City Moves on $5 Million Solar Project

Tulare - Taking another big step toward reducing energy costs, the Tulare Public Utilities Board has approved a $5.4 million contract with Johnson Controls Inc. to design and build a solar photovoltaic project on five acres at the city's wastewater treatment plant.

The 1.0 megawatt project is expected to generate on average about 15 percent of the energy needed to operate the newly constructed industrial portion of the plant, Public Works Director Lew Nelson said.

Three fuel cells and an engine generator currently produce about 50 percent of what is needed for the domestic side of the plant. A fourth fuel cell, which the board approved earlier this year, will boost that rate closer to 60 percent when it goes into operation, possibly by the end of December, Nelson said.

“The goal is to become energy independent,” City Manager Darrel Pyle told utility commissioners prior to their unanimous 4-0 vote Oct. 7 on the solar project.

The project is expected to save utility customers $195,363 in energy costs in the first year and nearly $7.1 million over the 25-year expected life of the solar panels.

The city will use proceeds from a $4.9 million Build America bond sale, $437,765 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus) money, and about $75,000 of its own funds to construct the project, which will generate $2.37 million in rebates from Southern California Edison under the California Solar Initiative during its first five years of operation, Nelson said.

Johnson Controls, which installed city water meters and also did an energy audit of city facilities that has reduced energy costs, did the cost analysis that showed the city would come out ahead financially on the project.

“If their math fails to come to fruition, they have to pay the difference,” Pyle said. “It's rare that you get a guarantee like that.”

Commissioner Ron Quinn said he hopes Johnson Controls stays in business.

“I'm just glad they're a Fortune 500 company,” Pyle replied.

Initially, the plan was to use the federal stimulus money to put solar panels on City Hall, but Nelson said it made more financial sense to mount them on the ground at the treatment plant.

“It's less expensive to build per unit of energy at the treatment plant than the roof of City Hall and we pay more for electricity {at the plant] than City Hall,” he said.

To get the project going, utility commissioners authorized the city manager to sign an agreement with Banc of America Public Capital Corp, a subsidiary of Bank of America, to obtain $4.89 million in financing.

Banc of America will finance the project with a Taxable Build America equipment lease/purchase agreement in which the federal government will subsidize 35 percent of the interest, leaving the city with a net interest rate of 3.26 percent, Nelson said.

The city will use only five of the 14 acres available for the solar project because the maximum California Solar Initiative available is for a one megawatt project, Nelson said.

“If you don't have more grant money, solar power is way more expensive to own than getting it from Edison,” Nelson said.

Future phases of the project could involve power-purchase agreements with the private market, even though that was not a viable option in this first phase, he said.
Pyle reports the project will help the California economy because it calls for American-made solar panels produced in San Diego.

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Gorelicks Make Large Library Donation

Tulare - Judge Walter and Ellen Gorelick have donated $35,000 to the Tulare Library Foundation and another $5,000 worth of criminal justice books in moves they said were prompted by their strong belief in the value of education.

The cash donation is earmarked for the computer lounge, which the Gorelicks said was very busy on the day they toured the new library.

“It was wonderful to see so many people using them,” said Walter Gorelick, a Tulare County Superior Court judge who presides over the Tulare branch.

“Computers can open up a lot of things to people for the good and there're a lot of people who still can't afford to have them in their homes.”

The Gorelicks' donation brings the total amount the Tulare Library Foundation has raised through donations or pledges for the new library to about $435,000.

Foundation leaders have pledged to raise $1 million over five years for the new library and presented the City Council with a $200,000 check earlier this year.

“We're thrilled with the Gorelicks' donation,” foundation President Tony Taylor said.

Judge Gorelick and his wife had considered making a donation long before the new library opened but it wasn't until they toured the building with library director Michael Stowell that they made the decision to move forward, the judge reported.

“We were impressed by the whole set up of the library,” he said, adding the children's area and the availability of parking, in addition to the computer lounge, impressed them.

The idea of purchasing and donating 70 law books to the library stems from his interest in the law and belief most public libraries in the area do not have an adequate number of criminal justice titles, he said.

