June 19 Newsletter
Camps Abound This Summer
Transit Ridership at 2 Million and Still Counting
Mayor's Office Hours on July 11
Music At the Main Welcomes Rising Violinist Danielle Belen
Rawhide, Diamondbacks Agree to Four More
City's Unemployment Rate Dips to Single Digits
Tourism Treks to Toronto
Dump On Us on July 21
Measure R Progess Report
Increases, Decreases in Rates & Fees Approved
Camps Abound This Summer: Summer is here, so let the fun begin! The Parks & Recreation Department has a full schedule of programs and activities for all ages. Looking for full-time childcare? Check out Kamp Kaboom, a day camp proram that features games, swimming, field trips, arts & crafts, lunch & snack and a summer full of fun and memories. Check out the full schedule of specialty camps, which operate half days and focus on fun topics, such as Animal Planet, Bowling, Aquatic Adventures, US Passport, Super Science & Math, Volleyball, Hello Kitty and Fire Camp. A full aquatics menu for all ages is offered through Parks & Recreation. Public swim is offered daily at the Redwood High School Pool from noon to 3 p.m. Youth water polo and diving lessons are also offered. Visit www.liveandplayvisalia.com to see the summer brochure full of fun for the summer.
Transit Ridership at 2 Million and Still Counting: The City's Transit Division marked a milestone on June 15th - honoring its service to more than 2 million riders for this fiscal year. One lucky transit rider received free rides for a year! Visalia Transit has experienced a continual increase of over 100,000 riders over the past two years. "We've made a conscious effort to make public transit an option for everyone," said Transit Manager Monty Cox. "Reaching 2 million riders is confirmation that we are moving in the right direction." From its beginnings as a transfer hub at Court and Center streets, the system has grown to include expanded service into Exeter, Farmersville and Goshen, a 28-bay transit center, an operations and maintenance facility, and a CNG fueling facility. Transit is closing in on its goal of operating a fleet made up entirely of Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles.
Mayor's Office Hours on July 11: Mayor Amy Shuklian will hold her regular office hours on Wednesday, July 11, for Visalia residents to discuss issues of concern. Walk-ins are welcome from 5 to 5:45 p.m. in the large 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 Gladys Ruiz at 713-4314. Mayor Shuklian also can be reached through 713-4400, then enter 8313, or by email at [email protected].
Music At the Main Welcomes Rising Violinist Danielle Belen: Rising violin star Danielle Belen has assembled a veritable constellation of virtuoso talent that will perform in Visalia on Thursday, June 28, at the Main Street Theater in Visalia. Joining Danielle will be cellist Davis Requiro, violist Sarah Sutton, Julliard graduate pianist Jennie Jung, and San Francisco Opera violinist Elbert Tsai. The highlight of the evening is Edward Elgar's remarkable Piano Quintet in A Minor, Opus 84. Students and children are admitted free. Adults accompanying children also are admitted free. Tickets are available at the Fox Theater Office and at the door or online at www.musicatthemain.org.
Rawhide, Diamondbacks Agree to Four More: The D-backs will remain in the South Valley through 2016 in a player development contract extension recently announced, the longest extension a Visalia team has ever agreed with a Major League affiliate. It also ensures that the Diamondbacks will become the second-longest tenured partner in Visalia professional baseball history. In Visalia last week to watch the top prospects, Diamondback General Manager Kevin Towers remarked, "As someone who played here almost 30 years ago, I'm impressed with the deep history of baseball in Visalia, and the intimate atmosphere of the ballpark." For more information and game schedules, go to www.rawhidebaseball.com.
City's Unemployment Rate Dips to Single Digits: The City's unemployment rate in May 2012 dipped to single digits at 9.1% - the lowest of all incorporated cities in Tulare County. The County's unemployment rate was 14.7 percent, the state's rate is 10.4 percent and 7.9 percent for the nation during the same period.
Tourism Treks to Toronto: The Visalia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Sequoia Tourism Council have teamed up to attend Visit California's annual Canadian media reception in Toronto this week. This exclusive event offers California partners the opportunity to promote their destination brand and corresponding story angles directly to key editors, writers, producers, bloggers and qualified freelance travel writers in the Toronto area. The CVB will gain visibility in this important media market and work with more than 70 consumer, lifestyle and trade media who publish in all mediums to encourage Canada's residents to include Visalia and the Sequoia region on their next trip to California.
