Navigating Path To Help
Housing funds, Eagle Mountain wastewater project on agenda
At its regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening, the Porterville City Council is set to discuss a handful of items, one being the creation of a five-year plan in order to accept funds from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to put towards permanent housing solutions within the city.
HCD has announced there will be approximately $195 million available to entitled local governments to use for the Permanent Local
Housing Allocation (PLHA). The available PLHA funds come from Senate Bill 2 (SB2) which authorizes HCD to allocate 70 percent of the monies collected in the fund to local governments for housing and homelessness activities. The City of Porterville is classified as an entitled local government, and could potentially collect PLHA funds in the amount of $342,754.
In order to be eligible to collect the funds however, the city must develop a five-year plan detailing how it will use the funds once it receives them. The plan must be authorized and adopted by the City Council, and the public must have proper notification and opportunity to comment on the plan. The deadline to apply for the funds is July 27. The city is suggesting the funds be used in the following ways; financial support for the Navigation Center, permanent supportive housing assistance, hotel/motel voucher programs, rapid re-housing assistance, and flexible funds to reduce financial hurdles in being housed. City staff is recommending the Council give direction on the development of the five-year plan, which will be presented to the Council at its meeting on June 16.
The City is currently developing the Navigation Center at the former Vine Street School site to provide assistance for the homeless and those in need.
In addition to the discussion concerning the five-year plan, the Council will also consider a joint powers agreement between the city and the Tule River Tribe in regards to the development of wastewater and
recycled water system facilities and the establishment of the Porterville Recycled Water Authority.
It’s well known by now the Tule River Tribe plans to relocate its casino to a 40-acre parcel within the city limits. The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) which identified several offreservation impacts, and listed ways in which to mitigate those impacts. Along with the impacts identified by the FEIS, the city will also need to improve the existing water and wastewater systems. These improvements include replacements and improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and roughly 800 feet of transmission main, as well as construction
of a Tertiary Wastewater System. It has been recommended the City Council Ad Hoc Committee and the Tribe form a Joint Powers Authority to break up the costs, operation and maintenance of the needed improvements to the water system.
According to the staff report attached to Tuesday’s agenda, “the City shall be responsible for the administration of the Agreement and act on the Authority’s behalf with regard to the future development agreement(s). The Tribe is responsible for the planning, permitting, design, construction, and repairs needed to the City’s existing Wastewater Treatment Plant, and shall further be responsible for the planning, permitting design and construction of the Tertiary Facilities.”
An agreement for the development of the specific wastewater system
facilities improvements, as well as an agreement for the provision of recycled water, are currently being developed and negotiated. The parties have agreed the cost allocation for the proposed project shall be spilt 2:1 with the city paying twothirds of the cost.
The Council will host one public hearing on Tuesday evening, with regards to the modification of the Porterville Development Code (PDC). The most notable modifications proposed for the PDC according to the staff report are to “clarify responsibilities by the newly formed Engineering and Project Management Department; providing a concise procedure for the filing of Parcel Maps; modifying the prohibition of culs-de-sac, to allow them in residential zone districts at a ratio of 20% of the lots to be
served; and adding a requirement as identified in the General Plan to require trails along all watercourses to include adequate line of sight.”
City staff is also taking this opportunity to address other sections of the PDC which includes mechanisms to require landscaping adjacent to fences and block walls in an effort to reduce the amount
of trash that can accumulate in these areas. Staff is proposing five feet of landscaping adjacent to local roads and 10 feet to collectors and arterials. Staff is also requesting Council repeal Ordinance 1563 the PDC which currently provides the City Manager or designee the authority to administratively approve requests to encroach into the public rights of way for fencing. This action would also remove a statement of the Municipal
Code pertaining to Fence Encroachment Permits, which is in direct conflict with the aforementioned modifications. Staff is recommending the Council approve the PDC modifications.
This meeting is set for Tuesday, May 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. It will be streamed live via the City of Porterville’s Youtube channel, which can be found at https://www. youtube.com/channel/ UC5KUHSRNMNL9NWHJVTNJVVA.