Thread by @AndyHS

#Fresno Fresno City council May 14, 2020
Among the items will be Emergency Sleep Cabins; Micro farmers Farm to Family program; Appointing the Members of the Fresno Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District Public Financing Authority ; Soliciting Public Comments on various

plans at 10:05; COVID-19 and Homeless; Grant to help people remain in their homes despite Coronavirus; on the CONSENT CALENDAR
1-B Actions pertaining to the 2017 Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Grant and Transform Fresno Plan project regarding Community Engagement Plan

Community Partnerships: 1. Approve a Sub-Recipient Agreement with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission for the Prime Community Partner component of the Transform Fresno Community Engagement Plan totaling $177,000; 2. Approve a Sub-Recipient Agreement with the Fresno

Economic Opportunities Commission for the Direct Outreach Community Partner component of the Transform Fresno Community Engagement Plan totaling $164,200; 3. Approve a Sub-Recipient Agreement with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission for the Media and Communications

Community Partner component of the Transform Fresno Community Engagement Plan totaling $144,000; and 4. Approve a Sub-Recipient Agreement with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission for the Event Coordination Community Partner component of the Transform Fresno Community

Engagement Plan

1-H.   CARES ACT money tp protect FAX drivers from COVID-19. $555,000

1-N Approve Contract Change Order No. 1, increasing the contract amount by $119,500, from $197,376 to $316,876 for the Highway Litter Control Contract between the City of Fresno and Landscape

Maintenance of America dba California Highway Adoption California
1-P ***to appropriate $50,000 in developer contributions for the acquisition of right-of-way for public street and public utility easements for the Final Map on the Southwest corner of Gettysburg and Hayes Avenue

1-S ***Appointing the Members of the Fresno Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District Public Financing Authority

Apparently City Council has gone into Special Emergency Closed Session first. They are to discuss security at City Hall. (Due to recent protestors trying to get inside??)

Taking roll call first and then to Special Session. (There was some technological issues for first ten minutes). All Councilmembers present via this Zoom meeting.

10:50 AM City Council resumes with Regular portion of meeting. Consent items. 1-H pulled by Karbassi. 1-I pulled by Chavez. 1-N pulled by Chavez. 4-A and 4-B will be heard at 1:30. Councilmember Reports: Caprioglio says his 93-year old mother had a good Mother’s Day.

@Esmeralda_Soria Two virtual community meetings. Thanks Public Works Dept Head Scott Mozier. Also Town Hall by Youth Commission on COVID-19. @AnnalisaPerea will team up to hand out masks. @kmkarbassi thank you to all City Staff for their hard work the past 8 weeks. Thanks to Code

Enforcement and Fresno PD. District 2 now has free Covid testing M-F at Herdon/Milburn. Nasal Swab test. 2-3 days for results. County will cover cost that insurance won’t cover. Elephant in Room: Pandemic has stressed everyone. We want to open up safely.

@esparza_nelson Thanks constituents that participated in a virtual town hall. @LisaYFlores1 asks how City Councilmember gets cited but a citizen who openly says on tv he tried to stop code enforcement. Also where is PD Chief Andy Hall? Shows up at Freedom Rally. What is the 6

Point Plan? Worried Chief Hall didn’t wear mask while at Rally. Next: Sam Frank thanks Chavez and Caprioglio for getting PPE donated to employees. Thanks Karbassi for kind words on City Employees during this pandemic. Right to Life is First and then freedom then pursuit of hap-

piness. If government asks you to wear a mask you do it. Also joins @GarryBredefeld in condemning the protestors that banged on @MiguelArias_D3 door. As a Christian and a Republican these people were mostly posting as Christians.

Next: City’s Recovery Committtee should be held in public and some of the members on it. Next: Luis Wiley says from @SunriseFresno a divide between South and North Fresno. How can we trust Recovery Committe when there are members like Supervisor Magisg @LincolnSeward when he took

money from companies that pollute as well as he attended a rally out on by Ben Bourquom White Supremest. Next: Yonsis says Miguel Arias is a good man and his heart goes out to him. What Ben Bourquom did was terrible. Arias got cited? Yonis is outraged and hopes PD does the right

thing. Next Alonzo Santos says Recovery Committee hasn’t done a adequate job including us and protecting us. Thinks @LincolnSeward takes money from oil and other polluting companies. Small farms should be promoted. Next: David Perez (?) from DSA and @SunriseFresno doesn’t like

