Wasco city land to be rezoned

At the regular council meeting on Tuesday, there was a public hearing to rezone the land purchased by the City last year near Filburn St. and Central Ave.

The land will provide a location for a new well site, animal control facility and public works yard. The land is currently zoned for residential use and will be rezoned into P-F (public facilities).

Assistant City Manager Maria Lara said that in 2022 the property was purchased to build well No. 17. As part of that purchase, the City negotiated with the existing land owner to ensure the property was zoned.

"Right now, the property is zoned residential, and this is why we are doing all of this. We need to zone to be used for public facilities."

In addition, the City is zoning some of the land to potentially be used for a storage facility or stormwater retention. It could be both.

"We are trying to do that towards the side of the residential. It's part of a bigger parcel where some of that land in the future is zoned for residential development."

She added, "Part of the process of rezoning it properly is so that the City can do what the City needs to do and put a buffer between the public facilities and the residential area."

"We are asking the council to introduce it and hold the first reading" Lara said.

There were no comments from the public, and the public hearing was closed. There were also no questions or comments from the council members, and it was unanimously approved.

Also, at the meeting, Councilman Gilberto Reyna shared information about participation in the League of California Cities annual conference in Sacramento. Along with Reyna, City Manager Scott Hurlbert and Councilmembers Valentin Medina and Alex Garcia attended.

Medina said, "We met with our local legislators, including Senator Melissa Hurtado and Assemblymember Jasmin Baines, to discuss some of our pressing issues, primarily focused around public safety and funding needed for the police station for the city of Wasco."

Fire Chief Joe Appleton presented on last month's reported incidents, "There were a total of 198 incidents in Wasco for engine 31. Twenty of those were fires of various types."

The new sergeant Corey Stacy reported for the first time to the council. He discussed a couple of cases that occurred in the last couple of weeks.

One of these crimes took place on April 11, when a vehicle crashed into an apartment building. The subject was identified as being under the influence of nitrous oxide. No one was injured in that incident.