Thread by @AndyHS

Special COVID-19 meeting as well as a regular April 23,2020 Fresno City Council meeting. Special meeting includes providing money to help families impacted by job loss/reduced hours by COVID-19; Ovation Day honoring Frontline Workers; Bring additional energy savings to City.

Regular Meeting includes Relocation of Billboard due to Veterans Blvd; reallocation of money to be used to move Darling Rendering Plant but instead be used for West Fresno health related COVID-19 issues; Establish the Fresno Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EFID);

TCC Southwest Fresno Trail Project. Among the Consent Calendar: 1-B Safer Routes to School Program (Resolution 2020-012) - 90-day check-in report regarding school related sidewalk project selections and prioritization, funding options, and buildout timelines.

1-F Approve an agreement for engineering services with DeWalt Corporation of Bakersfield, California for $389,000 plus $30,000 as contingency for design and construction support services for the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Chinatown Urban Greening Project District 3

1-L Reject all bids due to failure to meet required specifications for a 40' Low Floor, Long Range, Battery Electric Bus and direct staff to rebid

1-M purchase agreement to Altec Industries, Inc., of Birmingham, Alabama, for the purchase of three Altec bucket trucks $530,700

1-P Actions pertaining to the 2017 Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Grant and Transform Fresno Plan project regarding the Southwest Fresno Trail Project for the Southwest Fresno Trail Project totaling $1,978,959.

1-Q Proclaim April 19 -25, 2020 as National Crime Victims' Rights Week in the City of Fresno

1-R  RESOLUTION - Of Intention to Establish the Fresno Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District to Finance the Construction, and/or Acquisition, and Maintenance of Capital Improvements; Establish a Public Financing Authority; and Authorize Certain Other Actions Related There

1-S Consider emergency amendment to FMC Article 5, Emergency Services Ordinance, to extend the eviction moratorium for so long as the City’s declaration of local emergency is in effect

1-T Actions pertaining to Granite Park: 1. Approve Amended and Restated Ground Lease and Operating Agreement with Granite Park Sports Complex 2. RESOLUTION - Adopting the 42nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2019-133 reallocating $165,000 of existing

appropriations and appropriating $38,500 to provide $200,000 for operations at Granite Park

1-U Approve the appointment of Lawrence Garcia to the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District. Approve the reappointment of Adrian Jones to the Fresno Housing Authority.

Another Special Meeting added. One portion will deal with Security issues and others: 2. RESOLUTION - To approve the Count on Public Servants (COPS) Act. Advise City Manager to find housing for First Responders during the COVID-19 crisis 3. To approve a Resolution Requiring

Communication of Vital Information to Council.
I am unsure which portion will go first. I imagine one of the Special meetings. Possibly go into Closed Session First. (Hopefully not!)

There was some sound issues as the Council came on video via Zoom. Video faded away I presumed to fix sound but looks as they are in Closed Session now.

Council is back in Open Session.

Four ways for public to comment including Zoom, eComment and email.

All Councilmembers present. Pledge of Allegiance. Granite Park has been Continued. 1-F pulled by Bredefeld.
10:05 iActions pertaining to the acquisition and removal of Billboard 68080 on a City-owned parcel, located on the east side of State Route 99, approximately one mile

of West Shaw Avenue, Assessor's Parcel Number 505-080-36ST, to construct a public street for the Veterans Boulevard Project (Council District 2) APPROVED 6-1 with Arias voting NO. Little discussion

@GarryBredefeld Health crisis from pandemic and we need to continue to follow guidelines. But 5 million more filed for unemployment. Real lives. It is isn’t money over lives. Economic and Health are separate issues. Uncertainty is causing lists of stress. Poverty has killed more

people than this virus. We need to be careful how we spend money. Businesses that are open in other communities needs to be open here. Asks Mayor to reconsider.

Vons, Wal Mary policies could be followed by other stores. This is heavy handed authoritarian government. We need to meet in these chambers. Public wants to interface with us here. They can still be six feet apart. Wrong to not be open.

