Public hearings set

City Council seeks input on district maps

The Porterville City Council will have a public hearing Tuesday to receive input for criteria in the drafting of district boundary maps.

On Aug. 30 the City of Porterville received a letter from Marguerite Melo of Melo and Sarsfield in which Melo asserted that the city’s current “at-large” voting system is not in compliance with the California Voting Right Act, said City Manager John Lollis. Lollis said the letter threatens litigation unless the city voluntarily agrees to implement district elections.

At its meeting of Sept. 19, Lollis said the city council adopted a resolution to initiate procedures for establishing and implementing by-district elections. He said the next step in this process is to conduct public hearings to receive public input prior to the drafting of district maps.

Tuesday’s public hearing, Lollis said, is the first of three that the city will hold to receive public comment prior to the maps being drawn. The additional two pre-map public hearings, he said, will be held on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17.

Lollis said the process of conversion from at-large to district elections consists of two public hearings — the city is conducting three to provide ample opportunity for public comment — the drawing of draft maps, two additional public

adoption of an ordinance selecting a district map and establishing the process by which staggered district elections will be implemented.

Because the city’s charter specifically sets forth the requirement that city elections be at-large, Lollis said the voters will also need to authorize a charter amendment. He said the earliest time in which this could be placed before the voters would be on the June 2018 ballot, with the process commencing in January 2018. In other matters:

Will name Reggie Calo as Employee of the Month.

Will receive a presentation

from TCAG, Tulare County Association of Governments, regarding the Regional Transportation Plan.

Will consider approving SB1 Project List for FY 2017/18 and a resolution to amend the budget to include RMRA funds.

Will consider approving a purchase of the Dell DR4300 Disk Backup Appliance at a cost of $12,191.86, plus the applicable sales tax and shipping.

Will consider approving the purchase of Energov Permitting & Land Management Software from Tyler Technologies for a one-time cost of $57,490 and an annual maintenance charge of $16,990.00.

Will consider approving

a payment in the amount of $19,168.98 to SCE for costs associated with streetlight installations for the Jaye Street Bridge Project.

Will consider awarding the Plano Water Replacement and Concrete Curb Ramp Project construction contract to MAC General in the amount of $1,311,875.95 for the project consisting of the removal and replacement of concrete along Plano Street and within the Barn Theatre parking lot.

Will consider approving a Purchase Option Agreement that allows for testing of and potential purchase of a well site between the Tule River and the extension of River Springs Avenue for an amount of $29,000.

Will consider authorizing to distribute Requests for Qualifications for On-call Consulting Services for right-of-way, surveying and materials testing services.

Will consider approving the Veterans Homecoming Committee’s Veterans Day Parade to take place from 5 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 11. Will also consider approving the closure of Main Street from Doris Avenue to Orange Avenue and additional side streets along the parade route.

Will consider approving a request to proclaim Oct. 7-8, 2017 as “Relay for Life Days.”

Will consider approving a request to proclaim Oct. 15-21, 2017 as “Friends of Libraries Week.”

Will continue the hearing regarding the consideration of a Resolution of Necessity to acquire a portion of property located at West Side of Hillcrest Street, North

of Jasmine Drive in Porterville, in order to construct a water tank and other improvements for the East Porterville Water Supply Project.

Will consider authorizing to issue a permit for public improvements upon consensus of the design of the water connection to Burton Unified School District campus at Redwood Street and Thurman Avenue. The district will process an annexation application for a school site at the northeast corner of Redwood Street and Thurman Avenue and required surrounding properties.

Will consider a Letter of Request for Veto of SB 649 (Hueso) regarding wireless telecommunications facilities.

Will consider the continuance of the Declaration of Local Emergency.

The council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at Porterville’s City Hall.