Hanford Insider: City Hall Roulette with Chris Tavarez

Welcome And The Show’s Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:00

On this week's Hanford Insider, Rob sits down with Hanford City Manager Chris Tavarez to get an update on current and future city projects. Rob will review this week's community news and event calendar, and I'll be back with a busy Fall Sports Report. This is the Hanford Insider for October twenty sixth.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Welcome to the Hanford Insider Podcast. Before we get started with this week's show, I want to take a moment to remind everyone just exactly what the podcast is all about. This show has always been intended to be a positive community magazine, a place where we celebrate the people, businesses, organizations, events, and stories that make Hanford and Kings County such a great place to call home. There's certainly no shortage of political discussion or heated opinions on social media these days. And while everyone is entitled to their opinions, I've made a conscious decision not to get involved in local political debates or the back and forth that so often comes with them. I want this podcast to be a little different. I want it to be a place where you can tune in, hear an interesting story, discover something happening in our community, meet someone doing good things, and maybe even come away with a smile. There's plenty of room for political discussion elsewhere. Thanks for listening, and thanks for being a part of the Hanford Insider community.

Community News And Voting Reminder

SPEAKER_01 1:47

In community news this week, a lot sure can happen in ten days. I wasn't able to update the show because I was on vacation on the East Coast checking out the fall colors back there. It was truly amazing, and I highly recommend this bucket list trip. While I was away, the Hanford City Council race certainly got interesting. As you may recall, Travis Payton and Sheldon Blackwell are running to represent District A. Victor Chavrain Jr. and Shane Strong are running to represent citizens in District E. And before I left, Francisco Ramirez was running unopposed in District D. However, last week, current City Councilman Lou Martinez decided to throw his hat back in the race and run as a write-in candidate for District D. No matter who you vote for, please be sure to get your ballot in by next Tuesday, November third. If you have any questions about your ballot, be sure to contact the Kings County Office of Elections and the County Government Center. I've interviewed Lu Bivia, the Register of Voters, several times on the show, and his staff is very helpful and kind. For more information, visit vote kingscounty.com. The Hanford Christmas Parade will be here before you know it, and the committee has already been meeting to make this year's event the best ever. You can enter the parade or nominate someone for this year's Grand Marshal at Hanford.city forward slash Christmas Parade. The parade will be held on Friday, November 27th at 6 p.m. in downtown Hanford. Now let's take a look at this week's community calendar. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Carnegie Museum will be open for the Building Kings County display from noon until 4 p.m. Visit Carnegie Museum of Kingscounty.org for more information.

Events Calendar And Parade Plans

SPEAKER_01 3:37

There's certainly no shortage of fall carnivals and haunted houses. This Thursday is the last Thursday night marketplace of the year. There'll be lots of costumes and trick-or-treatings, so come on out. On Friday, October 30th, the Hanford Oaks Lodge will be holding a trunk retreat from 6 to 8 p.m. And that's also the night of the fourth annual Halloween at the Civic Auditorium from 5.30 to 9.30. And the Remington Trunk Retreat will be that day from 4 to 6. On Saturday, October 31st from 5.30 to 8.30, the Grace Bible Church will be hosting the Night of Light with live music, food, bounce houses, a corn maze with games and prizes. The church is located at 11th and Fargo. On Sunday, November 1st, St. Rose McCarthy School will be holding their annual pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Looking a little farther ahead, next Saturday night, November 7th is the Danny Stacy concert at the Hanford Fox Theater. Good seats are still available at foxhanford.com. If you have an event coming up, large or small, and you'd like some help getting the word out, let's work together. Send your information to HanfordInsider at gmail.com. The Hanford Insider has the most comprehensive community calendar available at HanfordInsider.com.

City Hall Roulette With Chris Tavarez

SPEAKER_01 5:05

We have got another fun episode with the City of Hanford City Manager Chris Tavares. How are you doing, Chris? I'm doing great, Rob. Thank you so much for having me. So, Chris, I thought it would be fun today to do a little City Hall roulette. Uh, we had this game with Brad Albert with Recreation Roulette, and I thought it was a pretty fun idea. So I have a whole plate of topics here, and I will spin the wheel and we'll just kind of pop around and see what uh there is to talk about today. So let's go ahead and start.

