National Park Plan Would End Private Holdings
In Mineral King

Sequoia National Park - The public is being invited to comment on a long awaited draft management plan for Sequoia and Kings Canyon including the park’s “preferred alternative” that would change the way some park resources are managed.

Among the changes outlined in the preferred alternative are an end to private holdings in Mineral King Valley, possible relocation of park administrative functions out of the park, peak season limits on traffic in Giant Forest with some roads closed replaced by a shuttle system and all hydroelectric power facilities in the park would be removed and the natural riverway restored.

The plan - that offers several alternatives to the staff “preferred alternative” is open for comment through August. It would replace an outdated 1971 master plan when adopted next year and guide the management of both parks for the next 15 to 20 years.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon superintendent Dick Martin says to expect public workshops this summer and expect a final plan to be adopted perhaps a year from now. “I’ve got to admit this draft plan has had a long gestation period” from when it was first proposed back in 1998.

The last time the public had a peek of what the NPS was considering in this plan was the winter of 2000.

The NPS preferred alternative would “accommodate sustainable growth and visitor enjoyment, protect the ecosystem diversity, preserve basic character while adapting to change in user groups.” Alternatives offered suggest varying degrees of increased or reduced visitor access to parts of the parks. One alternative, for example, would ban stock use in the park and still another suggests a bike trail on the old Colony Mill road.

Overall the park asks the public to consider the “carrying capacity” of the parks - how many visitors can the parks sustain without losing the reason why the parks are there? Should the parks encourage or discourage more back country visitor use where most of the lands in the park are? Fully 96% of the land the park manages are considered wilderness.

The NPS preferred alternative suggests it wants to broaden its appeal to diverse groups and offer more day use facilities and promote more educational programs. In a change of direction prompted by concerns about air pollution and traffic, the park may relocate park administration facilities outside the park, says the plan. Currently the facilities are clustered at Ash Mountain. The plan suggests more employees may be housed outside the park.

The Air Pollution Factor

The action plan says that to fight air pollution and congestion at favorite visitor locations in the park, the NPS is considering a “partnership with gateway communities” to provide more transit options to the park including a Giant Forest shuttle that may be the only way to visit some spots when demand is the greatest. The City of Visalia and the NPS are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on this in coming weeks.

Martin says a pilot shuttle will be around this summer to offer visitors a chance to hike one way and ride back in the shuttle in the Giant Forest.

He says “our vision is that 20 years from now we might have 20% of our visitors arriving by public transportation instead of private cars.”

Martin says it’s already the policy of the park to encourage park employees live away from Ash Mountain in private homes. Regarding relocating offices away from Ash Mountain Martin says “some functions of administration might be accomplished more efficiently in urban areas than at Ash Mountain” suggesting an office location in either Exeter or Visalia as a possibility.

The report notes that Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks “periodically experience some of the worst air pollution in the United States.” The impact shows in damage to pine trees and sequoia seedlings, shifts in forest composition, acid deposits in high elevation lakes, an increase in atmospheric nitrogen and pesticide drift from the valley below into the parks that “may partly explain the decline of amphibians” in the parks, says the draft.

Martin says he is trying to do his part on reducing air impact on the Big Trees he is working to protect dumping his government issue 8 cylinder Suburban recently in favor of a small fuel efficient car he owns. The park now has 12 electric vehicles used to move around at campsite “instead of a ranger jumping into his pickup.”

1 Million Sq. Ft. of Asphalt

The plan describes recent efforts to relocate the visitor facilities that were in the heart of the Giant Forest until they were moved in recent years. The report says around the sequoia groves 282 buildings and over 1 million sq. ft. of asphalt have been removed and 231 acres of sequoia groves have been restored.

Giant Forest is home to 6 of the 10 largest trees in the world.

To reduce the impact on the sequoias, overnight facilities have been relocated to Wuksachi. Issues related to the management of the Giant Forest are remaining including a large parking lot area near the Sherman Tree, and further development in the Wolverton area. The plan suggests increased winter activity in Wolverton. Regarding the closing of the Wolverton Pack Station there is a tentative plan to relocate the pack station nearby. The preferred alternative allows continued stock use in the park where it has been found.

Mineral King

It is in the Mineral King area where the Park Service faces controversy over the fate of the 60 or so historic cabins in the valley and private holdings there.

The 1978 law that brought Mineral King into the Sequoia Park authorized the issuance of special permits for five year increments for the continued private use of the cabins, some of them dating to the turn of the century. The permits are non transferrable beyond the permitee of record. What happens when they are all deceased?

The park’s preferred alternative suggests the parks purchase the holdings and “then reuse them for public purposes.” That might include possible lodging or other educational use.

