Race Track Revs Its Motors

Tulare - It’s not time for the famed announcement “Gentlemen start your engines,” but the proposed Tulare Motor Sports complex is clearly revving up as developer Bud Long pushes the city to get all approvals in place by next June so construction can begin then on the $250 million project.

To accomplish this ambitious timeline, City Manager Darrel Pyle has set in motion an unforgiving schedule of complicated steps that includes annexing more than 700 acres, completing the environmental impact report, putting in place the zone change and penning a development agreement with Long’s Clovis-based investment group.

Adding pressure on the city is the fact Long has told Pyle the firm is “confident that all financing is in place” for the project to move forward, making the timeline for release of funds critical.

“They are working on engineering drawing of the offsite improvements right now,” Pyle said, referring to Long’s group.

The City Council will go over some changes to the existing memorandum of understanding at a Dec. 4 meeting, Pyle said.

In the meantime, a traffic and noise study—part of the EIR—will be complete at the end of November and a new economic impact study, which will also be included in the EIR, should be ready by early December, Pyle said.

Not sure the city can reach Long’s expectations on all approvals is planning director Mark Kielty. He expects a draft EIR to be made public in February and a public hearing on the final report to be held in late spring.

“I doubt they will be able to fire up the bulldozers in June,” Kielty says.

Kielty says the developer may have a public hearing in February to announce the release of the project’s EIR, although no public hearing is required until the final EIR is released late in spring.

One study, part of the EIR process, is looking at the financial impact of the project. It is being done by Michael Brandman and Associates. That study is expected to be ready in a few weeks and may be released prior to the EIR.

Traci Myers, economic consultant to the city, says the economic impact study will update the report Southern California Edison completed that showed the project would generate an estimated 3,800 jobs after the three year build out.

She says her understanding is the new study may triple the number of jobs to 12,000, after adding up all retail, hotel, race track, office park, convention center and residential projects in the works associated with the track.

The project foresees a 50,000 seat oval stadium for the NASCAR races that could be expanded to 90,000 if Nextel Cup races were to come to town, Myers said. The motor sports complex is also to include a 35,000 seat drag strip and a 35 acre lake.

One big ticket item is how to pay for an expected requirement that an improved Paige Avenue or AgriCenter interchange or both be built, depending on the outcome of traffic studies that are part of the EIR process.

The pressure on city staff increased in recent weeks when Long told staff his financing plans were set with lenders requiring a specific timeline to release funds. The finalization of the financing appears to signal that NASCAR will indeed approve running regular races in Tulare, although they won’t formally bless the project, say sources.

To ensure the city can move the annexation process along, city officials met with county planner George Finney in recent weeks to see if there was a chance to process the annexation of land “in a parallel process” as the city processes other permits.

Opposition to the project, that would clearly change the face of Tulare, is out there but just how deep and widespread as yet is not yet clear.

Opposition will likely resurface at next month’s council meeting and the EIR public hearings in the spring.

Proponents of the plan include the Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation, which isn’t waiting to answer critics who have hired attorney Mike Lampe to represent them. The Foundation has decided to hire Lockwood and Associates, a Visalia public relations firm, to begin a marketing plan to “educate the public” on the project. Former Tulare City Manager Lynn Dredge confirmed the marketing plan this week.

Earlier this summer, City Attorney Steve Kabot asked Lampe to address all questions he had about the project directly to him. Kabot said Lampe offered an “onslaught of questions” to city staff and council members even as he made it clear a lawsuit against the city was likely.

Lampe has not said his clients will sue, but says noise and traffic concerns “will sink the project.”

Concerns over traffic impacts were a major problem in Madera when a planned race track near that town generated lots of opposition.

City officials say the proposed entrance to the Tulare race track would be directly off 99, likely at the proposed AgriCenter interchange near AgTAC and will not impact much of the rest of the community and no residential area except for one.