make up of Recovery Committee. Needs to have more community organizers and health experts. Jessica Ramirez: speaking on 1:30 item 1-B she has a newborn living in a home with seven people during shelter in place. Worried about being evicted. Hard to find a new place when not safe

to drive around looking for new place. I don’t know who to turn to. I need Council to hear me today. I am lost at the moment. Help everyone here in Fresno. Next: Dr Amber kroll from @FaithInFresno says housing retention item. Many are rent burdened spending more than half of

their pay on it. And this was before pandemic. Many are evicted for $1000 but end up spending several thousand in fees. Most don’t have lawyers but landlords do. Worried about housing insecurity by Fresno State students. Housing Crisis need to be solved by good public policy.

@FaithInFresno rep speaking on 4-B Family struggling to find money during this Covid pandemic. Money goes into PD and other departments but the community is always last to receive money. Please stand with public. Next: Cruz from District 3 Speaking on since pulled item 3-B

We can’t lessen housing standard requirements like 3-B would do. Stands against the white supremest that attacked a brown man in Miguel Arias @MiguelArias_D3. Need to make better quality of emergency homes not worse on 3-B. Next: Madeline Harris with @SunriseFresno asks Chief

Hall and @GarryBredefeld denounce Proud Boys. Otherwise you need to step down. Recovery Committee are full of politicians that take money from factory farming , polluters etc. we need public meetings and a better mix of committee members on it. We live in the most polluted air

basin. All public employees that attended Freedom Rally need to denounce Proud Boys. Next: @Soypedroh4 of Sunrise Movement. Wants to ge really trust to City Council. Recovery Committtee needs to have more transparency. @Esmeralda_Soria wants to have Youth Commission on Recovery

Committee too. Make public such as agendas, town halls , minutes. Limit exposure to Coronavirus. A just transition as we come out of this crisis. Dignified jobs and green economy. @SunriseFresno will be sending letter on these topics. Next: Pavin Johnson says 3-B would have hurt

people being crammed into 100 sq ft homes and makes virus more likely to spread. There are empty hotels that clubs be used. @LovesMercy Brandi says 3-B Vulnerable around Poverello House were promised single occupancy units a month ago. 2000 unsheltered homeless. In support micro

farmer item later on agenda. 4-b needs to pass to help those being evicted. Supports @MayorLeeBrand and Council for taking Coronavirus seriously. Community resources like Food Map on City Website more prominently. Next: Garry Hunt says sorry about what happens to Arias.

Worries about African American who also led this attack on Arias. He is an Uncle Ruckus. Wonders why all councilmembers got PD detail but not Arias? Next: Rick Stietz from Union speaking on 1-I. Impact on riders. 1100+ riders will be abandoned if route 28 changed. County has

acquired old Costco building. Bus line goes by. Ridership has gone down but better way to run lines using line 45. No ridership to County during holidays and weekend. City needs a workshop. Next Jesse Gonzales: also agree with previous speaker. Deep cuts in upcoming budget will

hurt bus lines. Using pre-Covid data. Guaranteed ridership on line 28 to go to questionable ridership on line 45. Infrastructure needed when changing lines like ADA. Many places don’t have sidewalks such as near canals. Need transparency. Next: need more support for renewable

energy and less trucks driving thru neighborhoods. Support for undocumented. Children need a better dedication. Next: help our elders. Many can’t work during this pandemic. Mental Health needed. Increased desperation. Fear of contamination from bad air and Coronavirus.

Better virtual education for students. They only get one hour of teacher attention and due to my language barrier I can’t always help them. Double immersion is needed. Next: Sundeep item 4-B need to help community members and small business owners. Please support 4-B. Lots of

roadwork needed in Fresno.Better partnership between City and County. PD needs to make all parts of city and to be safe. Next Val: Daughter goes to Fresno State and they are going to online only next Fall. Would go to another school if wants to go to online only school if that

that is what she wanted. Next @_mcthompson lawyers supports those low income renters and homeowners that are risk of losing their homes. Grants are helpful. National Lawyers guild stand in support of @MiguelArias_D3 after he was being attacked. Not acceptable that he called PD

but he was cited instead. Black Lives Matter protestors were treated differently than the Freedom Rally protestors. Regrets she didn’t go out to help with Arias. She didn’t when she heard PD were going to be there. Turns out that that wasn’t sufficient. Next : Dez Martinez

wonders why Bredefeld doesn’t tell Ben Bourquom to knock it off. He shook hands with Ben at rally. She has lost respect for @GarryBredefeld She stands with Arias. Housing has to be ready. H Spees says people didn’t want to be in homes but also brag they housed 400 people.