Public Safety Building Progress

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Chris, we've read a lot online and in uh newsprint about the City of Hanford public safety building, which is being funded by the Measure H funds. And I know that there's been a lot of property acquisitions going on. Uh fill us in a little bit on how the progress of that building is coming along. It's coming along well.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

We are continuing to look at the area of 7th and Harris, that block or a good chunk of that block for this new building. The architectural programming is well underway. Um, we're looking at the needs assessment, finalizing that. Um, we're starting to even get into the building aesthetics. There's a group from the city that will be visiting other similar public safety buildings in other cities, doing some tours of that just to get an idea of what we'd be looking at here for the city of Hanford. In addition to that, we're also doing a location study looking at how response for the police and fire departments will be done once the building is completed. So fire administration will be along with the police operations, and how does that play out throughout the city? So we're we're conducting an analysis right now, and then with Fire Station 4 coming into play, the the public safety building and fire station four, with those completions, we're looking at response times just to confirm that everything we build will be done the right way to maximize our efficiency to respond to emergency services.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

For sure. And uh in my discussions with Chief Perkins, we had the same uh uh discussions about response time and uh making sure that those buildings are in the exact locations that they need to be. Right on. All right, let's go ahead and spin the wheel.

Veterans Building Roof Next Steps

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Chris, there's been a lot of discussion recently about the civic auditorium remodel. It looks beautiful. It was done for the hundredth anniversary of the dedication of the building. And uh somehow the Veterans Building is uh a little longer down the line, but I understand we're finally going to get a new roof on that building.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Yes, so bids are well underway for a new roof at the Veterans Building along with some other city facilities. Um, we expect bids to be um opened later this week, actually, and then taken to City Council at its uh meeting on November 3rd for a ward. Um, we are looking to get that construction done before the big rains come from El Nino. So we're we're working hastily on that and excited to see those improvements get done.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

Yeah, speaking of those rains, let's move to the downtown area.

Storm Prep For El Nino Flooding

SPEAKER_01 8:31

I know there's been some things put in place to make sure that the flooding that has occurred, especially along Irwin and 8th Street, is not a problem this year. What's been done about that?

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Our storm drain division has uh prepared for the emerging threat of El Nino storms. We could be looking at 50-year, 100-year floods coming into the area. So we're looking at uh historic problem areas throughout the city to make sure that we're able to respond appropriately. Um, we've looked to secure emergency pumps, emergency generators, and water barricades, and work in coordination with the county for emergency responses throughout the area uh in regards to the storm and what it could bring to us.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

All right, let's spin that wheel. Well,

Measure H Results And Fleet Strain

SPEAKER_01 9:31

speaking of Measure H, the city council has spent a lot of time over the last few weeks educating the the community about the successes of uh Measure H and the challenges. So uh where do you stand on that?

SPEAKER_02 9:43

The good news in regards to Measure H is that the city has delivered 100% of the projects and programs that were uh presented to the voters when that was brought to them. Um we've delivered more boots on the ground in the public safety area. Um FIRE has more boots on the ground to help supplement um response times. We have more money for our streets. We're, as we talked about, working forward on our public safety building and a new fire station. Um we have new efforts in the code compliance area to help with property abatement and cleanup there throughout our city. So we have a lot of good things underway thanks to Measure H. And I'm proud to say that we're um completing 100% of what we said we would.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

That's great. And I know that uh there's been a lot of new equipment. The police department has new vehicles. The we've ordered fire trucks, but there are new vehicles. So, how is the maintenance facility at the corporation yard doing? How are they keeping up?

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Uh that's interesting. Yes, that Rob. Um, they are uh taking it on um like champs. Um, all of their bays are full 90 over 90% of the time. It is worth mentioning in relation to our public safety building. Um, we are acquiring one property that has some bays there for some fleet needs that we can use. So we will be utilizing that. And that's at the corner of 6th and Brown Street. Um, we'll be supplementing our fleet um services and being able to address the needs of our police and fire vehicles there as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Yeah, that's great. So it that's a great thing to have, is those auto shops have been there for years and being able to utilize some equipment that's already in the ground. Exactly.

