Thread by @AndyHS

June 27th,2019 Fresno City Council Meeting! On agenda: Final Budget votes, Mayor threatens Line Item Vetoes totaling $1.6M to bring it to balance; Specific Plan of the West Area (5pm) ; WORKSHOP to report on Citizens Public Safety policing recommendations; WORKSHOP by Circle K

opposing alcohol ordinance; Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for Airport Expansion; Agree to move train engine from Roeding Park to Kingsburg (and with it part of my childhood!). On Consent Calendar
Approve a consultant services agreement with Campbell Strategy and Advocacy, LLC.,

for an amount not to exceed $180,000 for Professional Lobbying and Consulting Services in California.

*Map Actions pertaining to the acquisition of a street easement and public utility easement from a portion of APN: 402-570-09, located on the northeast corner of West Audubon

and West Nees Avenue for $84,000 in total monetary consideration (Council District 2) Invocation by Reverend Dennis Wenholz, Peace Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. @PaulCaprioglio had cataract surgery and has ditched the glasses. He remarks how beautiful the audience is! He

wavers on being asked by his fellow Councilmembers if they are beautiful too 😜 Proclamation of “20th Anniversary of CLYLP’s San Joaquin Valley Institute”
By Councilmember Soria and @D7Esparza Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project. Soria went thru this program in 1999 and was

a key in her running for council later. This helps train the leaders of the future. Parents are a key. Members are strictly volunteers. Esparza was a participant 12 years ago. On visit to City Hall he was able to sit up on the dais and he realized he could be a public servant too

Soria says this provides seeds for the future and opening their eyes to what is possible. Next: Proclamation of “Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month” by @PaulCaprioglio and
Councilmember Soria. Caprioglio says his own father passed away from Alzheimer’s after five year battle.

Soria says her mother also. Early detection is necessary. Her father had to retire to take care of her full time. He gets paid 20 hours a week to take care of her but it is a 24/7 job. Caregivers take a toll from the hard work. Second leading cause of death in California. It is a

health crisis. UCSF Memory Center is a great local resource. @MayorLeeBrand Gene Hagenson has been a media fixture for 28 years He covered City Hall, Operation Rezone. He always tried to translate what the Council was doing. @GarryBredefeld says Gene covered him during his

first time on Council. Gene was always fair. Soria hopes we can fill his big shoes covering the City. @D7Esparza says his time with Gene has been short and wishes him the best. @District5Chavez remembers watching Gene as a kid 😜Thanks him for his service. Gene: have 5 grand-

children now and he will Be full time grandpa. He learned at Bullard High School that he wanted to be a reporter. Gene Haagenson retires from ABC July 5,2019. He appreciated ABC for having reporters at Council and Supervisor Meetings.

@Esmeralda_Soria Fresno High pool is back open after vandalizing had been done. Groundbreaking for new Central Unified High School. @PaulCaprioglio there are pools throughout the community High Schools. Consent Calendar: Soria: table 1-A on consulting until lobbyists can present

to the Council at the July 25th Meeting. Arias: 1-E and 1-F on Police Salaries Pull and bring to Closed Session. They will start now with Closed Session to discuss salaries prior to budget talks.

@PaulCaprioglio noted earlier that with his cataract surgery the glare from Police Chief Dyer’s bald head is stronger 😝Back from Closed Session now. to consider adoption of resolutions related to the designation of properties to the Local Register of Historic Resources
George

Riddell Miller Home located at 617 E Carmen Avenue, Fresno, California to the Local Register of Historic Resources
Designating the Bixler Vapor Dry Cleaning Company Building located at 2049 Broadway, Fresno, California to the Local Register of Historic Resources. Arias makes

