Thread by @AndyHS

Down at a Special Meeting of the City of Fresno Council meeting November 29th, 2018! Beautiful carpet of leaves as I walked to City Hall this morning 😀

Among the consent items: accept $1 million grant for SAKI (National Sexual Assault Kit) with $53,000 for a part time victim advocate.

$176,000 to Aramark for Rental of uniforms , linen and dust control products.

On consent calendar: accept $1 million grant for SAKI (National Sexual Assault Kit) with $53,000 for a part time victim advocate.

$176,000 to Aramark for Rental of uniforms , linen and dust control products.

$175,000 for street sweeper brooms to Rotary Brush of Lenexa, Kansas. (Way to clean up Kansas!) 😜 Lots of proclamations this morning as well. Several Environmental Impact Report items this afternoon beginning at 2 pm. Beginning of meeting running late. Just beginning 9:18

All present except @PaulCaprioglio and @ClintOlivier. Certificate of Recognition to Habitat for Humanity for their contribution to the City of Fresno Affordable Housing after 33 years of service @Esmeralda_Soria Family just found she has been chosen!

Proclamation of “Matthew Forestiere Day” by Council President Soria and Vice President Brandau who is one of 4% of Scouts to receive Eagle Scouts for dozen mosaic stepping stones at Baird Middle School. @stevebrandau says he made it as high as cub scouts.

Proclamation of “National Runaway Prevention Month” Council President Soria. 350 missing youth per month in Fresno. Quite a few homeless in Fresno schools too. Runaway Shelter open 24/7 365 Days a year. PD, FAX, and PARCS are also partners in this shelter as well as Drop In.

Proclamation of “World Prematurity Day” Council President Soria and Sandra Reyes Herrera Flores Infant mortality in Fresno mainly from preterm births. Has dropped 10.3 to 9.2% African American rate is especially high.

Proclamation recognizing November 2018 - California’s Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month by council and @MayorLeeBrand Sikhs have been in California for over a century and a large part of Fresno

Presentation of Certificates for Familia en Acción “Vang Pao Neighborhood Revitalization”.
Councilmember Chavez @District5Chavez Group has cleaned alleys, schools etc in the neighborhood around Cedar/Butler along with @MayorLeeBrand Initiative. Sequoia Middle School Principal

is present as well. Principal Ward says this group has been active his entire 8 years even after their children have graduated.

@ Proclamation of “Fresno Recycles Day”

@PaulCaprioglio is present now as he was relieved from his Jury Duty this morning. @ClintOlivier is also present as well. Moving on to consent calendar. 1-B and 1-D pulled for discussion. @GarryBredefeld question on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) increasing contract $172,000 for

engineering work. Q: Original end date of contract? Susbstantial portion by end of December 2017. Q: what if timeline isn’t met? Staff believes hurdles will be able to be met. @GarryBredefeld has concern not for this contract but others that need additional costs. @wilma_quan

says unknown costs occur. However next meeting there is a contract where cost is reduced. @stevebrandau wants fireworks launched for that 😝Brandau would like more review of these contracts in the future. He will vote know on both 1-B and 1-D ( Stantec engineering). Bredefeld

wonders how do we stop firms from lowballing bids and then coming back asking for increases. Staff Jim Schaud says BRT is actually under budget. Also unknown issues comes up or City asks for more features than originally needed. Public Works Director Scott Mozier says firms would

pad their originally budgeted for if they are not able to come back and ask for more funding if unknown issues occur. @wilma_quan City Manager says of 1000 of contracts the City has few that need to come back. @ClintOlivier thinks Free Market should provide transit but will pro-

vide a YES vote on this issue. Mentions contractors supplied change orders for High Speed Rail without review. @PaulCaprioglio saysbif we say No to any amendments we will never get things done as unforeseen changes occur. If there are abuses that is one thing but change orders

are just part of projects. @OliverBaines asks if this cost is part of contingencies? Assistant City Manager Schaad says YES this money has already been set aside and won’t add additional costs. @Esmeralda_Soria asks if WiFi could be covered with savings. Schaad says other re-

-sources are available for WiFi. Passes 5-1 with Brandau voting NO. Brandau asks for additional oversight on these contracts but doesn’t need more discussion on 1-D. Passes 6-1. @PaulCaprioglio mentions 180 closure at Temperance has been confusing to residents. Lots of growth

in City so it will be helpful for Council to know if these closures are occurring. Also Operation Gobble was successful. @ClintOlivier contributed staff and money. Mentions Bulldogs Championship Game this Saturday. He wanted to sneak on Boise field and paint it Red 😝Also asks

for adjournment in honor of Mary Stanley who passed away. Did lots for women in politics including first female mayor. @Esmeralda_Soria is having you drive. Budget Manager speaking on unanticipated $8.8 million carryover. Sales tax , Fire Dept used in statewide fires, projects

not completed. Administration recommends $5.5million of this to be given to public safety. Mike Pandini of Building Industry Association (BIA) and Fresno Chamber of Commerce @Fresno_Chamber both recommend giving to public safety as well. Economic Development Corporation would

like this additional money to approve EIR to allow further business growth. Darius Assimi also wishes money for Fire Station west of 99 as well as EIR monies. @Esmeralda_Soria thanks the number of builders in the chamber today and future work in West Fresno. West Area Specific

Plan needed Fire Station. A de facto building moratorium occurred due to lack of Fire Station says @stevebrandau Also EIR is needed to allow businesses to grow West Fresno and the jobs they bring. @PaulCaprioglio says it is not often when unexpected money occurs from a $1 billion

budget so this is welcome. Makes motion to move some of this to help build Senior Center in District 4. Soria would like some for existing needs in parks. @wilma_quan says there is a clean up item that should’ve been included in regular budget and is contractually obligation.

