The state of California has set a mandate that 75% of solid waste is to be diverted to recycling by the year 2020. Currently, Visalia's diversion rate is 71%. To help meet this state mandate, the city council has authorized staff to start the process of converting to a residential three-can collection system, i.e., separate cans for solid waste, recyclables, and green waste, as opposed to the current split-can system. It will cost approximately $5 million to implement the three-can system and to provide new cans for all residents. The conversion will not result in a rate increase. It is estimated that the three-can system will be implemented sometime during the next three years.
Once implemented, the cost to operate a three-can system will not be much more than the current split-can system. A split truck can only service about 800 split cans a day, while a single-body truck can service about 1,200 cans a day. Single-body trucks cost about $40,000.00 less than split trucks. Two single-body cans don't cost any more than one split can. Split trucks have to dump more often in a day than single-body trucks, because when one side of a split truck fills up, the truck has to take the materials to the dump even though the other half of the truck may not be completely full.
Other positives about a three-can collection system include increased diversion and decreased contamination by adding capacity and convenience. City customers can request a smaller can or a larger can, depending on their particular waste needs, and rates will be structured based on can size.
It is becoming more difficult to find manufacturers who make split-can trucks, and even the split cans themselves. Visalia is the last city in California to use the split-can system, and may be one of the last in the nation.
Of course, there are some cons to this conversion, such as customers will have to store an extra can and there will be an additional truck pass each week. However, the consequences remaining with the split-can system include the difficulty of meeting the increased diversion requirements mandated by the state, more contamination of recyclables, and decreasing availability of split cans and split trucks, along with the resulting increasing costs for specially built split trucks and cans.
As the city moves forward with implementing the three can collection system, citizen input and feedback will be sought and more information will be shared with the public as it becomes available. My wife Alisa has already told me that I get to haul that extra can to the curb each week!
One of the many good things about Visalia city staff is that they constantly strive to keep up with current technology and efficiencies. The city council also approved the solid waste division to start the process to acquire an in-house account management system with Associated Technology Improvements. The implementation costs of this new system will be about $750,000.00. However, the staff study estimates that the annual savings from a new account management system will be about $750,000.00.
ADDITIONAL CITY UPDATES:
Developer Dave Paynter recently purchased the Sequoia Plaza Shopping Center (which includes Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory and Ashley Furniture on South Mooney). Mr. Paynter already owns Sequoia Mall and the Dick's Sporting Goods center, which means that Mr. Paynter now controls three corners of the Caldwell and Mooney intersection. Mr. Paynter is a well-known developer who has had many successes locally. Look for more new stores and upgrades at these locations as Mr. Paynter works to redevelop them.
Construction of the Visalia Parkway crossing at Packwood Creek to the west of Target on South Mooney is finally underway. This will connect the southern boundary of the city and will allow travelers to drive on the Visalia Parkway from County Center east through to Mooney Blvd.
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
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
EAST DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
The new Visalia Emergency Communications Center (VECC) is at the construction bid stage. It will be built in the east downtown area, bordered on the north by Goshen Avenue, on the east by Ben Maddax Way and on the west by Burke Street. We're hoping to award the contract by November 2015 and to break ground in January 2016, with construction taking approximately 18 months. This two-story building will have about 19,000 square feet and will be built to essential services standards. In addition to the city's public safety dispatch center, it will house the Visalia Emergency Operations Center and the Fire Dept. administration.
The city has accumulated 32 acres of land in this location over many years, and a future city hall and community center are planned for here as well. This area was selected with the idea that it will help jump-start growth and development in east downtown.
However, remember that this is not a stand-alone project. Visalia has had numerous projects, both public sector and private sector, which have been encouraged and developed in this area in recent years. Let me remind you of some of those projects.
∙ Buckman Mitchell Inc. took a leap of faith and moved their headquarters to a new building at Santa Fe and Murray a few years back.
∙ Visalia purchased the former Chamber of Commerce building and moved its administration into that building in August 2015.
∙ Imagine-U Children's Museum to the east of the chamber building has been under construction, and will be open to the public by the time you read this. This will be a tremendous draw to east downtown.
∙ A new traffic signal at Ben Maddox and Douglas will be installed in early 2016.
∙ Oak Street will be built through to Burke, including railroad improvements.
∙ Mill Creek Trail is under design in that area and will be under construction in summer 2016.