Of course this alternative is subject not just the public dialogue process, but to old fashioned politics. The plan notes that Congress could authorize that cabin owners continue to receive special permit status even though the park has a mission for public use of public lands.

Martin suggests the park is simply following the law that states that private holdings must be bought up and the park limit “their exclusive use” by the owners. Under the former draft plan they would be demolished but under the current plan Martin says about 40 of the cabins that contribute to the Mineral King Historic District adopted some 6 months ago. That means the structures would be retained.

Martin sounds a conciliatory approach suggesting that “a partnership with the families could give them some priority use to the cabins and that some public use of them would be allowed.

Kaweah Hydro Plants

Quite a few of the cabins are owned by Visalia area pioneer families.

As to the fate of the Kaweah River’s small hydroelectric facilities in the park, that includes for storage dams above Mineral King and dams and divisions on both the Marble Fork at Potwisha and Middle Fork. They deliver water to electricity generating plants downstream - outside the park. The current permit to operate these facilities expires in September 2006. Without the diversion operations in the park the two small hydroelectric plants - each over 100 years old - would cease operations.

Regarding the power plant, Martin says he understands some legislation in Congress could extend the life of these in-park facilities to expire in 2006.

The Park Service plan would retain the High Sierra camp at Bearpaw and discusses the potential to add a new High Sierra camp in the Hockett Plateau.

The park will study the potential to improve the Colony Mill Rd. access and potential use as a bike trail. The plan says the NPS is seeking the purchase of an 11 acre parcel at the end of North Fork Drive that would facilitate visitor access.

Regarding plans for Wuksachi, Martin says the NPS is “encouraging the concessionaire - Delaware North - to move forward on its planned rooms expansion soon.

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Tulare County - With the state and nation reeling under record high gasoline prices and refineries unable to produce much more gasoline, it appears Pacific Ethanol - the company founded by former Secretary of State Bill Jones and other valley players - chose the right time to go public - this week.

Their stock (ACTY) on the NASDAQ has doubled in price since it was revealed Monday that a public company - Florida based Accessity Corp. - merged with Pacific Ethanol and will change its name to the new ethanol production company’s.

The company suggests they will be the “leading ethanol production and marketing company in the Western United States.” Pacific Ethanol has all permits ready to go to begin construction on a $60 million ethanol plant in Madera and is prepared to file a plan with Tulare County for a similar biofuel plant across from the Visalia airport.

Ethanol - made from corn and other plant materials - is blended with gasoline in some areas to help fulfill clean air regulations and other places simply because it is cheaper than gas and provides more fuel at a better price, says CEO of Pacific Ethanol Neil Koehler.

In California, where the company is based, ethanol replaced MTBE as of January of this year as an additive to help clean the air and is blended at 5.8% to gasoline. By the end of this year Koehler says California will use about 1 billion gallons of ethanol to blend with gasoline - almost all shipped in from the Midwest.

Koehler’s marketing group, Kinergy Marketing LLC and Re-Energy LLC had combined revenue of $35 million in 2003 marketing ethanol and projects revenue for just marketing this year at $80 million even before the company opens one of what is expected to be several new West Coast ethanol plants.

Koehler says it’s possible the Madera plant could break ground as soon as July with funding in place from banks and the public offering. Construction could take one year.

They already own the former Coast Grain plant in Madera on 137 acres that has high volume rail spurs to accept unit trains of corn. Koehler says they will work to build a 25% supply of California grown corn to supply the plant providing a new opportunity for local growers.

The Pacific Ethanol site is the only one in California that has successfully secured all state, regional and local discretionary permits necessary to begin construction of an ethanol processing facility, says the company in a news release.

One valuable by-product of ethanol production is a high-quality cattle feed called distillers wet grains, or DWG, which is not generally available in the Central California area. California’s Central Valley has the country’s densest population of dairy cows, approximately 1 million, of which roughly 500,000 are within 50 miles of Madera. Pacific Ethanol expects to find a ready local market for all the DWG produced at the Madera facility.

Koehler says California could ease the current gasoline supply crisis by simply allowing gasoline companies to blend ethanol at 10% instead of just 5.8%. Adding 4% more motor fuel could make a big difference in meeting demand, he says.

Right now the State Air Board does not allow this. Koehler is lobbying Governor Schwarzenegger to make an executive order to allow the 10% blend that is allowed in virtually every other state.

Both the Madera and Visalia plants will produce some 35 million gallons annually and cost $50 million each. Pacific Ethanol is one of four ethanol plants in the works in Tulare County - a new growth industry for the valley supplying renewable fuel to a fuel thirsty nation.

