Thread by @AndyHS

City of Fresno Council June 18, 2020!
Among the items are banning restraint chokeholds by Police officers; Mobile Covid testing;Vehicle Miles traveled debate leading up to state law that began a next month;Freeze on new hires at City;Central South East Specific Plan; #fresno

Closed Session: possible lawsuit City v County. Watch today’s City Council meeting beginning at 9 am on cmac.tv/gov/ @CMACTV

Some of the Consent Calendar items: 1-J**Approving the Final Map of Tract No. 6214, Phase 1 of Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 6214, and accepting dedicated public uses offered therein except for dedications offered subject to City acceptance of developer installed required

improvements - East side of North Fowler Avenue between East Clinton Avenue and the East McKinley Avenue alignment (Council District 4

1-K
**Authorizing the Department of Public Works to Submit Grant Applications Totaling up to $11 Million in Requests for Funding to the California Department of Transportation's Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 Call for Projects

1-O Actions pertaining to Acquisition of 5191 North Sixth Street (APN 418-401-09): 1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines. 2. Approve Purchase and Sale Agreement with Proactive

Enterprises, LLC, in the amount of $675,000 for real property located at 5191 North Sixth Street (APN 418-401-09) for the development of a community center (District 4).

1-P **Action pertaining to COVID-19 response and the Mobile HeaL Project:  appropriating $5 million from the City's Coronavirus Relief Fund to fund the Mobile HeaL Project

1-Q Limiting the filling of positions, raises, and promotions

1-R **To immediately ban use of carotid restraint by the Fresno Police Department

All Councilmembers present via Zoom this morning as well as @MayorLeeBrand and @MarkStandriff. Consent items 1-N, 1-P, 1-Q and 1-K pulled for discussion.

Mayor Brand has proclamation for local news anchor Liz Harrison. He met her when he was walking door to door when he was campaigning. She asked important questions about his platform. “Hopefully she voted for me”.

:Karbassi glad to hear she will remain in Fresno post retirement. Harrison: I was fortunate to have had only a mild case of coronavirus. Chavez: remembers seeing her When he was a kid. Media has been changing. Arias: ABC 30 has one of the most respected and she always had

integrity. It doesn’t go un noticed. Bredefeld: great service. There is an ongoing tension between media and those at city Hall. Unlike Chavez I wasn’t a kid but an adult watching her. We are both cancer survivors. Liz: I will continue to message you on Facebook, Garry!

Caprioglio: you are a blessing to our community! Liz: I will be watching Council!

@MayorLeeBrand A chance to celebrate Black Lives Matter with a presentation at 11:45 am. Karbassi: blessed to have had peaceful protests. Art is a way to express your thoughts. DJ Kayridge (?)is thanked. Esparza: youth has led this peaceful demonstration. We have translated

National energy into a local energy. It is a moral issue of life and death. Hopefully this leads to tangible changes at City Council policies. Soria: this is a symbolic step. Black Lives Matter was controversial to say just a year ago. Systematic injustices suffered. I am proud

To stand with Mayor, the Council and our young people. Arias: George Floyd has led to call for justice. Two years ago this &discussion and artwork would have been considered anti-police. My campaign was opposed by law enforcement because of it.

Bredefeld: the protest that occurred was a model for the rest of the nation. Law Enforcement are a majority always serving our community. Those that murdered George Floyd are the exception. We all want equal opportunity in this nation.chavez: this is a great start and a way to

start a conversation. Just beginning. What does equal opportunity mean? Educational, economic, healthcare etc. Community has come together. Thanks those that have been pushing this. We need to get uncomfortable together in this conversation. Institutional policies that outlast

those on this Council should be the goal. Caprioglio: work on this as a team and thanks sponsors for bringing this our into the open. Arias: At noon will be official proclamation in front of city hall. DJ KRich: starting point to a uncomfortable conversation. Fresno has something

to say and we are not just a little city between Bay and Los Angles. We are the model for protest

Esparza: acknowledged Supreme Court decision to uphold DACA. Lots of those dreamers are also those that stand for Black Lives Matter as well. As far his Budget Motions He would like to change 3 firefighters to 3 Fire Captains. This will allow a better use of resources. These

3 captain positions become safety inspectors. Also on Advanced Peace there is a chance we may not entire $300,000 so will change motion to $125,000 with ability to go UP to $300,000 if State grants don’t come through as expected.

Caprioglio: Motions allocate $200,000 for tollhouse Park. Also motion for a misting system at El Dorado Park tot lot playground @JackieH00461046 Also additional lighting at Vinland Park in NW corner. Next: motion for Discovery Center needs exterior bathroom.No second

Motion : 7 neighborhood police officers and work with PoP officers Motion in conjunction with Karbassi. Karbassi: these are community service officers. Caprioglio Motion: within 15 days of savings made by each department due to attrition. Motion: administration Let them know

of any paving of alleys in El Dorado Park @JackieH00461046 Motion: McKinley Canal needs trail as well as McKinley Ave needs to be paved. It is first thing newcomers see when they land at airport. Soria: $1 m Housing funds plus RDA Dollars to plan for more affordable housing.