∙ The Jennings Ditch Trail is anticipated for construction in late 2016.
∙ Edison lines will be undergrounded with anticipated construction this fall.
∙ Burke Street will soon be put through north to Houston Ave., where there is currently a cul-de-sac, giving us another north-south arterial. The city is currently securing the final right of way.
∙ New Downtown storm drain pipelines will be installed with construction beginning in November 2015. The former Soroptimist Park will be used to construct a new storm drainage pond (Soroptimist Basin) for these waters to flow into. This project will substantially mitigate the risk of flooding in the downtown area.
In order to encourage further east downtown development, the roads and infrastructure must be put in as set forth above. Much of the cost of these improvements will be paid via grant money, and will cost millions of dollars.
I predict that in addition to the new VECC, twenty years from now a new City Hall-Community Center along with other commercial properties and offices, and even high-density housing will be built in this area. The foundation for a successful future in east downtown Visalia is being laid by the city today.
Senior Games - Final reminder that the inaugural Visalia Senior Games are quickly approaching, to be held October 21-25, 2015. The deadline for registering is October 8, so go to visaliaseniorgames.com now to register or volunteer. Our senior games are the first in central California and will be under the umbrella of the California Senior Games Association (CSGA). In late August, the CSGA sent out notice to its members and athletes regarding our games. The CSGA has over 15,000 California senior athletes in its database. It will be interesting to see how many athletes we will have participating from our community versus those from throughout the state and region. We'll have nine athletic events for seniors age 50 and older, there will be an opening ceremony at Riverway Sports Park, including music, dinner and a parade of athletes, and there will be a Friday evening social at the Garden Street Plaza. All you senior athletes and former athletes, don't miss this event! Come have fun with us, and use this event, as I am, as motivation to get in shape! Visalia's slogan is "Winning Never Gets Old!"
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
The city has accumulated 32 acres of land in this location over many years, and a future city hall and community center are planned for here as well. This area was selected with the idea that it will help jump-start growth and development in east downtown.
However, remember that this is not a stand-alone project. Visalia has had numerous projects, both public sector and private sector, which have been encouraged and developed in this area in recent years. Let me remind you of some of those projects.
∙ Buckman Mitchell Inc. took a leap of faith and moved their headquarters to a new building at Santa Fe and Murray a few years back.
∙ Visalia purchased the former Chamber of Commerce building and moved its administration into that building in August 2015.
∙ Imagine-U Children's Museum to the east of the chamber building has been under construction, and will be open to the public by the time you read this. This will be a tremendous draw to east downtown.
∙ A new traffic signal at Ben Maddox and Douglas will be installed in early 2016.
∙ Oak Street will be built through to Burke, including railroad improvements.
∙ Mill Creek Trail is under design in that area and will be under construction in summer 2016.
∙ The Jennings Ditch Trail is anticipated for construction in late 2016.
∙ Edison lines will be undergrounded with anticipated construction this fall.
∙ Burke Street will soon be put through north to Houston Ave., where there is currently a cul-de-sac, giving us another north-south arterial. The city is currently securing the final right of way.
∙ New Downtown storm drain pipelines will be installed with construction beginning in November 2015. The former Soroptimist Park will be used to construct a new storm drainage pond (Soroptimist Basin) for these waters to flow into. This project will substantially mitigate the risk of flooding in the downtown area.
In order to encourage further east downtown development, the roads and infrastructure must be put in as set forth above. Much of the cost of these improvements will be paid via grant money, and will cost millions of dollars.
I predict that in addition to the new VECC, twenty years from now a new City Hall-Community Center along with other commercial properties and offices, and even high-density housing will be built in this area. The foundation for a successful future in east downtown Visalia is being laid by the city today.
Senior Games - Final reminder that the inaugural Visalia Senior Games are quickly approaching, to be held October 21-25, 2015. The deadline for registering is October 8, so go to visaliaseniorgames.com now to register or volunteer. Our senior games are the first in central California and will be under the umbrella of the California Senior Games Association (CSGA). In late August, the CSGA sent out notice to its members and athletes regarding our games. The CSGA has over 15,000 California senior athletes in its database. It will be interesting to see how many athletes we will have participating from our community versus those from throughout the state and region. We'll have nine athletic events for seniors age 50 and older, there will be an opening ceremony at Riverway Sports Park, including music, dinner and a parade of athletes, and there will be a Friday evening social at the Garden Street Plaza. All you senior athletes and former athletes, don't miss this event! Come have fun with us, and use this event, as I am, as motivation to get in shape! Visalia's slogan is "Winning Never Gets Old!"
