Thread by @AndyHS

Down at the Fresno City Council meeting February 28,2019! Among the items today are $66 million for Transformative Climate Community Agreement (TCC), Sustainable Groundwater Act (SGMA) and its effect on Local Asian farmers and a Legal Workshop.

Consent Calendar: 
Approve the appointment of Bob Wilson to the Housing and Community Development Commission 
Approve the appointments of Tony Canales to the Capital Projects 
Approve Oversight Board and Melanie Ruvalcaba to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)

Reject all bids for the purchase of Streetlight LED Luminaires 
Approve a Policy on Conditions for Roadway Closures and Lane Closures. Invocation this morning by Tom Sims from 4141 Ministries @tomsims

(A small disturbance by a person in the audience to start the meeting. Security handles it well). Proclamation of “The Fresno Bee Newspaper Day” by Councilmember Esparza. @D7Esparza mentions the recent attacks on the local newspaper. Bee staff says it is their job to hold mirror

to the community. Bee editor says they have moved to a more digital newspaper. @MiguelArias_D3 says he has always found the Bee reporters to be professional. Arias mentions it a unanimous bipartisan vote! 😝

Proclamation on Kids Day March 5 where newspapers are sold to benefit Valley Children’s Hospital. 8,000 volunteers last year. Hoping for a $625,000 goal this year. This is its 32nd year.

Proclamation honoring 100th birthday of Audra Eveline by Council President Brandau. She is the great aunt of one of City’s attorneys. ( Mrs. Eveline is unable to make it today)

Proclamation of “Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month” 
by Council President Brandau. Teen age violence rates are higher than for adults says director from Marjoree Mason Center. How to stay safe online , at school and at home.

@PaulCaprioglio says residents have mentioned illegal dumping as well as non-working streetlights. Engineering Department at Fresno State built a prototype structure for Poverello House. 4000 at Support Blue Marathon at Woodward Park. At memorial service for Officer Vang too.

I-Bank helped secure $35 million for airport renovation. Northeast Police and Homeless Taskforce for their work. Coffee with Cops March 6. @Esmeralda_Soria thanks Park Staff for work on Quigley Master Plan. Community meeting April 13th with BBQ and hope for more public input.

Young Councilpersons were given a tour of police station and their dispatch headquarters. Also Chinatown and Mardi Gras parades coming up. She also mentions firewalls on computers are making it hard to research information for Councilmembers. @D7Esparza went to Roosevelt High

to award proclamation to retiring soccer coach Joel Munoz. Leavenworth Elementary helped with alley clean up at least until rain postponed parts of it. Also FPD outreach to the Spanish speaking community and how they can help keep Fresno safe. Hmong Cohort has their first meeting

Mega Texas BBQ at Fresno and McKinley is excellent says Councilman Esparza. Mentions Monday March 4 will be his first town hall at Manchester Gate. Will have two more this year. @GarryBredefeld had a town Hall this last Tuesday. Thanks staff for helping with that. Lots of

questions on law enforcement and public works. Also thanks private security team@that was hired to patrol Woodward Park and Roeding during after hours seven days a week. @stevebrandau also says Hmong Leadership Cohort and was privileged to help lead tours of City Hall. He will

also will be reading to school children at Forkner Elementary. Five items pulled from consent calendar for further discussion. First: Approve a Policy on Conditions for Roadway Closures and Lane Closures. Fine of $1000 a day. @GarryBredefeld wants to make sure this will prevent

problem on Shepherd. Mozier thinks this will stop these types of situations. @MiguelArias_D3 asks the why and how of this policy? Mozier says a detailed work schedule required and a preconstruction meeting with City will be required. Will help make everything lined up before road

is actually closed. Arias asks that HSR isn’t required to have a preconstruction meeting? A:Yes. Tulare crossing has been closed 15 months but no rail added. Arias: donwe really need this policy? A: this gives administrative authority. Also applies to agencies like PG&E, County

etc. Arias: what about Railroads? A: they have authority other agencies do not enjoy. Arias: wants to know unattended consequences. Will this come back in six months with residents complaining. He can not support this at this time. @Esmeralda_Soria accountability on our side was

lax regarding Tulare closure. City Manager Quan asks if this is another level of deterrent? She feels staff came forward with this after Council requested this and now some Councilmembers have reservations. Arias: what is our Authority without this ? A: dollars can be withheld

Developer can be given extra time for unforeseen issues like rain, PG&E crews pulled away to handle Paradise fires etc. $1000 a day fines would go to City’s General Fund. @stevebrandau says Chinatown business owners are frustrated when road is closed down but no work is done.