RAISE Grant And China Alley Plans

SPEAKER_01 11:43

The RAISE Grant. Wow, we have not talked about the RAISE Grant in a few weeks. So the RAISE Grant, for as I understand it, was uh a downtown improvement project specifically aimed at that alley that runs through town. We call it China Alley all through town, but it's that alley between 7th and 8th Street. Uh, what's up with that grant?

SPEAKER_02 12:02

We're still uh working towards authorization on that grant. And the neat thing about that is in addition to the China Alley area, it'll be taking a look at the area surrounding um Civic Park. Currently, we're awaiting authorization from the federal government on when we can proceed with that. There were some scope changes that were needed to be addressed due to the change in administrations from the Biden administration to the Trump administration. So we're anxiously awaiting final word uh for us to proceed. That way we can issue our a request for proposals out and start design and get this done and deliver results for the city.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

That's gonna make a great walkable part of town from the original drafts that I've seen of the project. I think it's gonna be outstanding. All right, let's spin this wheel.

HEART Team And Downtown Encampments

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Chris, any discussion about downtown Hanford is obviously going to involve uh discussions about the unhoused in the area. Business owners, residents all have a concern for these individuals, but I know the heart team has been working especially hard to make relationships but also enforce the ordinances, yes?

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Yes. So I like to highlight here, thanks to Measure H, we have five officers and one sergeant assigned to the Heart, the homeless assistance response team. Since just the beginning of this year, 2026, over 5,500 incidents have been handled, 191 arrests have been done, and 59 citations issued. In addition, they've helped clean up approximately 25 encampment cleanups citywide. So there's a lot of progress, and as you mentioned, they're developing a lot of relationships to see how we can help uh the unhoused in their uh specific um instances and also just help the general public in how do we help these folks and address the the needs and just in regards to them as individuals and then in regards to where they're at and what properties are being impacted by their presence. It's a it's a neat thing that the the heart team is being able to do right now and glad to say that there's been a lot of progress made.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

There certainly has been a lot of progress made. I've I've noticed myself, and I know other community members are concerned, but rightly so, about our community and the appearances. So thank you to the heart team and everybody who's been making that happen. All right, let's spin the wheel. Well,

East Lacey Corridor Design Timeline

SPEAKER_01 14:50

anybody who's driven out to the Costco area knows that East Lacey is a mess, but we there's hope. There's hope. There's a light down the tunnel as it were. Uh Chris, what's the latest update that you have for us on the East Lacey Corridor project?

SPEAKER_02 15:04

You're exactly right, Rob. Um just down the road, so to speak, um, we're making significant progress on the East Lacey Boulevard project. Um, the city currently has about 60% plan review comments done. Um, we're advancing uh the design towards 90% completion by the end of this calendar year. We're continuing in earnest with the railroad and coordinating plans with them. And as some folks may know, that does take time. So we're well underway on that. And design and right-of-way are both anticipated to be completed in the first half of 2027, with construction to be bid out um in mid-2027 and awarded by the end of 2027, and construction to start in early 2028 as all goes well. So we're anxiously awaiting the results of all of that work and looking forward to seeing that.

Why Housing Growth Is Required

SPEAKER_01 16:09

You know, Chris, in my observation, uh attending city council meetings, reading agendas, minutes, and such, and just talking to people, I know that there's this misconception that if Hanford wanted to remain this little small town, we should stop building houses. And there's a lot of housing developments. That's not uh you all you go around, and Hanford is definitely on the move in that area. Uh people have concerns for water, rightly so. But why does the state require certain things from cities in terms of building new properties?

