District 1: Supervisor Larry Micari

It’s the hottest part of fire season in California and we all need to do our part to minimize fire danger. Maintaining property is one of the best ways to keep your home and neighbors safe from fire risks. Keeping weeds and other vegetation mowed down is a top way to reduce fire danger. The Tulare County Fire Department recommends that all disking or mowing should be completed by 10:00 a.m. each day to further reduce fire start danger. It just takes one spark from equipment or hitting a rock in the heat of the day to start a fire.

Also keep an eye on the build up of trash or other combustible material on your property. This type of rubbish needs to be cleared to avoid additional fire dangers.

If you need a contractor to help with this work, call the Tulare County Fire Department at 559.802.9800 for a list of contractors or visit their website at https://tularecounty.ca.gov/fire/prevention-division/hazard-abatement-program/. 

District 2: Supervisor Pete Vander Poel

During our dry summer months, it’s important to make sure we reduce fire danger on the Valley floor. This starts with creating Defensible Space around your home and property. Cal Fire recommends creating and maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space by cutting grass down to a maximum height of four inches and ensuring all combustible material are located 30 feet away from your home.

Home Hardening is also recommended so your home is better able to withstand fire. Consider using fire resistant materials and plants near your home and other buildings on your property. To learn how resistant your home is to fire now, take the Home Hardening Self-Assessment provided by Cal Fire.

While the Valley floor does not see wildfires like our foothill and mountain communities, we have seen our share of grass fires. Pixley and Allensworth both had multi-acre grass fires this year. Remember that trash burning is illegal. The Tulare County Fire Department has a Hazard Abatement Program and fire hazards can be reported through the Hazard Abatement Complaint Form.

District 3: Supervisor Amy Shuklian

This week the Board of Supervisors received a Year End Review and Preliminary Strategy Workplan presentation from the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC). The core functions of the TCEDC are to attract new commercial, industrial, and specialty businesses, promote regional attributes, and provide a forum for economic dialogue. They do this work by partnering with Economic Development offices throughout Tulare County, as well as the Governor’s Office for Business & Economic Development, and the Federal Economic Development Administration. So far this year TCEDC has participated in 27 site selector missions and seven legislative meetings. As this year’s Board Chair for the organization, I’m proud of the work being done and excited to see the economic results for Tulare County.



The TCEDC is not the only host of economic dialogues for our area. The Tulare County Economic Development Office is proud to host a state-wide event focused on site selection this August. Meet the Consultants is August 6-8 in Visalia and is the 10^th time TeamCalifornia has organized the economic development forum. The event is for site selectors, economic development leaders, investors, government agencies, and more. The schedule features speakers, networking events, and tours. We hope to see you there!

District 4: Supervisor Eddie Valero

Buck Rock Lookout Historical Marker Celebration

On Sunday, I joined the celebration at Buck Rock Lookout and the placement of a historical marker. The Tulare County Historical Society worked with the Buck Rock Lookout Foundation make the marker a reality. At only 80 minutes from Orosi, this is a wonderful landmark to visit and hopefully you make it to the top like I did!

Wilsonia Meet and Greet

On Saturday, I had the honor and privilege of attending Wilsonia’s Annual Meet and Greet. I absolutely loved the conversations, local presentation, and the ability to connect with people in high country.

Dinuba Library Re-Opening

The newly remodeled Tulare County Dinuba Branch Library is officially open! Join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, August 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at 150 S. I Street, Dinuba, CA.

Hours of Operation:

• Tues, Thurs, and Fri: 10:00 a.m. to  6:00 p.m.

• Wed: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Bring your family, enjoy a nice read, participate in the free lunch program, and come learn about all the cool and exciting activities for the remainder of summer! Thank you to the City of Dinuba for being a great partner!

District 5: Supervisor Dennis Townsend

Water issues have become front and center in our minds in the past decade in the San Joaquin Valley. Whether drought or flood or environmental or water quality issues or subsidence or watershed management, water concerns have taken center stage. To make matters more difficult, there are also political pressures in play that have the potential to hinder long term solutions. Our advocacy includes the need for more above ground water storage. There is some local success on that front with the completion of the spillway at the RL Schafer dam at Success Lake. The project will increase storage by 25% and be a benefit for agriculture and domestic use and flood protection. We need similar storage and flood control projects throughout the state as we continue to lobby for additional releases south of the Delta, conveyance projects and studies into alternate solutions to increase water supply and lower demand. We are committed to all these efforts.

Learn more about Tulare County water positions in the State Platform, pages 5-9.