@D7Esparza I hold my tongue on his councilmember’s comment but unemployment numbers are wrong. Thank you. Council Moving on to public comment. Brandi: homeless need to be left in place until individual housing can be located. Would like to stop police sweep in General. Harm is

caused by these sweeps. Lose valuable papers and personal mementos. They are still Council constituents. Need more permanent housing. Next: Yonas Paulo advocates for homeless veterans. Need to stop police sweeps. Place homeless in hotels.

Yenifer Gallegos-Mejia says we need more diversity on City’s task force. @YeniferGMejia Asks Bredefeld why he isn’t doing about poverty if it causes more deaths than COVID-19. Asks Council to do more.

@LisaYFlores1 We are in first wave of three waves of COVID-19. It could be worse in Fall due to mutation. Asks @GarryBredefeld to think what Jesus would do every time he votes. Harassing homeless and vets is not way to stop COVID-19. 1918 Flu Epidemic was handled and we need to

handle COVID as well. Fresno has history of redlining. Bredefeld’s decisions effect the very poor. @Soypedroh4 Vulnerable need to be included in task force. Hopes City Council will open task force meetings meetings to public.

Madeline Harris: with Sunrise Movement. Recovery Advisory Task Force seemed to be no democracy in choosing members. Wells Fargo is on there. Henry Perea is involved with Chevron. Equal access is needed. Disappointed in process and members on advisory committee.

Jamee Olsen: lack of information on those who are infected by Covid and dates of tests etc. more transparency is needed. Is 7 deaths enough to close down entire town?

Jenny : from Faith in the Valley. Even before COVID there were many Eviction lawsuits. Homes were transferred from mom and pop landlords to large companies. Critical relief is needed and strengthen the Eviction law. Give 12 months to pay back rent. Align with Governor’s ideas.

Ivanka Saunders: can translation services be a given for these zoom meetings? Overlay of Spanish can be provided by Zoom. Arias: we need 48 hours for translation services

Gurdeep Singh: landlords and renters are struggling. Beautification of City is needed despite the Covid crisis.

Jessica Ramirez: I have to move out of my home but I can’t due to my Covid infection. I have a new born. Emergency Conviction protection needs to be prolonged.

Marisa M: want to prolong eviction rules and to help our most vulnerable. At least 12 months to defer rent. Would be better to eliminate that altogether.

Juan Carlos Carillo: (in Spanish) Next:Father Alex Gatan from St Anthony Claret prays for Council ,the City and those in healthcare. Need to prolong conviction rules for renters.

@kmkarbassi feels the anxiety of those who are at risk of being convicted. Federal Government has promised a lot but had fallen thru. He does miss the interaction of people coming to Council chambers. Task Force: 3 new members have been added. Medical advisor, union rep also on

this task force. We do need members from Youth Commission to provide a Youth Voice on task force.

1-F *Approve an agreement for engineering services with DeWalt Corporation of Bakersfield, California for $389,000 plus $30,000 as a contingency for design and construction support services for the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Chinatown Urban Greening Project

Pulled Consent Item :@Esmeralda_Soria 1-S Consider emergency amendment to FMC Article 5, Emergency Services Ordinance, to extend the eviction moratorium for so long as the City’s declaration of local emergency is in effect. Mobile homes are governed differently. This does apply

to them as well. Self employed member are allowed to notify. She is willing to extend eviction length of rest of councilmembers agree. @LuisCha70215912 was working with Juan Carillo the past few weeks. He and others will turn in paperwork to landlord. Chavez would like procedure

changes to “state law”. Soria agrees. Soria: would like to include those in long term hotels are protected too @D7Esparza he is in support. Concerns about hotel policies on those who are there under 30 daysSoria: “all hotel tenants” ? Does that help? City Attorney agrees.

Esparza would like to lower it down to 21 days. Chavez worries it may give hotel owners the idea to not allow ANY new tenants If they are high risk. Karbassi: agree with Chavez. Need to revisit this Portion at next meeting. Esparza agrees to table that portion.

@GarryBredefeld would like members from hotel/motel operators to weigh in on this too. Chavez: State Law supersedes whatever we come up with Bredefeld: will agree to Continue six month limit but no longer than that. Landlords have to pay their bills too.

Bredefeld will support continuing 6 month limit but not longer as landlords have bills too. Soria: consumer relief to small mom and pop landlords as well.

