Thread by @AndyHS

December 5th, 2019 Fresno City Council meeting! On the agenda is the potential Update to The General Plan approved in only 2014 after much Community engagement and $3 million. Another item is gated community where a park had originally been proposed; Over turn Planning

decision to allow a 14 foot by 48 foot double sided electronic billboard despite being taller than allowed;

Please “Heart” if you like these reports. Forgive any typos or mistakes!

Consent Calendar
Policy and Procedures for Claiming Unclaimed Money in the City of Fresno Treasury
Approve the appointments of Linda T. Moreno and Julian A. Montalvo to the Civil Service Board Actions pertaining to the 2019 Supporting Victims of Gang Violence grant program:

:$320,000 in grant funding for the Supporting Victims of Gang Violence grant awarded to the Fresno Police Department from the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency and appropriating $85,000 for the Police

Approve the appointments of Jenna Lukens and the reappointments of Chuck Riojas, David Mercer and Stuart Van Horn to the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board

ALERT: Looks like the General Plan item has been continued to December 12th Meeting. Consent item 1-I and 1-C will heard at 1:30.

@kmkarbassi pulls 1-A too. 3-H has been removed and 3-F to December 12th. @PaulCaprioglio jokes he only has two meetings left as Council President. Presentation of the SPCA Pet of the Month by Councilmember @LuisCha70215912 Chavez. Xena a two month old kitten. Ready for adoption.

Rabbits , horses and guinea pigs also available. There is a Holiday Special going on too.

Micky’s Toy Giveaway 10 Year Anniversary” Councilmember @Esmeralda_Soria and Latino Rotary Club. Cornerstone Center will Be Location at 9am. Hot food will be available too. Volunteers needed too.

Proclamation of Roosevelt High’s Grace Vang Day. She won 9/11 Winner memorial art contest. She won a trip to NYC to see actual memorial. Chavez, Caprioglio and Mayor Lee Brand (and me!)are all Rough Riders too. Chavez: some of the teens were not even born when it happened.

@D7Esparza says Grace Vang cannot be here this morning due to school. We are happy to recognize her this morning. Anna Borgeas says “she is proud of Grace. “Education,honor and educate” of students who were not around when 9/11 occurred.120 submissions were voted on by First

Responders. Chavez: he was a teacher. He loved History but many kids don’t know about 9/11. We should make this bigger next year. Possibly work some of 9/11 history into curriculum. Borgeas: this will happen. Scholarships will be given out too to incentivize students to learn.

Council Repoets: @PaulCaprioglio outreach at Wesley Church to help those who are less fortunate as 400 turkeys. Very moving for volunteers and residents. Thanks sponsors” police chaplaincy, Meat Head Movers, Harris Construction , Shop n Go, Wheel House Strategy, John Lawson

Starbucks, Precision Engineering, and many others. @Esmeralda_Soria Teague Elementary will have Santa’s Village open to all. FCC Women’s Volleyball advances to State Championship Tournament. @D7Esparza Thanks Roosevelt High students for having him for Civic speech.

Consent Calendar approved. REMINDER: General Plan item has been continued to December 12 meeting. 3-B Approve a consultant services agreement with Shizen Consulting, LLLP to provide professional owner advisor support services for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport’s

FATforward expansion program in an amount not to exceed $6,500,000. @GarryBredefeld what is a professional advisor/owner?: A: in house , asking correct questions that we don’t have expertise. Project Control. We will be able to learn and use that knowledge on future projects.

San Diego has 100 people for their project. FAT is smaller project and have much less personnel. This will allow connection between Terminal expansion and parking structure contractors. Consultants Chandra: a good team put together and many full time in Fresno. Also work on this

type of projects. Company has done this work for 32 years. @Esmeralda_Soria How were they selected? Meikle : asked how much experience from the many bidders. Correct skill set plus being able to work with them for four year project. Soria: excited about this project. Said airport

was packed at 11 pm this past Monday. @LuisCha70215912 need more custom agents to fastrack it. What do you need from Council? A: Port of ENTRY plus Staff. Q: infrastructure present for more international? A: strong fiber background at airport. Self bagging will come and open up

airport space and time. @MiguelArias_D3 Q: technology aspect strong enough for sel bagging ? A: think of airport as it’s own city. IT is robust as City of Fresno’s. This will need to be upgraded in future but backbone is all there. Caprioglio thanks for all the hard work.

3-C Approve Phase One of a Progressive Design-Build contract with C Overaa & Co. to provide design services related to a parking garage at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000. Meikle: Local labor aspect in. On time and on budget. Soria:

Many of us wanted that local workforce aspect. Kolby Powell: our company has worked with labor unions especially in Bay Area projects. Lots of experience in parking structures. Approved 7-0.