Park maintenance requests. @GarryBredefeld asks about Senior Center costs from the park items. Defunding HERO team that goes out with police to work with homeless. If that item is removed this HERO work Ends tomorrow as there is no other funding. City is starting work with County

and this defunding would be detrimental Says Tim Ormand. @District5Chavez says there is no contract with HERO team as it is just extension after extension. What is outcome from millions put in asks Chavez? @OliverBaines agrees throwing more money at problem. Homeless is complex.

City doesn’t get much money for eradicating problem with most going to County. Homelessness is worst in his District. Beloved Parks and Homelessness needs larger discussion and asks if we can bring this back next week? Chavez says Council needs better discussion on homelessness.

HERO is being dropped from conversation today but brought back next week. Council will move forward with Senior Center funding , EIR and West Fresno Fire Station. 6-0 with Olivier absent.

Annexation at Bryan Ave between Shaw and Gettysburg. Approved 6-0. Adjournment for lunch break. Newly elected Councilman Nelson Esparza in Chambers as well!

Back in sessions. City acting as Housing Successor payoff of loans by former RDA. Passes 6-0 with @ClintOlivier absent. Going to item 3-A regarding transportation grant. Shelby McNabb for trails and Blackstone smart transit. Passes 7-0. Council goes to Closed Session. Soria

mentions that this grant is paid by SB 1 (gas tax that wasn’t repealed in November elections) which sets @ClintOlivier off a bit jokingly.

Resume from Closed Session. Speaking on a 11- person task force to prevent displacement of people due to various projects like High Speed Rail. @stevebrandau doesn’t feel like North Fresno realizes the impact $70 million from TPP Fund. He feels we need to check off the box on

this today and work on details later. Passes 7-0. Moving on to 2:15 pm $500,000 to LSA, Associates. For General Plan Environmental Impact Report Update (EIR) of which CEQA requires every five years. This will lower chance of liability. LSA is lowest bidder and a local firm.

@AshleyEWerner says it is important to not to do bare minimum in outreach to public. This state and area is ground zero for environmental justice and what appropriate remedies. Staff:A scoping meeting will occur and public can comment for 30 Days. Soria: good faith effort is

is needed if she is to vote for this. Staff says this is an update only but she could send it to Implementation Committee. Soria: Industrial Compatibility for Neighborhoods? DARM Director Jennifer Clark says public engagement in Spring 2019. Passes 6-0. Now 2:30 pm $500,000 to

Ascent Environmental to complete EIR assessing a Priority Industrial Area Specific Plan. Grey area on this map. No changes to zoning contemplated. Leadership Council feels residents who have lived in areas like Calwa and Malaga don’t know these plans are taking place.

He would like residents to be involved from the beginning. Venice Curry asks if there are any plans for a North Industrial Area and not place all industrial in South Fresno. Another person says progress in South is ideal for industrial especially e-Commerce like Amazon. EIR

is needed to keep this progress going. Eathan Smith represented Amazon when they were looking for a spot. EIR is vital for next company looking to move to Valley especially those involved in supply change. Airport, workforce and Fresno is hub of valley. These are good jobs.

Diane Smith says a loading dock facing an elementary school leaves idling trucks’ exhaust on school kids. She would like to see data that jobs are going to the residents that actually live near the industry. @OliverBaines says EIR will help mitigate the issues before there is a

problem. Multinational corporations need to provide local priorities for jobs. Assurances that community members get some of the jobs. Need to be intentional. @MayorLeeBrand wants to be assured of local hires as well and will do job fairs and whatever else is legal. City Manager

Asks City Counsel what could be done legally? A: If one reason is to mitigate traffic than local hires may be a way to achieve this. Mayor along with EDC will do job fairs. Just tell him where. Baines says Chavez and his constituents border each other and both want local hires.

@GarryBredefeld shares residents concerns. 24 hour trucks is not good. But Also Industrial Parks =Jobs. Do incentives City provide actually equal local jobs? Sales taxes of workers helps city coffers. County could help with these incentives as County residents benefit too.

Bredefeld says City needs to be Business Friendly. How many Amazon workers are actually from Fresno? Counsel says going further that any new agreement has to provide info on where residents live. @stevebrandau wonders if putting local hire in EIR may be confusing but should be

saved for actual agreement with corporations. @District5Chavez Says he saw residents wearing Amazon/Ulta uniforms. Will break cycle of poverty. Ulta was toured. They worked with residents who have had troubled pasts. @PaulCaprioglio supports this as well. Jennifer Clark says

they will be diving into the existing plans to see where mitigation can be done for future development. Soria: Community Outreach ? Jennifer Clark: Sphere of Influence will be accessed now as well. Passes 6-0. Diane Smith says Atlantic Magazine stated problems not fixed in past

is effecting is now. Please read she says. Council Adjourning in Memory of Mary Stanley.

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