Planning Commission OK’s Changes at Mall Property

That possible pathway became more clear this week when the Visalia Planning Commission approved a change to parcel divisions at the 13.6-acre commercial property on the northwest corner of Mooney Boulevard and Caldwell Avenue. The move came at the request of the mall’s Tustin-based owners Paynter Realty and Investments, which is quietly pursuing the “de-malling” of the Sequoia Mall and has been since 2023, according to the online real estate marketplace Crexi.com.

While the commission approved Paynter’s request unanimously at its July 13 meeting, it was without knowledge of why the property owners asked for the changes or what they plan to do with the parcels. This is standard behavior for property development. All the city has to know is a plan complies with city standards.

“We wait and see like the rest of you,” said Josh Dan, senior city planner at Visalia City Hall. “Usually, they don’t like to disclose the type of business.”

The changes are a redrawing parcel of lines to redivide the western portion of the property into four portions. One of those is small, just 0.3 acres, has odd borders, and has Dan scratching his head.

“They have not alluded to what that may be in the future,” he said. “It’s a weird shape. I’m befuddled.”

Developers, Dan said, are often tight-lipped about their plans, seeking to protect deals in progress and to manage the public’s expectations. Despite City Hall’s being in the dark, Dan sees the changes as a sure sign of upcoming development at the Sequoia Mall.

“Whatever their plan for the future is, somehow these parcel lines make sense,” he said. “They’re setting up for their next steps.”

Payner Realty’s executive vice president Jim Sanders, however, gave the public a rare insight into the developers’ operations. He said the way the property has been reapportioned will let the company pay for rebuilding of the former location of Longs Drugs at the southwest corner of the property.

“We’re under construction with the drug store building to bring in Crunch Fitness,” he said. “With that, we wanted to get the parcels corrected so we could finance that parcel.”

It’s part of a long-term plan to turn the property into an open mall. Paynter abandoned the original enclosed design in 2023, and the interior portion of the mall was finally closed that year.

All the current tenets occupy outward facing storefronts, including the recent additions, like Saphora, Sprouts Farmers Market, Barnes and Noble, and Sketchers Warehouse Outlet. Payner is also rebranding the mall as it’s transformed. While many will always remember the property as the Sequoia Mall, officially it’s now the Boulevard at Sequoia.

The Rise, Fall and Rise of Sequoia Mall

The Sequoia Mall was once the favorite shopping location for many Visalians, and it drew a big customer base from surrounding communities, especially in the decade after it opened its doors in 1974. By 2013, when it was purchased by Paynter Realty, the property was listed as “distressed” by the commercial real estate tracker CoStar. The mall was a high-vacancy property – 60% empty storefronts – available at a price far lower than its assessed value. Its price tag was lower than the remaining mortgage on the property, a bargain-priced “short sale” in real estate jargon.

At the time of purchase, the county assessor’s office estimated the property’s value at $17 million. Tustin-based Paynter Realty paid just $10.7 million for the dead mall.

Only it wasn’t quite dead. Not yet. But it certainly was close.

Mervin’s Department Store, the main anchor store at the mall, went belly up in 2008, declaring bankruptcy and closing all its stores across the country, including in Visalia. An exit by Borders Books followed in 2011, with that company also declaring itself bankrupt. Along the way, classic mall shops like Kaybee Toys, Miller’s Outpost, Lerners and Orange Julius also shuttered their Visalia locations.

In 1998, the mall had changed hands for the first time, and it got its first and only interior renovation in 1999, perhaps too little and too late. The mall was sold again in 2003, with the new ownership paying $27.4 million for the property. It went on the market again four years later, and was purchased by the Schottenstein Property Group.

Schottenstein, too, held the property for four years, and during that period the vacancy rate continued to climb. In 2007, Schottenstein sold the mall to Kimco Realty Corporation with an asking price of $30 million. Kimco had little success. Apparently on the brink of foreclosure, the property went on the market again in 2013, getting the attention of Paynter Realty.

By the time Paynter Realty took possession, Sears Department Store was the last remaining major retailer from the mall’s glory days. In 1996, Mann Theaters had moved its Cinema I-II-III from the back of the mall’s parking lot to its interior and expanded to a six-screen complex inside the mall next to the Ross Department Store (another major anchor retailer that would eventually abandon the location). But the theater stayed, purchased by Signature Theaters in 2002 and by the Regal Entertainment Group in 2004, and expanded to 12 screens.

But the decline wasn’t quite over yet. Transformco, the owner of Sears and Kmart stores, was also in financial trouble by the late 2010s. Transformco eventually threw in the towel, selling 96 of its less viable retail locations, including those in Visalia. Liquidation of the Sears stock began in 2019, and by February, the store’s 80-year run in Visalia was over and done.

Fortunately, Paynter Realty saw the writing on the wall and purchased the Sears property, which was divided from the rest of the mall property, in 2018.

Where There’s Life, There’s Hope

Even through the period of its deepening decline, the mall was still attractive to certain retailers. In 2011, Hobby Lobby, despite ownership’s concerns about meeting California regulations, took over the former Mervin’s spot. It was the first location for the crafting goods store in the state, and, according to multiple online sources, the Visalia store broke company sales records.

There was also another major retailer still doing business at the mall, at least technically. In 1995, Marshall’s Department Store and Bed, Bath and Beyond opened in the Tower Plaza, an adjoining property integrated into the mall’s overall scheme and also owned by Paynter Realty. While Bed, Bath and Beyond has since shuttered, Marshall’s remains.

Marshall’s, Hobby Lobby and the Regal Cinema were the last three big boxes standing.

Yet Sanders said the company was still certain about the potential of the mall property and remains confident. But that doesn’t mean they’re ready to show their hand, though Sanders is definitely upbeat about the property’s future.

“I’m not trying to promote anything until it’s time to promote it,” he said. “There’s a lot of neat things to talk about in terms of what’s happened so far. The real estate has proven its worth. The first rule is ‘location, location, location,’ and it’s proven that with Sprouts and Borders.”

What’s Coming Next for Sequoia?

Now, 13 years after Paynter took ownership and three years after the decision to reorganize as the Boulevard at Sequoia, the once dead mall is rising back to its feet, and it could be that the revitalization is just getting into full swing. The addition of Sprouts in the former Sears space, the opening of a Barnes and Noble bookstore in the same storefront where Borders Books once operated, and the arrival of big brand names like Nordstrom’s and Sketchers all seem to herald better days ahead.

But Sanders still won’t say what other plans might be in the works.

“What you see is what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s a real success story, and now we’re bringing Crunch Fitness. And now Sierra TGX. This is only their second location in California.”

Sierra offers a wide variety of outdoor and sporting goods at what it promises are lower prices than other outlets offer. Sanders describes it as “a discount version of REI or one of those outdoor sporting goods companies.”

“They have not done a ton of marketing there,” he said. “It’s fully open and worth a visit.”

The sales pitch for the Boulevard at Sequoia listed by Crexi promises new building construction and a “state-of-the-art cinema” to come in the near future. What other retailers and changes the future holds not even the people at Paynter Realty know for sure.

“Everyone I talk to says that it was the mall. We’re trying to figure it out,” Sanders said. “It’s a strong intersection for the trade area.”

The company, he said, has an affinity for the area and is fully committed to the ongoing project.

“We love Visalia and really care about the community,” Sanders said.