SPEAKER_02 16:42

So the state has requirements that they put down to counties and cities on having local agencies have areas developed for housing. The state has considered housing as a uh integral part of meeting the unhoused needs throughout the state and just creating opportunities for affordable housing. So the way the state looks at it, and many folks look at it, is by providing more housing helps statewide in efforts for unhoused and for providing affordable housing. So, due to state requirements, the city is forced to make sure that our general plan provides areas for development to come in and build single family and multifamily units throughout the area. Um so whether we like it or not, it's something we have to face legally. And if we don't, um there's been instances of cities um even near us um opting to challenge the state, and they've fought losing battles in that effort. So that's something that Hanford is acutely aware of. Um, we were late on our housing element update just earlier this year, and we worked with the state housing and community development department to make sure that we were updated and um got off the state's naughty list, so to speak. So if we don't confront these issues and these requirements by the state, the city could face potential litigation, and that's something that is not favorable to the taxpayers and we want to avoid.

Parks And Recreation Blue Ribbon Panel

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Well, the next one's a fun one. It's been a few years, you know, we've been talking about improving parks in Hanford. And, you know, a lot of people talk about Hidden Valley, and we know Heroes Park is paid for by uh certain grants and such. But the council recently took action to adopt this blue ribbon committee for parks and community services. Uh tell us a little bit about that and the process.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Appreciate you bringing this one up, Rob. This one's exciting. As you said, it's been years and in some instances decades of recreation needs or desires of the community, including Hidden Valley expansion. In addition to that, there's a lot of other needs that I've heard in my time here going on six years of what the community wants. So the creation of this blue ribbon recreation advisory committee, they will be commissioned by city council to help identify with staff throughout the next year or so what projects are out there that the city or the community desires and prioritize those projects, and then come up with a recommendation to city council on how to how to confront those needs and how to confront potentially funding those desires and priorities. So we'd be looking at potentially in late 2027 uh a recommendation from that committee to the city council on what they've identified as top projects and how to go forward. Um and then the city council can make decisions after that on how to confront that challenge, um, whether it's a potential uh revenue measure in the future or uh addressing um deficiencies through other measures. So cutting other areas of city services potentially for recreation needs, um, or maybe outlining a plan on how long it'll take to confront the the needs and the desires of the community. So overall, it's an exciting opportunity for probably around 15 to 20 members of the public to get involved directly with the city staff and um work hand in hand to develop um good recommendations for our future.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Yeah, and we're not just talking about parks. I understand it's a senior needs, children's needs, uh, you know, community needs such as walking paths, bike paths, yeah?

SPEAKER_02 21:17

Yes, that would encompass everything. So not just parks, but recreation facilities. That would capture multi-generational recreation facilities, which have already been identified in the city's budget now. And we're actually looking at possibilities currently in that regard. But all of that does take funding as well as just personnel to be able to operate, which in turn also requires funding. So it all comes down to the dollar, whether we like it or not. But you know, that's something that we we want to challenge ourselves in and look for the best possible cases for the city to improve our quality. Of life here and make this community a great place.

Grangeville Underpass Funding Strategy

SPEAKER_01 22:09

The Grangeville Underpass. This is a massive project, and I don't I don't think people fully understand how this will impact the community and what what plans have been made so far?

SPEAKER_02 22:22

So we are looking at an undercrossing at Grangeville on the railroad tracks. Um now this has been going on for a few years. This is probably well over a $50 million project in total, but the city has acquired some funding for design and right-of-way efforts. So right-of-way means acquisition of land that would be needed for this project. So the city has secured over $3 million currently for this project and has started the initial look. Um the good thing about that is once we make enough progress, we can have a what's called a quote unquote shovel ready project, which enables us to pursue federal and state funding for this effort, positions us well against competitors out there. So exciting opportunity for the city. And with this project would come a better connectivity for the city and emergency services going east-west throughout the city. So instead of emergency services or even just, you know, normal folk wanting to go through a railroad crossing and not wait for a train, this would greatly enhance our transportation efforts throughout the city and emergency response.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Well, we've certainly had no shortage of trains stopping in town lately. Oh, this one's interesting. You've

Council Chambers Audio Video Upgrades

SPEAKER_01 23:49

made some upgrades in the council chambers, but I understand there's some more to come with audio video. Some people watching online have complained about different things, and people in person may not be able to hear, uh see. What are some upgrades that are planned for the council chambers?

