Council Could Survey City on Racetrack Project

Tulare - At the request of Mayor Craig Vejvoda, City Manager Darrel Pyle is exploring what it would take for the city to conduct a public opinion survey on the controversial Tulare Motor Sports Complex issue.
Pyle is also checking out what the procedure and cost would be to put the issue before voters should the council want to explore that option.

“There is certainly some very, very vocal opposition to the Motor Sports Complex, but there is also a whole of people who are in support,” Vejvoda said. “This will be one of the most significant decisions, I think, in the history of Tulare.
Last week's Planning Commission hearing on the project's draft environmental impact report underscored the controversial nature of the proposal.

Drawing about an equal number of supporters and opponents, commissioners heard arguments touting the economic and recreational benefits of the project and others expressing concern about the impacts on air quality, noise, traffic and other environmental factors.

Pyle said firms exist that could help the city formulate and conduct a survey to find out what the majority of local residents think about the project, which calls for a speedway, drag strip, hotels, retail businesses, offices and condominiums on a 711-acre site adjacent to the International Agri-Center.

“These guys are psychologists and mathematicians…their accuracy is frightening,” he said.

'Right Answer'

Councilman David Macedo commended Vejvoda for “wanting to find out” how the public feels via a survey, but said putting the question on a ballot is more likely to provide “the right answer.”

The ability of a survey to discern the overall thinking of the community would depend on who conducts it and how questions are posed, Macedo said.

Pyle agrees the wording of questions is something that is “mission critical” and said the experts know how to do this.
Macedo, who early-on announced his opposition to the project, said about 98 percent of the people he talks to are against the motor sports complex, but he realizes that doesn't mean 98 percent of the total population is.
The council veteran, an auctioneer and owner of the Tulare Sales Yard, reported the opposition he hears is coming not just from the agricultural community.

“I've had a good number of senior citizens who've come to me and said, 'We've got to stop this project,'” Macedo said.

Vice Mayor Phil Vandegrift is not sure the council should conduct a survey or put an item on the ballot, but if it wants to it should wait until after the environmental impact report process is completed.

The city is nearing the mid-point of the process with June 20 being the last day the city will receive comments about the environmental report. Those comments will then go back to the developer's consultant, who must respond to each issue raised when preparing the final environmental impact document.

'Emotionally Charged'

“We should get all the data out there first,” Vandegrift said. “That [a survey or ballot measure] might be good with a totally informed electorate, but not an emotionally charged electorate.”

Vandegrift says frankly he doesn't see the need for a survey or ballot measure if the council listens carefully to people and studies the information it receives.

“Do we have a legislative body or don't we?” he asked. “I can't imagine this council would relinquish its responsibilities as an elected body.”

Often perceived as a definite “yes” vote on the project, Vandegrift said he does not see the proposal as “a totally done deal.” The difference between him and some others, he said, is he is not afraid to consider this or any other large project as a possible way to create job opportunities.

“I don't know why everyone is so afraid of this,” he said. “It's large but we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year trying to create jobs. I don't know why we couldn't seek to explore all the possibilities.”

Afraid of Success?

The project, he said, is not just about a racetrack. “It's much bigger than that. What about the commercial endeavors and the research centers that come along with this…I think our community sometimes is afraid of success.”

Tulare County is projected to grow by 600,000 people and Tulare will get its share no matter what the decision is on the sports complex, Vandegrift said. “Do we want it to be a working population or a subsistence of public assistance population?”

Like Vandegrift, Councilman Richard Ortega said now is not the time for a survey.

“We're going to have to wait on the survey a little bit to see what mitigation measures will be identified in the final environmental impact report,” Ortega said.

He does not favor putting the matter on the ballot. “I've always been of the opinion elected officials are elected to make the decisions for the community … If you're in that position, you lead. If it's an unpopular decision, you're going to pay the consequences.”

Councilman Carlton Jones said he thinks a survey, as well as publicized town hall meetings, would help the council in making its decision.

“I think we're going to get more information from people than we're ever going to get from the EIR [environmental impact report],” Jones said.

He makes it a point to ask people he meets in the community about the motor sports complex and other projects.
“More people are telling me it's going to be a good thing,” Jones said. “But from the business community and people more involved [with city affairs], more of them are telling me it's going to be bad.”

In “no way” is his mind made up yet, Jones said.

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City Getting Ready for Greater Economic Development Role

Tulare - After a year of analysis and conversation involving the Tulare Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders, the city is positioning itself to assume a larger role in economic development.

The city, which previously enlisted the chamber to provide economic development services under a $98,000 annual contract, will permanently shift those duties to Redevelopment Director Bob Nance and recruit for an economic development manager, who will work for him.

The proposed 2008-09 city budget, which is expected to go to the City Council for approval Tuesday, earmarks $209,970 for economic development. This includes $127,260 for salaries and benefits and $82,710 for maintenance and operation.