And he let slip one more secret. There is no plan yet for the small, oddly shaped parcel next to the Shady Lane entrance and in front of the future home of Crunch Fitness.

“It’s for a drive-thru,” Sanders said. “We aren’t planning anything right now. It’s just for the future so we’re ready to roll if something comes along.”

The post Visalia’s shopping mall that wouldn’t die appeared first on Valley Voice.

Judges looked at articles written and submitted by California news outlets and evaluated them on criteria that varied by category — including categories for writing, photography, and commentary — with entries separated based on each outlet’s size.

The Voice competed in Division 7, covering weekly newspapers with a print circulation of 4,300 or less and/or outlets with 199,000 or less monthly unique visitors online. Voice writers received three awards:

• Dave Adalian received first place in the Health Reporting category for his coverage of a Kaweah Health whistleblower who said he was fired for revealing the truth about what led to a 60-year-old patient’s death, and the aftermath from that, including a lawsuit by the patient’s family against Kaweah Health and the potential loss of nursing licenses for the two nurses involved;
• Catherine Doe and Tony Maldonado were awarded third place in the Coverage of Local Government category for a package of coverage surrounding the Tulare County Board of Supeervisors having to take over the Tulare Public Cemetery district, including video and coverage of a ten-second meeting at the cemetery district office in May 2025 that prompted the take over by the Supervisors.
• Dave Adalian was awarded fourth place in In-Depth Reporting for his coverage of Springville residents’ troubles with their water utility company, Del Oro Water.

“Every year our small but fierce team is recognized with multiple awards from CNPA. But its not the awards that matter, said Catherine Doe, editor of the Valley Voice. What matters is that those in power know we are watching and that we will report the truth so the public can make informed decisions and be an informed electorate.”

Other local outlets received awards:

• The Visalia Times-Delta received three third place awards for Feature Photo, Feature Story, and Social Justice & Civic Engagement; one fourth place award for Feature Story; and two fifth place awards for Artistic Photo and Coverage of Business and the Economy.
• The Sun-Gazette received three first place awards in Audience/Community Engagement, Excellence in Collaborations and Partnerships, and Labor Reporting; four second place awards in Agricultural Reporting, Columns, Community Focus, and Public Service Journalism; two third place awards in Enterprise News Story or Series and Social Justice & Civic Engagement; one fourth place award in Transportation Reporting; and two fifth place awards for Coverage of Business and the Economy and Food Writing/Reporting
• The Mid Valley Times received two first place awards in Coverage of Local Government and Profile Story; three second place awards in Religion/Faith Writing, Sports Feature Story, and Transportation Reporting; two third place awards in Agricultural Reporting and Immigration Reporting; two fourth place awards in Coverage of Business and the Economy and Coverage of Youth and Education; and one fifth place award in Feature Story.
• The Collegian at Fresno State received one first place award for Sports Action Photo; two second place awards for News Photo and Writing; one third place award for Online General Excellence; one fourth place award for General Excellence; and one fifth place award for Coverage of Student Government/Campus Administration.

The post Valley Voice, local publications honored at California Journalism Awards appeared first on Valley Voice.

“Once again, DPR is sitting on bad news instead of telling the people breathing this air,” said Angel Garcia, co-director of the statewide coalition Californians for Pesticide Reform. “The Department loves a press release when a number goes down. When a number blows past their own safety trigger, they bury it in a spreadsheet and hope nobody notices. That’s not regulation — that’s public relations for the pesticide industry.”

DPR’s Air Monitoring Network tracks 1,3-D at six sites across the state. Four of the six monitored communities saw annual average levels rise in 2025 over the prior year:

• Parlier (Fresno County): 0.16 ppb → 0.35 ppb (59% → 131% of the action level)
• Delhi (Merced County): 0.11 ppb → 0.16 ppb (40% → 58% of the action level)
• Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County): 0.04 ppb → 0.07 ppb (15% → 25% of the action level)
• Watsonville (Santa Cruz County): 0.03 ppb → 0.07 ppb (10% → 28% of the action level)

1,3-D is classified by the state of California as a human carcinogen and Toxic Air Contaminant. DPR established the 0.27ppb annual action level specifically as an early-warning threshold — a level meant to trigger review and consideration of mitigation. Parlier residents, especially those near the monitoring site, were breathing air that exceeds that line, in a community already overburdened by agricultural chemical exposure.

Concerns are compounded by the fact that DPR’s trigger for review of 0.27 ppb is almost 7 times higher than the 1,3-D Cancer No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) set by OEHHA, which is equivalent to 0.04 ppb. Annual and longer-term air levels at some of these monitoring sites exceed the NSRL many times over.

Under its own regulatory framework, DPR is required to follow up when the action level is exceeded. As of this release, DPR has not issued any public statement or press release about the Parlier exceedance, nor disclosed what, if any, follow-up review or mitigation steps are underway. DPR has also failed to notify residents, schools, or local health officials in the affected community.

“DPR needs to take a hard look at why air levels rose at more than half of their air monitoring sites after new regulations were put in place,” said Anne Katten with California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

The Californians for Pesticide Reform coalition is calling on DPR to:

1. Disclose what mitigation measures, if any, are being considered or implemented
2. Immediately and publicly notify Parlier residents, the local school district, and county health officials of the exceedance
3. Commit to real-time, proactive public notification whenever any Air Monitoring Network site exceeds a DPR action level — not passive posting of raw data
4. Explain why four of six monitoring sites saw 1,3-D levels rise in 2025, and evaluate whether the current regulations and action level are adequate to protect public health.

The post Cancer-causing pesticide exceeds California’s own safety trigger, requiring state to act appeared first on Valley Voice.

According to Assistant City Manager Thomas Gaffery, the shelter will cost the city about $7.3 million, while the remainder of the costs are covered through a combination of county, state, and federal sources. The shelter held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 10, 2026, though guests aren’t expected to move in until the tentative opening date of July 27, 2026.

“Tulare First”

During the ribbon cutting on July 10, City Manager Marc Mondell made it clear that the new emergency shelter will be following a “Tulare First” policy. In other words, the shelter will only be serving unhoused people that have ties to the city of Tulare.

To ensure this policy is followed, all potential guests go through a screening process in collaboration with Tulare PD’s Halo Team specialty unit. This partnership helps the shelter verify a person’s ties to the city of Tulare through the acquisition of personal information such as last known addresses, background checks, and other forms of documentation.

The shelter’s first guests will be those living at Tulare’s temporary homeless encampment that opened in 2023.

The encampment made up of city provided tents has been a marker of growing concern for some Tulare residents, who cite issues with sanitation, safety, and the prolonged presence of an encampment that was never designed to last for multiple years.

Former Tulare Mayor Terry Sayre cited construction delays as the reason for the wait, but assured the encampment will no longer exist after the tentative move-in day on July 27.

“It will be dismantled,” Sayre said. “Our goal is to get them permanently housed.”

The unhoused population at the encampment is aware of this upcoming change and has been given the opportunity to tour the new shelter as part of the transition process.

Tulare Cares Project Manager Brittney Dias stated that although the new shelter can accommodate up to 400 people if needed, current capacity stands at 200, with only 97 guests initially moving in from the encampment and an additional 50 beds reserved for referrals through the Kings View nonprofit organization.

Kings View is a behavioral health organization that provides mental health, substance abuse treatment, and social services.