Arias: take money from proposed Darling Relocation and given to organization led by Mary Curry in West Side. Chavez jokes: does Caprioglio need a new airport while he is at it ? Arias: a runway paved in gold?

Consent items public comments:@LisaYFlores1 Thanks Arias for motion to move Roeding Park Dog Park. She also had a lovely conversation with Bredefeld’s office staff about dog parks. @mmwpro63 Matthew Woodward curious about airport long time bike parking there? Trail will go by

there already. A couple of bike racks would take up less space than a car.

1-K
**Authorizing the Department of Public Works to Submit Grant Applications Totaling up to $11 Million in Requests for Funding to the California Department of Transportation's Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 Call for Projects

Soria:quick build bike lane from downtown and San Joaquin River. County needs to Come on board too between Dakota and Shaw. City will be lead on grant for this trail. She has been in discussions with supervisor @stevebrandau Karbassi seconds motion. Arias: Palm is dangerous.

Approved. 1-N : Planning Dept Jennifer Clark this will be for Covid emengency fund. Housing for HIV/Aids and coronavirus. H Spees: Joint plan with County and others using State dollars. 518 beds generated spread out over different areas and types. $9 M in ESG dollars is coming

Soria: this will be provide housing thru September. Housing trust fund is important. Thanks Spees. Approved. 1-P **Action pertaining to COVID-19 response and the Mobile HeaL Project:  appropriating $5 million from the City's Coronavirus Relief Fund to fund the Mobile HeaL Project

Chavez: three phases to this with UCSF who is online too. Dr Petersen: we would own vehicles. Provide preventive screening as well as tracing and testing too. Access if Covid is detected. We don’t have county data but sounds like they are willing to make that available.

Chavez: Number of food service and grocery stores in SE Fresno has led to spike in Covid Petersen: conversation with DRIVE initiative as well a West Fresno Church of God too. Chavez: smaller non profits focus more locally like reading and beyond. Phase II: what will second wave

look like? Petersen: still in first wave. It is a novel disease as it is still going over summer. Chavez: tracing and testing is needed. Soria: important to create a community advisory committee of 5-7 people. We have never really on business of healthcare but we need to keep

this partnership with UCSF in future. We need to find out where County and their matching dollars. Committee members need to come from black population as well. Karbassi: some zip codes show more infections. $455,000 cost for indirect to UCSF? Petersen: equipment for reporting

Karbassi: why overhead costs on top of all the personnel costs? Van purchased at end of this ? Petersen: remain with UCSF and provide healthcare to these same areas Bredefeld: advisory function?Soria: provide direct feedback to UCSF Chavez: UCSF would be helpful to give advice to

City Council. Arias: make mandatory UCSF use data from County. Also don’t transfer all costs to non profit organizations. Karbassi: can we fund two analyst positions rather than the $455,000 for data review by UCSF? Peterson: yes. Approved

1-Q Limiting the filling of positions, raises, and promotions. Arias: hiring freeze for 60 days with a few exceptions Law Enforcement, Summer, interns. Quan: trying to save every dollars. There are some
Positions we may want to still fill. Jeff Cardell says we have been reviewing

requests for filling some positions. Temporary Covid employees , dispatchers exempt as well. Soria:concern that capital projects that don’t effect general fund should be exempt Too. Quan: gas tax is down so even though Capital projects don’t come from general Fund they are

Effected as well. Soria: ripple Effect. Will be opposed until she can see language. Chavez: it is June 18 and I still don’t know our budget and what the workload will be. Caprioglio: exemption to airport. No general funds and under TSA /FAA and they have certain requirements

as to number of employees working. Arias : Council should weigh in on what positions should g o forward being hired. Chavez : continue this to June 22 meeting. Soria: don’t want capital fund projects effected. Need to give direction to city Manager on this. Chavez agrees.

Approved 7-0. 10:00 **HEARING to consider the proposed Annual Assessment for the City of Fresno Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1 (Citywide) 1. ***RESOLUTION - Confirming the diagram and assessment and levy of annual assessment, 2020-2021, for Landscaping and

Lighting. Approved 7-0.

10:05 HEARING to consider Annexation Application No. P19-06018, Plan Amendment/Prezone Application No. P19-06286; Planned Development Permit Application No. P20-00369; Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 6241; and, related Environmental Assessment No. P19-06018/P19-06286/P20-00369

T-6241 for approximately 79.12 acres of property located near the southwest corner of East Clinton and North Armstrong Avenues (Council District 4) - Planning and Development Department. 1. ADOPT the Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for Environmental

Assessment No. P19-06018/P19-06286/P20-00369/T-6241 dated May 15, 2020 for the proposed project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 2. ***RESOLUTION - Approving Annexation Application No. P19-06018 (for the Clinton-Armstrong No. 3 Reorganization) proposin

Reorganization) proposing detachment from the Fresno County Fire Protection District and the Kings River Conservation District and annexation to the City of Fresno. Approved with no discussion

10:15 (***CONTINUED - FROM JANUARY 16, 2020) RESOLUTION - Initiation of the Central Southeast Specific Plan (Plan), pertaining to approximately 2,200 acres in the Established Neighborhoods South of Shaw Area of the Fresno General Plan, filed by the City of Fresno Planning and

and Development Department Director. 1. fresno.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&…

Chavez would like certain sliver of industrial output and place into another discussion with those in Calwa.