City Department Heads need to get fixes in before it seeps down to constituents who then complain to Council. Brandau also wants Amendment that the Councilmembers whose district the closure is in is notified first. @GarryBredefeld would like HSR speak to Council. There is a

monthly meetings between HSR staff. Arias would like to know scope of problem: one closure a year? 100? One developer? @District5Chavez wants to table this for a year. City Manager doesn’t know why we need to table this. Chavez would like more detail. Arias wants to see SB1

dollars are going to by next week. City Manager not happy. This will be tabled until next week. Rest of consent items will be heard after 10:30 item regarding Asian Business Institute & Resource Center (ABIRC) presentation on SGMA impacts on small farmers.

Asian Business Institute Resource Center (ABIRC): ABIRC was established in 2008 through a series of community meetings funded by Citibank and Wells Fargo. Topics of interest for the Asian community included access to resources, business and financial plans, marketing assistance,

workshops conducted in various languages, networking, Advocate for the Southeast Asian Community and their small business, certifications for various contractual opportunities, and other means of building capacity within the Asian business community. Our Mission is “to build a

strong network of Asian American Business owners to promote and advocate for the sustained success of Asian Businesses in the Central California region.” Former Councilman Blong Xiong presenting. Many farmers live in Fresno but their farms are in County. Add in the language

barrier too. Outreach to Hmong Community Via Meetings and Hmong TV. Many of the Hmong farmers were unaware of SGMA coming 2020. This will effect Spanish speaking small farmers too says Xiong.

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was passed in 2014. This gave an opportunity for the local agencies to form a Groundwater Sustainable Agency (GSA). By 2020, a plan would be layout and implemented; 2040, each region is to reach a groundwater sustainability level.

If the local agencies are not successful, then the state will come and take over the process. 
* It is predicted that over one-million acres will be fallowed once the new plan is implemented. The questions posed, “what can we do to mitigate the negative impact on our local small

SEA farmers?” @stevebrandau asks what can Council do to help? A: mitigation factors , outreach. $5000 can be a big deal to small farmers. Brandau asks if there are any grants the council can apply for let us know. @PaulCaprioglio thanks Xiong for being proactive on this issue.

@D7Esparza 90% of these farmers lease the land. Are landowners taking advantage of these farmers? Xiong doesn’t think so. He does say property owner is the only one that gets notices from DC. Doesn’t always fall down to small farmers who are leasing. @Esmeralda_Soria asks where

the farms are located? A: Most in County. Soria: says consent item 1-I goes with this item as well (lease 550 acres near waste water treatment plant). How do we lease City land to these small farmers ? @District5Chavez thinks we need to narrow down what Council can do. Some of

the Councilmembers are planning to go to Sacramento to help educate on this problem. @MiguelArias_D3 says bare minimum is often done to notify only property owners but not renting tenants. He would like to see that expanded. City 100 acres of city land could be micro businesses.

1-I : leading 550 acres at Regional Water-Treatment Plant to James Cook at $258,000 a year. Soria thinks this is too good a deal. Soria will Be in support for this year but wants more detail for extension in 2020. Carbajal says water is limited to what it can be used for.

Soria would like some of this lease revenue to see how waste water could be monetized as well as city land being leased perhaps to small farmers. Soria: Would like before extension given to see if lease could be valued more. Arias: How many acres not being leased at treatment

plant? A: 2016 was last time it was put out to bid. Some land used for discharge of treated water. Approved 7-0. Now 3-E regarding Riverside Municipal Golf Course lease to Course Co. 116 acres owned since 1939 by City. 1989 Course Co began running Riverside and their third ten

year contract expired this year. Manages 37 golf courses in 9 states. Was founded in Fresno in 1939. Founder of First Tee of Fresno that teaches 30,000 kids golf. Never used General Fund dollars or missed a payment. Put $5 million in capital improvements. Brandau says this an

affordable golf course compared to high end private courses. Often municipal courses are not kept up but this one is. @GarryBredefeld asks if Riverside has anyone that can help Brandau with his game?? Riverside staff says miracles can happen. @D7Esparza asks if subsidies will

be needed after he sees $127,000 needed in 2022 Or will Course Co do that? Schaad says rent structure will be sufficient to cover that and not City. Soria: asks does Agreement allow City to run a golf tournament there ? A: yes, 2-3 days a year.