Transitional housing has only 25 empty units. Next @YeniferGMejia from Sunrise Fresno. Recovery Committee meets behind closed doors and decisions being made without us knowing. Dr. Fauci warns of opening too early. Asks Arias to get transparency. Karbassi and Chavez get money

from special interest. Next Denise a Fresno State student. Eviction Research Team urges all Council members to support it. Too many get evicted from their homes. Pleas support item on agenda. When people can stay on their homes they can buy groceries. Stand with most vulnerable

Next: Gilbert Ruiz business owner in DT for five years. Friends says he is crazy to be downtown. Boxing is a therapy for many youth. Suicidal tendencies from one of his boxers. That went away after six months of being at gym. Those tendencies are coming back now.

(Sound issues) Not sure if on my end or their’s

Looks like the Council went to lunch break during my wifi issue problem. Scheduled to be back at 1:30 pm

The Council is back from Lunch Break at 1:45. @PaulCaprioglio speaks on @GeorgeHostetter who passed away recently. “Tough but fair. Curious. He would walk the streets of Fresno. Ask we adjourn one his memory. “

Contested Consent item: 1-H.   CARES ACT money tp protect FAX drivers from COVID-19. $555,000. @kmkarbassi he had a good conversation with FAX head @gregorybarfield and Karbassi in favor. Approved

1-I pulled by @LuisCha70215912 Asks @GarryBredefeld Barfield about this item. County moved to old Pelco building and this changed BRT thoughts. Do we know what cost to be ADA compliance ? Barfield : save $250,000 by moving this bus. Clovis will build bus pad. Update by next week

Chavez: passengers scared to ride bus due to Coronavirus and no schools leading to decreased ridership. Down 50% Barfield: allowing only ten masked passengers plus driver. Don’t have to provide cuts due to CARES Act dollars. State dollars can be banked for now. Maybe a second

allocation from CARES. Fresno County made move to Pelco but we were not notified about that. Chavez: more comfortable knowing cost of ADA. Barfield: sweeper busses picks up passengers left behind due to ten passenger limit. Other cities have had 80% passenger drop and this is

without limiting number of passengers. Limit time to 8 pm rather than 11 pm. Pelco loop is not bread and butter. DSS is largest buyers of bus passes. People need to get there to old Pelco. Chavez hopes for a workshop. Jim Schaad says we are not approving route changes today.

Chavez: County caused this change by creating a need elsewhere in Fresno. Plus people working from home. @PaulCaprioglio looks like a bad decision by County and effecting our residents. “Thank you County.” City Manager Quan says County decision was made years ago. Route changes

May be too early as we don’t know what the “new normal” will be. Jim Schaad: County decision may not have been the best considering $57 million BRT decision by City. Chavez: County needs to help share with cost caused by this. @Esmeralda_Soria thinks Chavez’s concerns are valid

These are County’s DSS constituents and this needs to be considered by them as well. @MiguelArias_D3 County moving away from buildings from Kings Canyon and one on Fulton to consolidate in Clovis. County expects constituents to go to Clovis. Barfield : if we don’t accept this

study today it would end routes 3 and 45 (El Paseo to Peach to service medical offices there as well as Central East high school). City needs to present this study to FTA. Measure C dollars won’t go to this as we look to federal dollars unless this is to back fill our 20% obliga-

-tions. CARES Act dollars help at this time. Chavez: City has some leverage at this time with County rather than just rubber stamping this as usual. @PaulCaprioglio downtown investment of Fulton and now County moving this office out of DT. Are we creating a ghost town? Quan:

We told County this is counter to our revitalization of DT but County thought it would be cheaper for them to put everything under one roof. Arias hopes ( sarcastic) County will now be willing to open homeless shelters in Clovis since they are willing to move DSS out there too

Ask @MayorLeeBrand to reach out to County about getting share of costs created by their decision. 1-N Approve Contract Change Order No. 1, increasing the contract amount by $119,500, from $197,376 to $316,876 for the Highway Litter Control Contract between the City of Fresno and

Landscape Maintenance. @GarryBredefeld homeless encampments are getting worse. We need to move them off of there. CalTrans responsibility to do so but have been AWOL. We were doing this before pandemic but we cannot stop now. Mozier: we don’t have authority to remove homeless.