3-A BILL - (For introduction) - Amending Section 3-252 of Chapter 3, Article 2 of the Fresno Municipal Code relating to Certification and Appointment of Eligibles.
Personnel Services Department. “This will help speed up Dispatchers Hiring “. Arias: what is impact ? A: rule of ten

Ten names for one position are brought forward. Arias: motion to approve. @kmkarbassi will we used similar rule of ten to help fill other positions? A: already fairly flexible with most departments. Approved.

Actions pertaining to appeal from the Fresno City Planning Commission's decision concerning Development Permit Application and Variance Application located on the west side of North Howard Street between Herndon and Alluvial which proposed to develop a 14-foot high by 48-foot

Wants to have 86 foot tall billboard. Staff asks council today to approve OR deny the Variance. Outfront Billboard Applicants: There is a Freeway Hill plus two radio towers that make it difficult. Did like that there are no homes nearby. Near major gateway to city. Will take down

ten billboards in place of this digital billboard. Chavez asks why Council doesn’t have a copy of this presentation? Arias: can you go thru all ten sites that will have Billboard taken down? ( sounds like most are from South part of Fresno. Two along Blackstone)

Towers are 120 feet and 70 feet. Tree blocking part of potential Sign is owned by Cal Trans and they are against topping of trees. “We only want an extra 26 feet. More revenue for general fund too. Digital billboards are only allowed on City Property.

Caprioglio says if grade was level then it would be 60’ anyway. Plus city gets extra revenue. Applicant: it will look like 60’. @GarryBredefeld we all would like to get rid of static normal billboards. He thinks it looks like 86’ and not 60’. Planning Commission was split 3-2.

Opposition from hotel owner. Bredefeld would like Cal Trans to grant variance for tree and thus remain at 60’. City Manager: applicant is allowed by Cal Trans to pay to have tree “trimmed “ but not “topped”. Bredefeld supports this business and initial contract but not 86’.

Applicant : only topping will fix this. Hotel owner is now in favor of the sign. Hotel preferred 86’ as light wouldn’t effect hotel windows as all those were faux windows or hallway windows. Bredefeld: 86’ is visual blight but not 60’. Asks Council Colleagues to vote against

86’ version. Approve sign at 60’ but not variance. @kmkarbassi everyone up here is for this business. Chavez: four specific RFP sites were told to be eligible but turns out this one isn’t.( Bruce Rudd was City Manager at the time )Other sites didn’t work out for applicants.

86’ sign but approve 60’ sign. Arias: Implementation Committee and Majority of Planning Commission approved it. Manchester Mall already has sign that tall. We get rid of ten billboard. Surrounding business has no complaints. This will increase revenue. On merits this should pass

but we also want to be respectful of colleague whose District this is located in. Arias would like to continue the item to find more workable solution. @kmkarbassi possible allow to keep some static billboards to compensate for loss of potential revenue to keep it at 60’

@Esmeralda_Soria If council approves without variance what will you do ? A: putting a $750,000 sign at a blocked 60’ site probably won’t be worth the cost. Ten static billboards would remain. Karbassi: would like City to help Outfront work with Cal Trans if this isn’t approved.

Esparza would like to get rid of ten blighted billboards in South Fresno. Arias: if 60’ foot is approved would you get rid of ten billboards ? A: not sure. It will be a business decision. This is all that is left of the four sites we looked at. Not sure at this time what they

@GarryBredefeld how much has been committed? A: $200,000. Bredefeld would be willing to work with Cal Trans on behalf of applicant. Soria: table it for now as applicant needs to still negotiate revenue sharing. Arias: asks Bredefeld if more answers can be found? Blighted signs

Vote to delay by one week fails 3-4. Vote to approve 60’ only passes 5-1-1

14HEARING to consider Prezone Application ; Annexation Application Planned Development Permit Application Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. and related Environmental Assessment for approximately 69.15 acres of property located on the east side of North Temperance Avenue, between

East Shields and East Clinton Avenues. 1. ADOPT the Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for Environmental Assessment (EA) dated August 16, 2019 for purposes of the proposed project. 2. BILL - (For introduction and adoption) -

Approving Prezone Application proposing to amend the Official Zoning Map of the City of Fresno to rezone the subject property from the Fresno County AE-20 (Exclusive Agriculture)(69.15 acres) to the RS-3/ANX/EA/UGM (Residential Single Family, Low Density/Annexed Rural Residentia

Transitional/Expressway Area/Urban Growth Management. Fresno County and LAFCO were consultanted. Will Tackett says this is an infill Development. Pedestrian Paseo and two acre pocket park (increased from initial one acre). Inventory showed 36 acres of school parks and various

Pocket parks plus two new Clovis USD schools to be built will provide 100+ green spaces around this area. Need 3500 more feet within project to get to required two acres to get credits. LAFCO staff in audience if any questions. Caprioglio: Thanks Tackett for his fine Report.

