Hanford Insider: Travis Paden's Wednesday Wrap Up 11/19/25

Big changes are coming to Hanford, and the latest council recap connects every headline to real life: safer streets, smarter spending, and a leadership search you can shape. We walk through the East Lacey Corridor’s next phase, where city engineers pair design work with one-on-one meetings for corridor businesses. With two open houses already completed, we share how community feedback is guiding access, parking, and construction planning to reduce disruption and deliver a street that works for everyone.

We also spotlight local pride. The Hanford Police Department Explorers earned top honors at the Bakersfield CHP competition, and we recognize the founders of the Cinderella Project for helping high school students attend prom with dignity and joy. On the recreation front, the Bob Hill Sports Complex is on schedule for February 2026 completion, with equipment funding secured for the new concession stand so the facility can open ready for families on day one.

Transparency and value drove a major move on legal services. Council adopted a policy to bid the city attorney contract every five years, setting the next RFP for spring 2027 and approving a $52,000 flat monthly fee in the meantime—down from invoices that often reached $60,000 to $70,000. We explain how predictable costs and competitive procurement strengthen governance without sacrificing continuity.

The search for Hanford’s next city manager is in the home stretch. We’ve narrowed to four finalists—two from Central California and two from out of state—and we’re planning a community meet-and-greet so you can ask questions and share input before interviews begin. Plus, mark your calendar for the Christmas tree lighting and the return of Winter Wonderland, celebrating its fifth season with $10 children’s tickets.

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You can find the Hanford Insider at www.hanfordinsider.com and on social media at @hanfordinsider
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Chapters

• 0:00 Overview And Agenda
• 0:36 East Lacey Corridor Design And Outreach
• 0:56 Community Achievements Recognized
• 1:19 Youth Athletic Complex Timeline
• 1:38 City Attorney Contract And RFP Policy
• 2:37 City Manager Search And Public Input
• 3:14 Winter Wonderland Details And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:05

You're listening to a special edition of the Hanford Insider Podcast, featuring Mayor Travis Payton's Wednesday wrap-up of the November 18th Hanford City Council meeting.

SPEAKER_01: 0:16

In this week's Wednesday wrap-up, I'll be sharing updates on the East Lacey Improvement Project, the search for the new city manager, the city attorney agreement, and the timeline for the Bob Hill Sports Complex and new concession stand. Here's your quick recap of what took place at last night's City Council meeting for November 18th, 2025. We opened with a study session focused on the East Lacey Corridor project. Big improvements are coming, and our city engineers will be meeting one-on-one with the businesses as we go through the design phase. We'd like to thank all of the members of the community that came out to our two open houses to give input on the project. We celebrated our outstanding achievements from our Hanford Police Department Explorers who received top honors at the Bakersfield CHP competition. We also recognized founders of the Cinderella Project, Rachel Pepe, Gina Young, and Amy Leslie, for their incredible work providing prom dresses to high school students across Hanford. Under General Business, we received an update for the Youth Athletic Complex, including securing funding for the equipment to go inside the concession stand. The project is right on track and ready for completion by February of 2026 and just in time for opening day in March. Council also voted to establish a new policy requiring that our city attorney contract go out for bid or request for proposal every five years. Back in June 2022, the previous council initiated an RFP, received interest from several law firms, but ultimately chose not to interview, instead, continue with Griswold LaSalle until 2027. With last night's action, the RFP for basic services and litigation services will be issued in spring of 2027. In the meantime, council approved a flat monthly fee of$52,000 a month. In considering the monthly invoices, often reached between$60,000 and$70,000 monthly. So this is expected to be and provide be a cost savings for the city. Regarding our city manager search, council has narrowed the pool down to the final four applicants, two from the Central California area and two from out of state. Once interviews are confirmed, we'll announce the community meet and greet where you will be able to meet the applicants one-on-one in our meet and greet and have that get to know each candidate before they go into the interview process. Your input will play an important role in this process. To learn more, visit us on our city website at hamford.city. And don't forget, this weekend, the Christmas tree lighting and the opening of Winter Wonderland will be Saturday, November 22nd at 6 p.m. This is our in celebration of our fifth season. All children's tickets will be only$10 throughout the whole entire season. Please visit HanfordWinterwonderland.com to purchase your tickets today. Stay tuned, stay informed, and our next meeting will be on Tuesday, December 2nd. See you then.