IN THE WORKS

OCTOBER 2024 NEWSLETTER

TULARE COUNTY

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Salt + Light, a local non-profit organization, opened the doors to the Neighborhood Village in Goshen in October. The project aims to provide housing opportunities to individuals experiencing homelessness.

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GOOD NEWS

Welcome Message

Reed Schenke, P.E.

Director

Resource Management Agency

Welcome to the October edition of the Tulare County Resource Management Agency’s In The Works publication. This month has been full of activities and developments, and we're happy to share a bit of the excitement with you.

In late September, we celebrated Salt + Light’s new Neighborhood Village in Goshen, which provides affordable housing for community members experiencing homelessness. The RMA was instrumental in the funding and permitting process, helping bring this project to life. Earlier this month, the RMA received recognition at the 2024 TCAG Local Motion Awards for our dedication to sustainable transportation for Tulare County residents. Toward the end of the month, our Economic Development Office participated in bringing the Tourism Summit to Visalia in collaboration with the Sequoia Tourism Council to raise awareness of the positive impacts that tourism has on the local economy including by providing more traffic to small businesses and restaurants.

We also hosted our annual Employee Appreciation Lunch at Mooney Grove, honoring our RMA team. Thank you to our community for your continued support and to our teams for their dedicated service to Tulare County’s residents and visitors.

Best regards,

Reed

Salt + Light’s Neighborhood Village: A New Opportunity in Goshen

By Aaron R. Bock, MCRP, JD, LEED, AP, Assistant Director of Economic Development & Planning

Salt + Light’s Neighborhood Village features the Unity Hall, a community center available to residents of the housing development.

Attendees of the Salt + Light grand opening ceremony listened to heartfelt testimonies from residents and community leaders regarding the impactful Neighborhood Village project.

After years of collaboration, Salt + Light’s Neighborhood Village has officially opened its doors. This 52-unit development, created in partnership with Self Help Enterprises and supported by the RMA, is the first of its kind in California. It provides permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. As part of the larger Goshen Village East project, the Neighborhood Village marks a significant milestone in addressing housing challenges in Tulare County.

The RMA played a crucial role in fast-tracking the permitting process, securing funding, and ensuring the project moved smoothly from planning to completion. This innovative housing model showcases the County’s commitment to community-focused solutions and the power of collaboration.

Read more about this transformative project and its impact on the Goshen community on our RMA Website.

More than 50 units in Goshen will now provide a warm and welcoming home to individuals previously experiencing homelessness.

Left to right: Tulare County RMA Assistant Director Michael Washam, Self Help Enterprises Director of Asset Management Patrick Isherwood, and Self Help Enterprises President/CEO Tom Collishaw.

RMA's Team Members Come Together at Mooney Grove

RMA staff pose for a photo during the annual Employee Appreciation Lunch.

The RMA's teams are comprised of experts and technicians in a wide variety of areas. Focus areas at the RMA include permitting, planning, engineering, economic development, tourism, fiscal services, and grant funding.

On October 17, the RMA hosted the annual Employee Appreciation Lunch. At the event, there were a series of employee recognitions and visits from representatives of the County of Tulare Board of Supervisors. The Human Bean graciously donated iced drinks for the RMA crews, and United Way of Tulare County set up an informational booth to provide information regarding community resources to our staff.

We are grateful for the hard work of our RMA team members and the many community partners and residents who work with them regularly to keep Tulare County growing.

RMA Director Reed Schenke took a moment to recognize RMA employees, including Juan C. Arteaga, Engineering Technician I. Juan was among many who were recognized for their service to the county and its residents.

Bladimir Cervantes, Construction & Maintenance Worker III, was also recognized at the event.

RMA team members enjoyed a taco truck, custom coffee drinks generously donated by The Human Bean, and a sweet donation of sweets and resources from United Way of Tulare County.

Rafael Carrillo, Accountant I, received recognition at the event as well.

Not pictured: Joseph James, Accountant III; Roxana Bran, Planner I; and Matthew Cazares, Office Assistant.

There are now more ways to stay connected with the RMA. We are now on Instagram! Please follow us there and on Facebook.

Let's Connect

PUBLIC WORKS

The Striping Crew

After the conclusion of the 2024 Chip Seal Program, the Signs Team's Striping Crew stepped in to complete the process of painting lines and signals on roads. In addition to fabricating signage for use throughout the county, the Signs Team stencils and repaints road symbols using trucks and specialized equipment in a process known as road striping. This crucial aspect of traffic management contributes to the safety and orderliness of our roadways, with the Signs Team completing road striping for 500 miles each year.

