EIGHT YEARS LATER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy New Year 2018!

                                                                                    Mayor Warren Gubler

                                                                                    warren.gubler@visalia.city

WE GIVE THANKS

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                                                    Mayor Warren Gubler

                                                                                    warren.gubler@visalia.city

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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

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

Mayor Warren Gubler

Valley Voice, Nov. 2, 2017

REFLECTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

▪           Built 10 pickle ball courts

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

▪           Planned, built and dedicated new Animal Control Facility 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

▪           Balanced the city budget each year since 2009

▪           Currently changing Residential Waste from split containers to separate containers

▪           Added miles of walking trails

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

▪           Remodeled Visalia Convention Center

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

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

▪           Finished update of the Visalia General Plan 2014

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

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

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

ECO Update

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

If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city.  For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.

VISALIA CITY UPDATES

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caldwell Widening:

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

If you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have addressed in future articles, please email Warren at warren.gubler@visalia.city.  For past articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.

THE BUSINESS OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA

Issues relating to marijuana usage, cultivation and retail sales have come before the Visalia City Council a number of times during the eight years that I've served.  Although medical marijuana was legalized in California a number of years ago, our city council chose to not allow medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.  Now, with the passage of Prop. 64, which the vast majority of Tulare County residents voted against, California has moved to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.  However, even under Prop. 64, local governments may restrict or completely prohibit any type of business licenses relating to marijuana.  That issue is currently being debated in a number of local towns, particularly those with budget problems who see marijuana cultivation or retail sales as being their tax salvation.  I believe that they are being very shortsighted if they allow such.  There are those few who look to make a profit off this drug at the expense of public health and safety, who are very vocal in support of licensing such businesses.  The licensing issue relating to recreational marijuana will again come before the Visalia city council in the near future.

Is this type of business good for our community, business districts, and neighboring businesses?  Let me summarize from an article I recently read entitled "Should We Welcome the Business of Drug Dealing?" 

Per this article, crime is common near pot shops, including assaults, robberies and shootings.  On July 19, four individuals were shot at a pot shop in L.A. during a would-be robbery.  Gangs and drug dealers don’t consider marijuana dispensaries as pharmacies, rather, they see them as rival drug dealers.

When pot shops open in a business district, the complaints of the business neighbors are numerous, including fights, drug use and street drug dealing increasing in the area.  This in turn affects the type of clientele in that area, and thus the neighboring businesses.

It is well known that homelessness has increased in the Denver and Seattle areas after legalization.  Also, drug dealing dramatically increases law enforcement costs.  The San Diego Association of Governments published a report finding that 52% of male arrestees tested positive for marijuana in 2015.  35% reported that they commit crime to support a drug habit.  The Denver district attorney warned in 2016 that every crime type in that city increased after legalization of marijuana.  He said, "The Denver Police Department is busier enforcing marijuana laws and investigating crimes directly related to marijuana, including murders, robberies and home invasions, than any other time in the history of the city." 

And it can get even worse.  Pot industry profits are used to buy political influence.  For instance in San Diego several planning commissioners indicated relationships with the marijuana industry.  They made dozens of land use votes on marijuana businesses while in these relationships.  None appeared to have had a connection prior to becoming commissioners.  They appear to have been approached by prop-marijuana influencers while in office.  The former mayor pro tem of Coalinga, which has welcomed the industry, is now a marijuana consultant.  And in those states that have legalized usage, there are no pharmaceutical protocols such as you would find at any legitimate drug store or pharmacy, as marijuana is sold as pseudo medicine.

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.  Common sense and history dictates that marijuana is still a harmful gateway drug. 

Don't drink the Kool Aid associated with claims that Visalia needs the purported additional dollars that would come from taxing recreational marijuana sales.  Aside from the difficulty of enforcing full payment of such taxes on this largely cash industry, particularly with the recent passage of Measure N our city finances are sufficient.  And there are social costs involved were we to grasp the brass ring of marijuana tax money.  In states that have legalized marijuana, teen use has increased.  Colorado now leads the nation in teen usage.  Traffic fatalities associated with marijuana have doubled in states that have legalized.  Homelessness and other social ills have become worse, where the drug is made easily accessible.  Marijuana smoke has nearly all the same carcinogens as cigarette smoke and it is just as addictive, and it impairs judgment and perception.  In Colorado about 40% of marijuana being sold is black market marijuana despite its legalization.  Visit calmca.org for statistics and other articles opposing recreational marijuana.  We will be failing our youth if we allow this drug to become normalized locally.