While the county does maintain a law library in the basement of the Tulare County Courthouse in Visalia it's is not open on the weekend, Gorelick said.

The titles the Gorelicks contributed cover a variety of legal topics, including arson, California criminal law procedure and practice, computer crime, criminal law, domestic violence , driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, ethics, evidence law, forensic science, search and seizure and many others.

Some titles are geared towards attorneys, some toward police and others toward students, Gorelick said, adding he suspects even the general public would be interested in a few of the books.

The Gorelicks said they hope others will join them in donating criminal justice books, as well as making monetary donations to the library.

“If you have a specialty collection, it tends to draw people to your library,” Walter Gorelick said.

Stowell said the library is happy to have the collection.

“I think this is a real boon to local law enforcement and attorneys both,” he said, adding he is aware of several local peace officers who are working on bachelor degrees and would find the books useful.

Ellen Gorelick, an artist and director and curator emeritus of the Tulare Historical Museum, said she also has spoken with Stowell about leaving her art books to the library.

“He was very pleased about the possibility of getting those books,” she said.

Libraries have played a big part of both of their lives, the Gorelicks said.

Down the street from his family's home in Los Angeles was a “charming little library” that he visited frequently while growing up and which continues to operate today.

Ellen Gorelick grew up in Elmhurst, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, and the library in that community was a former mansion surrounded by park land.

“Elmhurst now has an ultra modern library, similar to what we have in Tulare now,” she said.

The Gorelicks have lived in Tulare County since 1971 and in Tulare since 1980, when he was appointed to what was then the Tulare-Pixley Municipal Court bench.

Other major donors to the new library to date include:
· $100,000 or more: First 5 Tulare County.
· $50,000 or more: Noon Kiwanis Club of Tulare
· $25,000 or more: AT&T Foundation; Greater Tulare Chamber Trust; Keith and Betty Munger Family; Res-Com Pest Control; and Sequoia Genealogical Society.
· $10,000 or more: Friends of the Tulare Public Library; Friends of Tulare Read; in memory of Louise Longan; Land O'Lakes Foundation; Tulare Rotary Club; and Wal-Mart.
· $5,000 or more: Dale and Pat Hillman; Don LeBaron; George Pappas; and Craig Vejvoda.
· $1,000 or more: Adair and Evans; Assemblywoman Connie Conway; Blain Dierkes; Citizens Business Bank; in memory of Arthur T. Hale; in memory of Patricia Rocha; Roger Putnam; Robert J. Simpson; Michael and Susan Stowell; and Nettie and Willie Washington.
· $500 or more: Amy Benton; Reynaldo and Gloria Duran; in memory of Cliff and Betty Gaynard; Lois Callister Kliewer; Rich and Joan Miller; and Melody Tucker.

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Council Could Fill Vacancy Tonight

Tulare - Editor's Note: The City Council could narrow this list of applicants at its meeting Tuesday, after the Tulare Voice deadline. If that happens, we will post the list of finalists at www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com in the Tulare Voice section for Nov. 4.

Ten people have filed applications to fill the vacancy created Oct. 8 by the resignation of Vice Mayor Phil Vandegrift and the City Council could select one to fill the seat after it interviews candidates at a special meeting tonight.

The session will be in the new Council Chambers in the Tulare Public Library, 491 North M St. The time had not been set by deadline. The council will conduct interviews and deliberations in public as required by law in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, California's open meeting law.

In addition to information about their community activities and accomplishments, each candidate was asked a question about growth and economic development and another about “the most pressing issues” the city is facing or will face in the future.
The following is a list of those who filed applications and a synopsis of their responses:

John Beck
Beck, a Tulare native, is a retired superintendent of the Tulare City School District, where he worked for 34 years and oversaw a $70 million budget, built three new schools and was responsible for 9,000 students and 900 employees. He is a board member and past president of Tulare Youth Service Bureau and has served on numerous other boards.

Growth and development: Economic development is “vital” when the state economy is in flux and Beck hopes the city has or will develop an incentive policy to attract “appropriate businesses so there is a definite guaranteed revenue enhancement for the city.”

