Visalia City Council

Visalia City Council Visalia City Council 707 W. Acequia Visalia, CA 93291 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final Mayor Steve Nelsen Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian Council Member Greg Collins Council Member Brett Taylor Council Member Liz Wynn Monday, December 20, 2021 7:00 PM City Council Chambers ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. Present: Mayor Steve Nelsen, Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, Council Member Greg Collins, and Council Member Liz Wynn Absent: Council Member Brett Taylor CALL TO ORDER WORK SESSION - 4:00 PM PUBLIC COMMENTS Citizens are now invited to comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City Council. The Council asks that you keep your comments concise and positive. Creative criticism, presented with appropriate courtesy, is welcome. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes and a timer will notify you when your time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your city of residence. WORK SESSION AND ACTION ITEMS (as described) 1. New Employee Introductions: 21-0671 Justin Patananan, GIS Analyst Ben Marquez, IS Specialist Israel Luna, IS Analyst Page 1 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 2. Receive staff analysis and approve the recommendation for the 21-0641 future Fire Station 51 site South of Acequia Ave, between Conyer and Stevenson Streets. Dan Griswold, Fire Chief provided the analysis to Council regarding potential sites for future Fire Station 51. Six potential sites were identified for further evaluation. Staff prioritized identifying sites that would meet the response needs of the community and considered response times, the proximity and relationship to other Visalia fire stations, the proximity to main routes of travel, and call volume data. After potential site analysis, Fire Administration identifies and recommends the City owned site located South of Acequia Ave. and between Conyer St. and Stevenson St. Councilmember Collins stated the future plan is to sell the current fire station. What is the cost to demolish the current fire station? Can the current site be remodeled as it will cost a lot of money to build. Leslie Caviglia, City Manager, stated the building needs to be an essential services building and the remodel will be just as costly as a new building. Mayor Nelsen agrees that moving to a new site is the better option. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to approve as recommended. The motion carried 3-2, Collins: No, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, and Liz Wynn No: Greg Collins Page 2 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 3. Review, discuss, and appropriate the American Rescue Plan Act 21-0661 (ARPA) funds in the amount of $29,364,455. Renee Nagel, Finance Director, and Jana Ferguson, provided the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). On December 6, 2021, Finance staff presented to Council the rules and guidelines for spending the $29,364,455 of ARPA money Visalia is slated to receive from the Federal Government. These funds can be spent by local governments to provide for healthier and safer indoor and outdoor environments. The City received the first disbursement on June 1, 2021, for $14.7 million (50% of the allotted funding). The second disbursement will be distributed within the next 12 months. These funds will be held in a separate fund. Any interest earned from this funding may be retained by the City and spent as discretionary funds. A motion was made by Council Member Liz Wynn, seconded by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, to approve as recommended. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn 4. Receive staff presentation and updates on various trail and bike 21-0632 path projects throughout the City. Frank Senteno, City Engineer, Casey Chu, Assistant Engineer and Diego Corvera, Civil Engineer provided the trails and bike paths projects in the City of Visalia. City staff has developed a Capital Improvement Program with several City Projects to address and improve upon trails and bike routes within the City. The presentation will highlight trail pavement maintenance projects, new trail construction projects, trail landscaping projects, new on-street bicycle facilities, and improvements to existing on-street bike routes. No action required. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION - 6:00 PM (Or, immediately following Work Session) The meeting was adjourned at 5:04 p.m. Page 3 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE INVOCATION ITEMS OF INTEREST PUBLIC COMMENTS This is the time for citizens to comment on subject matters that are not on the agenda and within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City Council. The Council asks that you keep your comments brief and positive. Creative criticism, presented with appropriate courtesy, is welcome. This is also the time for citizens to request an item from the Consent Calendar be pulled for discussion purposes. Public comments related to all pulled Consent Calendar items and Regular or Public Hearing items listed on the agenda will be heard at the time that item is discussed or when the Public Hearing is opened. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes, and a timer will notify you when your time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your city of residence. There were no public comments. CONSENT CALENDAR A motion was made by Vice Mayor Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Wynn, to approve the Consent Calendar except items 6 and 9. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn Consent Calendar items are considered routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these matters unless a request is made and then the item will be removed from the Consent Calendar to be discussed and voted upon by a separate motion . 1. Authorization to award an annual contract in the amount not to 21-0612 exceed $25,090 to Transit Resource Center (TRC) for the Transit Fleet Maintenance Work Audits and Post-Delivery Buy America Audits. Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) Page 4 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 2. Request authorization to record the final map for River Island 21-0617 Ranch Phase 2”, a subdivision located east of North Dinuba Boulevard and north of West Glendale Avenue (86 lots); authorize the annexation and amendment of Landscape and Lighting Assessment District (L&LD) 19-08 “River Island”; and ordering the improvements and levying the annual assessments for Landscape and Lighting Assessment District (L&LD) 19-08 “River Island” (Resolution Nos. 2021-68 and 2021-69 required.) Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) 3. Authorize the City Manager to award and enter into a contract 21-0620 with Graham Contractors, Inc., of San Jose, CA, in the amount of $200,305.00 for the construction of RFB 21-22-08, FY 21-22 Crack Seal Project (CIP 1410-72000/CP0249-999 & CIP 2730-72000/CP0089-999). Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) 4. Authorize the City Manager to award the construction contract for 21-0629 RFB 21-22-20, Grading of Peoples Basin to Wood Bros. Inc. of Lemoore, CA in the amount of $865,120.00 (CIP 3010-72000/CP8334-999) Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) 5. Authorize staff to start the process to redirect $75,000 from 21-0664 Measure N Youth Grants to the Visalia Police Activities League (PAL) for operating expenditures and youth activities at the Wittman Center for at-risk Visalia Youth. Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) 6. Review and Approval of the Citizens Advisory Committee’s 21-0640 recommendations for the 2022 Youth Non-Profit Grant Awards. Carla Calhoun, CAC representative for the non profit agency awarded by the CAC. Mayor Nelsen asked about a specific grant fund. Some of the applicants are new. Carla does not have the exact number of children reached. The civil air patrol serve a very limited amount of youth. The CAC will return with the numbers for Council. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Greg Collins, to approve as recommended. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn 7. Approve Resolution No. 2021-73 to update the delegation of 21-0648 authority for City Manager or their designee to initiate disability retirement applications on behalf of agency safety members. Page 5 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 8. Authorize and appropriate the recommended expenditures and 21-0556 accept the State of California fiscal year 2021-22 Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) Program funds of $213,332 and $129,077 for fiscal year 2020-21 COPS Growth funds for a total allocation of $342,409 and appropriate an additional $29,091 from prior year funds. 9. Introduction and first reading of Ordinance No. 2021-11, 21-0653 authorizing the conditional 35-year lease of a parcel of approximately 65,000 sq feet of unimproved property at the Visalia Municipal Airport to Aircraft Mechanical Services (AMS) Inc., for the purposes of a new Aircraft Maintenance Facility, at the rate of Twenty-Eight Thousand and Eighty Dollars ($28,080) per year with an annual inflation increase. Councilmember Collins stated this item may be a good conversation for the Council retreat. To discuss a remodel for the private aviation staff. Jody Miller, airport Manager explained the 15 month process design. A motion was made by Council Member Greg Collins, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to approve as recommended. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn 10. Request authorization to file a Notice of Completion for 21-0654 “Cameron Creek Garden Unit” subdivision containing 30 single-family residential lots located on West Kimball Avenue between South West Street and South Court Street. Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) 11. Authorization to award a sole source purchase contract in the 21-0649 amount of $26,800 from IRV Seaver Motorcycles, in Orange, CA, for a 2022 BMW R1250RT-P Motorcycle Police Unit to replace unit #213341 that was damaged on March 18, 2021 and appropriate funds in the amount of $26,800. Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) 12. Authorize the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for 21-0662 Engineering Plan Review and Related Services to Interwest Consulting Group for an additional six months while the Community Development Department establishes a Request for Proposals for Plan Review and Related Services for the entire department. Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) Page 6 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 13. Appoint Michael Cavanagh to the Delta Vector Control District 21-0667 Board to serve as the City of Visalia Council appointed representative for a four-year term effective January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2026. Approved 4-0 (Taylor: Absent) REGULAR ITEMS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS Comments related to regular Items and Public Hearing Items are limited to three minutes per speaker, for a maximum of 30 minutes per item. The Mayor may reasonably limit or extend the public comment period to preserve the Council's interest in conducting efficient, orderly meetings. Page 7 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 1. Public Hearing to receive public comment and City Council 21-0600 direction to identify the types of potential eligible activities to pursue with the $1,840,059 in HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan Program (HOME-ARP) funds awarded to the City, authorization to prepare an amendment to the HOME 2021 Action Plan, and authorization to release an RFP soliciting eligible project proposals from non-profit agencies. Margie Perez, Housing Specialist, provided the report for the HOME ARP program. The City of Visalia was awarded a substantial amount of funds for permanent affordable housing. Councilmember Collins asked about the city owned properties. The Ben Maddox property may also be utilized. Are other funds able to be leveraged? Councilmember Wynn would like to serve on this RFP review for approval. Supportive services should be partnered. The public hearing was opened at 7:30 p.m. Gabriel Jacques, Visalia, spoke to the 29.3 million that was awarded to the City of Visalia. The program helped his business and the city must be proactive in the process and the programs. Mr. Jacques recommends an advisory board for distribution. Also, the program not on the list is maintaining the quality of life because homelessness is still an issue. Suzy Ward, St. Paul's Episcopal Church expressed concern regarding families that need affordable housing. Why all single units? The public hearing was closed at 7:37 p.m. A motion was made by Council Member Liz Wynn, seconded by Council Member Greg Collins, to approved as amended, specifically to strongly encourage supportive services in the RFP. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn Page 8 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 2. Receive a year-to-date report from the Visalia Convention and 21-0669 Visitors Bureau (CVB) and consider approval of a two year contract (2022 and 2023) for $347,163 and $361,049 respectively which represents a 4% increase for each year and appropriate $6,676 to cover the increased cost for the first half of 2022 from the General Fund. Nick Mascia, Assistant City Manager, introduced Nellie Freeborn, Executive Director of the CVB for the year to date report. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Greg Collins, to approve as recommended. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn 3. Authorize the City Manager to submit grant application(s) to 21-0651 Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP) Call for Projects and authorize the appropriation of STBGP funds, contingent upon award. Frank Senteno, City Engineer, stated for the record this item should have been on the consent calendar. The Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP) is a major source of funds that is used by local agencies for projects to preserve and improve the transportation system consistent with regional priorities. The funds may be utilized on any Federal-aid highway, including the National Highway System (NHS) roads. The City of Visalia has primarily used these funds for street and highway construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, resurfacing, and operational improvements. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Brian Poochigian, seconded by Council Member Liz Wynn, to approve as recommended. The motion carried 4-0, Taylor: Absent. Aye: Steve Nelsen, Brian Poochigian, Greg Collins, and Liz Wynn CLOSED SESSION REPORT ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m. UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS Page 9 of 10 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 20, 2021 1. Upcoming Visalia City Council Meetings: **** Thursday, March 24, 2022 - Special Joint Meeting @ 4:30 PM - 915 S. Mooney Blvd Monday, April 4, 2022 - Regular Meeting @ 7:00 PM - 707 W. Acequia Page 10 of 10