November 4 Newsletter
SMART Team updates Council on successes: The SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound) Team's efforts and accomplishments from Jan. 1-June 30, 2014 were presented to the City Council at its Nov. 3 meeting. The team continues to focus its efforts citywide, including two targeted neighborhoods near Washington School and the Lincoln Oval Park. This report also included an update on the enforcement of the shopping cart ordinance, which began on Oct. 22, 2013. Through Sept. 30, 2014, a total of 1,632 stolen and/or abandoned shopping carts were removed from the City and returned to the stores. The partnership with the Visalia Rescue Mission for a storage program continues to be successful, with an average of 143 of the 144 storage containers being used by the homeless population to store their belongings. The faith-based community and the non-profit organizations are continuing their outreach to locate a second location to serve the south side of the City. For more SMART Team accomplishments, click here.
City to participate in Regional Promise Zone application: The City Council gave authorization to the Mayor to sign a letter of commitment for an application to participate in a regional Promise Zone which would include all incorporated cities as well as many unincorporated communities of Tulare County. A regional application will be submitted by the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation by Nov. 21. The Promise Zone designation will be for a term of 10 years, and would include the federal government partnering with and investing in communities to create jobs, leverage private investment, increase economic activity, expand educational opportunities, and reduce violent crime. Communities competing in the process will be required to demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of their local commitment to become Promise Zones. Each designated Promise Zone will be asked to identify a set of outcomes they will pursue to revitalize their communities, develop strategies to support those outcomes, and realign resources accordingly. The Department of Housing and Urban Development intends to designate six urban communities and the Department of Agriculture intends to designate at least one rural and one tribal community in this second round application period. Our regional Promise Zone falls in the urban category. To view the staff report, click here.
Process approved for selection of Eastside Regional Park Planning Task Force members: Council approved the process to select 13 members from the public to serve as the Planning Task Force for the Eastside Regional Park Master Plan. The members will be formally approved at a Council meeting in December. On Sept. 15, the Council authorized a professional services agreement with Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group to develop a master plan for the Eastside Regional Park and Groundwater Recharge Project. The Task Force will assist the consulting team in the planning process for the City-owned 248-acre planning area located on the west side of Road 152, between Mineral King and Houston avenues. The process is similar to the one used in the development of the 83-acre Riverway Sports Park. To view the membership of the Task Force, click here.
Building permits show 22% boost: The plus-side trend for building permits issued for 2014 continued in October with an overall total increase of 22% - from 2,855 in 2013 to 3,496 for 2014. Total permit value was up 6%, from $145,262,708 in 2013 to $154,293,727 in 2014. New single family dwellings were up 6%, tying with multi-family permits' increase. Residential additions took the lead in increases with 32% over last year.
Office Hours with Council Member Shuklian: Councilmember Amy Shuklian will hold her monthly office hours on Wednesday, Nov. 5, for Visalia residents to discuss issues of concern. Walk-ins are welcome from 5 to 5:45 p.m. in the conference room at City Hall, at 707 W. Acequia Ave. Appointments from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. can be scheduled in advance by contacting Lauri Aguilar at 713-4322. Shuklian also can be reached through 713-4400, then enter 8313, or by email at [email protected].
Nighttime closures on Houston Avenue set for this week: The Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in cooperation with Granite Construction announces scheduled night time lane closures on Lover’s Lane and McAuliff Street in Visalia in Tulare County. This is part of the current widening project for State Route 216 (Houston Avenue). Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of McAuliff from Sumter Court to State Route 216 (Houston Avenue) will be closed thru Friday morning, November 7th, between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. each night. Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of Lover’s Lane from Sweet Avenue to Golden Way Avenue will be closed thru Friday morning, November 7th, between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Eastbound and Westbound State Route 216 (Houston Avenue) will be reduced to one lane in each direction thru Friday morning, November 7th, between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. each night. Nighttime closures are necessary due to the high volume of traffic during school drop-off and pick-up.
Lincoln Oval Tree Lighting ceremony: The annual tree lighting ceremony in the City's oldest park will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, at Oval Park, 808 N. Court St. Presented by Visalia PAL (Police Activities League), this year's ceremony will brighten the north sky over North Visalia and mark the 25th anniversary of the Oval Park Christmas Tree lighting. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with the arrival of Santa Claus. Countdown to the official lighting will take place at around 6:15 p.m. After the ceremony, children can meet with Santa to share their holiday wish list and receive a small gift. Parents are encouraged to bring cameras to capture the special moment. Admission to the event is free.
Public meeting set for SCE Greenway Trail project: A public outreach meeting to discuss the Southern California Edison Greenway Trail project is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Whitendale Center, 630 W. Beech. The meeting will inform residents, particularly those who have property adjacent to or in close proximity of the proposed trail, from just north of the Rector Station to its connection with the St. John's River Trail. The meeting will discuss what is being planned in the design of the trail, requirement of Southern California Edison, proposed amenities, and the timeframe of the improvements. Design team members attending the meeting will include representatives from SCE, Brian Thorburn, Regional Manager/local public affairs, Matt Ainley and Craig Hartman of 4Creeks Engineering, and Kay Hutmacher of Sierra Designs Inc. City of Visalia Project Manager Vaughn Melcher will facilitate the discussion. The trail is about 3 miles long, and will be an important North-South trail connecting several trail systems in the City. It also will connect to the future Eastside Regional Park facility located at the northeast corner of State Highway 198 and Road 148. The estimated cost of construction is $3 million. For more information, contact Melcher at [email protected].