Prospective guests unable to verify ties to the city of Tulare will be referred to other organizations such as Kings View, the Lighthouse, The Visalia Navigation Center, the Good Samaritan, and Salt & Light.

Three Phase Model

Tulare’s emergency shelter takes a novel approach in design and function built around a three-phase model intended to transition unhoused off the streets and into permanent housing.

According to Renee Soto, Tulare Cares Homeless Shelter Board Chair, the three-phase model arose from discussions among city council members. The model was designed with the intention of preparing guests for permanent housing by giving them tools to mitigate the chance of relapse or a return to homelessness.

“Ultimately the goal is to be housed,” Soto said. “But housed with the tools they need to succeed when they are housed.”

At the center of the Tulare Cares three-phase model is the main shelter structure that resembles an airplane hangar with tall ceilings, air conditioning, and industrial ventilation. The majority of  the guests will be living here.

The structure is divided into three large sections, each distinct from the others in bed count, privacy level, and amenities. Together, they form a progression system designed to advance guests toward the goal of finding and keeping permanent housing.

Phase A: Entry

The first phase of the model is a large, barracks-style dormitory with approximately 87 beds. This section of the shelter structure is split in half — women on one side, men on the other with access to secure storage. Privacy is minimal while staff assess for individual needs or behavioral concerns.

During this phase, guests begin acclimating to a more structured environment, are connected with a navigator, and start the process of obtaining any missing documentation, such as a birth certificate, ID, or Social Security card. According to Tulare Cares Operations Manager, Brittney Dias, acquiring this documentation can take up to a month.

“You’re just getting started. That’s gonna be your phase A,” Dias said. “We’re gonna try to get you familiar with structure and familiar with starting to take responsibility for your own actions.”

Phase B: Participation

After guests have acclimated to the structure and made progress in case management, they are given the opportunity to progress into B phase and move into the next section of the shelter structure. This phase holds 64 beds, with partitions providing semi-private living conditions. Along with more privacy, guests are also given opportunities to take on responsibilities through volunteering on the shelter grounds.

At this stage, staff can work with guests to help them find part-time or full-time paid work. Guests can also take classes on subjects such as art or managing bills, or attend AA/NA meetings and can earn what the facility calls “Care Bucks” — a form of on-site currency that can be used to purchase items such as clothes, laundry soap, dog food, blankets and hygiene products. The currency system is designed as an incentive to further acclimate guests to increased structure and responsibility.

Phase C: Recovery

The final phase of the model involves guests moving into the last section of the shelter, which contains 24 private rooms with two beds per room. This phase houses guests who are document-ready and either volunteering or earning income while they await a housing opportunity outside the facility. During this phase, guests continue to meet with case management and work with navigators. It is the final stop in the Tulare Cares three-phase model before guests ultimately leave the facility for permanent housing.

Most guests prefer to be in the private rooms. However, Dias emphasized that this phase of the model is only a temporary stop designed to help guests adjust to being in a home structure before they find a unit of their own outside of the facility.

“We’re trying to get [guests] familiar with being in a home structure, so that when you get into your own unit that you don’t get overwhelmed and feel like you’re on your own.”

The Rest of the Campus

The shelter structure is the heart of the facility where the majority of the living and work will be done. However, there are more than two dozen other buildings at the facility, serving a variety of functions meant to support guests while they progress through the phases.

North of the shelter structure is a collection of 16 modular two-room units. Each of these units has two beds per room and has a total of 32 rooms, adding an additional 64 beds to the shelter. Among these units are also spaces designed to accommodate guests with disabilities or limited mobility. More notably, these units are capable of combining with an adjacent unit to form a suite, an ideal living arrangement for guests with families or children.

“Families are different from individuals,” Soto said. “So we will be implementing a program specifically for them.”

South of the shelter structure is the second largest building at the facility where the classroom and laundromat are located. This is also the building where the food pantry is located, and where guests receive two meals per day. Dias said the number was intentional — receiving more than two meals would disqualify guests from continuing to receive food stamp assistance.

Another structure southeast of the facility is a small shipping container dubbed “The Hot Room”. According to staff, it acts as a staging area for guests’ belongings when they first enter the emergency shelter. The hot room takes advantage of the Central Valley heat and reaches temperatures upwards of 120 degrees fahrenheit and serves as a natural sanitization space that kills pests like bed bugs.

Other notable buildings and accommodations around the facility include a large space for dog kennels, a garden area, a small basketball court, a large shipping container with extra clothes, an office space for staff, and four modular buildings with multiple restrooms and showers.

It Takes a Village

A facility the size of Tulare Cares would not be operational without a robust team of dedicated staff working to keep it running. According to Dias, the emergency shelter will be fully staffed 24/7 seven days a week and will have security around the clock.

A total of 22 staff members will be serving guests at the shelter. The team consists of staff leads, admin, a food coordinator, and twelve part-time staff, most of whom were previously unhoused. The facility will also have a team of volunteers to help support daily operations.

One of the key roles is a team of four navigators hired to facilitate case management. Navigators will assist guests with individualized needs such as documentation, application support, networking, health benefits, and permanent housing placement.

“They will be right next to you the whole time working you through the systems,” Soto said.

Many of the staff operating the shelter were previously unhoused at the encampment two blocks away and have been provided positions through the Lighthouse Rescue Mission.

“Over the last couple of years, the individuals in the encampment who have stepped up to volunteer and worked with [Dias] rose to the top by nature and started serving and volunteering today,” Soto said.

One of these individuals is Mauricio Ramirez, a full-time lead for Tulare Cares. Ramirez was homeless for three years in Tulare and began his journey toward stability while volunteering at the encampment. He said leadership saw potential in him and gave him growing responsibilities over the years, which has culminated in full-time work at the new emergency shelter.

“It’s been a blessing,” Ramirez explained. “Rarely do you get this kind of opportunity.”

The journey that Ramirez has taken to achieve stability and permanent housing is a testament to the years of outreach, support, and relationship building done by the city and nonprofit organizations.

“That’s the story of Tulare Cares,” Soto explained. “No one is new to this. In the last 20 years it’s been a coming together of the homeless community and the city.”

The post Tulare Cares Emergency Shelter – a novel approach in design and function appeared first on Valley Voice.

As California’s wolf population has grown to 12 packs throughout the state, livestock producers throughout California have experienced increasing losses from wolf depredation. In the first three months of 2026, there were already 26 confirmed livestock deaths attributed to wolves. That comes on heels of the 196 confirmed attacks in 2025 – a record for California.

For ranchers, the impact extends beyond the loss of an individual animal. Wolf depredation can disrupt herd reproduction, lower weight gain, and increase stress on the animal and the rancher who is fighting to protect their livestock. Due to the gray wolf’s protected status under state and federal law, management of the species is very restrictive.

“This grant wouldn’t be possible without the Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Cattlemen’s Association and others,” said Shannon Douglass, President of California Farm Bureau. “While not a solution to the conflict, the Wolf Livestock Compensation Program is one avenue that helps ranchers deal with loss. Until we have more options to deter wolves, we will keep seeing more attacks on livestock. I appreciate Director Hertel’s leadership and CDFW for providing more tools to ranchers.”