Motion to approve with no discussion or comments from staff. Arias thanks staff for the additional info. Passes. @MayorLeeBrand kicking off budget discussion. He presented his budget two weeks ago to Council. Council did due diligence. If $1.6 M over cannot be reconciled than he

will have to make Line item veto. He and Council agree on 99% so far. Esparza First Street paving from McKinley to Tulare. Wants it to begin sooner than later. Passes 6-0. Next: add 5 new CSO (community service officers) to help free up police. Arias Notes Police Budget is in-

creasing by $14 million for salaries and replacing vehicles. Arias is in support of the CSO but wants to know we are already investing heavily in Public Safety. @GarryBredefeld in support but notes that no new sworn officers or dispatchers are being hired either. @Esmeralda_Soria

says we already have vacant spots on police force. Chief Dyer says 824 officers. 13 in Academy. Eleven vacancies. More graduating tomorrow. More in background phase vetting. There will always be vacancy due to attrition. Soria Notes prior budget cycles there was more vacancies.

She noted that are many needs in our budget. Officers getting a nice salary boost but would also like to see more officers on the ground. Dyer: dispatchers: 11 vacancies with 10 in training. Active list to fill those spots. Arias: 71/2 % raise for police Officer today. How much ?

Dyer: 15 police officers using grant. Grant has run out. Now 50/50 partnership with Unified Schools and PD. 30 new patrol vehicles , new police vests, undercover cars, 10 motorcycles, 2/3 of a swat bus vehicle. Maintenance on helicopter. $182,000 ammunition for training $190,000

for body cameras. Dispatchers will Be Filled within 60 days. @PaulCaprioglio asks about asset forfeiture ? Dyer: Laws have changed to make it harder to seize properties.If not in criminals name cannot seize. Seizures are divided to State and Federalas well. Arias: Asks Fire Chief

Absorbing 49 firepersons . Lead agreements on apparatus. PG&E increase. Adding those from North Central to form a new three team. Some county towns are no longer using city firepersons. July 1!will have zero vacancies. Arias: MOU with Police Union for raises. 3% wage increase.

Uniform increase by $100. Staff: 7% increase. Arias: Five year cost? General Fund will be $6 M. Arias: taxing property owners about $13 million a year to help subsidize police safety pensions . Budget Henry Fierro :if we lose that $13 M would be extremely hard to fill. Arias:

for 26 years taxpayers have subsidizing the pensions. @GarryBredefeld large part of General Fund is for Public Safety. Dyer: Homeless Task Force need more than the current 5 homeless officers. Each district needs their own. Dyer:90-100 Officers overall would be desirable. We are

still down 10-12 Officers from where we were ten years ago. Population has increased. 18,000 gang members and associates in Fresno. Meth is still a problem. Funding is needed in Police budget. Always have vacancies about 1-2%. @GarryBredefeld we are talking of investing in

Advanced Peace and Immigration Task Force But not hiring anymore police Officers is terrible. Passes 6-0 Next#49 : Multigenerational Center Contingent on receiving Section 108 loan. Jackie Holmes from El Dorado Park who support purchase vacant lot to create this center.

@GarryBredefeld has questions still so cannot support now. #48 $1.8 m to pave alleys in El Dorado Park and other repairs. Caprioglio would like to use it for Mid Year Review contingencies. Items #’s 48,50,51 all pass. Soria $250,000 for census outreach. This determines funding

for housing and transportation dollars etc. last five years there has been carryover and she Thinks there may be enough to Fund this outreach. @GarryBredefeld census not funded by state? Arias: Fresno tends to be undercounted. City Manager says $75,000 for census outreach from

State. No more excepted. DARM: Jennifer Clark doesn’t think any more anticipated. It is important to do this outreach. Some cities use General Funds to do this outreach. Soria:this is a great return on $250,000 for the potential millions that our city would be able to get.

Bredefeld will vote NO. Passes 5-1. Next: February 2020 for (industrial ?) environmental review at $500,000. Passes 6-0. Public : participatory budget process that @District5Chavez mentioned. Transparency is needed. Conversations that occur that public doesn’t get to hear.

