June 3 Newsletter
Curb, gutter replacement on Houston Avenue Widening: Caltrans, in cooperation with Granite Construction, will conduct scheduled 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). Crews will be working to remove and replace curbs and gutters in this area. Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of McAuliff from Sumter Court to State Route 216 (Houston Avenue) will be closed through Friday, June 6th, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Northbound and Southbound alternating lanes of Lover’s Lane from Sweet Avenue to Golden West Avenue will be closed through Friday, June 6th, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Signal lights at the intersection of Lover’s Lane and State Route 216 and the intersection of McAuliff Street and State Route 216 are fully operational. Due to the high volume of traffic during school drop-off and pick-up, commuters are reminded to be aware of pedestrians and pay close attention to road construction vehicles and personnel. Drivers are encouraged to avoid this area during project work hours and use alternate routes when possible. Closures may continue for longer periods of time if necessary, due to delays caused by uncontrollable events that may occur during road construction procedures.
Office Hours with Council Member Shuklian: City Council Member Amy Shuklian will hold her June office hours on Wednesday, June 4, 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. Council Member Shuklian can also be reached through 713-4400, then enter 8313, or by email at [email protected].
Resource Fair Set for July 12: The Tulare County Housing Resource Fair will be held on July 12 at the Visalia Convention Center to provide information and assistance to people interested in becoming first-time home buyer and families at risk of home foreclosures. Co-sponsored by the City of Visalia, the resource fair offers free financial, legal and educational resources during the event that will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Representatives from businesses, government agencies and nonprofits involved in housing and home financing will be there, and there will be activities for children, as well as a raffle for adults. Sponsors for the fair include Community Services Employment Training, Central California Legal Services, Tenants Together and the Tulare County District Attorney's Office. To become a sponsor, go online to http://www.cset.org/housingfair.
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Sharps Drop Off Days: Home Generated Sharps Drop-Off Days for residents of Tulare County will be held in June and July. The new Home-Generated Sharps Waste Collection Program goes into effect on July 1, and will provide Tulare County residents free drop-off of their used sharps at the local retailer where they originally purchased their sharps. To launch the program, Consolidated Waste Management Authority is hosting four free drop-off events throughout the County to collect sharps from residents. Sharps will only be accepted in approved certified sharps containers. For more information, click here or go to www.cwmarecycles.com.
Major Overlay projects prompts Main Street closure June 8-9: Street improvements are being made at various locations around the City through August. Main Street from Burke Street to Ben Maddox Way will be closed from 7 pm to 7 am Sunday and Monday, June 8-9. Residents are advised to park on the side streets if they need to get in or out during that time. Scheduled days of pavement overlay impacting traffic are as follows: Walnut Avenue, from Cottonwood to Linwood streets, and Akers Street, from Cambridge to Wagner avenues, June 26-July 1; Giddings Street, from Walnut to Tulare avenues, July -10; Court Street, from Tulare to Sequoia avenues, July 15-16; Demaree Street, from Hillsdale to Goshen avenues, July 24-28; and Hurley Avenue, from Atwood to Chinowth streets, July 31-August 1. Some concrete work (pedestrian ramps, curbs, gutter) will be done along with the removal and replacement of some failed sections of paving in these areas between 9 am to 3 pm while school is in session, and from 6 am to 2:30 pm when school is out for summer vacation throughout the project limits. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained throughout the duration of the project. Directly affected businesses and residents will be notified in advance of work being done by the contractor. Work schedules may be subject to change, and updates will be provided as needed. 
Oak Tree 101; What you need to know about the Valley Oak Ordinance: With the warm summer months upon us, it's fitting to provide a Q&A from Parks and Urban Forestry Manager Jeff Fultz on the care, pruning and removal of Valley Oak Trees. Older heritage Valley Oaks can fail unexpectedly and property damage is a distinct possibility in the warmer months of the year - primarily July and August. To view the Q&A, click here.
EnergySage Website launched: The City of Visalia is excited to announce the launch of the Visalia EnergySage Marketplace website. The EnergySage Marketplace provides quotes online from multiple, pre-screened installers and will assist Visalia businesses and residents in comparing offers in an apples-to-apples format across all financing options at no cost to them. The Visalia EnergySage site offers a variety of educational resources, including an “Instant Estimate” tool. With “Instant Estimate” any home or commercial property owner in Visalia can get estimates of solar’s costs and benefits under various financing options for their specific property. The process takes less than one minute to complete and is not connected to any lead generation or sales activities so using the tool doesn’t result in any pressure to buy or annoying sales pitches. If you pay $100 per month on electricity, solar could save you nearly $20,000 over the next 20 years. For more information, visit www.EnergySage.com/visalia.
Barrier Awareness Day on Oct. 4: The Disability Advocacy Committee will sponsor Barrier Awareness Day 2014 on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 am to noon in Garden Street Plaza at Main and Garden. The annual event features public participation and awareness in experiencing the world through a disabled person's perspective. The Committee, made up of seven members, advises the City on the needs of disabled people and promote physical, social, and communicational access for every citizen of Visalia and provides contacts and resources for the disabled. For more information, go to www.ci.visalia.ca.us/DAC.
Building permits see 20% jump in first five months of 2014: As of May 31, 2014, 1,630 building permits have been issued - a jump of 20% over the same time period in 2013. New single family dwellings continue their strong showing with 156 issued for the year, an increase of 23% from the 127 issued in 2013. Total valuation of all permits is up 19%, from $61,282, 175 in 2013 to $72,812,247 in 2014.