another sign that Visalia is experiencing growth is the grand opening of Mor Furniture for Less on South Mooney in February 2015, at the location of the old Surroz Motors.  This accompanies the opening last year of Ashley Furniture and Serrano’s Furniture.  When furniture stores flourish, that's indicative of consumer optimism and residential growth.

Another ribbon cutting I had the privilege of attending in February was that of Seaport Airlines.  They have flights twice daily from Visalia to Burbank and to Sacramento.  We are the only airport in the valley to have a connecting flight to Sacramento.  So far, bookings have been terrific, with many full flights.  I've ridden in their Cessna nine passenger plane, and I recommend it for convenience, comfort and price.

I recently again had the opportunity to attend the Project Homeless Connect sponsored by Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance.  Thank you to the many wonderful people who provided free hair cuts, bicycle repairs, pet maintenance, counseling, medical assistance and more, along with a fine spaghetti lunch.

It was recently announced that Visalia city administration will be moving their offices into the former Chamber of Commerce building in east downtown.  The city purchased the building two years ago when it was on the market, with the objective of using it for office space.  The current tenants will have six months to find new locations.

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

SALES TAX TRENDS

At the recent Visalia city council strategic planning workshop, a presentation was made by Deputy City Manager Eric Frost and Finance Director Renee Nagel regarding recent sales tax trends.  This has been in the news quite a bit lately due to cities like Bakersfield and Tulare having budgetary problems due to lower than expected sales tax revenues related to the drop in the price of gasoline.  Visalia has not been as affected since only about 10% of our sales tax revenues are generated by gasoline sales.  Let me share with you some sales tax statistics.

Sales tax represents 46% of our general fund revenues.  The pre-recession peak was in 2007 when Visalia collected $23.3 million in sales tax revenues.  After a substantial drop in revenues during the recession years, Visalia enjoyed a record year of $26.8 million in sales tax revenues in 2014.  Based upon its population per capita, Visalia collects 67% more than its per capita share; in other words, as a regional hub, we attract shoppers from other areas of our county and neighboring counties.  However, there has been some leakage as new retailers have come to smaller nearby towns.  In 1980, Visalia generated 37.5% of Tulare County's sales tax revenues, while in 2014 we generated 47%.  However, our population increased during that time from 20.4% to 28.2% of the county population, resulting in a 26% decrease in our proportional share.

In California, percentage of personal income spent on taxable sales decreased from 53% in 1980 to 33% currently.  The main reason for this decline is internet sales and changes in spending habits.  While the baby boomer generation still prefers to shop at brick and mortar stores, due to advancing age, this generation is spending more on services (such as health care), than on taxable goods.  Meanwhile, the millennials (born 1980 to 2000) make up 30% of the population and purchase most things online, much of which isn't taxed yet.  As a result, stores we were fond of shopping at such as Mervyn's, Blockbuster Video, Circuit City, and Borders Books, are gone.  Others are downsizing.  Technology is also reducing what is taxable.  Digitally transferred goods are not considered as tangible personal property (books, music, movies, etc.).  Energy efficiency is reducing taxable fuel purchases.  There are hundreds of sales/use tax exemptions such as food, prescriptions, year books, etc.  Shopping center trends have also changed.  Sears and JC Penney's once had 70% of shopping center traffic but now only have 25%.  Millennials will make up 75% of the work force within ten years, and many shoppers are choosing convenience over price.  Things that are not subject to sales tax locally include repair work, business services, admissions at amusements, computer services, professional services, agricultural services, and leases and rentals, many of which are taxed in other states.  Meanwhile, many expenses of local government remain the same or increase, such as street maintenance, building maintenance, and employee costs.

While we anticipate that our sales tax revenues will continue to increase, they will increase at a slower pace and percentage.  Reduced sales tax revenues will lead to policy choices.  Do we prefer to raise or modify taxes, or should local government make further cutbacks and provide fewer services?

NEW POLICE CHIEF:
We were saddened to hear that Police Chief Colleen Mestas was diagnosed with cancer.  We wish her the best in her recovery and retirement.  We congratulate Lieutenant Ed Lynn who will be the interim chief while Viaslia goes through the process to find a replacement for Chief Mestas.  Since the police chief is a department head, it is the city manager, Mike Olmos, who will lead the recruitment and selection of the new police chief, subject to the final approval of the Visalia City Council.  It is good to know that our city is in good hands with many fine, qualified police officers protecting our citizens.  We feel fortunate that we don't have many of the issues and turmoil that plague other police departments.  Two thumbs up to our professional public safety officers who keep our city safe.


DUMP ON US:
January's "Dump on Us" day, sponsored by the Public Works Dept. was again a success.  I got my chainsaw out and trimmed up a few of my trees, taking advantage of the free refuse disposal.  Mark your calendar for our next "Dump on Us" day, April 11, 2015.

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

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