Visalia City Council  
707 W. Acequia  
Visalia, CA 93291  
Visalia City Council  
Visalia City Council  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Mayor Brett Taylor  
Vice Mayor Liz Wynn  
Council Member Steve Nelsen  
Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto  
Council Member Brian Poochigian  
Monday, August 3, 2026  
7:00 PM  
City Council Chambers  
ROLL CALL  
Council Member Brian Poochigian, Mayor Brett Taylor, Council  
Member Steve Nelsen, Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez  
Soto, and Vice Mayor Liz Wynn  
Present:  
CALL TO ORDER CLOSED SESSION - 6:30 PM (Unless otherwise noted)  
Mayor Taylor called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m.  
PUBLIC COMMENTS  
Citizens are now invited to comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City Council  
and items listed on the Closed Session agenda. The Council asks that you keep your  
comments concise and positive. Creative criticism, presented with appropriate courtesy, is  
welcome. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes, and a timer will notify you when your  
time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing  
your city of residence.  
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION  
Mayor Taylor adjourned the meeting into closed session at 6:36 p.m.  
CALL TO ORDER REGULAR SESSION - 7:00 PM  
Mayor Taylor called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR CHRIS ARCHER, NAZARENE CHURCH  
SPECIAL PRESENTATION / RECOGNITION  
Recognition of Regional Champions - Cal Ripken Blue All Stars 11U  
Recognition of Regional Champions - Cal Ripken Blue All Stars 12U  
PUBLIC COMMENTS  
This is the time for general public comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Visalia City  
Council. Each speaker tonight may speak for up to 3 minutes during this general comment  
period on a matter that is not on this agenda.  
The public may also make one comment for up to 3 minutes prior to the consideration of the  
Consent Calendar, and immediately before any regular agenda item is heard. The Council  
asks that you keep you comments concise and positive. Creative criticism, presented with  
appropriate courtesy, is welcome.  
Each speaker will be allowed three minutes and a timer will notify you when your time is  
expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling your name and providing your  
city of residence.  
Public comments were received from the following: Jim Reeves, Bill Huott, Irene Lapin,  
Esteban Verduzco, Kathy Falconer, Mikki K., Sam Sciacca, Kathy Connely, and Efrain  
Becerra.  
ITEMS OF INTEREST  
CONSENT CALENDAR  
Consent Calendar items are considered routine and will be enacted in one motion.  
This is the time for members of the public to provide public comment on an item on the  
Consent Calendar. Comments will not be taken individually by the public if an item is pulled by  
a Council Member. Each speaker is allowed up to 3 minutes, and a timer will notify you when  
your time is expired. Please begin your comments by stating and spelling you name and  
providing your city of residence.  
Council member Steve Nelsen requested that agenda item 3: Award contract for Fire Station  
54 parking lot rehabilitation project, be pulled for separate discussion.  
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council Member Brian  
Poochigian, to adopt the remainder of the Consent Calendar.  
unanimously by the following vote:  
The motion carried  
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel  
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn  
Aye:  
1.  
2.  
Authorization to read ordinances by title only.  
26-0006  
This Consent Item was approved.  
Authorization for payment to the California Vanpool Authority  
(CalVans) - Authorize the payment of California Vanpool  
26-0039  
Authority (CalVans) invoices for the Visalia Transit contributions  
to the Authority’s vanpool program.  
This Consent Item was approved.  
3.  
Award contract for Fire Station 54 parking lot rehabilitation  
project - Authorize the City Manager to award the construction  
contract to Tosted Asphalt, Inc. for the Fire Station 54 parking lot  
rehabilitation project in the amount of $176,479.84 and  
appropriate $115,000 from the General Fund.  
26-0048  
Council Member Steve Nelsen pulled this item for further discussion. City  
Engineer Chris Crawford stepped forward and provided a history of the project  
and addressed Council’s questions regarding the matter.  
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Council  
Member Brian Poochigian, to adopt. The motion carried unanimously by the  
following vote:  
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel  
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn  
Aye:  
4.  