For the foregoing reasons, I have been against and will continue to vote against allowing any type of business licenses relating to the cultivation and/or distribution of marijuana within city limits.  Visalia and our neighboring communities need to continue to just say no to marijuana and other harmful drugs.

Post script: On Aug. 7, 2017, the Visalia City Council voted 5-0 to not allow commercial growing or retail sales of marijuana in city limits.

                                                                                                Warren Gubler

                                                                                                warren.gubler@visalia.city

                                                                                                directfromwarren.blogspot.com

VISALIA'S HISTORIAN LAUREATE

In ancient Greece, the laurel was sacred to Apollo and as such sprigs of it were fashioned into a crown or wreath of honor for poets and heroes.  According to Wikipedia, in English the word "laureate" has come to signify eminence or association with literary awards or military glory.  It is also used when referencing winners of the Nobel Prize.

Now Visalia has its very own "Historian Laureate" in the person of Terry Ommen.  Terry is the successor to the wonderful Annie Mitchell who helped preserve so much of Visalia's history, and who has a room in the local library and a school named after her.  The City of Visalia and our council had been working on this special presentation for a few months, but when it was about ready, we learned that the Chamber of Commerce was also in the process of naming Terry the "Man of the Year."  It didn't seem right for the City to make its presentation the week before or the week after, as one or the other might have seemed anticlimactic.  The Chamber was gracious enough to allow us to piggyback on their June 8, 2017 awards program, and a well-deserving Mr. Ommen was presented both the Man of the Year and Historian Laureate awards.

The "Historian Laureate" title is not just for a year, but is a lifetime recognition for what Terry has done for a our community and for local history.  Let me extol some of Terry's accomplishments, since he is too modest to do so himself.  He has written three books on Visalia and Tulare County history.  I have personally attended some of his frequent downtown walking tours which he gives to local groups as well as to out-of-town tourists as he pulls his little cart with built-in PA system and microphone and shares his insights.  He speaks often to local service clubs, churches, Leadership Visalia classes, and has volunteered at the Annie R. Mitchell history room at the library for fifteen years.  He is a resource for the Chamber and the City with regard to information on historic buildings and seems to have a limitless supply of historic Visalia photos.  He has written countless articles for local newspapers and magazines, and is a past president of the Tulare County Historical Society.  He currently is assisting the Convention and Visitor's Bureau in the creation of the giant sequoia interpretive project at the downtown post office.  He assisted the city in creating the Historic Recognition Program which places plaques on historic buildings downtown.  I always enjoyed the Historic Visalia photo calendar he helped Visalia Community Bank produce annually.  My personal favorite was when Terry helped my 13-year-old son Eddy complete his Eagle Scout project, which was researching and producing the Historic Visalia Walking Trail brochure along with bronze plaques marking each site.  Eddy awarded Terry his mentor's pin at his Eagle Court of Honor.  My little scout is now a grown man in his second year of dental school, but he will always appreciate Terry's assistance.  As far as I know, Terry has never accepted a cent for all that he does in preserving Visalia's heritage.

For all of these reasons, Terry Ommen is well deserving of our thanks and our praise.  We know that Terry will continue to give freely of his time and expertise, and we look forward to his continuing to promote Visalia's history as our Historian Laureate!

HISTORICAL FIGURES

Speaking of history, on May 30, 2017, we revived a Visalia tradition known as the Mayors and City Council Dinner.  We invited all those who previously have served on the city council to dinner at Fugazzi's to renew acquaintances, and to have a little fun.  The honorees and their guests had a delightful evening of reminiscing, and even gave a few pointers to the current council!

Present was David Allen who served on the city council back in the 1960's before becoming a Tulare County Judge, and we had representatives from each of the decades since then.  Former Mayor Wally Gregory came all the way from Arkansas to be with us that evening.  As we walk down memory lane, let me list the names of those in attendance, in no particular order, and see how many you recognize:  Berkeley Johnson, Bob Link, Evan Long, Don Sharp, Greg Collins, Wally Gregory, Dave Allen, Basil Perch, Alan McIntosh, Laurel Barton, Don Landers, Amy Shuklian, and Warren Gubler.  Others couldn't attend, and many are no longer with us.  But to all we say a great big "thank you" and hope to make this an annual tradition again.

                                                                                                Warren Gubler

                                                                                                warren.gubler@visalia.city

                                                                                                directfromwarren.blogspot.com