Pressing issues: Setting budget priorities and sticking to them; maintaining services, especially public safety; building reserves; hiring and keeping quality staff; maintaining staff moral; and putting the racetrack issue to rest. “The council will need to come together as a team immediately … and demonstrate trust and respect for each other.”

Art A. Cabello Sr.
Cabello is a life-long Tulare resident who is a substitute teacher and serves on the Tulare Redevelopment Agency board. He is a past board president for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tulare County, former Tulare Chamber of Commerce board member and former Tulare Hospital Foundation trustee. He is also a 1994 Leadership Tulare graduate.

Growth and development: “I feel our city leaders have done an excellent job in providing our community with good, solid, steady growth.”

Pressing issues: Healing divisions due to the Tulare Motor Sports Complex project; providing jobs and affordable housing to residents; making sure economic development plans “preserve everyone's right to the American Dream;” and making sure Tulare does not lose its small-town appeal.

Linda Crase
Crase, a Tulare native, is a member of the Tulare Planning Commission and served two terms on the City Council. She was employed for 25 years with Tulare District Hospital in public and media relations and marketing. She is a board member for Tulare County Habitat for Humanity and is a past board member for the Tulare historical Society and the chamber.

Growth and development: Believes the city needs to actively look for developments that will be a good fit for the community.

Pressing issues: Crase says the need to remain economically stable is the most pressing issue. “We need to continue to provide good public safety to ensure we have a livable community and continue to be fiscally prudent and accountable to the residents of Tulare.”

Jim Duke
Duke, who has lived 23 years here, recently retired as Tulare's assistant fire chief and fire marshal. He served 10 years as the Tulare Professional Fire Fighters Association union president and held every position in the department, except chief. He was active in several fire-related activities, including “Shave the Brave” and “Wish upon a Star.”

Growth and development: “I believe the city of Tulare does a wonderful job at creating a helpful atmosphere for business” and Duke says private business is vital to continued growth and the city's ability to provide services.

Pressing issues: The most pressing will be to maintain the existing level of service to businesses and make Tulare “a destination” for companies, Duke says. The City Council, Planning Commission and city departments will be challenged to assure growth is well thought out and in keeping with the city's general plan.

Eric Grant
Grant, who has lived here two years, is assistant chief investigator for the Tulare County District Attorney's office. He previously served as a Tulare County Sheriff's Department detective.

Growth and development: “Citizen safety should be the council's first priority but the growth of the city is a major resource generator to provide those services for fire and police protection.”

Pressing issues: “The ethical decisions regarding the expenditure of the citizen's tax dollars as seen in the recent news is one of the pressing issues the city should address.” Grant also says salaries and department budgets should be posted to help prove to citizens their tax dollars are wisely spent. Job creation, he believes, is another pressing need.

Craig A. Hancock
Hancock, a 21-year Tulare resident, owns an air conditioning and heating business. A former City Council candidate, he is chairman of the Tulare Parks and Recreation Commission and member of the Tulare Chamber of Commerce and the Tulare Rotary Club. Hancock also is an assistant junior varsity baseball coach at Mission Oak High School.

Growth and development: Has called for change in the climate within the Council Chambers over the racetrack issue, which has caused anxiety and district in the council's leadership and left the city “in a very precarious situation.”

Pressing issues: The budget and its “low” $5 million reserve. Hancock wants to see “a more conservative approach” in considering future projects. “On the other hand, the City Council should be open and ready to work with new businesses wanting to make Tulare their home and not be seen an unapproachable and difficult to deal with.”

Jeffrey A. Killion
Killion, a Tulare resident for 31 years, is owner of Gainsborough Studio and Vice Chairman of the Tulare Planning Commission, upon which he has served since 1989. A past City Council candidate, Killion also formerly served as Chamber of Commerce board president, Tulare Rotary Club president and president of the Tulare Business Association.

Growth and development: Says economic development is “vital” and the city needs to continue to plan for industrial facilities and encourage companies to move here.

