Supervisors appoint new chairman

Tulare County supervisors convened Tuesday for their first meeting of the year, during which they appointed a new board chairman and three supervisors were sworn in.   

Former Board Chairman Allen Ishida passed the gavel to Tulare area Supervisor Pete Vander Poel.

Presiding Judge Lloyd Hicks conducted the swearing-in ceremony for Ishida, Vander Poel and Supervisor Phil Cox, who will each serve additional four-year terms on the board.

“It’s a great honor to be able to sit here for another four years representing the citizens of Tulare County,” Cox said after the ceremony.

Ishida and Vander Poel echoed Cox’s comments.

“Thanks to the constituents and residents of Tulare County for another four years. I look at it as an opportunity to serve,” Vander Poel said. “I think people saw that and rewarded me with a hard-fought victory, though it was nice not having an opponent.”

Supervisors also received a presentation from the Health and Human Services Agency and Community Services and Employment Training on the Youth Transition Programs established in 2006 to provide at-risk youth with an opportunity for real work experience and a career path leading to self-sufficiency.

During board matters, Supervisor Mike Ennis said that at a recent meeting he received a fairly good report on the status of Success Dam.

“There are no unsafe conditions due to seepage. It’s no longer a hazard but more or less a nuisance,” he said, noting that he hopes pool restrictions on Success Lake will soon be pulled off so it can be filled to capacity.