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
TOPICS OF INTEREST
I'm writing this article during the dog days of summer. With my shortened attention span, rather than write about a single topic, I'll mention a variety of topics I've been reflecting on lately.
Drought Update - I recently read an interesting article which indicated that "California has a Mediterranean climate in which the vast majority of precipitation falls during the 6-month period from October through March. In fact, more than 80% of California's rainfall is during the cold months. As a result, it's very difficult to get significant changes in the drought picture during the warm season." Most of California's water needs depend on 161 reservoirs, which are typically replenished during the winter months. As of May 31, the state's reservoirs added less than 6.5 million acre feet of water over the winter, 78% of the typical recharge of the 8.2 million acre feet. This was the fourth consecutive year that reservoir recharge failed to reach the historical average. The cloud's silver lining (no pun intended) is that many forecasters are now predicting that this will be a robust El Niño winter coming up and we may experience heavy rains, which will hopefully replenish our groundwater and reservoirs. According to Kevin McCusker at Cal Water, for May Visalia's water usage was down 27% over the 2013 base year level, down in June 25.3% and down in July 28.2%. While not quite meeting the 32% reduction mandated by the state, I would suggest that this is remarkable progress and I give Visalians a pat on the back and encouragement to keep conserving. City manager Mike Olmos recently observed that our city organization exceeded the state's mandated water reduction target. City facilities, buildings, landscaped areas, landscape and lighting districts, parks, and all other city-owned areas have reduced water usage by 34% over the first six months of 2015. Most of the city's water reduction was made in the areas of landscaping, parks and sports fields the city owns. It is a huge challenge to reduce water usage to this level and still maintain quality parks, playable sports fields and our urban forest. We thank the park's maintenance division (Jeff Fultz, Tim Skobel and the park's maintenance staff) and our arborist (Joel Hooyer) for their extraordinary efforts.
Transit App - Regular Visalia transit riders will love the new Visalia Transit app which is available for both Apple and Droid phones. Unveiled at a recent council meeting, this new app provides real-time information about where the buses are, adjusted arrival times, and a current schedule of options. It will even plan your route from where you are to where you want to go. Over two million riders use Visalia transit each year. I recommend that you download this app and enjoy the (bus) ride.
Tourist Dollars - The Visalia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in their annual report to the city council, announced that visitors to Tulare County spent more than $445 million during 2014 and produced more than 4,770 jobs. The CVB was responsible for contracting thirteen new conventions during the year that will result in over 24,000 attendees utilizing 11,000 room nights. Visitors to Sequoia National Park were up by over 100,000 in 2014. The CVB booked the girls' CIF wrestling championships for another three years and the Golden State Spirit Championships for 2015. With this volume of tourism, no wonder two or three new hotels are on the drawing board for Visalia.
Senior Games - Don't forget, October 21-25. Register now at visaliaseniorgames.com. The Kiplinger Letter mentioned that senior households are on track to nearly double in the next 15 years. By 2030, the aging baby boomer population will expand the number of households with folks aged 65 and up to 46 million, from 25.8 million in 2010.
Thank You Letter - Leland and Marie Castro wrote the city recently. They mentioned that they regularly take walks from their house along the Packwood Creek trail toward the recently constructed Kiwanis Park near McAuliff and Tulare Avenue. "Since installing the plant vegetation, sprinklers, lighting and upgraded landscaping around Packwood Creek trail area, the neighbors have really enjoyed taking walks through the newly landscaped area. We want to personally thank Michael Santos of the Urban Forestry Department who has been the most visible CSET on-site supervisor and his hardworking crew who have spent countless hours making our neighborhood area look great." Thank you Leland and Marie for noticing and commenting, and we hope that you and your neighbors enjoy these amenities for many years to come.