We can only pick up trash. Bredefeld: we let criminals out and now this. @kmkarbassi policy is compliant with CDC guidelines? A: yes Approved to table this.

4-B ****Creating a Housing Retention Grant Program to assist Fresno families impacted by job loss or reduction in working hours related to COVID-19, and adding small business grants to the existing Save our Small Business Program $2,000,000 for small businesses and $1,500,000 for

Housing retention. Landlords would get 80% directly to cover rent. We will be working with organizations like United Way. Chavez: some businesses are opening soon but need help still. Restaurants need a ten day lee time to open. We won’t be able to help everyone. This will pre-

vent people from becoming homeless by letting them stay on their homes. Win-win but we won’t be able to help everyone though. @PaulCaprioglio retention grant helps landlord and tenant. This is a Grant so there are strings attached so we need to be aware. Councilmember Karbassi

began this two months ago and thank you. @D7Esparza very direct proposal. Economy is fragile locally. This will help. @kmkarbassi equal funding across all districts. We need a subcommittee. First come first served? We are not a social service agency. That is more County level

But so many are hurting. Economic security is tenuous. I am not taking blame for Coronavirus. But we need to be responsible on our decisions. @GarryBredefeld supported save our small business in past. He does have some concerns on housing retention grant. Do people who are here

illegal can get these grants ? Lawsuits against this have forced the changes to this consumer Grant being changed to what we see here today. Counsel : cash can be given to undocumented but in kind can. Bredefeld: who are these non profits & who is overseeing these organizations

so undocumented don’t receive cash. Who will select and oversee? Chavez: Council is that oversight board. We don’t ask documentation when people pay taxes to our city now due to City policy. Bredefeld will vote NO on this unless we split small business and housing retention grant

Arias: we can start auditing all companies that we do business with City if you want. Bredefeld: motion that no money goes to undocumented. No second. Can we give money to landlord instead of undocumented? Counsel: yes this would be in Kind. Bredefeld: this is a way around it

then. We are now giving grants to people we put out of business. We now want to blame county and state but it was us who made this decision. Businesses that are open in Clovis and LA but not here. We could have followed CDC guidelines and still opened. Instead we fined business

$40,000. @MiguelArias_D3 we have not arrested anyone for not sheltering in place. @D7Esparza there are areas where neighborhoods pre-pandemic were paying 60% of their income on rent. Maybe we should focus on those neighborhoods instead? Chavez: illegal , worthy /not worthy terms

Are also the people the federal government called Essential and asked to pick crops in 100 degree weather. This is about people. Public: (one minute only )David Taub @TaubGVWire 3.b does that coverage mortgages? Is there privacy in public record? What if more applicants than $$?

@LisaYFlores1 Bredefeld has nerve to sit in front of God We Trust sign. These people pay taxes even if undocumented. 20% of jobs lost are not coming back. Next: Carla in support. Amazed at how Bredefeld could be so inhumane. These are people. I know you are not listening to me

Next: Jaime: echoes @LuisCha70215912 and uplift dignity of all people. Undocumented are worth $118 billion to California’s economy. We support Arias for what happened. Next : Kimberly McCoy from Building Healthy Community We need to replace Bredefeld Next: small businesses are

big part of economy. We need to support them. Next: once any funds are used but keep in mind those who are undocumented. Benita Vasquez: we pay taxes even if we I have an I-10. We are all hurting. Cecilia Ortega: Low income are still part of economy but are left out of stimuli

Next: Rico Saldivar I have four businesses that are non essential. In need help with rent. Would it have been better to just freeze our bills? Next: Gracia Lenes from @LCJandA Commends bill sponsors. Half the city is rent burdened. We have to be smart how we target these grants

After 2008 recession it showed minority businesses were hurt the worse. Next: Dr Amber Krall says bredefeld is failing at his job. Your anti immigrant views are fueling white supremest Next : jessica Romero I am getting evicted. Undocumented are breaking their backs for us

@LovesMercy Support of this Grant. Her own land lord has been understanding unlike JD Homes. We need to look at long term and not open our businesses too soon. We shouldn’t marginalize undocumented. @GarryBredefeld let’s give people back their jobs rather than relying on govern-

ment. None of these councilmembers have moved to change these shelter in place rules. 80% of CARES Act remain unused. We are under the 20% by $5 million. This money was given for relief of residents. Undocumented are those that pick our food,clean hotels etc. instead of putting

kids in cages we should give them amnesty. Now we want to ignore rules when undocumented are essential workers. We don’t bother with them being undocumented when they pay their taxes. Approved 6-1 with Bredefeld voting NO

4-A ****RESOLUTION - Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2019-133 to appropriate $500,000 in CARES Act funds to the Farm to Family Program.