Arias: recommends we vote on it now. @PaulCaprioglio worries we are opening up a can of worms and only vote on basics and aligning with state law today. Rest we can vote on after we get input from hotel operators etc. Approved 7-0

4-A RESOLUTION - To reallocate funding previously allocated to the Darling relocation to efforts to combat COVID-19 and underlying health conditions in West Fresno through the Development Across West Fresno Neighborhoods Initiative

Arias: African American Committee is only 6% but have 24% of Covid cases. Dr Curry and Mary Curry say we have been working on this problem for many years. We need to move forward on this plan. Health issues including asthma. Dr. Curry : infant mortality is always a marker for a

Community. Lifespan is compromised by 25 years in this area. Would like to lower infant mortality by reducing environmental risk factors. Avoid And spread disease. Need to track Covid. By starting at Baby zones that would start decrease infant mortality by 25%. Higher paraprofes-

sionals as doulas, community health workers and technicians. Recruit and mentor ten pre-med students. Increasing tree canopies, green space, re-route trucks.

Building for a a women’s wellness clinic. Provide Covid education. Arias: we will continue to work thru the details but wanted to present this. Mary Curry: it has been a long time coming and hope you will take this seriously. Chavez: thanks Mary Curry. We had wanted to relocate

Darling plant and it’s good union jobs. Now the plant is not going to be built at all. City has made investments there. TCC dollars too. Going to be a hard time in the future due to crisis. In order to support this this money need to be available to SE and Pinedale as well.

@esparza_nelson Thanks Dr. Curry and Mary Curry. @kmkarbassi sins of our fathers and my generation will have to pay for it. District 2 has expensive homes but also areas like Pinedale. We need to know where we stand financially before we can spend millions here. Arias: concen-

trating industrial in south fresno. We just placed more distribution centers in South Fresno and the pollution dollars that were paid went to air board which spread it out throughout the valley and not to south part of town only. Arias will try to get matching dollars with this

Covid dollars. Karbassi: we are going to sink and swim altogether. We still haven’t heard from administration as to how are finances are going to look. Chavez: it is going to get difficult here at city Hall. There are needs throughout community. We need to cover all high poverty

areas. We have a unique opportunity to address severe issues in West Fresno. Chavez: I am still traumatized from last recession. We are not fighting for a piece of the pie but crumbs. High poverty Areas. Bring back a plan that includes those as well. Karbassi: we don’t know what

we can spend or not. Arias: this is general funds. Federal dollars will be spent first though. City Manager: pleas wait for info on Coronavirus relief fund dollars. Caprioglio: leaning towards Chavez /Karbassi amendment. District 4 has its poverty areas too.

Shantay Davies-Balch Grew up in West Fresno. She would like to point out that we are facing an infant mortality rate that would fill four kindergarten classes. We need to see that darling plant has greatly impacted West Fresno. Prior to Covid -19 unemployment was already 23%

Lisa Flores: @LisaYFlores1 Will councilmembers all take a pay cut in solidarity? Money needs to stay in West Fresno. This area has faces historical environmental racism by this City.

Milton Curry: Son of Mary Curry. They had done work for decades that City of Fresno should have been doing. Investment in West Fresno would benefit entire city. TCC funds and these dollars would attract other dollars. Approved 7-0 will reconvene at 2 pm.

4-B Update by Administration on Federal and State COVID19 funding.@Esmeralda_Soria $92 million coming into Fresno. Airport will get $12 million. Wants residents to know what is Coming in and what it can be used for. City Manager Quan: what we have lost due to Coronavirus.

Assistant City Manager Jane Sumpter: we are still in the early stages of this episode. Sales tax, room tax, franchise fees,PD fees, planning development fees. Sales tax is most dramatic. Crisis began at first quarter and we don’t know what those sales tax are yet. Vendors have

until end of July to report. $5-6 million decrease in sales tax. Only good is it is at end of fiscal year. We had a good Christmas etc so that will mute the effect a bit. Property Tax won’t be effected but may show up 18 months from now. Room tax: has ceased to exist.