There is a pot of money that makes the capital improvements and maintenance. Brandau says we need a similar fund for parks. Soria says neighborhood parks can’t charge neighbors to attend their parks as they already pay taxes. Maybe at regional parks but not small parks. Arias

asks how this works for Roeding? Not enough revenue to maintain park. Also wonders about banquet facilities at parks as well as at Riverside. Arias wonders about water rates for Riverside? A: they are on their own well. Arias wants to make sure golf course won’t ever limit access

to the river. Arias jokes he is free of conflict on this issue as he isn’t a golfer or pretends to be a golfer (like some of his Councilmembers). Approved 7-0. Consent item 1-B on LED street lights bid being rejected. Only one bid so it is automatically rejected.will be part of

PG&E project instead. Soria wants to be sure neighborhoods are still a priority. Mozier says some neighborhoods have underground line faults that will have to repaired by City crews first. SE Fresno will probably be done by April whereas Pinedale will be in Fall. Soria frustrated

on CDBG funds. City Manager Quan Thanks Kelli Furtado’s work on This. Quan thinks the council is often adversarial on this issue. Arias says systemic issue is that CDBG funds have had these rules for decades. City has often used these funds for infrastructure projects rather than

programming. Schaad says multiple small projects take more time than a few large ones. Agrees City needs to do a better job of aligning those. (Someone from public speaking. Caused disturbance earlier. Speaking on religious issue and not entirely on the LED issue at hand).

Approved 6-0. Arias wants to table 1-E consent item to Approve the appointment of Bob Wilson to the Housing and Community Development. Council will go to lunch break now. TCC item will be heard at 1:30!

*
After much recess Council will: Actions pertaining to the 2017 Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Grant of $66.5 million with leveraged dollars of $117.3 million
1. Approve a Master Grant Agreement with the State’s Strategic Growth Council (SGC) for development and

implementation of greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects in the amount of $66,500,000; Some items funded are Chinatown 4-story Mixed-Use Project at HSR West Entrance (Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities) 
LED street lights along F St to Transit stop at F and Tulare

China Alley into permeable green alley. GRID Alternatives Solar Renewable Energy Project will our solar on 60 homes in SE Fresno as well as on 5 Housing Authority multi family buildings. (Low Income Weatherization Program) 170 low income households energy efficiency and solar

solar water heaters. 135 homes to get solar panels. On the job training to install these items. Southwest Fresno Trail 
Clean Shared Mobility Network (Low Carbon Transportation) 
The project will establish a low carbon transit system of electric vehicle and bicycle shares, to

provide low- or no-cost services throughout the Project Area and will include an EV car share (hourly) with below-market rates for lower-income members (34 cars); EV vanpool to employment centers (8 vans); Electric bike share (200 bikes); Electric vehicle charging infrastructure

(Level 2 and 3 electric vehicle service systems (EVSE) for the 42 vehicles); volunteer driver program providing electric vehicle rides to underserved residents; and a Mobility Hub Customer Service Center that will provide a physical location for engaging with the program.

The Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce and the project partners will develop a long-term operations and maintenance plan for the system during the first year of the grant term.

City Council back from Lunch Recess. H Spees leading City Manager’s presentation. Outreach and Oversight team in attendance too (@MiguelArias_D3 is New head of that). Laurel Merrill now leading process. Funds come from Cap and Trade Fund.

Guidelines required a five square mile neighborhood and Chinatown area was selected. 560 residents engaged and gave us the Transform Fresno Plan. MOU and Approval of Grant today at Council as well sub recipient Agreements.

@MiguelArias_D3 thanks City Staff especially Laura and H. Spees. Arias knows it takes longer when Community is involved but a better outcome occurs. Thanks Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, Oliver Baines, Dr Vernice Curry and others. Partners who will be awarded are asked to come to

Dais: Voice Workforce Development , Black Chamber, Food Commons Fresno, Grid Alternatives Solar, Self Help, West Fresno Transportation Training, satellite campus for community college , Metro Ministry permaculture garden, Housing Authority, Fresno Economic Commission.