@kmkarbassi motion that this in compliance of federal law. Public: @LovesMercy is there a way this can be connected to local groups that are serving food to needy? @GarryBredefeld how will be this awarded ? Soria: MOU with Food Bank. Approved 7-0

10:00 AM *HEARING to consider the vacation of a portion of a public utility easement in North Dearing Avenue (now abandoned) between East Fir Avenue and East Herndon Avenue (Council District 6) 1. ***RESOLUTION - Ordering the vacation of a portion of a public utility easement in

North Dearing Avenue (now abandoned) between East Fir Avenue and East Herndon Avenue.

10:05 ****CONTINUED HEARING to obtain public comments regarding the Draft 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Including Citizen Participation Plan, Draft 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, and Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing ChoiceView.ashx <fresno.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&…>

3-A. Actions pertaining to leasing of City-owned land at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (RWRF) (Council District 3) impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic: Farmer leasing land has to rescind his lease due to Covid-19
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical

Exemption pursuant to Sections 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines for the Fourth Amendment to the agricultural Lease and Agreement with James Cook for lease of 550 acres of City-Owned land at the RWRF; 2. Approve and ratify the Fourth Amendment

Amendment to the agricultural Lease and Agreement with James Cook for 550 acres of City-owned land at the RWRF, waiving two quarterly rental fee installment payments totaling $116,885, with revised revenue of $166,885 for year 2020, retroactive to April 1, 2020. 3.

Approve and ratify a Termination of the Lease and Agreement with James Cook for 125 acres of City-owned land at the RWRF retroactive to April 1, 2020. James Cook: we are no strangers to what Covid-19 has caused. Labor,supply chains etc staff agreed to this agreement. Covid -19

has been found I waste water. Would like to continue to be a valuable lessor of the City. Arias: would like a forebearance so he doesn’t have to pay now but revisit this later. We have lots of commercial tenants so we don’t want to create a problem later by forgiving this.

Approved 7-0 3-C ****
RESOLUTION - Authorizing Coordination to Align Spending Plans for COVID-19 Homeless Response Using Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Emergency Solutions Grant Funding. H Spees says we are part of getting people off streets and into beds.

We can extend the use of the beds thru until December. County will hold contract, they will provide rural homeless beds , return to City in 45 days. Arias: do we provide these beds to more people ? Or allow those currently in beds to stay longer? Both. We have done a good job

compared with most cities in state. A good partnership with County. First time County has gotten beds in rural areas. Soria: needs to find permanent housing. Otherwise we will be evicting people in December. Covid 19 can still be going. We need to be creative with blighted

buildings using CARE Act dollars. Public: Yones Paolo: homeless veteran advocate. December will be here soon. We will continue to make progress. Next: shelter beds. Hotel has 35 beds put aside for Covid positive patients. Only one bed used. Wasted money at this point as well as

FEMA trailers. Still 2000 on the street. Where is money going ? Right to see budget @LovesMercy motels made available for non positive homeless as well. Concerned some are leaving shelters for other reasons. Approved 7-0 Council going to Closed Session now

May 21, 2020
10:00 A.M. #1 - WORKSHOP - Parking Financial and Operational Analysis and Parking Authority Feasibility Study

May 21, 2020
10:00 A.M. #1 - WORKSHOP - Parking Financial and Operational Analysis and Parking Authority Feasibility Study

MAY 21, 2020 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING MAY 28, 2020 - NO MEETING
JUNE 4, 2020 - NO MEETING
JUNE 11, 2020 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING JUNE 18, 2020 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING

May 21, 2020
10:00 A.M. #1 - WORKSHOP - Parking Financial and Operational Analysis and Parking JUNE 25, 2020 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING
JULY 2, 2020 - NO MEETING
JULY 9, 2020 - NO MEETING
JULY 16, 2020 -9:00 A.M. MEETING JULY 23, 2020 - NO MEETING JULY 30, 2020 - NO MEETING
May 14,

@threadreaderapp unroll