Koehler says virtually all the fuel from Madera will be shipped to a blender in Fresno providing local benefits to the driving public.

Koehler says gas producers have incentive to blend ethanol with gasoline not just because it extends supply but because ethanol gets a 52 cent per gallon federal excise tax break - it is at least 52 cents cheaper than gasoline for the blender, he says. Ethanol and gasoline prices today wholesale at the same price - at $1.70 per gallon so the price of ethanol is $1.18 because of the tax break.

“It’s up to the suppliers whether to pass that on,” he notes.

“There is an obvious financial incentive” to blend ethanol but the state ARB is limiting the extent of its use, he complains. Ethanol has the benefit of also increasing the octane number.

While Bill Jones is still involved with the firm along with other family members, his run for public office precludes him from taking a lead role. Besides Koehler, the company includes Kent Kaulfuss of Visalia, owner of Wood Industries Co.

About 13% of the US corn crop is now converted to ethanol as more states mandate its blending or suppliers who choose to use the fuel to extend overall gasoline supplies.

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Tulare & Kings Counties - California hasn’t passed Wisconsin yet in total cheese production but as of March 2004 we produced more of one popular variety than those cheese-head guys - mozzarella. That’s largely thanks to two new production plants in Tulare and Kings counties - the two kings of mozzarella - Leprino East plant and Leprino West in Lemoore and the new Cheese & Protein International in Tulare owned by Land O’Lakes. All three plants are in expansion mode with the CPI plant expected to complete construction of phase 2 - a doubling of capacity at the Paige St. plant next month.

Family-owned Leprino is already the world’s largest mozzarella producer and the Leprino West plant, the world’s largest. Company sales in 2002 estimated at $1.8 billion.

Anyway you slice it, mozzarella is the big cheese in California being 43% of all cheese made in the state according to the CDFA. Unlike some cheese varieties, mozzarella isn’t stored or aged but used as soon as it hits the shelves.

It all comes down to, literally, one driving (i.e. delivery) force: pizza.

If you are eating Pizza Hut, Papa John’s or Dominos, you are probably eating Leprino mozzarella from Lemoore.

Bay area consultant Ed Zimmerman says the big California plants are taking orders for mozzarella away from other suppliers because of the efficiency and volume of those facilities. “We do a better job with technology,” says Zimmerman. California can produce the milk that goes into the cheese more cheaply as well.

California has been outpacing Wisconsin in total milk production for the past decade when the two states were about even. Today we produce 32 billion lbs. compared to about 19 billion lbs. for Wisconsin. Tulare County produces about 9 billion lbs. all by itself. If it were a state, it would be the 5th largest in the US in milk production.

Despite the Atkins Diet craze, pizza sales continue to expand worldwide, Zimmerman says. As for dieting Americans “pizza is a once a week food and when you want it you’re going to get it,” he says.

Cheese consumption per capita continues to rise nationwide. Italian type cheese production is up nationwide, about 9% this year over last. Meanwhile, butter production is down 15% and cheddar cheese production was flat.

If the California cheese makers are taking market share from other states, California dairy processors are choosing to make more cheese than butter or powder these days, says Gary Korsmeier of California Dairies cooperative. If you don’t use milk from the cow for fluid you basically have the choice to make butter and powder or making cheese.

About 43% of all milk goes into making cheese in California, according to the California Milk Advisory Board.

The markets for cheese are growing and so more cheese is being made across the US. From the 1980s to now mozzarella production has grown nationwide by 7 fold to about 2.7 billion lbs. a year.

The numbers coming (or that could come) from the three big mozzarella plants are eye boggling. Leprino East has a capacity of about 300,000 lbs. a day, Leprino West at 600,000 lbs. a day and when complete CPI Tulare will be able to produce 600,000 lbs. a day. Add that up and it’s about 540 million lbs. of mozzarella a year once all three plants are full tilt and without another expansion at Leprino West that is apparently possible.

That amounts to about 60% of California’s mozzarella output or some 20% of the nation’s production total. California’s production of mozzarella shot up 20% for March 2003 to March 2004 according to USDA and that’s thanks to Central Valley plants.

Tulare County already produces about 26% of the state’s milk supply and with Kings County added in it’s about 35%. That’s why the kingdom of mozzarella is right here.

Economic development specialist for Kings County EDC, John Lehn, says Leprino West has been designed to be able to double production again to 1.2 million lbs. a day if business warrants it.

What these plants do - they look like mozzarella castles when the sun strikes them just right - is set up their own cheese kingdom with milk delivered everyday - like tribute paid - from about a 35 mile radius where almost all the milk supply comes from. In order for all these cheese plants to reach full production, the big dairy co-ops that supply the milk are adding members, or patrons as they call them, and cows within easy shipping distance from these plants.