Dredge says Long has made progress on his plan in recent months, acquiring financing and land, as well as entering into tentative deals to sell off land to potential commercial projects such as hotels, which will be part of the mega complex.

Among those said to be interested in a hotel site in Tulare if the race track happens is Harris Ranch, which looked at the area some years back, Dredge said. “Harris Ranch has looked again at the area and says they are interested.”

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TDH Breathes Financial Sigh of Relief

Tulare - In a whirlwind 60 days, Tulare District Hospital not only sold its first round of general obligation bonds—$15 million of the $85 million voters approved in 2005 for an expansion—but also refinanced $18 million in revenue bonds that were issued in 1998 and 2002.

Hospital officials said the refinancing was an important move that freed up $17 million—70 days worth of operating capita—the district had been required to keep in reserve under terms of one of the bonds. That money can now go toward the $20 million the hospital promised voters the district would contribute to the $120 million expansion.

The refinancing also;

·  Eliminated a variable interest rate on one of the bonds, which had tripled since it was issued, and locked in a lower variable range of between 3.7 and 5.1 percent;

·  Did away with a requirement that Cal Mortgage approve selection of the new chief executive officer; and

·   Freed the district of the need to get an annual 1.25 percent letter of credit from a financial institution.

If a financial institution decided not to provide such a letter, the bonds could be recalled, interim Chief Financial Officer John Church said.

The 1998 bond was for construction of the existing three-story tower and the 2002 bond enabled the district to build Evolutions Fitness and Rehabilitation Center. The 2002 bond had a variable rate with no cap and had already increased 4.5 percent, Church said.

“By doing this we saved the district hundreds of thousands of dollars,’” he said.

The hospital was able to refinance the bonds without mortgage insurance because it received a “BBB-“rating—industrial grade—from Fitch Ratings, an international credit rating company.

Hundreds of pages of documents were provided to Fitch representatives, who also visited the hospital in September and met with staff members and board member Dr. Prem Kamboj.

Voter passage of the general obligation bond was one of the major strengths Fitch cited when announcing the hospital’s rating.

“This strong support demonstrates the community’s willingness to help maintain viable hospital operations in the area,” the rating company said.

The report also cited as strengths the hospital’s sound liquidity—the district had 129 days cash on hand as of June 30—and good debt service coverage.

Credit concerns included:  the transitional management structure, which the board has put in place until a new chief executive is on board and can select his or her own team; declining numbers of inpatients, which was attributed to “inefficient emergency department operations and a drop in the level of inpatient admissions by physicians; and weakening operating results.

Kamboj said representatives he met were concerned about the reduction in the patient census.

“We had to assure them we’re going to go ahead with aggressive recruitment of physicians,” he said.

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Manufactured Housing Park Plan Revised; Looks Like a Go

Tulare - Unless a City Council member changes his mind, developers who want to build a large pre-manufactured housing park in west Tulare will be able to move forward with a revised 399-unit project after Nov. 13.

That is when the council is expected to formally vote on a request that it overturn a Planning Commission vote that would permit an even larger, 519-unit park on a 77-acre site at the northwest corner of Bardsley Avenue and West Street.

An informal poll, taken after an Oct. 16 public hearing, found the council deadlocked 2-2 on the project. City Attorney Steve Kabot said such a vote would allow the commission’s decision to stand and would apply to the version. Vice Mayor Phil Vandegrift did not vote or participate in the council’s discussion because he has business relationships with people involved.

The hearing on the Tullin Meadows project nearly filled the council chambers, mostly with residents who opposed the affordable housing project for a variety of reasons. Concerns included the project’s size and location, the fact residents would own their homes but not the land and how the development would hold up over time.

'Pretty Picture’

“It’s a pretty picture right now, but 10 years down the road it will be a mess,” Tulare resident Richard Parreira said in a frequently echoed comment.

Lino Pimentel, who appealed the Planning Commission’s decision, said he was glad to see changes in the project, but still opposed it.