How can young people partake in budget process? Jennifer Rojas: a Community public advocate. Our public priorities are for public safety. We need other ideas as well. School Police Officers sometimes make the students feel worse. Money spent for counseling would be better and

reduce fighting at schools said a 14 year old girl. Marissa Marajas:a youth coordinator says lack of mental health support. A more balanced budget is needed. A singular intervention to handle homelessness can’t be continued. Jackie Holmes:!investment by council in El Dorado Park

is matched by neighbors. Soria: letter by Mayor. She noted $31m budget carryover over past four years. Committed of those are $2.4 M. Senior Center, Internship , Council operating budget and Housing Trust. Mayor Lee Brand says the over budget is 2%. This carryover money could be

used for these one time items asks Soria? Mayor says this is first year we cannot pass an unbalanced budget. Mayor appreciates Council’s work. Budget Analyst says budget is balanced. Budget carryover is a source of funding. Mid Year review will determine property tax amounts.

Prop 13 base will probably be increased 2 %. Property Tax will be around 2.9%. Arias: thanks staff for answering all their budget requests with detailed memos. This budget contains money for code Enforcement, boys and girls club roof, police raises, bus line from Veterans center

Money out aside for Senior Center and Multigenerational Centers. Now goes to Mayor for any line vetoes. Council will have 30 day to override those. He thinks this budget represents the community. Under projections and we are only 1% difference in balance budget. @GarryBredefeld

thanks staff. He knows under projections could have provided hitting more police officers. Money for Advanced Peace and Immigration Task Force and Leadership Training are not needed. He will vote NO on budget. @District5Chavez says Fresno is a great City and despite the doom &

gloom heard up on the dais during Budget hearings shouldn’t over ride the good like low unemployment thanks to Amazon, Ulta and small businesses. Esparza says we started with a status quo budget but this budget shows Fresno is not status quo and the new budget shows that. Passes

5-1 with Bredefeld voting NO. Adjourning for lunch Break.

Back from Lunch: WORKSHOP: Presentation by Circle K regarding proposed alcohol ordinance AND that it Conflicts with ABC regulations

Circle K is now offering a larger format that has more gas pumps and 5000 sq ft stores. Acts as a small grocery store. Fresh food, more open floor plan that allows better security. Liquor/spirits behind counter. Beer cave easier to watch for Clerks. Caprioglio:Peach/Olive store

took over a trash filled vacant lot. Looks much better with Circle K. Fresh area was fresh. Alcohol section was a small portion. Liquor store across street was mainly liquor with fewer food choices says Caprioglio. He is supportive. Never gets constituent calls about that store.

Circle K says alcohol is a small section of store but a vital part. Have concerns on Council’s proposed ordinance. Limited area from which the license needs to come from will greatly increase cost. @GarryBredefeld says ordinance adversely hurts stores like Circle K that are more

like a grocery store that sells alcohol. $70,000 to get a license /transfer and ordinance requires retiring another license doubling the cost. Circle K says this violates ABC rules of bringing more than one license to a single spot. Also how to retire a license that isn’t your’s

ABC doesn’t have a mechanism to do that. City Attorney Doug Sloan: it is a Council Policy rule. City thinks this is in fact legal. Circle K: undefined mechanism at state level. Sloan: provide Council info. Circle K : purchase price of license is supply and demand. More expensive

in Central Valley. As license are retired the price goes up. Soria: appreciates their concerns. Other cities do it all the time. Know it hurts their bottom line. Circle K at Palm and Olive is not a good part of Tower District. Lots of calls for service. Doesn’t think they are

are good Neighbor. Helping older stores need to happen if new stores are being open too. Circle K: painting and cleaning up has occurred at that store since meeting with Soria. Soria would like outreach before Circle K is open anywhere. Arias: it is frustrating to sit here listen

-ing to a corporate presentation when this was vetted in public already. They have enough money to purchase another license. Their Tower store has been a blight for years. Landscaping , clean up , homeless sleeping at doorstep. You must buy another license and retire it. Circle k

decided to build another store in an oversaturated part of town. We didn’t ask you to buikd it there. If you can survive without alcohol sales go for it. A bigger commitment to neighbors for current stores. @D7Esparza thanks Circle K for coming and reiterating our alcohol or-

Dinance to us. We are not begging Circle K to come here. We are not going to change ordinance for one entity. Circle K: ABC Codes states only one license for one location. Have to buy it outside ABC regulations. Also a condition can’t be put on license. If we have to document

this then it will be a violation. Other cities have them do it outside ABC. Will provide info to City Attorney. @District5Chavez what is process for buying a site? There are only so many liquor store per census tract. Circle K : our stores are better than current liquor stores.

