[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6557566,"mediaKeyId","3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26","parentId",3290544,"title","Tulare County officials warn $5.4 million for Early Mart water and sewer projects at risk as PUD work lags","audioSeconds",197,"startMs",2576000,"endMs",2773000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26&start=2576&end=2773","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26/thumbnail_2576000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6557566/Tulare-County/California/Tulare-County-officials-warn-54-million-for-Early-Mart-water-and-sewer-projects-at-risk-as-PUD-work-lags","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557566-b3f42bd9bea6eb6496a01d5f2dc9371b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032423&Signature=jpY983-s3QpJyY8~tIrNQaXxsJGK0UmNqoJcR~EtBOGUb-Lp129aa3FOXDZx7LnuUTGcZ-4aKEYXdM6l3~6DQS2uGvBBU30kKMgLMOeZbu7TPJU7LRX9GtpAGJjo917gzqgislMF74fWX5pFDDDoZJ~lUKUs5KBFOnMQVRuhnr9FVquwemH2aZvGW5SM9I-c2LU0k86ZxSsb5ttS9F6fB4v2KyMV6lYq0v1FO6sNcAA~wfYjBg8oLe25d7EVouC0rRev~7hWL6eOxnoyQX~mI7onir0~zUm53T0zlMnYwDLrzBQbzqT12AF5IOVXTBzZpXbzAG49AGmXpnaKV7Zxfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tulare County","date","2025-05-14T00:45:42Z","article","Tulare County grants staff told the Board of Supervisors and Early Mart residents on Tuesday that $5.4 million allocated for two local utility projects remains at risk because the Early Mart Public Utility District (PUD) has not delivered shovel‑ready engineering or billing invoices that would allow construction to proceed.

Denise England, grants and resources manager with the Tulare County Resource Management Agency, told the board the county has set aside $500,000 in ARPA funding and pursued a $1.7 million federal earmark for a Front Street well treatment project, and $1.6 million in ARPA plus a $1.6 million earmark for an interceptor sewer relief project — for a combined total of $5,400,000. “At this point, both of those funding sources are available, at $2,200,000 for the Front Street Well … The second project … would be a total of 3,200,000.0,” England said.

England said the county had expected those projects to be “shovel ready” — with design, environmental review and property acquisition complete — but that the PUD now reports the projects are not designed. “We are being told now that these projects might not be designed at all,” she said, adding that the county began a NEPA crosswalk more than a year ago and that the ARPA money “has to be spent by December 30 first of 20 26,” as she stated in the meeting record.

Residents and local officials, including town council members, school staff and the newly elected PUD director, urged the board to push the PUD and other local actors to complete designs and deliver will‑serve letters so projects can proceed. “We need the help here in this town,” said Andrea Gonzalez, an Early Mart native and health‑care worker. Oscar Silva described repeated collisions at a local intersection and asked the county to consider flashing signals or other safety measures.

Several speakers urged the board to hold PUD leadership accountable and to provide technical assistance. Crystal Bueno, an Early Mart resident and newly elected PUD board director, asked county staff for a briefing so she could reconcile the information she receives from the district’s engineers and attorneys with county staff reports. “I would like to see who I would be able to sit down and speak to so that way I can see both of them what information is being presented to us,” she said.

County staff and supervisors said the funds are available in county coffers but cannot be reallocated easily if deadlines are missed. Chair (name not specified) and Supervisor (name not specified) emphasized the urgency of obligating funds while construction costs remain lower than they will be in future years. Mike Washam, Resource Management Agency staff, said developers have paused projects because will‑serve letters were not available: “We have building permits for a hotel and a restaurant … which, again, couldn't go forward because … without will‑serve letters.”

Residents requested sidewalks, road repairs and other safety improvements around the school and park. Early Mart town council member Gloria (last name not specified) recounted a 15‑year campaign to build a community park and urged continued county support for small unincorporated towns. Superintendent Mary Robles said the school and community rely on infrastructure improvements to sustain enrollment and community services.