“CDFW deeply values its partners and looks forward to continued collaboration with these organizations to help reduce wolf-livestock conflicts, support California’s livestock producers, and manage the recovery of wolves in California.” said CDFW Meghan Hertel. “We have heard clearly from ranchers how hard the return of wolves has been on their livelihoods— not just financially, but in the day-to-day toll of managing this change.”

Eligibility will continue to be determined by CDFW in accordance with the Wolf Livestock Compensation Program (WLCP). The majority of the $1.1 million grant consists of funding to provide direct loss compensation to ranchers consistent with prong 1, and opportunities for county support for implementation of the WLCP.

Beyond financial assistance, California Farm Bureau will continue to provide education, outreach and equipment to help farmers and ranchers respond to the return of wolves and build long-term resilience in their operations. Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District, Honey Lake Resource Conservation District, and Working Circle also received grants to provide technical assistance, outreach, and training to affected ranchers.

California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches as part of a nationwide network representing more than 5 million Farm Bureau members. Learn more at www.cfbf.com or follow @cafarmbureau on Instagram, LinkedIn, X or Facebook.

The post California Farm Bureau partners with California Department of Fish and Wildlife for $1.1 million to ranchers facing livestock loss from wolf attacks appeared first on Valley Voice.

The fee and rate schedule changes for all city departments were approved by the City Council on June 15. The majority of the adjusted fees went into effect on July 1.

Yearly Fee Changes Avoid Sticker Shock

City fees are adjusted annually to keep them in line with regulations set by other agencies, when contractors change the rate they charge City Hall or to match the city’s actual cost of providing a service. Not all fees and rates increased this year, and some were removed because of redundancy or just weren’t needed anymore.

By adjusting fees and rates on a yearly cycle, City Hall avoids hitting the public with big changes in the cost of doing business.

“When you’re jumping it up 30%, people are shocked or awed or angry,” said Mayor Brett Taylor. “When we’re increasing every year, then it’s a lot easier to swallow.”

Monitoring what the city charges for its various services is not a small task.

“We have nearly 1,600 fees,” said city financial analyst Jana Ferguson.

Those fees cover every service the city provides, from renting trash dumpsters to issuing housing permits to overnight airplane parking. The majority of the rates saw only small changes matching inflation.

Group Rental Fees Increased at Senior Center

The only large increase approved on the new rate sheet is the added cost non-residents will have to pay at the Parks and Recreation Department.

Beginning on August 10, out-of-towners will pay an additional 25% more than those who live within the city limits. The cost increase will not apply to children enrolled in programs funded partially by the Visalia Unified School District.

“This would apply across all Parks and Recreation fees,” Ferguson said.”Picnic areas and indoor facilities rentals, the rental of athletic fields or courts, the lights and concession stands, and then special permits and staff fees that are required for those facilities.”

By delaying the increase, the upward adjustment will match the upcoming fall enrollment in group sports. Identifying out-of-town players will be added work for parks and rec staff, but they make up a large portion of participants.

“It’s generally around 10%,” said parks and rec director Jason Glick. “For new registrants, we’ll ask for their place of residence. It will take some work. We’re not going to hide from that.”

Parks and Recreation also asked for and got an increase in the per-person fee it charges for rental of space inside the city’s four community centers. The city currently adds a $0.35 per person charge when renting out space for events. It’s going up to $0.50 a person.

The increases affect rentals at the Anthony Community Center, the Manuel F Hernandez Center, the city-owned facility at Whitendale Park and at the Senior Center. The centers have spaces for groups as small as 15 people, or as many as 200.

Some Changes Outpace Cost Increase

A small few of the fees City Hall charges bring the city into line with either regulation or industry practice, and the increases more than match an increased cost of living.

The hourly equipment fee for charged firetrucks used during responses due illegal activities, negligence or carelessness will go up a few percent to match the increased rates allowed by FEMA. The cost of overnight aircraft parking at the municipal airport is rising from $12 to $15 to “match industry standards.” And the fee for replacing damaged city-owned waste cans and bins is also going up to match the actual cost to the city.

At the Visalia Convention Center, the fee for maintenance and custodial services during events is going up $1 per hour to $28 ($41 for overtime and holidays). The cost of Internet service is rising slightly, up $2 to $70, and, finally, a change in wording is intended to end confusion about what is included (or not) when renting tables.

“In order for customers to be able to clearly identify that a table rental does not include the tablecloth or any type of linen or skirt, they wanted to add the word ‘bare,’” Ferguson said. “Those are obviously available at an additional cost.”

Also, in a boon for those who are hard on equipment, the cost to replace a damaged or burnt city-owned dumpster is being adjusted to match the city’s cost to replace it. Some of those replacement costs have dropped, meaning a financial break for those unfortunate enough to somehow destroy a reinforced steel bin.

The cost of some city services – like grading permit fees or home occupation permits – will go up to match the city’s labor costs. Some fees at the Visalia Police Department, such as processing fix-it tickets, are going up to match a rise in officers’ salaries.

The post Visalia hikes parks & rec fees 25% for out-of-towners appeared first on Valley Voice.

This is the testimony of Diana — her name has been changed in this article for privacy — one of several survivors who have come forward with sexual assault allegations against Cristobal Guerrero, a 31-year-old student at College of the Sequoias and a former student tutor at the college’s writing center.

Diana said the assault took place in a secluded area of the college’s campus in May of 2023. She came forward last week after a Reddit post titled “Predator Working at COS” gained widespread attention in the local community.

A friend encouraged her to share her story with the Valley Voice. She agreed on the condition that her identity remains protected.

College of the Sequoias confirmed an open investigation into Guerrero in a statement provided to the Valley Voice by Marketing Director and Public Information Officer Lauren Fishback:

“College of the Sequoias has an open investigation regarding allegations on a former Student Worker in Tutorial Services. Through FERPA law, COS can’t comment at this time. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority, and any allegations or reports are taken very seriously.”

FERPA — the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act — is a federal law protecting student privacy that limited what sources at the college were willing to discuss on record.

The statement’s reference to a “former Student Worker” suggests Guerrero is no longer employed at the writing center, but it is unclear if he is still a student at COS.

According to those who say Guerrero victimized them, seven to nine police reports were filed in May and June of this year at the Visalia, Tulare, and COS Police Departments. The Voice has requested those reports and is awaiting response.

Stuart Anderson, from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, said that once the police departments complete their investigations the complaints are forwarded to the DA’s office. Anderson said that TCDA has not yet received any reports involving Guerrero.

The Voice reached out to Guerrero by phone and at his house in Tulare for comment. He did not respond but his mother and neighbors did.

His mother said Guerrero was not allowed to leave the house for his own safety and that his ex-girlfriends were spreading lies.

According to others, including an ex-girlfriend, he fled to Mexico weeks ago.

“Predator Working at COS”

On June 5th, a Reddit post containing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Cristobal Guerrero gained widespread attention on Instagram, Discord and Reddit. The post was titled “Predator Working at COS” and identified Guerrero as a student worker at the writing center and creative writing club president at College of the Sequoias.

The creator of the Reddit thread identified herself to the Voice as Samantha Rose, who met Guerrero during her junior year at Tulare Union High School in 2011. Rose alleges that Guerrero drugged and date-raped her at a party in May of 2012. She said she created the Reddit post to “take power back” after spending over a decade of living in fear and avoiding Guerrero at all costs.