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
Drought Update - I recently read an interesting article which indicated that "California has a Mediterranean climate in which the vast majority of precipitation falls during the 6-month period from October through March. In fact, more than 80% of California's rainfall is during the cold months. As a result, it's very difficult to get significant changes in the drought picture during the warm season." Most of California's water needs depend on 161 reservoirs, which are typically replenished during the winter months. As of May 31, the state's reservoirs added less than 6.5 million acre feet of water over the winter, 78% of the typical recharge of the 8.2 million acre feet. This was the fourth consecutive year that reservoir recharge failed to reach the historical average. The cloud's silver lining (no pun intended) is that many forecasters are now predicting that this will be a robust El Niño winter coming up and we may experience heavy rains, which will hopefully replenish our groundwater and reservoirs. According to Kevin McCusker at Cal Water, for May Visalia's water usage was down 27% over the 2013 base year level, down in June 25.3% and down in July 28.2%. While not quite meeting the 32% reduction mandated by the state, I would suggest that this is remarkable progress and I give Visalians a pat on the back and encouragement to keep conserving. City manager Mike Olmos recently observed that our city organization exceeded the state's mandated water reduction target. City facilities, buildings, landscaped areas, landscape and lighting districts, parks, and all other city-owned areas have reduced water usage by 34% over the first six months of 2015. Most of the city's water reduction was made in the areas of landscaping, parks and sports fields the city owns. It is a huge challenge to reduce water usage to this level and still maintain quality parks, playable sports fields and our urban forest. We thank the park's maintenance division (Jeff Fultz, Tim Skobel and the park's maintenance staff) and our arborist (Joel Hooyer) for their extraordinary efforts.
Transit App - Regular Visalia transit riders will love the new Visalia Transit app which is available for both Apple and Droid phones. Unveiled at a recent council meeting, this new app provides real-time information about where the buses are, adjusted arrival times, and a current schedule of options. It will even plan your route from where you are to where you want to go. Over two million riders use Visalia transit each year. I recommend that you download this app and enjoy the (bus) ride.
Tourist Dollars - The Visalia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in their annual report to the city council, announced that visitors to Tulare County spent more than $445 million during 2014 and produced more than 4,770 jobs. The CVB was responsible for contracting thirteen new conventions during the year that will result in over 24,000 attendees utilizing 11,000 room nights. Visitors to Sequoia National Park were up by over 100,000 in 2014. The CVB booked the girls' CIF wrestling championships for another three years and the Golden State Spirit Championships for 2015. With this volume of tourism, no wonder two or three new hotels are on the drawing board for Visalia.
Senior Games - Don't forget, October 21-25. Register now at visaliaseniorgames.com. The Kiplinger Letter mentioned that senior households are on track to nearly double in the next 15 years. By 2030, the aging baby boomer population will expand the number of households with folks aged 65 and up to 46 million, from 25.8 million in 2010.
Thank You Letter - Leland and Marie Castro wrote the city recently. They mentioned that they regularly take walks from their house along the Packwood Creek trail toward the recently constructed Kiwanis Park near McAuliff and Tulare Avenue. "Since installing the plant vegetation, sprinklers, lighting and upgraded landscaping around Packwood Creek trail area, the neighbors have really enjoyed taking walks through the newly landscaped area. We want to personally thank Michael Santos of the Urban Forestry Department who has been the most visible CSET on-site supervisor and his hardworking crew who have spent countless hours making our neighborhood area look great." Thank you Leland and Marie for noticing and commenting, and we hope that you and your neighbors enjoy these amenities for many years to come.
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
VISALIA SENIOR GAMES
Planning is under way for the inaugural Visalia Senior Games, to be held October 21 - 25, 2015. This is being headed up by our Parks and Recreation dept., and the Senior Games Planning Task Force. I counted 28 volunteers at the initial planning meeting. These games are for the 50+ population with an emphasis on promoting health and wellness. Age group competition will be in five-year increments, and includes men's, women's and mixed events. The nine events for the initial games will include archery, bowling, golf, horseshoes, pickleball, softball, tennis, table tennis and a 5k/10k race. While other places in California have held senior games for a number of years, including Pasadena, Santa Rosa, San Diego, Palm Desert and the Bay area, this will be the first senior games in the San Joaquin valley.
This signature event is a project that I have been promoting since 2010. I first made a power point presentation to the Visalia City Council on October 18, 2010, followed by a December 2010 article in Direct Magazine. See directfromwarren.blogspot.com. I have competed in senior games elsewhere and have seen the economic impact of the same on those locations. The Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah has 10,000 participants, lasts for two weeks and is estimated to infuse $10 million into their local economy! We have the facilities and weather (fall or spring) to attract delightful senior competitors and their accompanying dollars to our community. Just imagine the impact on our local hotel, restaurant and tourism industries!