The board did not take formal action on the Early Mart projects at the meeting but directed RMA staff to continue coordination with the PUD and to return with a more detailed status of design milestones and options for obligating or reallocating funds. The county’s presentation and multiple public comments highlighted both technical and political obstacles — incomplete engineering, grant requirements that can depend on local rate increases, and community mistrust — that must be resolved before the $5.4 million can be spent.

If the PUD finalizes designs and can provide will‑serve letters, county staff said the projects could proceed using the ARPA and earmark allocations; if not, the board faces a risk that the funds will lapse and be returned.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tulare County Board of Supervisors Meeting - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Tulare County grants staff told the board on Tuesday that $5.4 million earmarked for two Early Mart water and sewer projects remains unspent because the Early Mart Public Utility District has not delivered shovel‑ready designs, putting the ARPA and earmark funds at risk of lapsing.","taxTitle","Tulare County, California","taxId",7749,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6557553,"Board approves consent calendar items 5–12, 3–0; two supervisors absent",24,5112000,5136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26&start=5112&end=5136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26/thumbnail_5112000.jpg","/articles/6557553/Tulare-County/California/Board-approves-consent-calendar-items-512-30-two-supervisors-absent","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557553-b6a02c182f5a5b37711a1ca59d1e7611/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032423&Signature=Yt3nt4Nr2i13ObGDYJlrUfBHhf4-UCUl8XRtLOdkjg9TEkxkOFkRTFGn1bHoN1dMvd6BJLaPSXkvSEBceKBrOrULn26wzLmZ9eoWqIWvFR~pbygGBzi0FedwPQLGu8LJGewMZoz1y7jtnGVAuHssh4m67jFp1fef04jcu8RGqSisAK-PuG5yZ3RUMKQm4dIRy5uma1M-tuHQJm4Lrf3OmvrawXRcB1wVnawX9oJNmPuHzyG7z5Cu8I4T~jgkVcrjm~a3qS5qlhm696I2SXGa1tcnQ0b2qYa~oH1mPcnZ4BBHG5kAZxb3asoWvFgdAJfMEv~ATbtTfk0iN1zFHHYNXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved the consent calendar covering items 5 through 12 at the end of Tuesday’s meeting.

Supervisor Shuckling moved approval of the consent calendar; the motion was seconded by Supervisor Makari. The chair called for a roll call vote. Supervisors McCarrie, Vanderpool and Shekland voted aye; Supervisors Valero and Townsend were absent. The motion passed 3–0.

No separate discussion of individual consent items was recorded in the public meeting; the board moved the calendar as presented.","The Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved the consent calendar (items 5–12) by roll call vote, 3–0, with Supervisors Valero and Townsend recorded as absent.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6557558,"SenCal APA honors Tulare County Resource Management Agency for SB2 implementation work",234,2200000,2434000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26&start=2200&end=2434","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26/thumbnail_2200000.jpg","/articles/6557558/Tulare-County/California/SenCal-APA-honors-Tulare-County-Resource-Management-Agency-for-SB2-implementation-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557558-d2b10ebab82081a56580fe3e3d6ec9f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032423&Signature=U6CRxyYJTu0ftbM1W3N0dfANS01kEN5kzKlNIeViPtlZkd26ErpMbBHpfpL4D-h44Br5gj4-SjUPcjo8wmfMPyRMCKd3fUMZwdLkYCEskF19KfhDUPB~6994mwVpBW-4JFCKzfj6-FCIaS6-70pHpEh2Ve5hVoVMnFjQ-Pq-uQp~Gzy~8xTSFv-IJeJDKH8E9vKeTu88DpXBBDiZlz6jZ2QqxaqVjEOq7ANQkFISWcZvouZBBCqpukbNkAhf8cbg3hU6hNYarV7O-g~DBJ2WRNjcwd1-ruAmxQtFeC64OtNjADyReqysrRBbjU~Fpz5wkzWd7iTPnyESdm8gf1L3Mg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Joaquin/central section of the American Planning Association presented an award of excellence to the Tulare County Resource Management Agency on Tuesday for the county’s SB2 funding implementation program.