With all the cheese and fresh garlic and tomato paste produced in Kings County, Lehn says it’s not surprising they’ve had some conversations with pizza makers to open a plant nearby although nothing is in the works right now.

Not that only big guys process mozzarella. An upstart boutique cheese maker - Mozzarella Fresca manufacturing “fresh mozzarella” at its Tipton production plant employing 85. And Rob Hilarides has just opened his Three Sisters homestead cheese making operation in Lindsay at 24163 Rd. 188 south of Exeter, available now for tours. Call 562-2132 for information.

Already Visalia area Bravo Farms dairyman Bill Boersma is making a variety of highly acclaimed farmstead cheese and others.

Tulare is home of the largest Parmesan cheese plant at Kraft. Hanford has an expanding Mexican cheese maker and Suputo in Tulare makes varieties of Italian cheeses.

All that milk isn’t just making cheese. Dryers Ice Cream just broke ground on the world’s largest ice cream facility - a 400,000 sq. ft. plant that cost $100 million in Bakersfield. The plant will add 250 jobs to the 450 who already work there and will be able to produce 70 million gallons of ice cream a year.

Northern Kern County is a big growth area for dairies, says Visalia dairy broker John Grimmius, in part because dairy permits are available and there is room. Tulare has some room in southern Tulare County but getting a permit there requires a wait or doing your own EIR. Kings has a few sites and an easy permitting procedure. Western Fresno County is becoming popular says Grimmius - not far from the Leprino plants.

California Dairies CEO Korsmeier says last year some 15% of the dairy producers that supply California Dairies in southern California fled the area pushed out by surging high real estate prices for new homes. The same thing is happening this year, he says with some of that milk volume heading to Kern County. Korsmeier says if legislation pending in Washington that would launch a milk protein concentrate industry in the US passes - California Dairies would likely build a new processing plant in Kern. They have a plant in Tipton and Fresno in the south valley.

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Visalia - It’s nice when your civil engineer not only lays out your auto mall plans in a workmanlike manner, but goes to bat for you in front of the city council. And hits a home run.

That’s what Mike Lane did this week as the Visalia city council appeared poised to postpone an application from Don Groppetti to rezone 21 acres for an office park and 3 new car showrooms. Councilman Phil Cox questioned why the city staff couldn’t produce just what inventory of service-commercial and office-use land was available in town and after Don Landers appeared to agree, mayor Link suggested they might postpone the decision.

But once the public hearing opened, engineer Lane who stood in front of the same body advocating the westside auto mall - Visalia Auto Plaza 9 months ago, suggested the inventory question “just isn’t relevant” since the 21 acre parcel on South Ben Maddox - zoned Business Research Park - is a zoning designation in town he says has never been used. “We have a 100 year supply” of BRP in town, he quipped.

Lane then read out a long list of allowable uses in the BRP zone “none of which would be more intensive in use than this” proposal. He noted that the south Ben Maddox location near Groppetti’s other dealerships “was critical because it was important to have the critical mass” of dealerships nearby. Then he reminded council that the plan to erect three new car dealerships fit in with all the major goals of the city including improving the economic vitality of the city and increasing sales tax.

When only one lady stood from the neighborhood to speak her remarks suggested she hoped the dealerships would have no outside PA systems. Councilman Don Landers noted that the agreement with Groppetti would not allow them. Mr. Groppetti rose to speak saying that his company had met several times with neighbors to address their concerns, and that “we allowed the neighbors to choose the height of the 7 ft. wall behind the project that will shield noise and light. In the end Cox’s motion died for lack of a second and the council voted 4 to 1 to approve the plan.

The upshot is that on south Ben Maddox there will now be 6 new car dealerships - Giant, the two new Serpa dealerships - Saturn (under construction) and KIA just completed and now three on the east side behind Mary’s Vineyard.

Two of them are Groppetti’s including a new Nissan showroom and likely a Honda showroom. Serpa has the last pad.

Out on Plaza the Mangano Homes funded 72 acre auto mall is motoring up as well as grading of the project continues. Here one new showroom is ready to be built by Mooney dealer Frank Surroz - for his Chrysler lines. He will wait to build a BMW dealership for now.

City officials say Mangano decided against getting city approval for final parcel maps that had been scheduled for this week’s city council meeting instead doing the off site improvements on the project without going through a council hearing.

Save Our Corridor attorney Richard Harriman who lost the last round in Tulare County Superior Court again vowed to appeal the judge’s decision to a higher court but as of press time that has not happened.