Arias wanted Council to meet the partners that will be bringing this project forward. He makes Motion to Approve. Going out to public for comments. Ivanka Saunders was part of TCC community and is in favor. The area was historically redlined. Time for a step in right direction

She is concerned about deliverables and hopes City can be more transparent on this end. Hopes City will inform residents will Be benefactors of this project and not just for gentrification. Mary Curry encourages council to vote unanimously. Looking forward to new college.

Kimberly McCoy of Building Healthy Communities says this is a good plan. Provides job training , anti-displacement. @FresnoBHC Community pushed back when initial part of plan was not going correctly. It is now on correct direction.

Leroy Candler of Voice Workforce excited about this opportunity to help disadvantaged community. Gracia of Leadership Counsel @LCJandA will be happy when groundbreaking occurs. Displacement is a worry so we need to be responsive to prevent that. SGC was adamant money is targeting

the citizens it was trying to help. Stacy Williams wants Fresno to be a model for rest of state when it comes to displacement, workforce training etc. Bernice Harris of HEAT is against these TCC grant. Doesn’t feel like community was involved.

H Spees says great care has been taken to prevent any conflict of interest with @Esmeralda_Soria and Terence Frazier. Frazier donated land that will help build community college. Dr Vernice Curry says community was very much engaged going back to 2013. Parks, jobs are what

Community asked for and what these funds help provides. Meets some of the community’s needs but not all. This is a solid plan. @Esmeralda_Soria says this is an historic day in Fresno. She doesn’t represent this district but City needs to make up for the neglect that happened.

This plan is an example of equity and where we prioritize our investments. Community College will provide access to education. It will train next generation of Fresno’s workers. @District5Chavez many parts of Fresno could’ve been eligible for these funds but we agree this area

needed these funds. @D7Esparza is excited about how the winds are blowing in Fresno with these funds. @stevebrandau eyewitnesses a lot of outreach and public community input. He thanks former Mayor Swearengin and Oliver Baines. Approved 7-0

Moving onto rest of Agenda. 3-A HUD and CDBG funding. Low income 180 unit senior housing in SE Fresno says Kelli Furtado. Items regarding parks removed. Item from Orange Ave will be put off to next year as well. HUD timeliness test is coming up. Essential to meet this test or

HUD will deduct money. $2.2 million for Fancher Creek Senior Housing Project. @District5Chavez parks are fully funded now. Loan is for 55 years Chavez wanted to make sure Parks were funded. He makes motion. @D7Esparza asks how many are affordable units? A: Sal Gonzales

the developer says 100% is affordable. Esparza feels City is pushing some of these dollars on us. What were public input? A: Furtado says very little community input. Those that did Comments didn’t want Senior Housing at expense of Parks. Esparza feels that CDBG dollars should

have more community input. He thinks infrastructure when he hears CDBG funds. He asks Public Works Scott Mozier up to dais. Mozier has spoken to him about a sidewalk project. Are those ready to move forward? A: gas tax money allows those projects to move quickly (3-4 weeks)

whereas CDBG dollars tend to be stretched out. Also they cannot be used for replacement only new projects. Old sidewalks could not be repaired with CDBG funds. @MiguelArias_D3 says staff made an incorrect decision six weeks ago when dollars pulled from parks for housing. Thanks

Chavez for his leadership in correcting this. CDBG dollars for? Jennifer Clark: Low to moderate income individuals low income areas and urgent need like an emergency. Census determines where those regions are located but primarily south of Shaw especially south of Shields.

@PaulCaprioglio shows map that shows how much in his district. Arias: more than one responsive bid and meet certain requirements met. Was a bid out out for affordable housing? Clark says more applications than dollars to fill those. Timeliness test makes it tough too. Prior to

2012 there may be some funds need to be repaid to HUD. Arias says CDBG dollars tend to go to internal committee that don’t represent the low income residents or regions. We need to correct this. Arias says we did a new kitchen for Marjoree Mason. AC for Poverello House. These

are worthy causes but they are NOT City properties. City has many projects that need funding too. He has a park bathroom that he can’t get funding. He will give green light today but if it happens again he will have no choice but to have government take back the HUD dollars next

time. Clark says next 5 year funding cycle is coming up and would appreciate any input from council and community. @Esmeralda_Soria felt she was told two weeks ago that parks couldn’t get funding but now it could? Furtado says timeliness test wasn’t going to be met by May first.