They offer more than just alcohol. Gas, food etc. We are not targeting areas that are overly saturated but more offering a fuller one stop store. Chavez: Council doesn’t hate businesses but don’t want to hurt City with too many liquor stores. Circle K: doesn’t want to limit City

in providing gas etc. @PaulCaprioglio says Olive /Peach location has worked out better. We love business. Larger stores have worked better says Circle K. End Workshop. WORKSHOP - Citizens’ Public Safety Advisory Board Community Based Policing Recommendation
Mayor's Office John

Liatto (sp) who is independent Reviewer. Debbie Hunsecker says new members have been added. Have gone on ride alongs. Have gone to each district to see how Community Policing.

Rodney Murphy says they have done research. Asked neighbors to what community policing: A partnership between police and neighbors. Reducing crime in Westside Fresno. Cash strapped police department makes it harder but low hanging fruit will hurt. Cities like Albuquerque, Cincin-

nati have worked with police. Asks Council to help find some of these solutions and instigate it. Soria: would’ve been nice to have gotten this report BEFORE budget time. Pricing on these items would have helped too. Bike patrols are helpful. Substation would have way in area for

the public. She agrees with findings and just need to find resources. Perhaps as part of Parks-Public Safety Tax. @GarryBredefeld was originally against this board as he feared it would be anti-police. Wished items would have been in budget too. Less call time, antiquated dis-

patch. Findings show more officers and more staff. Thanks Citizens Board. Arias:calls Chief Dyer to discuss findings. “He just got a copy”. Arias: Please return with those items that don’t need additional resources after Dyer has gone thru them. Arias: deputy chief of staff ?

Rodney Murphy says Albuquerque has a dedicated person. Arias: making one person the sole representative to the community seems like it would lead to Captains etc to not be as responsive to community knowing the deputy chief is doing that. Ends Workshop. Approve Agreement with

Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission in the amount of $300,000 for homeless youth services emergency shelter beds
Specific Plan of the West Area, pertaining to approximately 7,077 acres
View.ashx
Youths can stay up to six months. Meet with a case manager every other

month. Intense case management to them on the way to housing. @GarryBredefeld says every other month is not intense management. Staff Misty : actually twice a month. We can’t force youth to meet though. It is a low barrier shelter. Diverted for drug use. Goals: provide bed use.

Exit safely whether that is reunification with family, or AB12(?). Approved 5-0-1 with chavez recusing himself. Next: Approve Agreement with Turning Point of Central California, Inc., in the amount of $1,480,000, for Triage Center Services on Golden State Blvd.Starting in August

Referrals from HOPE Team, self refer etc. Low Barrier Shelter. Feel it will fill quickly. Can stay 90 days. @GarryBredefeld 137 beds can be used for no camping ordinance. No rules on sobriety? :Yes, Can’t come in combative or high though. Can’t use onsite either. Can separate

roommates as needed. Suicidal clientele can have medical help called in. No assaults seen at current location. No needles seen at BridgePoint yet. Bredefeld: Why not make it can’t be drunk? Trying to be low barrier. When given this opportunity they take it. On street they are in

too much disarray. They often are ready for places like Rescue Mission after a few weeks at low barrier shelter. Bredefeld says he has lots of concerns as there are no accountability for clients and lack of structure. Wants to see real data. Staff: hard to get clean on the

streets or when you are hungry. H. Spees says there is monitoring. Offers Councilmembers to take a tour. @D7Esparza can you provide a bed for Bredefeld for a night? Spees: we can find 7 and have a party. Arias: asks Spees to reach out to Industrial neighbors that this is happenin