I still believe 398 homes are too many,” Pimentel said.

He also said the affordable housing project would not provide homeowners with “real equity,” because while they would own their homes, they would not own the land. He also argued the city already has enough affordable housing to serve low-to-moderate income residents.

“Yes, there’s some in poor condition, but there are many that aren’t,” Pimentel said, responding to Tullin Meadows representative Darlene Matta’s earlier presentation.

Matta reported that only 32 single-family homes were for sale in the city at less than $150,000 and many were either in poor condition or in neighborhoods where other properties were run down.

Homes in Tullin Meadow must be owner-occupied and the park will have an on-site manager who will make sure properties are kept up to a high standard, developer said.

Attorney Dennis Mederos, who represents the sellers of the property, said the project will give people, “the people you don’t see here today,” the opportunity to have their own home.

Tulare resident Robert Montion, former chief executive officer of Tulare District Hospital, called the project “a third world approach to residential housing” and said “Tulare is far from the third world.”

Studies show that people are buying permanent, “real deal homes” and the Tullin Meadows project was the antithesis of what is happening in the market.

He said it was no surprise a project like this would receive staff report given Mayor Craig Vejvoda’s comments in his State of the City address earlier this year.

When he referenced this housing project in his speech, Montion said, Vejvoda maintained it would foster community on the west side of Tulare, “and that is certainly a place that can use community.”

Montion said the mayor owed an apology to West Tulare residents, which he described as a vibrant community.

He later asked if any remaining council members had business dealings with Dr. Jay Chopra, implying a conflict-of-interest since Chopra is financially involved with project.

At that point, Councilman Carlton Jones took the microphone.

“You’re time is up,” Jones said. “You’re done. You’re done,” he repeated until Montion stopped talking.

“I will not sit here and let you disrespect anyone on this council,” Jones said.

“You’re a public official,” Montion said. “Do you know the law with regards to public officials?”

Again told his five minutes was up, Montion left. He wrote a letter to Kabot, which he delivered before the end of the meeting, objecting to the way he was treated. He said last week that he also wrote letters later to Jones and Councilman David Macedo.

Vejvoda and Councilman Dave Macedo supported the project. Macedo said he consistently sides with the property owners, while Vejvoda said the revised plan addressed his initial concerns about density.

“I like the idea of having variety in our housing stock and manufactured housing is something we don’t have a lot of,” Vejvoda also said.

Council members Carlton Jones and Richard Ortega objected to the project’s size and location.

“What we’re doing is pushing people father and farther out to our perimeter,” said Ortega, a proponent of creating residential housing in the downtown area.

Both Jones and Ortega cited a lack of existing services near the proposed development. The services should come first and then the people, Jones said.

The original project required a general plan amendment because of its density, but the revised version does not because it removes 104 duplex units and 16 other homes from the plan. This brings the density within the existing seven- housing- units per- acre maximum

A zoning amendment would still be required, but only on 7.24 acres where a neighborhood commercial center is planned. The project also includes a 6.4-acre neighborhood park/ponding basin, pocket parks, a clubhouse, car wash and storage for recreational vehicles.

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Storm Catches Hospital in Middle of Re-Roofing

Tulare - A ferocious but short-lived storm that ushered in heavy rain and 40 mph winds caught Tulare District Hospital in the middle of a re-roofing project and had its staff scrambling to move 23 patients out of their second floor rooms.

Of the 15 patient rooms damaged in the Oct. 26 downpour, all but two were on the second floor. Hospital officials said much of the damage was to ceiling tiles and they anticipated it would take 15 to 30 days to dry and repair all the areas. Non-patient areas and electrical infrastructure on the second floor also were damaged.

To accommodate the patients, the hospital had to transform its newly opened 6-room sleep lab in the west wing of the hospital into patient rooms, officials said. The storm hit as hospital personnel were conducting the first night of tests in the new lab, hospital spokesman Rick Elkins said.