Public: David Thompson would like to remain in County due to water increase. Builders have been good to him by building a wall. Doesn’t mind traffic etc. His wife Denise agrees. Would be a financial hardship. Some neighbors worry if they can keep horses etc. even with assurances.

David Taub wants City to keep promise of a new park that was approved by General Plan. This park is much needed. 50 residents signed petitions to keep park. Infrastructure hasn’t kept up with housing. A two acre park isn’t the same as the larger park. Homes were purchased with

knowledge of a future 10 acre park. Please keep it zoned for larger park. Next: Mark says have raised farm animals and grow our own fruit. Explosive growth has occurred including 700 homes and two new elementary schools. Clinton hasn’t been completely repaired during expansion.

We don’t want water meter if we are brought into City. Next: Art who represents Lenar home developer. 500 mailers sent out. We have met with residents on annexation. Medium residential density. City staff could purchase park site or developers could build. City didn’t have money

For park. So developers proceeded. Lenar doubled Pocket Park to two acres. Next: Historically the city has moved south disrupting farm life. Lowers home values plus cost of moving from wells to meters. Can’t get enough water for acreage from meter. Arias: conflicted by this.

Residents are not required to move to meters and grandfathered in. It will Create County Islands. Operation Cleanup won’t occur plus challenges city revenue as County residents sometimes dump their items in City. If Measure P passed we could build that promised park. Developers

were against Measure P. Can’t have it both way. Zero interest Grants available to hook into City meters. Mike Carbajal: They can remain on well as long as well is operational. They will be required to hook to sewer. Arias: this is convergent of many things and that is why we need

To update our General Plan. Karbassi: Rezone is mentioned 15 times in petition from residents. Jennifer Clark: Park was not pre-zoned as it is in County. Maintenance of Park will be done by neighborhood. A ten acre maintenance would come From City. Chavez: understands City does

not have enough money for parks but we will continue to grow. He has Sunnyside County Island and we work together. Honor those who live in County. Soria: have great needs for Parks. Joint Use Agreements with schools isn’t the answer. Suggestion that developer would sue City under

“Taking” doesn’t sit well with her. Not the way she wants to do business. Promises for park are not always kept by government and residents don’t always trust due to that.Bredefeld: also has an issue with Park. Clark: never been zoned as a park. Caprioglio: “rezone” is not

accurate. If we deny pre-zone today this will sit for twenty years since there is no money for parks. Lenar agreed to doubled the required park size to two acres. A nearby park will be getting new splash pad that all can use. Approved 5-2 with Esparza and Bredefeld voting No.

Back from Lunch Recess. Consent Item 1-A Unclaimed Money: Karbassi asks if citizens can check if they are on this list ? Lima: advertise in Business Journal or Valle. Karbassi: can’t it be on our website ? A: yes We could give 30 day leeway. Lima: $4000 to $11,000 typical.Approve

1-c Salary Resolution: pay-rates and pay rules for non represented employees. Establishes Retirement Accounting Manager. Will be $96,000 non-general fund but Enterprise and Retirement Funds. Arias: wants to be sure that pension rate does actually have impact on General Fund.

Assistant City Manager Jane Sumpter says any effect will be extremely small. Arias: in future wants to have carryover funds settled first before we are asked to pay out. Approved 1-E Civil Service Board: 4 out of 5 members will be from District 2 and 6 only. Staff: they fit

the board best. Arias: he knows one has HR background but none of the others seemed to do so. Very little Bio info. One lists that they “like to sit on boards “. Staff: hard to deal with issues when we only have the current 3 members. Arias would like us to table for a week.

Karbassi: vetting of board members can be hard. Staff: this is a hard position to fill. Not as exciting then say Planning Commission. We do interview the candidates. Vary of appeals throughout the year. Sometimes multiple days. Karbassi would like to make a more informed

decision in the future but will vote for this one. @GarryBredefeld Agrees with Karbassi. He also doesn’t see problem with which district they come from. Just as long as they are qualified. Soria: most qualified should be installed but staff hasn’t provided much info to Council.