I want to say "thank you" to the City of Visalia, particularly the Parks and Rec. dept. for helping make this goal a reality. City government doesn't always zip along, but nudged in the right direction, will eventually get there. I'm hopeful that in future years these senior games will grow, more events will be added (such as track and field, swimming, cycling, foot golf, disc golf, etc.) and eventually perhaps the private sector can take them over and run them profitably.
Sign-ups are being taken now along with sponsorships. Visit visaliaseniorgames.com to obtain further information. Then put on your jogging shoes and join me in getting in shape for this great event. I'll see you there!
Foot Golf
Speaking of getting in shape, in June I finally found the time, at the encouragement of my daughter Lora, to take her and try out this relatively new sport at the Valley Oaks golf course. 18 "holes" have been installed alongside the golf fairways. Both times we went on a Friday evening, when they had a special that for the price of $10.00 per person, the pro shop would provide the soccer balls and golf cart. It took us about an hour and a half to learn the rules since we were beginners, and to play. The rules are very similar to golf except that you're kicking a soccer ball with the objective of landing it in the hole in the fewest tries. We had a blast, and the second time we took some of Lora's teenage pals along. I recommend you try this sport out. It's a great way to get in shape, socialize and have a fun-filled activity. P.S., I promised Lora that I would not reveal who had the low score.
Water-saving Tip
With the ongoing drought, the Gubler family is trying to do its part to conserve water. In addition to putting a bucket in the shower to catch excess water as the shower is heating up, then putting that water on shrubs and trees, "Dad" has now imposed "2-minute showers." Although there was grumbling at first, I found that this has proven to be an opportunity to save time when getting ready for the day. Once this new policy was implemented, I found it only took 3 or 4 times before the 2-minute showers became a habit. Rather than standing under the showerhead and soaking up water for an unreasonable amount of time, I found that a 2-minute shower is refreshing, saves water, and gets me off to work quicker.
Playboy Chickens
The Visalia City Council initially voted to approve allowing chickens in residential areas. However, the subsequent final schizophrenic vote on the new chicken ordinance turned it down. While there were many disappointed people, that is how local government works sometimes. After the vote, someone emailed me an article from Playboy magazine on Visalia's chicken situation. I was surprised to find out that Playboy not only had an interest in this local hubbub, but that they also quoted me as a council member in the article. While I've heard of playboy bunnies, I never thought I'd hear of playboy chickens!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
This signature event is a project that I have been promoting since 2010. I first made a power point presentation to the Visalia City Council on October 18, 2010, followed by a December 2010 article in Direct Magazine. See directfromwarren.blogspot.com. I have competed in senior games elsewhere and have seen the economic impact of the same on those locations. The Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah has 10,000 participants, lasts for two weeks and is estimated to infuse $10 million into their local economy! We have the facilities and weather (fall or spring) to attract delightful senior competitors and their accompanying dollars to our community. Just imagine the impact on our local hotel, restaurant and tourism industries!
I want to say "thank you" to the City of Visalia, particularly the Parks and Rec. dept. for helping make this goal a reality. City government doesn't always zip along, but nudged in the right direction, will eventually get there. I'm hopeful that in future years these senior games will grow, more events will be added (such as track and field, swimming, cycling, foot golf, disc golf, etc.) and eventually perhaps the private sector can take them over and run them profitably.
Sign-ups are being taken now along with sponsorships. Visit visaliaseniorgames.com to obtain further information. Then put on your jogging shoes and join me in getting in shape for this great event. I'll see you there!
Foot Golf
Speaking of getting in shape, in June I finally found the time, at the encouragement of my daughter Lora, to take her and try out this relatively new sport at the Valley Oaks golf course. 18 "holes" have been installed alongside the golf fairways. Both times we went on a Friday evening, when they had a special that for the price of $10.00 per person, the pro shop would provide the soccer balls and golf cart. It took us about an hour and a half to learn the rules since we were beginners, and to play. The rules are very similar to golf except that you're kicking a soccer ball with the objective of landing it in the hole in the fewest tries. We had a blast, and the second time we took some of Lora's teenage pals along. I recommend you try this sport out. It's a great way to get in shape, socialize and have a fun-filled activity. P.S., I promised Lora that I would not reveal who had the low score.
