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LATEST UPDATES FROM THE RMA | |
- Good News
- Public Works Department
- Engineering
- Economic Development & Planning
- Building Division
- Grants Division
- RMA Monthly Data Report
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Reed Schenke, P.E.
Director
Resource Management Agency
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Welcome to the expanded In The Works newsletter. This is a publication of the County of Tulare's Resource Management Agency, also known as the RMA. Previously, this newsletter focused solely on Public Works and now you can expect to also find information about other areas of the RMA.
Readers of this publication will enjoy a mix of data-driven reporting and inspiring storytelling to keep up to speed with the work of RMA staff, often relating to the maintenance of nearly 3,000 miles of Tulare County roads, infrastructure projects, and initiatives fueling Tulare County's economic engine for the good of the nearly 500,000 residents of Tulare County.
Best regards,
Reed
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The Road 160 Sidewalk Improvement Project in Ivanhoe is now in progress | | |
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On June 18, the Tulare County Resource Management Agency (RMA) broke ground on the Road 160 Sidewalk Improvement Project in Ivanhoe.
Tulare County District 4 Supervisor Eddie Valero and RMA staff, including Associate Director Michael Washam and Chief Engineer Hernan Beltran Herrera, welcomed community members, Visalia Unified School District staff, and leadership and staff from the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) to kick off the project.
The project aims to enhance safety with 19 ADA-compliant curb ramps, a Tulare County Regional Transit Agency (TCRTA) bus stop, and high-visibility crosswalks at Road 160 and Heather and Road 160 and Ave. 332, often used by Ivanhoe Elementary students.
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Chip Seal Program will run from August 19 - September 12, 2024, and will over 75 miles of road in County areas | | |
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Chip sealing is one way to keep water from penetrating the road by sealing cracks and raveled surfaces of old pavement.
First Week Schedule (August 19 - 22, 2024)
Please plan your trips accordingly to avoid delays.
- Monday, August 19
- Rd 148, Ave. 272, I Street, Ave. 264. On the outskirts of Visalia and Tulare.
- Tuesday, August 20
- I Street, Olive Ave., Poplar Ave. On the outskirts of Tipton and Tulare.
- Wednesday, August 21
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Ave. 120, Road 120 (Airport St.) Near Pixley and Tipton.
- Thursday, August 22
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Road 104, Alila Ave., Road 156, Road 160. Outskirts of Pixley and Earlimart.
Questions? Email rma@tularecounty.ca.gov or call (559) 624-7000.
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Team Highlight: Meet The Road Crew | |
Our Road Crew Division oversees the maintenance of roadways, signs, and pavement striping within the County of Tulare's right of way. Right of way refers to the area where streets and sidewalks are located and are controlled by a public entity. The County of Tulare's maintenance of roads includes areas that are outside of the city limits of the eight cities in the County. A major part of the Road Crew's maintenance work includes road overlays, isolated road repairs, pothole patching, shoulder maintenance, sign installation and repairs, and minor concrete work. | |
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Working under the leadership of Chief Engineer Johnny Wong, there are nearly 140 Road Crew team members, including maintenance workers, traffic control workers, and heavy equipment mechanics. Together, this mighty team maintains nearly 3,000 miles of roads within Tulare County's right of way.
While the Road Crew team is spread out in their day-to-day assignments, they find a way to stay connected and are dedicated to ensuring Tulare County residents can get where they are trying to go, assessing road problems, and completing follow-up work as needed.
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RMA Director Reed Schenke (right) helps celebrate Johnny Wong's 35 Years of Service at a team meeting in June. | |
Bringing Balch Park Back Online | |
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As of June 14, The Balch Park area is newly welcoming community members, visitors, and tourists to enjoy the giant Sequoias following damages to the road resulting from flooding in 2023.
To make this a reality, RMA teams worked to repair, widen, and patch Bear Creek Road (M220) and blade and patch potholes on Blach Park Road. The Traffic Control team assisted in the opening of this road by installing signs and delineations to inform motorists of oncoming traffic.
This work is an example of how the RMA collaborates with the Tulare County Parks Department by facilitating travel to the recreation opportunities they provide.
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Oakwood Drive (M46) Over Capinero Creek Bridge Now Completed | |
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DISTRICT: 5
Supervisor Townsend
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The Capinero Bridge is now in operation in Pine Flat, east of Oakwood Drive (M46) and Pine Flat Drive (M56).
The County of Tulare experienced a series of severe rainstorms (atmospheric rivers) beginning in January 2023, causing significant widespread flooding and damage to critical transportation infrastructure throughout the County. This bridge was affected and became an emergency project, consisting of replacing an existing narrow, one-lane timber bridge with a one-lane bridge.
The Public Works Branch, in coordination with engineering firm NCM Engineering Corporation and contractor American Paving Company, completed the work for this project.
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Examples of Previous Damage to the Capinero Creek Area | |
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Before
Related flood damage is shown in 2023 at M46 (Oakwood Ct) east of M56 along Capinero Creek.
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Before
Related flood damage is shown in 2023 at M56 (Manter Meadows) along Capinero Creek.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING | |
Retirement Highlight - Susan Simon | |
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Changes are coming to the RMA. The Planning team is saying farewell to Susan Simon as she retires from the County of Tulare following 16 years of service. At the same time, the RMA is welcoming newer team members into planning.
