CITY OF PORTERVILLE
State of the City Address
December 2, 2011

The 2011 calendar year for the City of Porterville is one that could be characterized like the famous Timex commercial slogan: “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking”.  Regardless of the obstacles, whether they be economical, political or regulatory, the City Council and City staff continue to deliver and diligently pursue projects that improve the quality of life for our community.  We are all well-aware of the continued challenges and uncertainties we face in regard to the instability of the global, national, state, and local economies.  However, even in these difficult economic times, the City continues to not only survive, but to thrive. 

The State’s ongoing budget problems has certainly continued to try its very best to affect our city.  Due to the State’s unresolved budget this past Summer and the resulting inability to sell construction bonds, we experienced the delay of construction of the new South County Justice Center, which was to have begun several months ago.  However, with the State budget finally passed (regardless of how suspect that budget may be), construction bonds were finally sold during this past month, and we will see construction begin this coming February.

With the new Courthouse, we are seeing the strong indications of a re-energized Downtown, with new business prospects seeking to locate in proximity to the Courthouse, with the vacant storefronts on Main Street dwindling.  Ms. Sandy Powell has indicated that her Downtown business, Fashion Network, has experienced perhaps its best year.  Vallarta Supermarket came to Downtown in 2010 and occupied the long-vacant Save Mart building in East Ridge Plaza, in which they have experienced tremendous success, even acquiring the shopping center itself in the last year and making significant façade improvements.  We have seen Mr. Steve Fealey move his business, Hoagie’s Heroes, to Downtown this past year and flourish at its new location.  Given the success of his physical fitness training business, Max Fit, Mr. Ray Rangel recently expanded in Downtown.  Dr. Massey Missakian just recently moved his chiropractic practice to Downtown in an expanded and wonderful new facility.  And we look forward in great anticipation to the opening of Dickey’s BBQ by Mr. Ed Phillips in January in the former Screaming Moose location on Main Street.  A strong and vibrant Downtown is critical to a community’s identity and vitality, and the Bank of the Sierra’s commitment to maintain their Corporate Headquarters in the Downtown provides the long-term foundation and anchor that ensures Downtown will serve as the city’s financial district.  The new Villa Siena apartment project was recently completed at a former blighted site in Downtown, which also provides the replacement housing units for the vacated Porterville Hotel – with the housing units now replaced, the State and its financial terms remain the final obstacle in addressing this blighted Downtown building, and the City would like to thank State Senator Jean Fuller and Assemblywoman Connie Conway for their assistance and support as they have coordinated and will join City and State representatives in meeting next week in Sacramento in hopes of finally reaching resolution.

The aesthetics of Downtown are also improving, as the extraordinary new mural in Centennial Plaza depicting the rich musical history of Porterville will prove to serve as a Downtown icon and landmark for generations to come.  And the next Downtown mural is scheduled for 2013 on Oak Avenue, as City staff was successful in securing grant funds for pedestrian way enhancements for connectivity between the new Courthouse and Main Street.

Downtown will also benefit from upcoming transportation projects to enhance connectivity.  The widening of the Plano Street bridge, which was scheduled to begin construction this past year but was disappointingly delayed due to additional State-required environmental review and study, is scheduled to begin construction this coming Summer.  The widening of the Jaye Street bridge is currently under design, and could begin construction as soon as 2013.  Also, the city’s Highway 190 corridor between Westwood Street and Reservation Road is currently under project review by Caltrans, with the two (2) remaining segments of the Main Street interchange (eastbound entrance and westbound exit) primary focuses of the study, with the financial support of Measure R Regional Funds for the interchange project to proceed to construction by 2015.

Beyond Downtown, economic development interest and business prospects throughout the community remain strong.  Approximately a dozen project proposals are in various stages of discussion, with most recently Famous Footwear and Marshall’s looking to open in the coming Spring and co-locating with Kohl’s and PetSmart in the Porterville Marketplace shopping center.  City staff is currently actively engaged with a couple significant industrial/manufacturing prospects which would provide substantial local job development opportunities, with the Airport industrial area on the “short-list” of potential site locations.  A catalyst of this economic development activity has been the State finally approving, after more than a year’s delay, the Enterprise Zone designation for Tulare County.  To further support economic development in the community during these challenging and uncertain times, the City has acted not to raise its fees in the last several years as some other local communities have done, and in fact, has reduced some of its fees to encourage small business development.

Even during these challenging economic times, we have seen more than $6 million in local road improvement projects completed, including: the reconstruction of Olive Avenue between Jaye Street and Highway 65; the extension of Jaye Street from Highway 190 to Gibbons Avenue; and the reconstruction and widening of Indiana Street and Scranton Avenue, connecting to Highway 65.  In addition, come Spring 2012 and the start of the next construction season, we will see the continued rehabilitation and improvements to Olive Avenue between Highway 65 and Salisbury Street, Henderson Avenue between Highway 65 and Newcomb Street, as well as the beginning of reconstruction of West North Grand Avenue between Highway 65 and Newcomb Street.

This past year in particular, the State’s ongoing budget problems has directly affected the City’s budget, with the State having “stolen” over $400,000 in General Fund monies and $325,000 in Redevelopment funds.  Although the City has been able to maintain a balanced budget during these past several difficult years, the State’s “theft” of funds this year (and expected for future years) has created a projected budget shortfall for the City.  To address the City’s projected budget shortfall, as well as introduce stabilization to rising employee pension costs, the City has been working with its six (6) employee unions.  Recently, you may have read that the City and its Police Officer Association came to a three (3) year Agreement, wherein the Police Officers have agreed to essentially a five (5) percent reduction in “take home” pay in reducing the City’s pension expenses.  The City and its Fire Officers Association have also come to a similar Tentative Agreement.  The City Council truly appreciates the Police Officer and Fire Officer Associations for having worked so quickly and collaboratively with the City in these challenging budgetary times and coming to multi-year Agreements.

In speaking of public safety, the City’s Fire Training facility is continuing its extraordinary development and the construction of training props, with special thanks and gratitude to the Tule River Indian Tribe for their support and collaboration with the City in assisting with Indian Gaming Community Benefit grant funds in the development of this facility and the purchase of specialized rescue equipment.  The City has also nearly completed the moving and development of its shooting range, with special thanks again to the Tule River Tribe for their financial support and collaboration in that project.  This past year, the City has also begun design of its new Public Safety station, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2013 in the area of Jaye Street and Highway 190.  The Fire Department’s emergency response times continue to improve on average of almost 15 seconds this year, with more than 90% of calls being responded to within five (5) minutes.  Police Department crime statistics show that “Part 1 Crimes” (felonies, i.e., homicide, rape, robbery, assault, etc) continue to be below the five (5) year average.  The success and strength of the City’s public safety systems should be credited in large part to the community for its support of Measure H, in providing the funds for the fine men and women who serve the community in the City’s Fire and Police Departments.

As was stated in the beginning, the 2011 calendar year for the City of Porterville was one of the many challenges and obstacles, however, we have and will continue to persevere and prosper given the extraordinary character, commitment and dedication of this community.