Water-saving Tip
With the ongoing drought, the Gubler family is trying to do its part to conserve water. In addition to putting a bucket in the shower to catch excess water as the shower is heating up, then putting that water on shrubs and trees, "Dad" has now imposed "2-minute showers." Although there was grumbling at first, I found that this has proven to be an opportunity to save time when getting ready for the day. Once this new policy was implemented, I found it only took 3 or 4 times before the 2-minute showers became a habit. Rather than standing under the showerhead and soaking up water for an unreasonable amount of time, I found that a 2-minute shower is refreshing, saves water, and gets me off to work quicker.
Playboy Chickens
The Visalia City Council initially voted to approve allowing chickens in residential areas. However, the subsequent final schizophrenic vote on the new chicken ordinance turned it down. While there were many disappointed people, that is how local government works sometimes. After the vote, someone emailed me an article from Playboy magazine on Visalia's chicken situation. I was surprised to find out that Playboy not only had an interest in this local hubbub, but that they also quoted me as a council member in the article. While I've heard of playboy bunnies, I never thought I'd hear of playboy chickens!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
(559) 713-4400 x 3313
wgubler@ci.visalia.ca.us
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
DISTRICT ELECTIONS RECAP
At our May 18, 2015 meeting, the Visalia City Council selected the final map for district elections. Five districts will be implemented in the November 2016 and 2018 elections. These particular district boundaries will be used until 2022, when new boundaries will be selected and approved by that city council based upon the 2020 census.
Leading up to this decision, numerous community forums were held. Truth be told, however, at most only 20 to 30 people total from the community participated. So I thought I'd devote this article to informing the other 130,000 people in Visalia, and bring you up to speed.
The Visalia city charter required citywide elections for city council. However, in 2001, the California legislature enacted the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), which contains a presumption in favor of district elections. The city council cannot unilaterally change the city charter. Accordingly, we placed on the November 2012 ballot, at the recommendation of a local blue ribbon task force, the issue of whether Visalia should convert to district elections. The majority of citizens voted against district elections. This precipitated a lawsuit against the city based on the CVRA. Aware that a number of such lawsuits had been brought throughout the state, which no city had won, and costing taxpayers huge sums of money in lawyer fees, a majority of the council voted to quickly settle the case. The suit was settled within a matter of weeks after being filed, with the settlement providing that Visalia would go to district elections and that council elections would move from odd years to even years beginning in 2016. This simple settlement was then reduced to a court order, thus modifying our local charter.
The council then began the process of drawing up district boundaries. The council, as part of this process, adopted criteria to be used in creating and assessing proposed boundary plans, which included the legal requirements of equal population, complying with the Federal Voting Rights Act, and that race cannot be the "predominate" factor. Other criteria included communities of interest, keeping the districts compact and contiguous, avoiding pairing incumbents if possible, and accounting for planned future population growth. The council hired a professional consulting firm, National Demographic Corporation (NDC). Public participation kits were made available. A total of 12 maps were submitted by interested community members, and three by NDC. Through the public forums, and the council's own meetings and evaluations, these maps were whittled down to a final four, with the final map being selected at the May 18 council meeting.
Towards the end of the process, as special interest groups were trying to get their map version accepted, claims of "gerrymandering" of boundaries were asserted. Coincidentally, however, the current council members' residences are in different parts of the city, with the closest two homes being 1½ miles apart. Tulare recently went through drawing new district election boundaries. In their case, since three of the council members lived within blocks of each other, existing council members were paired in the same district. That was not the case in Visalia, and logic dictated that there was no need to artificially pair any of the incumbents just to create an open district in the next election. As a practical matter, at least one council member has already declared his intention not to run again and thus there should be at least one open district up for grabs. That will be the new north side district 4 which will have the highest Latino population of the districts at 57%, up for election in 2018.