Rose said she had multiple run-ins with Guerrero in the 14 years following her assault. In 2014 she encountered him at a Walmart. In 2018, he appeared at her workplace at the mall. Each time, she said, Guerrero would stare her down as if he enjoyed watching her be afraid. On April 25, 2025, the encounters escalated at the 5th Quarter in Visalia, where he actively followed her and a friend around the venue. The most recent instance was May 29 of 2026.

“I decided after that enough was enough and that I was done being the one to fear him,” she said.

Rose stated that after the Reddit post eight or nine victims came forward.

“That’s when I started to get an influx of messages from other survivors of his, giving me identical stories of how he hurt these people,” Rose explained.

Testimonies against Guerrero varied from sexual assault, manipulation, and abuse of power including what some described as cult-like manipulation and alleged attempts to start a cult on the COS campus. Rose said she encouraged victims to file police reports.

Along with her call to action, her post included a screenshot taken from one of Guerrero’s TikTok live sessions. In the still image, Guerrero appears seated in a garage, wearing a black tank top, his long black hair falling over his shoulders. An overhead light cast a faint shadow over his eyes.

The post also contained a link to a Change.org petition calling for Guerrero’s removal from College of the Sequoias. The petition, which listed the Sequoias Board of Trustees among its intended recipients, included screenshots of accounts submitted by individuals describing nonconsensual advances, grooming, stalking, sexual abuse, and allegations that Guerrero supplied alcohol to minors with intent to exploit them.

So far the petition has collected nearly 200 signatures.

Shortly after Rose’s Reddit post gained local attention Guerrero’s social media accounts vanished. Guerrero had operated publicly under at least two aliases beyond his legal name: “Magnovi”, his oldest known online identity, and “Jay H. Cults”, the persona under which he was most prominently known within the local community and at College of the Sequoias.

“He is Godly”

A search of Guerrero’s alias Jay H. Cults led to a YouTube channel called “In The Moment with Paul J. Sisler II”. At least six videos featured a thumbnail with a stylized image of a young man matching Guerrero’s description: dressed in all black, long dark hair, dark tinted sunglasses, wearing what appeared to be a harness with a pendant. The thumbnail read: “The Alternative featuring Jay H. Cults.’”

The host, Sisler, and Guerrero interviewed writers and discussed various topics. The Alternative segment videos were often an hour long and offered a window into Guerrero’s public persona. He had published fantasy books under his pseudonym and appeared in every video dressed in the same dark aesthetic. He often made the host and guests laugh and would occasionally light a cigarette or sip a beer mid-conversation.

Sisler said of Guerrero, “He is a multitude of things. He is godly. In fact, there was once a cult started in his name.”

Following the Digital Trail

Multiple comments on the Reddit post identified Guerrero as a member and president of the creative writing club at COS.

A search of Guerrero’s alias Jay H. Cults led to a Facebook page for Squill Publishing, a small independent press created by the COS creative writing club.

The Squill Publishing page had not been active since January 2024, but more than a dozen reels remained undeleted. Most reels featured poems and art pieces edited together in a colorful, fluid psychedelic style. Once again, the reel covers displayed a young man matching Guerrero’s physical description: dressed in all black, long black hair, dark circular sunglasses concealing his eyes.

A former COS writing center coworker, who will be referred to as Lucia to protect her identity, came to know Guerrero at the club through most of 2023. By the end of that year she said the creative writing club had been thrown into turmoil by accusations against Guerrero. Shortly after, Guerrero suddenly stopped attending the college and working at the writing center.

Lucia said she later heard Guerrero had been suspended from COS — a claim the Voice was unable to independently verify by publication time.

The current president of the creative writing club, Justin Gibson, said “The club hasn’t met since the whole ordeal began,” Gibson stated. “…I wanted to get my story out because I’ve seen accusations fly around on my name as well.”

Gibson stated that he met with Elise Garcia, COS Dean of Student services.

Gibson said the dean said the college is attempting to build a case. It’s worth mentioning that Rose also had a meeting with a dean on June 16th. She corroborated Gibson’s statement that COS was gathering evidence against Guerrero and were taking the matter seriously.

Three Hours

Lucia referred the Voice to another club member who told reporters she was assaulted by Guerrero in May of 2023 behind a stairwell of the Tule building on the COS campus. Guerrero was 28 years old and she was under the drinking age.

The source requested to remain anonymous and will be referenced using the pseudonym Diana.

Diana described him as “cynical, unorganized, sporadic, and overall kind of a mess”, a dynamic that led her to take on more responsibility in the club and spend more time with him. She added that Guerrero had a temper, crossed boundaries regularly, and showed up to college drunk on multiple occasions. She said Guerrero once took her to a bar despite knowing she was under 21.

On one occasion, she said, Guerrero spent hours on the phone attempting to convince her she had kissed him while drunk. She began avoiding him after that, at one point asking a friend to drive her to another town to put distance between them.

Eventually she decided she could no longer keep running. She agreed to speak with him. She wanted to meet in the cafeteria. Guerrero kept blocking her path. They ended up somewhere secluded. The survivor had previously trusted Guerrero and shared a traumatic experience from her past. Diana stated that Guerrero weaponized that trauma and used it against her.

“I had told this to [Guerrero],” she said. “And he essentially recreated the event.”

The assault triggered an intense physiological response that consisted of hyperventilation, temporary loss of vision and hearing, and a dissociative state that blurred the line between present and past.

“I would mix reality with the past experiences,” she said. “At times I would see [Guerrero], at other times I would see another dude that had hurt me.”

Diana attempted to fight back, but each time she tried to get to her feet her legs gave out beneath her. Eventually, a woman appeared around the corner, a cleaning staff member making her rounds after school hours. The woman’s presence startled Guerrero, giving Diana an opportunity to escape.

“The whole ordeal felt like 30 minutes,” she recalled. However, when she entered her car and checked the time, she realized three hours had passed.

Diana said she did not report the incident until recently. Like many other sexual assault survivors, she said she blamed herself and her body for failing to fight back. But she said she has since found her footing.

“My fight or flight is mostly fight now,” she said. “’I want him to face consequences for his actions.”

“A Man of Respect”

Guerrero’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Monét gave the Voice Guerrero’s address and phone numbers for him and his parents.

Monét stated she wanted to help with the investigation because she knew firsthand the kind of suffering Guerrero put young women through.

“If something is going to actually be published about him, I want to make sure it’s the truth of how horrible he is and what he did to myself and so many other women…,” she said. “This is a 31-year-old man that preys on people in queer spaces that are younger than him and fetishizes them.”

Monét believed Guerrero had fled to Mexico with his mother after the allegations of sexual assault but said she was certain his father still lived at home.

A Voice reporter knocked on his door twice but received no answer. A reporter then knocked on neighboring doors. One neighbor said they had not seen Guerrero in over two weeks. Another said they had not seen him at all.

A reporter called Guerrero and it went to voicemail. The second number belonged to his father, Gabriel, who answered the phone. Gabriel denied any knowledge of the allegations made against his son but moments later, Cristobal’s mother, Norma, who only speaks Spanish, took over the call.

Norma aggressively responded to the public allegations against her son.

“It’s all lies,” she said. “They are defaming my son through social media.”

Norma said the allegations had been started by her son’s ex-girlfriends. She claimed they were spreading false accusations. She also clarified that her son had not fled to Mexico and was still residing at their home in Tulare.