Carolina Illich, speaking for the SenCal APA chapter, said the award recognized the county’s use of SB2 funds and internal staff capacity to leverage additional resources to bring housing, infrastructure and homelessness projects forward. “This award today is honoring you for using very wisely your SB2 grant funds, using your internal staff to really leverage these funds to bring more housing and infrastructure and resource management to your community,” Illich said.

Aaron Bach, assistant director with the Resource Management Agency, accepted the award on the county’s behalf and thanked staff and partners including Self‑Help Enterprises and the city of Lindsay. “We found out ways to say yes, and then we found out ways to actually get it done,” Bach said, noting staff contributions to the county housing element and the climate action plan.

The board congratulated RMA staff and noted a shift in agency approach from being a perceived “agency of no” to an “agency of how,” with supervisors and citizen speakers thanking staff for persistent work on homelessness, housing and resilience projects. No formal board action or funding decision was associated with the presentation; the item was a recognition of prior implementation work.","The San Joaquin/central section of the American Planning Association honored Tulare County RMA with an award of excellence for leveraging SB2 funds and county staff time to advance housing, homelessness programs and planning initiatives.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6557562,"Tulare County proclaims May 2025 CalFresh Awareness Month; county staff urge enrollment outreach",455,1718000,2173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26&start=1718&end=2173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3290544-c2f468b2a0a20dd93e933563e38ebd26/thumbnail_1718000.jpg","/articles/6557562/Tulare-County/California/Tulare-County-proclaims-May-2025-CalFresh-Awareness-Month-county-staff-urge-enrollment-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557562-e2146d63d831669c9b7cb7cf6849e933/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032423&Signature=LxAxvpJAQzASge5jvkrVQ-GWwSgdfEuIZDJnezHh-d4BVsNtxSWb67xkGtIA6UFPhOJCKFptFxp~h7sFxOCdX90sNfdfttMs9biIk0hBZsyOStrdrxZ2BbjCQDhZCD94OGOBXfXXPgRsO9zrPQiS6Z3OS1QH6qxprwdo5KgCWcjPZWlZOkXoLtiZaKM5y-WzSVdFg9htcL3~HRznWYJ9u~7D5B4i0RGDnEU0ujgYL88krN6ZCQ~bf8Scu9YJdsezX~5oksl7bx0o2jIObeggoshWls3oKpDwnCozfispGqOtFCGLNiF4yfvOSRGtf-V6fbxXH4STTRiNcMCha2gFrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday presented a proclamation recognizing May 2025 as CalFresh Awareness Month and heard county health and human services staff urge outreach to increase enrollment.

Roxanna Cruz, identified in the meeting as a division manager with county social services, told the board that “an average of 180,000 residents receive CalFresh benefits each month” in Tulare County and described related programs such as the restaurant meal program and California Summer EBT. “This is why CalFresh awareness month is so important,” Cruz said.

During the proclamation read by the chair, the board’s text said “there are approximately 147,000 individuals that have food security as a result of the CalFresh program” in the county and cited studies on the economic multiplier effect of new CalFresh dollars during a recession. The proclamation was signed on behalf of the full board.

Cruz and board members emphasized barriers that keep eligible residents from enrolling, citing stigma, misinformation and access challenges. Cruz also thanked county staff and the CalFresh policy team for administering the program and for outreach efforts that aim to reach students, seniors, working families and people experiencing homelessness.

The board did not take formal action tied to the proclamation beyond adopting the recognition and expressing support for continued outreach and enrollment work.

Clarifying note: two different on‑the‑record figures were stated at this meeting — 180,000 monthly recipients (Roxanna Cruz) and approximately 147,000 individuals referenced in the proclamation read by the chair. The transcript does not explain the difference between the two numbers.","The Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation recognizing CalFresh Awareness Month; county officials highlighted local enrollment figures, restaurant meal program participation and economic benefits of CalFresh dollars spent locally.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tulare County officials warn $5.4 million for Early Mart water and sewer projects at risk as PUD work lags

Board approves consent calendar items 5–12, 3–0; two supervisors absent

SenCal APA honors Tulare County Resource Management Agency for SB2 implementation work

Tulare County proclaims May 2025 CalFresh Awareness Month; county staff urge enrollment outreach