Tulare County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tulare County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Monson ag hauling facility dispute (PSP 26023)
Neighbors say the Nagra site is really a commercial truck terminal, not an ag service business, and worry about heavy truck traffic at a congested rail crossing on Avenue 384. The commission punted, ordering staff to verify the ag claims (including receipts) before deciding. Expect this one back.
Rural land divisions and small-lot zoning
Four property owners won approval to divide agricultural and residential land — from a small Orosi commercial lot to a 280-acre farm gaining a homesite. These splits shape where future homes and businesses can go in unincorporated areas.
Goshen development and infrastructure
The county approved the final map and improvement agreement for Phase 4 of Tierra Linda Holdings' Goshen subdivision and formed an assessment district to pay for street maintenance there.
Proposition 1 housing bond on the ballot
Members discussed the National Low Income Housing Coalition gap analysis showing only about 25 affordable units per 100 extremely low-income renter households, and a Self-Help Enterprises plug for Proposition 1 on the November ballot to fund more affordable housing.
2026 Point-in-Time Count Results
Tulare County counted 1,023 people experiencing homelessness in January 2026, down 13% from the year before — the second straight annual decline. Street homelessness dropped from 890 to 677, likely reflecting new low-barrier shelters, but smaller towns like Dinuba and Exeter saw increases.
Prohousing Designation renewal
The task force mapped out its 2026 agenda: regional presentations from Fresno and Kern counties, housing element briefings from each city, a transitional rent benefit talk from Kingsview, and possibly a visit from the psychiatrist running the new crisis stabilization unit. Members flagged the core problem — almost nobody can be housed without a subsidy, and there aren't enough of them — plus worries about immigration fears skewing the point-in-time count.
Tulare CARES emergency shelter opening
Visalia's low-barrier warming center served 100 people in December and logged 138 new check-ins in 17 days of February, pulling people into services. Meanwhile a new Medi-Cal benefit will pay six months of rent for homeless residents engaged in county behavioral health care, with Kingsview as the sole provider.
Kaweah Delta maintenance agreement and flood control ordinance update
Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District is building four recharge basins, including the $15 million, 380-acre Hannah Ranch South. They store flood water to replenish aquifers, but FEMA reimbursement for 2023 storm damage has stalled parts of the work.
Behavioral Health Housing Program
A new CalAIM benefit now pays up to six months of rent for Medi-Cal members in Enhanced Care Management who are homeless, unsheltered, or exiting institutions. Eligibility is narrow — tied to clinical and behavioral health risk factors — and rent payments stop after month six, so a plan for what comes next is required upfront.
ERF Round 5 grant competition
The state's fifth Encampment Resolution Funding round has only $93 million — a third of prior rounds — and half of it must target encampments on state highway right-of-way. County mapping found zero unsheltered residents on the right-of-way in unincorporated areas, so the county likely won't apply alone and will instead support Visalia and Tulare city applications.