Hanford Insider - February 9, 2026 - Mayor's Wrap Up

A live federal update turned into breaking good news: Hanford secured an extra $2 million for the Grangeville Boulevard Grade Separation Project, closing critical gaps in right-of-way and utility work that keep rail safety and traffic flow on track. We walk through what this funding unlocks, why timing matters for infrastructure, and how federal partners like Senator Alex Padilla helped put momentum behind a high-impact local project.

From there, we shift to people and policy. After a strong slate of interviews, we appointed Cecily Esparza, Parvio Gill, and Lisa McAlwaink (as an alternate) to the Planning Commission—key roles that shape land use, housing, and the day-to-day look and feel of our neighborhoods. We also spotlight Main Street Hanford’s annual report, celebrating the steady work of downtown marketing, events, and business support that fuels small business growth and stronger community ties.

We then dig into two decisions with long-term stakes. First, we authorized a consultant to build an agricultural mitigation program and feasibility study, inviting growers, landowners, and residents to help balance farmland preservation with smart growth. Second, we advanced a proposal to raise the Transient Occupancy Tax from 8% to 12%, channeling visitor dollars into essentials like public safety and parks. With the measure headed to the June ballot, we explain how TOT works, why our rate hasn’t changed since 1985, and what an update could mean for local services and quality of life.

Want the details and the rationale behind each move? Listen to the full recap, subscribe for more Council updates, and share your take—should Hanford update the visitor tax to support core services? Your feedback helps shape our next steps.

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Transcript

Welcome And Meeting Overview

SPEAKER_01 0:00

You're listening to a special edition of the Hanford Insider Podcast, featuring Hanford Mayor Mark Kyrus and Vice Mayor Nancy House with their wrap-up of the latest City Council meeting. Hello, Hanford, I'm Mark Kairius Remair, and welcome back to Council Recap. Let's briefly discuss what happened at Tuesday, February 3rd, Hanford City Council meeting. In our study session, we had a call with our federal lobbyists from Washington, D.C. Greg Burns provided a federal legislative update, including a look back at 2025 and a look ahead at 2026. Greg was able to share some good news in real time during his presentation. The City Hanford will receive an additional$2 million for the Grange Rule Boulevard Grade Separation Project, part of the federal spending bill signed into law this week. This funding is specifically for right-of-way acquisition and utility work. We'd like to sincerely thank Senator Alex Padilla for making the request on the behalf of the City of Hanford and securing this critical funding for us. Next, we interviewed four candidates for the Hanford Planning Commission. All four of these finalists were high-caliber individuals, but unfortunately, we only had three vacancies. After the interviews, each council member scored the candidates. Later, during our regular session, Council appointed Cecily Esparza, Parvio Gill, and Lisa McAllink to the commission.

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Ms.

Main Street Hanford Report

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Esparza and Mr. Gill will fill the seats, while Ms. McAlwaink will also be serving as an alternate member. We also received an annual report from Main Street Hanford highlighting all the great work that they do for businesses in downtown Hanford and beyond. From their marketing efforts to their excellent programs and events, we value their role in our community and look forward to seeing what they do in 2026. I'm going to pause for a moment and I'd like to bring in my fellow council member and your vice mayor, Nancy Howes. Nancy will bring you the rest of this council recap and we'll likely present the recap at our next meeting as well. Nancy, welcome.

Ag Mitigation Study Approval

Transient Occupancy Tax Ballot

Dates, Closures, And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Thanks, Mark. I love that we're doing these and I look forward to being a part of them. In General Business, we authorized a contract award to a consultant to prepare an agricultural mitigation program and feasibility study for the city. Stay tuned for more information on this topic, as the public will have an important role to play in the process. We also revisited the Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT for short. This is a tax paid by our overnight visitors like hotel guests. Our TOT rate is 8%. It has been the same since 1985. So we are proposing an increase to 12%. These revenues are for essential city services such as public safety and parks. On Tuesday, the City Council voted to put the proposed increase on the June ballot. We'll be sharing more educational information about the TOT on our social media pages and website in the weeks to come. You can visit www.hanfordca.gov slash TOT. Our next regular city council meeting will be Tuesday, February 17th. And a friendly reminder, city offices will be closed on Monday, February 16th in observance of President's Day. Thank you for watching Hanford. Take care and please stay safe in the flock.