Pressing issues: Killion believes maintaining streets, sewer and water, along with providing excellent police and fire service, are top priorities. Operating within the city's budget and maintaining a strong retail community, while maximizing industrial development also are important, he says.

Derek A. Thomas
Thomas, who has lived here for 22 years, is employed by the California Department of Corrections as a correctional officer. He has run twice for the City Council and once for the Tulare Joint Union High School board. He coaches youth sports.

Growth and development: Thomas said growth is inevitable but he is concerned about its impact on water, agriculture, air pollution and crime. “Public safety must always be ahead of growth.”

Pressing issues: Balancing future budgets in light of the state's economic problems and building two new fire stations are challenges the city will face. Building up reserves “for a rainy day” is also important, he says.

Elton Ray Tripp
Tripp, a Tulare resident for 16 years, is a physician assistant and a member of the leadership council for Adventist Health Hospital Rural Clinics.

Growth and development: Local government needs to work with business to “create a rich soil” that will generate jobs, decrease the individual and local tax burden, increase business activity and maximize municipal services, Tripp says.

Pressing issues: Tripp believes the lack of jobs is the most pressing issue. Other pressing issues include eliminating local government waste. “The city can help the taxpayer keep more of his or her money by limiting services to those that are most necessary and provide the greatest benefit and by eliminating those that are no longer of use or are just plan wasteful,” he says.

Mark Watte
Watte, who has lived her for 51 years, farms and operates a dairy with his brother, and raises heifers and bull calves with a son-in-law. He served 10 years on the World Ag Expo board and is a past show chairman. He is vice president of the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District board, treasurer of Cotton Inc. and is on the Consolidated Peoples Ditch Company board.

Growth and development: Watte is thankful for the outlet mall and other businesses that recently have moved to Tulare. “Continuing to support agriculture-related business and infrastructure is obviously our economic staple, but trying to do whatever we can to broaden Tulare's economic base is critical,” Watte says.

Pressing issues: Financing infrastructure improvements now and in the future is the major issue facing Tulare, because of the “total disaster that is and will continue in Sacramento.” He wants to continue doing what “we can to improve the quality of life in general on the west side of our city.”

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Veterans Parade Saturday in Tulare

Tulare - Retired Sgt. F.C. Norberto “Norbie” Lara, an Iraq veteran from Tulare County and an outreach coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Project, will be grand marshal of the annual Veterans Parade, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in downtown Tulare.

Riding with Lara, who grew up in Goshen and lives is Visalia, will be Garden School third grader Cole Silva, 8, whose great uncle Pilar Cuellar was killed in Vietnam during the war in 1968.

Organizers report they have nearly 80 parade entries, including floats sparked by a competition for a $400 first place prize among high school seniors at Tulare and Visalia schools.

Lara was seriously wounded in Iraq in June 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded. He lost an arm at the shoulder and retired from active duty two years later.

“I was surprised and honored that anyone would think of me as someone who could represent all the armed forces at a Veterans Day parade,” Lara said. “It means the world to me.”

The Wounded Warrior Project began after a group of veterans realized wounded service members returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq would need help “beyond the brass bands and ticker tape parades,” according to the project's website.

Lara said he became aware of the organization after it delivered a backpack with hygiene items and clothing to his bedside at Walter Reed hospital in Washington D.C.

“A change-of-clothing really meant a lot to me,” he said. “And when I was feeling better and discharged from Walter Reed in-patient, they took me skiing and to other events that challenged me. They helped make me the person I am now.”

Mike Garcia, one of the parade organizers from the Central Valley Vietnam Veterans Association, said Lara was selected grand marshal in recognition of the work he has done on behalf of wounded servicemen.

“He's a motivational speaker too and I was impressed with him,” Garcia said.

Young Cole's invitation to ride in the parade came after Garcia and other members of the association saw a newspaper photograph of him proudly wearing his great uncle's medals.

“He was very brave,” Cole told the Tulare Voice, adding that he is very excited about riding in the parade.

“He's very knowledgeable about the wars,” his mother, Celeste Silva, said.

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