Nance and consultant Traci Myers have coordinated economic development activities on an interim basis since July 2007, when Bob Reynolds, then 75, retired after serving as economic development director for the chamber for 10 years.

Even before Reynolds' retirement, the council had moved to re-evaluate the city's economic development effort to make sure there wasn't a better way to approach the task.

“I really think it started with Phil [Vice Mayor Phil Vandegrift],” Mayor Craig Vejvoda said. “He was asking: ‘O.K., we're sending money to the chamber. Are we getting the most bang for our buck?' Periodically, you ought to ask yourself those kinds of questions.”

$54,000-Plus Study

Consultants from MuniServices of Fresno were hired in April 2007 to develop a comprehensive economic development strategic plan and they have made three reports to the council.

The city paid $54,000 for phase one of the study, which included a market plan analysis and an evaluation of the process. Not all invoices are in for phase two, for which the city is being billed for time and materials, so the total cost of that segment is not available, city officials said.

In addition to recommending the city hire a manager who would coordinate economic development activities and develop and strengthen public/private partnerships, the consultants also recommended:

• The chamber, city and Tulare Improvement Program work together to coordinate the city's message.
• All participants in the economic development effort have clearly defined roles.
• The city reinstitute Team Tulare, a group that met regularly to map out economic development efforts.

The city become more visible with regional groups and issues.

Consultants subsequently held meetings with the city and chamber officials, real estate brokers, the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Tulare Improvement Program (TIP), Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation, and financial and educational representatives to help determine what role each group should play in the effort.

Small Business Support

The new plan calls upon the chamber to play a key role in economic development, performing several tasks including helping small businesses—defined as those with fewer than 50 employees—with site selection, location, development and permit issues.

The organization will continue to provide marketing services and “other duties as agreed upon” via a contract in which the city will pay the chamber $82,000 annually or 10 percent of the transient occupancy tax. The city previously paid the chamber $70,000 a year for marketing.

“I'm glad to see there's still recognition that there needs to be private sector involvement in economic development,” the chamber's Chief Executive Officer McCoun said.

Members of the business community were worried at the outset of the study that the consultants and the city did not recognize the role the private sector—as represented by the chamber and other groups—had played in past economic development successes and they repeatedly stressed the need to continue the public/private partnership that exists.
That partnership will continue, but the city will take the lead role in coordinating and communicating efforts with the other players and in business retention and attraction, data collection and dissemination.

The third major player in this plan is the EDC, which does business recruitment and marketing for all Tulare County cities. Consultants said the city and EDC need to collaborate to provide incentives to local businesses.
Through the EDC, the city might also become “a more active player in regional issues,” the plan said.

Supportive Roles

Other organizations, including the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board, College of the Sequoias, the elementary and high school districts and real estate brokers, make up the support community for economic development and the city must maintain a constant flow of communication with them, the consultants said.
Councilman Richard Ortega asked consultant Patty Nunn how the three foundations—The Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation, the Greater Tulare Foundation and the Tulare Local Development Company –fit into the economic development program.

“I think they're very well integrated,” Nunn said. Her final report said the Industrial Site Development Foundation, along with financial institutions and the real estate brokers, will participate in the program through the chamber.
The final report from the consultants set seven goals and the strategies for achieving them. The goals include:

• Building strong economic development partnerships.
• Creating an attractive environment for business recruitment.
• Foster outreach efforts to retain established businesses.
• Develop a steady supply of business and industrial land, site and buildings that support the needs of existing and emerging businesses.
• Undertake the role of facilitator in local and regional economic development.
• Assist in marketing programs that target the business community, tourism, site selectors and regional retail firms.
• Assist in fostering a qualified workforce to serve existing and potential new businesses.

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Purple Gourmet Offers Birthday Baking Bashes

Owner Blain Dierkes was looking for a way to bring people into the Purple Gourmet's kitchen when he recalled a conversation he had with television Chef Guy Fieri, who visited his shop last year.

Fieri told him children's interest in food was running quite high, a statement Dierkes said explained the number of youngsters who had turned out to watch Fieri's cooking demonstrations.

He then began to notice how children who come into the store with parents often got excited about the cooking and food products they saw, probably because they had watched The Food Network.

“They are becoming foodies at a young age,” he said.

Thus was born the idea for holding Birthday Baking Bashes, a fun and creative way for children to celebrate their birthday with friends.

“I thought, 'it's my niece's birthday, let's do one for her and see what happens,'” Dierkes said.

What happened was that Logann Ray, 8, and nine friends decorated and then donned chef hats and aprons and for 90 minutes had a blast as they worked with Dierkes and pastry chef Renee Richardson on the cupcakes.

“I think it went really well,” Dierkes said.

Nicole Schott said her daughter, Jessica, 7, loved the experience.

“She was very excited when she came home,” Schott said.

Logann's mother, Cara Dierkes-Ray, said she heard similar comments from others.

“It was very easy,” Ray said. “We just showed up and they did everything.”