One nominee is a real estate agent and wants to help people. Other says they have experience on boards. Not sure how qualified they are from that info. Yes, staff vets them. What is outreach like? Staff: we used Social Media. Qualifications for this position is vague. Resident ,

Able to render a fair decision. @LuisCha70215912 Every week we have this when a nominee comes up. He suggests Councilmembers send their own nominees to mayor and not bring this up every time. He is ready to vote today. Karbassi: are these nominees legally qualified? City Attorney

As far as I know yes. Arias: motion to table this until next Meeting. Caprioglio: please speak for individual Councilmember and not for all the Council. Speak with Staff beforehand and get info then. Do your reading. Motion fails 3-4. Next motion is to approve nominees. Approved

1-H Workforce Appointments Arias: why are we appointing candidates who don’t live in Fresno? Staff: in this case we tend to follow recommendations from Work Force Board. Arias: can we get basic backgrounds on these nominees? A: Yes. Approved. Karbassi: likes that Chuck Riojas

was nominated but the fact he is from District 6 : is that a problem he jokes. 1-I Copper River Ranch Water Arias: why has it been extended? Carbajal: a two year extension is realistic. Arias: Developer builds water infrastructure in order to build houses. But have Consistently

have to come back for another extension. Why the delay? Staff: delay is not from City. They have built 3 of the 4 wells. Developer McDonald says they were asked to pay for 8% =$4 million of water surface Treatment Plant. City said there isn’t enough water pressure so wells out in

About 50% of houses (1500) have been built. Magnese found in water. A bypass would have to be built in order to filter water a mile away. Public Safety is important and we can build this 4th well in two year. @kmkarbassi We should give McDonald an accommodation for showing up

here for 50 years. I called up McDonald this week and he answered my questions. That is how it is done. McDonald is a good asset for the city. He is one of the good guys. McDonald: I love all parts of Fresno. He served on Revitalization of Urban Core. He helped rehab homes in

tower area. Arias: I did reach out to Darius Assemi but we were not able to meet before today’s meeting. On to 3-J RESOLUTION - 16th amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2019-133 to appropriate $8,160,000 for operating programs and previously approved capital

improvement projects in the Public Works Department. 10,000 recycling Toters are purchased a year to keep up with growth or replacements. Solid Waste funds the purchases. Approved.

Actions pertaining to Traffic Signal Improvements at North Harrison and East Shields Avenues - Bid File No. 3697 (Council District 1) Soria: please notify my office and the school that will be effected. Approved.

3-G Award a Requirements Contract for Security Services Program at Municipal Service Center, City Hall and Various Other City Locations in the amount of $1,251,778.58 per year for three years with an option for two one-year extensions to American Guard Services.@kmkarbassi our

current provider is local yes? A: Staff and have been around for over 10 years at City. There has been some corrective issues that have yet to be resolved. Number of corrections is impetus to send this to out of town company. Mozier: this is separated from single point of entry

Arias: wonders if this needs to be done in Closed Session? Jokes he doesn’t want to be charged with a misdemeanor for speaking about a Closed Session item in public. 3-E 3-E Approve the award of a purchase contract to Ruckstell Sales of Fresno, California, for the purchase of 13

13 Heil 520 Peterbilt side-loading refuse trucks in the amount of $4,947,079.46 Department of Transportation. Approved. 3-D Award a two-year requirements contract in the amount of $5,133,300 to Robert V. Jensen, Inc., of Fresno, California, with options for three one-year exten-

-nsions to supply and deliver bulk gasoline and diesel fuel to the Department of Transportation Municipal Fleet Division fueling stations. Approved.

Allow Razor Wire to Code
General Administration sponsored by Chavez and Bredefeld. Chavez: says this will not be allowed in residential , public space. Grandfather the other places. Local businesspeople says this is last item of defense. Area gets broken into once a month.

We sometimes don’t report to police as our insurance would go up too much. Our business is between two overpasses. Lots of people hanging out there. We received notice to remove our razor wire. Please grandfather it. Bredefeld: this is why we need this razor wire. 150 businesses

have to use this wire. Arias: razor wire has been used in military, prisons and border. Many businesses have been using it for many years. If this would stop break ins it would have done so in past ten years. In his district there is rampant use of razor wire near schools,

City has never slowed this but has occurred. Housing is being allowed via mix use and tensions between businesses and new homes. He would like buffer between sensitive places like schools. We need a more formal buffer is created. Chavez agrees. Caprioglio: asks businesspeople if

this amendment would effect them? A: possibly depending on how far RV Park is. A private church and private school is nearby too. Karbassi: worries about the fact some Councilmembers don’t have Implementation Committee and businesses need to go to Councilmember giving them lots

of people. Karbassi suggests they could go to a Planning Commission instead. Arias worries about the current make up of Planning Commission has no members from his district. Esparza : 1000 feet is long. Could Implementation Committee supersede that decision ? A: it can be written

into the proposal. Going into Closed Session. May come back to vote on 3-G regarding City Hall Security still. Next meetings: DECEMBER 12, 2019 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING DECEMBER 19, - NO MEETING DECEMBER 26, - NO MEETING

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