Down at the Fresno City Council meeting September 20,2018!
Among Consent Items are making Pepsi “official non-alcoholic beverage provider “ at Convention Center, selling to High Speed Rail a slice of Barstow Ave land for $1000 ,continue City/County partnership regarding hazardous waste and new facility, $415,000 reimburse PG&E for G St
realignment and design (Perhaps PG&E could pay for it considering ratepayers will have to pay for first fire damage caused by PG&E. Just a thought ). Meeting beginning. @PaulCaprioglio @ClintOlivier will be joining later this morning. @OliverBaines absent.
@Esmeralda_Soria pulls consent item 1-h to be heard later. SPCA pet of the month chihuahua terrier mix named Luna! @GarryBredefeld 
SPCA needs donation of blankets and volunteers. Can take kids 8+ to volunteer too. Code Enforcement Certificates being awarded now by @MayorLeeBrand and DARM. “They Improve quality of life and housing prices”
Proclamation by @Esmeralda_Soria in honor of Fire Engineer Sandi Kiefert Johanns who passed away in July from work related illness at age 51.
Councilman Caprioglio now joins the other Councilmembers. @Esmeralda_Soria giving certificates to her District 1 interns Ignacio Barbosa and Alexandria Sanchez. He is headed to grad school afterwards.
@Esmeralda_Soria @PaulCaprioglio City of Fresno was given Helen Putnam Award for Youth Leadership Institute from League of Cities
(Taking a 5-8 minute break for a sound technical issue to be repaired )
Council resumes after technical break. Councilmember Reports : @District5Chavez asks for meeting adjournment in honor of late Clovis Unified instructor Gavin Gladding. @PaulCaprioglio speaks on blood drive for Fresno State Law Enforcement Officer who recently had lung transplant
@ClintOlivier present now for remainder of Council meeting. @Esmeralda_Soria She went to League of Cities part of Transportation Committee. Inspiration Park will be Fall Festival. It is a replacement for Night Out event that was canceled due to bad smoke levels in Summer. Double
Murder happened in West Shaw Estates. Police/Fire/ And @Esmeralda_Soria helping to reclaim neighborhood after that incident. Soria wants to be adjourned in honor of her Chief of Staff’s 4-Month family Member passed away. @stevebrandau mentions new SE Water Treatment plant that
just opened under budget and under time. @PaulCaprioglio Will have minimum effect on water rates. 90 million gallons pumped a day. Glad Council made the tough decision to build it. @ClintOlivier says a constituent who had an issue with SPCA. Calling Laura Olivas to speak on it.
Olivas had an animal emergency at her property. No response from SPCA. Heard a scream and found her cat was being mauled by two large dogs who fled. Broken back led to cat’s death. PD called but couldn’t help either. SPCA line but no dedicated emergency line. Dogs continues to
run around the neighborhood. Olivas says she is upset that her tax dollars are used for emergency care but no help provided by SPCA despite those funds. Has ideas to help with this issue. @ClintOlivier asks her to come back with Audio Recording of incident. Soria says this is too
common in Fresno High and Tower area. 3 Dog Bites near Gazebo Gardens off of Fountain Way. No response by SPCA. @ClintOlivier mentions SPCA Director has released letter to Stop a no-kill Shelter from being built at 99/Bullard. @PaulCaprioglio would like to hear Olivas Chicago
solutions she has heard about and to please share with the Council. Unscheduled Public Comments beginning. One person spoke on keeping Satan from coming to District 5. Another Veronica Gonzaga speaks on Prop 64 and Prop 215. Olivier says some will be dealt with at Closed Session
City Attorney says Cannabis is currently not legal but Staff Attorney can speak on where we are as a City at this time. A quick series of 3 annex and special tax for City of Fresno Community Facilities District 9&11 approved. @PaulCaprioglio asks if inflation is factored in?
