At the Fresno County Board of Supervisors regularly scheduled meeting. Among the issues is receive public comments such as they were on the County General Plan Update. Changing speed limit on Ashlan between Palm and Maroa.
. Reedley College Ag honored with State Award on behalf of California Ag Teachers Association. Receiving oral report from Lori Bennett , President of Clovis Community College. Accepting the 2017 Annual Fresno County Crop and Livestock Report from Department of Ag
Consider a Planning Commission denial of a 1.65 megawatt solar farm near Selma. Among Consent Items is adopting Resolution to support installation of new electric vehicle charging stations at potential rural Fresno County Libraries if funding comes available.
@AndreasBorgeas mentions the three day Greek Fest this weekend. Both vegetarian/ carnivorous food is available. His pastor leads Board for Invocation and asks Board to lend Borgeas help in doing BBQ. 
30 and 21 consent items either pullled or deleted. Magsig pulls item 29 to be pulled for discussion. Ron Nikajawa retired Horticulture Professor introduces rest of Reedley College staff including interim President, Dean and Chair.
Clovis Community College President Lori Bennett became its own college three years ago. Now has 12,000 students and is now same size as sister college Reedley. 932 degrees awarded in May. High Transfer and retention rates. A top ten national finalist of Bellweather award.
Demographics :36 %caucasian and 41% Latino , 49% from Fresno, 36% from Clovis. Measure C update bond has helped with career training especially Mechatronics that help with manufacturing like Wawona, Amazin and Ulta.
Supervisor Magsig mentions how he is a product of Fresno Community College and was an affordable option to UC and Cal-State systems. Moving on to Annual Fresno Co. Crop/Livestock Report. Diversity of crops, Water Available, and Farmers ingenuity. Grapes #2, 133 crops shipped to
other countries. Cattle is #10. Mandarin Oranges #6 Farm Bureau’s Ryan Jacobsen speaks of “infrastructure established generations ago. Whether you are in Ag or not if you live in Fresno Co. this effects you in some Way. “ @AndreasBorgeas asks if tariffs has taken its toll and if
new markets are being created? “Australia but US is losing its seats in foreign grocery stores “. @BuddySupervisor says Wonderful Co. is getting out of pistachios. Some say crops may go to China via Vietnam. Borgeas asks if that means violating tariffs? Was #8 garlic dropped out
@BuddySupervisor mentions Fresno Co. is considered an Urban County as well as an Ag County which is unusual. “As long as water is available Ag will remain here”’says Les. Moving onto solar power farm near Selma that was denied at Planning Commission June 28. Worried about nearby
homes, Ag uses , aesthetic and dust. It is in Sphere of Influence of Selma. City of Selma had no issues. Selma’s Mayor actually agrees with PC decision. It will effect future development. Says ball was dropped by interim City Manger (was that Henry Perea, Sr??) Residents don’t
want to see solar panels but want to see trees. Mendes asks if any official action was taken. “No , but agree with Planning Commission. “ Developer Larry Raven says 1200 homes will be built surrounding this solar farm. Says he never received word of PC meeting despite him owning
property around the proposed solar farm. Selma dropped ball due to multi City Managers in past year. Solar Farm Rep made concessions to shield from road, improve McCall Ave and setback from road. Nearby residents had no issue. This is First he has heard there was any issues.
Project helps City of Selma because residents can subscribe to Solar Facility and thus reduce their bills even if they don’t have solar themselves. Mendes asks if there were any concerns prior to this? Earlier Selma gave support. Solar Farm has made considerable investment after
getting support from Selma staff. Lots of buffer from neighboring properties. Mendes asks Selma City Council to write letter of support/denial. Board is continuing this matter for a later date probably late September.
Racing on to speed limit change along Ashlan between Palm and Maroa. Move from current 35 mph down to 30 mph. @WaterhouseDan @AndreasBorgeas says there are lots of accidents here. Residents want it to remain local road and not thoureaughfare (sp). Was at one time even 40. There
will be traffic calming structures out in place. Now moving onto Fresno Co. General Plan Update. Many in audience wants to speak on this. At least ten. Malaga Water District and Building Industry Assoc. gave written comments. Co. Beginning initial EIR. Only 18 letters received.
Website went live in Hanuary and public comment ended May. Public libraries had public review documents. Two scoping meetings (Fresno and Riverdale)by that were lightly attended. BIA wants additional 3000 acres near Friant. This is inconsistent with scope of General Plan Review.