Signage for hotel ? Owner has been offered to buy from him but turns it down. Hopefully he will. repair. Approved 6-0. 1-e and 1-f Police Salary Increase : over five years this will be $25 million and Management is $2 million @MayorLeeBrand approves this MOU. Approved 6-0

Approve the Fresno Yosemite International Airport Expansion Project Labor Agreement

“Employ those who are unemployable now. It is inclusive not exclusive” says Caprioglio. public: Chris Smith of contractor organization. Thanks staff and task force. Thanks for keeping PLA to garage expansion. 1)Clarify good faith 2) lower apprentice numbers 3) exempt non union

employees from having to pay into union dues. 4) increase veteran businesses Kate Baulman of Harris Construction. “Doesn’t feel this was fair. Hiring local contractors would have local workers already. Non-union workers would still have to pay into union dues. Our apprenticeship

would be excluded. Harris Electric trains their employees and invests in their workers already. Wants a level playing field “Don Gomez: journeyman From Union. This program gave him a good life for his family and himself. “Ronald Martin: Energy Committee From Sierra Club as this

will help Environment. Unions help build middle class” link to actual PLA fresno.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&…

Daniel O’Connell says “Central Partnership fully agree with this inclusive PLA. Partnership has worked with contractors and other like @LCJandA to build bridge. Labor Unions help prevent errors like that found with Amazon and Ulta giveaways “Dan Gann says this will put us in

a better playing field with other cities. It will help those not born with a silver spoon in their mouth but still have minds, hands and hearts to build. @MayorLeeBrand Thanks Councilmembers and Unions who helped negotiate this. This is the Fresno Model. PLA helps reach out to

disadvantage who need good pay and a career tract. @PaulCaprioglio says it was a long negotiation but it is good. @GarryBredefeld Asks Airport Director what he likes about this PLA? Having local workers makes it less expensive. This PLA goes farther than other PLA with efficien-

cies. Non union contractors can bid on this. John Holtzman from Renny law group says barrier for non-union is as low as possible. We are required. Health coverage is provided but pension portion won’t be there unless they join union. Doesn’t increase prevailing wage though.

Vesting period for union pension is about five years. Great number end up vesting. High Speed Rail helps get the required number of hours. Medical covers entire family. 5% wont have to join. Good for small businesses. Unions often like non-Union workers as they can relay some of

the benefits a union provides. A good recruitment tool. Contractor organizations wanted to Lower 40% apprenticeship. It was actually 50% originally. New Apprentices have lower wages. Can help keep costs down. A specialized business like installing baggage terminals like to use

their own work team. Unions don’t often provide flexibility in regards to wages. PLA helps prevent labor issues. Not only strikes but prevents stoppage of any types. Contractors can Be scared off by PLA which could prevent competition and lower costs. Lack of clarity in PLAs can

scare off contractors. We tried to be very clear. If bidding is over engineers estimate it can be redone and reopened. This is only in this PLA and nowhere else. Meikle : can proceed without PLA in extreme case. Building Trades Chuck Riojas says there is a safety valve but

doesn’t expect any issues and won’t need safety valve. City of Fresno is a good business partner. @GarryBredefeld commends Council Committee and Mayor’s Staff for their hard work. He says this is good for City, under budget , on time. Non union can partake Bredefeld will vote

YES. Soria: proud of ad hoc Committee. This is historic for this $115 million contract that puts fresnans to work and for small businesses. Arias: has confidence in everyone involved with this project. @PaulCaprioglio Fresno Model will be used throughout State Passes 6-0

Actions pertaining to the donation and transfer of Southern Pacific Engine 1238 from Roeding Park to Kingsburg Railroad Depot. This Depot is an educational facility. 1872 San Joaquin Valley Line used for Ag. Council of Government (COG) grant helped remodel Depot. Completed in

in 2106. Hosts 5000 students a year and 11,000 visitors. Roeding Park steam engine is fenced off from public. Train is not connected to Playland and Zoo. That entrance to Zoo will Be Closed too. Last conductor was from Kingsburg. Train is remaining in Fresno County. No cost to