The sleep lab was expected to move back temporarily to its two-bed location on the second floor and re-open this week, Elkins said.

“I am very proud of our team and how they all responded to this unfortunate situation,” Interim Chief Executive Officer Robert Kelley said. He also commended patients for their cooperation and understanding.

The hospital's infection control team is working closely with the cleanup efforts to ensure the safety of patients and has brought in a Sacramento company that specializes in this type of cleanup and repair, Elkins said.

“Obviously the number one concern is mildew and mold,” he said. “They have infrared equipment that detects any moisture. No patient will be put into any room until everything is completely checked out and everyone signs off on the environmental safety of the room.”

The storm inflicted damage elsewhere in the city.

City Manager Darrel Pyle said the city was aware of 150 trees toppled by the storm. One of those trees, an approximately 100-foot tall pine, fell in Zumwalt Park, which across the street from City Hall.

“We're just thankful that tree fell north and not south,” Pyle said. Had the tree fallen north, it would likely have wiped out the new restrooms the city just opened last month.

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Fired Financial Chief Sues TDH

Tulare - Lucy Reimche, Tulare District Hospital’s former chief financial officer, is challenging her firing in a Tulare County Superior Court lawsuit that alleges she was the victim of retaliation, slander and sexual harassment under the administration of then-Chief Executive Officer Bob Montion.

Montion and his attorney, Russell Ryan of Fresno, vehemently denied the allegations when contacted and noted they are the same ones Reimche made after the district hired Susan Monasterio, a human resources specialist, to conduct an independent personnel investigation of the CFO in 2006.

Monasterio subsequently investigated the issues the lawsuit now raises and found no evidence of wrongdoing, they said.

“I think she’s just making entirely inflammatory allegations that have no basis in fact for the sole purpose of hurting Mr. Montion, hurting the district and trying to get a monetary settlement,” Ryan said.

The hospital district’s attorney also denied the allegations.

“The hospital’s position is it made a good-faith investigation in terms of what some of the issues were and came to the conclusion there was a reasonable basis for Ms. Reimche’s termination,” Monterey attorney Dennis G. McCarthy said. “If you do a reasonable investigation and have a good-faith basis for your findings, that’s what the law requires.”

The hospital board fired Reimche in a 3-0 vote on Nov. 30. The decision came after a public hearing in which Monasterio said her investigation had concluded Reimche’s relationships with other employees were significantly impaired.

While a majority of the 27 people she interviewed praised Reimche’s technical abilities, Monasterio said many also described her as aggressive, controlling, judgmental, demeaning, disrespectful, bullying and prone to blame others for problems.

Two hospital board members abstained from voting on the termination. Dr. Parmod Kumar, now board chairman, supported Reimche and accused other board members of having made up their minds before the public hearing. Victor Gonzalez also abstained, saying he was uncomfortable voting because he was leaving office the following day.

“Shelley G. Bryant, Reimche’s Fresno attorney, said last week there has been no talk of a settlement in the case.

“I’m going full bore with discovery and litigation,” Bryant said, reporting he already has served 20 subpoenas and will begin taking depositions.

In her lawsuit, Reimche charges Montion launched “a campaign of retaliation” against her after she complained to him about on-going sexual relationship she alleges he was having with a subordinate female employee, who was not named in the filing.

“The favoritism that Montion showed the female employee conveyed to plaintiff that Montion viewed female employees as ‘playthings’ and that the only way for women to remain in good standing and advance at work was by engaging in sexual conduct,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit does not allege Montion made sexual overtures toward Reimche, but Bryant said the court has made  it clear sexual harassment can exist if there is a perception that the only way to get ahead is by engaging in sexual activity with a superior.

Reimche further alleges that after she confronted Montion, he began excluding her from meetings in which important financial decisions were made, avoided important conversations with her to undermine her effectiveness, rewarded other employees for being uncooperative and approved of others’ unprofessional conduct toward her.