SPEAKER_02 24:04

Yes, Rob, this has been an area that, as a hobbyist techie, at least, that I am proud to say that we are looking at replacement of some of our audio equipment, which will enable us to make sure that we have better audio throughout our city council meeting. There was a couple meetings ago or a few meetings ago that we had a delay in the meeting, due in part because our audio system was having issues. So, with approval by city council at the last city council meeting, we're going to be working with NTM Productions. They're a company, an audio company out of Visalia that will be helping city staff upgrade our city council chambers, make sure that we have reliable audio during our city council meetings and reliable recordings of our meetings. Um that way the public can listen in without any issues and city staff can conduct meetings more efficiently. Because behind the scenes, some of our equipment is some of it's over 15 years old now, and we realize, you know, it's time to take a look and make sure that we have reliable equipment uh to provide that service for the public. That's great.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Yeah, increasing community engagement, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Exactly. We want to make sure that we're providing the best service to the public.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

All right, we've got time for one more spin. Here we go.

New Restaurants At 12th And Mall

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is the last one. So this summer, actually, not even summer, a few a few weeks ago, we had groundbreaking for a new development at the corner of 12th and Mall Drive, and it has a Chick-fil-A Olive Garden and a seven below. How did this project come together? And uh what do you see going on there in timeline-wise?

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Rob, this is a very exciting project coming into the city. We're very proud to have been working together with the Tachi tribe. They're the landowners uh of this site where Olive Garden and Chick-fil-A will be coming in and some uh potentially other exciting restaurants. But this has been a project that's been in development probably the last two years, maybe a little bit uh longer. But thanks to relationships that the city and the Tachi tribe are able to secure, this is coming to fruition. I'm looking forward to having lunch at Olive Garden or and dinner too and Chick-fil-A. I my family loves it. I know there's a lot of chicken places now, but uh uh Chick-fil-A here in Hanford will be very, very well received, I believe. But just about the opportunities, it all of these economic development-related projects take time, and it is about relationships. So as the city staff continues its work, as I mentioned, this has taken a couple of years. Um so what it takes is interested property owners and developers to be willing to work with the city and get things done, and that this is an example of that effort. So a vision comes to fruition through relationships, and then the city working its best to make sure that all state requirements and city ordinances are adhered to, and shovels can hit the dirt and things can get built.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

Well, shovels have definitely hit the dirt, that's for

What The City Manager Wants Next

SPEAKER_01 27:42

sure. Chris, uh wrapping things up, I know you've been with the city for six years now and you've been city manager just under a year. What are you looking forward to? What have you enjoyed so far about the position and uh what's what's next for the city of Hanford?

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Rob, I find joy in what I do. So it's not something that I I dread coming to every day. I really look forward to what we can accomplish as a city organization to deliver better quality of life for our residents and our businesses here. I think there's a lot on the horizon, on the near horizon for the city. There's a lot of infrastructure to be built, which then positions the city well for increased economic development activity and services, providing services for our residents and businesses so they can have uh top quality of life. And and as we talked about looking at recreation opportunities to enhance what can be done as people wake up until they go to sleep, you know, they're gonna be looking for things to do. So, what opportunities can we provide for them in recreation, in retail, commercial development as well, and as well as industrial development. So we're working with the EDC to be always looking for job growth in our area, and then our partnerships with Caltrans and looking at state route improvements and our federal and state legislators. We have some really good partners in that area as well that have been very beneficial to the city of Hanford. I'm just excited about all the opportunities here in over 20 years now in city government. It is amazing to see all of all hands on deck, basically, really contributing to the best outcome possible for the city. And I'm excited to be part of that.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

Outstanding. Chris, always a pleasure to have you join us on the show, and I look forward to chatting with you a couple months down the line to update on some of these projects. Sounds great.

