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Council hears update on library MOU and historic-nomination paperwork; Historical Society says corrections complete
Summary
Council discussed the expired library MOU and the status of a historic-nomination application to the State Historic Preservation Office; the Historical Society said corrections were made and would deliver an updated package to the city.
The Chowchilla City Council on Oct. 8 received an update about an expired memorandum of understanding (MOU) related to a formal library site and the status of a historic-nomination application to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
City staff said the MOU effectively expired July 1, 2024. Staff and the Historical Society described a multi-step exchange with SHPO: the state initially said it never received the application, later acknowledged receiving an earlier submission that it deemed incomplete and returned to the Historical Society for revision. Jason (city staff) said SHPO performed an initial review, marked the nomination incomplete and requested revisions that would need local review and a 90-day public-comment period once resubmitted.
Chris Thomas of the Joshua District Historical Society told the council that the needed corrections were completed and that an updated package would be provided to city staff by Friday. Discussion covered delivery by registered mail (per SHPO procedures), the city’s 90-day review/public-comment window once it receives a complete nomination, and whether the council should amend the MOU to cover the interim period while the nomination works through SHPO’s process. Historical-society speakers and one council member suggested the delay was largely due to the state’s handling; the society said digital and paper copies had been supplied but SHPO did not locate all materials.
What happens next: City staff will accept the revised nomination via registered mail, run the city’s 90-day public-comment period, and then forward the county/state submissions to SHPO for final processing. Staff cautioned that SHPO’s agenda scheduling could still take about a year to 18 months after a complete submission, depending on SHPO’s timeline.
Direct quotes in transcript: “The corrections that needed to be done, have been done,” said Chris Thomas (Joshua District Historical Society).