So it appears the competition between the west side project will result in a flurry of new car showrooms in the city over a two year period while few were built for years here.

Seven or eight new showrooms on the east side or west side all send their tax dollars to City Hall. Sales tax for new car sales - the second largest sales tax category in the city - has risen modestly in the past year from $1.69 million in the 4th quarter of 2002 to $1.77 million in the 4th quarter of 2003. With the potential for these showrooms on the books in the next 2 years including likely a new home for Razzari Ford - that number should jump smartly.

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Tulare County - A deal to fill the empty pre-trial facility in Tulare County with both federal and state prisoners is nearly done, says county CAO Brian Haddix. Last week Congressman Devin Nunes announced a contract for $1.5 million that would bring in some 60 prisoners through the US Marshals Service to be housed at the 400 bed facility near Sequoia Field.

But Haddix says the county is still working on a second federal contract along with a state contract for prisoners that would bring the total to at least 100 prisoners to ensure the reopening of the state-of-the-art facility pencils out.

Deputy CAO Kristin Bennett says once the level of occupancy is reached, the county looks to use the remaining 300 beds for existing county prisoners now housed at the Main Jail. “We want to reopen the booking facility because the pre-trial facility was designed to accept new prisoners.” The existing jail has 264 beds.

Rehabing the Main Jail would then get underway and allow the county to seek other revenue producing contracts to house prisoners there, she says, once some extensive remodeling of the Main Jail is undertaken.

The jail closed shortly after it was built because the county lacked the funds to staff it. Having the new contract will allow some 50 new staff to be hired to help run the place.

Sheriff Bill Wittman said he was pleased they found a creative solution to the vacant jail facility.

"I applaud Congressman Nunes for his hard work in obtaining an agreement to house federal prisoners in Tulare County, " Sheriff Wittman said. "I look forward to the day when we will reopen the Pre-Trial Facility, thereby providing better law enforcement for our citizens."

The agreement, already approved by the Marshals Service, must be agreed to by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, which may consider the deal by May 25.

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of Congressman Nunes to reach agreement on a rate to house federal prisoners," Board Chairman Bill Sanders said.

"With his help, we have taken an important first step toward reopening the Pre-Trial facility."

County officials says they are close to a deal on other contracts that will allow the place to reopen later this year.

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By Claudia Elliott

Alpaugh - George Anderson is a hero in Alpaugh.

Twice a week since November 13, the Springville man has hauled pure mountain spring water to fill a tank that supplies drinking water for residents of the remote San Joaquin Valley community.

Before Anderson began hauling water to the small town Tulare County town located about 17 miles south of Corcoran, residents had to drive to Earlimart, Delano or Corcoran to fill bottles and haul them home for drinking water.

Although the unincorporated community is served by a county water service area and an irrigation district- with residential water bills in the $45-55 range-the arsenic content of the water exceeded federal health standards and residents were advised not to drink it. About 40 percent of the residents live in poverty and water bills had more than doubled in just over a decade, despite the undrinkable water.

After learning of the community's plight, Assemblywoman Nicole Parra began efforts to get funding for a new community well-and an interim drinking water supply for the townspeople.

While pushing for state and federal funds for the well, Parra sought contributions of water and cash from various private donors. WalMart donated $14,500 plus two truckloads of one gallon bottles of water, and more than $18,000 more in cash came from other donors.

The assemblywoman worked with CSET, a non-profit organization based in Visalia, acting as a "bank" to channel the donations toward direct assistance to the people of Alpaugh in the form of free drinking water.

CSET put the donated funds to work, contracting with contracted with J&E Distributors to deliver bottled water regularly to the Alpaugh School and with Mountain Springs Water, owned by Anderson and two partners, to place a 5,000 gallon water tank in Alpaugh and keep it filled so that fresh drinking water would be available to all residents.

Danny Santos of CSET said J&E Distributors is charging about $1 per gallon for Arrowhead bottled water being distributed to the school in Alpaugh. He said Mountain Springs is charging 32 cents per gallon for water delivered to the community tank and about 70,000 gallons has been delivered so far. Community leader Sandra Meraz had high praise for the efforts of Parra and her staff-and for Anderson and his great water.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays residents volunteers-either Meraz or others who art part of the "Committee for a Better Alpaugh"-unlock a compartment on the portable water tank to reveal four spigots. Residents bring their own containers and take the drinking water back home with them. Anderson usually makes two trips a week to refill the tank, Meraz said.

"He does a good job," she said, and cleans the tank and tests the water. She did not know that some residents of the Springville area where the water originates are concerned that its movement might be affecting their own wells and springs.

"Our town knows what water is," she said. "We don't spill a drop. We all want healthy water and I hope they don't begrudge us this. It's a Godsend for us."