Slight decrease in franchise fees especially roll off bins as businesses are closed. Overall $7 million decrease to City. Next year will have an even greater decrease due to sales tax and business license decrease. Will room tax come back? Travel? If a second wave of virus will

Hurt as well. $32 million deficit for next year. In five years it could be terrible if their is a recession. Perhaps $60 million deficit over five years. Very painful due to sales tax. Gas tax , Measure C will be effected due to lack of travel. Capital Road projects will be hurt.

Lack of information at this point makes it a guess but it will be a real challenge. Staffing and service levels will be effected absolutely. Finance Mike Lima: Coronavirus initiative for police $700,000 Money for homeless, $2.1 million ESG , $4.2 million for CDBG dollars.

CARES act $32.5 million for transit. $13 million for airports, $93.8 million as well. $146 millions total from Federal dollars. FEMA as well if need be. All these dollars are Dedicated to expenses. But big losses are from lost revenues. Would need a change in Fed law to use

those moneys for loss revenues. @Esmeralda_Soria this was helpful. FEMA amount? Lima: not known until we apply. Money can only be used for certain items: Any Covid related equipment , over time for staff working on it. FEMA will only cover 75% whereas CARES will be use 100%

Lima: maximize CARES ACT first. Unsure if CARES could be used to fill the remaining 25% FEMA won’t fill. Any Covid expenses already occurred can use CARES dollars. Any expenses until end of 2020. Any unspent money will go back to federal government. Any ineligible expenses would

need to be paid back. Soria would like Council to have feedback to City Manager on this at the front end. Lima: Departments are using money for Covid expenses that was already allocated for normal operations. That will need to be filled in eventually. A grant program would be

easier to pay back. City Counsel Doug Sloan : CAREs can be used for business closure expenses , small businesses grants , public safety, homelessness.Jane Sumpter: numbers will get worse. Five years $90 million deficit if projection goes as it looks to be. Sales tax is 5% of

General fund. $32 million is 15%. @GarryBredefeld $7 million decrease at end of this fiscal year in June. $32 million for next year. And it can be worse? Sumpter: yes. Bredefeld: reserves depleted and staffing and service levels will all be decreased. This is happened in 2008

and “only” had 10 million unemployed. It is now triple that. All the money won’t help unless people get back to work. Some communities a business is deemed essential but not here. Federal government won’t plug our holes. Only fix Coronavirus related expenses. We have closed down

too many stores like furniture and clothing stores. This will have major impact on people. We can open businesses and still fight the Coronavirus. Chavez: entire council needs to weigh in. Would like a summary of the pots of money that Lima went thru. State funds that will be

Effected too. Any layoffs this year or next? Quan: have been looking at initial furloughs for employees. Los Angeles and San Diego have already started. We don’t have any answers at this time. We are learning new information daily. @kmkarbassi Very sobering info. What impact on

Residents? Parks, streets, police and fire response time. Lima: CARES can be not be used for offset revenue losses. Karbassi: need to use money as a pay as we go. Need to be very cautious. Quan: learning as to how we can use these funds. Karbassi: want to help residents too.

Soria: what are expenses that we have incurred thus far? Lima: information technology to allow our employees to work from home is largest expense so far. Coronavirus Tracking codes were added as far back as early March so we have a good idea how much we have spent. Most grants

are for typically for a year or so. Unsure with this so far. @PaulCaprioglio concerned about our future. Arias:$7 milion short fall this year $32 million next year. $146 million allocated from Fed. $30 million in reserves. FEMA grants too. Sumpter: some of the funds are enter-

prise funds that we cannot use in general funds. Arias: shot spotter shortfall with Fresno Unified share. Arias: Salary raises , revenue v expenses , union contracts. Sumpter: Raises are included so far for 2021. We have slowed our hiring so far and keep positions vacant if we

can. Every expenditure must be justified.Arias: promotion, raises will be stopped first. Expenses as normal won’t occur. All before laying off staff. Need to look at $146 million for residents first and not to keep bureaucratic part of government going.

Next: keep price gouging ordnance extended. Approved. Next: Karbassi 2. RESOLUTION - To approve the Count on Public Servants (COPS) Act. Advise City Manager to find housing for First Responders during the COVID-19 crisis. Bredefeld says CARES money could be used for this public:

Sam Frank President of City Employees: This is a good gesture and use of funds. Would like money for child care for these first responders if they are single parents. Approved.