During her time at the County, Susan accomplished many things, including receiving awards from the Central Valley Section of the California American Planning Association (CAPA) for planning 17 communities in Tulare County and she also was a runner-up for the CAPA Outreach award. Susan led the planning and management of over 40 complete street projects, developed the Kingsburg Area Plan, and updated the Cutler-Orosi Community Plan. The RMA is grateful for her leadership and mentorship of newer planners, including Russell Kashiwa and Emily Gage.
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Thank you for your many years of service in the public sector here in Tulare County, Susan. We wish you the best in your retirement! | | |
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Get to Know Russell, Planner II
Russell Kashiwa began his planning career as an Office Assistant III with Tulare County Economic Development on May 29, 2017. Initially, he organized the County’s bottled water filing system before moving to the Permit Center, where he scanned and archived building permits and planning projects. Seven years later, Russell now participates in key County processes and projects, including the Project Review Committee (PRC), the Tulare County Prohousing Designation Program, the ADU ordinance, and Housing Element.
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Get to Know Emily, Planner II
Emily Gage joined Tulare County RMA on October 24, 2022, starting her planning career. Inspired by her high school Geography teacher, she pursued Geography and City Planning at Fresno State, graduating with honors in Summer 2022. As one of the newest RMA team members, Emily is already making significant contributions to the agency's planning work, including by becoming involved in the Tulare County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) update and the Active Transportation Project (ATP).
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Event Success: 120 Attended the TeamCalifornia Meet The Consultants Forum in Visalia | |
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Over 120 business professionals attended TeamCalifornia's Meet the Consultants Site Selection & Economic Development Forum at the Visalia Convention Center on August 6-8, 2024. Tulare County hosted the event with support from statewide and local sponsors, including the cities of Visalia, Tulare, and Porterville, as well as businesses like Eagle Mountain Casino, Setton Pistachios, Reimer's Candies, and Stafford's Chocolates. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors joined the Economic Development Office to kick off the event.
Attendees included local leaders and site selectors from major brands like Jersey Mike’s, Wienerschnitzel, and Dairy Queen, with some traveling from across the country. Adam Peck, Executive Director of the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board, highlighted the county's young workforce as a key asset.
What is a Site Selector?
Site selectors help businesses decide where to open new locations. The forum featured 13 speakers covering topics such as retail and commercial forecasting, energy projects, marketing, and storytelling. Events like this foster economic growth and collaboration in Tulare County and across the state.
Questions? Contact the County of Tulare's Economic Development Office by emailing economicdevelopment@tularecounty.ca.gov.
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Business Visit to Rexford Solar Farm in Ducor | |
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In June, the Economic Development Office (EDO) toured the Rexford Solar Project, an impressive 3,500-acre array of solar panels and energy storage units.
We were joined by Tulare County’s District 5 Supervisor Dennis Townsend, the City of Woodlake Mayor Rudy Mendoza, and the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation.
Questions? Please contact the County's Economic Development Office by emailing economicdevelopment@tularecounty.ca.gov or calling (559) 624-7177.
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Permit Center Hours Have Expanded | | |
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In an effort to provide even more convenient service to our community members, the Permit Center is now open from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Previously, the Permit Center closed at noon on Fridays.
RMA staff hopes that these updated business hours will help individuals who may not otherwise be able to easily access our services.
Questions? Please email rma@tularecounty.ca.gov or call (559) 624-7000.
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Building Permits During Fiscal Year 2023/24 | |
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In Fiscal year 23/2024, 3,840 permit applications were received and 3,948 permits were issued. Sometimes, the number of permits issued surpasses the number received because the number of permits issued reflects permits being processed, including permits from the previous fiscal year.
Permit valuation totaled $959,858,132.56 for Fiscal Year 23/2024. The large increase from Fiscal Year 2022/23 to 2023/24 relates to large-scale solar projects which occurred in the last year.
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The Grants and Resources Department is Celebrating Major Wins | |
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The RMA’s Grants and Resources team works to find funding opportunities across a variety of projects. Recently, the RMA was awarded $5.3 million through the Federal PROTECT Grant Program for Improvements to Avenue 56 along Alpaugh for Sustained Resilience Against Future Flooding.
The Grants and Resources team also secured funding from the Federal Department of Transportation Thriving Communities Grant Program for the Community of Pixley to participate in the Networked Communities initiative and assist the community in preparing innovative grant applications for Federal Funding opportunities.
Questions? Contact the Grants and Resources Department by emailing eparker@tularecounty.ca.gov or calling (559) 624-7000.
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Latest RMA Data Packet Now Available | | |
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RMA Data is now available in a single data packet including information regarding:
- Project Status Updates
- Public Works Field Operations
- Monthly Planning Report
- Building and Housing Report
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Follow Us On Social Media | |
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Several RMA initiatives also have an online presence. Search for the following accounts to keep up to date with the latest at our agency.
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Send over your story idea and it may just make it into a future edition of this publication! To learn more, contact RMA Media Specialist Lacey Patrick by email (lpatrick@tularecounty.ca.gov). | |
RMA Contact Information and Quick Links | |
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Government Plaza (RMA Headquarters)
5961 S. Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93277
Phone: (559) 624-7000 • FAX: (559) 615-3002
Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Fridays 8:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Email: rma@tularecounty.ca.gov
Building Permit Center Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Porterville Permit Center
346 N. Porter Road, Porterville, CA
Phone: 559-782-6800 • 559-782-6801
Building Zone Information
Phone: (559) 624-7105
E-mail: Zone-Information@tularecounty.ca.gov
Public Information Requests
Email: rma@tularecounty.ca.gov
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