She said students from the Alpaugh School went on a chartered bus trip to Sacramento last week to visit Assemblywoman Parra and thank her for assistance with the water.

Funding for the water project-which required cooperation of the irrigation district and county in forming the Alpaugh Join Powers Authority, includes a $1.9 million loan and grant package put together in cooperation with the USDA Rural Development agency.

The money will allow construction to begin on a permanent water-storage tank, put in additional lines and add meters for the small community of about 760 people.

A $611,100 emergency grant was approved in 2002 to put in a temporary well that is nearing completion. Dennis Keller, engineer for the Alpaugh Irrigation District, said the new well should be online within 60-90 days.

The district has struggled financially for several years and filed for protection under Chapter 9 bankruptcy laws in 2002. Water rates were raised two years ago due to higher energy expenses faced by the district, triggering a conflict that lead to lawsuits and possible loss of water service. Well trouble has required temporary closure of the school on at least two occasions, most recently just before Easter this year. Parra became involved with the community about a year ago.

"Some people will tell me that she's helping us because it's an election year," Meraz said. "But I tell them, there aren't enough votes in Alpaugh for her to bother with. She's helping us because she cares."

On Tuesday evening, while Meraz was in Sacramento to prepare for another meeting to seek assistance for her community, fellow "Citizens for a Better Alpaugh" volunteer Myrtle Cotter was helping residents fill bottles with water to last their families through Thursday.

She was concerned about a visit earlier in the day from Tulare County inspector Bruce Kendall.

"He said there might be some sort of problem," she said. "I sure hope we don't lose this water.”

Originally Published in The Weekly Messenger & Good Life Gazette - May 6, 2004

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Kings County - The Kings County Board of Supervisors will hear a report on adoption of a possible impact fee paid for by new development that could provide a new revenue source for county facilities.

The supervisors will hear the report May 25 in study session, says Deputy CAO for the county, Mary Gallegos.

The potential source of funds comes as the Board is struggling with its budget as a result of more cuts coming from Sacramento. Those cuts may affect important services like public safety.

The proposal, authored by MuniFinancial, is modeled somewhat on Solano County impact fee although not as high, says Gallegos and not cover some services that are covered in Solano County like health and social services the county delivers.

The fee is needed to keep up with growth, says Gallegos, and demands growth brings on county facilities with a certain percentage going to affected public facilities like library services and animal control. If a town has their own animal control, for example, new development in that town would not pay the portion of the fee that goes to animal control, she explains.

The county fee would be leveled on new homes and nonresidential buildings likely on a set fee rather than by square footage, she says.

A staff report says the staff is using growth projections to lay out what revenues might come in.

“Through this process, the difference between replacement of facilities and expansion of facilities tied to future growth has been a learning experience for staff. Proposed impact fees tied to future growth can not fund the staff needed to perform future services, however, each service area has specific facilities that can be funded, i.e. Library building space and library volumes tied to future population growth are allowed purchases using impact fees.

The preliminary draft report produced by MuniFinancial included the study of the following public facilities: Countywide Public Protection, Fire Protection, Library Facilities, Animal Control Facilities, and Sheriff’s Patrol and Investigation. The Transportation Facilities study has not been prepared awaiting additional data from staff to integrate/coordinate this facility with the cities’ activities within the proposed service areas.”

Gallegos says they have been working for 10 months on the draft that will be delivered to the supervisors.

Already the county is strapped by budget cuts coming from Sacramento making it harder for the county to pay for staff to deliver basic services. In order for a fee to be passed the supervisors will be adopting an ordinance before the fee can be put on the books.

Fees can run from several thousand dollars per house to much higher, as much as $20,000 a house in some communities. The indication is that Kings County’s proposed fee will be more on the modest end.

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City "Takes" Downtown Theater Property

Visalia - The Visalia city council voted 4 to 1 to take over ownership of the Main St. Theater building at Garden and Main - a place that has been leased to the children's theater group Enchanted Playhouse for the past few years.

An overload crowd jumped one large room in the Convention Center for the hearing with strong contingent from both supported the Enchanted Playhouse and from the Restoration Church of Visalia who wants to purchase the property for its own use.

Each side spoke eloquently about their mission with Enchanted Playhouse supporters noting how important the venue was to the cultural arts in downtown Visalia. That fits in with plans for revitalization of the downtown as it moves east, suggested supporters. The other side supported the church sis the Enchanted Playhouse had their chance to buy the property and did not and now the church has the property in escrow. The church will bring a lot of people to downtown too, said the pastor Robert Hooks.