“He is not hiding,” she continued. “I deleted his social media. I am not going to let him out of the house.”

Norma explained that Guerrero was not allowed to leave the house because he was receiving death threats, had been the victim of a beating that sent him to the hospital, and that the window of his car had been broken. She attributed the incidents of physical assault and vandalism to the ex-girlfriends.

“Look at my son’s record and then look at theirs,” she demanded. “My son is of principles. A man of respect.”

She also emphasized that her son’s mental health was declining due to recent events.

“He looks depressed. He could take his own life for something he didn’t do. As a mother I have to protect my son.”

Norma refused to let the Voice speak to him.

“No,” she replied. “No one is going to speak with my son. I am getting a lawyer and pressing charges for defamation.”

The Ex-Girlfriend

The Voice reached out to several commenters on Rose’s Reddit post. Among those who responded was a woman Guerrero’s mother had specifically named as one of the ex-girlfriends and who she held responsible for the allegations against her son.

To protect the source’s identity, she will be referred to throughout this article as Morgan.

Morgan met Guerrero in October 2023. At the time, Guerrero introduced himself by his alias Jay H. Cults and told her he was 21 years old — the same age as her. Guerrero was in fact closer to 29.

According to Morgan, the first time they were sexually intimate, Guerrero provided her with large quantities of alcohol and, in her words, ‘berated’ her until she entered his bedroom. The use of alcohol as a precursor to unwanted sexual advances was a pattern that appeared in multiple independent accounts related to Guerrero.

“I did not consent to the sexual acts that followed,” Morgan said. “And I consider that encounter to have been rape and the loss of my virginity.”

Morgan said Guerrero threatened to reveal details of what happened in that bedroom to her close circle if she did not continue complying with his sexual demands. She said shame and fear kept her in the relationship. Over time, she said, the abuse escalated into emotional manipulation, physical assault, and continued nonconsensual sex. She said that Guerrero weaponized his depression to manipulate her and threatened to kill himself.

The threats against Morgan got worse too, she says:

“He made a statement that if I tried to leave, he would kill me and have sex with my dead body.”

Morgan  also provided her perspective on the rumors about the alleged cult Guerrero had attempted to start through the creative writing club.

“The club was a front for him,” she said. “By the second semester, he didn’t allow anyone else to run for president…He bragged about how he almost got away with it. That it was everybody else’s fault and that he didn’t deserve suspension because all of those club members were dumb followers that are just upset they didn’t get chosen.”

After the initial assault, Morgan said she was pressured into moving in with Guerrero, further isolating her from her friends and family. She said she witnessed Guerrero drinking often with his father, drinking she said sometimes escalated into physical altercations between the two men and increased abuse toward the women in the house.

When the Voice asked about Norma’s allegations that Morgan and another ex-girlfriend were responsible for Guerrero being beaten and his car being vandalized, Morgan denied any involvement. She said no charges were filed against her and the matter was never pursued.

“I was not involved in vandalism,” Morgan said. “I have nothing to do with him getting beat up, but he definitely beat me.”

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, support is available 24 hours a day through RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or rainn.org. Crisis support is also available by texting HOME to 741741

The post College of the Sequoias student, former writing tutor accused of sexual assault appeared first on Valley Voice.

The spending plan includes a $110.4 million allocation for the general fund in its first year, and $110.8 for the general fund during the second year. The city’s Finance Department expects a combined surplus of about $7.8 million in the general fund when the books close at the end of June 2028.

City Leaders Declare City Coffers Strong

In presenting the proposed biannual budget, the city’s financial staff promised more of the fiscal stability that’s been the hallmark of City Hall’s approach to budgeting in recent decades.

“Overall, the city is in good financial shape,” said city financial analyst Jana Ferguson. “Revenues are up in all categories and are projected to continue. Development continues throughout Visalia. Departments are controlling expenses.”

The biannual budget includes spending for all the separate spending accounts maintained by the city: the General Fund, as well as various special revenue funds, capital funds, enterprise funds and internal service funds.

“The largest category is the business-type funds at 41% (of the entire budget), and that consists of 14 funds,” Ferguson said. Business-type funds include money earmarked for wastewater treatment, airport maintenance and solid waste disposal. “And the next one is our general fund at 27%. That’s our largest fund that we have.”

Planned spending for the next two years includes investments in our city infrastructure, including maintenance and replacement projects, she said, and the general fund has a healthy reserve balance. Both upcoming budget years are projected to end with a surplus: $2.6 million in 2026-27, and $5.6 million in 2027-28.

Reserve Cash, Low Debt Keep Visalia Solid

The city has reserves worth $27.4 million as the current fiscal year (July 2025 to June 2026) comes to a close. That nest egg should increase to $29.6 million in 2026-27, and climb to $30.6 million during the 2027-28 budget year. City policy requires a cash reserve equal to 30% of the general fund budget, and Mayor Brett Taylor said the city is within “several hundred thousand dollars” of meeting that goal.

Keeping the city ready to handle economic downturns with a large reserve fund, combined with saving for big projects to avoid borrowing, has given Visalia a solid financial footing most cities don’t have, Taylor said.

“Financially, our city is doing really, really well,” he said. “So many other cities are looking at ‘Which employees are we letting off?’ We’re looking at some of our school districts letting go of some employees. Visalia is in a strong position because we spend within our means.”

The city is almost nearly debt-free compared to most municipalities. Since Visalia has avoided borrowing to fund capital projects, like large construction projects, it has only $4.9 million in debt at the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year. The debt should be completely off the books by the end of the 2028-29 fiscal year.

Currently, repaying outstanding loans accounts for less than 1% of city spending.

“Any other city of our size or of any decent size, they’re putting out millions and millions of dollars a year in debt,” Taylor said. “And we don’t live off that, so we’re not having to pay off that debt, which is huge.”

The city’s low debt service and its large reserve keep Visalia in a unique position among California’s cities.

“No other city is in that position,” Taylor said. “That really speaks volumes about our community and what we do.”

City Manages Expectations in Budgeting

Caution and precaution have been key to the city’s financial wellbeing, according to finance director Renee Nagel. Her department’s policy is to avoid being overenthusiastic when predicting the city’s incomes and pessimistic about expenses.

“We’re conservative with our revenues, and we’re overly conservative with our expenditures,” she said. “We do that for several reasons. For the revenue side, we always hope that they will come in higher. If the economy starts to turn, we would have some wiggle room there because we weren’t overshooting it. You never know. The slightest economic change, it could be foreign or domestic changes, or a policy that can affect your revenues.”

Council member Brian Poochigian credits the wisdom of past elected city leaders for setting the stage for Visalia’s ongoing strong financial footing.

“Previous councils should be applauded for this,” he said. “We are in such a good financial state and very stable compared to a lot of other cities because of the conservative nature of what the (finance department) does and the long-term planning, that if something really bad happened, the residents could rest easy because we’re covered because we’ve been saving for years in case of emergency.”

An example of how this thinking has benefited the city shows up in the difference between the 2026-27 budget and the lower 2027-28 budget, which is $50 million smaller.

“Those large differences, those are heavier in capital projects for the first year of the budget,” said Ferguson. “So they have more projects and more money being appropriated for those capital projects in the first year of the budget.”

The money for those projects, including construction of Fire Station 51 and the expansion of the wastewater treatment system, was banked during previous budget cycles. And the projects and the payouts are happening now.