Conditional acceptance of Federal Aviation Administration grant  
funds, with appropriation upon award - Authorize the conditional  
acceptance of a Federal Aviation Administration Airport  
Infrastructure Grant in the amount of $201,020 for the design  
phase of the Tiedown Apron A3 Reconstruction Project at the  
Visalia Municipal Airport, and authorize the appropriation of grant  
funds upon award and the local match of $10,580 from the  
Airport Fund.  
26-0052  
This Consent Item was approved.  
5.  
Award contract and appropriate funds for St. John’s River Trail  
landscaping - Authorize the City Manager to award the  
construction contract to Gowin Green Landscaping for the St.  
John’s River Trail landscaping east of Dinuba Boulevard project  
in the amount of $287,826; and authorize the additional  
appropriation of $255,000 from the Waterways Capital Fund  
(Fund 261).  
26-0061  
This Consent Item was approved.  
6.  
Ordinance adoption authorizing the City Manager to award a  
contract and approve a long-term lease agreement for 408 acres  
of open ground to Correia Custom Farming Inc. - Second reading  
and adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-08 authorizing the City  
Manager to award a contract and approve a long-term lease  
agreement for 408 acres of open ground to Correia Custom  
Farming Inc.  
26-0064  
This Consent Item was approved.  
7.  
Ordinance adoption - Second reading and adoption of Ordinance  
No. 2026-05, adding Chapter 4.04, “Commercial Cannabis  
Activity” to the Visalia Municipal Code; rescinding Chapter 5.66;  
amending Chapter 8.64; and approving Zoning Text Amendment  
No. 2026-01, and adoption of Resolution No. 2026-42,  
establishing the application and selection process for both  
storefront and non-storefront retail cannabis business license  
applications.  
26-0068  
This Consent Item was approved.  
8.  
Ordinance adoption - Second reading and adoption of Ordinance  
No. 2026-07 pertaining to the approval of Annexation No.  
2025-04: A request by D.R. Horton to prezone ±78.11 acres to  
R-1 (Single-Family Residential zone), R-M-2 (Multi-family  
residential zone - 3,000 square foot minimum site area), R-M-3  
(Multi-family residential zone - 1,200 square foot minimum site  
area), and QP (Quasi-public zone). The site is located on the  
northeast corner of Lovers Lane and Caldwell Avenue (APN:  
127-020-020 and -021).  
26-0076  
This Consent Item was approved.  
9.  
Adoption of revised Resolutions - Adoption of revised Resolution  
Nos. 2026-47 and 2026-48 pertaining to the upholding of an  
appeal in accordance with the City Council's prior action taken  
for Clements Ranch Tentative Subdivision Map No. 5606 and  
Tentative Parcel Map No. 2025-13, a request to subdivide  
parcels totaling ±78.11 acres into 292 lots for single-family  
residential uses and additional out lots for private streets, utilities,  
landscaping, lighting, trails, and parks, to be located within the  
proposed R-1, R-M-2, and QP zones. The project is located on a  
±78.11-acre site located on the east side of South Lovers Lane  
Avenue, north of Caldwell Avenue (APN: 127-020-020 and -021).  
26-0075  
This Consent Item was approved.  
10.  
11.  
Notice of completion - Request authorization to file the notice of  
completion for the Mill Creek culvert replacement project.  
26-0069  
26-0070  
This Consent Item was approved.  
Notice of completion - Request authorization to file the notice of  
completion for the installation of cellular radios in the City of  
Visalia’s sanitary sewer lift stations.  
This Consent Item was approved.  
12.  
Designate City owned property into public right of way - Adopt  
Resolution 2026-55 designating City owned property located at  
the northwest corner of Clancy Street and Nicholas Avenue into  
the public right of way system.  
26-0071  
This Consent Item was approved.  
13.  
14.  
Authorization to accept the CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant  
Program - Authorize the Visalia Police Department to accept  
fiscal year 2026/27 California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund  
Grant Program in the amount $156,978 and approve Resolution  
No. 2026-54.  
26-0079  
26-0089  
This Consent Item was approved.  