Scott Mozier says there are escalators to compensate if needed such as water costs increases. Does not come from General Fund Dollars. All three annexations are approved. Now a hearing to vacate to remove a temporary pipeline that was in place while waiting for permanent one.
Public member worries about loss of farmland to single story homes. Need to have multilevel structures. Buffers needed. Will Continue this until next Council Meeting. Moving on to designating the Herndon Substation At 7430 N Weber to Local Register of Historic Resources. A
demo contract reveled this Substation near San Joaquin River. Was built in 1930’s and used into 2000’s. Is lone remaining structure left of the substation. Control Building is best Pure Example of Art Deco left in Fresno. Connection to SJ Light and Power. Economic grants to help
PG&E Rep says they have some concerns and have pulled demo contract. They don’t think City have right but PG&E does. They recognize importance of this control building. They feel there are better examples of this era in Fresno. @Esmeralda_Soria moves to postpone until more info
@stevebrandau says Council has postponed this issue several times and PG&E has not been very responsive. Doesn’t think the info will change very much. He says there are not very many historic buildings in North Fresno. He makes motion to accept Staff recommendation. Caprioglio
Says if property owner (PG&E) doesn’t want it then he will abide by their decision. Will vote NO. @District5Chavez asks PG&E what will be built there if demoed? Nothing at this time. Withdrew demo because it triggered Local Historic issue. @ClintOlivier asks what can be seen if
Tourists drive by? Fence blocks all but top half. Asks if a sandwich or ice cream shop could be placed in it to appeal to hipsters? What is still inside? ( some odds and ends). Olivier sees Producers Dairy all over. He is deferential to private owner and no Society without
private property. No millionaire here to save this building. If someone from LA wants to come up to save it please do. Saroyan Museum had people wanting to pitch in. @Esmeralda_Soria says property owners do need to help neighborhoods and let property owners do whatever like with
Producers Dairy. Motion to Postpone Issue fails 2-4. Brandau asks for preserving it. Fails for lack of a second. Moving on to 2017 CAPER Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation and how Housing Urban Development(HUD) dollars were spent. No public comments received. Soria
asks what other cities do? Not every Cities have this brought to Council. What goals? 5-year goals and annual goal. Federal allocation was delayed until October so not much was accomplished but still held accountable despite that. Goals will be done but not by usual deadline.
Some of the delay is also by lack of staff with retirements but no replacing. Passes 5-0. Moving on to Consent item 1-H regarding HUD program consultants for $113,000 and $304,000 due to lack of staff. Soria is in support but has concerns about consultants training staff. Wishes
for hiring more staff instead in future. Passes. 3-B : hire Fresno Unified Resource Student Officers (RSO) at 95% actual officers costs. Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson present and in support. During school vacations PD will be released to other duties so % is not 100%.
Soria wishes students to be safe. Asks about absorbing costs. Passes 6-0. 4-A: Approve an Experiential Learning Agreement for internships for Fresno State students. City Attorney Sloan says this Will speed up process. FSU’s Mary Willis hoped to uncomplicated the process. Passes.
3-A General Building and HVAC Job order for airport. 3-C Traffic DUI checkpoints and technology with $657,000 Grant @GarryBredefeld asks about cannabis drug testing technology. None currently. Moving on to Lunch Recess. Homeless Workshop and Unlawful Camping Ordinance Changes
Will be main items following lunch as well as a full Closed Session.
1)City of Fresno v Sticky Fingers Delivery, People’s Cure, Inc. & Green Leaf.
2)California Grocers Association v City of Fresno.
3Negotiating with Fresno Sports &Events regarding building near Chukchansi Park
1)City of Fresno v Sticky Fingers Delivery, People’s Cure, Inc. & Green Leaf.
2)California Grocers Association v City of Fresno.