Public Grecia Elenes: thanks Staff and Chavez all for their hard work on this. Amount of community engagement wanted to have those light industrial brought back for the community to discuss again as with coronavirus it has been awhile since Committee has met. Chavez: will meet

with those near Orange Elementary and now need to meet with those in Calwa. Caprioglio: most of District 4 is South of Shaw Do we get improvements as well? Yes. Approved

10:10 ****Hearing to consider adoption of Vehicle Miles Traveled Thresholds pursuant to Senate Bill 743, which requires local jurisdictions in California to adopt such thresholds by July 1, 2020. Soria asks of this can be tabled. Public: Grecia Elbens we would like a week ex-

tension as well so we can get community members engaged. Karbassi: this isn’t about staff and they are following law. This bill is archaic out together 7 years ago Under Brown. We all want clear air. Treats EV drivers the same as gas powered vehicles. Mass transit and density

creates pandemics. Governor Newsome wants to build 3 million new homes over ten years. This bill will cause housing prices to raise as well as rents. Need to send message to State that we won’t do this bill as it hurts poor who are already most vulnerable. Send this back to State

Chavez: what is legal complications of we don’t approve? City Attorney: Douglas Sloan: if approved next week there will be a more strict version put on us. Approved to table.

4-A **BILL (for introduction and adoption) - Amending Section 2-514 of the Fresno Municipal Code in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Esparza: statewide mandate to wear mask may be coming but we are ahead on that

Exhale valves used for construction sites does not do much for coronavirus. Also if employer is putting employees in harm of possible coronavirus. Chavez: some reaffirms what we already do. Masks required in building. Esparza: this will require masks outdoors if coming into

physical interaction outside. Not proactive enforcement currently. Public can call in anonymously to report. Code Enforcement can respond then. Chavez: saw bars in Tower District last week where people were not taking precautions. Some are really stubborn. Would like code

enforcement be more strong in telling bars about what needs to be done in regards to masks. Chavez:perhaps UCSF can be a good place to tell us when we hit magic number @GarryBredefeld he knows Esparza takes this seriously as we all do. Outdoor mask wearing? Esparza: not a blanket

rule outdoors but some businesses do a lot outdoors. Bredefeld: this will be confusing for citizens. Couple walking need a mask? A: no. This is for employers. Bredefeld: science shows hot weather kills Virus. Hot line is snitching on us. We don’t want to go that direction. We had

Dog Park Police and now a Mask Police. Attorney Sloan: fine would be $250 and eventually to $1000. Fines on businesses but not individuals. Bredefeld:confidential? Sloan: still applies. Bredefeld: confusion for employers. I can’t vote for this but I appreciate Esparza on this.

Esparza : hot weather does effect virus but person to person is way it passes. All these actions is because we are not getting enough help at higher level of government. Hotline is for businesses and employers that are not being compliant.Soria: want to be proactive. Want local

Folks to follow thru. We don’t want ICUs to be overwhelmed either. Can we table this week. Esparza: as with any emergency the quicker we attack it the better. Soria: it would be helpful to have Dr. Peterson Chime in next week too. She has seen restaurants being too lax.

Caprioglio: not sure we need another hotline. We do see competitors who abuse the rules. I would like this continued until next week. Esparza: we don’t have this controlled at any level of government. I will table this until June 25 Meeting. Arias: we have 3 hotlines already.

Some Businesses have been lax like Bobby Salazar and The Standard. If Code Enforcement Gets complaints please check it out. Don’t want a few businesses to delay complete opening for rest of city. Approved to table this until June 25.

4-B BILL- (For introduction) Amending Section 9-3316 of the Fresno Municipal Code, relating to initial application process for cannabis retail business and commercial cannabis business. Esparza; change Union from ten employees to five. Living wage. Workforce. Cal OSHA

Public: Katie Maples of one of oldest cannabis companies. This is a common sense ordinance. Next:Dillon Savory of Labor speaks in favor of this ordinance as it requires employers to treat Employees well. Unions is the way to get better wages etc. Next: Union rep Nicole Rice says

this sets the bar for employers. Employees need to be able to be safe at work, consumer safety. ( some sound issues). Sam Frank: City Employee Representative also supports this.

Chavez: options to hire is not specifically stated. Is that correct ? A: yes. Approved 6-1 with Bredefeld voting No.

Council adjourning for lunch break until 1:30 where they will consider one item : 5-B 5-B CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION or DECIDING WHETHER TO INITIATE
City of Fresno v. County of Fresno

I wanted to post some of the VMT info as it will be contentious next week with building industry and developers against it.

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