Visalia residents’ last chance to make their voices heard concerning the city’s half cent sales tax was held April 3. The city council is required to conduct two public hearings before adopting the final spending plan. The first public hearing was held March 20. No one spoke at either public hearing. The final spending plan […]
When I first wrote about Alex in the January 19 Political Fix he was curled up in an ICU bed de-toxing with liver damage. Roo, the dog he always wanted, had just died at a very young age. But I felt certain this was the end of a string of bad luck for Alex and […]
Hanford’s historical buildings bring in needed tourists’ dollars, and are cherished by the residents, but the question faced by the city council is how to pay for their maintenance. At the March 7 Hanford City Council meeting the debate raged over the Bastille, Old Courthouse, Rabobank and the Old Fire House. While the council members […]
The Hanford City Council decided at its March 7 meeting to pursue listing the undeveloped portion of Hidden Valley Park as surplus. If the Planning Commission votes to put this parcel on the surplus list the city council will be able to sell the property. The 18 acres will be zoned low-density residential if the […]
The North Visalia Advisory Committee (NVAC) will survive another year. At the March 6 Visalia City Council meeting the council voted to temporarily keep the North Visalia Advisory Committee (NVAC) officially affiliated with the city. The city council will revisit the issue in November, 2018, after the last three district elections are completed. The vote […]
With Councilmember Greg Collins absent, the Visalia City Council stalemated on its decision whether to discontinue the North Visalia Advisory Committee (NVAC) as an official Visalia entity. During the February 21 work session three choices were on the table: continue the NVAC as an official city committee indefinitely, continue the NVAC as an official city […]
Getting into the Weeds on the Pot Issue What’s the only problem with smoking marijuana? It means your stash just got a little smaller. After writing a half dozen articles on the legalization of pot this is the most accurate statement I’ve heard yet. The vagueness of Proposition 64 and rumors have lead to a […]
The Visalia City Council isn’t taking any quick steps towards changing the city’s Municipal Code regarding recreational marijuana sales. At the February 21 council meeting, the council members discussed changes to the Visalia Municipal Code (VMC) that were needed in response to Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Currently, the code only regulates […]
At the February 7 Hanford City Council meeting the members voted to go forward with a transient occupancy tax measure and a medical marijuana facility tax measure. If approved neither tax will be paid by the residents of Hanford. The transient tax will be a special election mail-in ballot in August, and the tax on […]
During the February 6th Visalia City Council Work Session the council discussed programs to be funded with Measure N money earmarked for the city’s youth. The half cent sales tax approved by voters will go into effect April 1st. It is projected that the sales tax will bring in over 10 million dollars a year […]