Staff would like BiA request excluded from current process due to increase water usage etc Malaga worries about industrial effects on residents under Environmental Justice. The Specific Plan Change is a major change. Two Public meetings planned in Summer 2019. EIR will be
be released in Spring 2019. Borgeas has heard this was done in silo and not with public knowledge. He doesn’t think so. Staff says two public meetings , published at Libraries. Fresno Bee op-ed says no public meetings were done. Staff says yes the two meetings. We are at initial
preparation of EIR. @AndreasBorgeas says we are not making final decision today. Staff says Public was notified even though County didn’t need to do even that. 18 comments received. Borgeas agrees. Today’s agenda item is solely to discuss Malaga and BIA comments which are out of
Scope. Quintero asks amount of public attendance: At two public meetings consisted of 11 members of the public. Once Draft EIR is released public can comment then as well ( Spring). Beginning Public Comments: Kings River Conservancy Rep speaks says we were not aware to comment.
Agrees with preserving Kings River area as well as mineral extraction issue. Realizes County has had lots of challenges like aging quarries and roads. ACLU Rep Kena supports environmental justice portions. Need a more transparent process to identify disadvantaged communities.
Legal Defense League says County needs to do this correct but currently this document is open to legal attacks especially with environmental portions. Technical meetings were not for public to give what they want. Pacheco says her op-ed was misleading. Wants her to defend it now.
She says Public wasn’t given adequate notice. Once Draft EIR is prepared it is much harder to change Pacheco says there is plenty of time to comment. She says CoG did a much better job of reaching out to public and is a good model. Magsig asks if this Rep knows best for Fresno ?
She says Public knows best. Public member says his community ( farm Laborers)is not represented by this document. Please reopen this document. The verbiage is not adequate. Church Valentine area.
Malaga Water lawyer says their comments were misconstrued. Roosevelt Specific Plan from 1978 by City of Fresno and never tailored to Malaga. A new community plan is needed as part of this GP update.
City Planner Jennifer Clark asks County keeps code of cities sphere of Influence. Land Trust based in Visalia would like more transparency and public engagement. Draft Document weakens portions of environmental and farmland mitigation
Daniel O’Connell says City of Fresno did a great job with their General Plan and is a good model. Stockton and Tulare’s GP had litigation with their’s. More public process will help prevent future litigation. Orange Co poor planning led to almost no farms there now.
Connie Young from a Climate concerns says they received no notification on this plan. More meetings and better publicized to give more public comments. Climate Plan was omitted from this Plan for some reason. A better stronger plan will be made.
National Audubon Rep. asks Supervisors to look to public as partners in this process. Expand from staff’s plan to increase the number of public meetings. Ashley Werner is welcomed and Supervisors haven’t seen her in while. Encourage Board to open up process. Some mandates in
Housing Element and Air Quality. Werner mentions previous speaker was cut off while speaking when she was here to ask for more public comments. Please show respect to public. Magsig asks Werner about Housing. Affordable materials and water is needed so more H2O storage. Werner
says there are resources that County hasn’t reached out to secure. They also want water for disadvantaged communities. @AshleyEWerner Environmental Justice portion was not adequate. Pacheco says previous speaker did get her two full minutes.
Robert Turner from Sierra Club now speaking. Noticed spread of residential development in Dallas. Worries this will happen to this County and losing all that farmland.
Veronica Chavez says more public engagement is needed. Need Language translation but also need vocabulary given where public can understand. Meetings were in daytime when people work. Childcare to allow more public to come. Jim Grant from Dioceses says Pope Francis needs Planet
Earth and that builders of buildings need to give urban planning to think of the people who will live there. Important to make the community included” Plan for people and so Board needs to include more people in process. Mary Savala of League of Women Voters says in 2005 update
The League was very involved. But they were never notified as to when Plan was changed from 2020 to 2040 Update. Next 20 years were not given time to comment. Ask for more public engagement. Radley Reep says review of 2006 has morphed into 2040 and all comments from last ten year
are not considered as we are now suddenly doing a 2040 Plan. This is fatally flawed. Stop EIR now so public can adequately comment especially from those in disadvantaged communities. Borgeas says no request from BIA portion. Borgeas would love to study more like specific plans.
This will blow our budget we have allotted. Ask CAO if there is a way to study Malaga specific plan and BIA. Magsig says BIA request will need have to have their own self funded EIR. Borgeas says developers paid for corridor portion study in past. Motion by Magsig. Mendes says
SGMA will prevent growth due to lack of water. Mendes says he lives in a disvantsged Community and those who advocate for them don’t. Borgeas says we need to have public engagement in Spring. I got to get to a meeting.
@threadreaderapp unroll
