Hearing on transit modifications

Among the three scheduled public hearings for Tuesday night’s City Council meeting lies the continued hearing for modifications to public transit services. The Council has been discussing the reduction of public transportation service hours over the course of several meetings, and opened the discussion to the public at the last regularly scheduled meeting in July. The proposed modifications include a relativity significant reduction in service hours which would cut the current bus schedule short by two hours. Some concerns have risen amongst the Council, including transportation options for those who ride the bus home from Porterville College in the later evening hours. Several members of the community have also expressed concern about replacement options for transportation, if the hours were to be cut. Transit has proposed a plan that would include an “on demand” type mode of transport, but have yet to reveal when that service would be available to the community. The Council is hoping to receive a clearer outline of the proposed future services at Tuesday’s meeting. Three presentations have found a home on Tuesday’s agenda. The first of the three will be a presentation in honor of the Porterville Neptunites and their newly acquired Valley Champion title. The second presentation will shine a light on August’s employee of the month, Kirk Lowery. The Council will brief the audience on Lowery’s contributions to the community as a city employee before presenting him with a certificate and allowing him to introduce his family and say a few words of gratitude. The final presentation will award Giovanni’s Pizzeria as an Outstanding Business. Routine AB1234 reports will follow the conclusion of the presentations. Reports will be given on the Tulare County Task Force on Homelessness, the Tulare County Council of Cities, the Tulare County City Selection Committee, the Tulare County 2020 Census Committee meeting and the Porterville Complete Count Committee. City Manager John Lollis will provide the staff informational reports for the night. Items included in these reports will be building permit activity, attendance records for City Commissions and Committees, and a review of the point in time report and update on grant funds to address homelessness. Oral communications will open after the closing of all reports. This is a time in which the public is encouraged to address the Council on any matters under their jurisdiction, including items not on the agenda. Comments regarding public hearings are to be held until the permitted time. Each speaker will be given three minutes to speak at the podium. The Council will move onto the 15 item consent calendar following oral communications. Every item on the consent calendar may be approved in a single motion, unless a Council member requests to pull an item for further discussion. A complete list of consent calendar items can be found near the end of this article. Other than the public hearing regarding transit modifications, there are two other scheduled public hearings slated for Tuesday evening. The first public hearing is to consider a resolution to allow the sale of beer and wine under an on-sale license in conjunction with the serving in meals and authorize the execution of a letter of public convenience or necessity for a Mariscos y Birrieria Mazatlan restaurant located at 1392 W. Olive Avenue. The second hearing is to consider a resolution ordering the continued maintenance of landscape and lighting maintenance districts and to confirm the Engineer’s Report and Assessments for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. There are four scheduled matters on the agenda for the Council’s consideration. The first regards a six-month status report on the conditional use permit for Eddie’s Dog Grooming business, per Council request. The second matter is to consider whether to reject all current bids and to re-advertise for the Henderson Avenue Reconstruction Project from Indiana Street to Jaye Street, or to award the project contract to MAC General in the amount of $4,230,966. The third matter is to discuss the reorganization of the city’s Public Works Department and consider dividing it into two separate departments. The final matter is to appoint Council members to the various boards and committees on which they need a member to serve on. Oral communications will be opened a final time before the adjournment of the meeting. The following is a complete list of the items up for approval on Tuesday’s consent calendar: 1. Authorization to Distribute Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for On-call Right-of-way and Appraisal Consulting Services 2. Authorization to Purchase Avgas Aircraft Refueler 3. Purchase of Replacement Pump and Motor for Lift Station 11 4. Acceptance of Fiscal Year 2018 State Homeland Security Grant Program Funds 5. A Resolution Approving the Application for Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Funds 6. Consent to Sublet Airport Hangar Lot No. 7 7. State of California Office of Emergency Services Engine Replacement Contract 8. Agreement to Create Cross-easements When Necessary and Declaration of Restrictions for the Christl Gardens Apartments 9. Adoption of Policy for Procurement with Federal Funds 10. Quarterly Portfolio Summary 11. Preliminary Financial Status Reports for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 12. Amendment to Employee Pay & Benefit Plan - Fire Officers Series 13. Approval for Community Civic Event for the Porterville Chamber of Commerce and Porterville Arts Commission’s Porterville Art Festival on September 28 14. Approval for Community Civic Event for Family Health Care Network’s 19th Annual Health Fair and Fiestas Patrias on September 15 15. Status and Review of Declaration of Local Emergency This meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. inside the Council Chambers at City Hall located at 291 N. Main Street.