ATP Grant Letter - Authorize the City Manager to issue a letter to  
the California Transportation Commission terminating an Active  
Transportation Program grant of $795,000 that was awarded to  
the City of Visalia for construction of the Goshen - Visalia  
Corridor improvement project, from Mooney Boulevard to  
Giddings Street; and to include a statement of support in the  
letter from the City to reprogram these ATP funds to the Caltrans  
Ivanhoe Safe Routes to School project, located in Tulare County.  
This Consent Item was approved.  
REGULAR ITEMS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS  
Comments related to regular Items and Public Hearing Items are limited to three minutes per  
speaker, for a maximum of 30 minutes per item. The Mayor may reasonably limit or extend  
the public comment period to preserve the Council's interest in conducting efficient, orderly  
meetings.  
1.  
Shopping Cart Ordinance Update - Consideration of and  
direction on initiating potential Municipal Code updates to Visalia  
Municipal Code Chapter 8.70 Abandoned Shopping Carts,  
Citywide.  
25-0786  
Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Riedmann presented a PowerPoint regarding  
proposed updates to Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 8.70, Abandoned  
Shopping Carts, including increasing the City's cost recovery fee from $50 to  
$100 per shopping cart, as authorized by Senate Bill 753, and requiring physical  
containment systems for shopping carts at certain new or expanded businesses.  
Council discussed the proposed ordinance updates, including the City's  
collection and enforcement processes, business reporting of stolen or  
abandoned carts, the proposed physical containment requirements for new  
construction and significant improvements, the threshold for triggering those  
requirements, and the impact on businesses and the community.  
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Liz Wynn, seconded by Council Member  
Steve Nelsen, to approve. The motion carried unanimously by the following  
vote:  
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel  
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn  
Aye:  
2.  
Review the Visalia Police Department AB 481 annual report and  
adopt Resolution 2026-53 - Conduct the annual public meeting  
required by Assembly Bill 481 to review the Visalia Police  
Department 2025 Military Equipment Annual Report, review  
Ordinance No. 2022-09 adopting the Military Equipment Use  
Policy, adopt Resolution 2026-53 renewing the Military  
Equipment Use Policy and approving the continued use of the  
equipment described in the AB 481 annual report.  
26-0059  
Lieutenant Dominguez stepped forward and provided a PowerPoint presentation  
regarding the Visalia Police Department’s 2025 Military Equipment Annual  
Report and Military Equipment Use Policy.  
Public comment was received from Efrain Becerra.  
Council discussed the report and clarified that the annual report and related  
information are required by law and are available for public review on an  
ongoing basis.  
A motion was made by Council Member Steve Nelsen, seconded by Vice Mayor  
Liz Wynn, to adopt. The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:  
Brian Poochigian, Brett Taylor, Steve Nelsen, Emmanuel  
Hernandez Soto, Liz Wynn  
Aye:  
CLOSED SESSION REPORT  
City Attorney Richardson provided the following information.  
1.  
For the purposes of reporting out, for the record, transactions  
that occurred as a result of Closed Session Real Property  
Negotiations:  
26-0082  
Buyer: City of Visalia  
Seller:Albe Industries, Inc., a California corporation  
APN: 077-200-007(portion)  
Purpose: Shirk Capacity Enhancement Project  
Price: $2,718.00  
Closing Date: 7/23/2026  
Project Manager: Bryce Nagel  
Buyer: City of Visalia  
ADJOURNMENT  
Mayor Taylor adjourned the meeting at 8:08 p.m.  
UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS  
1.  
Upcoming City Council Meetings  
26-0030  
Monday, August 17, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m. at 707 W. Acequia  
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 @ 7:00 p.m. at 707 W. Acequia  
Note: Meeting dates and times are subject to change, check  
posted agenda for correct details. In compliance with the  
American Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to  
participate in meetings contact 713-4512.  
Written materials relating to an item on this agenda submitted to  
the Council after distribution of the agenda are available for  
public inspection in the Office of the City Clerk, 220 N. Santa Fe  
Street, Visalia CA 93292, during normal business hours.  
Respectfully Submitted,  
Reyna Rivera,  
Chief Deputy City Clerk