3Negotiating with Fresno Sports &Events regarding building near Chukchansi Park
What I saw on 41 Freeway Overpass On walk to City Council meeting this morning
Returning from Lunch Recess. Homeless Workshop is First up prior to Unlawful Camping Ordinance Resolution and the court order that it is probably constitutional .@Esmeralda_Soria says it inflicts our veterans and other cities. Homeless Taskforce has been responsive. Soria worries
we are just shuffling people around. Police could be freed up to fight crime. New Heart Team in Long Beach May be a model whereas Fire Dept Responses to Homeless as they are trained as EMT. Also PD message is often perceived by public as “enforcing the law”. @PaulCaprioglio asks
if Fire Dept has been talked to about this? No. @ClintOlivier “hopes we are focused on property owners who have items destroyed and not just coddling homeless” City’s H. Spees says property owners and compassion is needed. A PowerPoint to be presented. Will explore Boise and
will look at Soria’s Long Beach idea. Hero Team knows virtually every name of local homeless. Best record of Cities on west coast 2010-2107. However plateauing. Working on Partnership. Four pillars: will take everyone. Flows from left to right.
Best Investment is preventing homelessness to start with. Three new crisis options and increasing housing exits. Help homeless stay on meds and not lose permanent housing.
Why would a landlord accept former homeless ? Landlord will be made whole from damage. Mayor Lee Brand helped secure monies ($13 million) from State along with 11 other cities.
Getting leaders to cooperate will be a step. Boise Court decision will force City to be more compassionate response. Concludes Power Point. @ClintOlivier is open to what was on slides. State can do more and a happy medium can be reached and not just PD chasing homeless away.
Olivier says his 2015 homeless op ed was most well read in Fresno Bee that year. Says Brandau had human dignity in mind when he wrote his Unlawful Camping Ordinance . He says he gets a lot of calls about homelessness. Says having Fire Dept to deal with homelessness is not good.
Many homelessness are armed. A property owner complains of theft and can’t afford to put up a substantial fence to protect. Olivier doesn’t think Fire Dept Union will be wanting to handle homeless due to weapons. Measure P has money for Park Rangers to protect families from home-
lessness. They will kick homeless from the Parks. Lots of ancillary costs to homelessness. When people are housed we don’t have as many ancillary costs. Soria says we both agree that vagrants cause some problems. Knows Brandau meant well but shuffling people is not solution. She
knows we need transitional shelter and more permanent housing but no progress has occurred in 10 years. @GarryBredefeld says we all have desire to help homelessness. Says City does have a heart as well. Unlawful Camping Ordinance was not a punitive but a way for PD to help them
find services or aka them to move on. Jailing rarely happened. PD shows a heart. Citizens shouldn’t be victimized with vagrants. There are plenty of programs like Section 8 and Map Point. Having Fire Fighters instead of PD is not correct way. Homeless Task Force is a good path.
Spees: Private Sector sees small investments can have large effects. Bredefeld is isn’t sure landlords will rent to someone who has been evicted twice even if they are made whole by City. There are some criminal homeless and don’t want help or services. PD is needed and not FD
@stevebrandau says all of the Councilmembers have compassion and also want police to intervene at times. No Camping Ordinance got him even more into the homeless situation. A group of Chinatown Businesses asked him if Council even knows we have a problem. No Camping wasn’t meant
to hurt anyone. Fact is there isn’t enough beds to handle homeless. A low barrier shelter that will immediately be available to anyone and their dogs is needed. Wrap around services can be provided. Some just like Camping lifestyle. He isn’t a person who thinks we will ever
completely solve homelessness. @District5Chavez Says County and City were at same table discussing homelessness at Sunnyside meeting.There is great work going on but most going on in silos and not together. Evicting homeless near Poverello forced them away from nearby services
Fancher Creek Clean up provided Chavez a chance to speak to female homeless and what they go thru. How do you compel someone to get help when they are not ready for it? He had homeless person break into his home. Chavez says we need to focus on solution. Come as you are Shelter
is needed. @PaulCaprioglio says a shelter is needed near where services are provided. Cary Park had a homeless camp where a Little League storage unit and stealing items. Thanks PD for responding. @ClintOlivier says he enjoys this discussion today. People have mental issues and
not all are functioning enough to know they want off the streets. Big Sue was a well known homeless person who after a time in the Poverllo Sheds she left to return to streets. Priorities are needed. Sacramento needs to hear from Cities. Soria concludes this Workshop. Spees says
this plan has a triage shelter like some of the Councilmembers spoke about. City Counsel: 9th Circuit says homeless can’t be cited if services not provided. Our ordinance can be tweaked: more beds or can still limit where they can sleep like no parks. Moving on to Unlawful Camp-
-ing Ordinance portion. Brandau wants inserted to current bill: shall not be cited unless confirmed there is a bed available. PD Capt. Farrah says Boise decision is how PD works. Try to get services for everyone they meet. We will be Black&white Uber and drive them to services.
