Agenda Item Wording:
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Committee Appointment - Appoint Kim Lusk to a partial first term, appoint Michael Tomola to a first two-year term, and reappoint Jerome Melgar to a second two-year term and Tyler Davis to a third two-year term, on the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.
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Deadline for Action: 7/15/2024
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.city <mailto:cristobal.carrillo@visalia.city>
Paul Bernal, Planning and Community Preservation Director, 713-4025 paul.bernal@visalia.city <mailto:paul.bernal@visalia.city>
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) and take the following actions:
1. Appoint Kim Lusk to the Committee for a partial first term, completing the remaining term of former Committee member Walter Deissler, beginning July 15, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025.
2. Appoint Michael Tomola to the Committee for a first two-year term beginning July 15, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026. Tomola will fill the vacancy left by former Committee member Jordan Mulroney, who resigned as of June 12, 2024.
3. Reappoint Jerome Melgar to the Committee for a second two-year term beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.
4. Reappoint Tyler Davis to the Committee for a third two-year term beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.
Summary:
The HPAC currently has five seated members out of seven available positions. The appointments of all four people will allow the Committee to retain a quorum and continue to pursue its mission to protect historical resources in the City of Visalia.
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 currently operates with five active members. The HPAC is currently working on a survey of the Historic District and adjacent areas. The appointments will ensure that the Committee retains a fully seated membership, with sufficient numbers to conduct project reviews with a wide variety of perspectives and bring the Historic District survey project to completion.
Information about each of the candidates is provided below:
• Kim Lusk is a semi-retired teacher and administrator with the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD), who served for 32 years. Ms. Lusk graduated from Fresno State University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a master’s degree in education administration. Ms. Lusk was active during her time with the VUSD volunteering with the Facilities/Building Committee and serving as the chair of the Measure A Committee. Ms. Lusk also served on the Visalia Unified Teachers Association Political Action Committee, conducting public outreach and assisting with school board campaigns. Currently, Ms. Lusk is active with the Assistance League of Visalia, providing clothing and books to underserved children in Tulare County. Ms. Lusk states that she enjoys teaching and learning about history. Ms. Lusk also notes that she has immersed herself in local and state history, conducted historic walking/museum tours with students during her teaching career, and has visited many historic landmarks.
• Michael Tomola is also a semi-retired teacher with the VUSD who served for 31 years. Mr. Tomola graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. During his time at VUSD, Mr. Lusk was active with the Curriculum Committee and Science Advisory Committee, helping to implement State and Local curriculum requirements into classrooms. He was also active in the English Learner Advisory Committee, School Site Council, helping to guide the instruction of English learners in VUSD classrooms. Mr. Tomola was also active as a coach of Junior High/High School basketball teams, and with Science Olympiad, a competitive science program for students. Though retired, Mr. Tomola continues to work part time as a tutor for high school students. When not teaching, Mr. Tomola enjoys fly fishing and gardening, having completed the Master Gardener Program through the University of California Cooperative Extension. Mr. Tomola resides in a historic home along the Goshen Avenue corridor, within the Historic District.
• Jerome Melgar is an insurance broker with Primelink Insurance that has resided in Visalia for 17 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 and is active as a member of Visalia Heritage. Mr. Melgar’s other interests include being a “foodie” and volunteering with the Sierra Baptist Church. Mr. Melgar has served on the HPAC since November 2023.
• 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 and is also a current member of Visalia Heritage and the National Trust of Historic Preservation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of America’s historic sites. Lastly, Mr. Davis enjoys gardening and resides in a historic home listed on the Local Register of Historic Structures, along the Encina Street corridor, within the Historic District.
The current HPAC membership is as follows:
1. Tyler Davis, Chair - 2nd term
2. Patricia Kane, Vice-Chair - 3rd term. Please note, Kane’s 3rd term expired June 30, 2024, but was extended by the committee for six months (December 31, 2024), per the guidelines in the City of Visalia Committee and Commissions Handbook. If the nominations proposed are approved, this extension provides the Committee with a fully seated membership while a candidate search is conducted to fill Kane’s eventual vacancy.
3. Jay Hohlbauch - 2nd term
4. Karen Ayala - 1st term
5. Jerome Melgar - partial 1st term
6. Vacant
7. Vacant
Due to changes made by the City Council, alternate positions are no longer available. If the nominations are approved, three out of the seven HPAC members will reside within the Historic District (Mr. Davis, Mr. Tomola, and Ms. Ayala).
Fiscal Impact: None.
Prior Council Action:
• On November 6, 2023, the City Council appointed Jerome Melgar to a partial eight-month term on the HPAC to complete the remaining term of former Committee member Michael Kreps, beginning November 6, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024.
• On January 17, 2023, the City Council appointed Karen Ayala to a partial six-month term on the HPAC to complete the remaining term of former Committee member Marilynn Mitchell, beginning January 17, 2023, and ending June 30, 2023.
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 appoint Kim Lusk to a partial first term, beginning July 15, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, and
I move to appoint Michael Tomola to a first two-year term, beginning July 15, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026, and
I move to reappoint Jerome Melgar to a second two-year term beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026, and
I move to reappoint Tyler Davis to a third two-year term beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.
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CEQA Review:
No environmental review is required for Committee appointments.
Attachments:
1. Committee Applications - Kim Lusk, Michael Tomola
2. Historic Preservation Advisory Committee - 2024 Meeting Attendance