Agenda Item Wording:
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Fiscal Year 2026-27 federal congressional community project funding requests - Approve the submittal of federal congressional community project funding requests for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year.
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Deadline for Action: 1/20/2026
Submitting Department: Administration
Contact Name and Phone Number:
John Lollis, Assistant City Manager, John.Lollis@visalia.gov, (559)713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the submittal of three (3) federal congressional community project funding requests for the upcoming 2026-27 Fiscal Year, including $4 million for the Shirk Street Capacity Enhancing Project, $4 million for the Law Enforcement Training Facility, and $1 million for the development of the Visalia Industrial Park Employment Resource Center.
Background Discussion:
With the second session of the 119th United States Congress having begun on January 5, 2026, preparations are beginning to be made by the Offices of both Congressman Costa and Fong to begin receiving federal congressional community project funding (CPF) requests (commonly known as earmarks), which provide direct federal funding to selected projects.
In the 2023-24 Fiscal Year, the City requested $3.5 million and received CPF funding of $700,00 from Congressman Costa for the development of Groundwater Recharge Basins. In the 2024-25 Fiscal Year, the City requested $3 million and received tentative CPF funding of $2 million from Congressman Fong for the Tulare Avenue Safety Improvement Project, and requested $5 million and received tentative CPF funding of $850,000 from Congressman Costa for the Downtown Main Street Improvement Project, however, both CPF requests were ultimately not funded due to the lack of an adoption of a federal budget.
In the current 2025-26 Fiscal Year, the City requested $4 million from Congressman Costa for the Riggin Avenue Capacity Enhancing Project between Akers and Roeben Streets, $3 million fr...
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