Dierkes said Purple Gourmet can tailor parties for groups of boys or even adults. The cost is $19.95 per person, which includes the chef hat and apron, punch and two cupcakes, manager Nick Trujillo said, adding the maximum number of party goers is about 10.

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Council Can Appoint Non-Resident to Planning Body

Tulare - A newly adopted policy regarding city boards, commissions and committees allows the City Council to appoint non-city residents to the Planning Commission and to other bodies, if the City Charter or by-laws do not prohibit it.

Instead of a city residency requirement, the policy calls for appointees to have their principal place of residence or business within the city's sphere of influence, a boundary line that extends beyond the city limits to include areas likely to be annexed in the future.

A separate statement in the policy—one that Mayor Craig Vejvoda said will likely be changed—would require commissioners and board members to refer all media inquiries to city staff, which would constitute a dramatic change from current practice.

'Easily Remedied'

“That may be something I overlooked in my review,” Mayor Craig Vejvoda said when questioned about the media statement. “I think that's something we can easily remedy.” The policy was among 16 consent calendar items on the May 27 meeting that the council adopted with one vote and without discussion.

City Manager Darrel Pyle said the policy can be “modified and tweaked” by the council as it sees fit and the media statement is one his staff included because it was in policies they had reviewed in other cities’ policies. This is the city's first policy governing all boards and commissioners.

Several department heads said they, like Vejvoda, missed the short sentence on media inquiries in the 12-page policy, which was circulated among the mayor, city staff and city attorney before going to the council. One said he doubted seriously he could muzzle his board even if he tried.

'Sphere of Influence'

While boards, commissions and committees are structured by the City Charter or by-laws and follow the direction of the City Council, no policy previously existed to “govern all of the advisory bodies in a consistent manner,” Deputy City Clerk Jennifer Gomez said in a memorandum to the council.

The policy is to be used as a guideline for members to understand their role within city government, “but to also specify proper procedures that must be followed,” Gomez said.

While the City Charter requires City Council members to live within the city limits, it is silent on the question of residency for planning commissioners. Director Mark Kielty and City Attorney Steve Kabot said they are unaware of any state law or bylaws that address the issue.

“I just made the assumption that if you got appointed to a commission, you automatically had to live within the city limits,” Planning Commission Chairman Richard Miller said.

While “at first blush,” he would say commissioners ought to live in the city limits, but he wouldn't have a problem if the council decided to appoint someone outside that boundary to the commission, “if it would serve community well,” Miller said.

Planning Commissioner Chuck Miguel said he wished he had known that no residency requirement existed years ago when he lived in the county but close to the city limits.

“If I would have known, I would have applied,” he said.

“I don't have a real strong feeling on this one,” Miguel said, adding that if a person lives or has a business within the city's sphere of influence, they have a vested interested in the community.

“I think the number one criteria is the person have a vested interest in the city of Tulare and truly loves the city and wants to see it prosper,” he said.

'Be Careful'

Ultimately, it will be up to the City Council whether a resident outside the city limits is ever appointed to the Planning Commission, which is charged with making land use, planning and zoning decisions.

Councilman Carlton Jones said he would have no problem appointing someone from outside the city limits.
“If you're outside the city limits but within the sphere of influence, you're invested in the city as much as a city resident, especially at the rate we're growing,” Jones said.

“We just have to be careful who we put on there,” he said. “We can't have someone who wants to serve because he does not want his property to come within the city limits or someone who wants their property annexed for money reasons.”

Councilman Richard Ortega said he has “mixed feelings” about opening the door to non-city residents to serve on the Planning Commission.

“I feel whoever you appoint to your boards and commissions should live within your jurisdictions,” Ortega said. “Now, if they owned a business, that would make somewhat of a difference.”

The question of residency recently came up on the Board of Public Utilities, when Commissioner Scot Hillman moved outside the city limits. Hillman, who is an owner of J.D. Heiskell and Co. in Tulare, continues to serve on the board.
Applications for the relatively new Community Relations Commission call for applicants to live within the Tulare Joint Union High School District and Gomez said she is in the process of searching through records to see if that was approved by the council.

She is also reviewing by-laws of each commission, board and committee to determine if the new policy's residency requirement applies.

Redevelopment Director Bob Nance said members of the Redevelopment Agency board of directors must continue to reside within the city limits because state law requires that. He also noted Tulare is only one of five cities in the state where the City Council does not sit as the board.

The new policy boards and commissions policy also:

• Realigns terms for all members so they expire on Dec. 31 of their respective years. This will allow the council to address vacancies or make reappointments at a single meeting.
• Allows the council to appoint a sub-committee of two council members, two committee members and a staff representative to interview applicants and recommend appointments to the council. The council can continue the current practice of interviewing candidates or it can also select and appoint members without an interview.
• Requires staff to compile an attendance report for each board, commission and committee and submit it to the council at the end of the calendar year.
• Allows the council to remove a member by a majority vote without cause, notice or hearing.

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