"We too are as important as anyone in the city is," he noted that the entertainment venue would be shut down if the church bought the property noting they plan no changes to the outside of the theater. They say they could offer the building for other people's events much as the Enchanted Playhouse wants to do. Hooks tried to play down fears the church would offer some kind of "soup kitchen" to the poor at the theater suggesting their work with the poor will go on at their northside facility.

At the end of his testimony city attorney spoke to the question of conflict-of-interest by both Mr. Link and Kirkpatrick and said he saw no conflict of interest in the fact Link owns a store a block and a half down the street nor with Kirkpatrick having acted as a volunteer with the troupe.

So it was on with the vote that required a 4/5 majority. Without comment the council voted 4 to 1 passing the measure initiating the condemnation procedures. The filing has to be made in court that there is good public purpose in taking over private property and there will be likely a new approval to ensure that compensation is fair.

Council member Phil Cox sais he felt philosophically uncomfortable with the taking of the property and the fact it will be not for the city but for a private non-profit group.

After the meeting there seemed to be a mood for compromise with Cox suggesting the playhouse and church sit down and see if they could work out some sort of joint use. Others suggested the city help the church find another suitable property and apparently that is underway.

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Visalia - The City of Visalia is beating the state average increase in sales tax of 2 to 4% a year, quite handsomely thank you, with an estimated 14.5% boost is tax receipts between 2002 and 2004.

"We've seen substantial growth in the past few years," says city finance director Eric Frost.

The number reflects actual receipts in fiscal year 02/03 when the city collected 9.9% more than the year before and an estimated increase of 5.5% in the fiscal year ending in June 2004.

The city is estimated to take in nearly $17.8 million this fiscal year compared to $15.3 million in fiscal year 01/02.

The increase comes two years in a row after a slight decline in fiscal year 01/02 of 0.6%.

The increase doesn't reflect the recent vote by Visalians to increase the sales tax by one quarter cent come July - a move that should jump Visalia's sales tax another $4.5 million this coming year. With an expected increase in 2004/05 anyway and the extra from Measure T that could mean Visalia collects some $23 million this coming year to help fund the city's massive general fund. However, this $4.5 million increase will be set aside specifically for public safety.

Visalia takes in over three times what Tulare records in sales tax revenue even though all cities work mightily to increase their share of the sales tax dollar used to fund their city services.

The increase in sales tax reflects the economy, inflation and the number of shoppers visiting Visalia as well as the number of retailers that have expanded in a big way in the past two years. Those stores continue to open and will over the next 2 years.

Visalia enjoys a sales tax advantage gaining more than 40% of the sales tax dollar spent in Tulare County with just 26% of the population. Shoppers come to Visalia to spend their dollars and that helps keep the city in the black. Sales tax makes up about 30% of the city's general fund.

For all of 2003, taxable sales increased just 3% in California as the state was mired in a slowing economy, according to the State Board of Equalization.

The top category statewide continues to be new motor vehicle sales followed by general merchandise stores and then lumber and building materials.

A detailed look at the last quarter of 2003 in Visalia shows growth in department store sales (the largest category in Visalia) followed by slower growth in new car sales (#2) that brought in nearly $1.8 million in this last quarter followed by a slight decline in number three category misc. retail. However, there were better returns in restaurants, the city's fourth category. Furniture stores showed strong gains reflecting furniture buying for all those new homes being built in town. On the downside, service stations, auto parts and repair and energy sales all saw big declines. Building materials sales increased.

The State Board notes that Californians are replacing their cars sooner than they used to. Per capita we are spending 100% more in 2002 on our cars than we did in 1993.

Even with increase in sales tax from the new Measure T sales tax increases, the city will need help from both the general fund and public safety impact fees recently passed to pay for new police precincts in town and the new emergency 911 center. The city's general fund will pay just one quarter of the cost for those planned facilities in town expected in the next few years. The increase in the city sales tax will free the general fund up for other services in town.

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Visalia - Visalia will see more miles of dedicated Class I bike paths in the next year with construction plans pending for several miles of pathway south of Tulare Ave. on Santa Fe almost to Mooney Grove. The plan comes as a result of a preliminary agreement between the city and the Tulare Valley Railroad to sell right-of-way and parcels up and down Santa Fe from the St. Johns River south to Rd. 272, says city engineer David Jacobs.

The railroad abandoned the route some years ago producing this opportunity for both a new roadway and bike paths.

Part of the route is slightly elevated railway that will become a tree lined bikeway enhanced in coming years with more tree plantings as it heads both south and north.

The negotiations have been going on for about 5 years, says Jacobs with the final paperwork to sell the land in the hands of the lawyers. Jacobs says the city has applied for a $100,000 transportation grant expected to be funded this year allowing construction to start in 2005 on a two mile stretch from Tulare Ave. south to Rd. 272.