Jim Schaad says splash park at Fink White would be $900,000 and multi year project. Soria concerned section 108 fund and Home Funds wasn’t applied for. Is there not enough staffing? Furtado: First heard about section 108 in November 2018 and HUD was Closed Due to Government

Shutdown. Experts tell her it takes 8 months to get section 108. City has bulked up its staffing so it should not be an issue this coming year. Soria wants senior housing but she needs Highway City to be a priority in next 5-year Plan. Public: Jackie Holmes says El Dorado Park

is gentrification occuring. However a drinking fountain at Boys and Girls Club is always breaking down due to age. She would like CDBG dollars next round. @PaulCaprioglio says Holmes group could pay half of Fountain but Parks didn’t have funding for other half.Michael Lynn Lewis

says parks needs to be repaired. Thanks Chavez, Arias and Soria for their hard work. Maxie Park and staff director says AC is not in building center. Children have fainted due to extreme heat. Arias says Maxie Park Center is back up in case City Hall is unusable due to train

crash etc. He reminds Council it may be them in the uncooled air some summer. Debbie Darben issue is public didn’t hear about CDBG projects in order to provide any comments. She says senior project is in Clovis. It is also owned by Maya Cinema owner. He doesn’t need funds.

Arias would like to create a CDBG subcommittee. Approved 7-0 Now onto Temperance Flat Joint Powers Agreement of $250,000. Mike Carbajal of Utilities.

“Need to developer long term permanent water supply” Water demand has decreased but as population rises so will demand. 2035 estimated 771,000 people. 193,000 acre feet needed. This is estimated on a low growth rate. Will HSR increase that population? SGMA concerns?

Toilet to Tap? Purchase surface water supplies? Temperance Flat will take until 2033 and cost $2.8 billion (at least ). Optimistic timeline. During a wet year this one would allow some to be stored. Two main participants Prop 1 applied for. A successor agency is needed.

Next steps: assign benefits, risks and costs. Today is request to join Temperance Flat Reservoir Authority JPA. City has spent $450,000 thus far over the past few years. $15,000 for next six months and then back to Council for additional funding. Brandau: will County on board?

A: Yes but not yet part of the Authority City is Considering joining today. County may join or via a different platform. Carbajal doesn’t want the $250,000 now but $15,000 to join Authority. Arias: we spent $450,000 was spent thus far. Total project $3 billion. Arias : who has

Joined so far? Unsure at this point says Carbajal. Arias: Board of Supervisors are one of prime proponents of this project. We have spent half a million already and are considering raising our water rates at same time. Arias: supportive of $15,000 to become member. He does want

County to be a member as Ag will be largest benefactor. Most of taxes generated in City of Fresno goes to County. Esparza was worried about $250,000 but will go with $15,000. Soria wants $15,000 for one year and not just 6 months. Is there better plans then this? Will California

invest in this long term? We are already $500,000 into it. Carbajal says once Authority is up and running he will come back for more funding. Brandau says County is on board but via a different route. Chavez says only two entities have joined so far. What if they don’t join?

There will be no Authority then. Howard Watkins asks if this best use of money? State said Temperance Flat wasn’t cost effective. Great to have long term planning but high cost to get this water. $15,000 is fine for today but eventually City will Be asked to make large investment

Will City Be asked to cover 1/6 of cost when Ag is the prime benefactor? Gene Richards calls this a boondoggle. There is a huge political push to get Temperance Flat. If pushed hard enough do people believe it? Dam will only be used during wet years. Only for farms. Not City.

Farmers just waiting for SGMA to force them to grow less water intensive crops so no almonds. Environment needs to be considered. Dams are very costly. Katherine Flower of Madera says State has determined this is not cost effective. Wealthy West side farmers who know the water

water is more valuable than their crops. Prop 218 kept a project from occurring due to voters didn’t get to weigh in. Resource should be used for all and not just select few. Bernice Harris wonders why Council can vote $15,000 for joining Temperance Flat but can’t find that much

money for Maxie Parks Center AC. Carbajal: what share would each agency be provided? That needs to be determined still. Can this water be sold to Los Angeles and not for Valley? Could happen. Passes 6-0 with Arias absent. Greg Barfield asks about 1-M Bus Rapid Transit to increase

contract by $50,000 to finish out project. @stevebrandau should we be worried? Greg Bredefeld says those worries have diminished. Says 2 million riders have used BRT. Passes 5-0 Soria and Bredefeld absent. Legal Workshop will be removed until next week.

Council ends for the afternoon except for Closed Session.

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