Agenda Item Wording:
title
Historic Preservation Advisory Committee Reappointments - Recommendation to reappoint Jocelyn Duran to a first two-year term, reappoint Erick Arriaga to a second two-year term, reappoint Jerome Melgar to a second two-year term, and reappoint Tyler Davis to a fourth two-year term, on the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.
body
Deadline for Action: 6/15/2026
Submitting Department: Community Development
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Tyler Davis, Chairperson, Historic Preservation Advisory Committee
Cristobal Carrillo, Associate Planner, (559) 713-4443, cristobal.carrillo@visalia.gov <mailto:cristobal.carrillo@visalia.gov>
Paul Bernal, Planning and Community Preservation Director, (559) 713-4025 paul.bernal@visalia.gov <mailto:paul.bernal@visalia.gov>
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) and take the following actions:
1. Reappoint Jocelyn Duran to the Committee for a first two-year term, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. Please note Ms. Duran was appointed to fill a partial term due to a vacancy on the committee. The partial term was less than one year (i.e., 10 months) and is therefore not considered as serving a full term. This makes the following term, if Ms. Duran is reappointed, their first full term.
2. Reappoint Erick Arriaga to the Committee for a second two-year term, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. Please note Mr. Arriaga was appointed to fill a partial term due to a vacancy on the committee. However, the partial term extended over one year (i.e., half the term) and is therefore considered as serving a full term. This makes the following term, if Mr. Arriaga is reappointed, their second term.
3. Reappoint Jerome Melgar to the Committee for a second two-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028.
4. Reappoint Tyler Davis to the Committee for a fourth two-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. Please note Mr. Davis was appointed to fill a partial term due to a vacancy on the committee. However, the partial term extended over one year (i.e., half the term) and is therefore considered as serving a full term. However, the Committee is recommending that the Council make exception and appoint Mr. Davis to a fourth term. While there has been an emphasis to appoint people who live in the district, there are currently only two people on the Committee that live in the Historic District. Therefore, the Committee and Staff are recommending that he be appointed to serve a fourth term.
Summary:
The HPAC currently has a fully seated committee of seven members. The reappointments of all four current committee members will allow HPAC to continue to pursue its mission to protect historical resources in the City of Visalia.
Committee Terms:
The current HPAC membership, along with the existing term each member is serving, is listed below as follows:
1. Tyler Davis*, Chair - 3rd term
2. Jay Hohlbauch - 4th term
3. Karen Ayala*, Vice-Chair - 2nd term
4. Jerome Melgar - 1st term
5. Kim Lusk - 1st term
6. Erick Arriaga - 1st term
7. Jocelyn Duran - partial 1st term
* Denotes residency within the Historic District.
Per the Committee and Commission Handbook (see Attachment 4) appointed members of a Committee are given a term of two years. A “partial term” is created when an appointed member resigns or is removed from Committee membership prior to completing the two year term. When a new member is appointed to fill the vacancy left by the previous member, they are required to complete the remaining term of the previous member, i.e. a partial term.
As a matter of past practice, staff determines that when a partial term extends over one year (i.e. half the term), it is considered as serving a full term. This makes the following term, if a member is reappointed, a second term. This is the case for Mr. Arriaga, who is currently serving a “full” term of approximately 1 year, 7 months. If reappointed, he would be serving a second term on the HPAC.
Both Ms. Duran and Mr. Melgar initially served partial terms, consisting of less than one year’s time (10 months for Ms. Duran, and 7 months for Mr. Melgar). As such, if reappointed, Ms. Duran would be serving her first full term, while Mr. Melgar (who was reappointed for a first full term on July 1, 2024) would serve a second full term.
Per Attachment 4, Committee members can serve for a total of six years. However, because of existence of partial terms, difficulties can arise regarding the total number of years a member can serve. This is the case for Mr. Davis, who was initially appointed to a partial term of 13 months on the HPAC in June 2021. Per the interpretations listed above, Mr. Davis is considered as currently completing his third term. Because he is one of only two members that live in the Historic District and therefore are subject to the policies and ordinances of the District, the Committee and Staff are recommending this exemption.