In other CVB news:
The Visalia Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a travel writer and photographer, Guy and Pam Selbert, from the St. Louis Post Dispatch on a familiarization tour of Visalia and Sequoia National Park for an article scheduled to be released in the travel section of the paper in late Novembe. The streets of Visalia will be beaming with the young ladies of Job's Daughters this week, and the Convention Center, hotels and downtown merchants will be full with the 2,000 attendees beginning June 21-23, 2012. Visalia is contracted to host the Grand Bethel through 2015 and we are currently working on a proposal for 2016-2018. The CVB, Visalia Convention Center, Parks & Recreation and Valley Oaks Golf Course will team up to participate in the upcoming “What you need to know to win sports: An NASC Regional Workshop” next Wednesday in Santa Clarita to look at the factors required for success in the rapidly changing world of amateur sporting events. And coming attractions: The 2013 TEAM-West Conference will return to the Visalia Convention Center in January 2013. The multi-level marketing group will attract 1,200 attendees and generate nearly 450 rooms over the duration of the event.
Dump On Us on July 21: The City of Visalia will hold its Dump On Us event from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 21, at the City of Visalia Corporation yard at 335 N. Cain in Visalia. The Dump On Us event is free and available for all Visalia residents. It's an opportunity to rid your property of any garbage, electronic waste, green waste and household hazardous waste items. A commercial shredding service will also be on site. For more information, call 713-4500 or go to www.DumpOnUs.org for details.
Measure R Progess Report: Ted Smalley from the Tulare County Transportation Authority (TCTA) provided City Council with an update on the progress of Measure R,, a 30 year ½ cent countywide sales tax passed by Tulare County voters in November 2006 for transportation projects across the county. A key component of making sure Measure R stretches beyond the funding that the County receives is to leverage Measure R funding with state and federal transportation funding sources. TCAG and the City have worked in cooperation to bring about many successes through the use of Measure R, with over $15 million in Measure R Regional projects in the first 5 years and over $9 million in Measure R Local funding, as well as millions of dollars for Transit and trail projects.
Highlights of completed and under construction projects:
Santa Fe Overcrossing: Visalia’s first Regional Measure R project was the Santa Fe Overcrossing of State Route 198. The $9 million appropriation of Measure R fully funded the construction of the project. Expenditures for the project came in at $7.6 million and the remaining funds have been requested to be moved to another Visalia Regional Measure R project such as Lovers Lane/SR 198 improvements or Plaza Drive/SR 198 improvements; both projects are ongoing.
Plaza Drive: This approximately $28 million project improving the Plaza Drive interchange over SR198 from Airport to Goshen has had a Measure R Regional contribution of just under $3 million. This project is currently under construction, with the remainder of the funding to come from $2 million of City of Visalia Local Measure R funding and $23 million in state and federal funding for construction.
Projects in design:
Lovers Lane: Project Initiation Documentation (PID) is underway for this project and will be used to develop a Project Study Report (PSR) to determine the best alternatives for construction. The City will have at least $18.5 million in Regional Measure R funding available for this interchange. Preliminary estimates of the project costs are in the $18.5 - 27 million range so it may be necessary to pursue other funding as well or reduce the scope of the project to stay within the Measure R funding range.
Demaree/Mill Creek new signal and synchronization from Mill Creek to Riggin Ave: This project has $635,000 of federal funding along with Measure R Regional funding currently authorized for design. Design is expected to be completed by summer 2012. The federal construction funding along with Measure R Regional will be requested for delivery by fall of 2012.
For informationon Measure R, go to http://www.tcmeasurer.com. For the complete staff report listing all Measure R projects, click here.
Increases, Decreases in Rates & Fees Approved: Council approved changes to the City's fees for the fiscal year 2012-13. New fees were approved for property tax rolls, renting Blain Park, use of the fire-training facility, remodel demolitions, city-owned solid waste and a $315 First Responders Advanced Life Support Fee to cover the cost incurred by the Fire Department at the scene of a medical response requiring advanced life support, a higher level of service provided by Fire personnel to the community. The City currently responds to approximately 6,800 such calls a year. The fee would be charged to the individual’s insurance. If the individual does not have insurance and is a Visalia resident, the fee would be deemed as paid because the individual pays City taxes. If the individual receiving Fire services lives outside of Visalia, they would be billed and the Fire Department would provide for liberal payment terms. Fee increases were approved for towed vehicles, engineering, airport commercial operator, park and building-permit and building safety fees. Fees for sewer connection interest rates were dropped from 7 to 5%. All fees were or will be reviewed by and recommended for the Council to adopt by City committees and commissions. Annually, all fees, except impact fees and business tax, are recommended for annual inflationary adjustments for the next fiscal year to help departments cover costs and ease the burden on the General Fund. To review the complete list of fee changes, click here.