Fall Sports Report And Playoff Picture

SPEAKER_01 29:56

And now it's time for Hanford Insider Sports with Eric Bentley.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

It was a dominating performance in all phases from Hanford High, who led 22-12 at halftime and exploded in the second half at one point leading 42-18 in route to the win. Quarterback Jaron Mao finished the game with three rushing touchdowns to pace the Hanford offense, but the real story was the Bullpup defense who picked off to Larry Western star quarterback Juju Hernandez five times in the game, including the game's biggest play. After the Hanford offense turned the ball over on downs deep in Tularry Western territory early in the second half, Adrian Ibarra snagged the interception and rumbled 30 yards to the end zone for the pick six, one of two interceptions on the night for the senior. As far as the EYL goes, as expected in the newly formed highly competitive league, there's a chance that five teams could finish with a three and two league record, which would obviously create some chaos determining a quote unquote winner. But Hanford High is certainly a lock for the playoffs with their seven and two overall record with one game to play. The question that remains, playoff-wise, is a familiar one for the Bullpups. Will Hanford get the opportunity to play in the 1A playoffs, which is their base playoff division, or will the Bullpups get bumped up to D1 AA and have to compete for a section title amongst powerhouses, the likes of Central East and Buchanan? Hanford High will cap off their regular season on Friday with a non-league milk can matchup at Lamore. And the Sierra Pacific football team took down Reedley 17-14 last Friday to improve to 5-4 overall, alone in second place in the Tri-County Sequoia League with a 3-1 record. A Nathan Lewis field goal was the only points in the first half from either side and would prove to be the difference in the game as both teams traded touchdowns in the second half. Chase Santos scored both Sierra Pacific touchdowns, a one-yard rushing score, and a 50-yard receiving touchdown. Looking forward, the Golden Bears need a Selma loss and a win themselves in the final week to finish tied atop the league with a four-on-one record. But league standings aside, a win versus Fowler on Friday would bolster Sierra Pacific's playoff resume. As right now, they're projected as a low seed in Division V. And for the Hanford West football team, after a 20-6 loss to Fowler last week, the Huskies will need to win their final game to meet the three-win threshold to qualify for playoffs. However, after a winless few years for Hanford West, the two and seven overall record at this point has to be considered a small victory for the program, with one more chance to get that third win at Carruthers this Friday. Volleyball playoffs will start this week, and two Hanford teams will see postseason action. We'll start with Sierra Pacific volleyball, who even after dropping their final two games of the season, were able to win the Tri-County Sequoia League and punch their ticket to the playoffs with an 18-10 overall record and seven and three in league play. The Golden Bears earned a seven seed in the D5 bracket and will play host to ten-seed Kern Valley on Tuesday at 6 PM. And after finishing their season with an 11-14 overall mark and a four and six league record, the Hanford West volleyball team was selected for playoff action as an unseeded participant in Division IV. The Huskies will be on the road Monday at Cabrillo for their first round matchup. And this is the final week of the regular season for boys and girls water polo with a few teams in the mix for the postseason. However, the full playoff picture is still fairly unclear, so we'll have a full water polo update next week once playoff brackets are set. As always, if you have a score report or a team update for any team in any sport at any level, you can let us know by emailing HanfordInsider at gmail.com. I'm Eric Bentley, and this has been your Hanford Insider Sports Report.

Support The Show And Stay Connected

SPEAKER_01 34:27

Well, that's all the time we have for this week's show. If you're enjoying the podcast and want to support it, you can head over to buymeacoffee.com forward slash Hanford Insider to make a donation, or you can Venmo me directly. To stay connected, join the Hanford Insider email list at HanfordInsider.com. You'll get weekly updates plus an exclusive newsletter delivered right to your inbox each Wednesday. I'd also really appreciate your help getting the word out about the show by liking or sharing posts on social media, or like most people just telling a friend. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, YouTube, Spotify, or any podcast player and have it automatically sent to your inbox when a new episode is uploaded. Don't forget, if you have a story idea, community event, or someone you think deserves to be featured, I'd love to hear from you. Email me anytime at hamfordinsider at gmail.com. You can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and YouTube at Hanford Insider for more content and updates. Thanks for listening. Have a fantastic week.