Ryan said the allegations of an affair and of retaliation are not true and Reimche had dredged up an old rumor that Montion himself had brought to the board’s attention when he became aware of it one-and-a-half to two years earlier.

Reimche contends in the lawsuit that Montion ignored her when she complained about: agreements with physicians to lease hospital-owned medical office space for less than fair market value; gifts, benefits and remunerations made to physicians and others, which she said violated federal regulations prohibiting gifts of public funds; inaccurate pharmacy records that did not comply with federal regulations; and his recommendation that the hospital consider a joint venture with a private developer to build an out-patient campus on hospital-owned property next to Evolutions. She argued this would constitute a gift of public funds.

Reimche also alleges she was defamed and slandered by statements that asserted she was mentally unstable and an incompetent and poor employee.

After Reimche was fired, Montion told the Tulare Voice he had to coach and counsel Reimche “the better part of nine years” about her relationships with subordinates, but did not begrudge her that because she was “an incredibly talented person and I liked her.”

Reimche, who was paid $140,000 a year plus benefits at Tulare District, is asking that the district  pay an unspecified amount of general, special and punitive damages as well as penalties for violations of  the Labor Code and Government Code and for the cost of the lawsuit.

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Garden without Soil an Unusual Tulare Sight

Tulare - Local residents who passed by George and Nedda Heath’s North L Street home this summer saw an unusual sight for Tulare—vegetables growing without soil in a hydroponics system George had built on his front porch.

While the sight fascinated those who took a look, no one could have been more pleased with the results than the Heaths.  They had twice before tried to plant such a garden in Florida, only to have Mother Nature wreak fury on their project.

The first time I just got to the stage I was going to start picking [vegetables] and a hurricane took it out,” George Health said.

The next year he doubled the number of feeding tubes and structured the framework so it could withstand a hurricane, but then a larger storm—Katrina—strikes and their crop is wiped out once again.

“I swore I would never do it again,” he said.

After moving to Tulare about 1 ½-year ago, the Heaths decided to try one more time and the effort produced both a visual and tasty feast.

“Delicious! Oh, the cucumbers were totally sweet and crispy. Everything was delicious,” Nedda Health said.

“We had more tomatoes than we knew what to do with,” her husband added.

She is the gardener in the family, while her husband’s interest in the project stemmed from his engineering background.

“I was intrigued by the idea of putting something together that would work in my backyard in Florida,” he said.

His wife explained most of the books written about hydroponics are about growing vegetables indoors, which requires grow lights.

Whether indoors or outdoors, she said vegetables grown via hydroponics are better because they get all the needed minerals to make them healthier.

“They get a balanced diet,” George Heath said.

Getting Started

Because he no longer had a big back yard for his garden, George Heath had to devise a system of pipes, valves and timers, which he installed in the railing on his front porch.  He also uses a sump pump that sends a nutrient solution up though the pipes and onto the plants.

The system is expensive initially but lasts for many years, he said. “When the first cucumber came out, I said, ‘look at my $300 cucumber!’”

The planting trays are filled with clay beads, which like soil, serves as an anchor for the plants. The plants wrap their roots around them and form a root ball, he said. The beads soak up the nutrient system and allow the plants to get air to their roots.

Heath said he initially provides the plants with 45 seconds of water every 90 minutes, but speeds up watering once the plants start putting out leaves.

Tomatoes this summer took about 70 days to grow to ripeness and cucumbers took a bit longer. The Heaths set up a string system for the cucumbers and tomatoes to climb. The couple also planted four kinds of basil and Swiss chard.

“People get a really big kick out of watching the garden grow,” Nedda Heath said.

The Heaths started their second front porch garden about six weeks ago.

“If any of the readers want to take a look at it, they’re welcome to come by,” George Heath said.

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