Notice of Special Open Session Meeting
Directing appropriations to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to create a Consumer Grant Program to assist Fresno families impacted by job loss or reduction in working hours, and directing appropriations to the Save our Small Business

@Esmeralda_Soria Families were already behind before this Coronavirus crisis. She would want these families to be able to catch up with rent. We will need to pay for this. Need to help renters which will help mom and pop landlords. Food expo dollars perhaps could be used.

The need is great and we need to step up. @esparza_nelson need to pump money back into our economy. Use CAREs dollars for housing. Chavez: agrees if we can make this retroactive. Don’t want small businesses to fail. Small Business pot is reimbursable and the rest give city Mana-

ager some flexibility. City Counsel: Coronavirus homeless related items are reimbursable. @kmkarbassi it is like none of the conversation we just had prior to this. We have to deliver on this hope. We need to know what we can spend on or not. SB item to help small property own-

-ers. Quan: would like all the budget info to go thru one person such as Jane Sumpter. Tim Orman: doesn’t think consumer grants are eligible. @GarryBredefeld small business grants was to have some skin in the game but now we are changing that part. Federal government should be

doing. Is this open to illegal immigrants? Soria: if you are married to an undocumented resident you are not eligible for stimulus check. This helps them. Bredefeld: let people get back to work. That is the best way.

Caprioglio: don’t write checks you can’t cash. We need to find out what is covered first. He doesn’t know where the $750,000 went that was allocated. If this is put together with assurances he will be more agreeable. Chavez: trying to keep small businesses stay afloat. If we

Don’t help people up front will have to help them have they go broke as well as their employees. We are being proactive and keeping people from being homeless. Can we send this to the budget committee for a quick turnaround? Soria agrees.

Public comments: Dave S. says Will this only apply to people married to undocumented? Environmental racism was mentioned earlier. This devalues the word racism. This money should go to entire city equally. Shayna Rose: we have tried to get grants and no luck. We want to go back

to work. We are still being charged rent. Thank you for considering this grant. Jaimee Olsen: agrees with Garry. We need to open the city bottom line. We are talking about tiny details but they can be solved by allowing businesses to open. When will you open? Gracia: any type

of relief funds are depleted quickly. We need to be proactive. This will not be the only time people will need to receive help this year.

Chicago Movement (?) Rep: essential workers and others have their livelihoods threatened. I appreciate the Council during this trying time. Next United Way Kacey Rep says their first round of funds were depleted. Went to those with zero income and no jobs.

Karbassi: thanks Councilmember Soria. There are lots of people who are hurting. I need to be sure there is funding before I vote for it. Approved 4-3 with Karbassi , Bredefeld and Caprioglio voting NO. Mayor can still veto.

Directing the City Manager to return to Council with an agreement to bring additional energy savings to the City of Fresno. Sponsored by
Councilmember Soria and Council President Arias RFQ for second phase. Would like to include local apprentices in this second phase.

Assistant City Manager Jim Schaad: concerned about money saving portion.1)Yes, Energy savings but it will be used to pay off infrastructure over ten years. 2) Competitive process is preferred. Soria: savings from not having to maintain older equipment. RFP will take 90 days

but this company can start straightaway and get people back to work. Need to rebuild our apprenticeship programs. Schaad:maintence savings is already baked into program. City Counsel: urgency can make changes in this. Schaad: if we overuse urgency does this hurt us indefensible

Counsel : needs to be done in closed session. Karbassi: understands the intent but This isn’t an emergency proposal. apprenticeship is important but not any savings today. RFQ is ready to go today. Will table this item.

The Council hereby proclaims May 1, 2020 as “City of Fresno, Ovation for Our Frontline Workers Day” in the City of Fresno. Healthcare , firefighters, police , farmworkers, transit workers. May 1st at 7 pm step out on your porch and make noise for these workers! Approved

APRIL 30, 2020 - NO MEETING
MAY 7, 2020 - NO MEETING
MAY 14, 2020 - 9:00 A.M.
MEETING
MAY 21, 2020 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING
MAY 28, 2020 - NO MEETING

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