ENGINEERING

Recognition at the TCAG Local Motion Awards

On October 3, the RMA's Public Works team was recognized at the 2024 TCAG Local Motion Awards in the Bike and Pedestrian Project category. The RMA's Road 160 Sidewalk Improvement Project was celebrated for improving road safety and accessibility for children and residents of Ivanhoe. This project is one way in which the County is ensuring sustainable transportation for its residents.

RMA Chief Engineer Hernan Beltran (holding the award) received the award along with the RMA leadership and staff, including RMA Director Reed Schenke (far right). TCAG Chairman Rudy Mendoza (far left) joined the RMA team in celebrating.

Community members walking and driving along Road 160 in Ivanhoe are now enjoying the new look and functionality of this highly-traveled road in the community.

Children walking and cycling to Ivanhoe Elementary School along Road 160 will enjoy sidewalks and a safer route to school as a result of the Road 160 Sidewalk Improvement Project.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

Driving Economic Growth Through Strategic Support and Tourism Promotion

By Michael Washam, ACE, Associate Director of RMA

The Sequoia Tourism Council's Tourism Summit was a success. On October 24, 2024, it brought together local decision-makers at the Visalia Convention Center. Visit California's VP of Communications and Strategy Ryan Becker was the keynote speaker.

The County of Tulare's Economic Development Office (EDO) is advancing Tulare County’s prosperity by supporting business growth, fostering investment, and enhancing tourism's economic role. The EDO recently collaborated with the Sequoia Tourism Council on two key events spotlighting tourism's impact.

In September, the Fall 2024 Concierge College training event provided local hospitality professionals with valuable insights into attracting and supporting visitors across Tulare County. This seminar highlighted the economic and cultural benefits tourism brings to the region and featured presentations from leaders in hospitality and public lands management.

On October 24, the 2024 Tourism Summit brought together regional leaders to discuss tourism’s role in job creation, community engagement, and economic growth. Featuring a keynote from Ryan Becker of Visit California, the event emphasized the significant contribution tourism makes to local jobs and business growth, as well as strategies for future expansion.

With travel-related spending in Tulare County reaching $594.2 million in 2023, tourism supports over 6,100 local jobs and generated $53.4 million in state and local tax revenue. These figures highlight the sector’s essential role in sustaining and growing Tulare County's economy, making the EDO’s tourism-focused efforts a vital part of our broader economic strategy.

Interested in learning more? Contact our EDO team by emailing economicdevelopment@tularecounty.ca.gov.

Building and Code Compliance Inspectors are responsible for enforcing the Tulare County Ordinance Code in all incorporated county areas. Code Compliance will take in complaints and perform inspections/investigations involving violations against the Tulare County Ordinance Codes.

The Code Compliance team at the RMA handles complaints including:

Abandoned Vehicles
Cannabis
Building Violation
Public Nuisance
Employee Housing
Substandard Housing

Reporting violations is simple. Please visit the RMA website and submit your information online. Alternatively, you can reach our team by calling (559) 624-7000.

Questions? Email rma@tularecounty.ca.gov.

GRANTS & RESOURCES

Safe Streets for All Program Funding

The Grants & Resources team was awarded $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets for All Program (SS4A), a federal grant that seeks to improve roadway safety. This grant will help update the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), a document that reflects current safety issues within the County's roadways.

The LRSP also gives suggestions on which strategies can be taken to address those safety issues, such as reporting if a certain intersection has frequent collisions. Part of the update will use the Intelligent Transportation Conflict Analysis Process.

"This process will help RMA's projects and processes to be more informed and more effective in its practices and policies," Grants & Resources team member Alexandra Yates said. Yates helped secure the SS4A grant funding.

What this update will do is generate a list of priority projects. This includes using predictive modeling, which can help anticipate future hazards or incidents in the future due to roadway conditions around or on roads. The update will use innovative technology to identify the top 15 safety projects for the RMA. One of the major benefits of this development is that it will provide more accurate Geographic Information System (GIS) data that will establish a detailed framework for road characteristics. This update will be implemented over the course of 3-5 years.

RMA MONTHLY DATA REPORT

Latest RMA Data Packet Now Available

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

View the Packet Online

CONNECT WITH THE RMA

Several RMA initiatives also have an online presence. Search for the following accounts to keep up to date with the latest at our agency.

Tulare County RMA: Facebook • Instagram
Economic Development Office (Grow Tulare County): Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn
Tourism news: Search for (Discover Tulare County): Facebook • Instagram

Have a Story in Mind?

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).