Homeless residents tell Visalia council they experienced mistreatment at library; mayor notes library staff are county employees

At the meeting’s public-comment periods, two residents who described themselves as homeless told council they experienced and documented an incident at the Visalia Public Library in June 2025 and urged city action.

One speaker, who first identified himself as Jesus Sanchez and later used the name Lou (“Chewy”) Sanchez, described being accused by library security and said he recorded a video of the incident on his YouTube channel. He said he believed the treatment was racially motivated and asked the city to install cameras outside the library to prevent future incidents. “You guys’ white employees inside of the library … cannot accuse people of color of something they didn’t do,” he said in his remarks.

Mayor Brett Taylor responded that library employees are county employees and that the city does not have jurisdiction over county staff, but that staff could help the speaker contact the Tulare County Board of Supervisors or arrange for follow-up. “Just for your information, the employees of the library are county employees. They are not City of Visalia employees,” Taylor said, adding that staff could speak with the speaker after the meeting.

Another commenter, Ephraim Becerra, said he had received a certified invitation from the Governor’s Office for a May 1 event intended to promote unity and education and expressed concern about negative attention on the city; he urged respectful dialogue.

The council closed the public-comment period and continued into regular business. The city did not take formal action on the library allegation at this meeting; Mayor Taylor suggested the participant seek the county Board of Supervisors or meet with city staff to discuss next steps.