Sometimes threat of jail is only way to get someone into services. Sometimes criminals will hide within homeless. Homeless under report crimes and are a victim. Vast are armed with something from butter knife to a gun. Sometimes Sanitation workers are threatened so PD will be
PD will cite for other crimes like defecating on sidewalk. Sanitation takes 30 tons of garbage a month. Maybe helped prevent Hepatitis threat in other cities. Hero Team has been helpful. Appreciates Council. Brandau asks how many encampments have been cleaned. 3000 over the year
“Scripture “Don’t Grow Weary of Doing Good Work” cited by Brandau as away to encourage PD. Chavez proposes amendment a Come As you Are Shelter and ask City Manager to constrict using $1 million housing money. Working on 24/7 showers as well as dog kennel. Implement, establish or
construct “should be added to simplify. City Manager asks for words “to explore and establish” Chavez says Poverello already has services. Olivier asks what this shelter would be like? Chavez says it would be like San Diego “sprung” Shelter a tent like structure that would last
years and is double insulated. Olivier doesnt want “come as you are” as he worried about drugs or violence. Brandau says this won’t be no rules. But you don’t have rules like a certain religous backgroud. Olivier: how does homeless advocates feel about sprung structure. Poverello
and Fresno Rescue Mission have similar. Initial services can be provided there. Olivier trusts other organizations more than this Council. Brandau says we would be partner with these organizations. Bredefeld asks how many people in a tent? 200. He wants more details. City Manager
wants to know more details and not sure how far $1 million will go. Sloan: more beds the more effective ordinance will be. Bredefeld wants to know how Rescue Mission’s sprung structures are doing? Brandau doesn’t want to get into weeds today Chavez says this would provide a
spot for homeless to go to. Public Comments now: Patience Milrod says PD are always doing what court ordered. All but 2% take services and few jailed. More beds will be better. There is no homes for most of her clients due to price point. Women/children are large portion. Market
failure about building more low income homes. More clarity needed for rules on low barrier shelter. Homeless Veterans advocate says ordinance made his job harder. We need to work together for Vets.
PD Captain said ACLU thanked them for the way they are handling the issue. Says hardest day for Sanitation Workers is day after Thanksgiving and Xmas due to so many churches giving food that much of the food is wasted. Better to give money to shelters directly. They can turn $1
into $7. Olivier asks if it is an urban myth that there are no beds in Fresno? PD says type of beds is the question. Beds for woman/children/pregnant etc is harder. Rescue Mission is not considered a low barrier shelter due to religious requirements. Olivier will vote for this.
Multi agency approach needed says City Manager. Brandau says No Camping Ordinance dovetails with Administration’s efforts. Soria is proud of Council to have this conversation. She is still against No Camping Ordinance. Passes 6-0 (Soria meant to Vote No) Going Closed Session
after paving vote on widening of Belmont in Fowler area. Bike lanes added as well. $2 million awarded to Emmet’s Excavating. Going to Closed Session. Baines and Soria will be absent for that portion.
@threadreaderapp unroll