The city has a six-year capital improvements plan in place, but so far funding for only the first two years of projects is secure. The entire six-year list of capital projects is included in the 500-plus-page electronic copy of the city budget available at the city’s website:

http://www.visalia.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3095/Proposed-2026-27–2027-28-Budget-Document-PDF

“In that six-year capital plan were the first two years of proposed projects,” said Nagel. “Some of those were projects (with) continuing phases that we’ve started, and then some of them are starting new projects, with the heavy lifting being maybe in the first year.”

City Hall Now Hiring

City Hall plans to add 21 new full-time personnel over the next 12 months under the new budget. Most will be new police officers. The parks and recreation, finance and public works departments will also see new hires.

“(Adding) these 21 positions brings our full (count of) full-time allocated positions to 722 for fiscal year ‘27/’28,” said city finance and technology director Negal. “At any given time, the city, which includes full-time and hourly, on average we have about 950 employees.”

The single largest fund in the city budget is the General Fund, which receives 27% of the entire allotment in 2026-27 and 31% in 2027-28. The General Fund will spend $110.4 million in 2026-27, and another $110.8 million in 2027-28, and most of that cash will cover labor costs.

The largest expenditure from the general fund covers salaries and benefits for staff. It makes up 76% of total spending. In 2026-27, the city will shell out $84 million on labor. That’s an increase of 8% from the previous budget, and that mainly covers hiring more staff. But it also covers a 4% wage adjustment for current staff members. The cost of labor should increase another 4% in 2027-28, rising to around $87.5 million, depending on how wages adjust.

General Fund Spending, Income Expected to Rise

General Fund spending will increase by 7% in 2026-27, and by 3% in 2027-28 under the current budget.

Ninety percent of the General Fund comes from taxes. Sales tax is the largest source, making up 44% of the General Fund money. Property tax supplies 19% of the General Fund, a state scheme that uses property tax money to replace lost vehicle licensing fees makes up another 16%, and the rest of the General Fund money comes from franchise taxes, transit taxes, business license taxes and other sources.

City staff is predicting a 2-3% for all six tax revenue sources during the next two years. During the last 20 years, sales tax income in Visalia has increased by 3.9% on average, with a 5.5% average increase in the last 15 years. It increased 3.5% in 2025-26; and 2.5% increases are projected for 2026-27 and 2027-28.

But, of course, the budget is only a very thorough plan. Expenditures and revenues can change unexpectedly, but the city has prepared as well as it can for any financial surprises.

“We try to plan for everything, but things do come up throughout the year or two years,” Nagel said. “You try to plan for every foreseeable future, but you just never know what’s going to happen.”

The post ‘Conservative’ budget for Visalia promises surpluses, security appeared first on Valley Voice.

Visalia, Tulare, Hanford, and Porterville’s garbage services are currently handled owned and operated by city governments.

According to the agenda packet, “The Refuse Division is staffed by 19 employees, collected and disposed of 40,000 tons of waste, including 5,425 tons of recyclables and 9,000 tons of organic waste.

For attendees, the April 21 agenda was the first indication Porterville was considering privatizing their garbage collection service since a 2023 study recommended the city avoid privatizing its trash service.

According to documents unearthed by a group of Porterville residents, that agenda item came after nine months of discussions between Porterville City Manager Richard Tree, Lindsay City Manager Kuyler Crocker, and Caglia Environmental — a Fresno-based waste management company to which Crocker is a consultant.

(Caglia‘s website does not list any services in Tulare County, and services in Lindsay are provided by Kingsburg-based Mid-Valley Disposal.)

City officials deny that any one company has received a blessing to take over Porterville’s trash service.

“Assumptions that a certain company has been pre-determined is not true,” Tree told the Valley Voice.

He added that the city is going to reach out to all interested waste management companies.

“We will rank the companies and then see if the council agrees to go ahead,” he said.

To privatize or not?  – depends who you are

The April 21 meeting agenda item states: “Consider and authorize advertisement of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Solid Waste, Recycling, and Organics Services, and direct staff to return to the City Council with an evaluation of service delivery options and a recommendation.”

Karen Anderson, a Porterville resident, said that Porterville’s sanitation department is doing a good job, are dedicated workers, and that Porterville is clean. She voiced concern about the fate of employees and families of those who would be laid off if the city outsourced its garbage services.

“Privatization of solid waste management can mean higher costs, less control, and fewer options when things go wrong,” Porterville resident Diane Wagner said. “Private companies are not in the business of public service but are in the business of making profits.”

Wagner added there would be much less accountability once a contract is signed with a private company.

“Rates go up, fees get added and the customer will be paying more for less service,” she said.

When two men representing the refuse company Caglia Environmental came to the podium with prepared statements, it raised a few eyebrows as to why they were the only refuse company present.

The president, Richard Caglia, said he wanted to express his interest in serving the city of Porterville. He said that Caglia Environmental had been serving the Central Valley for over 90 years and employs 300 local families.

He said his company’s implementation of the latest technologies such as their system of automation, AI, and robotics keeps costs down and he can pass the savings on to the customers.

Keith Hester, General Manager of Caglia Environmental, said customers would actually have more control over their garbage service if it were privatized.

He concluded by exclaiming, “I love the wraps around your buses! We would proudly wrap out trucks in old glory.”

When it was time for the council to speak Mayor Greg Meister countered that if the city did privatize he would negotiate for lower rates.

Meister said rates went up last year and he reminded the public that three more rate increases were scheduled.

He also said he would make it a condition that the chosen company has to hire Porterville’s employees currently working in the sanitation department and that the city would maintain some control over rates.

Meister pointed out that not only would the company be paying Porterville a franchise fee of $1.5 million a year but that Porterville could take advantage of a loophole in the system mandating electrification of garbage collection fleets.

Private garbage collection companies were not required to electrify their trucks he said, while municipalities were. Meister was referring to the California Resource Board (CARB) legislation declaring that all cities must electrify their garbage truck fleet by 2042.

But according to Trisha Whitfield, Tulare’s Public Works Director, it’s only a matter of time before CARB figures it out and mandates private and public fleets convert to electric.

She added that even if a city has an outside vendor, the city is responsible for monitoring that vendor and thus is on the hook for electrification.

“Visalia bought one electric garbage truck and Tulare just bought two. The drivers love them and the trucks easily finished a ten hour route,” she said.

Toward the end of the discussion, Tree suggested that the city council change from asking companies for an RFP to a simpler process, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) — in the event the city decides not to privatize, Tree said the companies and city staff would not have wasted hours of staff time preparing a labor intensive document.

An RFQ, Tree said, would be about a page long and ask interested companies to list their qualifications and how they would serve Porterville.

Megan Crouch, City of Porterville’s lawyer added that California law does not require cities do a competitive bidding process when outsourcing services, and that no requirement is written in Porterville’s Municipal Code.

Couch rationalized that because the chosen garbage collection company would be paying the city a franchise fee it would make the bidding process not legally necessary.

May 5 council meeting raises more questions than answers

Despite the fact that privatizing Porterville’s trash and recycling services had generated robust public dissent during the April 21 meeting, city staff placed the item on the consent calendar for the May 5 meeting.

According to the agenda, “All Consent Calendar Items are considered routine and will be enacted in one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these matters unless a request is made, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Calendar.”

