Hanford City Council to take position on Measure F tax increase, hear public on organic waste plan

Makenzie Rankin, The Hanford Sentinel, Calif.
·2 min read

May 17—The Hanford City Council has a full agenda Tuesday night, including taking a position on Measure F — the countywide .5% sales tax increase to help fund fire and emergency services — and retaining counsel to represent the city in a lawsuit filed by former employee Darlene Mata.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. in council chambers, 400 N. Douty St.

Resolution 22-21-R, if approved, would confirm the City of Hanford's formal opposition to Measure F, which will be on the June 7 ballot.

The measure, if passed, would raise the sales tax across most of Kings County an additional .5% to 7.75%.

The tax increase would be effective on Jan. 1, 2023, and the proceeds, estimated at $11.7 million per year, would be used exclusively to support the personnel, infrastructure and equipment needs of the Kings County Fire Department. The ordinance needs 50% plus one vote to pass.

The council will also decide whether to retain the Farley Law Firm to provide conflict counsel for council members Art Brieno and Francisco Ramirez in the matter of Darlene Mata vs. The City of Hanford, Art Brieno and Francisco Ramirez. Mata, formerly the city's community development director, sued the city in March this year, claiming to have endured ongoing harassment, discrimination and retaliatory behavior among other allegations.

The Parks and Community Services Department is seeking a contract with Valley Security Alarm for the installation of security cameras at seven city parks and facilities, and the installation of two solar-powered lights at Earl F. Johnson Park. The security devices would increase safety within the city's parks, at a cost of $191,240. The cost would be paid for out of the General Fund, and with a $177,952 grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation per capita grant program.

Also Tuesday, the council will take public comment on the local plan to comply with SB 1383, which deals with how organic waste and food recovery programs are managed in an effort to limit the introduction of organic waste into landfills.

"Residents are going to have to categorize their food waste and put it in the right bin," Public Works Director John Doyel told the city in March, noting 99% of the requirements the city must meet are mandated by California.

The council will also hear an update from the Parks and Community Services on the Heroes Park project, part of an $8.5 million grant application through the California Department of Parks and Recreation's Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program to create new parks in underserved communities across California.

The council is slated to decide on how to fund the purchase and development of the new 40-acre park.