Background Discussion:
The HPAC is a seven-member committee which administers the Historic Preservation Ordinance and encourages property owners to maintain the historic character of their properties. The committee meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
The HPAC is currently working on completing the Historic District Survey Project, a survey of the existing Historic District, Local Register, and adjacent areas for recommendation to be historically designated. The appointment of all four members will ensure that the committee retains sufficient numbers to bring the long-range project, now in its 3rd year, to completion, and retain a quorum to continue to conduct project reviews.
Biographical information about each of the candidates is provided below:
• Erick Arriaga is a community outreach coordinator with the Delta Mosquito and Vector Control District, creating and sharing educational materials via events, tours, and social media. Mr. Arriaga has studied at both Reedley College and the College of the Sequoias, earning an Associates of Science degree in Communications from the former, and an HVAC Certificate from the latter. Mr. Arriaga has a strong interest in photography, mountain biking, dendrology, and architecture.
• Jocelyn Duran is an interior design assistant with DLB Design, an interior design studio based in downtown Visalia. Ms. Duran’s work consists of designing/drawing interior plans for residential and commercial projects. Ms. Duran is a member of Visalia Heritage, serving on its Board of Directors, working as a bilingual docent for walking tours, and participating in Visalia Heritage “Depot Project”, which is an effort to convert the former Depot Restaurant (207 East Oak Avenue) into a cultural center and historic museum.
• Jerome Melgar is an insurance broker that has resided in Visalia for 19 years. Originally from the Los Angeles area, Mr. Melgar studied for a time at Los Angeles City College. Mr. Melgar has a strong interest in historic homes, often volunteering for survey activities, and is active as a member of Visalia Heritage, sitting on its Board of Directors. Mr. Melgar’s other interests include being a “foodie” and volunteering with the Sierra Baptist Church.
• Tyler Davis is an Account Manager with the Monrovia Nursery Company with an avid interest in historic preservation. He has served on the HPAC since 2021 and is the current Chair. He studied at the College of the Sequoias and obtained an associate degree in the field of Ornamental Horticulture. Mr. Davis served for eight years on the Board of Trustees for the Sarah A. Mooney Museum in Lemoore, is a current member of the National Trust of Historic Preservation, and sits on the Board of Directors for Visalia Heritage. Mr. Davis enjoys gardening and resides in a well maintained historic home listed on the Local Register of Historic Structures, along the Encina Street corridor, within the Historic District.
Fiscal Impact: None.
Prior Council Action:
• Appointed Jocelyn Duran to the HPAC for a partial first term, beginning July 21, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.
• Reappointed Jerome Melgar to the HPAC for a first two-year term beginning July 15, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.
• Reappointed Tyler Davis to the HPAC for a third two-year term beginning July 15, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.
• Appointed Erick Arriaga to the HPAC for a partial first term, beginning October 21, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.
Committee/Commission Review and Action:
On May 13, 2026, the Committee approved of the reappointments of Erick Arriaga, Jocelyn Duran, Jerome Melgar, and Tyler Davis to the HPAC.
Alternatives:
The City Council may direct staff to initiate the recruitment process for Historic Preservation Advisory Committee members immediately.
Recommended Motions (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
• I move to reappoint Erick Arriaga to a second two-year term, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028, and
• I move to reappoint Jocelyn Duran to a first two-year term, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028, and
• I move to reappoint Jerome Melgar to a second two-year term, beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028, and
• I move to reappoint Tyler Davis to a 4th two-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028.
end
CEQA Review:
No environmental review is required for Committee appointments.
Attachments:
1. Committee Applications - Erick Arriaga, Jocelyn Duran, Jerome Melgar, and Tyler Davis
2. Historic Preservation Advisory Committee - 2026 Meeting Attendance
3. Historic Preservation Advisory Committee - Membership and Terms
4. City of Visalia Committee and Commissions Handbook
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Check all that apply.
|
☐ Economic Vitality |
☒  Organizational Excellence |
☐ Fiscal Strength |
☐  Infrastructure & Growth |
☐  Quality of Life |