The item stated, “Consideration to authorize the issuance of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for solid waste services and authorize negotiations with the highest-ranked firm regarding a potential franchise agreement.”

City Council Member Raymond Beltran pulled the item and requested it be discussed with the general agenda.

Before the meeting got to the regular agenda public comment launched straight into skepticism over Caglia’s presence at the April 21 city council meeting.

Local resident Heather Thompson asked the council how one waste company happened to be at the last meeting.

Brock Neeley, a local activist, asked how it was that Caglia Environmental already had a tour of Porterville’s Corporation Yard before the April 21 meeting and before anyone knew Porterville was considering privatizing their services.

Tree explained in a phone interview with the Voice that there are many online tools available for companies to alert them to what cities are discussing on their agendas.

“My inbox is filled with vendors inquiring about city services,” said Tree.

Tree added that he hoped the city receives interest and inquires from all the local garbage and recycling companies. He said Tule Trash and Mid-Valley Disposal have also toured the corporation yard but he could not remember exactly when.

“We want to see if the best operator will work for Porterville,” he said.

Beltran had similar concerns explaining why he pulled the item from the consent calendar.

He asked Tree, “Can you tell us who initiated contact with Caglia Environmental and who was on the tour?”

Tree said he was at the League of California Cities Conference in October, 2025 where Caglia Environmental had a booth. He said The Caglia Environmental wanted to see Porterville’s operations

“So I initiated that tour, showed them our fleet and answered any of their questions,” said Tree. “They seemed pretty interested.”

In response to an email from a member of the public, the League of California Cities stated that Caglia did not have an exhibition booth at the conference.

“They (Caglia) did not have a booth with us. Let me know if you need anything else!” the email reads.

A series of emails also contradicts Tree’s assertion that he first met Caglia Environmental at the League of California Cities Conference.

Emails spanning over September 8 and September 9, 2025 between Crocker and Tree make clear that the Caglia Environmental tour of Porterville’s Corporation Yard happened more than a month before the conference.

Transcribed is the email chain between the two city managers.

Email from Crocker to Tree Monday, September 8, 3:29

Rich, 

Thanks or meeting with us last week. The guys are really excited about the possibility to serve Porterville. I have included additional questions the team has aas they are working on fine tuning the numbers. What does your schedule look like to check in either in person or a phone call for you and I? Let me know. 

Thanks Kuyler

Email from Tree to Crocker Monday, September 8, 4:09

Hi Kuyler, 

We will start working on the answers to the list of questions, but it will take us some time. Wednesday before noon is the best day and time for me this week.

Email from Crocker to Tree.

 Understood, Want to grab coffee at 9 or have a call?

Email from Tree Monday September 8, 6:29pm

Yea let’s grab coffee at 9. Where do you want to meet up?

Email from Crocker

Staffords?

Email from Tree to Crocker, Tuesday September 9 1:42

Perfect, see you then

Email from Tree to a city staff on Tuesday, September 9, 1:10pm

Howdy, 

From the recent Caglia on-site visit, they have come back with the following list of questions. Do we have any of this information somewhat available without too much work? You don’t need to answer the questions below right now, I am just curious what we have available and what we don’t have at all.

1. Total tons per year by commodity type
2. Residential trash, Residential recycling, Residential organics, Commercial trash, Commercial recycling, Commercial organics
3. Will the City continue to provide billing or would it prefer the contractor to bill?
4. Total debt for solid waste system.
5. What is the historic bad debt percentage on both residential and commercial? 
6. Is the City seeking a franchise fee, and if so, what percentage? 
7. What are the miles/hours on the trucks (by truck?) 
8. Can you supply the maintenance records for the trucks? 
9. Can you provide an asset list of all containers detailing size, age, and asset value? 
10. Can you provide a wage list by position for the solid waste system (drivers, mechanics, etc.)?

In a phone interview with Tree, the Voice asked again how he came into contact with Caglia Environmental.

“I was talking with a city manager and they brought it up,” he said.

When asked which city manager, Tree replied, “I don’t know how that matters.”

The Voice asked Tree when Caglia Environmental toured the Porterville Corporation Yard.

Tree responded he did not know the date — and when asked what month, he said he also did not know.

The Voice inquired about who was on the tour, Tree said he did not remember.

When pressed for an answer, Tree said “Maybe Richard.”

In another document that shows behind the doors collaboration between the two city managers was a PowerPoint sent in an email.

The first slide explained why the recruitment of a contractor should be “sole source” process. “Sole source” is when a city focuses on one company and does not engage in an open bidding process.

A second slide explained why Porterville should choose Caglia Environmental.

The slides showed a City of Porterville logo, but Tree said the PowerPoint was not created by him or his staff. He said the PowerPoint was created by Caglia Environmental in order to earn the city’s business.

Tree also said that “a lot has changed” since a study done by consultants recommending Porterville keep trash service in-house.

The RFQ has not been drafted, Tree said, and he did not expect the issue to come back to the council until the end of the year.

The city council might suggest changes and then give final approval, but final approval is far away, Tree said.

“Even if we get to that point it will be at least a year.”

The post Porterville residents allege dirty dealings in waste management privatization talks appeared first on Valley Voice.

The City of Tulare relies on its General Fund to pay for day-to-day operations and essential community services, including public safety, parks, roads, infrastructure maintenance, and other local services. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, public safety accounts for 55% of the General Fund, or more than $38 million.

“Placing this measure on the ballot gives Tulare voters the opportunity to consider a local funding source for City services,” said City Manager Marc Mondell. “Our role is to provide clear, factual information about what the measure would do, how much revenue it is estimated to generate, and how residents can review the details before casting a ballot.”

According to City financial projections, Tulare is expected to face a structural deficit within the next five years, meaning ongoing expenses are projected to outpace ongoing revenues. The City has taken cost-saving measures, including delaying capital projects and deferring maintenance, while also facing rising costs related to inflation, pensions and homelessness response. Sales tax revenue, which makes up roughly 31% of the General Fund, is projected to decrease by 3.5% in FY 2026, from $23.1 million in FY 2025 unaudited actuals to $22.3 million.

Tulare’s current sales tax rate is 8.25%, which remains one of the lowest among surrounding incorporated cities in Tulare County. Sales tax rates in Dinuba, Visalia, Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay and Woodlake are currently higher than Tulare’s rate. If this measure is approved by voters, Tulare’s sales tax rate would increase to 9.25%.

Because this is proposed as a general tax measure, the revenue would be deposited into the City’s General Fund and may be used for general government purposes. The ballot language identifies local service areas such as maintaining 911 emergency, fire, paramedic and police response; protecting local youth from gangs and crime; helping prevent thefts and property crimes; addressing homelessness; keeping public areas and community parks clean and safe; repairing local roads and potholes; protecting local drinking water sources and preparing for future droughts; and retaining and attracting local businesses.

Based on FY 2026 projections, the estimated cost of the one-cent sales tax increase would be approximately $466 per capita, or roughly $1,540 per household annually.

“The people of Tulare want a safe and affordable City to call home,” said Mayor Patrick Isherwood. “This measure helps us get there. This measure would fund more cops, fix more potholes, keep parks safe for our kids, and get us to the level of services the residents of Tulare expect and desire.”

The measure will appear on the November 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Ballots and voter information will be administered by the Tulare County Registrar of Voters.

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