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Board roundup: supervisors approve range of routine and project items including undergrounding district and transit director salary
Summary
Tulare County supervisors on May 6 approved a slate of routine and project items: the consent calendar, acceptance of the dairy greenhouse‑gas report, formation of an undergrounding district at Spruce/Avenue 256, approval of a transit executive director salary, award of a remodel contract, and an amendment related to East Orosi water administration.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors moved through a mix of routine and project items Tuesday afternoon, voting unanimously on several measures that the board described as necessary to advance infrastructure and county services.
Key votes at a glance
- Consent calendar (items 7'—2): Motion by Supervisor Eddie Valero, second by Supervisor Dennis Townsend; vote 5''0 — approved unanimously.
- Item 5 (Dairy/final GHG report for 2023): Motion by Supervisor Pete McCarrie, second by Supervisor Dennis Townsend; vote 5''0 — board accepted the 2024 final report and approved a CEQA exemption after a staff presentation and no public speakers.
- Item 6 (Formation of an underground utility district for the Spruce/Avenue 256 intersection, Exeter area): Motion by Supervisor Larry Makari, second by Supervisor Dennis Townsend; vote 5''0 — board approved forming the district to make credits available under Rule 20A and allow Southern California Edison to proceed with undergrounding poles to make way for signalization and turn lanes.
- Item 19 (Tulare County Regional Transit Agency executive director salary and benefits): Motion by Supervisor Amy Shuklian, second by Supervisor Dennis Townsend; vote 5''0 — board approved a $170,000 annual salary (with three months severance) retroactive to 05/04/2025, aligning county HR with the TCRTA board action.
- Item 20 (Award of construction contract for HHSA Tulare District Office remodel): Motion by Supervisor Dennis Townsend, second by Supervisor Eddie Valero; vote 5''0 — board denied a bid protest and awarded the $4,500,000 contract to Bridal E. Mitcham, Inc., the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.
- Item (East Orosi water system administrator amendment and term extension): Motion by Supervisor Eddie Valero, second by Supervisor Amy Shuklian; vote 5''0 — board approved an amendment to the agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board to extend the term (original start date corrected to 09/10/2020) and to align administration with the East Orosi consolidation project; county staff said rates currently cover operations and a future Proposition 218 may be used to achieve full cost recovery as construction and consolidation progress.
Other actions
- The board presented proclamations and recognitions (National Nurses Week; county service awards for long‑tenured employees), conducted public comment and a ceremonial introduction of the county''s newly appointed Public Health Officer, and received presentations on tourism and economic development programs.
How the board voted
Most roll calls reported in the meeting were unanimous (5''0). Where motions listed a mover and a second, those names were recorded in the official minutes and on the audio record.
Why this matters
Taken together these votes clear a path for local infrastructure projects (intersection improvements), agency staffing and compensation (TCRTA executive director), facility improvements (HHSA remodel) and ongoing water system consolidation work in East Orosi. The board emphasized that some items rely on state programs or outside contractors — for example, Rule 20A undergrounding credits are administered by the utility, and the East Orosi consolidation depends on construction and LAFCO conditions.