City of Fresno to move train. It will be added to south side of Depot. Train enthusiasts will bring engine back to like new. Gazebo Garden’s Scott Miller was part of Storyland board thinks we should keep it local as historical and economic entity. Smittcamp has donated their

train to Storyland. Larry Taylor asks for more time. More notice given to groups that helped refurbish engine 20 years ago. Bruce Battie Current Board chair of Storyland. Many hours volunteered to bring Storyland in repair. We have 50,000 students coming thru Storyland. Storyland

train ride “wants to be the big steam engine when it grows up”. No vote on this item. Arias: this train was a gift and can be legally gifted too. It is not part of Master Plan of Park. If it remains behind a fence than that isn’t an option. Will broadcast that this is happening

and see if it can be sustained at Roeding Park. If not it should find another home. Specific Plan for West Side will be at 5 pm (45 minutes from now)

Some of the PowerPoint presentation on Specific Plan on the West Area:

Resuming from their break. Rodney Horton from DARM : 7077 acres, this will begin initiation of the Specific Plan. Soria : thanks Steering Committee, planners: Sophia P and Rodney. Assemi Group: Jeff Roberts gives his whole hearted support. 160 acres is out side the sphere. May

want to bring it into the sphere. He is part of steering Committee. Lee Ayers of Tree Fresno: Trees can mitigate air pollution along 99 Freeway. Were concerned with small lots for new subdivisions there isn’t much room for trees. He has some ideas that may help provide more trees

Tom Thomas: in favor of Plan. Veterans Blvd was supposed to come from Herndon to Grantland. It now stops at Shaw Ave. why isn’t last segment of Shaw included in this Plan. He had hoped @GarryBredefeld would be here for this as it is part of his district. Rodney says it is part

of the long term plan. Daniel Brannick says “the staff has been great. He grew up in this area. It often lacked for plan. Combined with this plan and the new Central High School will make a big change in the character of the this area. “. Soria encourages Daniel to join District

Implementation Committee. Next: “Forgotten Fresno” no more. Time to fix errors of the past. We support this plan. Need County and City to combine to fix these roads. He took Supervisor Pacheco on a tour of these bad roads. Soria: How much has County promised ? A: they want to fix

Clinton/Marks as well as Cornelia. (Supervisor Pacheco is in the chambers). Next: sprawling is bad. Stretching out City services. Next : against any development west of Garfield. Pollution generated will settle over Fresno. Next: roads are not adequate for this type of project.

Trump just took more money away from California. Veterans Blvd will now never be built. Next: Susan says child safety is an issue. Walking on road shoulders to get to school. At least have paved sidewalk on one side of the street. Next: Renee worried new subdivisions will dry up

their wells. Cost to connect to city sewer is astronomical. Soria: West Area is no longer Forgotten Fresno. She has added Planning dollars for a park at Milburn and Dakota. Hopefully it will then be funded with Prop 68 grant. Idea is to have amenities on West side so there is no

need to have to leave area. Would like to change zoning for a certain parcel. With that she makes Motion to initiate process. Safe walking paths needed. Arias: asks Rodney what has been outreach ? 55,000 people. Begun in 2017. $400,000 for EIR. Shields to Grantland Corner piece

Steering Committee felt strongly that they want this part included. May be held for HSR maintenance yard? @MiguelArias_D3 Arias: making up for past mistakes with leapfrog development. We need to include this parcel in EIR. Passes 5-0-1 with @PaulCaprioglio absent. Adjourn in

memory of Fresno State professor Robert Levine.2019 CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE
JULY 4 - NO MEETING
JULY 11 - NO MEETING
JULY 18 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING JULY 25 - 9:00 A.M.
AUGUST 1 - NO MEETING AUGUST 8 - NO MEETING AUGUST 15 - 9:00MEETING AUGUST 22 - 9:00 AUGUST 29 - NO MEETING

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