The Rest of the Story - Remember that at the same time Visalia was being sued to impose district elections, other CA cities and towns, including Palmdale, were also being sued. Visalia was required to pay approximately $80,000.00 in legal fees in swatting away this lawsuit as quickly as possible, understanding the inevitability of district elections under the CVRA and the potential cost of trying to prove a point otherwise. Palmdale 's city officials made the opposite decision, electing to defend and litigate. They asserted that their residents had voted for at large elections and the city had a right to determine how it wanted to conduct its own balloting. Based on the CVRA, the Los Angeles County Superior Court disagreed and the city lost a series of appeals. In a May 2015 article in the Los Angeles Times, it was reported that Palmdale finally gave up the fight, and had to pay $4.5 million plus interest to lawyers for the three minority plaintiffs. Palmdale's mayor produced a list of 25 such cases across California which have cost taxpayers more than $13.8 million in defending and legal fees! By comparison and hindsight, it's clear that our city council made the right decision to put this matter to rest, to avoid incurring huge legal fees paid by taxpayer money. After four years, it's time to move on.
See you at the polls!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
Leading up to this decision, numerous community forums were held. Truth be told, however, at most only 20 to 30 people total from the community participated. So I thought I'd devote this article to informing the other 130,000 people in Visalia, and bring you up to speed.
The Visalia city charter required citywide elections for city council. However, in 2001, the California legislature enacted the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), which contains a presumption in favor of district elections. The city council cannot unilaterally change the city charter. Accordingly, we placed on the November 2012 ballot, at the recommendation of a local blue ribbon task force, the issue of whether Visalia should convert to district elections. The majority of citizens voted against district elections. This precipitated a lawsuit against the city based on the CVRA. Aware that a number of such lawsuits had been brought throughout the state, which no city had won, and costing taxpayers huge sums of money in lawyer fees, a majority of the council voted to quickly settle the case. The suit was settled within a matter of weeks after being filed, with the settlement providing that Visalia would go to district elections and that council elections would move from odd years to even years beginning in 2016. This simple settlement was then reduced to a court order, thus modifying our local charter.
The council then began the process of drawing up district boundaries. The council, as part of this process, adopted criteria to be used in creating and assessing proposed boundary plans, which included the legal requirements of equal population, complying with the Federal Voting Rights Act, and that race cannot be the "predominate" factor. Other criteria included communities of interest, keeping the districts compact and contiguous, avoiding pairing incumbents if possible, and accounting for planned future population growth. The council hired a professional consulting firm, National Demographic Corporation (NDC). Public participation kits were made available. A total of 12 maps were submitted by interested community members, and three by NDC. Through the public forums, and the council's own meetings and evaluations, these maps were whittled down to a final four, with the final map being selected at the May 18 council meeting.
Towards the end of the process, as special interest groups were trying to get their map version accepted, claims of "gerrymandering" of boundaries were asserted. Coincidentally, however, the current council members' residences are in different parts of the city, with the closest two homes being 1½ miles apart. Tulare recently went through drawing new district election boundaries. In their case, since three of the council members lived within blocks of each other, existing council members were paired in the same district. That was not the case in Visalia, and logic dictated that there was no need to artificially pair any of the incumbents just to create an open district in the next election. As a practical matter, at least one council member has already declared his intention not to run again and thus there should be at least one open district up for grabs. That will be the new north side district 4 which will have the highest Latino population of the districts at 57%, up for election in 2018.
The Rest of the Story - Remember that at the same time Visalia was being sued to impose district elections, other CA cities and towns, including Palmdale, were also being sued. Visalia was required to pay approximately $80,000.00 in legal fees in swatting away this lawsuit as quickly as possible, understanding the inevitability of district elections under the CVRA and the potential cost of trying to prove a point otherwise. Palmdale 's city officials made the opposite decision, electing to defend and litigate. They asserted that their residents had voted for at large elections and the city had a right to determine how it wanted to conduct its own balloting. Based on the CVRA, the Los Angeles County Superior Court disagreed and the city lost a series of appeals. In a May 2015 article in the Los Angeles Times, it was reported that Palmdale finally gave up the fight, and had to pay $4.5 million plus interest to lawyers for the three minority plaintiffs. Palmdale's mayor produced a list of 25 such cases across California which have cost taxpayers more than $13.8 million in defending and legal fees! By comparison and hindsight, it's clear that our city council made the right decision to put this matter to rest, to avoid incurring huge legal fees paid by taxpayer money. After four years, it's time to move on.
See you at the polls!
Warren Gubler
Visalia Vice Mayor
Monday, June 1, 2015
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 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
Friday, May 1, 2015
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
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
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