Also as part of the agreement, the city will acquire a 100 ft. wide right-of-way north of Houston Ave. running clear to the St. Johns River with both room for a new road and separate bike path along this stretch in the next few years. The bike path along the remainder of Santa Fe will be striped but not separated from the roadway that is expected to be a 4-lane artery - a major thoroughfare for north/south traffic in Visalia once the new bridge over 198 at Sante Fe is built.

That bridge is going out to design work approved at a May 17 city council meeting and could be built beginning next year.

Besides the Santa Fe path that will be shared by walkers and bikes, the city has been working to approve a pathway plan along the city's creekways. City recreation staffer Don Stone says he thinks the city has built 3 to 4 miles of new pathways in the community in the past few years. Expected in the next year is expansion of the St. Johns trail east of McAuliff all the way to Cutler Park.

Another path connects the Rec Park area in Visalia to the Visalia industrial park several miles to the west.

Also recently the city and CSET workers paved a new bike/pedestrian path along Mill Creek at the County Civic Center, part of a pedestrian path along much of Mill Creek through the city of Visalia.

A separate bike path away from the street is considered safest since it limits chances for car/bike accidents. However, where there is no room the city is working to stripe bike pathways through town and is planning to complete a master plan late this year to set out official bike routes in town.

The city pays for some of the projects through government monies set aside to fight both automobile congestion and improve air quality.

The Visalia committee pushing for the plans is headed by Vicki Stasch, an avid bike rider herself. Stasch says she hopes to connect Visalia with a pathway to Tulare - a town that already saved old railroad right-of-way to build a Santa Fe trail through the town and north halfway toward Visalia. She is urging the county to get involved to save whatever railroad right-of-way is left for a rail to trail project.

"We see the issue of air quality and obesity in our valley coming together to encourage people to get out there and enjoy this community." Building the trails helps green the town as well as seen by the recent plantings of several thousand new street trees in Visalia through the effort of the Urban Tree Foundation and others.

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by Peyton Ellas

Springville - The town of Springville may be small, but its residents apparently believe two of nearly everything really is better than one. Two convenience markets/gas stations do brisk business along the barely mile-long downtown area, as do two beauty salons. The town boasts two weekly newspapers; there are two women's clubs, and two 4-H chapters. A movement to give the town a new name based on the historic "Soda Springs," which haven't been accessible to the general public in over a decade, may cause confusion to everyone outside of Springville, but its residents will not be confused. Okay, not everything is so dual--there are five real estate offices, and only one inn--but since last winter this desire for twins has even grown to include economic efforts and most recently political planning.

In December, 2003, a group of downtown business owners and others, feeling the unincorporated town's Chamber of Commerce was not doing enough to promote economic development in the area, formed their own group, then called the Sequoia-Springville-Success Lake Business Alliance, and kicked off their formation with a "Christmas in Springville" night. Most recently calling themselves "The Springville Business Roundtable," the group hopes to host a "Fourth of July Celebration" this summer if they can resolve insurance issues.

Both events are intended to attract shoppers into the downtown and to lure prospective business owners into choosing Springville to set up shop. But with four businesses closing since December, two more teetering, and two other "new" businesses delaying their openings for more than three months, it is unclear what impact, if any, this new group will have that Springville's Chamber of Commerce, in existence for more than two decades, did not have in revitalizing a town built largely on the economics of logging and in recent decades struggling to find it's future.

Most recently, the citizens have even decided that one group looking into forming some sort of representative governing body for the town is not enough--two are required for this task as well. Both groups have said that the Springville Community Action Plan process of town hall style meetings, held over the past year, have inspired them to research forming some sort of local government. The Community meetings, and the Action Plan that has resulted from it, were sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, which is now one of the groups looking towards using funds from a recently acquired grant to further explore what type of body might be formed in Springville to better advise the Board of Directors on issues of concern to town residents.

uch a group, in whatever form and whether coming from a Chamber-backed process or one formed through the actions of the self-appointed "Town Council Steering Committee", which holds its first town-wide meeting May 25, is not needed, according to Fifth District Supervisor Jim Maples. Maples says he will work with whatever group is formed, just as he works with all groups in his District, including the two women's groups in town, but he has insisted that because the County Board of Supervisors are full-time representatives for residents, Springville does not need another elective body.

Perhaps Supervisor Maples needs to take another look at Springville, and listen again to the residents in his district. One such resident, a former Springville Public Utility District Board Member, was overheard saying at a recent public function, "You know, this is Springville. We gotta have two of everything. That's just the way this town does things."

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